We owe gratitude, adoration, and devotion to the Real Presence of Jesus, reserved in the Blessed Sacrament. Our devotion is expressed in visits to the tabernacle in our churches, at Benediction, and in Eucharistic processions. Benediction is a brief ceremony in which the Blessed Sacrament is exposed for the people to adore and reverence. After the period of adoration, the …
The Holy Eucharist is the center of all sacramental life because It unites and strengthens the Church. Baptism is the beginning of our Christian life. It initiates us into the life of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, but we must grow ever more alive in this divine life by praying, receiving the sacraments, hearing the Word of God, serving …
Prayer is the lifting of our minds and hearts to God. We lift our minds and hearts to God to praise His goodness, to thank Him for His kindness, to acknowledge our sins, to plead for pardon, to ask His aid for our Salvation, and to give glory to Him. When we pray, both our minds and our hearts are …
Mental or interior prayer (as distinct from vocal prayer, which normally is expressed by set formulas) begins with a serious consideration of the truths of the Faith, with a view to their practical application to our daily lives. During mental prayer, you grow in the knowledge of your faith and acquire principles of right living by applying yourself to prolonged …
Prayer is necessary because (1) God has commanded us to pray, and (2) it is an unconditional means of obtaining grace. The need for prayer is rooted in man’s very nature as a creature of God who receives gifts from His generosity. 1. Prayer is necessary because God has commanded us to pray. The First Commandment of God binds man …
The four purposes of prayer are: (1) adoration, (2) thanksgiving, (3) repentance, and (4) petition. 1. Adoration. Our first and foremost duty is to acknowledge God’s supreme dominion over us, as our Creator and Father; our absolute dependence on Him, as His creatures and children; and His supreme excellence. The worship of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, is called …
We should pray with (1) attention, (2) a spirit of humility, (3) a deep desire for the graces we need from God, (4) a loving trust in God’s goodness, (5) resignation to God’s will, and (6) perseverance. 1. We should pray with attention by forming in our minds the intentions of praying well and of fixing our minds on God. …
The Holy Eucharist is a sacrament of unity because it unites the faithful more closely with Jesus and with one another. By receiving the Body and Blood of the Lord in the Holy Eucharist, we are taken up into a close union with Him and with one another. In this sacrament, the unity of all those who believe in Jesus …
A sacrifice to God consists in a lawful priest offering some befitting gift to God, as a victim in the name of the people, in order to acknowledge God’s absolute sovereignty over creation. In a sacrifice, man gives to God something of his own property; this surrender occurs through real or symbolic destruction, whereby the gift is removed from its …
Holy Communion is the Eucharistic meal of the Body and Blood of Christ, which: (1) reminds us of the Last Supper, (2) celebrates our unity with one another in Christ, and (3) is a foretaste of the eternal Messianic Banquet of Heaven. 1. Holy Communion is the Eucharistic meal of the Body and Blood of Christ, which reminds us of …