From All Ireland Rosary Rally page: "The Eucharist is more than bread and wine—it is the profound mystery of Christ’s love made present to us. When we receive the Eucharist, we receive Jesus Himself: the One who strengthens the weak, heals the broken, comforts the weary, and fills our hearts with His peace. There is no greater gift than receiving Christ into our hearts. May we approach the altar with reverence, faith, and a heart ready to be transformed by His love. Jesus, Bread of Life, nourish our souls and draw us ever closer to You."
From Totus Tuus page: "One of the most remarkable and scientifically examined Eucharistic miracles in Church history continues in Siena, Italy. On the night of August 14, 1730, during the vigil of the Assumption, thieves broke into the Basilica of San Francesco (St. Francis) in Siena. They stole the golden ciborium containing 351 consecrated Hosts. Three days later, on August 17, the Hosts were found inside the alms box (poor box) at the nearby Sanctuary of St. Mary of Provenzano. The thieves had thrown them there carelessly. The Hosts were covered in dust, dirt, and cobwebs, some even stuck together. What should have happened is obvious — the Hosts should have quickly deteriorated, become moldy, or turned to dust. Instead, something extraordinary occurred. Despite being exposed to air, humidity, temperature changes, dust, and rough handling, these Hosts have remained perfectly fresh, soft, and incorrupt for nearly 300 years. They still look and smell exactly like freshly baked altar bread. Over the centuries, multiple scientific investigations were conducted. In 1914 and again in 1922, teams of doctors, chemists, and biologists examined the Hosts. Their findings were astonishing: No trace of mold, bacteria, or decomposition. The Hosts showed no signs of aging or corruption. They retained their natural color, texture, and even taste Chemical analysis confirmed they consist of pure unleavened wheat bread with no preservatives. To this day, more than 220 of these miraculous Hosts are still preserved in the Basilica of San Francesco in Siena and are available for public adoration. ------------- This miracle stands as a powerful, ongoing testimony to the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist — that what appears to be simple bread is truly His living Body. As Jesus said in the Gospel of John: “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever.” (John 6:51)"
Robert Nugent interview with Shaun McAfee about his new book 'A Compendium of Eucharistic Miracles.' (From Tan Books).
From Santuario Alexandrina de Balasar Fb page today: Today, Sunday, many pilgrims came to the Blessed Alexandrina School to learn to cherish the Eucharist, which for her was the absolute center of her life and her sole physical sustenance during her final years. Sunday reinforced the Eucharistic banquet she loved and championed so deeply.
“Always remain close to the Catholic Church, because it alone can give you true peace, since it alone possesses Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, the true Prince of Peace.” Saint Padre Pio
Last Sunday, a young Franciscan friar from our parish celebrated his final Mass in Croatia because he is going to Japan as a missionary for a few years. He usually gives wonderful homilies and has a great sense of humor. He said that he certainly wouldn’t run back home after a month like a runaway bride, but that he would stay, whatever happens. He also said something interesting during his homily: Jesus doesn’t call the perfect; He perfects those whom He calls. For me, it is similar because I work in healthcare. You are constantly around people and you hear all kinds of things. You always try to stay close to those who are suffering, but there still has to be some kind of boundary. What is personally the hardest for me is standing up for my own moral values and beliefs without getting into a conflict. Nowadays, this kind of situation is lurking around every corner with so many ideological things, and quite often I end up saying nothing. Then my conscience bothers me because I don’t know whether I should have said something, whether I should have warned someone or spoken up. But life and work are not social media—you can’t get into an argument with everyone. And yet you still wonder whether you have denied God by staying silent. It is easy sometimes to be brave among people who think like you, behind a computer screen, or within your own family. It is much harder to remain steadfast and to know the right response in every situation life puts before you. Even St. Peter froze in fear, and yet he loved Christ. Faith is a bloody road. Being Catholic is easy; being a good Catholic is one of the hardest things in the world, because there are traps at every step, and the price of redemption is great. That is why the Eucharist and the Holy Rosary, together of course with the other sacraments—with Mass as number one and Confession—are what keep us above water. St. Augustine, who struggled with the slavery of the flesh, often prayed to God to give him the strength to stop—but not yet... So Christ truly knew that He was leaving Himself for us in our brokenness, and that without Him we fall. The Eucharist is a one-on-one encounter with God, not so that we can focus on our faults, of which we have plenty, but so that we can be filled with courage and strength to keep walking through this fallen world.
I was praying today against what I perceive to be my cowardice in the day to day interactions with people. I saw my MD yesterday ( gyn) who i see once a year. We always enjoying talking to each other. She told me of her younger son's impending marriage to another man. She was so happy for him. This woman is a social justice Catholic and a very sincere and good woman. I am not even sure what I said--wished them well or something. What i didn't say is " this is wrong as you know..." I couldn't. I froze. St Teresa of Avila warned against human respect. I am afraid that is me--worrying about human respect. At Mass today i was bitterly regretting this but Our Lord gave me Fr Dolindo's novena in a little pamphlet. I had great peace after that. We will know when we must speak. He will take care of everything. In the meantime we are to trust that "He's got this".
This wonderful quote from Bl. Alexandrina came up recently. As you probably know she was completely devoted to and dependent on Jesus in the Eucharist. She was a Victim Soul in reparation for the many sins of the world. Her journey through life was hard in many ways. Her advice to keep our gaze on the Crucified Christ was surely offered from the experiences of her own difficult journey.
Speaking for myself, I have little authority, I’m just a ‘G.I’ Catholic and opening my big mouth in such a situation might just as easily reinforce these people in their sin. Perhaps moreso. If you wished them well, that’s a broad enough statement to include repentance. Can’t say I’d have done any better myself.
Those are exactly the kinds of situations I mean. It would be far too simple if we could just fulfill our religious and moral duty for ourselves, because we are also called to be there for others and are responsible for them. And yet, Christ alone saves; we are not responsible for everything, and we cannot influence everything. In these particular situations, I try not to nod when the person is speaking to me, because I don’t want to give them the impression that I am confirming what they are saying, even though I often do nod when someone is talking to me as a sign that I am listening and acknowledging them. Where I come from, that is simply part of our nonverbal culture. Through a series of circumstances, I myself was once outside of all of that, focused entirely on my family, and my faith was much stronger there because you don’t know the people, you are not involved in anything, and it is much easier to hold on to your convictions. It is not surprising that some of the greatest preachers, prophets, and saints were isolated, especially the most uncompromising ones, such as Saint John the Baptist and Saint John Chrysostom. They fled into the desert so that God could purify them and free them from human attachments, because as soon as you are among people, that concern for others comes in, along with emotions that are part of the fallen world, because people are often guided by passions rather than moral
I would comfort myself that you will have another bite at the cake. You will be talking to the same lady again. We are not always called upon to speak out. Sometimes silence is best. The Holy Spirit has to unlock the door of peoples hearts before we can open them. There is no point trying to open a locked door. Revelation 3:20 20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
That is pretty much what I thought the Lord said to me at Mass. To surrender it and let Him take over. When the time is right the words will be there.
From Totus Tuus Fb page: "Arrested by the Communist authorities in Vietnam on 15 August 1975, Francis Xavier Nguyễn Văn Thuận spent 13 years in prison, nine of them in solitary confinement. One of his greatest fears was whether he would ever be able to celebrate the Eucharist again. Allowed to write home for necessities, he asked in coded language for “a little wine as medicine for my stomach.” His family understood. They sent a small bottle of Mass wine labeled as stomach medicine, along with tiny pieces of host hidden in a flashlight. Guards handed him the “medicine” without suspicion. Each day, usually around 3 p.m.—the hour of Christ’s death on the Cross—he celebrated Mass from memory. With three drops of wine and one drop of water in the palm of his hand, and a few crumbs of bread, his hand became the altar and his cell a cathedral. “These were the most beautiful Masses of my life,” he later said. When moved to a crowded re-education camp, he waited until lights-out at 9:30 p.m., then quietly celebrated over his wooden bed and passed tiny particles of the Host under mosquito nets to fellow Catholic prisoners. He even reserved the Blessed Sacrament in small envelopes made from cigarette-pack foil, carrying Jesus close to his heart. In the darkest isolation, the Eucharist remained his strength and joy."
Perhaps it was cowardice, but most often it is a moment of hesitation when the multiplicity of responses demand processing in order to be expressed best. I would suggest asking the Lord whether He desires you to take a next step or not. After all, your input won't forestall the union. I believe such situations give each of us the opportunity to pick up our beads and place that family in the hands of the Two Hearts. Such entrustment will unleash more grace than we can know. Of course, if such a situation involved someone whom you rub shoulders with on at least a monthly basis, then a chance to bring up your concern over a cup of tea would be worthwhile. But prayer...what a powerful tool of grace do we wield! Our Lady will respond to your prayers!
