Adoration and Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament

What Happens When You Fall in Love

"All of us, gazing on the Lord's glory with unveiled faces, are being transformed from glory to glory into His very image by the Lord Who is the Spirit." —2 Corinthians 3:18

Jesus promised to be with us always even to the end of the world (Mt 28:20). At the Last Supper, He said: "This is My body," "This is My blood" (Mk 14:22, 24), and "Do this as a remembrance of Me" (Lk 22:19). After receiving the Holy Spirit, the early Church began to realize what Jesus did at the Last Supper, and they "devoted themselves" to "the breaking of bread," that is, Mass and Communion (Acts 2:42).

The Holy Spirit will give us a desire, as He did in the early Church, to receive Jesus every day in Holy Communion. However, that will not be sufficient, and we will wish for communion to last longer. Because of this desire, to prolong communion, the Spirit led the Church to extend communion by adoration and exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. The Church teaches that the faithful must be given the opportunity to "easily, fruitfully, and constantly honor the Lord, present in the sacrament, through personal worship" (Holy Communion and Worship of the Eucharist Outside of Mass, 9). "To visit the Blessed Sacrament is...a proof of gratitude, an expression of love, and a duty of adoration toward Christ our Lord" (Pope Paul VI, Mysterium Fidei, 66) (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1418). We are encouraged to make visits to church, spend time in adoration, and celebrate benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.

Although the Church strongly encourages eucharistic adoration and exposition, in many places churches are largely deserted; "40 Hours" is diminishing; and benediction of the Blessed Sacrament is rare. How can we restore adoration and exposition of the Blessed Sacrament?

(1) Fall in love with Jesus.

(2) Let the Spirit fill you with a desire for "the breaking of bread."

(3) Invite others to daily Mass.

(4) Talk to your pastor about beginning a holy hour, a day of prayer, or a daily schedule of adoration and exposition of the Blessed Sacrament.

The key to restoring adoration and exposition is to renew a number of people in their relationship with the Lord and fill them with the power of the Holy Spirit. Adoration and exposition of the Blessed Sacrament both depends on and furthers authentic renewal. Pope John Paul II teaches: "The encouragement and the deepening of eucharistic worship are proofs of that authentic renewal which the Council set itself as an aim and of which they are the central point" (On the Mystery and Worship of the Eucharist, 9).

After the Lord has brought about renewal in the hearts of a few people, we should propose to our pastor a weekly time of exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. If he is not open to this, we should propose exposition on a trial basis. If he is still not open, we should pray, put it in the hands of God, and not be upset with the pastor. Many pastors will be open to exposition of the Blessed Sacrament if they see there are a few people interested. Furthermore, a priest does not have to be present, since an extraordinary eucharistic minister can begin and conclude exposition.

In conclusion, "the Church and the world have a great need of eucharistic worship. Jesus waits for us in this sacrament of love. Let us be generous with our time in going to meet Him in adoration and in contemplation that is full of faith and ready to make reparation for the great faults and crimes of the world. May our adoration never cease" (Pope John Paul II, On the Mystery and Worship of the Eucharist, 3).

Nihil obstat: Reverend Robert L. Hagedorn, May 25, 1996

Imprimatur: † Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, May 29, 1996

The Nihil obstat and Imprimatur are a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be free from doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have granted the Nihil obstatImprimatur agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed. and

Ten Commandments of Intercession

Intercession may be the ultimate ministry in God's plan of salvation. Jesus forever lives to make intercession for us (Heb 7:25). He lived a simple life in Nazareth for thirty years and had a public ministry for three years. And now He has been interceding for us for almost two thousand years. That may tell us something of the inestimable importance of intercession.

The Church teaches that the intercession of the saints in heaven is "their most exalted service to God's plan" (Catechism of the Catholic Church [CCC], 2683) — no matter how great was their work on earth. St. Dominic taught on his death bed: "Do not weep, for I shall be more useful to you after my death and I shall help you then more effectively than during my life" (CCC, 956).

One of many kinds of prayer is the prayer of petition. Intercession is a form of petition (CCC, 2634). It is petitioning God in the place of another person (see Ez 22:30, 13:5; Ps 106:23; CCC, 2741). Intercession implies that a person is unable or unwilling to petition God on his own behalf (Rm 8:26) and that the Lord sometimes permits us to substitute for others in prayer. Because God has given us authority (Gn 1:28) that He will not usurp, and because He will not usually impose His blessings on us, intercession makes a great difference. We don't receive because we don't ask (Jas 4:3). Intercession often is the difference between life and death, war and peace, healing or sickness, success or failure.

Protestants, Catholics, evangelicals, and charismatics all agree that intercession is God's urgent call to His people at this moment in history. Some maintain that Jesus' mother Mary has been repeatedly sent during this century to encourage us to intercede. We may be on the threshold of a golden age of intercession. Let us intercede to the maximum.

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS OF INTERCESSION

1. "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy strength" (Dt 6:5, our translation).
2. Thou shalt have God choose each member of an intercessory prayer group.
3. Thou shalt not intercede without first hearing God.
4. Thou shalt be as specific as possible.
5. Thou shalt have expectant faith.
6. Thou shalt love thy enemies.
7. Thou shalt expect spiritual warfare.
8. Thou shalt commit thyself to intercede for a set period of time.
9. Thou shalt change thy life-style.
10. Thou shalt not be too rigid about some of these guidelines.

Continue reading...

INTERCESSORY PRAYER & DEVOTION

CfC CELEBRITY NIGHT

"MINISTERS OF RECONCILIATION"

The Lord calls us to both forgive and to lead others to forgive. We must be ministers of reconciliation (2 Cor 5:18). The following fourteen questions can be used as a tool by which we can call others to forgive everyone immediately for every sin committed against them.

1. What is forgiveness?

Forgiveness is our decision to accept God's grace to let go of resentments due to sins committed against us and to express this by acts of mercy and love toward the offender (see Lk 15:20-24).

2. How often must I forgive?

70 x 7, that is, indefinitely, always (see Mt 18:22).

3. Are there any sins which I don't have to forgive?

No, the Lord calls us to forgive all sins — even rape, murder, abuse, adultery, etc.

4. When I forgive, am I condoning sin?

No, the Lord forgives all our sins and condones none of them (see Jn 8:11).

5. Must I forgive if the person offending me isn't sorry?

Yes, for-giveness is before-giveness — to give pardon before you are asked forgiveness or even if never asked forgiveness.

6. Must I forgive if a person continues to hurt me?

Yes, while hanging on the cross Jesus forgave His enemies while they continued to spit at Him and blaspheme Him (see Lk 23:34-35).

7. If I forgive a person, do I stay in an abusive situation?

No, you free yourself to obey God and remove yourself from an abusive situation until it is changed.

8. How do I forgive?

None of us can forgive by our own power. "To err is human, to forgive divine," and we are not divine. However, the Lord promised us His divine power to forgive. Therefore, forgiveness is our decision to accept God's grace to forgive.

9. What if I don't want to forgive?

We should pray to realize how much the Lord has forgiven us. Then by God's grace we must decide to accept the grace to pass on to others the forgiveness given to us.

10. How fast must I forgive?

Immediately (Mt 5:25). We're in a self-made jail and at a stand-still in our relationship with God until we forgive.

11. What if I forgive and not forget?

Forgetting sins committed against us is not to have amnesia. Rather, to forget sins means that there is no special sting in us when we remember sins committed against us. If it hurts us to remember these sins, either we need healing or have not truly forgiven.

12. How do I forgive myself?

Not forgiving ourselves is a symptom which will take care of itself if we truly forgive others and receive prayers for healing.

13. What if I don't forgive?

a. We "give the devil a chance to work on" us (see Eph 4:27).

b. We are handed over to the torturers (Mt 18:34). These torturers are such things as fear, loneliness, depression, frustration, anxiety, and self-hatred.

c. We cut ourselves off from receiving forgiveness (Mt 6:12, 15), healing (Sir 28:3), prayer (Mk 11:25), and worship (Mt 5:23-24).

d. If we persist in unforgiveness, we cut ourselves off from God forever and thereby damn ourselves.

14. How do I know if I have forgiven?

Forgiveness is not a feeling but a decision. Moreover, forgiveness is not only praying for those who have hurt us or treating them politely. We know that we have made the decision to forgive when we show it in acts of love and mercy to those who have sinned against us. For example, the father of the prodigal son threw his arms around his son, kissed him, gave him gifts, honored him, and celebrated his return (Lk 15:20-24). By God's grace, we must go and do likewise.

The Right Use of the Tongue

Word of God (#4)
The Right Use of the Tongue

Fr. Al Lauer
Tape SP4, Track 14 (4:00)

Try the WMP or QuickTime player if this one does not work. Download MP3 File (0.97 MB)

LOVE AND TRUTH

Pope Benedict XVI, Shepherd of Truth

Notable quotations from Pope Benedict XVI and official
teachings of the Roman Catholic Church

"PRINCIPAL DRIVING FORCE"

Charity in truth, to which Jesus Christ bore witness by His earthly life and especially by His death and resurrection, is the principal driving force behind the authentic development of every person and of all humanity. (1)

"TRUE LIFE"

The search for love and truth is purified and liberated by Jesus Christ from the impoverishment that our humanity brings to it, and He reveals to us in all its fullness the initiative of love and the plan for true life that God has prepared for us. (1)

JESUS IS THE TRUTH

In Christ, charity in truth becomes the Face of His Person, a vocation to love our brothers and sisters in the truth of His plan. Indeed, He Himself is the Truth... (1)

"AT THE HEART"

Charity is at the heart of the Church's social doctrine. Every responsibility and every commitment spelt out by that doctrine is derived from charity which, according to the teachings of Jesus, is the synthesis of the entire law. (cf. Mt 22:36-40) (2)

TRUTH AND CHARITY

Truth needs to be sought, found, and expressed within the "economy" of charity, but charity in its turn needs to be understood, confirmed and practiced in the light of truth In this way, ...we do service to charity, enlightened by truth, but we also help give credibility to truth, demonstrating its persuasive and authenticating power in the practical setting of social living. (2)

"MEANING AND VALUE"

Only in truth does charity shine forth, only in truth can charity be authentically lived. Truth is the light that gives meaning and value to charity. (3)

LIBERATION POWER

Truth preserves and expresses charity's power to liberate in the ever-changing events of history. (5)

"A GREAT CHALLENGE"

Love in truth ... is a great challenge for the Church in a world that is becoming progressively and pervasively globalized. The risk for our time is that the de facto interdependence of people and nations is not matched by ethical interaction of consciences and minds that would give rise to truly human development. Only in charity, illumined by the light of reason and faith, is it possible to pursue development goals that possess of more humane and humanizing value. (9)

(Source: Encyclical Caritas in veritate, dated June 29, 2009)

THE CHURCH AND MISSION

Pope Benedict XVI, Shepherd of Truth

Notable quotations from Pope Benedict XVI and official
teachings of the Roman Catholic Church

"DEEPER AWARENESS"

I turn ... to you ... to encourage in each one of you a deeper awareness of Christ's missionary mandate to "make disciples of all peoples" (Mt 28:19) in the footsteps of St. Paul.

"THE LIGHT OF THE GOSPEL"

The goal of the Church's mission is to illumine all peoples with the light of the Gospel as they journey through history towards God, so that in Him they may reach their full potential and fulfillment.

"A PRIMARY AND UNAVOIDABLE DUTY"

Proclamation of the Gospel must be for all of us, as it was for the Apostle Paul, a primary and unavoidable duty.

"TRANSFORM THE WORLD"

The Church wishes to transform the world through the proclamation of the Gospel of love, "that can always illuminate a world grown dim and give us the courage needed to keep living and working ... and in this way .... cause the light of God to enter into the world" (Deus Caritas Est, 39)

RENEWED COMMITMENT

The mission of the Church ... is to call all peoples to the salvation accomplished by God through His incarnate Son. It is therefore necessary to renew our commitment to proclaiming the Gospel, which is a leaven of freedom and progress, brotherhood, unity and peace.

"EVER MORE URGENT"

I would "confirm once more that the task of evangelizing all people constitutes the essential mission of the Church" (Evangelii Nuntiandi, 14), a duty and a mission which the widespread and profound changes in present- day society render ever more urgent. At stake is the eternal salvation of persons, the goal and fulfillment of human history and the universe.

PRAY TO THE HOLY SPIRIT

I ... ask all Catholics to pray to the Holy Spirit for an increase in the Church's passion for her mission to spread the Kingdom of God and to support missionaries and Christian communities involved in mission, in the front line, often in situations of hostility and persecution.

BE A WINNER, NOT A LOSER

By Rogie Lee

At work and even in life, we must be winners – winners in our own right. To know where we belong, let’s examine which of the following applies to our own perspective in life and what virtues we should develop to become effective persons.

Some differences between winners and losers:

1. A winner makes a mistake and says “I was wrong.” A loser says “it wasn’t my fault.” (Virtue to develop Admission of Guilt)

2. A winner works harder than a loser and has more time. A loser is always “too busy” – too busy staying a failure. (Virtue to develop: Being Industrious or Hardworking)

3. A winner goes through a problem and a loser goes around it. (Virtue to develop: Taking up a Challenge)

4. A winner shows he’s sorry by making up for it. A loser says he sorry but does the same thing next time.(Virtue to develop: Sincerity)

5. A winner knows what to fight for and what to compromise on. A loser compromises on what he should not and fight for what isn’t worth fighting for. (Virtue to develop: Proper beliefs and principles)

6. A winner says “I’m good, but not as good as I ought to be.” A loser says “well, I’m not as bad as a lot of other people.” A winner looks up to where he is going. A loser looks down on those who have not yet reached his position.(Virtue to develop: Humility)

7. A winner respects his superiors and tries to learn from them. A loser resents them and tries to find fault.(Virtue to develop: Respect for Superiors)

8. A winner is responsible for more than his job. A loser says “I only work here.” (Virtue to develop: Commitment & Concern)

9. A winner says “There ought to be a better way of doing it.” A loser says “Why change it? That’s the way its always been done.”

If you have all these positive traits, Congratulations! If not, don’t lose hope. There is always time to change. A true winner is always ready to change for the better!

TALK TO GOD!

PRAYER

Talk to God.

Just let Jesus pray in you.

To be able to pray

we need silence -

because God speaks to us in the silence of the heart,
and we reply from the fullness of the heart.
God speaking in the silence of our heart,
we replying in the fullness of our heart--
these two together make prayer.

The fruit of prayer is always deepening of Faith,
and Faith cannot exist by itself
it has to transform itself into love.

Love completes Faith.

Faith completes love,

When we really love,

we naturally want to love others
and that loving others is our love for God in action.

That is why prayer is so important,
even for my own Sisters and our way of life.
To be able to live a life of complete belonging to Christ,
we need that continual oneness with Christ,

in order to go on putting our love for Christ into action

through the service of the poorest of the poor.

Everything begins with prayer

spending a little time on our knees...

If all the world's rulers and leaders

would spend a little time on their knees before God,

I believe we would have a better world.

If all the world's families would spend a little time together in prayer,

I believe we would have peace in the world.

Just as love begins at home,

so peace begins at home when a family is united through prayer.

So talk to God,

let Jesus pray in you...

and if you really belong totally to Him,

in whatever kind of life He has put you,

if you just let Him pray in you live

His life in you then that oneness with Christ is prayer.

Prayer means talking to God.

He is my Father.

Jesus is my all.

- Mother Teresa of Calcutta

WOW TALAGA!

WOMEN EMPOWERMENT

JAIME's ANGELS

BATCH 2
Training and Practicum

FAMILY CATECHISM

Pope Benedict XVI said...

“Christian parents are still called to give a credible witness of their Christian faith and hope. They need to ensure that God’s call and the good news of Christ will reach their children with the utmost clarity and authenticity.”

IHS - DECEMBER 2009

IN HIS STEPS

DECEMBER

FIND

“You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.”

Thus did the angel tell the shepherds of Bethlehem, on the first Christmas night. From there, they hurried and found Joseph and Mary and the child Jesus. So too, by a star, wise men from the East found Christ in a stable.

In this season of joy, celebrating God’s sending of His Son to save the world, let us sincerely search for the Lord in our prayer, thanking Him for a most wonderful gift in his only begotten Son, Who will redeem the world.

In this season of love, recalling initiative to show forgiveness for our sins and concern that we again walk in His grace, let us sincerely search for the Lord in our relationships, extending His forgiveness and compassion to all those He sends us to love and care for, unconditionally, not looking at repayment, the return of a favor, or a future investment, but simply to do God’s will joyfully.

In this season of giving, remembering God’s own selfless act in allowing His Son to be man in His Godship, let us sincerely search for the Lord in our merry-making, sharing His lively, joyful and fulfilling presence with all we encounter, in this holy time of Christmas.

We pray that like the poor shepherds and the wise men, we too find Jesus and behold His transforming power in our lives.

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