Harvesting The Fruits of Contemplation

In a post last June , I shared an excerpt from The Little Book of Eternal Wisdom, written by Dominican priest and mystic, Blessed Henry Suso, O.P. (1295-1366). The book sets forth an on-going dialogue between God (Eternal Wisdom) and a man (The Servant) who is searching for Wisdom and Truth. What follows is another excerpt from Chapter XXIII ( How We Ought Lovingly To Receive God ). Eternal Wisdom . -- Answer Me now a question. What is that of all lovely things which is most agreeable to a loving heart?   The Servant .-- Lord, to my understanding nothing is so agreeable to a loving heart as the beloved Himself and His sweet presence. Eternal Wisdom . -- Even so. See, and on this account, that nothing which belongs to true love might be wanting to those who love Me, did My unfathomable love, as soon as I had resolved to depart by death out of this world to My Father, compel Me to give Myself and My loving presence at the table of the last supper to My dear disciples, an

I suspect that if this Litany became better known and recited, more of us would rediscover a sense of awe and amazement in, and appreciation for, the magnificient gift of His Real Presence here among us. If you agree, say it regularly and recommend it to others. Litany of the Most Blessed Sacrament   Lord, have mercy. R. Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. R. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. R. Lord, have mercy. Christ, hear us. R. Christ, graciously hear us. God the Father of Heaven, R. have mercy on us. God the Son, Redeemer of the world, R. have mercy on us. God the Holy Spirit, R. have mercy on us. Holy Trinity, one God, R. have mercy on us. Jesus, Eternal High Priest of the Eucharistic Sacrifice, R. have mercy on us. Jesus, Divine Victim on the Altar for our salvation, R. have mercy on us. Jesus, hidden under the appearance of bread, R. have mercy on us. Jesus, dwelling in the tabernacles of the world, R. have mercy on us. Jesus, really,

"Neither theological knowledge nor social action alone is enough to keep us in love with Christ unless both are proceeded by a personal encounter with Him. Theological insights are gained not only from between two covers of a book, but from two bent knees before an altar. The Holy Hour becomes like an oxygen tank to revive the breath of the Holy Spirit in the midst of the foul and fetid atmosphere of the world" ( Servant of God Fulton J. Sheen)

Dear Dad: Has it actually been twenty-eight years since I last looked into your twinkling blue Irish eyes or had the pleasure of being in your physical presence? Some of the greatest and most influential individuals who have walked this earth have gone unnoticed save for those fortunate few who were blessed to walk in their steps. You are most definitely one of those special men. You never acquired that which so many in this world admire, value, seek and equate with success and greatness: power, property and prestige. You saw those items as “fool’s gold” and chose to live a more simple but difficult life – a life of quiet dignity, hard work, good example, perseverance, loving concern, and faith in the Almighty. Although you were not given much material or educational advantages, you excelled in this life because you loved. You had an insatiable and life long hunger for knowledge but willingly sacrificed your formal education in order to help your large family surv

Have we become too casual in the way we view and treat the Sacred species? Can we ever be too reverent in His Presence? May the brief video that follows cause each of us to pause and reflect on the awesomenesss of the Eucharistic gift and our response to He Who loves us so much that He feeds us with His Body and Blood. (Video credit: True Faith TV by kolbe 1019 on You Tube)

I am with my twin sister Jane as she begins her struggle with a recently diagnosed and rapidly spreading form of cancer. She will be having an MRI later today and will be meeting with her oncologist on Monday to find out the exact nature of the beast that resides within her and what treatment she might receive. This is understandably a difficult time. May I ask each of you who may be reading this post to keep her spiritual and physical well-being in your prayers and to pass this request on to your family, friends, parishes and prayer groups? If you will be blessed to participate in a public procession with Our Eucharistic Lord tomorrow, would you mention Jane by name as He passes you by? In lieu then of posting something new to commemorate tomorrow’s Feast of the Sacred Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi), I will simply refer to two previous posts ( here and here ) in hopes one or both might in some small way enhance your personal celebration of this Feast day and your

The Eucharist must be the source and center of our lives. If we and our priests prefer Him over all others and all things, He will transform us and our world - one heart at a time. We can never share this Truth enough! Please spend time mining this spiritual treasure from  Father Mark at Vultus Christi  and then share it with all whom you love, especially your priests! Put Nothing Before My Love for You You have only to prefer My company to every other companionship, the love of My Heart to the love of every other heart, and the sound of My voice in the silence of your soul to every other voice. I have called you to be for Me another John and this vocation of yours remains My plan for you. You have only to abide close to Me, to seek Me before all else, and to put nothing whatsoever before My love for you and the love I have placed in your heart to love Me in return. Love Me in this way not only for yourself, but for all your brother priests whose hearts have g

"The Eucharistic Heart in the Host draws me more and more. If I merely pass near the chapel, I feel an irresistible force inviting me in. Close to the tabernacle, I experience an indefinable joy. When the Blessed Sacrament is exposed, I feel totally taken over, paralyzed, by this gentle Eucharistic Heart. When I leave the chapel, I have to tear myself away from the divine Prisoner. Yet, I never cease to live in him; all this takes place in the Heart of the Most Blessed Trinity, an immense distance from the earth; but Jesus wants me to enjoy him in his Eucharist and to grieve when I am far from his consecrated Host." (Blessed Dina Belanger)

My wife and I find ourselves traveling more these days - visiting our children, grandchildren, aging and ailing siblings who are no longer very close to us geographically but who have been permanently and lovingly imbedded in our hearts. During past trips, we have been disappointed with many of the Catholic Churches we have visited along the way - no tabernacle, no reverent silence, no visible behavior evidencing a belief in the Real Presence of Our Lord in the Eucharist. Now when we travel to or through an unfamliar area, we ask God to lead us to a Catholic Church where He is truly worshipped and adored. We offered that prayer during a recent trip. After about seven hours of driving, we were prompted to exit the interstate and enter a town we had never been in, stopping at the first motel we encountered. After checking in, I asked the clerk where the nearest Catholic Church was. "Sacred Heart Church is less than five minutes from here," he responded. After putting our