While visiting Rachel, Steve, and Dairinne this past weekend, we had the wonderful pleasure of celebrating Holy Mass at St. Rita's in Alexandria, VA. It is one of the older churches in the vibrant Diocese of Arlington. I find its traditional architecture more appealing and helpful prayerwise! Sometimes the Holy Spirit taps into my active imagination to impress certain images into my consciousness. I wouldn't call it a vision since I was never sensibly disconnected from my surroundings. Here's what played before me. At the moment of the Consecration. a dazzling light eminated from the Host and bathed the congregation in its brilliance. The opportunity to be blessed at that moment was contingent upon the adoring receptivity of each heart. There was such love and healing power as the bread transubstantiated into the Real Presence that I was surprised that we all weren't blinded like Saul on the road to Damascus. I then had the sense of looking at the United States from the perspective of the upper atmosphere. From there one could witness thousands of explosions of light which engulfed the country east of the Rockies as the many, many Holy Masses progressed to the same moment of Consecration that time of morning! What unfathomable power was on display! 8) No wonder the angels fall prostrate! :shock: I silently wept, not only at the celestial beauty of it all, but also in the realization that too often my heart is not ready to receive as it should. The thought of Padraig's icon of empty tabernacles came to mind. What a dark place the world will be when the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is supressed! Lord have mercy! How appropriate the revised words at Holy Communion: Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed! Safe in the Hearts of Jesus and Mary!
Mario, how beautiful. God has indeed given you a gift to see and hear Him clearly. In trying to be a Franciscan, something they say has had an impact on me. They say in their teachings that Franciscans have a special love of the Eucharist, that they put themselves on the alter along with the sacrifice, or something like that. On the one hand, I do not understand why it is said they have a special love, why is it special or different than any other Catholic? Just because St. Francis suffered the Stigmata? Anyway, I don't understand the specialness that I have read about, but on the other hand, this thought sticks in my mind now during the consecration. I have never thought before, in my life, of placing myself up there in offering to God during the Mass. It opens my heart and mind in a different way to think of this. So I guess the teaching is doing its job on me, regardless of whether I understand it or not. I hope that the light you see Mario, can penetrate me sometimes...and I do feel sadness at those around me who are oblivious to what is happening up there. Never before in my life have I felt this sadness for the others in church. I want to shake them and say "Look, you're missing it! Stop figiting, stop talking to your kids, lift them up so they can see, for God's sake! Get them up off of the floor and show them!" I only wish I could see that light too, the light that I know is there, the angels who I know are there. Maybe someday.
Has anyone else ever thought that the empty tabernancles are here already? In every Protestant church in the world, where no Eucharist dwells? When I think about this prophecy, I think of that. I think that it isn't the Catholic Mass that is being referred to, but it is all the other services where the Eucharist is not allowed to be celebrated. Is not believed to be present...I don't know, just thinking out loud here.
Connie, What you say about Protestants is true enough, but a number of Church Fathers and even St. Alphonsus make a direct connection between the Abomination of Desolation of Scripture in the end times and the suppression of the Holy Mass. Also, I would not make too much of my prayer time last Sunday. After all, think of the times you have experienced the miracle of the sun. What a wonderful gift! Safe in the Hearts of Jesus and Mary!
I don't know, Mario, youare being humble. The sun miracles were almost always shared by others around me, it was not "just for me". It is a "common vision". Yours is not. Many, Many multitudes have witnessed the miracle of the sun. Only a select few ever get to witness the miracle of the Eucharistic transformation at a Mass in a mystical way like that. It is rare and special. Go Mario!
I notice how often people who become Catholics are converted, simply by walking into a Catholic Church and being blinded by the 'light' that emanates from the tabernacle. Its not only a light but a healing wrmth of love. But I never go into a Church now where I do not see my Catholic brothers and sisters talking right up to the start of mass and even right on through the mass...and I don't believe that they would do this if they fel the huge love radiating form the tabernacle. I also think there has been a huge effort to Protestantise our churches, t take away from the effect of the Real Presence. But still, also in every Church there are quite a sizeable group of people whocome early to mass and leave quite late, praying silently. This would not be possible if they didn't have faith in the Real Presence..otherwise why would they do what could only be time wasting/ I notice this especially with Phiillipinos and Kerealese. I foten watch the people from Kerala in India, who staff our hospitals and their profound devotion and wonder why they all seem to be, well..so very holy. I asked a couple and they told me it was because of the direct Apostolic succession to St THomas the Apostle, whom, legend has it worked in Kerala. Our new Parish Priest, who is very Marian said our parish was in a state of , 'Spiritual Crisis' and his great tool to save it is 24 hour Eucharisitc Devotion.I think in this he is specially guided by God. When the patrom saint of Parish Priests, the Cure of Ars, St John Vianney ws sent to his remore Parish of Ars his Bishop told him, 'There is little love there but you will put love in it'. Which he did through love or prayer and fasting.. If one man like St john can change a parish and the face of France we too can do the same through prayer... ] Meditation 1: Jesus Christ is present in the Eucharist At the moment when the Mother of St. Alexis recognised her son in the dead body of the beggar, who had lived for thirty years under the stairs in her palace, she exclaimed: “O my son! too late have I known thee!” The soul leaving this life will see at last Him, whom it possessed in the Eucharist, and at the sight of the consolations, beauties and riches that she had ignored, she will likewise cry out: “O Jesus! O my Life! O my Treasure! O my Love! too late have I known Thee!” Divine Saviour, while I meditate on the proofs of your presence under the sacramental veils, enlighten my mind, influence my heart, inspire me with the lively, ardent faith, which is already a vision of your eternal beauty. Jesus Christ is present in the Eucharist with His Body and Blood, His Soul and Divinity. Do you wish for proofs clear and convincing? 1. Our Lord has said it. The evening of the Last Supper, He took bread, blessed it, broke it and gave it to the Apostles, and said: “Take and eat. This is My Body.” Then He took the chalice containing wine, and said: “Drink ye all of this. This is My Blood. Do this in memory of Me.” “This is My Body” - then it is no longer bread. “This is My Blood” - then it is no longer wine. Jesus Christ has said it. I believe because He is the Truth, who does not deceive, the Power that all things obey. But why reason, O my soul? Believe and adore. Believe that Jesus Christ is in this sacrament as truly as He was nine months in the womb of Mary, as really as He was nailed to the Cross. Adore in humility and gratitude. 2. It is a fact that is in accord with reason. Our Lord has said: “All that you ask the Father in My Name He will give it to you.” Never would we have thought of asking God to give us His own Son. But what man could not have even imagined, God has done. What man could not say or think, and what he could not have dared to desire, God, in His love has said it, planned it and carried His design into execution. Would we have dared to ask God to deliver His Son to death for us: to give us His Flesh to eat and His Blood to drink? If all this is not true, then man has been able to imagine things greater than God can do. He would have gone further than God in the inventions of love. This is not possible. In other words, what man could not even conceive, God has executed. If the Eucharist, mystery of an infinite love, was an invention of the human spirit we would have a greater idea of the love of God for men than that which God has realized. But God does not let Himself be outdone in love, and we are compelled to say with St. Ambrose, who applies to the Eucharist the words of St. Paul, “Eye hath not seen nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man what God has prepared for those who love Him.” May He be blessed forever. 3. It is a fact made evident by a kind of intuition. There is no room for doubting that Our Lord is in the Holy Eucharist. One knows well that He is there. One feels it. In receiving Holy Communion one feels something extraordinary, a sense of well-being which pervades his whole body. What is this sense of well-being? It is Our Lord who communicates Himself to all parts of our bodies, and makes them thrill with joy. We are compelled to cry out with St. John: “It is the Lord.” O Jesus, without wishing to aspire after the favours granted to your saints, give me, I pray, the proof of your presence in Holy Communion by the unction of your grace, by the spiritual joy and generous enthusiasm in the practice of virtue. 4. It is a fact attested by history. A priest was saying Mass in a church of Bolsene and after pronouncing the words of Consecration doubted the Host. At that instant the Sacred Host was quite covered with Blood. Jesus Christ seemed to wish to reproach His minister for his infidelity, and to make him ashamed, and at the same time to show us by this great miracle how convinced we ought to be of His holy Presence in the Eucharist. This holy Host poured forth blood in such abundance that the corporal, altar cloth and even the altar itself were covered. The Pope, who was informed of the miracle, ordered that the corporal all saturated with blood should be brought to him. When it reached the town of Orvieto it was received with the greatest ceremony, and exposed in the church. Each year, this precious relic is carried in procession on Corpus Christi. Another proof, this time personal. “Do you believe that a piece of bread could detach itself and go on its own and place itself on the tongue of one who was coming to receive it?” I asked this one day of two Protestant ministers who did not believe in the Real Presence of Our Lord. “No.” Then it is not bread. Here is a story of which I myself am a witness. A man had temptations against faith in the Real Presence. How does one know it? It is not certain. The Consecration, what is it? What happens on the altar at that moment? But he wished to be delivered from these temptations, and he prayed to the Blessed Virgin to obtain for him a faith simple and peaceful. Listen now. I do not say that this happened somewhere. I say that it happened to me. At the moment when this man came to receive Communion, the Sacred Host left my fingers while I was yet a good distance away. It went of Itself and placed Itself on the tongue of this man. See how that ought to strengthen our faith! But, my God, what need have we of proofs after the words of Jesus Christ Himself. 5. How does Our Lord dwell in the Eucharist? In an invisible manner, hidden under the species of bread. He accommodates Himself to our weakness. In heaven, when we will be triumphant and glorious, we shall see Him in His glory. If He showed Himself now before us with this glory, we would not dare to approach Him, but He hides Himself as someone in prison and says to us: You do not see Me, but this does not matter: ask Me all that you wish, I will give it to you. Oh! if we had the faith . . . if we were really persuaded of the Real Presence of Him who thus hides Himself out of love, and who is there, His hands full of graces, longing to distribute them, with what reverence we would come before Him, with what confidence we should invoke Him. Cure of Ars
