Catholic Fire

“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.” -- Matthew 11:28-30 "Everyone who follows Christ receives true peace, the peace that Christ alone can give, a peace which the world cannot give." -- Pope Francis "Each time we look upon Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, He raises us up into deeper union with Himself, opens up the floodgates of His merciful love to the whole world, and brings us closer to the day of His final victory 'where every knee will bend and proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord.' 'The reign of God is already in your midst.' The coming of Jesus to us in the Eucharist is assurance of His promise of final victory: 'Behold, I come to make all things new.'"  — Blessed Teresa of Calcutta

A reflection for September 25:

Today, July 5, the Church remembers Saint Anthony Mary Zaccaria. A renowned preacher and promoter of Eucharistic adoration, he founded the order of priests now known as the Barnabites. Saint Anthony Maria Zaccaria was born at Cremona, Italy, in 1502, of noble parents. His father Lazzaro died when Anthony was two, and  Antonietta, his eighteen-year-old mother, never remarried, but devoted herself to performing charitable works for the poor. She passed on her love for the poor to her son. As a child, Anthony gave his coat to a poor beggar who was shivering with cold. Anthony studied philosophy and medicine at the Universities of Pavia and Padua. He became a licensed physician at the age of 22 and returned to Cremona. He cared for his patient's physical needs, but was even more concerned about their spiritual well-being, encouraging them to frequent the sacraments to obtain spiritual healing. He studied theology, and, at the age of 26, was ordained to the priesthood. Those pr...

June 3, 2013. (Romereports.com) It was five o clock in the afternoon in Rome, when the Eucharistic Adoration began in St. Peter's Basilica. Simultaneously, the world followed. Given the fact that many countries, celebrated the Feast of Corpus Christi on Sunday, the Vatican organized a global, simultaneous Eucharistic Adoration to mark the Year of Faith. Pope Francis prayed before the Blessed Sacrament and thousands of pilgrims came along as well to pray before the Eucharist for an hour. Throughout the world, in parishes and cathedrals, million of Catholics joined in, at that very moment. The ceremony in Rome was solemn and simple. It included liturgical hymns, prayers and readings from the Bible, but above all, still periods of silent prayer. In the Americas, the prayer was in the morning. In the Atlantic, Europe and  Africa, in the afternoon. In Asia it was night-time, while in the Pacific the prayer was in the overnight hours. The Pope didn't give a speech before o...

May 28, 2013. (Romereports.com) On June 2nd, Catholics worldwide will pray simultaneously. It will be a truly historic event: Pope Francis will lead the Eucharistic adoration in St Peter's Basilica, joined by the faithful in cathedrals all over the world. ARCH. RINO FISICHELLLA President, Pontifical Council for the New Evangelization “It will be a historic moment, because for an hour cathedrals throughout the world will be in communion with the Pope in Eucharistic adoration. We had a massive support to this initiative: it extends beyond the cathedrals and involves episcopal conferences, parishes and religious congregations, especially cloistered convents and associations.” It is going to be a simple celebration, with no speech or homily by the Pope. However, the Vatican will broadcast footage of the Basilica and connect with countries around the world. Prayer will take place between 5 and 6 PM Italian time (16.00-17.00 GMT). In Mexico, it will be at 10 am, in Iceland at 3 ...

PROMOTING AUTHENTIC EUCHARISTIC ADORATION In the Eucharist we experience the fundamental transformation of violence into love, of death into life; the Body and Blood of Christ are offered so that we ourselves may in turn be transformed. Benedict XVI reiterated this in his speech to the participants of the Plenary Assembly of the Congregation for Divine Worship, during which he also emphasized the importance of being vigilant against the dangers of deviating from a correct use of the liturgy.The Pope requested that Eucharist adoration be intensified through a greater awareness of this mystery, in complete fidelity to Sacred Tradition, and through the enrichment of our communities liturgical life.

On Mary's birthday I want to give her something special this year -- not just something for today, but for the entire year. But what do you give to a Mother who has everything? She truly has it all -- She's in Heaven with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. She has no sin on her soul, and possesses a glorified body. She's beautiful, intelligent, and wise and possesses every virtue anyone could ever desire. She has no need for material things. Of course, she has my heart. Several years ago, I made my Consecration to Mary, entrusting my heart to her. Then, when I made my Oblature with the Community of St. John a few years ago, I offered up my life to Jesus through Mary, making promises of poverty, chastity, and obedience. So what's left? Well, I am certainly far from being perfect and have miles to go before I could ever begin to love her Son and others the way she loves them. I can't ever expect to acquire the level of holiness that she has, but I can do my bes...

The Contemplative Life When Clare heard St. Francis of Assisi preach his Lenten homilies at the Church of San Giorgo, she felt a fire stir within her soul and became determined to live the gospel in a radical way. On the evening of Palm Sunday, at the age of 18, she secretly left her paternal home with her cousin Pacifica, never to return. In the dead of night lit only by torches, Clare met Francis and his friars at the ‘Portiuncola’. There, in the little chapel of ‘Mary of the Angels’, Francis cut her long blond hair and Clare laid aside her fine clothes, clothing herself in a simple dress of sackcloth and a thick veil. She vowed from that moment on to give herself totally to God, her eternal spouse. Clare was placed by Francis temporarily with the Benedictine nuns until Francis built with his own hands a cloister for her and her community, the Order of Poor Ladies, later known as the Poor Clares. The Poor Ladies lived apart from the world and supported Francis and his followers throu...

Rebecca Dussault -- a friend of the Community of St. John was there with her family. She gave a wonderful witness which I will share in a later post. You can read her journal/blog here. Members of the Community of St. John who worked with the youth in the Eucharistic Adoration Chapel. The rosary quilt with prayers to end abortion was on display and was blessed by Fr. Frank Pavone. Fr. Frank Pavone celebrated the Holy Mass and is seen here giving one of his rousing homilies. He also gave a wonderful talk which I attended entitled "Mary, Our Mother, at the Beginning and End of Life." Priests for Life Voters’ Guide to the 2008 Presidential Election can be found here. There were many more great speakers. I was busy working as a volunteer for different activities at the conference, so I didn't have much time to take a lot of notes or to visit with speakers, but in addition to hearing Rebecca Dussault and Fr. Frank Pavone, I was also able to to hear at least one of the ta...

Donna Cori Gibson talks about the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist. Contains scenes from the film The Passion of the Christ. Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist. He is waiting for you. Go spend an hour with Jesus. He asked Peter, James & John to watch one hour with Him and pray. Can you do the same please? Jesus is so thirsty for your faith.

at this week's Catholic Carnival, which is being hosted by the sanguine Sarah who has been enjoying the beautiful spring weather in Ohio. A few of my favorite posts there include: Esther's post on How to Avoid Purgatory , in which she provides a list of ways to avoid or lessen our time there. Christine's new music video I Want to Be Like You . Matthew's post So thankful for what I have , in which he shares his recollection of an encounter with a homeless man after work late one night. Sarah's post Causing My Own Sleep Deprivation -- Reflections on Eucharistic Adoration as an absolutely essential part of this busy mom's crazy schedule. Heidi's post Thanks, Mom! Here's a writing contest you can win! Is there a woman in your life who has been like a mother to you ... though she is not the woman who gave birth to you? It could be a godmother, favorite aunt or teacher, sister, or friend. But don't stop there, go here to read all of the great posts!

Dr. Peter Kreeft: "We are living in a spiritual Hiroshima" Dr. Peter Kreeft (pronounced "kreft") is a professor of philosophy at Boston College. He is an orthodox Roman Catholic, who has written over 45 books, and who contributes regularly to various Christian publications. Dr. Kreeft is one of the most eloquent voices for the Faith in America. This summary of Dr. Kreeft's remarks was prepared on March 9, 2008, by Joseph A. Wemhoff, from memory and from extensive notes taken during the talk. Dr. Kreeft has his own website at http://www.peterkreeft.com/ . In the 1960s, the term "culture war" meant the conflict between the Establishment and the Counter Culture. Later, it came to mean the conflict between Science and the Humanities. The term became formalized with the publication of the book Culture Wars by James Hunter in the 1990s. Pope John Paul II fueled the idea by drawing the distinction between the "Culture of Life" and the "Culture ...

Today was a desert day for me -- a day of prayer and and a time of drawing closer to the Lord. Although I was ill with an FMS /OA flare, I was able to make it to Holy Mass and Eucharistic Adoration today. I prayed for the following special intentions: (Please feel free to join me in prayer.) For the special intentions of the Holy Father. For the Priests and the Brothers I have spiritually adopted. For healing for Linda, who injured her ankle and leg in an accident. For continued healing for Maureen, who sprained her ankle. For a special intention for Al. For the repose of the soul of Ebeth's father-in-law and for peace and comfort for the family. For E., a young woman who will be entering the Church this Easter, for all the graces she needs at this time to draw close to the Lord. For L.'s special intention. For Marcel's prayer requests. For B. and a resolution to a work conflict. For Sister Patricia's 11 year old nephew, Jon, who went on a school sking trip and has be...

I love this video and wanted to show it again to celebrate this beautiful feast day and the joy we as Catholics share. Today, let us feast once again on the Body and Blood of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I am also dedicating this to those who are being drawn to the Church by their desire for a more intimate relationship with Jesus and for those who want to know why Catholics love their faith so much. My Favorite Eucharistic Quotes: "For every Christian generation, the Eucharist is indispensable food that sustains us as we cross the desert of this world, dried by ideological and economic systems that do not promote life, but repress it. A world in which the logic of power and possession dominates, instead of the logic of service and love; a world in which the culture of violence and death often triumphs." ~ Pope Benedict XVI, in his homily on the feast of Corpus Christi "Every time we celebrate the Eucharist in the Church, we recall the death of the Savior, we proc...

"In medicine, when a patient is suffering from anemia, blood will be transferred from a healthy person to cure the sick of that condition. Skin is grafted from the back to the face to repair a burn. If blood can be transfused and skin grafted, then prayers and sacrifices can be transmitted to the sick members of the Mystical Body of Christ. The Motivation for a Holy Hour is reparation. We pray for those who do not pray, we make acts of faith in the Real Presence for those who have lost faith. In a word, we are the victims, like Christ, innocent but one with their guilt in the progressive redemption of mankind." ~ Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, from Those Mysterious Priests