Eucharistic Reflection - Don't Take Him For Granted

(Image Source: Hands At Mass)

"Don't take the Eucharist for granted. The Lord is present among us, dwelling in every tabernacle. If we would only take the time to contemplate this mystery, our spiritual lives would be transformed!"

Father Patrick Mary Briscoe, O.P.  

Monday Musings - Why Were We Created?

 

 

Eucharistic Reflection - Two Devotions That Require One Another

"Devotion to the Sacred Heart should bring us to a life of intimate union with Jesus who, we know, is truly present and living in the Eucharist. The two devotions — to the Sacred Heart and to the Eucharist — are closely connected. They call upon one another and, we may even say, they require one another. The Sacred Heart explains the mystery of the love of Jesus by which He becomes bread in order to nourish us with His substance, while in the Eucharist we have the real presence of this same Heart, living in our midst. It is wonderful to contemplate Jesus as the symbol of His infinite love, but it is even more wonderful to find Him always near us in the Sacrament of the altar. The Sacred Heart which we honor is not a dead person's heart which no longer palpitates, so that we have only the memory of him, but it is the Heart of a living Person, of One who lives eternally. He lives not only in heaven where His sacred humanity dwells in glory, but He lives also on earth wherever the Eucharist is reserved. In speaking of the Eucharist, Our Lord says to us, 'Behold, I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world' (Mt 28, 20). In Holy Communion, then, this Heart beats within us, it touches our heart; through the love of this Heart, we are fed with His Flesh and with His Blood, so that we may abide in Him and He in us."

(From "Divine Intimacy" by Father Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen, O.C.D.)

WANTED: Lepers and Prophets!

(Image Source: Wikimedia Commons)

I will continue to share this post so long as the issues it discusses continue to be ignored. There can be no authentic Eucharistic Revival until we reestablish the sense of the Sacred in our Churches.

Few people warm up to lepers or prophets. That is most unfortunate.

In Jesus’ time, lepers were shunned. Rarely would they show themselves in public and when they did so they kept their distance from the rest of the community – warning those nearby of their diseased presence by their voices and/or by ringing bells.

What great courage and faith it took for them to seek Jesus out. They knew He was the source of mercy, forgiveness, healing and eternal life. They begged Him to have mercy on them and cleanse them physically. Jesus, defying the norms of His day, not only approached them, He touched and healed them. Unfortunately, true to human nature, not all of those cured expressed their thanksgiving and gratitude for the opportunity at a new life.

Man’s ingratitude toward His God has continued over the centuries.

As the undeserved beneficiaries of God’s mercy and spiritual healing, how have we expressed our gratitude to Him? What portion of the 168 hours in each week that He gives us, have we given back to Him by talking to Him, listening to Him, adoring Him and spending time in His Presence?

As best as I can recall from my reading of Scripture over the years, prophets fared little better than lepers in the reception they received. It was an important but difficult and painful task for those chosen to share God’s words. Not many of the Lord’s prophets were willing ones. Can you blame them? No one wants to constantly hear “Here’s trouble. All he ever does is focus on the negative. He’ll have nothing positive, to say.” Much of what these messengers had to share were predictions of captivity, destruction, doom, eternal damnation and war. Few were thrilled about serving in that capacity. One became so discouraged, he sought death rather than the treatment to which he was subjected. They rarely felt welcomed; they were often despised, ignored, imprisoned or killed. Some tried to flee from their duties.

Pondering Tidbits of Truth - June 22, 2023

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.

St. Faustina Kowalska

"All grace flows from mercy, and the last hour abounds with mercy for us. Let no one doubt concerning the goodness of God; even if a person's sins were as dark as night, God's mercy is stronger than our misery. One thing alone is necessary, that the sinner set ajar the door of his heart, be it ever so little, to let in a ray of God's merciful Grace, and then God will do the rest."

(From Diary of St. Maria Faustina Kowalska - Divine Mercy in My Soul)

Father Patrick Mary Briscoe, O.P. "The Church’s invitation to join the Eucharistic Revival isn’t just another program. It’s a plea for each and every disciple’s heart to be re-ignited with a greater love for Christ in the Eucharist. Renewed love for the Eucharist will transform our lives and the very shape of the Church in our country." (From Daily Catholic Wisdom)

 

Christine Watkins

"Our Lady never shouldered any undertaking or spoke serious words without first aligning herself in prayer with the Lord's will. As you go through your day, remind yourself to consult God before you speak or act, asking Him what He would have you do or say. Make this a lifelong habit and the virtue of prudence will direct your steps, paving a trail of no regret."

(From Mary's Mantle)

Eucharistic Reflection - Toward A More Intimate Relationship

“While no one suggests that Christ is more present in the exposed sacrament than in the tabernacle, this physical visibility can be a powerful aid in learning to be attentive to the Lord in prayer . . .exposition of the Blessed Sacrament is an extension of the Mass. It prolongs the Mass. . . (and is) a means to drawing the adorer into a deeper life of prayer, a more intimate relationship with Christ.” 

(Father Gabriel O’Donnell, O.P.)

Monday Musings - Truth and Goodness

 

Pondering Tidbits of Truth - June 8, 2023

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.

Venerable Fulton J. Sheen

“The man who thinks only of himself says only prayers of petition; he who thinks of his neighbor says prayers of intercession; he who thinks only of loving and serving God, says prayers of abandonment to God’s will, and this is the prayer of the saints.”

 (From Lenten Mediations With Fulton J. Sheen)

St. Teresa of Avila

“Do not suppose that after advancing the soul to such a state God abandons it so easily that it is light work for the devil to regain it. When His Majesty sees it leaving Him, He feels the loss so keenly that He gives it in many a way a thousand secret warnings which reveal to it the hidden danger. In conclusion, let us strive to make constant progress: we ought to feel great alarm if we do not find ourselves advancing, for without doubt the evil one must be planning to injure us in some way; it is impossible for a soul that has come to this state not to go still farther, for love is never idle. Therefore, it is a very bad sign when one comes to a standstill in virtue.”

 (From Interior Castle)

 

Venerable Fulton J. Sheen

“Mary is not only mother of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, but she is also our mother, and this is not by a title of courtesy, not by legal fiction, not by a mere figure of speech, but by the right of bringing us forth in sorrow at the foot of the cross. Mary, by sacrifice and obedience, regained for us the title, Mother of the living. What a destiny to have the Mother of God as my Mother and Jesus as my brother.” 

(From The Cries of Jesus From The Cross)

Book Review - Overcoming Spiritual Discouragement by Father Timothy Gallagher, O.M.V. - The Wisdom and Spiritual Power of Venerable Bruno Lanteri

All of us walking the face of this earth have become discouraged, even sometimes overwhelmed by the many challenges life throws at us. For some souls, this is just an occasional battle. For far too many of us, this is an on-going and debilitating one – especially if we do not realize we are embroiled in spiritual combat every day of our lives. It is nearly impossible to serve God and others when discouragement has taken root in our souls.

Discouragement – spiritual discouragement - never originates with God. It is the Evil one who plants the seed, encourages its growth and seeks to destroy souls through it. His sole intent is to prevent us from doing God’s will in our lives. Few of us are well equipped to defeat this scoundrel!

Overcoming Spiritual Discouragement – The Wisdom and Spiritual Power of Venerable Bruno Lanteri by Father Timothy Gallagher, O.M.V. will give you the insight and tools needed to fend off the demon’s unending attacks.

It is with great gratitude that I thank the author, Father Timothy Gallagher, O.M.V., for introducing us to the writings and insights of Venerable Bruno Lanteri on this subject. He and the good Padre will be my frequent reading companions.

This book is clear, direct, powerful and practical. In an easy to read and understand format, Father Gallagher leads the reader to a clear understanding and appreciation of the tools he and Venerable Lanteri have given us to successfully combat temptations toward discouragement.

Try this gem on for size:

“I urge you to begin each day leaving the past to the mercy of the Lord, and the future to His Divine Providence. Do not let yourself be troubled by anything, not even by your own failings, taking care to overcome them immediately by an act of love of God… [If I fall many times] I will get up immediately and with humility... I resolve this day to trust in your mercy and to begin again.

Overcoming SpiritualDiscouragement – The Wisdom and Spiritual Power of Venerable Bruno Lanteri is a powerful book to which the reader will frequently return. It belongs in everyone’s library. I highly recommend it.

Eucharistic Reflection - Jesus Had You Before His Eyes

(Image Source: Hands at Mass)

"Dear Eucharistic soul: In that hour [of the Last Supper] Jesus thought of you. Have no doubt about it. He thought of you in particular, and had you before His eyes. He understood that, without that small, white, consecrated wafer, which you adore and which you receive every morning, you would feel lonely, very lonely, in your exile here below. He knew that your heart would hunger and thirst for love and be the prey of unmitigated nostalgia for heaven. He knew that on the road through life you would find many a cause for grief and, behind a smiling appearance, would have to conceal many a galling sorrow. 

And for your sake, dear soul, lest you be orphaned and without a loyal friend in whose understanding heart you might pour out the overflowing bitterness of your heart, Jesus overlooked all those sacrileges, profanations and ingratitudes and, in that night, instituted the Eucharist for you—understand this well!—just for you. And for your sake He has remained in that small, white, consecrated Host which you receive each morning. Do you understand now, dear soul, how much you are loved by the Christ of the Cenacle and of the Eucharist?"

Father Jose Guadalupe Trevino

Monday Musings - Suffer the Little Children (and Sinful Prisoners Too)

[I first shared this post nearly ten years ago. It seems like a good time to take another look.]

I was prompted a few weeks back to go through and empty out my desk drawer. It had been far too long since I had de-cluttered it. I had forgotten the hidden treasures it contained. Then I saw them – about 15 of them. Suddenly, I realized how long it had been since I last went to prison.  

Odd, isn’t it. The one place I visited where I was always immensely blessed is filled with men and women whom the majority of us would never voluntarily choose to have anything to do with - no matter that our Faith teaches that all of us, including the greatest sinners among us, were created in the image and likeness of God and that each of us, without exception, by and through the unearned and undeserved grace of Almighty God, can, despite what we might have done in the past,  become new creations in Him who made us. Every one of us – no exceptions! We must, of course, humble ourselves, acknowledge our sins, ask for God’s forgiveness, resolve not to sin again and perform the proscribed penance.

 

A difficult concept for many of us adults to accept but one which little children are more readily open to hear and understand. How do I know?

 

For years, we would deliver hand written notes and drawings from young children and distribute them to the inmates attending our prison retreats - men separated from their own families because of their criminal conduct.

There were no names on these sheets of paper. No way for anyone to identify who sent them or from whence they came. It would be impossible for anyone to trace and find the child who took the time to reach out to an unknown, sinful and often forgotten human being.