Bread of Life

BREAD OF LIFE
 this is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat it and not die. (john 6: 50)
The miracle of God’s physical presence to us at every Mass is the truest testament to Christ’s love for us and His desire for each of us to have a personal relationship with Him. Jesus Christ celebrated the first Mass with His disciples at the Last Supper, the night before He died. He commanded His disciples, “Do this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19). The celebration of the Mass then became the main form of worship in the early Church, as a reenactment of the Last Supper, as Christ had commanded. Each and every Mass since commemorates Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross through the Holy Eucharist. Because the Mass “re-presents” (makes present) the sacrifice on Calvary, Catholics all around the world join together to be made present in Christ’s timeless sacrifice for our sins. There is something fascinating about continuing to celebrate the same Mass—instituted by Christ and practiced by the early Church—with the whole community of Catholics around the world…and in heaven.

THE REAL PRESENCE

Why does the Catholic Church believe Christ is really present in the Eucharist?
The Catholic doctrine of the Real Presence is the belief that Jesus Christ is literally, not symbolically, present in the Holy Eucharist—body, blood, soul and divinity. Catholics believe in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist because Jesus tells us this is true in the Bible:

“I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that a man may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh." The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, ‘How can this man give us his flesh to eat?’ So Jesus said to them,

"Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you; he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him” - John 6:48-56
Furthermore, the early Church Fathers either imply or directly state that the bread and wine offered in the celebration of the Lord’s Supper is really the body and blood of Jesus Christ. In other words, the doctrine of the Real Presence that Catholics believe today was believed by the earliest Christians 2,000 years ago!

This miracle of God’s physical presence to us at every Mass is the truest testament to Christ’s love for us and His desire for each of us to have a personal relationship with Him.

Sunday, July 18, 2010

THE HOLY ROSARY

Make the sign of the cross: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Then: One (1) Our Father...Three (3) Hail Marys...One (1) Glory be.

Start each Decade by meditating on the Mystery. On the large bead say the Our Father. On the ten small beads say ten Hail Marys. Then recite the Glory Be.

At the end of every decade, recite the following:

O Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fire of hell, bring all souls to heaven, especially those who are in more need of your mercy.

MYSTERIES OF THE ROSARY

JOYFUL: (Mondays and Thursdays)

The annunciation
The visitation
The nativity
The presentation in the temple
The finding of the child Jesus in the temple

SORROWFUL: (Tuesdays and Fridays)

The agony in the garden
The scourging at the pillar
The crowning with thorns
The carrying of the cross.
The crucifixion and dead of our Lord

GLORIOUS: (Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays)

The resurrection
The ascension
The descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles
The assumption
The coronation of the blessed Virgin

LITANY OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN

Lord, have mercy on us
Christ, have mercy on us
Lord, have mercy on us
Christ, hear us
graciously hear us
God the Father of heaven
Have mercy on us
God the Son, redeemer of the world
Have mercy on us
God the Holy Spirit
Have mercy on us
Holy Trinity, one God
Have mercy on us
Holy Mary*
Holy mother of God
Holy Virgin of virgins
Mother of Christ
Mother of the Church
Mother of divine grace
Mother most pure
Mother most chaste
Mother inviolate
Mother undefiled
Mother immaculate
Mother most amiable
Mother most admirable
Mother of good counsel
Mother of our Creator
Mother of our Savior
Virgin most prudent
Virgin most venerable
Virgin most renowned
Virgin most powerful
Virgin most merciful
Virgin most faithful
Mirror of justice
Seat of wisdom
Cause of our joy
Spiritual vessel
Vessel of honor
Singular vessel of devotion
Mystical rose
Tower of David
Tower of ivory
House of gold
Ark of the covenant
Gate of heaven
Morning star
Health of the sick
Refuge of sinners
Comforter of the afflicted
Help of Christians
Queen of angels
Queen of patriarchs
Queen of prophets
Queen of apostles
Queen of martyrs
Queen of confessors
Queen of virgins
Queen of all saints
Queen conceived without original sin
Queen assumed into heaven
Queen of the most holy Rosary
Queen of the families
Queen of peace
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.
Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takes away the mundi. sins of the world.
Graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.
Have mercy on us.
We fly to your patronage, O holy Mother of God. Despice not our petitions in our necessities, but deliver us from all dangers, O ever glorious and blessed Virgin. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Let us pray. Pour forth, we beseech you,mine, O Lord, your grace into our hearts, that we to whom the incarnation of Christ, your Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by his passion and cross be brought to the glory of his resurrection, through the same Christ our Lord.



Amen

For the needs of the Church and of the State.

Our Father...Hail Mary...Glory Be.
For the person and intentions of the (Arch) Bishop of this diocese.
Our Father...Hail Mary...Glory Be.
For the holy souls in purgatory.
Our Father...Hail Mary...
May they rest in peace. Amen.

THE MEMORARE

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help or sought your intercession, was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto you, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother. To you I come, before you I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word incarnate, despise not my petitions, but, in your mercy, hear and answer me. Amen.

HAIL, HOLY QUEEN (This anthem is attributed to Adhemar de Monteil, Bishop of Le Puy(+1098). The three final invocations were added by St.Bernard (1091-1153)

Hail, Holy Queen, mother of mercy, hail, our life, our sweetness, and our hope! To you do we cry poor banished children of Eve! To you do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears! Turn then, most gracious advocate, your eyes of mercy toward us; and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of your womb, Jesus! O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary!.



-. Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God.



-. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.



Let us pray. Almighty and everlasting God, by the co-operation of the Holy Spirit, you prepared the body and soul of Mary, glorious Virgin and Mother to become the worthy habitation of your Son; grant that by her gracious intercession, in whose commemoration we rejoice, we may be delivered from present evils and from everlasting death. Through the same Christ our Lord. -. Amen.



May divine assistance remain with us always.



Amen.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Brothers and sisters:

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body, which is the church, of which I am a minister in accordance with God's stewardship given to me to bring to completion for you the word of God, the mystery hidden from ages and from generations past.

But now it has been manifested to his holy ones, to whom God chose to make known the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; it is Christ in you, the hope for glory.

It is he whom we proclaim,
admonishing everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.(Colossians 1:24-28)