BLACK CATHOLICS, BLACK SAINTS

"The privileged place where we can find this Jesus 'in agony until the end of the world' is the Eucharist. Jesus instituted it immediately before going to the Garden of Olives so that his disciples would be able, in every age, to make themselves 'contemporary' with his Passion.

If the Spirit inspires in us the desire to be one hour at the side of Jesus in Gethsemane this Lent, the simplest way to achieve it is to spend, on Thursday afternoon, one hour before the Blessed Sacrament" (Father Raniero

Cantalamessa, March 17, 2006).

"This practice of adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, repeatedly praised and recommended by the Magisterium, is supported by the example of many saints.

Particularly outstanding in this regard was Saint Alphonsus Liguori, who wrote: `Of all devotions, that of adoring Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament is the greatest after the sacraments, the one dearest to God and the one most helpful to us'. The Eucharist is a priceless treasure:

by not only celebrating it but also by praying before it outside of Mass we are enabled to make contact with the very wellspring of grace. A Christian community desirous of contemplating the face of Christ . . . cannot fail also to develop this aspect of Eucharistic worship, which prolongs and increases the fruits of our communion in the body and blood of the Lord."

"Like the woman who anointed Jesus in Bethany, the Church has feared no `extravagance', devoting the best of her resources to expressing her wonder and adoration before the unsurpassable gift of the Eucharist" (Ecclesia de Eucharistia, Pope John Paul II, 25 and 48).

Mother Teresa -

Our yes to God is without any reservations.

We are at Jesus' disposal.

If He wants you to be sick in bed,

if He wants you to proclaim His word in the street,

that's all right, everything is all right.

Meditations by Padre Pio -

. I am extremely pleased to hear that the Lord is always generous with His caresses towards your souls. I know you are suffering, but isn't this suffering a sure sign that God loves you? (Letters III, p. 707).

Archbishop Fulton Sheen

Passion is blind without knowledge

"Passion is not a reflex like the watering of a dog's mouth in the presence of food. It is true that there are many similarities between passion in animals and passion in man, but it must never be forgotten that in man, passion cannot operate unless something is known."

St. Faustina's diary http://www.marian.org/directory_flash.html -

When I entered the chapel for a moment in the evening, I felt a terrible thorn in my head. This lasted for a short time, but the pricking was so painful that in an instant my head dropped onto the communion rail.

It seemed to me that the thorn had thrust itself into my brain. But all this is nothing; it is all for the sake of souls, to obtain God's mercy for them. (1399)

Christ, give me souls. Let anything You like happen to me, but give me souls in return. I want the salvation of souls. I want souls to know Your mercy.

I have nothing left for myself, because I have given everything away to souls, with the result that on the day of judgment I will stand before You empty-handed, since I have given everything away to souls.

Thus You will have nothing on which to judge me, and we shall meet on that day: Love and mercy... (1426)

Today during confession, breaking the wafer with me spiritually, he [my confessor] gave me the following wishes:

"Be as faithful as you can to the grace of God; secondly, beg God's mercy for yourself and for the whole world, because we are all in great need of God's mercy." (1432)

MEDJUGORJE DAY BY DAY

Mar 30 - REFLECT ON JESUS' PASSION

The Blessed Virgin speaks of the cross and prayer today:

Dear children, here is my second message for Lent. Renew your prayer before the cross. Dear children, I offer you special graces and Jesus offers you the extraordinary merits of the cross.

Accept them and live! Reflect on Jesus ` passion. Unite your life to his (Weekly Message February 20, 1986).

Scripture and Reflection:

In view of Our Lady's message today, it might be well for us to simple meditate on the Passion of her Son, rather than engage in commentary St. Thomas a Kempis emphasized this as well when he wrote, "Take comfort in the Passion of Christ, and dwell willingly in his sacred wounds. Endure with Christ, suffer for him, if you wish to reign with him."

As you meditate on the passion narrative of St. Mark, read the lines unhurriedly, and pause in silent prayer if a phrase or word strikes you, for this is the Holy Spirit at work.

Then the soldiers led him into the courtyard of the palace (that is, the governor's headquarters); and they called together the whole cohort. And they clothed him in a purple cloak; and after twisting some thorns into a crown, they put it on him.

And they began saluting him, "Hail, King of the Jews!" They struck his head with a reed, spat upon him, and knelt down in homage to him. After mocking him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.

…Then they brought Jesus to the placed called Golgotha (which means the place of the skull). And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh; but he did not take it.

And they crucified him, and divided his clothes among them. Casting lots to decide what each should take.

…When it was noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. At three o'clock Jesus cried out with a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi. Lema sabachtani?" which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, «Listen, he calling for Elijah." And someone ran, filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink, saying, "Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down."

Then Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last breath. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.

Now when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way be breathed his last, he said, "Truly this man was God's Son!" (Mk 15:16-20, 22-24, 33-39).

Application:

Today, spend five minutes in meditation before the cross.

Medjugorje Day By Day Mar 29 - Wipe the tears from my face

"The Way of the Cross is thus a path leading to the heart of the Eucharistic mystery: popular piety and sacramental piety of the Church blend together and become one" (Pope Benedict XVI).

"O my Holy Jesus, give me an upright and just heart, that I may love Thee, the King of Jerusalem, and wait for Thy coming, and feed upon the Bread of God. Jesus, teach me the hidden secrets of Thy love" (Fr. Frederick A. Reuter, K.C.B.S.).

Mother Teresa -

The first step to becoming holy is to will it. St. Thomas says, " Sanctity consists in nothing else than a firm resolve, the heroic act of a soul abandoning himself to God. By an upright will we love God, we choose God, we run toward God, we reach Him, we possess Him."

O good, good Will which transforms me into the image of God and makes me like Him! We will be in Steubenville the next few days, so have posted 6 days of Mother Teresa's words of wisdom for everyone.

God bless each of you. We must know exactly when we say yes to God what is in that yes.

Yes means " I surrender," totally, fully, without any counting the cost, without any examination, " Is it all right? Is it convenient?"

Meditations by Padre Pio -

Bearing physical and moral ailments is the worthiest offering you can make to He who saved us through suffering (Letters III, p. 487).

Archbishop Fulton Sheen

Passion is merely the echo of knowledge!

"Passion has its seat in the body or the animal nature of man. It is the echo of the knowledge in our physical structure but it is not knowledge. Passion implies sensible changes, such as the flushing of the cheeks, the dilating of the pupils and the tensing of many muscles."

St. Faustina's diary http://www.marian.org/directory_flash.html -

As I was praying before the Blessed Sacrament and greeting the five wounds of Jesus, at each salutation I felt a torrent of graces gushing into my soul, giving me a foretaste of heaven and absolute confidence in God's mercy. (1337)

O merciful God, You do not despise us, but lavish Your graces on us continuously. You make us fit to enter Your kingdom, and in Your goodness You grant that human beings may fill the places vacated by the ungrateful Angels.

O God of great mercy, who turned Your sacred gaze away from the rebellious Angels and turned it upon contrite man, praise and glory be to Your unfathomable mercy, O God who do not despise the lowly heart. (1339)

My Jesus, let my sacrifice burn before Your throne in all silence, but with the full force of love, as I beg You to have mercy on souls. (1342)

MEDJUGORJE DAY BY DAY

Mar 29 - WIPE THE TEARS FROM MY FACE

The following message from the Queen of Peace is her lengthiest—and one of the most important. Along with a short passage from scripture, it will serve as our reading and reflection for this Lenten day.

My Dear Children! I came to you in order to lead you to purity of soul and then to God. But how did you receive me?

At first with disbelief, fearful and suspicious of the children I had chosen. Later on, most of you received me in your hearts and began to live your Mother's messages. But that did not last for long.

Whenever I come to you my Son comes with me, but so does Satan. You unwittingly permitted him to influence you and now he drives you on. It is up to you to recognize when your behaviour is displeasing to God, but you often stifle the thought.

Do not give in, dear children. Wipe from my face the tears that I shed when I see you acting like this. Rouse yourselves. Take the time to meet God in your church.

Come into your Father's house. Take time for family prayer so you can receive God's grace. Remember your deceased; give them joy by offering a Mass for them.

Do not be scornful of those who beg you for a piece of bread. Do not turn them away from your overladen tables. Help them and God will help you. Perhaps this is the way in which God will hear you and bestow upon you blessings in thanksgiving.

You have forgotten all this, my children, under Satan's influence.

Be wary! Pray with me! Do not deceive yourselves in thinking, "I am good, but my brother next door is not." You would be wrong. Your Mother loves you and so I warn you.

People do not know the secrets, my children, but when they learn of them it will be too late. Return to prayer! Nothing is more important.

I wish the Lord would permit to enlighten you a little more about the secrets, but the graces you have already received are great enough.

Think how much you have offended him What have you given him of yourself?

When was the last time you gave up something for the Lord? I do not want to reprimand you further, but to call you once again to prayer, fasting, and penance.

If you wish to obtain a special grace from God by fasting, then let no one know you are fasting. If you wish to obtain a certain grace from God through a gift to the poor, then keep your almsgiving a secret between you and the Lord.

Listen to me, my children! Meditate on my message in prayer (Special Message January 28, 1987).

And from the Acts of the Apostles, this quote from Isaiah echoes Our Lady's words:

For this people's heart has grown dull, and their ears are hard of hearing, and they have shut their eyes; so that they might not look with their eyes, and listen with their ears, and understand with their heart and turn—and I would heal them (Acts 28:27).

Application:

Simply heed the Gospa's advice in the last sentence of her message today: "Meditate on my message in prayer."

Posted by realm/blackcatholics at 3:25 PM PDT
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