Down In Adoration Falling

Years ago when our 4th child was a baby, I discover Eucharistic Adoration. How, in almost 30 years as a Catholic, I had never encounter it before baffles me to this day.

We were on vacation in Canada or perhaps New York (I need to look this up), and we were at a church with a huge garden which had a walking path lined with larger-than-life statues of many Saints.

I was pushing Josh in the stroller looking for the kids' names on the base of their Patron Saints.  As I made my way to the doors of the church for a peek inside, I noticed a side grotto hidden behind a stone wall.  I curiously made my way in and there was Christ in the Monstrance.

A small sign requested silence, but my heart requested me to go on my knees.  Down in adoration falling.

stanneshrine.org

Such a peace overwhelmed me that I knew this would not be my last encounter at an adoration chapel.

At the Last Supper, Jesus gave us His Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity not only to consume but to Adore.  He is with us in every Catholic church, in every tabernacle, in every part of the world.  He longs for us to spend time with Him whether we can receive Him in that moment or not.  We can be physically with Him and spiritually with Him.  Don't stay away.

Come!  Let us Adore!!

Corpus Christi

Today is the Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ.  Given that the Eucharist is the source and summit of Catholic life, it's a pretty big deal.

On Holy Thursday, Christ instituted the Eucharist.

 Before that day, He told his followers:

"I am the bread of life.

Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died;

this is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat it and not die.

I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.” The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us [his] flesh to eat?”Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you.Whoever eats 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.Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me.This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever.” (John 6: 48-58)

At the Last Supper, Christ gave us the priesthood and Himself in the Eucharist. Our priests continue to bring the Eucharist to us on a daily basis.  How often do you participate?

If you were told to go to a certain spot everyday at a specific time and you would be handed $1000, would you go? Every day?

If you were told that Jesus, Himself, was waiting to give you the gift of a lifetime, in many locations, at many different times throughout the day, would you make the effort to go and receive Him who gives you life?

He is waiting. He is at many locations, at many different times throughout the day. He wants to give you the gift of a lifetime, actually the gift of LIFE.  Eternal life. (see above!)

Come to the Feast! He awaits. 

Train Up A Child

“Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6).

This verse popped into my head last night while I was lying awake thinking about my dad.  He is currently in the hospital, awaiting admission to a nursing home. 

He is facing surgery in the next few weeks and is suffering while he waits. 

He suffers from not understanding what is going on.  He suffers from being apart from my mom (his wife of 52 years).  He suffers from not remembering what he's been told several times already. 

He knows he's suffering. That part, he gets.  

I walked into his room yesterday to visit and the very first words that popped out of his mouth were:

"For all the souls in purgatory."  

Wow!

St. Paul tells us in his letter to the Colossians, "Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church." (Colossians 1:24)

As Fr. John Riccardo so aptly put it, "what in the world could be lacking in the suffering of  Christ?"  And his most appropriate answer, "Our participation in it."

All our growing up years we heard, "offer it up!"  Which meant, if we were suffering anything, instead of complaining we were to offer it to Christ.  Fr. John suggests, rather, we "unite it" to Christ's suffering.  

My dad learned that as a very small boy and, now, as an adult, he has not departed from it.  He can't change any of his circumstances, but he can offer up his suffering, or unite it with Christ's, "for all the souls in purgatory."  

Even with Alzheimer's he is still teaching us and setting the example.  

Thanks dad.  I love you! 

This bible verse was in our associate pastor's column this past week. It is now stuck to the back of my phone, because, after all, we are all suffering along with my dad:

"Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal which comes upon you to prove you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice in so far as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when His glory is revealed."  (1 Peter 4: 12-13)

Amen.

After Confession

Now wasn't that refreshing?  Congratulations!  It's time to celebrate.

Our favorite celebration spot is anywhere that serves ICE CREAM!  We even go in the winter, although our tenacious one had to have her coat off for this shot.

May you have a Blessed Easter closely united with Christ.

Oh! The Pain

The other day, as I was contemplating Christ's passion and death,  I was moved to wonder, 'how many of those wounds that tortured His precious body were caused by my sins?'

Instantaneously a number popped into my head.   I will not share what the number was but I will admit that it surprised me.

Over the next several days, with that number floating around in my head, I tried to see if perhaps I had made it up myself.  Nope, that was the firm number the Lord kept giving me.

Last Saturday at confession, my penance was to stand before the image of the eleventh station.  The 11th station is Jesus being nailed to the cross.  The priest told me to put myself in the scene and choose which person represented me.

As much as I wanted it to be the pure and sinless Mother Mary, it wasn't happening!!

As I looked at the other people in the scene I saw a soldier with his hand in the basket of nails pulling out the next one to be used.  I saw the soldier in charge diligently watching his charges.  There was one soldier with a hammer ready to strike and the last person was a woman standing with the Blessed Mother.

With tears streaming down my face, I put myself in that scene, and I thought about that number.  Wow!

Christ died for our sins, before we were even alive to commit them.  As for my number, He knew that before He walked the road.

It brings new understanding and thanksgiving for the verse:

But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5) NIV