Posts

Showing posts with the label Eucharist

The Woman Caught in Adultery and the Woman At The Well

Image
Alone at St. Stephen the Martyr.  In the dark, in front of the tabernacle, just me and Him. This is where I am happiest, with Him. The door opens and a woman comes in in nurses scrubs, and sits down.  She is crying.   She is crying so loud it tears at my heart.  I go to her. With tears in her eyes she looks up at me.  She sees perhaps the compassion in my eyes and that I want to be with her and moves over so I can sit down. "I'm here if you need to talk, if you need anything." TO CONTINUE READING - CLICK HERE

Preparing for Eternity

Image
One of the greatest gifts that God gives us in the Holy Mass, and the Holy Eucharist is to prepare us for Eternity.  There is no where you can go on the planet and prepare for your own Judgement and Eternity like you can by going to Holy Mass, Holy Confession and taking the Blessed Sacrament.   There is no Preacher or Church service in the world that prepares you for heaven like what happens every day at Holy Mass.   To Read More CLICK HERE.

A Special Reason To Be Grateful

Image
Not long ago, a wonderful woman came to visit me at the Apostleship of Prayer. She is helping her son prepare for the sacrament of Reconciliation, and she wanted to show me the materials she was using. Here they are: Adaptive Reconciliation Kit by Loyola Press Beautiful. The vibrant colors, the simple text, the attractive art--everything draws me in to these materials. They are part of Loyola Press's offerings for students with special needs. Loyola Press's adaptive kits have been on my mind a great deal this month, because September is the month Pope Francis asks us to pray for people with mental disabilities. My  reflection  this month is about my own brother, Mark, who enriched many lives through his challenges. And each September morning, as I rise and pray my Morning Offering, I remember Pope Francis' prayer intention, keeping his prayer close to my heart throughout the day. Today I give thanks to Loyola Press for their excellent materials for children with s

Vision of Eucharist (Part I)

Image
It's time. This is what I saw.  The words underneath the vision of the Eucharist is what I heard.  A man's voice, gentle, but with authority to it that you did not question.  Now the history.... TO READ MORE CLICK HERE.

And The Heavens Opened..

Image
So much happens at one Holy Mass, that it would take more words than exist to explain it. There is only one place on the earth where the heavens are opened and a human has direct access to the very throne of God for his or her petition.....this is the Holy Mass. The Saints are in attendance, looking down from heaven, so happy that the Holy Mass is being offered for us. I have seen the saints looking down from heaven, smiling, so happy for us.    I have seen.. .CLICK HERE!

Living Out the Eucharist

Image
As faithful Catholics, how exactly are we living out the Eucharist, both during and outside of Mass?  This is the basic question posed by Pope Francis during the second part of his Catechesis on the Eucharist . In the first teaching, the pope reminded us about our real communion with Jesus and his mystery during the Eucharist. Now he challenges us to live out this communion with Christ,  “Is it only a moment of celebration, an established tradition, an opportunity to find oneself or to feel justified, or is it something more?” Coincidently, I just read an article by a nurse, on her way to Church, who stopped to help victims of a car accident. She left after help arrived but was covered in blood and dirt. Rather than wasting time by going home to change clothes, she decided to simply put her top on inside out to hide most of the mess. Although she missed her own regular Eucharist, she just had time to make it to a nearby Mass at another church. Immediately after she felt sel

The Eucharist and the “Ghost in the Machine”

Image
As an autistic, I have the unenviable ability to almost completely compartmentalize my intellect from emotions. I go into a “machine mode.” My friends often have a very unfortunate experience with that. They talk to me while I am in the middle of “implementing my agenda,” and they see that I do not acknowledge their feelings at all. Friends who know me well stop me and say, “Hey, I just poured out my heart to you,” or “I just disclosed something hard for me to say,” and of course, I collapse into a sea of apologies. I don't realize what I did, but of course I want to acknowledge the feelings of my friends! My autistic reality is not all that different from neurotypical reality. Humans minds work very much like computers, which is why computers are designed based on how our logical intellect works. Our minds are different from computers because emotional drives can dominate our experience. I know all about that too! I have been known to immerse myself in emotion and the “

What is Your God "Relationship Status"?

Image
In this age of social media, we all have to have a status, whether it is what we ate for lunch, where we are, or the old nemesis... the relationship status .   We have all seen it multiple times, and we all have those family members or friends that should have a limit on how many times they are allowed to change their relationship status.   I've had friends that their relationship status changed in hours...not days.   So, if we were to post our relationship status with God and His Church...what would it be? TO FIND OUT WHAT RELATIONSHIP STATUS YOU ARE.. .CLICK HERE!!

Corpus Christi: "Whoever Eats My Flesh," Two Millennia Later

Image
Earlier this year, someone asked me if I realized that Catholics are cannibals. I responded with something like 'yes, but it wasn't our idea.' I'm pretty sure that the person wasn't trying to be offensive. I run into odd notions about Catholic beliefs fairly often. I suspect they're often rooted in America's endemic anti-catholicism. ( January 6, 2013 ; February 29, 2012 ) Besides: the person was quite right in this case. Here's part of today's Gospel reading: " Whoever eats 19 my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. " For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. " ( John 6:54 - 55 ) More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

No greater love... (A Eucharistic Miracle story)

Image
T oday is the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi) in the Catholic Church.  I am reminded of something I got to experience a little over twenty years ago. When I was in college, I had the privilege of witnessing a Eucharistic miracle. The semester had just started and it was around the second week of September, in 1991. I was on my way to class and my roommate was passing me in the middle of campus as she was coming back from class. She asked me if I would like to go see a Eucharistic miracle.  I said, "Sure!"  She told me that she and a friend would pick me up when I got out of class.  I really didn't know at that time what I was saying yes to, but I was always up for an adventure and I did not have anything else going on. Like she said, they picked me up right after class and there was one other girl that my roommate knew that was in the car as well. I thought we were going to go see a Eucharistic miracle that was on public display but as we were

"Lord Guide My Steps!": The Hospital Waiting Room

Image
In prayer I asked the Lord, "Lord guide my steps to where you want me to be and give the words you wish me to say." This is apparently a very powerful prayer as I am about to explain.   After praying this prayer, I got a strong inclination that I needed to go to the hospital.   So I drove to Clark Memorial and sat at the end of the long hallway and began to pray my Rosary. To find out what happened in the Hospital Waiting Room, click HERE!

The Casino

Image
The Casino The Lord had put it on my heart to go to the Casino.  I wondered why I had to actually go to the Casino, so I asked Him, "Lord, why do I have to go?  I can pray for them in front of the Blessed Sacrament!"   The answer was silence.  So, in obedience, I filled up my car and went to the Horseshoe Casino.... To find out what happened at the Casino, click HERE!

First Communion, Fourth Time Lucky

Image
Scabbed heads, burned faces, and stomach viruses might not seem like a lucky start to my fourth child Marguerite's First Communion day. Poor Marguerite tripped over the curb at school a few days before her First Communion and went flying up, up, up, and then down onto the pavement. Scabbed knees, scabbed hands, but the worst was a big scab on her forehead right by her hairline. Not the best for close-up shots. Then there was my husband's burned face. He got scalded in the shower (horrible, I know -- how did that happen?), and the entire left side of his face was covered by a reddish-purplish burn. To disguise it, we had to decide between a Phantom of the Opera style mask, a Middle Eastern veil, or Loreal True Match foundation. We went with the foundation. Read more of our story here...

The Finest Wheat

Image
One thing that serves as a  great consolation to the heart of Jesus and helps give him strength to continually pour himself out and give himself to us in the Eucharist is his people laying their lives down and joining their sufferings to his sufferings. Every disappointment, every tear, every heartache, every physical suffering joined to the heart of Christ becomes a sweet smelling offering of crushed wheat given at the table of the Lord. Jesus then takes this finest wheat and forms it into bread which is consecrated into Jesus' body and blood, broken and given for us all. Beautifulthorns

Six Ways to Encounter Jesus in the Mass by Nancy

Image
Then he took the bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which will be given for you; do this in memory of me. (Luke 22:19) Although God’s presence is everywhere, m ass is my favorite place to come into his presence. Every part of the liturgy helps me experience a personal encounter with Jesus. It will provide the same relationship with Jesus for you. ·             Christ is present in the assembly of the body of Christ in the pews, for he has promised “where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst of them.” (Mt 18:20)   So sing and pray knowing that Christ is among us, gathered as the body of Christ. ·             Christ is present in the priest or bishop who presides in persona Christi, in the person of Christ. When they vest before celebrating Mass the priests   "put on Christ" in a special way . Find more ways to encounter Jesus at  JoyAlive.net

Whisper His Name

Image
Father was a no show at the 8 a.m. Holy Mass today.  The old man stood at the back door waiting for him, he said he had talked to Father and that he had said he would be there.  At 8:02, we decided to have a communion service.  Jim, wonderful servant of God, did the service for us.  One of the men came up to me and a woman that I was speaking to after the service.  You never saw this man without his rosary in his hand.  It gave me such hope to see one so faithful every day to the Rosary of our Blessed Mother.  He came over and speaking to the woman spewed a derogatory comment about Father.  My heart dropped.  The woman agreed and joined in the bashing.  This isn't the first I had heard of this, and every time I hear it, it broke my heart.   They invited me to McDonald's for breakfast, I declined and said I would stay and pray.  The woman said to me, "Well he needs it!" (Meaning Father.)  What she didn't know was that most of my prayers would be in suppl

I Don't Know How To Stop

Image
I feel whiny today. Yesterday, I cried. Why, oh why, do I have to slow down? I hate it. I want to stay busy. Everyone who cares about me annoys me by trying to get me to stop. I want them to go away, since I'm too busy for them anyway. My therapist said I need more breaks in my day to take care of myself. My spiritual director said I need to keep doing Eucharistic Adoration for the next three months and then we'll re-evaluate whether I need to continue. I don't have to obey what he says, but I'm not seeking direction because I'm a genius at how to grow spiritually. My talents lie more in the realm of driving myself to the edge of psychosis and back. So, I agreed and I do what I agree to do. I realize that what I want isn't always what I need. I don't want to slow down. It's almost as if I feel the world will come to an end if I do. I used to play computer games non-stop at night, five and six hours at a time, to de-stress. But, tha

The Priest and Your Cross

Image
I went to Holy Mass and I was crying, not for myself, but sometimes God puts in on my heart to weep for souls that are lost.  This day I was crying very much for the lost.  After we received the Holy Eucharist, the Priests (we had two that day at St. Luke) began to pray for me. I know this because I could feel their prayers for me.   I could feel these men's beautiful hearts praying for me. Men by their nature are made to be the protector of the family.  How much more so is a Priest a protector, not just by his nature of being a man, but by being "in persona Christi" for those in his church 'family'? I could feel these beautiful Priests hearts praying for me, praying out of a desire to protect me, to shield me from any pain as evidenced by my tears, and if that was not possible, to have God intervene so that I would no longer cry. Good and holy priests, with hearts like St. Joseph, loving, protecting those in your charge.  Yet this heart was also like our

My Peace I Give You: Healing Sexual Wounds with the Help of the Saints

Image
Here is the patience and the faith of the saints. ~Apocalypse 13:10 My Peace I Give You by Dawn Eden is a much-needed spiritual resource for those recovering from any type of physical or emotional suffering brought on by the lust, crassness or cruelty of others. It took a long time to read because I had to stop and take time to ponder and absorb, reading several parts of it over again. Not only is Dawn's book well-written but every contention is backed up by solid references. With modesty and restraint, she confronts a topic uncomfortable to many. The misuse of the gift of life-giving sexuality has scourged multiple lives and institutions, not the least of which is our Holy Catholic Church. Too often amid the scandals, the wounded do not receive the treatment which they need in order to heal. This book, coming from the long and painful recovery of a survivor of abuse, will be a grace for many who are hurting from similar wounds. Hopefully, it will inspire all who read it to t

'The seed shall sprout and grow, he knows not how.' Sunday Reflections, 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B

Image
Though We Are Many - Official Hymn of the 32nd International Eucharistic Congress Readings (New American Bible: Philippines, USA)  Readings (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa)  The black mustard plant Gospel Mark 4:26-14 (Revised Standard Version – Catholic Edition) Jesus said, "The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed upon the ground, and should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he knows not how. The earth produces of itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come."  And he said, "With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on ea