8th Sunday in Ordinary Time:
Beloved in Jesus Christ, You may have seen all the signs on doors of the Church notes in the bulletin – our parish has been promoting visits to our Adoration Chapel. If you are not aware, just a half-block west at the Convent, we have a secret place to pray, our Chapel. All hours of the day and night, people stop by to pray.
You know, out in the desert, when people are walking, and so hot and dry – they come across a beautiful oasis – an oasis, to rest, to drink fresh water, to be renewed. Well, this little chapel of ours, is an oasis. In the fast pace life these days, with many worries, it is a place to rest a little while, with Jesus. Really with Jesus.
In the gospel today, Our Lord urges us not to allow the worries and fears of life to overwhelm us, to trust in him, to go to him. Well – the chapel is the perfect place for that.
Wednesday is Ash Wednesday, Lent begins, and we should DO something for Lent. -give up something, make a sacrifice, memorize a new prayer, read an Epistle – We could give up deserts for Lent. A boy told me he would sleep on the floor one day a week. Some people switch off the TV for Lent; We could decide to pray the rosary each day, or read a book about a saint.
Well – here’s another idea: We could commit to pray at the Adoration Chapel for one hour every week. Many have found that this really affects their life.
One time, St. John Vianney asked a man, ‘What do you think about when you sit before the Lord?’ He said: ‘I look at him, and he looks at me.’ Speaking to our Eucharistic Lord – it’s a way to find peace.
Now while we are on the subject of encountering Jesus in the Holy Eucharist – let us speak about receiving Him in Holy Communion.
Some have the wrong idea, that every time we go to Mass, we MUST receive Holy Communion, this is not true. We are only REQUIRED to receive the Lord once a year, but we must be at Holy Mass every week.
If a person IS going to come up to receive , that person should prepare very well. Jesus is the Bridegroom of our soul, so if our dear soul is going to receive the Bridegroom, we should be well prepared.
We can consider first our ‘remote preparation’ for Communion. When we are going for Mass, we should think: do I have any mortal sins that I have not confessed? If so, then we plan on not receiving. It would be cruel to receive Jesus if we have a mortal sin; it would be like saying that you love someone, when really you have betrayed him. So, if we have serious sins, we must go to Confession and be reconciled first.
Also, we must not eat or drink anything – except water – for one hour before we receive. If I have a sip of Pepsi on the way to Church, then I go to Mass, but I don’t go up for Communion.
Now ‘Immediate Preparation’ is this: During Mass, when Communion is getting close, such as after the lamb of God, or when the priest is receiving, then we should pray; we should speak to the Lord in our heart: ‘Lord help me to receive you with strong Faith, with love.’ As we approach the altar, we fold our hands – it is a great moment in our life. It should be as great as our 1st Communion!
So HOW do I receive? Here at St. John’s, you can either come to the priest standing, or kneel at the Communion rail. If we receive on our tongue, then just put your tongue out a little bit. Some people just open their mouths, but – you need to put your tongue out a little. The Church calls this ‘the Wedding Banquet of the Lamb.’ Well, at wedding receptions, I’ve seen the groom feed the bride, he puts the piece of wedding cake in her mouth. This is sort of the idea: the priest, who is the Bridegroom, he feeds the Bride, the Church. And we always say ‘Amen’ before we receive, this shows that we believe, and it shows that we are a Catholic.
In the United States, it is allowed to receive in the hand. If we do this, you put one hand on top of the other, to make a kind of throne for Jesus. Then you step to the side, and place the Sacred Host in your mouth. Be careful not to make a ‘V’ with your hands, the host could slip between. And we don’t grab with our fingers, ok? We receive, we don’t TAKE Communion.
Now here is a very important point. We must consume the Host right there, so the priest can see it. Never walk away with the Host, never take the Host back to the pew. We must receive right there in front of the priest or Deacon. Otherwise the priest does not know what you are doing with Jesus Christ. There are enemies of the Faith out there. There are Satanists who take the Eucharist for evil things. We must protect the Lord.
If you see someone walking away with the Host, stop him and ask: ‘what are you doing?’ Are you a Catholic? yes. Then consume that Host right now. And watch. If they say they are not Catholic, then politely tell them to give you that Host, and then bring it to the priest. There are confused people out there, and also enemies.
And this brings us back to the Adoration Chapel. In order to have it open 24/7, all day, someone must always be there. In another chapel, a thief came in and took the Sacred Monstrance – when no one was there to guard Christ.
The Secretary for [the Congregation for] Divine Worship in Rome says: The Church is concerned about sacrileges committed against the Eucharist by satanic cults. ‘The best antidote to this troubling phenomenon is prayer before the Holy Eucharist.
May the dear Blessed Virgin help everyone, to Adore her Son more in the Holy Eucharist, and received him often with love.
Entrusted to the prayers of St. Thomas Aquinas
