Saturday 8 February 2020

Meditate on God’s presence after communion

February 15-16 2020
5th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Parish Marian Year

Do you stop to realize that the God of the universe is inside you at communion?

 

Often the familiarity with attending Mass and receiving holy communion can make us indifferent to what is truly happen-ing.
As Catholics, we believe that Jesus Himself is present in the Eucharist in a unique way. His entire body, blood, soul and divinity is there in the consecrated host and when we receive communion, we are receiving the God of the universe into our hearts.

 

Do we ever stop to meditate on that profound truth?
Mother Mary Loyola in her book, Welcome! Holy Communion, provides a brief meditation on this reality that can help awaken in us an awe at what is happening at Mass. Sometimes we need a little "poke" to see the divine mysteries that occur and to un-derstand who is coming inside us at communion.

How near I am now, nay, how closely united I am now, to the Source of all good. I cross my hands upon my breast and know that, folded there, is all good.

And He is here to share with me, like a true lover, all that He has and is. Within my breast is:

All His Omnipotence to protect me—"Thou shalt know that the Lord thy God is a strong and faithful God" (Deut. vii.).


All His Wisdom to guide me—"Abide thou with Me, tear not" (i Kings xxii.).

All His loving-kindness to help me—" I will not leave thee nor forsake thee" (Jos. i.).

All His charity to warm me—" Our God is a consuming fire" (Heb. xii.).

All His zeal to enkindle mine, for "The charity of Christ presseth us" (2 Cor. v.).

All His treasures to enrich me, for "He that spared not even His own Son…how hath He not also with Him given us all things!" (Rom. viii.).


All His merits to plead for me—"Ever living to make inter-cession for us" (Heb. vii.).

How near to me is all this in the supremely precious mo-ments after Communion! Not at my door, not within my reach, but absolutely within my breast. Open, then, Thy hand to me, O Lord, and fill Thy needy creature with benediction by filling it with Thyself.

Philip Kosloski , Aleteia, Jan 23, 2020

************************************************


Jesus to a Benedictine monk, In Sinu Jesu, p 106: "It is in these few precious moments after Holy Communion that My Heart seeks to hold conversation with My friends, but so many turn away from Me to busy themselves about many things. Of you, My friend, I ask something more. Re-main with Me for these few moments. Listen for the sound of My voice in your heart. Know that My desire is to speak to you and to listen to all that you have to tell Me. It is in these moments that I am most disposed to grant the re-quests made of Me in faith." (Friday March 13, 2009)
 
********************************************


A prayer to the Holy Family of Nazareth to bring love to your own family
Heavenly Father, we ask You to bless our family.
Open our hearts to receive Your love. May our home be another Nazareth,
so that our family may be a place where Your peace and love abides.
Open our eyes to recognize the gift and beauty of life,
so that we may find joy in Your presence among us.
Grant us pure hearts seeking holiness, generous hearts full of Your love,
merciful hearts ready to forgive and tender hearts full of kindness.
May our family be a sanctuary of life and love,
a beacon of hope
drawing others to your Son, Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, Holy Family of Nazareth, pray for us.
 
*****************************************
Some 2020 anniversaries:
 
January 1880: 140th anniversary of OLR Primary School

May 3 1820: 200th anniversary of arrival of Fr John Therry, Fr Philip Conolly.

200th anniversary of Catholic education in Australia.

May 8/Sept 2 1945: 75th anniversary of end of World War II.

December 8 1870: 150th anniversary of Pope Pius IX declaration of St Joseph as Patron of the Universal Church.



********************************************