Eucharistic Reflection - He Comes Disguised

                                                                                                (Image Source: Wikimedia Commons)

“After having received the Lord, since you have the Person Himself present, strive to close the eyes of the body and open those of the soul and look into your heart.

For I tell you again, and would like to tell you many times, that you should acquire the habit of doing this every time you receive Communion and strive to have such a conscience that you will be allowed to enjoy this blessing frequently.

Though He comes disguised, the disguise as I have said, does not prevent Him from being recognized in many ways, in conformity with the desire we have to see Him. And you can desire to see Him so much that He will reveal Himself to you entirely.”

 

St Teresa of Avila from Way Of Perfection

Monday Musings - No Catholic Should Fear Returning to Church and Receiving Holy Communion

Help this simple soul out!

(Photo©Michael Seagriff)

Catholic Churches are unique from every other place of worship or building in the world because it is only in Catholic Churches that Jesus is truly, substantially and physically present and it is only in Catholic Churches where He gives us His Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity to eat and to drink.

Why have we been so hesitant to proclaim this Truth?

If there was ever a moment to give witness to this Truth, to shout It from the rooftops, to rely on It and to share It with the world (especially among those Catholics who no longer believe that He dwells among us), now is that time.

What an opportunity we have missed!

Certainly, a God Who lives among us, Who commands us to come worship Him, and Who feeds us His Flesh and Blood (both of which are contained in the consecrated and Sacred Host), cannot and will not, allow us to contract or spread an illness by obeying His directions. That would be totally contrary to His Divine Nature.

I hear the clamor: “You’re crazy old man! You’re naïve. You’re a fool!”

“Guilty,” is my response. “Guilty for believing my God would not strike me ill or use me to spread sickness to others for simply choosing to worship Him and to eat His Body and Blood.  Guilty for putting my trust in Him. Guilty for relying on supernatural faith not human fear.”

The Catholic Church exists for the salvation of souls, not to eradicate sickness and disease. Yes, as a Church and as members of the Body of Christ, we must cooperate with reasonable efforts to promote public health and safety. Certainly, out of charity and justice for our neighbor, one should stay home if they do not feel well or manifest any symptoms of illness. However, limiting Church attendees to 10 souls is not reasonable and should never be accepted.

An absolute bar to attendance at Mass and the reception of Holy Communion is not within the legitimate authority of any human being.

There are at least 107 times in the New Testament that Jesus tells us ‘fear not,” or “do not fear,” or “do not be afraid.” Could He be any clearer? Everything that He allows to happen in our lives is for our eternal benefit. So why do we refuse to believe Him?

As Catholics, we have nothing to fear by returning to Church and receiving Holy Communion, so long as we are in state of grace.

And no one on this planet (be they secular or religious leaders) has the right to tell us otherwise or to deprive us of our freedom to do so.

It is not enough to simply profess with our lips “Jesus I Trust in You!” We must cast aside our earthly fears and transform those words into action.

 

Pondering Tidbits of Truth - May 21, 2020

Pondering Tidbits of Truth is my simple and inadequate way of providing nuggets of spiritual wisdom for you to chew on from time to time.

Catherine de Heuck Doherty, Servant of God

"It is understood that since the reason for entering the poustinia is one of listening to God in prayer and fasting, the first act of the poustinik is to fold the wings of his intellect and open the doors of his heart. The Russians would say: Put your head into your heart and try to achieve a deep and profound interior silence. It is then, when one is deeply silent, that God begins to speak."

(From Poustinia - Encountering God in Silence, Solitude and Prayer)

St. Augustine

"We are praising God now, assembled as we are here in church; but when we go our various ways again, it seems as if we cease to praise God. But provided we do not cease to live a good life, we shall always be praising God. You cease to praise God only when you swerve from justice and from what is pleasing to God. If you never turn aside from the good life, your tongue may be silent but your actions will cry aloud, and God will perceive your intentions; for as our ears hear each other's voices, so do God's ears hear our thoughts."

(From A Discourse on the Palms)

Dom Lorenzo Scupoli

“For whoever has the courage to conquer his passions, to subdue his appetites, and repulse even the least motions of his own will, performs an action more meritorious in the sight of God than if, without this, he should tear his flesh with the sharpest disciplines, fast with greater austerity than the ancient Fathers of the Desert, or convert multitude of sinners.”

(From The Spiritual Combat and a Treatise On Peace of Soul)