First Friday, Here Again!

-

Yippee!!!

I am always please to take time out of my busy schedule to visit my Lord, Truly Present in the Blessed Sacrament.

I am curious if I will receive any grand realizations.  Probably not.

More than likely, He'll call me to sit quietly and meditate on the things that He's already revealed.  Alas, that is more than enough to keep me busy for a lifetime!

God bless! 

Popular posts from this blog

Learning Virtue from St. Martin de Porres

-
Image
[This post appeared originally on my full site, which is now no longer in operation, in November 2012.] It seems that more should be written about a saint from whom we can learn so many lessons in virtue.  Yet that is not the case with St. Martin de Porres, from whom we have much to learn about humility, detachment, fasting, justice, and charity.  The website of the St. Martin de Porres Shrine and Institute (located in my own diocese; a wonderful initiative with a beautiful chapel) offers a mere four paragraphs of biographical information, while other sites ( here , here , and here ) devote no more than 10 sentences to this exemplar of heroic virtue.  Surely, Brother Martin, who was so humble in this life, finds that to be a fitting scenario even after his death. From the very earliest days of his life, he embraced his lowly situation.  He desired to do nothing more than glorify the Creator by serving creatures.  He reached out to slaves, orphan...
Read more

St. Cyril of Jerusalem on the Eucharist

-
Image
Although the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist was not the first thing that convinced me I needed to become Catholic, it was of prime importance in my journey home. Now that I am home, the Eucharist is what sustains and strengthens me on my perpetual search for holiness. Indeed, it is the "source and summit" of my Christian life. Thus, I always enjoy taking time to read what Christians in the first centuries had to say about "the breaking of the bread." My findings are such: there is clear evidence that, from the time Christ instituted the Eucharistic meal on Holy Thursday, Christians believed Christ's body, blood, soul, and divinity to be TRULY present. They never considered that it might be "just a symbol." Only within the last five centuries has the "just a symbol" argument taken form, no doubt to the detriment of the true Faith and otherwise faithful Christians. To prove my argument, I have provided two quotes from St. Cyril of Jer...
Read more

The Quiet, Beautiful Inspiration of the Christmas Season

-
Image
The Christmas season is beautiful and inspiring.  During Christmastide, many of us have more time for quiet contemplation, and we are able to ponder images such as stables and shepherds and Magi and gifts.  This season’s stillness and quiet allow us to realize that God showers abundant blessings on us, and that He is preparing us for a dynamic mission.  We need to listen and ponder what God has in store.  The iconic images of Christmas are a window into beautiful trends in our lives for the year ahead. Gaspare Diziani, Adoration of the Shepherds (ca. A.D. 1755) The images of the Christmas season remind us to be more childlike in our faith, gazing in wonder at the God who became man.  The Incarnation is a central tenet of our faith, and it is necessary for each of us to grow in our devotion to the reality of God-in-Flesh.  We could take the whole year to ponder this truth and not exhaust its richness.  Yet, secular modernity will tell us that ...
Read more