"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

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.