Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Pope John Paul II: Mary, Model of Eucharistic Faith and Love

"In a certain sense Mary lived her Eucharistic faith even before the institution of the Eucharist, by the very fact that she offered her virginal womb for the Incarnation of God's Word. The Eucharist, while commemorating the passion and resurrection, is also in continuity with the incarnation. At the Annunciation Mary conceived the Son of God in the physical reality of his body and blood, thus anticipating within herself what to some degree happens sacramentally in every believer who receives, under the signs of bread and wine, the Lord's body and blood.
 
"As a result, there is a profound analogy between the Fiat which Mary said in reply to the angel, and the Amen which every believer says when receiving the body of the Lord. Mary was asked to believe that the One whom she conceived “through the Holy Spirit” was “the Son of God” (Lk 1:30-35). In continuity with the Virgin's faith, in the Eucharistic mystery we are asked to believe that the same Jesus Christ, Son of God and Son of Mary, becomes present in his full humanity and divinity under the signs of bread and wine.

“Blessed is she who believed” (Lk 1:45). Mary also anticipated, in the mystery of the incarnation, the Church's Eucharistic faith. When, at the Visitation, she bore in her womb the Word made flesh, she became in some way a “tabernacle” – the first “tabernacle” in history – in which the Son of God, still invisible to our human gaze, allowed himself to be adored by Elizabeth, radiating his light as it were through the eyes and the voice of Mary. And is not the enraptured gaze of Mary as she contemplated the face of the newborn Christ and cradled him in her arms that unparalleled model of love which should inspire us every time we receive Eucharistic communion?"

~ Pope John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Ecclesia de Eucharistica ~ 


Friday, February 18, 2011

Rethinking Communion in the Hand Should Be a Priority in the Church

"With Communion in the hand, a miracle would be required during each distribution of Communion to avoid some Particles from falling to the ground or remaining in the hand of the faithful. Let us speak clearly: whoever receives Communion in the mouth not only follows exactly the tradition handed down but also the wish expressed by the last Popes and thus avoids placing himself in the occasion of committing a sin by negligently dropping a fragment of the Body of Christ."

~ Bishop Juan Rodolfo Laise, San Luis, Argentina, 1997 ~
from Communion-in-the-hand.org



Sunday, February 13, 2011

Blessed Teresa of Calcutta: A Reflection on Jesus

This is Jesus to me:

Jesus is the Word made flesh
Jesus is the Bread of Life
Jesus is the Victim offered for our sins on the Cross,
The Sacrifice offered at the Holy Mass,
for the sins of the world and mine.

Jesus is the Word-to be spoken
Jesus is the Truth-to be told
Jesus is the Way-to be walked
the Light-to be lit
the Life-to be lived.

Jesus is the Love-to be loved
Jesus is the Joy-to be shared
Jesus is the Sacrifice-to be offered,
The Peace-to be given,
The Bread of Life.

Jesus is the Hungry-to be fed
Jesus is the Thirsty-to be satiated
Jesus is the Naked-to be clothed
The Homeless-to be taken in
The Sick-to be healed.

Jesus is the Lonely-to be loved,
The Unwanted-to be wanted
The Leper-to wash his wounds
The Beggar-to give him a smile
The Drunkard-to listen to him
The Mental-to protect him
The Little One-to embrace him
The Blind-to lead him
The Dumb-to speak for him
The Crippled-to walk with him
The Drug addict-to befriend him
The Prostitute-to remove from danger and befriend her
Jesus is the Prisoner-to be visited
The Old-to be served.

To me Jesus is my God
Jesus is my Spouse
Jesus is my Life
Jesus is my only Love
Jesus is my All in all
Jesus is my Everything!

~ Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta ~

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

St. Teresa of Avila and Cardinal Arinze: Personal Prayer From the Heart

"Vocal prayer . . . must be accompanied by reflection. A prayer in which a person is not aware of Whom he is speaking to, what he is asking, who it is who is asking and of Whom, I don't call prayer-----however much the lips may move."

"Mental prayer in my opinion is nothing else than an intimate sharing between friends; it means taking time frequently to be alone with Him who we know loves us."

~ St. Teresa of Avila ~



Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Purity Needed for Those Who Receive the Precious Body and Blood of Jesus

"Oh, if we could only understand Who is that God
Whom we receive in Holy Communion,
then what purity of heart we would bring to Him!"

~ St. Mary Magdalen de Pazzi  ~