One Holy Communion worthily received suffices to detach the soul from this earth and inflame it with the love of God. So strive to receive Our Lord worthily. Have a pure heart. Your life will change for the better the more you believe in Our Lord - Truly Present in the Holy Eucharist - and the greater your desire to receive Him with increased love, devotion, faith and a willingness to follow Him whatever the cost.
Our Lady of Guadalupe's most precious words (1531) are remarkably similar to the words Pius IX employed for the ending of his infallible definition of the Immaculate Conception (1854). Her apparition and the dogma serve the same purpose. It's not coincidental that these two feasts closely follow one upon the other (Dec 8, Dec 12) - or that they celebrated during Advent. 2000 years ago Jesus came to Bethlehem, and then 500 years ago He came to the Americas: to bring light and salvation. Yet He does so through the powerful intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary. He has established His [...]
The same Jesus born in Bethlehem comes to us in Holy Communion. He is mystically born anew in every Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. And if He comes, it is for a purpose. He wants us to be prepared to welcome Him. Through Holy Communion, Jesus is born, develops and perfects Himself within us. Believing this - and acting in accordance with this belief - is central to our belief in Jesus Christ. If we love God and have faith in the Eucharist, then we must live so as to as to receive Him worthily and in a spirit of reparation [...]
True Faith in Jesus Christ means that we MUST receive Our Lord in Holy Communion - for He has commanded this! It is not just a faith of words or feeling, but the act of receiving the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ and conforming our life to this truth. If we truly believe, we must do our best to receive Him well; to fast, to prepare well and to thank Him abundantly. An excellent preparation is to renew your baptismal vows and make an Act of Fatih as our First Communicant does.
The priesthood has a higher dignity and honor than any other office in the world. Consider, God binds Himself to obey the words of an unworthy man as he says: 'Hoc Est Enim Corpus Meum." This mystery of Transubstantiation is difficult for many to accept. Yet Christ clearly stated one must eat His Flesh and Drink His Blood to have eternal life (Jn 6:55). God gives us faith to compensate for what our senses can not grasp. Moreover, in His mercy, He assists our faith with eucharistic miracles. Pray that He grant you a stronger faith and love for the Real [...]
In the Mystery of the Holy Eucharist, Our Savior Jesus Christ gives us the gift of Himself, so that every single time we approach this great Mystery, we are able to express our Faith in Him. We should tell Him, from the depths of our heart, that we love Him above all things and that we desire to possess Him in our soul. To strengthen your Eucharistic Faith: [1] See in the human priest of flesh and blood that Jesus Christ is always the Eternal High Priest at Mass. [2] Detach your heart from the things of this world. [3] Turn [...]
The mission of the Holy Ghost is to bring Christ's work of redemption to fulfillment. He brings to souls the grace merited by Our Savior in His Passion and Death. He judges the world as to wether one believes and accepts - or rejects - Christ. Just as our Lady cooperated uniquely with Christ in Redemption, so she cooperates uniquely with the Holy Ghost in His mission, particularly through her apparition at at Fatima. She comes to warn the world of sin and judgment. She also brings the grace of her Son in a beautiful and special way, through devotion to [...]
Our Savior gives us Himself in the Blessed Sacrament so that we may truly believe in Him. All the Easter Octave gospels emphasize that belief in Christ is centered upon the Holy Eucharist. Anyone who calls himself a Christian, but does not have this faith, is very confused. A conception of Christ without the Eucharist is terribly erroneous. Yet even those who profess this belief have a very weak and frail Eucharistic Faith. Has it been completely lost? Consider our lack of forgiveness, or our fear over sickness and death, or our willingness to believe the media and others to the [...]
All the Gospels of the Easter Octave clearly have in common Our Lord's call to faith. This is of great significance. Christ exhorts us to truly place our faith in His passion, death and resurrection. In fact, with two words we can easily summarize the Church's focus during the Easter Season: Baptism and Faith. By Baptism we die and rise with Christ. What overcomes the world is our faith. A great danger is for the world to contaminate, and thereby overcome, our faith. To fight against such danger, pray for a lively faith and a greater devotion to Holy Communion. Know [...]
St. John helps us to believe in - and live - Christmas. More than anyone else, he provides profound insight into the [1] Incarnation and [2] Holy Eucharist, both mysteries which are central to Christmas. These two mysteries each elicit from us a more profound faith. St. John shows that faith and adoration go together. He presents Christ as the light and life of the world. He teaches us what it means to truly believe and love. St. John gives us an example of perfect devotion to Our Blessed Mother and to the Sacred Heart. He calls us to remain faithful [...]
