"Revisiting Wednesday" - Monday Musings – Mary My Mother – Be at My Side

Thank you Allison Gingras and Elizabeth Riordan for inviting Catholic bloggers to re-post their favorite articles on "Worth Revisiting” Wednesdays.
 
Go there now (and every Wednesday) and gouge yourself on a feast of spiritual treasures.

Be sure to visit Allison at  Reconciled To You and Elizabeth at Theology Is A Verb during the rest of the week.  You will find much spiritual nourishment and encouragement there.

I am sharing the following post:

Monday Musings – Mary My Mother – Be at My Side 

(Originally published January 4, 2016)

(Photo©Michael Seagriff)

[The great value of retreats is that the guidance and insight gained during those intense times of prayer and silence never stop giving. Every time I re-read my notes from past retreats I gain additional direction and encouragement. Let me share an example of what I mean.]

On the second day of my retreat, I found myself distracted particularly at Communion. This upset me and I asked God to show me why I felt distant from Him. I asked for the gift of intimacy and stayed after Mass to further give Him thanks for the great gift I had just received and to explore these feelings more thoroughly.

It was my intent to ponder the reflection set forth for the second day in A Novena of Holy Communions, written by Father Lawrence G. Lovasik, S.V.D.  But the chapel lights were quickly turned off making it impossible to see the words in my little booklet.

I was immediately struck with this thought: “Now you have to use your own words and not those of others”. After doing so for too brief of a time, I got up to leave, intending to go right to my car and check to see if my blog post for that morning had been automatically posted as I had scheduled before leaving home.

Right in the front of the monastery is a statute of our Blessed Mother (Our Lady of the Genesee) holding the infant Christ child in her arms. There is a concrete bench directly in front of her. I had actually taken a picture of this statute years ago and have used it as a Christmas card. 

Monday Musings – Mary My Mother – Be at My Side

(Photo©Michael Seagriff)

[The great value of retreats is that the guidance and insight gained during those intense times of prayer and silence never stop giving. Every time I re-read my notes from past retreats I gain additional direction and encouragement. Let me share an example of what I mean.]

On the second day of my retreat, I found myself distracted particularly at Communion. This upset me and I asked God to show me why I felt distant from Him. I asked for the gift of intimacy and stayed after Mass to further give Him thanks for the great gift I had just received and to explore these feelings more thoroughly.

It was my intent to ponder the reflection set forth for the second day in A Novena of Holy Communions, written by Father Lawrence G. Lovasik, S.V.D.  But the chapel lights were quickly turned off making it impossible to see the words in my little booklet.

I was immediately struck with this thought: “Now you have to use your own words and not those of others”. After doing so for too brief of a time, I got up to leave, intending to go right to my car and check to see if my blog post for that morning had been automatically posted as I had scheduled before leaving home.

Eucharistic Reflection-The Pain of Not Receiving Love for Love

(St. Joseph's Parish, Oneida, NY)

“O Jesus, how great is Thy humility in this Sacrament. Though Thou art the eternal and almighty God, Thou hast lowered Thyself, tak­ing the form of man for love of me and for the sake of my salvation. Not only hast Thou become my Elder Brother, a fellow-creature, but Thou hast willed to be the very food of my soul in Holy Communion. Once Thy human form cloaked Thy divinity, but now the appearances of bread hide even Thy Humanity. I can see Thee only with the eyes of faith.

Eucharistic Reflection - What We Lose From Missing One Holy Communion

(Dominican Monastery of the Mother
 of God, W. Springfield, MA)

Consider what you lose when you miss one Holy Communion: – You lose a special increase in sanctifying grace, that grace which makes your soul more pleasing to God. You lose the sacramental grace which entitles you to special help in the time of temptation and in the discharge of your duties. You lose a precious opportunity of having all your venial sins wiped away. You miss the special preserving influence which each Holy Communion confers against the fires of passion. You miss the opportunity of obtaining remission of a part or of all the temporal punishment due to your sins. You lose the spiritual joy, the sweetness, and the particular comfort that come from a fervent Holy Communion. You miss a personal visit with Jesus, the Author of all spiritual energy and of all holiness. You lose a greater degree of glory that would be yours in Heaven for all eternity. You may lose: complete victory over some fault or passion; some particular grace long prayed for; the conversion or salvation of some soul; the deliverance of a relative or friend from Purgatory; many graces for others, both the living and the dead.

 

(From A Novena of Holy Communions by Father Lawrence G. Lovasik, S.V.D.)