More Snippets from Thomas a Kempis
"O God, hidden Creator of the world, how wonderfully You deal with us! How sweetly and
graciously You dispose of things with Your elect to whom You offer Yourself to be received in
this Sacrament! This, indeed, surpasses all understanding. This in a special manner attracts the
hearts of the devout and inflames their love. Your truly faithful servants, who give their whole life to amendment, often receive in Holy Communion the great grace of devotion and love of virtue.
Oh, the wonderful and hidden grace of this Sacrament which only the faithful of Christ
understand, which unbelievers and slaves of sin cannot experience! In it spiritual grace is conferred, lost virtue restored, and the beauty, marred by sin, repaired. At times, indeed, its grace is so great that, from the fullness of the devotion, not only the mind but also the frail body feels filled with greater strength.
Nevertheless, our neglect and coldness is much to be deplored and pitied, when we are not
moved to receive with greater fervor Christ in Whom is the hope and merit of all who will be saved. He is our sanctification and redemption. He is our consolation in this life and the eternal joy of the blessed in heaven. This being true, it is lamentable that many pay so little heed to the salutary Mystery which fills the heavens with joy and maintains the whole universe in being.
Oh, the blindness and the hardness of the heart of man that does not show more regard for so
wonderful a gift, but rather falls into carelessness from its daily use! If this most holy Sacrament
were celebrated in only one place and consecrated by only one priest in the whole world, with what great desire, do you think, would men be attracted to that place, to that priest of God, in order to witness the celebration of the divine Mysteries! But now there are many priests and Mass is offered in many places, that God’s grace and love for men may appear the more clearly as the Sacred Communion is spread more widely through the world.
Thanks be to You, Jesus, everlasting Good Shepherd, Who have seen fit to feed us poor exiled
people with Your precious Body and Blood, and to invite us with words from Your own lips to
partake of these sacred Mysteries: 'Come to Me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest."
Lord Jesus, help us to deplore the "neglect and coldness" we at times approach your altar with when we receive your body and precious blood. Keep us in awe of the sacred Mystery that "fills the heavens with joy and maintains the whole universe in being."
graciously You dispose of things with Your elect to whom You offer Yourself to be received in
this Sacrament! This, indeed, surpasses all understanding. This in a special manner attracts the
hearts of the devout and inflames their love. Your truly faithful servants, who give their whole life to amendment, often receive in Holy Communion the great grace of devotion and love of virtue.
Oh, the wonderful and hidden grace of this Sacrament which only the faithful of Christ
understand, which unbelievers and slaves of sin cannot experience! In it spiritual grace is conferred, lost virtue restored, and the beauty, marred by sin, repaired. At times, indeed, its grace is so great that, from the fullness of the devotion, not only the mind but also the frail body feels filled with greater strength.
Nevertheless, our neglect and coldness is much to be deplored and pitied, when we are not
moved to receive with greater fervor Christ in Whom is the hope and merit of all who will be saved. He is our sanctification and redemption. He is our consolation in this life and the eternal joy of the blessed in heaven. This being true, it is lamentable that many pay so little heed to the salutary Mystery which fills the heavens with joy and maintains the whole universe in being.
Oh, the blindness and the hardness of the heart of man that does not show more regard for so
wonderful a gift, but rather falls into carelessness from its daily use! If this most holy Sacrament
were celebrated in only one place and consecrated by only one priest in the whole world, with what great desire, do you think, would men be attracted to that place, to that priest of God, in order to witness the celebration of the divine Mysteries! But now there are many priests and Mass is offered in many places, that God’s grace and love for men may appear the more clearly as the Sacred Communion is spread more widely through the world.
Thanks be to You, Jesus, everlasting Good Shepherd, Who have seen fit to feed us poor exiled
people with Your precious Body and Blood, and to invite us with words from Your own lips to
partake of these sacred Mysteries: 'Come to Me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest."
Lord Jesus, help us to deplore the "neglect and coldness" we at times approach your altar with when we receive your body and precious blood. Keep us in awe of the sacred Mystery that "fills the heavens with joy and maintains the whole universe in being."
posted by Russ Rentler, M.D. | 11:11 AM
2 Comments:
Beautiful!
What an awesome thing it is to receive our Lord in the Eucharist. I hope and pray I never lose the wonder of it all.
It is w/out a doubt the Eucharist that bonds us all. I was talking with my friend, Denise, about it on Saturday. I told her I've never had more true and genuine friends in my life since our return to the CC 3 years in Dec. (Dec. 8 to be exact!)
We were in a interdenom church for nearly 14 years and I only have two friends that I'm even in contact with from there. It is the Eucharist that bonds us like no other "bond"...it is the ONE BODY ONE BLOOD SOUL and DIVINITY that unites those of us, Mary's "flowers" in ONE GARDEN, that no matter if we ever move, or change parishes for whatever reason, it won't be because of something "fleshly" or that doesn't "suit ME any longer."
No matter where we go now, the unity of the Eucharist is a healing and precious balm that offers LIFE, which in turn GIVES life to others...and thus, friendships are "born in time" that last for eternity!
Thanks TJ!
Post a Comment
Home