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.

Monday, February 22, 2016

JACINTO MATLO

February 20 is the feast day of Jacinta Marto, she died, February 20, 1920

Jacinta as you know was the youngest of the three children Our Lady of Fatima appeared to.

Look at her picture for a moment……. This is a 7 year old child! Nothing "Hollywood" about her.

There is something amazing about her though…

This little girl was a simple Portuguese peasant one day and within a few months became a great saint.

Following the Angel and then Our Lady’s apparitions to the three children, Jacinta's transformation was amazingly fast.

By the way, the deaths of Jacinta and her brother, Francisco, are one of the many proofs on the veracity of the Fatima apparitions. Both of these children were perfectly healthy at the time of the apparitions, but Our Lady told them they were soon to die, and both were dead within a few years.

Another fact that you may not know is that her body was found partially incorrupt.

But take a look at some of the things she said before she died at age 9. Many of these quotes apply to our times. "Wars are nothing but punishments for the sins of the world."

"Our Lady can no longer hold back the arm of her beloved Son from the world. It is necessary to do penance. If people change their ways, Our Lord will still avail the world; but if they do not, the chastisement will come."
The chastisement turned out to be World War II.
"If men do not change their ways, Our Lady will send the world a punishment the like of which has never been seen. It will fall first . . . upon Spain."
This was the Spanish Civil War.

When Jacinta was moved to Lisbon to be treated at Dona Estefania Hospital, she was lodged at an orphanage in the care of Mother Maria Godinho who carefully took down the seer’s words.

To Mother Godinho:

"… pray much for sinners! Pray much for priests! Pray much for religious! Priests should only occupy themselves with the affairs of the Church. Priests should be pure, very pure. The disobedience of priests and religious to their superiors and to the Holy Father greatly offends Our Lord."

These words apply to our days as well…

"My godmother, pray much for those who govern! Woe to those who persecute the religion of Our Lord! If the government left the Church in peace and gave freedom to the holy Faith, it would be blessed by God."
"The sins that lead more souls to hell are the sins of the flesh."
"Fashions that will greatly offend Our Lord will appear. People who serve God should not follow fashions. The Church has no fashions. Our Lord is always the same."
"Have much charity even for those who are bad. Speak ill of no one and flee from those who do so. Be very patient, for patience leads us to heaven. Mortification and sacrifices greatly please Our Lord."
"Confession is a sacrament of mercy. Therefore, one must approach the confessional with confidence and joy. Without confession there is no salvation."
“The sins which cause most souls to go to hell are the sins of the flesh.”
These beautiful words spoken by this holy little girl Jacinta, are a wonderful source of inspiration and meditation. Every time I read them, it makes me want to be a better person.

Click here for a great article about her.

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