A vision that leads...

So I gaze on you in the sanctuary 
to see your strength and your glory.  

For your love is better than life ... 

So I will bless you all my life...Psalm 63:2-4

“Video caelos apertos, St Stephen cried

as they stoned him:  ‘I see the heavens opened’. 

The elevation is the moment at which the eternal

is made manifest in time, in the ‘divine mystery’,

the moment of vision on the Mount of Vision. 

But we are not meant to think of the vision 

as something which, however precious and sublime,

is fugitive, impermanent:  
essentially it leads on to the moment of communion, 
and that in its turn points onward to the life 
that is to be led in the world when the Mass is over.”

Gerald Vann, O.P.

The Paradise Tree (pg 193)

The season is soon coming... of deeper... 
Prayer ~ Fasting ~ Almsgiving

"Therefore, do not lose by saving, but gather in by scattering.

Give to the poor, and you give to yourself. You will not be allowed to keep

what you have refused to give to others." - St Peter Chrysologus

Stained Glass:  Elevation of host.  Rothenburg, St Jakob (Bavaria).  Artist: Rafael Toussaint 
Photo: Operation Help the Homeless (LosAngeles ~ USA)

Ardent love compels...

 "I will go anywhere and do anything in order to communicate 

the love of Jesus to those who do not know Him 

or have forgotten Him."- St. Frances Xavier Cabrini

"The more ardent the love for the Eucharist in the hearts of the

Christian people, the more clearly will they recognize

the goal of all mission:  to bring Christ to others.

Not just a theory or a way of life inspired by Christ, but the gift

of His very Person.  Anyone who has not shared the Truth of love

with his brothers and sisters has not yet given enough."

Pope Benedict XVI

Open invitation...

"Of all devotions, that of adoring Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament

is the greatest after the sacraments, the one dearest to God and

the one most helpful to us.' - St Alphonsus Ligouri

"He makes it ever clearer to me

that He wants me to burn with love for Him

in devotion to the Blessed Sacrament. 

Every time I receive Him

I must feel renewed that longing

which stirs within me to live for Jesus only and

to obtain the grace of preservation from so many sins

which I should certainly commit

if He did not come to my help. 

How can I remain deaf to His invitation?"

Pope St John XXIII

Lent begins in a week's time. 
Be open to an invitation 
to daily Mass or daily Adoration...

Choosing one's paths...

"God dwells in our midst, in the Blessed Sacrament

of the altar.” – St Maximilian Kolbe

“When there are two roads

which will bring me to some place, I take the one

with more churches so as to be nearer the Blessed Sacrament.

When I see a place where my Jesus is,

I could not be happier, and I say, 
“You are here, my God and my All.”

Venerable J.J. Olier  (+1657)

Painting: Road to Church ~ Glenn Barclay

When more is more...

"The Mass is very long and tiresome 
unless you love God." - GK Chesterton 

"The goods of the soul are an end;

the goods of the body are for an end.

Hence concerning temporal goods

we ought to seek according to a measure,

but concerning the goods of the soul

we ought to seek as much as we can."

St Thomas Aquinas

Painting: "Celebrando la Santa Misa" ~ Girolano Romani


"Let us be greedy for graces."- Fr Joseph Johnson

Sharing in His Chalice...

This holy man fought to the death for the law of his God 
and did not fear the words of the godless, 
for he was built on solid rock.  (Today's Liturgy - Entrance Antiphon)

 Collect (Today's Liturgy)

God of all creation, who were pleased

to give the Bishop Saint Polycarp

a place in the company of the Martyrs,

grant, through his intercession,

that, sharing with him in the chalice of Christ,

we may rise through the Holy Spirit to eternal life.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever.

 St Polycarp of Smyrna

69-155 AD
Disciple of apostle St John

Friend of Ignatius of Antioch

Apostolic Father 

Bishop of Smyrna, Martyr

Exemplary in catechesis

Feast Day - February 23

Polycarp was denounced to the government, arrested, and tried on the charge of being a Christian. When the proconsul urged him to save his life by cursing Christ, he replied: “Eighty-six years I have served Him, and He never did me any wrong. How can I blaspheme my King who saved me?” 

Earlier, in a Letter to the Philippians...

“Stand fast, therefore, in this conduct and follow the example of the Lord, ‘firm and unchangeable in faith, lovers of the brotherhood, loving each other, united in truth,’ helping each other with the mildness of the Lord, despising no man.”

And wrote on another occasion...

“If we pray to the Lord to forgive us, we ourselves must be forgiving; we are all under the eyes of our Lord and God, and every one of us must stand before the judgment-seat of Christ, where each of us will have to give an account.”

Click here: St. Polycarp - YouTube (2 mins) 

Click here: Polycarp - YouTube (3:20 mins)

St Polycarp, pray for us!

Abiding in truth that liberates...

Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter the Apostle

February 22

The feast of the Chair of St Peter commemorates the teaching authority 

of the Vicar of Christ. The Catechism teaches that "it is this Magisterium's task 

to preserve God's people from deviations and defections and to guarantee 

them the objective possibility of professing the true faith without error" 

so that "the People of God abides in the truth that liberates" (CCC 890).

 

  Prayer over the Offerings

(Today's Liturgy)

Accept with favor, O Lord, we pray,

the prayers and offerings of your Church,

that, with Saint Peter as her shepherd,

she may come to an eternal inheritance,

for it is through his teaching

that she holds the faith in its integrity.

Through Christ our Lord.

      Communion Antiphon
      (Today's Liturgy - Cf. Mt 16:16, 18)

Peter said to Jesus:  You are the Christ,

the Son of the living God.

And Jesus replied:  You are Peter,

and upon this rock I will build my Church.

Prayer after Communion

(Today's Liturgy )

O God, who at our celebration

of the feast day of the blessed Apostle Peter

have nourished us by communion in the Body

    and Blood of Christ,

grant, we pray, that this redeeming exchange

may be for us a Sacrament of unity and peace.

Through Christ our Lord.

Click here: Chair of St. Peter - YouTube (2 mins)

Click here: Of Chairs and Peter | Crisis Magazine

"How blessed is the Church of Rome, on which the Apostles 
poured forth all their doctrine along with their blood!" - Tertullian 

Perugino 

"Perhaps it would be a good thing if every Christian,

certainly every priest, could dream once in his life that he were pope, 

and wake from the nightmare in a sweat of agony." - Msgr Ronald Knox

Driving out the beasts...

"We need ... to reemphasize the glories of the Cross and 
of our Crucified Redeemer, to reopen the fountains of mercy 
just when the devil would make us the victim of wrath... We must arouse 
them from their insensibility by reminding them that His Blood 
is offered up every morning upon the altars."- St Gaspar del Bufalo

On one occasion St Peter Damian wrote to a young nephew:

"If I may speak figuratively, drive out the 

roaring beasts from your domain; do not cease from protecting 

yourself daily by receiving the Flesh and Blood of the Lord.  

Let your secret foe see your lips 

reddened with the Blood of Christ. 

He will shudder, cower back, 

and flee to his dark, dank retreat."

St Peter Damian

Italy ~ 1007-1072
Benedictine monk, Cardinal-Bishop of Ostia
Reformer, Author - Liber Gomorrhianus (Book of Gomorrah)

Doctor of the Church

 MOTTO:  “Do not prefer anything to the love of Christ.”

Feast Day - February 21

 

“Do not be depressed. Do not let your weakness make you impatient. Instead, let the serenity of your spirit shine through your face. Let the joy of your mind burst forth. Let words of thanks break from your lips.” - St Peter Damian

Click here: St. Peter Damian - YouTube (2 mins)

Click here: Homily: St Peter Damian - YouTube (3:30 mins)

Click here: General Audience of Pope Benedict XVI, 9 September 2009 

(Address in re: St Peter Damian)

St Peter Damian, pray for us!

Behold...behold...behold...behold...Him! ...

 "Behold, the everlasting oblation!  Of such power it is, 
that in the whole world no other sacrifice 
remains but this." - St Vincent Ferrer

"Recall that at four important moments during the celebration 

of the Eucharist, the priest elevates the sacred Host and the 

Precious Blood of the Lord. The first moment is the elevation 

during the consecration. The second moment occurs when, at the 

conclusion of the Eucharistic prayer, the priest raises the 

Host and the chalice together just before the recitation of the Lord’s 

Prayer.  Then, before the distribution of Holy Communion, the priest 

presents the sacred Host and the Precious Blood to the 

entire congregation with the words “Behold the  Lamb of God….” 

And finally, in a more personal moment, each communicant is 

invited to behold and adore the sacred Host just before 

receiving the Bread of Life." - Archbishop Augustine Di Noia, OP

 

"At the elevation of the most holy Sacrament, we must strive to 

adore Him with all our heart, then to offer Him to God the 

Father for the remission of our sins and those of all the world, 

then to offer to Him ourselves and all the Church and 

all our relations and friends."- St Francis de Sales

"The whole life and passion of Christ is expressed in the Mass.  
So when the priest raises the sacred host and chalice, 
he represents how Christ was raised high upon the Cross.  
All must humble themselves and bend the knee when the body of Christ is raised up, for the true Christ who is in heaven is in the host."
 - St Vincent Ferrer 

 "For the elevation is done that all present may see and ask 
for whatever will profit unto salvation, according to the words: 
And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all things to 
Myself." - Durandus, Bishop of Mende (France)

"Behold the Sun of holy Church, that scatters the clouds

and renders heaven again serene!  Behold the heavenly Rainbow, 

pacifying the storms of divine justice!" - St Leonard

Jesus, foil my plans...

"Grace is the beginning of glory in us." 
- St Thomas Aquinas

"The purpose of the Eucharist is your conversion,  

your turning away from your own will so that it may 

gradually disappear in your service to others.

You go to Holy Communion to be converted,

to establish the reign of Christ in your heart from then on,

and for His will to become your supreme value.  Every reception

of the Eucharist should confirm your adherence to His will. 

Consequently, you should wish that Jesus would

foil your plans.  The Eucharist should prepare you for this;

it should contribute to the gradual demise of your egoism,

allowing Christ to grow within you.

Father Tadeusz Dajczer (+2009)

Polish priest and professor of theology in Warsaw

Co-Founder of the Families of Nazareth Movement

 Painting: Girl going to Church, Matthau Schiestl (+1939)