Harvesting The Fruits of Contemplation

(Image Source: Wikimedia Commons ) As we face the tragic reality that so few Catholics believe our Lord is really and substantially present in the Holy Eucharist, we must be honest in assessing the reasons why this has occurred. While there are many possible explanations, there is one common denominator: we abandoned sacred rituals and conduct for the banal - discarding that which elevated our minds and hearts to the heavenly King, for practices that center on ourselves and the mundane. So many Catholics today either do not remember or never experienced the sacred practices of days gone by. It is important then that those practices and the reasons for them be shared anew if we are ever to re-establish belief in, awe and amazement for our Eucharistic Lord. Actions do indeed speak louder than words: Toward that end, let me share again the observations of columnist, James Monti:

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. Catherine of Siena   "To join two things together there must be nothing between them or there cannot be a perfect fusion. Now realize that this is how God wants our soul to be, without any selfish love of ourselves or of others in between, just as God loves us without anything in between." (From The Letters of St. Catherine )

“I feel so incomplete,” the Pastor announced at the end of Mass. The parish we had visited during a recent trip (not the one depicted below) had been holding Stations of the Cross during Lent in their newly constructed Church even though the physical Stations of the Cross had not yet arrived or been mounted on the Church walls. “The Stations are coming,” Father assured his congregation. “We won’t be looking at empty walls much longer.” I understood that sentiment and how having the physical Stations would enhance that prayerful devotion. But… Was there not a far more compelling reason for all of us to feel incomplete?   (Image Source: Wikimedia Commons )