A thirst to evangelize

"Dear friends: the profound grace of your community comes

from Eucharistic adoration. From this adoration compassion is born

for all men, and from this compassion the thirst is born to evangelize. ...

I encourage you ... to deepen your spiritual life giving an essential place

to your personal encounter with Christ, the Emmanuel, God-with-us ...

In the Eucharist you find the source of all your commitments

in the following of Christ and in His adoration you purify your look on

the life of the world. ... A genuinely Eucharistic life is a missionary life.

In a world frequently disoriented and in search of new reasons to live,

the light of Christ must be taken to everyone. In the midst of the

men and women of today, be ardent missionaries of the Gospel,

supported by a life radically anchored in Christ!"

Pope Benedict XVI

Vatican City, 3 Feb 2011

Address to Emmanuel Community

Full text: www.zenit.org/article-31657?l=english

Listening

 

  

Blessed Elisabeth of the Trinity prayed:

"O Eternal Word, Word of my God, I want to spend my
life in listening to You, to become wholly teachable
that I may learn all from You. Then through all nights,
all voids, all helplessness, I want to gaze on You always
and remain in Your great light."

**********

We come to Holy Mass to hearken to the words of the Word, to be

wounded by them, to be espoused by them in such a way that,

as the one Body of Christ, we are drawn upward with our Divine Head

to the Father in the Holy Spirit. A listening Church will be one in

which Saint Paul's goal for the Corinthians is necessarily fulfilled:

"power to attend upon the Lord, without impediment" (1 Cor 7:35).  

 Fr M Kirby, o.Cist

 

Into our hearts...

  Feast of the Presentation of the Lord

February  2

 Today the Church celebrates the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple at Jerusalem.

In that same spirit, we present ourselves today to the Lord, especially in the Mass.

Present yourself to Jesus today. Receive His life-giving light and love.

Giotto

“Simeon gave back Jesus to His Mother,

he was only suffered to keep

Him for one moment.

But we are far happier than Simeon.

We may keep Him always if we will.

In Communion He comes not only

into our arms but into our hearts.”

St John Vianney

 

The Feast of the Presentation of the Lord is also known as Candlemas Day,

since the blessing and procession of candles is included in today's liturgy.  

“Christ Himself says, ‘I am the light of the world.’ And we are the light,

we ourselves, if we receive it from Him.... But how do we receive it,

how do we make it shine? ... The candle tells us: by burning, and being consumed in the burning.  A spark of fire, a ray of love, an inevitable immolation are celebrated over that pure, straight candle, as, pouring

forth its gift of light, it exhausts itself in silent sacrifice” (Pope Paul VI).

Lesson without words...

"...Christ in you, the hope of glory."  Colossians 1:27b 

"One day a man left the church immediately

after receiving Holy Communion.  Saint Philip Neri,

who was celebrating the Mass, sent two altar boys

with lighted candles to accompany him!"

From Holy Eucharist - Hidden Godhead

 

Frequency = Fortification

"What a great truth I tell you

at this moment!

Frequent Communion

is the great pillar

which upholds the moral

and material world so that

it might not collapse into ruin."

St John Bosco

Priest, Educator, Founder of Salesian Society

"Father and Teacher of Youth"

 Italy ~ Aug 16, 1815 - Jan 31, 1888

FEAST DAY - January 31

"Willingly suffer a bit for God

Who suffered so much for you."~ St John Bosco

Ste John Bosco, ora pro nobis!

Venerable Mama Margaret is the beloved and holy mother of St John Bosco.

The sanctity and holiness of St John Bosco was first nurtured

by a mother's prayer, a mother's example.  From Mama Margaret to her son:

"When you came into the world I consecrated you to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
When you began your studies, I inculcated this devotion in you. Now I want you to
belong totally to her. Make your companions those who are devoted to Mary;

and if you reach ordination, never cease to inculcate and spread this devotion."


"I have nothing to say regarding your vocation, except that you should do what God

inspires you to do. Do not be concerned on my behalf. You owe me nothing. Never forget

that I was born in poor circumstances, have lived in poverty all my life; and I am happy

to die poor; and I say this seriously to you: if you ever become wealthy, I shall never

set foot on your doorstep."


"Dear John, you have taken the priestly habit and I am as happy as any mother could be.

But never forget that it is not the habit that matters, but the effort to progress in virtue.

If you ever come to have doubts about your vocation, be sure you never dishonor that

priestly garb. Put it aside immediately. I would rather a poor peasant son than a priest

who neglected his sacred calling".

"John, you are now a priest; you will be saying Mass; so from henceforth you will be

closer to Jesus. Remember that to begin to celebrate Mass means also to begin to suffer.

You will not realize this immediately, but little by little you will see that what your

mother has told you is the truth."