Happy Birthday Jesus

 Happy Birthday Jesus! 

When you look upon the Sacred Host after the consecration at Mass, or you kneel in front of the Sacred Host displayed in the Monstrance in the chapel, you look upon Jesus Himself, the Son of God.  We believe the bread and wine have ceased to exist after the Consecration, so that it is the adorable body and blood of the Lord Jesus that from then on are really before us under the sacramental species of bread and wine, as the Lord willed it, in order to give Himself to us as food and to associate us with the unity of His Mystical Body.

During this season of gift giving please take a few minutes to find a quiet place to sit and free your mind of all the clutter of secular Christmas; sincerely thank Our God for the priceless gift of His Divine Son.  It’s a gift the true value of which cannot be fully appreciated this side of Heaven.

So if you’re asked ‘What did you get for Christmas?’; I hope you would respond ‘I received the gift of greatest value anyone on earth could hope for!’

Where's Your Treasure

 Where’s Your Treasure?

Day and night Jesus dwells in the Blessed Sacrament BECAUSE OF HIS INFINITE LOVE FOR US!  “Behold I will be with you always even to the end of the world,” because “I have loved you with an everlasting love, and constant is my affection for you.” (Mt 28:20; Jer 31:3)

The specific way Jesus asks us to love Him in return is to spend ONE QUIET HOUR WITH HIM EACH WEEK in the Blessed Sacrament.  “Where your treasure is, there is your heart …”  “Could you not watch one hour with Me?”  (Mt 6:21; 26:40)

Advent is a wonderful time to reevaluate where your treasure is; if not in the right place you have time to make it right.

How Can You Say NO To Jesus?

How Can You Say NO To Jesus?

Is Jesus important enough to you to set aside one special hour each week to be with Him?  Just one hour once a week is all He is asking.  It’s a simple matter of putting first things first.  “In everything you do, put God first, and He will direct you and crown your efforts with success” (Prov 3:6)

Because we can’t see Jesus, we often take His love and Presence in the Blessed Sacrament for granted.  Many people are hesitant in making a commitment for a specific hour because they let everything else in their lives come before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.  An hour with Jesus could be the most important thing you do this week.

This concept of importance is reenforced in the book In Sinu Jesu where Jesus is quoted telling a Benedictine Monk “Nothing in your life is more important than the time you spend in adoration before My Eucharistic Face.  Your energy and your capacity to do other things efficiently and in due order will grow in proportion to the time you consecrate to Me alone.”

Don’t wait until you’re out of ‘time’; we will all be there at some point.  Prioritize now and heed the words of Jesus when He said “Could you not keep watch for one hour?” (Mk 14:37)

Let Advent be your starting point - commit to one hour of Adoration in the chapel each week.  If you’re already a committed adorer say a prayer to the Holy Spirit the next time you’re in the chapel that more people will take to heart Jesus’ request to spend an hour with Him.  Better yet - don’t wait until you are in the chapel .. say that prayer now!

www.adorationpro.org/ihmmi

"I do believe ... but"

 “Help My Unbelief”

Three weeks ago we quoted Fr John Hardon SJ saying “the simplest way to express what Christ asks us to believe about the Real Presence is that the Eucharist is really HE.  The Real Presence is the real Jesus”.  Two weeks ago we reminded everyone that the Council of Trent in 1551 declared that Jesus Christ is really and truly present in the Eucharist, and the Council declared this a Dogma of Faith.

‘Dogma’ is defined as that part of doctrine which has been divinely revealed and which the Church has formally defined and declared to be believed as revealed.  So this is not what the Church is telling us to believe; this is what God Himself is telling us to believe.  Recently a Pew Survey reported that 69% of declared Catholics do not believe in the Real Presence.  Imagine … 2 out of 3 Catholics don’t believe what God Himself tells us is true.

If you’re one of the non or half hearted believers it may be time to commit to praying during this Advent period asking the Holy Spirit for the grace to increase your belief in the Real Presence.  You’re encouraged to visit the chapel; kneel before the Holy Eucharist and pray the prayer the father of the son harboring the demon prayed before Jesus as told in Mark 9:21-24; “I do believe; help my unbelief”.

Jesus told that father “All things are possible to him who believes”.  Your belief in the Real Presence won’t go from cold to hot over night … you won’t hear thunder or feel the earth shake … but know every prayer is answered.  If you want to succeed you have to show God you’re sincere, and don’t quit asking until you get what you want.

www.adorationpro.org/ihmmi

You Can Make This Your Best Advent Ever!

 Make This Your Best Advent Ever!

Advent is that beautiful time of year that helps us focus on the spiritual preparation for Christmas and on the coming of Our Lord.  It’s that time of year when every Christian publication we subscribe to, every Christian radio station listened to, and perhaps every homily heard, will all be encouraging us to “prepare” for Jesus’ coming into the world and to remember the real meaning of Christmas.

One of the best ways to “prepare” is to pray.  And one of the best ways to pray is Eucharistic Adoration.  A popular definition of ‘prayer’ is ‘relationship with God’.  Have you ever been able to establish a relationship with someone, or improve upon a relationship, without spending time with them … of course not.  Same holds true with God.

Advent presents an opportunity to start or improve your ‘relationship’.  And our beautiful Adoration Chapel is the perfect place for more “face time” with God.

You don't need to be a scheduled adorer - you don't need an appointment - simply drop-in and spend time with God.  If you find the visit improved your relationship with Him why not schedule a weekly appointment to be together in a special way.  He would like that!

Why Visit The Chapel?

 Why Visit The Chapel?

There are as many reasons to visit the Adoration Chapel as there are people who visit.  One of the all encompassing reasons is to improve our relationship with God.  That may take the form of petition or thanksgiving; doesn’t matter, what does matter is that it is very difficult to improve a relationship if you are not experiencing the presence of the other.

To really make headway improving your God relationship you have to be in his presence.  I know … “God is everywhere”, so you may be thinking I’m in his presence when I’m walking down the street.  True.  However, if you have a ‘monkey mind’ like me, you spend most of your time during the day managing the monkeys and not thinking about God.  Being in God’s presence takes on a different dimension when you are in what the church teaches is his Eucharistic Presence.

In 1551, the Council of Trent declared the doctrine of transubstantiation a dogma of faith and stated "by the consecration of the bread and wine there takes place a change of the whole substance of the bread into the substance of the body of Christ our Lord and of the whole substance of the wine into the blood of Christ.”

This dogma of faith clearly states that Jesus Christ is really and truly present in the Eucharist.  At this very moment, he patiently and humbly waits in the chapel to experience our company with him in that different dimension called the Eucharistic Presence. 

The Real Jesus

The Real Jesus!

“The simplest way to express what Christ asks us to believe about the Real Presence is that the Eucharist is really He. The Real Presence is the real Jesus. We are to believe that the Eucharist began in the womb of the Virgin Mary; that the flesh which the Son of God received from His Mother at the Incarnation is the same flesh into which He changed bread at the Last Supper; that the blood He received from His Mother is the same blood into which He changed wine at the Last Supper. Had she not given Him His flesh and blood there could not be a Eucharist.

We are to believe that the Eucharist is Jesus Christ - simply, without qualification. It is God become man in the fullness of His divine nature, in the fullness of His human nature, in the fullness of His body and soul, in the fullness of everything that makes Jesus Jesus. He is in the Eucharist with His human mind and will united with the Divinity, with His hands and feet, His face and features, with His eyes and lips and ears and nostrils, with His affections and emotions and, with emphasis, with His living, pulsating, physical Sacred Heart. That is what our Catholic Faith demands of us that we believe. If we believe this, we are Catholic. If we do not, we are not, no matter what people may think we are”
     (Father John A Hardon SJ)

Pray Until You Hear God

 If You Listen Closely You WILL Hear It! 

“Listen” … that’s the first word Jesus said as he began to preach to the crowd from the boat along the shore (Mk 4:3).  That very word is as important today as it was 2000 years ago.  He has something to say to each of us; and I’m afraid we might miss it if we don’t slow down, unclutter our lives, our minds and hearts, and just ‘Listen’.

Spiritual listening begins small, within intimacy and friendship.  Spending quiet time in the chapel is a good place to open our minds and hearts in an effort to just ‘listen’.  Visit our chapel, and place yourself in the presence of God, entreat him to inspire you by offering this simple prayer:  “Eternal Father I surrender to your presence and action within” - God will do the work - you just ‘listen’.

 

You Can Make A Difference

You Can Make A Difference
Wednesday of this week (Nov 02), is the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Soul’s Day).  “Our dear brothers and sisters, parents and grandparents, friends and all those who died in the friendship of God may be waiting patiently for our generous prayers.  Let us not forget that their relief and release from Purgatory may depend upon our prayers, since we believe they no longer can pray for themselves!”
  (In the Friendship of God - Handbook of Devotion to the Holy Souls in Purgatory)

Change Is Possible With God's Help

 Looking To Change?

If you suffer from indifference, waste, selfishness and/or individualism our Lord Jesus Christ offers you the opportunity of conversion.  Conversion occurs when we spend time with Jesus in the Real Presence of Eucharistic Adoration.  If you want to change indifference to compassion; waste to sharing; selfishness to love and/or individualism to fraternity, join other members of our parish in Eucharistic Adoration who are changing just by being in his presence.  Chapel time is always available, and there is not a single living person who can’t benefit from time spent in the Real Presence of our God.

We Are Beloved Children

 A Beloved Child

“When we adore the Lord Jesus present in the Eucharist, we receive a new outlook on our lives as well: I am not the things I possess of the successes I can achieve.  The value of my life does not depend on how much I can show off nor does it diminish when I encounter failures and setbacks.  I am a beloved child, each of us is a beloved child.  I am blessed by God.  He wants to clothe me with beauty and free me from all slavery.”

“Let us remember this: whoever worships God does not become a slave to anyone.  They are free.  Let us rediscover the prayer of adoration, a prayer that is frequently forgotten.  Adoration … frees us and restores us to our dignity as children, not slaves.”
                               Pope Francis - from a Sept 2022 homily

Truly Present - No Mistake

 Uniquely Present
The fathers of Vatican II point out that Christ is indeed present in a variety of ways - in the very intelligibility of the universe, in the gathered assembly at Mass, in the reading of the Scriptures, in the person of the priest - but he is “really, truly, and substantially” present, that is to say, in a qualitatively different way, in the Eucharistic elements.  Thomas Aquinas gave voice to the same conviction when he said that the power of Christ is operative in the other sacraments, but Christ himself is present in the sacrament of the altar.  

Experience his true presence by sitting silently in the chapel and letting his Being wash over you.  If you’re not a regular Adorer we, like Our Lord, invite you to visit and feel his presence.  Once you experience it, you’re encouraged to make a weekly appointment to spend an hour with him.  We all know how important compound interest is to our retirement account; but do you realize that time spent in his presence compounds the value of grace we earn in our heavenly account?

The Importance of the Rosary

 Read This … It’s Important.

October 7th (Friday) this week, we celebrate the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary.  Known for several centuries by the alternate title of “Our Lady of Victory”.  The feast day takes place in honor of a 16th century naval victory which secured Europe against Turkish invasion.  Pope St Pius V attributed the victory to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, who was invoked on the day of the battle through a campaign to pray the Rosary throughout Europe.  The power of the Rosary and the courage of the Catholic navies obtained an historic triumph over the Turks, and saved Christiandom from the advancing Turkish power.

Today, just as in the 16th century we desperately need Our Lady’s intervention through the Holy Rosary to turn back the moral, spiritual and physical threat we face as a State with the proposed passing of the Reproductive Freedom for All initiative, Proposal 3.  This Proposal, if passed, will codify abortion-up-to-birth and partial-birth abortion in our state constitution.  As Christians this is something we have to do all possible to stop from happening.

Won’t you join the thousands of Catholic Michiganders who signed up and are praying the 54-day Rosary Novena aimed at defeating Proposal 3 on the ballot.  This is something you can join anytime so don’t even think ‘it already started, so I won’t’.  Every single rosary is important and Our Lady will overcome this treat if we turn to Her in confident prayer and courageous action.  To be counted, and to get text reminders, text “FightLikeHeaven” to 84576.

Make the commitment.  It will cost you about 20 minutes a day; which is insignificant compared to the possibility there could be a fetus in its mother’s womb who will benefit from what you are doing.  Jesus is keeping track.

Power Of A Word - Don't Miss This ...

 The Power Of A Word

Pope Benedict XVI, in an essay written in the 1970s, said that transubstantiation is the act by which the Creator grasps the bread and wine by the very roots of their being and transforms them into pure signs, that is to say, into pure bearers of the presence of Jesus, so that they no longer speak of themselves of refer to themselves, but only to Christ.  How is this change brought about?  The Council of Trent said by the power of the words of consecration, which are nothing other than the words of Jesus.

This simple observation gives us a most important key to understanding the Real Presence.  In his How to Do Things with Words, the twentieth-century philosopher of language J. L. Austin observed that language has much more than a descriptive purpose, for at times it can be used to change and affect reality.  If a properly deputized officer of the law says to you, “You’re under arrest,” whether you like it or not, whether the officer’s judgement was sound or not, you are in fact under arrest.  His words have changed reality.  Or if a National League umpire shouts “You’re out” as Anthony Rizzo slides into third base, the  unfortunate Cub is, whether he likes it or not, in point of fact, out.  An umpire’s words can, quite literally, change the course of a game.  Now consider the case of the divine word.  God’s word is not simply descriptive but is rather, in the most powerful sense of the term, creative.  God says, “Let there be light,” and there is light; God says, “Let us make man in our own image and after our likeness,” and so it happened.  The prophet Isaiah reminds us that the divine word goes forth and does not return without accomplishing the purpose for which it was sent.  Now Jesus is not one interesting religious figure among many, not merely a sage or prophet, but rather, as St. John put it, the Word made flesh, Yahweh’s Word in person.  Therefore, what Jesus says, is.  When he said, “Little girl, get up,” she got up; when he said “Lazarus, come out,” the dead man came out, when he said, “My son, your sins are forgiven,” they were forgiven.  The night before he died, Jesus took bread and give thanks, and then said, “Take this all of you and eat it, this is my body.”  In a similar way, after the meal, he took a cup filled with wine and said, “Take this, all of you, and drink from it; this is the cup of my blood.”  The divine word, which creates the universe, can change reality in the most fundamental way.  By the power of the words of the consecration the bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ.  The Eucharist - along with creation itself - is the most concentrated instance of a divine word event, and it is for this reason that the church has always insisted on the dense reality of what happens in the Eucharistic change.     Exploring Catholic Theology  Robert Barron  pp170-171

Jesus promises, “I will be with you always” (Mt 28, 20) Take him at his word … he’s waiting.

Fortunately for us he’s patient, but that doesn’t mean you should delay, because you really don’t know how much time you have.  Go spend time in his presence by visiting the Adoration Chapel. 

Begin to Look Outwardly

You Begin to Look Outwardly

Jesus told us to “love one another as I have loved you”. (John 13.34)  Spending time in Adoration connects us to the whole world - after all, we’re spending time with the Creator of all things!  More time praising and adoring God means you can look beyond your own concerns and see the needs of others in your life and in the world that we live in.

    Ruth Kennedy - Catholic Link

The Eucharistic Revival has begun.  Have you thought about what you might do to get involved in enhancing your relationship with God?  Why not take a look at their website for ideas:  https://reviveparishes.com

 Love’s Exhibition

Thomas Aquinas in the third part of the Summa theologiae observes that the “real” presence of Jesus in the Eucharist is a function of Christ’s friendship with his people, for there is no higher sign of intimacy than the desire to be with one’s friends.  Such intimacy would hardly be signaled by a mere figurative presence.

Many mystics and saints have mention how Jesus longs to simply be with us because of his unfathomable love and friendship.  One way he exhibits his love and friendship is by being present in our Adoration Chapel.  Why not spend a little time this week in the chapel reflecting love and friendship back to him?  Don’t forget to add thanksgiving.

Pray To Increase Number Of Committed Adorers

 Pray For Adoration Help

“I am with you always” (Mt 28:20).  With these words Jesus assures His disciples, and all of us, that He will walk with us throughout our life’s journey.  Whether in triumph or tragedy, He is there.  Not only are we bathed in God’s loving presence, but by our baptism we join the rest of the faithful to become the Body of Christ.  Together we pool our special gifts and unique talents to be present to one another and to fulfill the great commission.

Please pray during the month of September for an increase in the number of permanent Adorers visiting our chapel.  If you know of anyone interested please show them the scheduling page within www.adorationpro.org/ihmmi where they can see the entire schedule and choose an hour convenient for them.

Boring Time In Adoration

 Adoration Can Be Boring

“All Adorers know there are going to be times when Adoration can feel anything but glorious. You get distracted, your mind begins to wander, you can hear someone else sniffing next to you. Maybe in the beginning Adoration was full of wonderful feelings! Regular Adoration is when daily life sets in and it can make it feel not so special. But that doesn’t devalue or take away from the truth of what Adoration is. Our faith is more than feelings and God will still be working in you. This is the beauty of the Incarnation – God made man, coming into all our stresses, fears, problems – and yes, boredom. Know that even if an hour spent in Adoration is a continual returning to Him every few minutes when your mind wanders, you are still giving God the best gift you can – your time and company.”  (Ruth Kennedy - CatholicLink)

 Grace Enters Your Life

“It’s amazing how a simple act of committing to even a short time of regular Adoration makes such a huge difference to the rest of your life. You can carry that moment of being in His presence with you long after you’ve left the church or chapel. His grace sustains you in every moment, especially in moments of temptation. Temptation becomes easier to resist when you’re spending more time in Adoration. Sometimes, it really is that straightforward.” 
       (Ruth Kennedy - CatholicLink)

Sign up for a weekly hour of Adoration by going to our website - www.adorationpro.org/ihmmi and adding your name to any hour convenient to you.

Become Excited and Addicted

Become Excited Going To Adoration

“The more time you spend in Adoration discovering that God is a God who loves you and wants to spend time with you, the more you begin to actually want to go. If Adoration once felt like a chore, you might even find yourself becoming excited to go! Adoration is addictive, not just because of the things we can gain for ourselves, but because we were created to adore. As we say in the Mass, it is “right and just” that we should give thanks to the Lord! Adoration is imprinted on our hearts and as St Augustine says “our hearts are restless until they find our rest in Him”!   (Ruth Kennedy - CatholicLink)

     Adoration Opportunities:  Check our website AdorationPro for hours ‘open’ to additional Adorers.  You can commit to Adoring weekly any hour with the tag “Sign Up” go the right of the designated hour.

Peace Only Jesus Can Provide

 Experience Peace In All Of Life

“Jesus said ’Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you’ (John 14:27)  The outward peace we can experience in Adoration (the quiet and the stillness) reaches much deeper. It leads to an inner peace that affects all areas of our lives. It doesn’t mean everything in our life will be perfect and without suffering, but Christ’s peace means that we know that the storms of life can’t shake us.”  (Ruth Kennedy - CatholicLink)

Fear what kills the soul more than what kills the body.  Build you defenses through Eucharistic Adoration.

Listen to God in the Silence

 Silence is the Language of God

“There is nothing like the atmosphere of a quiet chapel and the splendor of the monstrance to help you understand the truth of what is happening in Adoration. We are truly before Jesus Christ, His Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity. The more you sink into that silence in front of the Host, the more you’ll realize that the only response is awe and wonder at the greatness of our God.”   (Ruth Kennedy - CatholicLink)

If you don’t spend time in our chapel you may be missing a life altering event.

All are welcome!

Not Good To Come Up Short!

 You Don’t Want To Come Up Short!

Every golfer knows one of the greater frustrations is to stroke a ball for what would be a birdie putt only to realize it wasn’t hit hard enough to even reach the hole.  Is there something in that statement we could learn about our relationship with God?  Why not hit your ‘relationship’ a little harder by spending time in the Adoration Chapel?

You might have something to brag about when you get to the heavenly clubhouse.

Precious Moment

Precious Moment

Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, even if only for a few minutes, is a precious and intimate time of prayer with the Lord.  It affords a special opportunity for a “heart-to-heart” with our savior.  It is time you give to God so that he can use it to mold you into what he created you to be.

Jesus says “I so long for you to visit Me in Eucharistic Adoration.”  Why don’t you?

Stop by the chapel for a moment.

Become More God Like

 Become More God Like

Pope Benedict XVI reminds us in one of his writings about the Eucharist, “This body is not the ever-dead corpse of a dead man, nor is the blood the life-element rendered lifeless.  No, sacrifice has become gift, for the body given in love and the blood given in love have entered, through the Resurrection, into the eternity of love, which is stronger than death.”

The liturgy lets us transcend the present by moving toward the future, and that future is present in what is happening in the liturgy.  We have the opportunity in every liturgy to become more and more like God.

So why aren’t we all much more ‘God like’?  Why do we have trouble carrying the ‘good’ within us beyond the parking lot when leaving Mass?

Truth is we are leaving with the seed of ‘good’; but to profit we have to take action to reinforce it and let it grow so it becomes part of our being.  How do you do that?  

We don’t - God does.  We have to give God enough of our time so that He can nourish the seed of ‘good’ that was planted during the Eucharist.  That seed has everything in it to grow and blossom and help us become a beautiful and productive child of God.  A good way to nurture Christian growth is simply to sit in the presence of our Creator.  

Here at IHM we are blessed with the Adoration Chapel were we can sit silently in the presence of our Creator and experience a direct, personal encounter with the living Christ.  Through that encounter the seed of ‘good’ grows and changes us from the inside out.

Take advantage of this great blessing.  See you in the Chapel.

Belief In The True Presence

 I Believe - What About You?

Today begins the three year National Eucharistic Revival sponsored by the American Catholic bishops to awaken Catholics to the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.  Details of activities planned for the next three years beyond the inaugural march planned this afternoon from the Cathedral of St Andrews are still being formulated, and will be rolled out as the activity corresponds with the focus of the Revival.  We do know the first year (today until Jun 11, 2023) is focused on Diocesan activity.  The second year (June 11, 2023 until July 17, 2024) will focus on Parish activities of the Eucharistic Revival. Then there will be a National Eucharistic Congress from July 17 to July 24, 2024 in Indianapolis.  The Congress will be followed by a year of Mission activity (July 17, 2024 to Pentecost 2025).  This Mission activity is intimately bound up with the belief of Jesus’ True Presence in the Eucharist.  

A recent Pew Research Center study found that most observant Catholics - those who go to Mass one time or more per week, only 63% believe Jesus Christ is truly present Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity under the appearance of bread and wine.  That means 37% of those we see at Mass every week believe that the Bread and Wine are only symbols.  That is a catastrophe.  

If you are one to the 37% let me ask you “What if you’re wrong?”  63% of us you see at Mass every week think you are.  There will come a time when you will to have to explain your position to the One who made you.  Think about that!  The Eucharistic Revival beginning today is designed to help you.  You don’t have to jump in with both feet - you have three years, so you can begin slowly.

The Church teaches one of the best ways to grow in intimacy with the Lord Jesus on this side of heaven is through the Eucharist.  In addition to the Mass and Communion we also have Eucharistic Adoration.  All you have to do is show up … just go and give God the opportunity to change your heart.  You don’t have to go with an agenda … go and sit quietly in His presence and He will do the work.  I promise you that when you leave the Adoration Chapel you will feel a change in attitude - be it ever so slight.  Repetition increases intimacy.

Christ’s Presence In The Eucharist

Saint Pope John II in his encyclical letter, Ecclesia de Eucharist, draws our attention to the fact that, “in the Eucharist we have Jesus, we have his redemptive sacrifice, we have his resurrection, we have the gift of the Holy Spirit, we have adoration, obedience and love of the Father.”  All of this Jesus gives us if we only meet him in the Adoration Chapel, and sit quietly in his Presence surrendering to his action within our heart and soul. 

A Fruitful Presence

 A Fruitful Presence

Jesus’ presence in the Eucharist is there as an invitation to a sharing of lives.  We can spend each and every day in the company of someone, living every moment of our lives together, and yet never really grow any closer to each other.  Growing in closeness demands real openness to the other person’s presence, allowing that person ever deeper into our life.  The Lord’s presence in the Eucharist calls for such a response on our part, welcoming him and accepting him with an open heart and living faith so that his presence can be truly fruitful in us.

Accept God’s invitation to grow closer by spending an hour a week in the Chapel with him.

How To Grow Divinely

 How To Grow Divinely 

Each moment spent in the Real Presence of Our Lord increases His Divine Life within us and deepens our personal relationship and friendship with Him.   “I have come that you may have life, and have it more abundantly.”  “I am the Vine and you are the branches.  Whoever remains in union with Me, shall bear much fruit for without Me you can do nothing.”
    (Jn 10:10; 15:5)

A visit to the Adoration Chapel is both comforting and educational as it teaches us how to be faithful to God’s will.  All we have to do is sit silently in His Presence and let God do the work.  Don’t take my word for it; you can test the experience   
                       yourself - See you in the Chapel!

God Returns The Value Of Your Time A Hundred Fold

 

If You Want To … You Can Find 60 Minutes

Jesus, so longs for us to visit Him in Eucharistic Adoration that He suffered and died to give us the chance to spend eternity with Him.  What a small thing it is, in the realm of salvation, to stop by the chapel occasionally to say Thank You?  Oh! I know the argument - ‘Jesus is present everywhere - I can say Thank You anytime, anywhere.’  But in the chapel He is present in a very special way; a way you don’t find outside of Mass or Adoration.  He knows how important our time is to us.  When we give Him something as important as our ‘time’, He rewards us a hundred fold.  

“The best, the surest and the most effective way of establishing peace on the face of the earth is through the great power of Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.”  St John Paul II

Become a regular on the Adoration Team:  Commit to an hour by clicking here.

Source of Unlimited Grace

“Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament has His hands full of graces and He is ready to bestow them on anyone who asks for them”  (St Peter of Alcantara).  Our Lord Jesus Christ wants us to come and visit Him at our local Catholic Church and make a “Holy Hour” (an hour spent in Eucharistic Adoration) whenever we can.  The Eucharist is the Real Presence of Jesus: He is present body, blood, soul and divinity.  He is our Savior and our Friend.  What a joy it is to spend time with Him!

Venerable Fulton J. Sheen enthusiastically promoted the making of Holy Hours during his lifetime.  He stated, “During a Holy Hour we grow more and more into His (Christ’s) likeness.”  He also remarked, “The only time our Lord asked the Apostles for anything was the night He went into agony.  Not for activity did He plead, but for an Hour of companionship.”

Can’t you find a little companionship time to spend with Him in our Adoration Chapel?

Guide to help get the most out of time in the chapel

(used in bulletin 052123)

Fatima Anniversary

 First Apparition of Our Lady of Fatima

Beginning May 13, 1917, Our Lady appeared six times to the 3 shepherd children at Fatima.  Each time she appeared she stressed the importance of saying the Rosary on a daily basis.  When we say the Rosary, Mary herself helps us to deepen our relationship with her Divine Son Jesus.  The Rosary is a powerful way we can turn to Mary with our needs and petitions.  Sister Lucia, one of the 3 children, said “there is no problem, I tell you, no matter how difficult it is, that we cannot resolve by the prayer of the Holy Rosary.”

One of the best places to pray the Rosary is in our Adoration Chapel where we find the Real Presence of Our Lord and His Mother.  It is also where you can listen and hear what God has to say to you by simply sitting in His Silence.

 

Our Lord showers us with his blessings when we show him our love by making a weekly commitment to spend an hour in Adoration.  Every hour can accommodate additional Adorers; so make a commitment by going to www.adorationpro.org/ihmmi and clicking on the box that says:  ‘Weekly Commitment’.

Experience The Heavenly Court

 The Presence of the Heavenly Court

Our Savior has brought Heaven to earth by giving us Himself in the Most Blessed Sacrament, for He is the same God who is in Heaven, surrounded by His angels; and in His presence in our chapel we can associate ourselves with all the heavenly court who form an invisible guard around Him.  You would deprive yourself of the sweetest joys of your life if you failed to come and pour out your love and petitions before His real presence.  He allows Himself to be the true refuge of our souls, where we can find comfort, guidance, strength, peace, sanctity, and happiness.  Even though the burdens of our lives seem almost unbearable at times, we all have a Friend who will never fail us - God in the Holy Eucharist.  His Sacred Heart calls to each of us, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”  (Matt. 11:28)

In our world more than 360,000 Masses are offered every twenty-four hours, or four elevations of the Eucharist each second.  When He said I will be with you always - He wasn't kidding.  Praise Be Jesus!

Spiritually Lazy

 Spiritually Lazy

“Most Western people are just spiritually lazy.  And when we are lazy, we stay on the path we are already on, even if it is going nowhere.  It is the spiritual equivalent of the second law of thermodynamics: everything winds down unless some outside force winds it back up.”

Scott Peck quoted in Falling Upward by R. Rohr  p.xix

If you find your spirituality in need of a jump start why not make a commitment to spend time in the Real Presence of our Lord during Eucharistic Adoration.  Time in the chapel could be the ‘outside force’ needed to jump start your Spiritual Journey.

www.adorationpro.org/ihmmi

Window to Heaven - 5

A Window to Heaven - 5

This past Thursday our Lord Jesus Christ gave to us the greatest gift He possible could have on earth, Himself.  This gift is meant to carry us through our spiritual journey on earth, and prepare us for meeting Him in His heavenly home.

But before we do that; each and everyone has to embrace His gift and use it to experience “the greatest peace, calm and joy that comes from being in the presence of the Bridegroom of our souls.”  No one, certainly nothing else on this earth, will ultimately satisfy our deepest longings.  In all creation, in all the beautiful things and people He has made, we see something of Him.

In the Eucharist, we see Him.  Not as we shall see Him when we leave this world, not as He wants to be known by us in eternity, but in the form in which He has chosen to come to us on our earthly journey.  Someday, when this present darkness ends and God is “all in all,” we shall see His beloved face, and we shall be embraced by and love the One Who made us out of love, redeemed us, gave Himself to darkest death for us.

For now, we gaze up at Him as our food encircled by light.  The Eucharist we adore is the window to heaven, the true Body of Our Lord truly present.  “Oh come let us adore Him.”

    (Father Raymond T. Gawronski, S.J.)

Window to Heaven - 4

 Window to Heaven - 4

“The doctrine of the Real Presence means that Jesus is no less present in the Eucharist today than He was at the home of Martha and Mary.  “Oh”, someone might say, “we have the Eucharist on earth: the historical Jesus lived back then; the risen Jesus is in heaven.”  But don’t you see?  In Jesus, earth and heaven became fully one, fully wed: the risen Jesus is earth taken up into heaven.

In Him, the wedding feast has begun.  And Jesus is God, the Lord of heaven, made visible and tangible for us: seeing Him, we see the Father (Jn 14:9).  Our fleshly eyes see bread, for being earth all they see is earth.  But cloaked beneath that form of bread and wine is Jesus Christ, whose risen Body is the heart of heaven.  About Him dance all the company of angels and saints in mirthful adoration.  And some children of earth kneel and sit at the gate of heaven, looking up longingly through the circle of light that is heaven’s heart, and while they are there, all of earth gives way like husks that yield a flower: in His presence all is peace, all is light.

The Eucharist is a real, ongoing presence, not just a moment of communion, but an ongoing being with, and abiding, the eternal reality of the Incarnation, present “in every tabernacle of the world until the end of time,” as the prayer puts it.  In our day, Eucharistic Adoration has become an ever more popular way to be in the presence of Jesus, to adore Him: a way to be in heaven while on earth.”

   (Father Raymond T. Gawronski, S.J.)