The best prayer...

"The best prayer is the one in which there is the most love." 

- Bl Charles de Foucauld

 Prayer of Abandonment ~ Bl Charles de Foucauld

Father, 
I abandon myself into your hands; 

do with me what you will.

Whatever you may do, I thank you:

I am ready for all, I accept all.

Let only your will be done in me, 

and in all your creatures.

I wish no more than this, O Lord. 

Into your hands I commend my soul;

I offer it to you

with all the love of my heart,

for I love you, Lord,

and so need to give myself,

to surrender myself into your hands,

without reserve,

and with boundless confidence,

for you are my Father. 

Excerpt from the writings of Fr Rene Voillaumeon
on the Blessed Sacrament and Charles de Foucauld:

"You will always be right in imitating the attitude of soul—which is so simple, so logical, so full of love—of Frere Charles of Jesus towards the Blessed Sacrament. Our devotion to the Eucharist must be profound, honest, totally embraced as essential. When one has acquired the disposition of receiving this gift of God with the soul of a child, one is upset by the reasoning of certain people... who dispute the devotion towards the Eucharist and sometimes question its legitimacy on liturgical or historical grounds... Why not, in the simple logic of faith, love the Eucharist with all the love with which we love Jesus himself? That is what filled Father de Foucauld with the spontaneity of a child."

My heart, a resting place...

"I am a child of God through Baptism and my resemblance to Him 

has grown stronger through Holy Communion. May I never forget my last 

Communion and may my heart yearn for the next one." - Mother Angelica

"Heavenly Father, when Your priest

holds up the host

and says "the Body of Christ"

let my soul bow in humble adoration

before the love and humility of Jesus.

Let my heart be

a pure resting place for Your Son.

I desire, dear Father, that the image of Jesus

grow brighter in my soul after every Communion.

At that tremendous moment God and I are one."

Mother Angelica

Foundress of EWTN and the Poor Clare Nuns of Perpetual Adoration

Excerpt from The Mass is my Life

Painting: Francisco Ribalta

Time management...

"Nothing helps a man more than prayer." - St Philip Neri

 

 

"How short, above all,

seems the (Eucharistic Adoration) hour

which has fallen to our lot! ...

 

Some read books or simply say their rosaries,

but the greater number place themselves as suppliants

at the feet of our Lord, speak to Him,

and receive good thoughts from Him;

these last find the hour exceedingly short."

 

Ven. Leo Dupont

Fidelity to the mission...

After the Last Supper it was Jude who asked Our Lord why He chose 

to reveal Himself only to the disciples and not the world. He received the reply:

 Whoever loves me will keep my word, says the Lord; and my Father
will love him, and we will come to him, and make our home with him.  

- John 14: 23 (Today's Communion Antiphon)

 

"The more lively the Eucharistic

faith of the people of God,

the deeper is its sharing in ecclesial life

in steadfast commitment to the mission

entrusted by Christ to His disciples."

Sacramentum Caritatis, 6

Sts Simon and Jude

Apostles, Martyrs (approx 65 AD)

St. Jude: patron saint of hospital workers,

desperate situations, and impossible causes.

Click here: St. Jude Novena

St. Simon: patron saint of sawyers and tanners.

FEAST DAY - October 28

PHOTO: Missionaries of Charity ~Home for the dying - Khaligat ~ Calcutta, India

"Just as Christ was sent by the Father, so also He sent the apostles, filled with the Holy Spirit. This He did so that, by preaching the gospel to every creature (cf. Mark 16:15), they might proclaim that the Son of God, by His death and resurrection, had freed us from the power of Satan (cf. Acts 26:18) and from death, and brought us into the kingdom of His Father" ~Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy

Almighty God, You chose Your servants Simon and Jude to be numbered 
among the glorious company of the Apostles. As they were faithful 
and zealous in their mission, so may we with ardent devotion 
make known the love and mercy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who lives 
and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Click here: Ss. Simon & Jude - YouTube (2 mins)

Sts. Simon and Jude, pray for us!

Magnet for the friends of God...

"The Eucharist acts as a magnet

for the friends of God." - St Luigi Guanella

When St Luigi Guanella was traveling by train with pilgrimages to the various shrines,

he advised the pilgrims to turn their minds and hearts to Jesus every time

they saw a church tower from the carriage window.  He would say,

"Every bell tower indicates a church,

where there is a tabernacle,

where Mass is said,

and where Jesus stays."

St Luigi Guanella

Walking in strength...

The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet 

of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights. - Habakkuk 3:19

"God is so good to me.

I (Columba Marmion) live now on my daily Communion.

All the morning I walk in the strength of the divine food,

and from the afternoon I live on the thought

of the following Communion, for It strengthens us

according to our desires and preparations.

Our Lord has promised that 'he who eateth Me shall live by Me.'

His life becomes ours,

the source of all our activity."

Excerpt from: Abbot Columba Marmion

by Fr Raymond Thibaut

Achieving the apparently impossible...

“We Christians are supposed to be different from those who don't know Christ, are supposed to function by the same passions that motivate the Heart of Christ.  But this is a tall order indeed for 

 our poor human nature, so weak, so hesitant, so fearful. … 

On the healing strength of (the) immortal Food, given us in Word 

and sacrament, and by it made one with the Incarnate Word, 

we will surely find all the vitality and joy we need to fully live out 

our genetic identity as ‘offspring of the Most High, 

who is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.’ 

Dying Christ’s death with Him, we will rise with Christ and have His very Blood circulating in our veins. Then, motivated by the same impulses that motivate Him, and as servants of Christ with Christ the servant of all, 
we shall be able to achieve the apparently impossible:  Love our enemies, do good to those who hate us, bless those who curse us, pray for those who abuse us, and give, expecting nothing in return.  

In other words, we will stop living by the deadly logic of our unredeemed impulses and begin to live by the saving logic of God.  And God’s logic dictates that it would be a crime not to communicate to others all others, whether friend or foe – the very life we have so generously and freely received from Him, while we were still His foes.” - Erasmo Leiva-Merikas (Father Simeon) Cistercian monk

A message by the gates of hell...

This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, 

and how we set our hearts at rest in His presence. - I John 3:19

"St Anthony of Claret had always been especially attracted by devotions honoring the Blessed Sacrament.  During his school days he had been so captivated by a book his father gave him, The Goodness of  Our Sacramental Lord, that he had committed it to memory!

Kneeling before the Blessed Sacrament, he would pray:  "Oh, my God, grant me a place by the gates of hell, that I may stop those who enter there, saying:  'Where are you going, unhappy one?  Back, go back!  Make a good confession.  Save your soul!  Don't come back here to be lost forever.' "

From Hidden Treasure: The Riches of the Eucharist

Louis Kaczmarek 

St Anthony Mary Claret

Spain ~ 1807-1870

Missionary, Religious founder (Claretians),

Social reformer, Queen's (Spain) chaplain,

Writer and publisher, Excellent/renowned preacher

Survived 15 assassination attempts

Great devotion to Eucharist and Immaculate Heart of Mary

Said of him... "never without a rosary in his hands"

Archbishop of Cuba 1850-57

"The spiritual father of Cuba"

FEAST DAY - October 24

     "When I see the need for Divine teaching and how hungry people are to hear it, I am atremble to be off and running throughout the world, preaching the word of God. I have no rest, my soul finds no other relief, than to rush about and preach." ~ St. Anthony Mary Claret

St Anthony Mary Claret, pray for us!
More on St Anthony Mary Claret: Click here: A Very Special Patron: Saint Anthony Mary Claret | Catholicism.org  Click here: St. Anthony Mary Claret - YouTube (2 mins) Click here: Saint Anthony Mary Claret 10-24 - YouTube (1:20 mins)

SALT and LIGHT for others...

For he chose us in him before the creation of the world 

to be holy and blameless in his sight. - Eph 1:4

From the treatise Mirror of the Clergy by St John of Capistrano, 
but can also be fittingly applied to the priesthood of believers...

  "Those who are called to the table of the  Lord must glow with the brightness that comes from the good example of a praiseworthy and blameless life. They must completely remove from their lives the filth and uncleanness of vice.

    Their upright lives must make them like the salt of the earth for themselves and for the rest of mankind. The brightness of their wisdom must make them like the light of the world that brings light to others. ...

  They have been placed here to care for others. Their own lives should be an example to others, showing how they must live in the house of the Lord. "

 St John of Capistrano

Italy ~ 1385-1456

Lawyer, governor

Franciscan priest, preacher, theologian

Taught theology by St. Bernardine of Siena -

 together the two worked to reform the Franciscan order

Nickname - "soldier priest"*

*"When Mohammed II was threatening Vienna and Rome, St John, age 70, was commissioned by Pope Callistus II to preach and lead a crusade against the invading Turks. Marching at the head of 70,000 Christians, he gained victory in the great battle of Belgrade against the Turks in 1456.

FEAST DAY - October 23

Painting above: Priest teaching Catechism ~ Jules -Alexis Muenier

 

On St John's tomb in the Austrian town of Villach,

the governor had this message inscribed:

"This tomb holds John, by birth of Capistrano,

a man worthy of all praise, defender and promoter of the faith,

guardian of the Church, zealous protector of his Order,

an ornament to all the world, lover of truth and religious justice,

mirror of life, surest guide in doctrine; 
praised by countless tongues, he reigns blessed in heaven."

St John of Capistrano, pray for us!

Click here: St. John of Capistrano - YouTube (2 mins) 
Click here: St John of Capistrano - Oct 23 - YouTube (2:30 mins)
https://www.missionsjc.com/wp-content/uploads/SwallowsStory.pdf

 

Comments of Prof. Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira:

"One could try to make a classification of the saints. Some were founders of nations, others were organizers of nations, still others were founders of religious orders. Then, there is a category of saints who were the defensive walls of the House of God. They constitute a kind of saint whose principal goal is to fight, to destroy the enemies of God. They have the capacity to put fire in souls to stimulate them to the defense of God, to lead them to combat. And in the combat they know how to sustain the courage of the good as well as how to attack the enemies. Doing this, they defend the walls of the House of God. Such is the mission of this category of saints. St. John of Capistrano was one of these saints."

To be or not to be...

Quoting a 4th century homily:
"The Lord's Day is the lord of days" 
Also remembering today....

"When confronted with the abyss of evil, 

the only response is the abyss of love. - St John Paul II

"We must understand that in order 'to do',

we must first learn 'to be',

that is to say,

in the sweet company of Jesus

in adoration."

St John Paul II

1920 - 2005

nee: Karol J Wojtyla (Poland)

Pope: 1978 - 2005

Apostle of the Eucharist

Prolific writer

Inaugurated (and now Patron of) World Youth Day

and World Meeting of Families

Feast Day - October 22

“If He asks much of you, it is because

He knows you can give much.” – St John Paul II

Click here: Pope John Paul II - YouTube (6 mins)

Click here: 84 best Pope John Paul II Quotes images on Pinterest

St John Paul II, pray for us!

Motherly advice times two...

"There are two things I want you to do - keep close to Our Lord

in the Holy Eucharist... (and) stay close to His Mother.

With those two loves, you will always have the light

to see what is right and what is wrong."- Mother Angelica

In the Salve Regina we 'poor banished children of Eve' hail the New Eve, 

mother of the Eucharist, as 'our life, our sweetness and our hope.'

And we implore her to 'show us, after this exile, the blessed fruit' of her womb.

This our heavenly mother will certainly do, lovingly and graciously.

But already here and now, that is, during our exile in this 'vale of tears,' 

she untiringly shows us the blessed fruit of her womb

integrally present in the sacrament of the altar.

As His handmaid and herald she urges us to draw ever closer to Him.

For not only is He the source of life and holiness;

He is the pledge and pattern of our bodily resurrection

when the new world finally dawns." - Fr Richard Foley, S.J.

Click here: Salve, Regina (Full text: English and Latin)

Your heart: a living tabernacle...

"Live in the joy and peace of the divine Majesty. 
Live lost in divine love." - St Paul of the Cross

"How wonderful are the treasures which are enclosed in the divine Eucharist! I exhort you, even though you live in the world, 
to receive Communion often, but with piety. 
Holy Communion is the most efficacious means 
of uniting one's self to God.

Always prepare yourself well for this sacred banquet. 
Have a very pure heart, and watch over your tongue, 
for it is on the tongue that the Sacred Host is laid. 
 
Carry Our Lord home with you after your thanksgiving, and let your heart be a living tabernacle for Jesus. 
Visit Him often in this interior tabernacle, offering Him your homage, and the sentiments of gratitude with which divine love will inspire you. 
Preserve carefully the sentiments of love 
with which you are filled after Communion."

St Paul of the Cross
Priest, Mystic, powerful teacher/preacher

Founder - Passionist Order
To the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience they added a fourth: 
to spread devotion to Christ’s passion among the faithful.

Italy ~ 1694-1775

FEAST DAY - October 20

Painting above:  First Communion, France (artist unknown)

"When you are alone in your room, take your crucifix,
kiss its five wounds reverently, tell it to preach to you a little sermon,
and then listen to the words of eternal life that it speaks to your heart;
listen to the pleading of the thorns, the nails, the precious Blood.
Oh, what an eloquent sermon!" - St Paul of the Cross

St Paul of the Cross (excellent resource)
Click here: Discovering our Saints - St. Paul of the Cross - YouTube (3 mins)

Click here: St. Paul of the Cross - YouTube (10 mins)

St Paul of the Cross, pray for us,
that we may embrace
our crosses with courage!

They have drunk His cup...

"Who are the martyrs? They are Christians won by Christ,

disciples who learned well the meaning of “loving to the end” that took

Jesus to the Cross. There is no such thing as love in parts, in portions. 
Love is total: and when one loves, one loves to the end." - Pope Francis

“Let us honor the martyrs of the Lord
chosen out of every class, as soldiers of Christ
who have drunk His cup and were then baptized

with the baptism of His life-bringing death,

to be partakers of His passion and glory…”

St John Damascus

Exposition of the Orthodox Faith, 4, 15

Sts. John de Brebeuf,  Isaac Jogues
and Companions

North American Martyrs ~ +1642-1649*
Six Jesuit priests and two laypersons

FEAST DAY - Oct. 19

 

Fr Isaac Jogues gave the original European name to New York's Lake George, calling it Lac du Saint Sacrement, Lake of the Blessed Sacrament.



Lake George, New York

*The North American Martyrs and their entrance into eternal life:

St Rene Goupil - Sept 29, 1642

St Isaac Jogues - Oct 18, 1646

St John de Lalande - October 19, 1646

St Anthony Daniel - July 4, 1648

St John de Brebeuf - March 16, 1649

St Gabriel Lalemant - March 17, 1649

St Charles Garnier - December 7, 1649

St Noel Chabanel - December 8, 1649

Prayer to the Eight North American Martyrs

Let us Pray

Protect our land, O heavenly patrons, which you have bedewed with the rich treasure of your blood. Watch over our Catholic Faith which you helped to establish in this new land. Bring all our fellow citizens to a knowledge and love of the truth. Make us zealous in spreading abroad a knowledge of Catholic teachings, so that we may continue and perfect the work which you have begun  with so much labor and suffering. Pray for our homes, our schools, our missions; for vocations, for the conversion of sinners, the return of those who have wandered from the fold, and the perseverance of all the faithful. Amen.

More on the North American Martyrs... ( a must read!)

CLICK HERE:  http://catholicism.org/eight-na-martyrs.html

Click here: North American Martyrs - YouTube (6 mins) - Christopher Stefanick

Click here: North American Martyrs - YouTube (2 mins) Apostleship of Prayer

Click here: A Forgotten Founding Father: St. Isaac Jogues | Crisis Magazine

 

Sts. John de Brebeuf, Isaac Jogues
and Companions, pray for us!