Liturgy: above all, adoration

Pope Francis ~ St John Lateran, Roma  ~ 4/07/13

"The liturgy is, above all, adoration.
The Church is the work of God, God's action; it is recognition of what God does for men. And the adoration that the liturgy expresses, especially the Eucharist, is the acknowledgment of God,
that everything comes from Him,

that everything that belongs to us must find Him."

Cardinal Antonio Cañizares

Pope Pius V tirelessly worked to promote the true faith

and Divine Worship.  He standardized the Holy Mass
by promulgating the 1570 edition of the Roman Missal.

Pope St. Pius V

Italy  ~ 1504-1572

Dominican*, Church Reformer

"Pope of the Rosary"

*His decision to keep wearing his Dominican habit

led to the custom of the pope wearing a white cassock.

Feast Day - April 30

 

On his deathbed:  "O Lord, increase my sufferings

and increase my patience." ~ St Pius V

St Pius V, ora pro nobis! 

More on St Pius V:

Click here: St. Pius V - YouTube

Probably the act for which Pius V will be longest remembered is his exemplary and unparalleled leadership at the time of the Battle of Lepanto.

In 1565, the Knights of Saint John defended Malta against a tremendous attack by the Turkish fleet and lost nearly every fighting man in the fortress. It was Pope Pius V who sent encouragement and money with which to rebuild their battered city. The pope called for a crusade among the Christian nations and appointed a leader who would be acceptable to all. He ordered the Forty Hours Devotion to be held in Rome, and he encouraged all to say the Rosary.

When the Christian fleet sailed out to meet the enemy, every man on board had received the sacraments, and all were praying the Rosary. The fleet was small, and numerically it was no match for the Turkish fleet, which so far had never met defeat. They met in the Bay of Lepanto on Sunday morning, October 7, 1565. After a day of bitter fighting, and, on the part of the Christians, miraculous help, the Turkish fleet - what was left of it - fled in disgrace, broken and defeated, its power crushed forever.

Before the victorious fleet returned to Rome, Pope Pius V had knowledge of the victory through miraculous means. He proclaimed a period of thanksgiving, placed the invocation, "Mary, Help of Christians" in the Litany of Loreto and established the feast of Our Lady of Victory (later changed to Our Lady of the Rosary) in commemoration of the victory.
 

ALSO worth noting ...

St Pius V inserted the Adoro Te Devote among the prayers of preparation and thanksgiving for the Mass into the Missal reformed by him in 1570. (Prior to that, the text had remained unknown for two centuries since St Thomas Aquinas penned it.)  From that date, the hymn was used in the universal Church as one of the most loved Eucharistic prayers of the clergy and the Christian people.  Spend some time today meditating on it beauty and truth and express your gratitude for its preservation.  ***(This hymn is the inspiration of the TITLE of this blog - see verse two). 

 

GODHEAD HERE IN HIDING /ADORO TE DEVOTE

Words: St Thomas Aquinas, Translation: Gerard Manley Hopkins S.J.

  

Adoro te devote, latens Deitas, Quæ sub his figuris vere latitas; Tibi se cor meum totum subjicit, Quia te contemplans totum deficit. Visus, tactus, gustus in te fallitur, Sed auditu solo tuto creditur. Credo quidquid dixit Dei Filius; Nil hoc verbo veritátis verius. In cruce latebat sola Deitas, At hic latet simul et Humanitas, Ambo tamen credens atque confitens, Peto quod petivit latro pœnitens. Plagas, sicut Thomas, non intueor: Deum tamen meum te confiteor. Fac me tibi semper magis credere, In te spem habere, te diligere.  O memoriale mortis Domini! Panis vivus, vitam præstans homini! Præsta meæ menti de te vívere, Et te illi semper dulce sapere. Pie Pelicane, Jesu Domine, Me immundum munda tuo sanguine: Cujus una stilla salvum facere Totum mundum quit ab omni scelere. Jesu, quem velatum nunc aspicio, Oro, fiat illud quod tam sitio: Ut te revelata cernens facie, Visu sim beátus tuæ gloriæ. Amen

Godhead here in hiding, whom I do adore, Masked by these bare shadows, shape and nothing more, See, Lord, at Thy service low lies here a heart Lost, all lost in wonder at the God thou art. Seeing, touching, tasting are in thee deceived: How says trusty hearing? that shall be believed; What God's Son has told me, take for truth I do; Truth Himself speaks truly or there's nothing true. On the cross Thy godhead made no sign to men, Here Thy very manhood steals from human ken:  Both are my confession, both are my belief, And I pray the prayer of the dying thief. I am not like Thomas, wounds I cannot see, But can plainly call thee Lord and God as he; Let me to a deeper faith daily nearer move, Daily make me harder hope and dearer love. O thou our reminder of Christ crucified, Living Bread, the life of us for whom he died, Lend this life to me then: feed and feast my mind, There be thou the sweetness man was meant to find. Bring the tender tale true of the Pelican; Bathe me, Jesu Lord, in what Thy bosom ran Blood whereof a single drop has power to win All the world forgiveness of its world of sin. Jesu, whom I look at shrouded here below, I beseech thee send me what I thirst for so, Some day to gaze on thee face to face in light And be blest for ever with Thy glory's sight. Amen.



Each drop, precious

 

Precious Blood,

Ocean of Divine Mercy:
Flow upon us!

Precious Blood,

Most pure Offering:
Procure us every Grace!

Precious Blood,

Hope and Refuge of sinners:
Atone for us!

Precious Blood,

Delight of holy souls:
Draw us! Amen.

Prayer of

St Catherine of Siena

Italy  ~ 1347 -1380

Doctor of the Church

Third Order Dominican

Reformer, mystic, writer

FEAST DAY - April 29

  

“Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.”

 ~ St. Catherine of Siena

Click here: St. Catherine of Siena - YouTube

St Catherine of Siena, ora pro nobis!

Partnering in evangelization...

 Fifth Sunday of Easter

 

“Through adoration, the Christian mysteriously contributes to the radical transformation of the world and to the sowing of the Gospel. Anyone who prays to the Saviour draws the whole world with him and raises it to God.

Those who stand before the Lord are therefore fulfilling an eminent service.  They are presenting to Christ all those who do not know Him or are far from Him; they keep watch in His presence on their behalf.”

Letter from Pope Bl John Paul II

to the Bishop of Liege, 26 June 1996

Uniting voice with voice with voice...

 “The heavens shall praise Thy wonders, O Lord;

Thy faithfulness also in the congregation of the saints.”   ~ Psalm 89:5

 

“All the powers of the universe bow down

in (Eucharistic) adoration and praise, and with

a thousand voices exalt Thine infinite Majesty,

which fills both Heaven and earth. 

Christian people, let us unite our voices with theirs.”

St Hilary of Poitiers

Doctor of the Church (+368) 

Gazing upon Goodness

"If only we had the humility to realize that He alone is Goodness and makes us good.  As soon as we come into His Presence in the Eucharist, our souls respond to the power before them like a sunflower turning toward the sun.

 

    His silent Presence, hidden in the tabernacle, says to each one of us, "I love you.  Come to me all you who labor and are burdened and I will refresh you.  Come to the fountain of life and drink.  Tell Me your problems.  Listen to My voice.  I tug at your heart, guiding your way and smoothing your path."

    There is between the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus and the soul, a silent exchange of love, a sharing of pain, an inaudible dialogue between two who know each other perfectly and love each other deeply.

    It is as if the soul sees itself in a perfect Mirror and knows clearly its faults and imperfections.  A strange phenomenon occurs as the soul gazes at Jesus.  Its own reflection becomes brighter.  Its faults fade away and one day that "soul is turned - transformed into the image it reflected" (2 Cor 3:18).

    This being true, why do we permit our souls to die of thirst when the Fountain of Living water is just around the corner?"

Mother Angelica

To Leave and Yet to Stay

Really living !

"Live on Him

that you may live for Him."

 

St John Vianney

 

 The Last Supper ~ Frans Pourbus

 

And as they were eating, He took bread,

and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to them, and said,

"Take; this is My Body."

And He took a chalice, and when He had given thanks

He gave it to them, and they all drank of it. 

And He said to them,

"This is My Blood of the covenant,

which is poured out for many."

 

Gospel of Mark 14:22-24

 

 

St Mark

Evangelist, Martyr (+68 AD)

Disciple of St Peter, Cousin of Barnabus

Symbol:  lion, often winged*

*The Gospel of St Mark begins with St John the Baptist,

"the voice of one crying in the wilderness,"

a voice that St Jerome compared to the roar of a lion.

FEAST DAY - April 25

 

 

 Go out into the whole world and 

proclaim the gospel to every creature.  ~ Mark 16:15

 

 

St Mark, ora pro nobis!

Worth remembering...

 

 

“Draw near to our Lord, thoroughly aware of

your own nothingness, and you may hope all things

from His Goodness and Mercy.

Never forget that Jesus Christ is no less generous

in the Blessed Sacrament

than He was during His mortal life on earth.”

St Mary Euphrasia Pelletier

France ~ 1796-1868

Foundress ~ Sisters of the Good Shepherd

FEAST DAY - April 24

 

 

"May your heart be an altar, from which the bright flame

of unending thanksgiving ascends to heaven." ~ St Mary Ephrasia

 

St Mary Euphrasia, ora pro nobis!

Follow it, follow Him!

"When you think of going to Mass on working days,

it is an impulse of the grace

that God wills to grant you.  Follow it."

St John Vianney

Source of comfort, light ...

  

6th Annual Eucharistic Congress ~ Boston - North End  ~ April 21, 2013

“In a world where there is so much noise,

so much bewilderment, there is a need

for silent adoration of Jesus concealed in the Host. 

Be assiduous in the prayer of adoration …

It is a source of comfort and light,

particularly to those who are suffering."

Pope Benedict XVI

February 22, 2007

Sacramentum Caritatis,

Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation

Good Shepherd Sunday

GOOD SHEPHERD SUNDAY

Fourth Sunday of Easter

 

Know that the LORD is God; He made us, His we are;

His people, the flock He tends.  ~ Psalm 100: 3

 

 

 

"We adore You, Jesus,

eternal Shepherd of the human race. 

You are present in the Eucharist

to dwell continually

in the midst of Your people. 

You nourish us,

You guard us,

You guide us to the heavenly fold."

 

Ven. James Alberione

 

  

50th WORLD DAY of PRAYER for VOCATIONS

Let us pray that men and women hear and respond generously to the Lord’s call to the priesthood, diaconate, religious life, societies of apostolic life or secular institutes. Check out these many resources to promote a culture of vocations on the USCCB Web site:

Click here: World Day of Prayer for Vocations

 

Happy to be His home!

 

American Marines receiving holy Communion.   Photo Credit:  Larry Burrows (Getty)

 

“If Christ dwells within us, what do we need?

What do we lack?

If we dwell in Christ, what more could we desire?

 

He is our host and our dwelling-place.

Happy are we to be His home!

What joy to be ourselves the dwelling-place

of such an inhabitant!”

 

 St Nicolas Cabasilas (+1391)

First things first

 Those who know your name will trust in you,

for you, LORD, have never foresaken those who seek you. ~ Psalm 9:10

  

" 'Pray always!' the Good Book tells us, and Jesus exhorted us to make sure that our prayer was patient, persistent, and persevering.  Eucharistic adoration accomplishes this.  It tells the world that 'we can't give what we don't have,' and that, if we do not constantly turn to God in prayer for His grace and mercy, we're finished.  The best thing people of faith can do is pray . . . I can't think of a better place to do that than before our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament."

"When the first disciples asked Jesus about following Him, He did not say, 'Come do a bunch of stuff with me.'  Nope - He invited them to 'Come, stay with me!'  Eucharistic adoration is a great way to answer that invitation."

  

Timothy Cardinal Dolan

Archbishop of New York

Say YES!

When Catholics are asked,

"Do you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ?"

they should answer a resounding YES!

There is no closer union with Jesus than when

you receive Him in the Eucharist.

You too can say with St Paul,

"...and the life I now live is not my own,

CHRIST IS LIVING IN ME." (Galatians 2:20)

Rev Msgr Richard L Carroll, V.F.

Who do you say that I am?

  

"Every time I start thinking seriously about Jesus, I always come to the same conclusion: I don't know him anywhere near as well as I should. ...

All of human history revolves around him. It is impossible to measure his impact on the world. And your life will never really make sense until you place Jesus at the center of it. 

...The more I get to know Jesus, the more I get to know my true self. And what I discover is this:

I am the lame that he makes to walk.
I am the simple person that he patiently teaches.
I am the captive that he wants to set free.
I am the blind to whom he wants to give sight.
I am the hungry that he wants to feed.
I am the sick and he wants to heal me.
I am the afflicted who he wants to comfort.
And, at other times, I am the comfortable that he wants to afflict.
He is the healer of my soul, and my soul needs healing. 

...Who is Jesus? ... I suggest you find yourself a quiet church, sit in front of the tabernacle, and talk to him about what is happening in your life. 

He is the friend you have been yearning for your whole life."

 

Matthew Kelly - The Jesus Question (article) in The Catholic Spirit - 

Archdiocese of Mpls-St Paul - April 10, 2013 issue.

For full text... Click here: The Jesus question | Rediscover:

 

 

Eucharist: source of light and love

St Anthony Chapel, Tampa Florida - USA 

 

 

“The Eucharist bathes the tormented soul

in light and love.

Then the soul appreciates these words,

‘Come all you who are sick,

I will restore your health.'" 

 

 

St Bernadette

France ~ 1844-1879

Lourdes visionary and nun

Incorrupt

Feast Day - April 16*

*Some places - other places Feb 18

 

 

Said of St Bernadette by a fellow Sister, Sr Dalias:

"The Holy Eucharist was the breath of her soul."

 

 A tiny tot of four inquired of St Bernadette,

"You have seen the Blessed Virgin, Sister. Was she beautiful?"

"So beautiful," she replied, "that once you have seen her,

you would willingly die to see her again."

 

St Bernadette, ora pro nobis!

 

April 16

 

Happy and Holy 86th Birthday,

dearest Pope Emeritus Benedict!

 

 

Loving - and living - the Mass!

Saint Josemaría Escriva taught, and he himself lived, a radical dedication of one’s life to God in the holy Mass. ...

"We should love the Mass and make it the center of our day. If we attend Mass well, surely we are likely to think about our Lord during the rest of the day, wanting to be always in his presence, ready to work as He worked and love as He loved" (Christ Passing By, 154).

“Let us ask our Lord, then, to make us souls devoted to the blessed Eucharist, so that our relationship with Him brings forth joy and serenity and a desire for justice. In this way we will make it easier for others to recognize Christ; we will put Christ at the center of all human activities. And Jesus’ promise will be fulfilled: ‘I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself'" (Christ Passing By, 156). 

Let us all meet together...

Third SUNDAY of EASTER 

Invite someone to pray the Mass with you today!

Christ is our Host!

 

"Our spiritual journey has now brought us to the most exalted of the

life-giving mysteries, and the Lord has set before us gifts no words can describe.

Let us all meet together then for the sacred meal, all of us who rejoice

in these inexpressible delights and who, as sharers in the heavenly calling,

have willingly put on the wedding garment of undefiled faith.

Today Christ is our host,

Christ waits upon us,

Christ who loves us refreshes us."

Theophilus of Alexandria

385-412

Transparency

  

Adoration Chapel, St Michael parish ~ Stillwater, Minnesota ~ USA

 

"Be yourself with the good Lord."

 

St Peter Julian Eymard

Truth Himself speaks truly...

  "Do not doubt whether this is true, but rather receive the words

of the Savior in faith, for since He is the truth, He cannot lie." ~ St. Cyril 

"An argument was once made use of by a pious painter named Leonardo.  He one day met in an inn two men, one of whom was a Lutheran and the other a Calvinist.  They were ridiculing the Catholic doctrine about the Blessed Sacrament.  The Calvinist pretended that by these words, 'This is My Body,' it was only meant that the bread signifies the Body of Christ; the Lutheran, on the other hand, asserted that this was not true, but that they meant that bread and wine, in the moment of their reception, became, by the faith of the recipient, the Body and Blood of Christ. 

While this dispute was going on, Leonardo took a piece of paper and drew the image of Our Lord Jesus Christ, with Luther on the right hand and Calvin on the left.  Under the image of our Saviour, he wrote the words: 'This is My Body.' Under the figure of Calvin he wrote: 'This signifies My Body'; and under that of Luther: 'This becomes My Body in the moment that you eat it.'  Then handing the paper to the two disputants, he said: 'Which of these three is right, our Saviour, or Calvin, or Luther?'  They were struck at the force of the argument, and ceased to scoff at the Catholic doctrine."

Excerpt from The Blessed Eucharist: Our Greatest Treasure

by Fr Michael Muller, C.S.S.R. (pg 9)

First published 1868.  Reprinted 1973, 1994.

More fervant, more fruitful

And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.  God is love. 

Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.  In this way,

love is made complete among us ...There is no fear in love. 

But perfect love drives out fear ... I John 4: 16, 17a, 18a

 

Valerie Grays receives Holy Communion from Fr William Norvel, Sept 2011. (Marvin Joseph - The Post)

"Because each of our Communions ought not only to preserve but to increase charity in us, each Communion should be substantially more fervent and more fruitful than the preceding one; for each one, by increasing the love of God in us, ought to dispose us to receive our Lord on the following day with not only an equal but a superior fervor of will." 

Fr. Reginald Garrigou-LaGrange, O.P.