🌹Monday's with Blessed Mary🌹= By The Little Flowers of St. Francis
🧀The Cheese & Crackers = Quotes by Billy Graham, Venerable Pierre Toussaint, and G.K. Chesterton
🍆The Veggies = My 2💰
🍟The Potatoes = "Article: “When the Master knocks – open at once " by Don Schwager
🌭The Meat = Article: "An Exhortation To Hear Holy Mass Devoutly", from Luisa Piccarreta Official Website (Part 2 of 2)
🍧The Dessert = Video: “The Devout Life”, by Fr. James Otto (Seminar 7 of 7)
🌰“I have enough for myself, but if I stop working I have not enough for others.” By Venerable Pierre Toussaint
🌗 "Humility is the mother of giants. One sees great things from the valley; only small things from the peak." By G.K. Chesterton
“One day, when a priest was celebrating Mass, I saw, at the moment of Consecration, how all the powers of heaven were set in motion. I heard, at the same time, a heavenly music, most harmonious, most sweet. Numberless Angels came down, the chant of whom no human understanding can conceive, nor the tongue of man describe. They surrounded and looked upon the priest, bowing towards him in reverential awe. The devils commenced to tremble, and took to flight in the greatest confusion and terror"
The following was also very interrsting:
"All this is in accordance with what other great Saints have seen or said on this subject. St. John Chrysostom says that whole choirs of Angels are surrounding the altar whilst Jesus Christ is as a victim upon it. St. Euthymius, when saying Mass, would often see many Angels assisting at the Sacred Mysteries in reverential awe. At other times he would see an immense fire and light coming down from heaven and enveloping him and his assistant to the end of the holy sacrifice. In the same manner the Holy Ghost would, in the form of a fiery flame, surround St. Anastasius whilst celebrating Mass."
Upon reading what was just share, the scriptures below came to mind:
She tells me that she has a relationship with God and that she is thanking him all day long, organized religion is not for her. Praying for her as well as myself, we all need more graces to live holy. Who can argue about an important prayer like one of thanksgiving? Isn't it a great one that is often neglected? She had something happen in her life as to why she doesn't like the hierarchy and prefers to not practice her Catholic faith. Every now and then still brow beating her to do something, but can now understand a bit better the obstacles that have caused her to take the position she has settled upon. Charitable she definitely is, always trying to help others, loving and kind. During Lent she even sends the rice bowl filled with money to church.
Long ago when churches used to be open, she told me she would stop in for a visit. When asked about going to Mass, she tells me: "NO". So you would think people going every day would know what she's knows: we aren't there to talk and fellowship with each other, and it’s not the time to setting down comfortably to sleep in the chapel. People on meds who falls asleep or who are very tired, that is quite a different story. No one is here to judge why people are doing what they are doing, but we surely have common sense to know right from wrong, reverence from irreverence, and lukewarmness in one's relationship with the Lord. The saints are very fine examples, so we have no excuse but to learn our faith. You have taken a detour so now to get back on track. The ones who usually have a problem with something are the ones who are guilty of justifying their own will and not wanting to walk the straight and narrow. Free will is granted to all, but may our free will not lead to condemnation on the last day, but life everlasting. It’s either an “Amen” or “Ouch”.
All of this is specifically referencing daily communicants, then in general Sunday Catholics, who should most definitely understand proper church behavior where the perpetual presence of Jesus is in the tabernacle. A conference room, the church is not. A fellowship hall, NO, NO! Father forgive us for we know not what we do, and also for having no desire to want to do what is right. Another scripture coming to mind is
What a delight to get a response back from my friend Clara when she finally read the text mess days later. She told me over the phone how she is practicing this, and that such a simple gesture have helped intensify her experience at Mass and helps her keep the focus better. What a delight to hear that, it was like fuel to keep me trying to stay connected with God and that sharing my lessons with those interested in growth are not in vain. Constantly God is on my case, but that is such a good thing, because He is gentle and much is at stake. One thing is for sure is you’ll find me not in the market of losing out in the life to come. So much grounds to cover and so little time, but like Jesus said, be true and work hard, He Himself will cross me over the finish line. So for those who care to reach higher grounds, it would be wise to learn and share their lessons so that we all can one day rejoice forever and ever in the kingdom of Heaven.`
If we could only understand the sublimity of the Holy Mass, and truly see how God deserves the standard of "perfection". For He Himself said "to be". It is not that we can say ever say " I am" perfect, but always working on being perfect, by responding to every grace coming our way. When it is Jesus living in us and no longer all about us, then in us He Himself will be our perfection. Want to know more about that, The Mystical Incarnation explains it all. We will be held accountable for squandering graces. Those who have not put themselves in the position to receive many graces will get fewer stripes than those who avail themselves, then end up trampling the graces under their feet. Running along one's own way, leaning on their one's understanding is so not a good thing. St. Paul said the following words in Scripture:
Recently exposed to something new by Katie, she mentioned the word "Anawim". Thank you Jesus, the dictionary to the rescue, for this is exactly what we all need to become. More on that another day, thank you Katie for inspiring me to aspire to be an Anawim, yes, yes,yes!!! The body of Christ, we do make each other better!
Info from this site:
https://www.swordofthespirit.net/tuesday-october-23-when-the-master-knocks-open-at-once/
Luke 12:35-38 "Let your loins be girded and your lamps burning, and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the marriage feast, so that they may open to him at once when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes; truly, I say to you, he will gird himself and have them sit at table, and he will come and serve them. If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them so, blessed are those servants! |
But Jesus' story adds an unexpected reward for those who open at once - even in the middle of the night when everyone is fast asleep. The master who returns from a wedding feast to his home late at night does the unthinkable when his servants greet him at the door. He puts on a servant's uniform and apron and seats his servants at his own table. And then - to their astonishment no doubt - the master himself waits on his servants at table by serving them his choice food and drink. Jesus' parable turns the world's way of thinking upside-down. The master rewards his faithful servants by serving them himself with the best provision, care, and service he can offer.
This story illustrates the amazing generous spirit, servant-hearted love, and profound humility of God who is the exalted Lord and Master over all he has created. The Father sent his only begotten Son to become a man for our sake who shed his blood for us on the cross to save us from slavery to sin and Satan and victory over death through his resurrection power that gives us new abundant life in his Spirit. Paul the Apostle tells us that Jesus who was equal with the Father, nonetheless, humbled himself and became a servant for our sake
Philippians 2:5-8 "Have among yourselves the same attitude that is also yours in Christ Jesus,Who,* though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross" |
Info from this site: https://luisapiccarreta.com/the-holy-mass/an-exhortation-to-hear-holy-mass-devoutly/
"The Son of God then chanted the Gratias agamus to the glory and honor of His Eternal Father. At the Preface, He remained silent for an hour after the words Per Jesum Christum, while the heavenly hosts chanted the Dominum nostrum with ineffable jubilation, declaring that He was their Creator, Redeemer, and the liberal Rewarder of all their good works, and that He alone was worthy of honor and glory, praise and exaltation, power and dominion, from and over all creatures. At the words laudant angeli, all the angelic spirits ran hither and thither, exciting the heavenly inhabitants to sing the Divine praises. At the words Adorant Dominatlones, the Choir of Dominations knelt to adore our Lord, declaring that to Him alone every knee should bow, whether in Heaven, on earth, or under the earth. At the Tremunt Potestates, the Powers prostrated before Him to declare that He alone should be adored and at the Coeli cwlorumque, they praised God with all the angel choirs.
Then all the heavenly hosts sang together in harmonious concert the Cum quibus et nostras ; and the Virgin Mary, the effulgent Rose of Heaven, who is blessed above all creatures, chanted the Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus, extolling with the highest gratitude by these three words the incomprehensible omnipotence, the inscrutable wisdom, and the ineffable goodness of the Ever Blessed Trinity, inciting all the celestial choirs to praise God for having made Her most powerful after the Father, most wise after the Son, and most benign after the Holy Ghost. The Saints then continued the Domine Deus Sabaoth. When this was ended, Gertrude saw our Lord rise from His royal throne and present His blessed Heart to His Father, elevating it with His own hands, and immolating it in an ineffable manner for the whole Church. At this moment the bell rang for the Elevation of the Host in the Church, so that it appeared as if our Lord did in heaven what the priests did on earth; but the Saint was entirely ignorant of what was passing in the Church, or what the time was.
As she continued in amazement at so many marvels our Lord told her to recite the Pater Noster. When she had finished He accepted it from her, and granted to all the Saints and Angels, for her sake, that by this Pater Noster they should accomplish everything which had ever been accomplished for the salvation of the Church and for the souls in purgatory. Then He suggested her to pray for the Church, which she did, for all in general, and for each in particular, with the greatest fervor, and the Lord united her prayer to those which He had offered Himself when in the flesh, to be applied to the Universal Church. Then she exclaimed: “But, Lord, when shall I communicate?” And our Lord communicated Himself to her with a love and tenderness which no human tongue could describe, so that she received the perfect fruit of His most precious Body and Blood. After this He sang a canticle of love for her, and declared to her, that had this union of Himself with her been the sole fruit of His labors, sorrows and Passion, He would have been fully satisfied. Oh, inestimable sweetness of the Divine condescension, Who so delights in human hearts that He considers His union with them a sufficient return for all the bitterness of His Passion! and yet, what should we not owe Him had He only shed one drop of His precious Blood for us !
Our Lord then chanted Qaudete justi, and all the Saints rejoiced with Gertrude. Then our Lord said, in the name of the Church Militant, Befecti cibo, etc. ; He then saluted all the Saints lovingly, saying, Dominus
vobiscum, and thereby increased the glory and joy of all the blessed. The Saints and Angels then sang, for the Ite Missa Est, Te decet laus et honor Domine, to the glory and praise of the effulgent and ever peaceful Trinity. The Son of God extended His royal hand and blessed the Saint, saying: ” I bless thee, O daughter of eternal light, with this special blessing, granting you this favor, that whenever you desire to do good to any one from particular affection, they will be as much benefited above others as Jacob was above Esau when he received his father’s blessing.”
My dear reader, were our Lord to favor you but once with such a vision, how great would not be your devotion in hearing Mass! Ah! dear reader, our vision Must be our faith; faith is the best of all visions, because it is not subject to any illusion. In the light of a lively faith you will see in every Mass all these marvels of Divine Omnipotence, Wisdom and Goodness, which St. Gertrude saw. This faith teaches us to do what St. James, the Apostle, says in his Mass: “When the moment of Consecration is arriving, every one should be silent, and trembling with reverential awe; he should forget everything earthly, remembering that the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords is coming down upon the altar as a victim to be offered to God the Father, and as food to be given to the faithful; He is preceded by the Angelic choirs, in full splendor, with their faces veiled, singing hymns of praise with great joy.” Of these hymns of praise St. Bridget writes thus:
“One day, when a priest was celebrating Mass, I saw, at the moment of Consecration, how all the powers of heaven were set in motion. I heard, at the same time, a heavenly music, most harmonious, most sweet. Numberless Angels came down, the chant of whom no human understanding can conceive, nor the tongue of man describe. They surrounded and looked upon the priest, bowing towards him in reverential awe. The devils commenced to tremble, and took to flight in the greatest confusion and terror. All this is in accordance with what other great Saints have seen or said on this subject. St. John Chrysostom says that whole choirs of Angels are surrounding the altar whilst Jesus Christ is as a victim upon it. St. Euthymius, when saying Mass, would often see many Angels assisting at the Sacred Mysteries in reverential awe. At other times he would see an immense fire and light coming down from heaven and enveloping him and his assistant to the end of the holy sacrifice. In the same manner the Holy Ghost would, in the form of a fiery flame, surround St. Anastasius whilst celebrating Mass."