Blessed Virgin Mary's Sentiments About Receiving Holy Communion

I wish thee also to hear, my dearest daughter from my own mouth, what were my sentiments when in mortal life I was about to receive holy Communion. In order that thou mayest better understand what I say, reflect on all I have commanded thee to write about my gifts, merits and labors in life.

 

I was preserved from original sin and, at the instant of my Conception, received the knowledge and vision of the Divinity, as thou hast often recorded. I knew more than all saints; I surpassed the highest seraphim in love; I never committed any fault; I constantly practiced all the virtues in a heroic degree and in the least of them I was greater than all the saints in their highest perfection; the intention and object of my actions were most exalted and my habits and gifts were noble without measure; I imitated my most holy Son most closely; I labored faithfully; I suffered with eagerness and co-operated with the doings of the Lord exactly as was becoming to me; I ceased not to exercise my love and gain new supereminent merits of grace.

 

Yet I thought myself to have been fully repaid by being allowed to receive Him even once in the holy Eucharist; yea, I did not consider myself worthy of this one favor.

 

Reflect then what should be thy sentiments, and those of the rest of the children of Adam, on being admitted to the reception of this admirable Sacrament.

 

And if for the greatest of saints one holy Communion is a superabundant reward, what must the priests and the faithful think, when they are allowed to receive it so frequently?

 

Open thy eyes in the deep darkness and blindness which overwhelm men around thee, and raise them up to the divine brightness in order to understand these mysteries.

 

Look upon all thy works as insufficient, all thy sufferings as most insignificant, all thy thanksgiving as falling far short of what thou owest for such an exquisite blessing as that of possessing in the holy Church, Christ my divine Son, present in the holy Sacrament in order to enrich all the faithful.

 

If thou hast not wherewith to show thy thanks for this and the other blessings which thou receivest, at least humiliate thyself to the dust and remain prostrate upon it; confess thyself unworthy in all the sincerity of thy heart. Magnify the Most High, bless and praise Him, preserving thyself at all times worthy to receive Him and to suffer many martyrdoms in return for such a favor.
 

~  Virgin Mother of God to Venerable Mary of Agreda, from  City of God ~

Gloria Polo Testimony: Even the Demons Adore Our Lord

Gloria Polo died after being terribly burned by a lightning bolt on May 5, 1995 in Bogotá, Colombia; she was judged, and then came back to life. This is her testimony.

But first I must tell you something, brothers: I was a “dietetic (cafeteria) Catholic”, I was for my whole life, because my relationship with God was taken care of in a 25 minute Sunday Mass, and that’s all. I went to the Mass where the priest spoke less, because I got tired! What anguish I felt, with those priests who spoke a lot! This was my relationship with God! For this all the worldly currents drug me along: I lacked the protection of prayer well done with faith, even in the Mass!

...When I cried out again that I was Catholic, brothers, I heard a Voice, so sweet, but so sweet… So beautiful, that it filled everything with peace and love, and made my soul jump. Those horrible creature that were clinging to me, at hearing it, immediately prostrated themselves in adoration, and asked permission to withdraw themselves, because they could not stand the sweetness of that Voice: then something was opened, like a mouth hanging down, and they fled with fear. Just imagine this! When I see those beings, those horrific demons, there prostrated… At the mere hearing the Voice of the Lord, (notwithstanding the pride of Satan, and thus they hear it as something very unpleasant), they throw themselves on their knees!

Then, I saw the Most Blessed Virgin prostrated, when the priest elevated Our Lord in the Host, during the Mass that was celebrated for the soul of my cousin. The Virgin Mary interceded for me! Prostrated at the feet of Our Lord, she gathered all the prayers that the people of my earth made for me, and she presented them to Him.

You know, at the moment of the elevation, when the priest lifts up the Host, one feels the presence of Jesus, everyone prostates themselves on their knees, even the demons! … And I, who went to the Mass without the least of respect, without giving any attention, with gum to chew in my mouth, sometimes dozing off, looking around, lost in a thousand banal thoughts…! And then I had the guts to complain, full of pride, that God did not listen to me when I asked something from Him!

Believe me, it was staggering to see how, at the passing of Our Lord, all those creatures, all those frightening beings, threw themselves on the ground, in an impressive adoration.

I saw the Virgin Mary, graciously prostrate at the feet of the Lord, praying for me, in adoration before Him. … And I, a sinner, with my rubbish, treating Him without any respect, and saying that I was good… Yes, miserably good! Denying and blaspheming the Lord!

Imagine what a sinner I was, when even the demons prostrated themselves on the ground, at the passing of the Lord Jesus Christ…!

...Jesus continued to show me how I was in no way grateful in regard to Him, and the laziness that I had in going to Mass. When I still lived with my parents, and my mother obliged me to go, I said to her: “But, Mom, if God is everywhere, what need do I have to go to church for the Mass?” Clearly, for me it was very convenient to talk like this… And Jesus showed this to me. I had the Lord twenty-four hours a day for me, all my life God took care of me, and I so lazy to dedicate to Him a little time on Sunday, to show Him my gratitude, my love for Him… But the worst thing was to know that, to frequent the church, meant to nourish my soul. I, instead, dedicated myself totally to the care of my body, I became a slave to my flesh, and I forgot this particular: that I had a soul! And never did I take care of it.

~ Gloria Polo:  excerpts from here ~

Ask for the Gift of Adoration

The practice of adoration is not difficult.
It is a gentle abiding in My presence,
a resting in the radiance of My Eucharistic Face,
a closeness to My Eucharistic Heart.

Words, though sometimes helpful, are not necessary,
nor are thoughts.
What I seek from one who would adore Me in spirit and in truth
is a heart aflame with love,
a heart content to abide in my presence,
silent and still,
engaged only in the act of loving Me
and of receiving My love.

Though this is not difficult,
it is, all the same,
my own gift
to the soul who asks for it.

Ask, then, for the gift of adoration.

~ Excerpt from Vultus Christi blog ~

Fr. Robert Barron: The Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist

"When the priest effects the Eucharistic change...he's not speaking his own puny words, but rather at the consecration the priest speaks in persona Christi, in the very person of Christ...He speaks with the full authority of Christ which is why his words have the power to change the elements...that's why for Catholics the only proper response when you're in the presence of those transformed elements is to bow down and worship."

~ Fr. Robert Barron ~

Visit to Our Lady After Holy Communion

Mother, upon my lips today,

Christ's Precious Blood was laid;

That Blood which centuries ago,

Was for my ransom paid.

And half in love, and half in fear

I seek for aid from thee,

Lest what I worship, wrapt in awe,

Should be profaned by me.

Wilt thou vouchsafe, as Portress dear,

To guard those lips today?

Lessen my words of idle worth

And govern all I say.

Keep back the sharp and quick retort

That rise so easily;

Soften my speech with gentle art,

To sweetest charity.

Check thou the laugh or careless jest,

That others harsh may find;

Teach me the thoughtful words of love,

That soothe the anxious mind.

Put far from me all proud replies,

And each deceitful tone,

So that my words at length may be

Faint echoes of thine own.

Oh Mother, thou art mine today,

By more than double right:

A soul where Christ reposed must be

Most precious in thy sight.

And thou canst hardly think of me

From thy dear Son apart;

Then give me from myself and sin,

A refuge in thy heart.

~ From an old prayer card ~

Capuchin Franciscans: A Public Invitation to Kneel Before Jesus in the Eucharist

A Eucharistic flash mob in the centre of Preston, organised by the Capuchin Franciscans on Ascension Thursday 2011.

Lack of Love and Indifference Toward Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament

"Is Jesus well-loved in Heaven?

"In Heaven they love Him very much, there He is compensated. But Jesus wants more than that. He wants to be loved on earth, on that earth where He annihilates Himself in every Tabernacle, in order to be approached more easily and yet He is refused. People pass before a church with more indifference than they would before any public monument. If by chance, they go into the holy place, it is only to insult still more the Divine Captive who dwells there, namely, by their coldness and their irreverence. Their prayers are said hurriedly and without attention, instead of speaking to Him from their hearts and saying words of friendship and gratitude for all His favors to them.

"Tell Father P— that God expects from him this love which He so rarely meets with. He expects it from him who comes each day so close to Jesus, whom he receives into his heart. Oh, tell him that in those blessed moments he may repair by his tender love the indifference of so many ungrateful souls. His heart must melt with love before Jesus in the Host and intercede for those priests who enjoy the same privilege that he does, yet treat the sacred mysteries with a frozen heart which remains as cold as marble to Jesus. Every day let his union with God become closer, in order to prepare himself worthily for the great graces which Jesus has in store for him.

"I have told you there are some souls who do their Purgatory at the foot of the altar. They are not there for faults they have committed in church, because those faults which attack Jesus directly, Jesus present in the Tabernacle, are punished with terrible severity in Purgatory. The souls that are there in adoration are there as a reward for their reverent behavior in the Sacred Presence. They suffer less than if they were in Purgatory itself, and Jesus, whom they contemplate with the eyes of their soul and of faith, softens their pains by His invisible Presence."

~ Sr. M.G., a nun soul from Purgatory; excerpt from An Unpublished Manuscript on Purgatory ~ 

~ Related posts from Grateful for Purgatory blog ~ 

Saint Faustina: Prayer of Adoration and Consolation to Jesus in the Eucharist

O Jesus, Divine Prisoner of Love, when I consider Your love and how You emptied Yourself for me, my senses fail me. You hide Your inconceivable majesty and lower Yourself to miserable me. O King of Glory, though You hide Your beauty, yet the eye of my soul rends the veil. I see the angelic choirs giving You honor without cease, and all the heavenly Powers praising You without cease, and without cease they are saying: Holy, Holy, Holy.

Oh, who will comprehend Your love and Your unfathomable mercy toward us! O Prisoner of Love, I lock up my poor heart in this tabernacle, that it may adore You without cease night and day. I know of no obstacle in this adoration, and even though I be physically distant, my heart is always with You. Nothing can put a stop to my love for You. No obstacles exist for me. O my Jesus, I will console You for all the ingratitude, the blasphemies, the coldness, the hatred of the wicked, the sacrileges. O Jesus, I want to burn as a pure offering and to be consumed before the throne of Your hiddenness. I plead with You unceasingly for poor dying sinners.

~ St. Faustina; excerpt 80 from The Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska ~

Prayer to Jesus Abandoned in the Most Blessed Sacrament

To Jesus Abandoned

With Mary Immaculate

let us adore, thank, implore and console,

the Most Beloved and Sacred Heart of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.

O Divine Jesus, lonely tonight in so many Tabernacles,

without visitor or worshiper,

I offer Thee my poor heart.

May its every throb be an act of love for Thee.

Thou art always watching beneath the Sacramental Veils;

in Thy Love Thou dost never sleep

and Thou art never weary of Thy vigil for sinners.

O lonely Jesus,

may the flame of my heart burn and beam always in company with Thee.

(From Holy Hour of Reparation prayer book)

St. Jose Maria Rubio, S.J.: Making an Effort to Adore God in the Sacred Host

"Are you truly making an effort to adore God? In this Sacred Host lies the whole of His omnipotence, all His wisdom, the perfect goodness of Jesus Christ, since therein rests His living heart as it is also in heaven. When we adore in this way, we adore in spirit and in truth.

"But after we have adored, the heart must be open to the other sentiments; for you well know that we are taught a diversity of forms of adoration in the Gospels; and we express them sometimes by profound acts of bodily reverence, sometimes by silence of the mind. From time to time, we also link with this type of adoration, tears, groans, and sighs; or words, expressions of interior feelings, prayers accompany the same. All these forms of adoration before Jesus hidden in the sacrament are so powerful that there are times when the spirit can do nothing better than bow low in Jesus' presence.

"Someone asks me: "What am I to do if I can think of nothing to say?" It is enough if you show reverence and hope. "But I am unable to say anything." I ask you not to be sad on that account; the very silence suffices. However great your experience of a heart which is dried up and empty, and for all that you may be very aware of its trials and confusion, fear not; continue your act of adoration; for that is enough, and it is to be considered a splendid deed in God's eyes. If subsequently, however, a thankful feeling of the soul towards God is aroused, if you desire to endure some greater sacrifices for His sake, foster those sentiments which the Holy Spirit is arousing in you, and offer them as a bouquet in Jesus presence. And would that this were the chief and daily form of our prayer."  (Source)

Blessed John Paul II and the Eucharist

"You who are really present in the Blessed Sacrament,

spread Your blessings abundantly on Your people."

~ Blessed John Paul II ~

Pope Pius XII: Consecrated Hands of Priests

“In the same way, actually that baptism is the distinctive mark of all Christians, and serves to differentiate them from those who have not been cleansed in this purifying stream and consequently are not members of Christ, the sacrament of holy orders sets the priest apart from the rest of the faithful who have not received this consecration. For they alone, in answer to an inward supernatural call, have entered the august ministry, where they are assigned to service in the sanctuary and become, as it were, the instruments God uses to communicate supernatural life from on high to the Mystical Body of Jesus Christ. Add to this, as We have noted above, the fact that they alone have been marked with the indelible sign ‘conforming’ them to Christ the Priest, and that their hands alone have been consecrated ‘in order that whatever they bless may be blessed, whatever they consecrate may become sacred and holy, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.'  (Roman Pontifical, Ordination of a priest: anointing of hands.)  Let all, then, who would live in Christ flock to their priests. By them they will be supplied with the comforts and food of the spiritual life. From them they will procure the medicine of salvation assuring their cure and happy recovery from the fatal sickness of their sins. The priest, finally, will bless their homes, consecrate their families and help them, as they breathe their last, across the threshold of eternal happiness."

~ Pope Pius XII; excerpt from Mediator Dei, #43

~ Related post:  The Beautiful Hands of a Priest ~

The Doctrine of Transubstantiation: Is Jesus Really Present in the Eucharist?

Jesus first repeated what he said, then summarized: "‘I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh.’ The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, ‘How can this man give us his flesh to eat?’" (John 6:51–52).

His listeners were stupefied because now they understood Jesus literally—and correctly. He again repeated his words, but with even greater emphasis, and introduced the statement about drinking his blood: "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you; he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him" (John 6:53–56).

Notice that Jesus made no attempt to soften what he said, no attempt to correct "misunderstandings," for there were none. Our Lord’s listeners understood him perfectly well. They no longer thought he was speaking metaphorically. If they had, if they mistook what he said, why no correction?

On other occasions when there was confusion, Christ explained just what he meant (cf. Matt. 16:5–12). Here, where any misunderstanding would be fatal, there was no effort by Jesus to correct. Instead, he repeated himself for greater emphasis.

~ Catholic Answers; excerpt from Christ in the Eucharist ~ 

Pope Benedict XVI: Do We Really Desire Union With Jesus in the Eucharist?

“I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer” (Lk 22:15). With these words Jesus began the celebration of his final meal and the institution of the Holy Eucharist. Jesus approached that hour with eager desire. In his heart he awaited the moment when he would give himself to his own under the appearance of bread and wine. He awaited that moment which would in some sense be the true messianic wedding feast: when he would transform the gifts of this world and become one with his own, so as to transform them and thus inaugurate the transformation of the world. In this eager desire of Jesus we can recognize the desire of God himself – his expectant love for mankind, for his creation. A love which awaits the moment of union, a love which wants to draw mankind to itself and thereby fulfil the desire of all creation, for creation eagerly awaits the revelation of the children of God (cf. Rom 8:19).

"Jesus desires us, he awaits us. But what about ourselves? Do we really desire him? Are we anxious to meet him? Do we desire to encounter him, to become one with him, to receive the gifts he offers us in the Holy Eucharist? Or are we indifferent, distracted, busy about other things? From Jesus’ banquet parables we realize that he knows all about empty places at table, invitations refused, lack of interest in him and his closeness. For us, the empty places at the table of the Lord’s wedding feast, whether excusable or not, are no longer a parable but a reality, in those very countries to which he had revealed his closeness in a special way. Jesus also knew about guests who come to the banquet without being robed in the wedding garment – they come not to rejoice in his presence but merely out of habit, since their hearts are elsewhere. In one of his homilies Saint Gregory the Great asks: Who are these people who enter without the wedding garment? What is this garment and how does one acquire it? He replies that those who are invited and enter do in some way have faith. It is faith which opens the door to them. But they lack the wedding garment of love. Those who do not live their faith as love are not ready for the banquet and are cast out. Eucharistic communion requires faith, but faith requires love; otherwise, even as faith, it is dead."

~ Pope Benedict XVI; excerpt from Holy Thursday Homily on April 21, 2011 ~

Blessed Alexandrina Maria da Costa: Our Lord Pleads for Eucharistic Reparation

Our Lord pleads for Eucharistic Reparation. An excerpt from the full-length documentary on Blessed Alexandrina Maria da Costa who was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 2004 and has been proposed by the universal church as a patron for the youth. Blessed Alexandrina's great love of Our Lord's Real Presence in the Eucharist is very relevant for today.

Blessed Alexandrina Maria da Costa jumped from a window in her home so as to protect her purity from three attackers. It was the result of this fall that saw her eventually bedridden for life and her incredible mission of offering her life of suffering as a Victim Soul.

Taken from the full length documentary on the life of Blessed Alexandrina Maria da Costa produced by Mary's Dowry Productions, this excerpt shows the incredible phenomenon of the Cross that mysteriously appeared at Balasar. Many hundreds of people have taken earth from this Cross over the years but it still remains and defies all attempts to erradicate it. Blessed Alexandrina Maria da Costa's life and mission was linked closely to this phenomenon.

This is a trailer for a 56 minute documentary on the life and message of Blessed Alexandrina Maria da Costa who is also known in Portugal as the Fourth Seer of Fatima. This film has been produced by Mary's Dowry Productions to promote the life and message of this Blessed, closely linked to the message of Fatima, strong advocate of the First Saturday devotions and Fatima message. A victim soul, she suffered mystically the Passion of Christ every Friday although paralized from the age of 14 having jumped from a high window to escape intruders and protect her purity. More information at http://www.marysdowryproductions.org/

~ Related post on Blessed Alexandrina da Costa ~

Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith: Time to Abandon Communion in the Hand

"...speaking of communion in the hand, it must be recognized that the practice was improperly and quickly introduced in some quarters of the Church shortly after the Council, changing the age-old practice and becoming regular practice for the whole Church. They justified the change saying that it better reflected the Gospel or the ancient practice of the Church... Some, to justify this practice referred to the words of Jesus: "Take and eat" (Mk 14, 22; Mt 26, 26).

"Whatever the reasons for this practice, we cannot ignore what is happening worldwide where this practice has been implemented. This gesture has contributed to a gradual weakening of the attitude of reverence towards the sacred Eucharistic species whereas the previous practice had better safeguarded that sense of reverence. There instead arose an alarming lack of recollection and a general spirit of carelessness. We see communicants who often return to their seats as if nothing extraordinary has happened... In many cases, one cannot discern that sense of seriousness and inner silence that must signal the presence of God in the soul."

"Now I think it is high time...to abandon the current practice that was not called for by Sacrosanctum Concilium, nor by Fathers, but was only accepted after its illegitimate introduction in some countries. Now, more than ever, we must help the faithful to renew a deep faith in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharistic species in order to strengthen the life of the Church and defend it in the midst of dangerous distortions of the faith that this situation continues to cause."

~ Cardinal Albert Malcolm Ranjith, excerpt from here ~

 

Pane di Vita Nuova: Bread of Life

Pane di vita nuova Vero cibo dato agli uomini,

Nutrimento che sostiene il mondo,

Dono splendido di grazia.

Tu sei sublime frutto Di quell'albero di vita Che adamo non potè toccare:

Ora è in cristo a noi donato.

 Pane della vita,

Sangue di salvezza,

Vero corpo,

vera bevanda
Cibo di grazia per il mondo.

Bread of Life, new true food given to men,

nourishment that sustains the world,

 splendid gift of grace.

You are sublime fruit of the tree of life that Adam could not touch:

It is now given to us in Christ.

Bread of Life,

Blood of salvation,

 true Body,

 true drink,
Food of grace for the world.

 

Corpus Christi: "O Sacrum Convivium" (O Sacred Banquet)

Eucharistic procession from Chicago's Holy Name Cathedral, with background music sung by the Daughters of St. Paul ("O Sacrum Convivium," from the album "Adoration").

Translation of Latin hymn follows.

O Sacred Banquet,

in which Christ is consumed,

the memory of his passion is recalled,

the mind is filled with grace,

and a pledge of future glory is given to us.

Alleluia!

(Antiphon to the Magnificat, Liturgy of the Hours, Evening Prayer II of the Feast of the Body and Blood of the Lord.)

Pope John Paul II: Importance of Reverence for the Blessed Sacrament

"Every act of reverence,

every genuflection that you make before the Blessed Sacrament is important

because it is an act of faith in Christ,

and act of love for Christ.

And every sign of the cross and gesture of respect made each time you pass a church

is also an act of faith."

~ Pope John Paul II, Sept. 29, 1979 ~ 

Pope John Paul II: Love, Adore, and Celebrate the Eucharist

"Set the Eucharist at the center of your personal life and community life:

love the Eucharist, adore the Eucharist, and celebrate the Eucharist."

~ Pope John Paul II on the occasion of World Youth Day, Rome, 2000 ~