Going to the Chapel......

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Last Sunday, when I was walking home from church, there was a family with young children walking beside me. The Mother asked the boy, who looked to be about 7, how he liked going to church. He said, “well, we went there once before.” The Mother responded, “yes, but today we went for real. “ It made me sad to hear the brief conversation. Of course, it may have been continued out of my earshot, but I don’t think that it was.  I really, truly, hope that the last time they were there wasn’t for his Christening and that now he is preparing for his First Communion, but sadly that is the case with many families.

The reality is that many families do just that and I personally think that they are not only short-changing their children but that they are also short-changing themselves. They christen their children and then don’t come back to church again until it is time for the child to receive First Communion, which is perplexing to me, but I won’t get into that. Faith building and religious instruction should be from birth, through life. Not just when you need it to make a sacrament.

Original work of art by Jean Keaton

When I went to grade school we were not only taught the Catechism but we also went to Confession and Mass on the first Fridays of the month. We started each school day with a prayer (and the Pledge of Allegiance) and a blessing. I was a good little girl, for the most part, and even taught religious instruction when I was in the 7^th and 8^th grades, to the 1st graders. Even though I knew all of the teachings of the church, I still struggled with them when I got older and had to re-educate myself on my faith, which I did when I was in my late 30’s. It wasn’t until then that my eyes were opened and I began to truly live my faith and understand the doctrines that I had learned from such an early age.  The thing is, though, that I had a very good basis and understanding of the faith and even I struggled. Is it possible to provide a good, solid, religious instruction to your child if they go to a public school and only attend religious instruction once a week? Of course it is.

I will admit, I did a terrible job of it, but I did at least get Tom to church every week and to religious instruction until he was about 12. His first 6 years of life were steeped in it too from us living with my parents and from our full-time baby sitters, Betty and Bob (God bless them both). He didn’t get confirmed but that blame lies squarely on my shoulders. I could make a whole bunch of excuses about it from my Mom dying, to our Pastor telling him that he didn’t have to come to church to pray for his Grandma, but the fact is I didn’t want to drag him there because we did have a battle royal every Sunday after that Pastor made that stupid remark. I caved because I freaking hated screaming and yelling and then sitting in church boiling over; that was just ridiculous. So on Sunday mornings, Tom would pop out of bed and go to our friend’s house up the street where, as he put it, everyone slept late and ate bagels for breakfast and I went to church to fulfill my obligation and nothing more. Even though I was lacking in my parenting skills when it came to religious instruction I do know quite a few families that now have adult children that continue in their parent’s footsteps, which is refreshing to see in this day and age.  Even Tom has made his peace with God and visits the chapel with me once in a while.

I guess what I am trying to say is two things. It’s never too late to find Jesus in the scriptures and to embrace Him. I’ve written about my own reversion to Him through the Rosary on here. Prayer will lead you to Him; reading the Bible will too. Ask for His help and guidance. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your eyes, ears and heart to the scriptures as He is the one that increases our faith and hope.

Glory be to the Father who created me.

Glory be to the Son who redeemed me.

Glory be to the Holy Spirit who sanctifies me.

Read the Catechism regardless if you are a Catholic or not. Either way it will strengthen you in faith, hope and charity and thus, prepare you to teach your children well. Share it with your children. The other point I'm trying to make is to make your faith a huge part of your family life from the womb to the tomb. Pray with your children. Read the Bible with your children. Attend Mass and services regularly with your children, as a family. Receive the Sacraments as a family. Do the same with your grandchildren, if you are able. Let go of the material things in this world, which are fleeting and immaterial in the long run, and embrace the spiritual.  Your child needs to know that not only are you always there for him/her, God is ALWAYS there for them too. As Jesus taught us in the parables of the mustard seed and the fruits of the vine, faith in God is something that needs to be planted, but it also needs to be nurtured to grow throughout life. Not only the child, but the adult needs to continue to change and grow with the ever changing tides of life and a strong faith will give them the tools to make it through all those periods of life. Never stop nurturing that faith, through continuous learning and prayer, and your faith will never fail you when it is needed most. That's why it is so important to nurture our children during the formative years. Otherwise, just like the untended grapes on a vine, that faith will wither up and cease to exist.

As a grown up I know that when I was younger that I rarely listened to others' opinions and suggestions, but I do hope that in some small way my own shortcomings may help someone else. One of my only regrets is that I did lose my connection with God in my younger years and didn't bother to provide a substantial faithful upbringing for my own child. My own experience has taught me that my relationship with God and my family has gotten me through many horrible things in my life and it has made me stronger. I do now see that my faith was always strong, even if I didn't think it at the time. It was because of the positive upbringing and strength of conviction of my formative years.   It is true that a family that prays together stays together. Remember that the next time you go to church “for real.”

Peace * Love

Mare

Communion Gift Sets Will be Available!

Hopefully by the end of the week, we will have three different types of Communion Sets available. I'm just waiting for them to be delivered!

This year, we are not getting the big, boxed ones, as we have had in the past. We found that the shipping cost on them was way too high and we like to keep the costs down for you all when we can. One of the sets will include the same items as the big boxes; the packaging will be different. The smaller sets will not include the prayer books, but they can be purchased separately for $6.00 each.

Available will be:

Clear Case Gift Set - Girl, with Missal, Rosary, Pin, Scapular and Clear Vinyl Book Cover $13.99

Clear Case Gift Set- Boy, with Missal, Rosary, Pin, Scapular and Clear Vinyl Book Cover $13.99

Hot Stamped Vinyl Snap Case with Plastic Rosary, Pin and Scapular in White or Black $7.50

Brocade Satin Snap Pouch With Pearl Rosary, Pin and Scapular $10.99

Black, Hot-stamped squeeze case with Oval Wood Rosary, Pin and Scapular $10.99

Also, we will have a new crucifix available! It is 1 3/4" and has soil from the Vatican catacombs in the foot of it. Comes on an 18" chain and in an organza pouch.

From Italy, 1 3/4" with Catacomb Soil $4.99

We will also have missals available in both black and white, which you can purchase with other items or alone ($6.00). We combine shipping.

We will also be getting in more of the very popular 4-way crosses and the plastic holy water bottles, both of which are almost sold out.

Have a great day and God bless.

Peace & Love,

Mare

Healing Through the Eucharist

Jesus Christ in the Eucharist- 12/25/11

Luke 8:43-48English Standard Version (ESV)

⁴³ And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and though she had spent all her living on physicians,^[a] she could not be healed by anyone. ⁴⁴ She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, and immediately her discharge of blood ceased. ⁴⁵ And Jesus said, “Who was it that touched me?” When all denied it, Peter^[b] said, “Master, the crowds surround you and are pressing in on you!” ⁴⁶ But Jesus said, “Someone touched me, for I perceive that power has gone out from me.” ⁴⁷ And when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling, and falling down before him declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed. ⁴⁸ And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.”

Can you imagine yourself having such pure and unshakable faith that you would reach out to Jesus and be completely healed of anything ~ spiritually, emotionally, physically? Can you imagine all of the heavy burdens that you carry being lifted from your shoulders, so much so that your feel as light as a feather? That is what the healing of the Eucharist can do for you. Jesus Christ is present in the Eucharist. To receive Him in the Eucharist is to open yourself up to incredible healing and blessings. 

So many people today do not believe that He is present in the Eucharist, including many that profess to be Catholic. All I can say about that is what a shame. They don't know what they are missing. Do I believe it? No. I know it. There is a distinction between the two. Carl Jung, the father of modern psychology will agree with me on that.  I know that He IS present in the Eucharist because He revealed Himself to me on a Christmas day in 2011, but I believed it prior to that.

When you receive Communion a few things happen.

All of your venial sins are remediated. Venial sins are those that are lesser than mortal sin. Mortal sins need to be confessed to a priest.

You will be protected from evil entities. Those that go to Mass, receive the sacraments and pray often have incredible strength against them. The holier one becomes, the more they flee from you. 

You may experience healing of the spirit, the mind or the body, if it is God's will. There have been cases of spontaneous healing from receiving Communion.

Some mystics and saints of the church have subsisted only on the body of Christ. You may want to read up on them. St. Catherine of Genoa, St. Joseph Cupertino, St. Catherine of Sienna, Blessed Alexandrina de Costa are some of them. Surely, it is the grace of God that allowed them to do that, particularly since many did it for years. You may be interested in reading more on Alexandrina, as that occurred in the last century, as a result of the Fatima Marian apparitions. On this most holy Eucharist in the Blessed Sacrament Padre Pio said:

"My heart feels as if it were being drawn by a superior force each morning just before uniting with Him in the Blessed Sacrament. I have such a thirst and hunger before receiving Him that it's a wonder I don't die of anxiety. I was hardly able to reach the Divine Prisoner in order to celebrate Mass. When Mass ended I remained with Jesus to render Him thanks. My thirst and hunger do not diminish after I have received Him in the Blessed Sacrament, but rather, increase steadily. Oh, how sweet was the conversation I held with Paradise this morning. The Heart of Jesus and my own, if you will pardon my expression, fused. They were no longer two hearts beating but only one. My heart disappeared as if it were a drop in the ocean." (Bl. Padre Pio)

In order to receive the Eucharist, one must be in a state of grace. To be in a state of grace you must go to confession regularly and reveal all of your sins, showing remorse and asking God for forgiveness. Approach the Eucharist with reverence, bow before it, and return to your seat and contemplate being one with Christ. 

If you receive Communion, in an irreverent way, or not in a state of grace, your sins will be MULTIPLIED. 

There has been a number of Eucharistic miracles. The most famous of which is the Host of Lanciano, Italy. It is a direct sign of divine intervention and supernatural occurrence during the celebration of a Mass.   In the 700's during the consecration, the Eucharist and wine were converted into flesh and blood. What is remarkable about this is that the monk that was saying the mass was a man of science and was struggling with his faith in the true presence of Christ. Upon the miracle, the monk called those in attendance to the altar and said, "O fortunate witnesses, to whom the Blessed God, to confound my unbelief, has wished to reveal Himself visible to our eyes! Come, brethren, and marvel at our God, so close to us. Behold the Flesh and Blood of our Most Beloved Christ." The Eucharist is still in existence, has not deteriorated and is housed in the same church, however it is now the Franciscans that are in charge of it. (The monks of St. Basil ran the church when the miracle occurred.) The flesh is in a silver and crystal monstrance. The blood globules are in a chalice. The most recent tests were conducted on them in 1970. The flesh is that of a human heart, the myocardium and endocardium sections and the blood is human, AB. All are fresh. That is mind blowing when you consider that the 700's were a very long time ago.

I urge you to return to Jesus in the Eucharist at the celebration of the Mass. Just as the woman that touched His cloak was healed, so can you be. I recommend that you find Him in your local perpetual adoration chapel. He is waiting for you to return to Him so that He can wrap you in His embrace and fill your heart with peace and joy. I can tell you from my own experience, it is heaven on earth to be with Him.

Have a peaceful week.

Mare

**The photo is a forensic analysis of one of the Eucharistic photos taken on 12/25/11. It has been enlarged and blurred, as blurring it softens the picture and makes it easier to see the bowed head of Our Lord. For more on that picture look at our Youtube channel (Link above) and at the promoted post.