Liturgy: above all, adoration ...

Praise be to the LORD... the LORD is my strength and my shield;

my heart trusts in him, and I am helped.  My heart leaps for joy,

and I will give thanks to him in song. - Psalm 28:7

 

"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

 

"All the evils in the world are due to

lukewarm Catholics." ~ St Pius V

St Pius V, pray for us!

   

More on St Pius V: 
Click here: St. Pius V - YouTube (2 mins)

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 its 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...

  "Love does not stay idle."

- St Catherine of Siena, Letter T82

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
Reformer, mystic, writer
Third Order Dominican
Incorrupt
FEAST DAY - April 29

  

“Be who God meant you to be and 
you will set the world on fire." ~ St Catherine of Siena

"Proclaim the truth and 
do not be silent through fear." ~ St Catherine of Siena

 "I treasure your knowing how to
give the world a kick." ~  St Catherine of Siena

Click here: St. Catherine of Siena - YouTube (2 mins)
Click here: St. Catherine of Siena - YouTube (3:23 mins) 
Click here: Quotes Catherine of Siena

St Catherine of Siena, pray for us!

This is the Way... walk in it...

"When we work hard, we must eat well.

What a joy, that you can receive Holy Communion often!

It’s our life and support in this life.  Receive Communion often, and 

Jesus will change you into Himself." - St Peter Julian Eymard

 

Eucharistic thoughts from three

'family members' on their FEAST DAY today...

St Louis de Montfort used to remain after Holy Mass for thanksgiving

at least a half hour, and he would not permit any need or assignment

to serve as a reason for omitting it.  He said, 

 "I would not give up this hour of thanksgiving

even for an hour of Paradise." 

St Louis de Montfort

France ~ 1673-1716

Priest, Marian devotee

Author: Secret of Mary, True Devotion to Mary

Founder ~ Sisters of Divine Wisdom

FEAST DAY - April 28

Click here: St. Louis de Montfort - YouTube (2 mins)

 

'She (Mother Mary) is an echo of God, speaking and repeating only God.

If you say "Mary" she says 'God'." ~ St Louis de Montfort

St Louis de Montfort, pray for us!   

"Our body is a cenacle,

a monstrance:

through its crystal the world should see God."

St Gianna Beretta Molla

Wife, Mother, Doctor, Martyr

Italy (1922-1962)

FEAST DAY - April 28

Click here: St. Gianna Beretta Molla - YouTube (5 mins)

 

“The life of Mamma was an act and a perennial action of faith and charity; it was a non-stop search for the will of God for every decision and for every work, with prayer and meditation, Holy Mass and the Eucharist,” explained St. Gianna’s husband to their children after her death.

St Gianna Molla, pray for us!

 When called upon to justify his conversion, 
one of Chanel's catechumens had said of him,

"He loves us. He does what he teaches.
He forgives his enemies. His teaching is good."

St Peter Chanel

Nee France ~ 1803-1841

Priest, Missionary, Protomartyr of Oceania

  Within two years after his death,

the whole island became Catholic and has remained so.

FEAST DAY - April 28

Click here: Saint Peter Chanel 04-28 - YouTube (1:20 mins)

   

   

"No one is a martyr for a conclusion, no one is a martyr for an opinion;

it is faith that makes martyrs."  ~ Bl John Cardinal Newman

St Peter Chanel, pray for us!

Consecrating the routine...

"Our life must reach out toward the Infinite,

and from that source we must draw whatever we can expect

of merit and dignity." - Bl Contardo Ferrini

 

"Then the sacred moment arrives when we receive our Lord

and are united with Him.  The moment itself is fleeting;

it takes just a quick swallow, a short turn, and we walk back to our seats.

 

To transform this ordinary routine... At the moment

of communion, we could use some mental or vocal aspiration

such as that of St Francis de Sales: 

Who am I, Lord, and who are you?

or perhaps that of St Elizabeth:

Where does this blessing come from -

that my Lord should come to me? (Luke 1:43)

or that of St John the Evangelist:

Yes, come, Lord Jesus. (Rev 22:20)

...the actual thought or saying can be anything that helps us

to focus on the moment immediately before us."

Fr Thomas F Dailey, O.S.F.S.

Excerpt from book: Live Today Well,

St Francis de Sales's Simple Approach to Holiness (2015)

As the soul gazes at Jesus...

"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 towards 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' (II 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 live! ...

"Live on Him

that you may live for Him."
St John Vianney

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 the Evangelist

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

Image above: Last Supper,Victor Nesterenko

 Go out into the whole world and 

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

  

Click here: St Mark - YouTube (2 mins)

Click here: Feast of St. Mark, evangelist - Catholic Culture

Prayer over the Offerings (Today's Liturgy)

As we venerate the glory of Saint Mark,

we offer you, Lord, the sacrifice of praise

and humbly beseech you,

that your Church may always persevere

in the preaching of the Gospel.

Through Christ our Lord.

Basilica San Marco ~ Venice, Italy
Contains the reliquary of St Mark's body

Click here: Saint Mark's Basilica, Venice, begun 1063 - YouTube  (5 mins)

St Mark the Evangelist, pray for us!

Grace is dropping down...

"To receive the grace of God into our own hearts,

they must be void of our own glory." - Fr William Doyle

"As regards prayer, you should try to follow the attraction

of the Holy Spirit, for all souls are not led by the same path.

It would not be well to spend all the time in vocal prayer,

there should be some meditation, thought or contemplation.

Try 'basking in the sun of God’s love,' that is, quietly kneeling 
before the Tabernacle, as you would sit enjoying the warm sunshine,

not trying to do anything, except love Him;

but realizing that, during all the time you are at His feet,

more especially when dry and cold, grace is dropping down

upon your soul and you are growing fast in holiness."

Fr William Doyle (+1917)
Click here: Remembering Fr William Doyle SJ

Photo image: St Peter Catholic Church in St Charles, Missouri ~ USA

Pure Christianity...

"When you ask a child what the figure of the priest evokes for him, 
he will answer 'Jesus' or 'the Mass'. ... the children have gone straight 
to the very core of the question. ... A man who is anointed as a priest has the 
quite divine power of bringing Christ into the world to enact that unique 
and true sacrifice which honours God and saves the world."

Canon Tancrede Guillard 
(Excerpt from The Catholic Priest, Image of Christ by Steen Heidemann)

"O priest, I need you to glorify the Father...  

Give me the Son and He will be enough! 

... Priests are the arms of the Church, always raised to sacrifice 

and offer; and the entire Church must unceasingly be united with them 

 and offer sacrifice through their consecrated hands...

The union at the altar,the union with the Sacrifice, 

this identification of an entire life with the Lord's ministers so that 

they might celebrate more worthily, is pure Christianity. 

It is a sublime calling—to help priests, to dedicate oneself for them. .... 

I send my Good Angel to assist all priests 

at the holy Altar. I send him to place my soul on every paten, 

to be offered there with Jesus Christ sacrificed."

Excerpts from writings of August 14, 1872...

Bl. Marie de Jésus Deluil-Martiny (1884+)

Follow it, follow Him...

"There is nothing so great as the Eucharist. If God had something more precious, He would have given it to us." - St. John Vianney

"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

...that my JOY may be full ...

  "No one will have any other desire in heaven than what God wills;

and the desire of one will be the desire of all;
and the desire of all and of each one
will also be the desire of God." - St. Anselm, Letter 112

"I adore and venerate You as much as ever I can,

though my love is so cold, my devotion so poor.

Thank You for the good gift of this

Your holy Body and Blood, which I desire to receive...

that which You promised through Your truth,
that my joy may be full…"

St. Anselm

nee Italy ~ 1033-1109

Archbishop of Canterbury

Benedictine monk, theologian, philosopher

"Father of Scholasticism"

Doctor of the Church

FEAST DAY - April 21

"O God our God, grant us grace to desire you with a whole heart,

so that desiring you we may seek and find you;

and so finding you, may love you;

and loving you may hate those sins which separate us from you,

for the sake of Jesus Christ." ~ St Anselm

 

"From the moment of her fiat 

Mary began to carry all of us in her womb." ~ St Anselm

Click here: St. Anselm - YouTube

Image above: Annunciation ~ Andrea del Sarto

St Anselm, pray for us!