Missionaries of the Blessed Sacrament

"He shall be peace" (Micah 5:4a).

"God is Emmanuel--God with us. For this reason, we must never feel alone . . . He is close to us, he became one of us being born in the virginal womb of Mary. He shared our pilgrimage on earth, enabling us to attain that joy and peace, to which we aspire from the depth of our being . . . . God took the initiative to come to meet us. Becoming a baby, Jesus assumed our nature and established his covenant with the whole of humanity forever . . . . He came to Bethlehem to stay with us forever" (Pope John Paul II, General Audience, Dec. 17, 2003).

Day and night Jesus dwells in the Blessed Sacrament because of His infinite love for us! "Behold I am with you always until the end of the world" (Mt 28:20).

In Pope John Paul II's new apostolic letter on the 40th Anniversary of "Sacrosanctum Concilium," he explains that the thirst for God that contemporary men and women experience, despite secularization, must be slaked by intimate contact with Jesus Christ in the Eucharist (Zenit, Dec. 9, 2003).

New Year Wishes to Our Eucharistic Lord Excerpts from St. Peter Julian Eymard May Thy kingdom come! May it spread far and wide; may it gain prestige; may it progress in every way! That is what we must wish our Lord on this New Years Day. May He be known and loved by those who neither know or love Him! May everyone complete in himself the work of the Incarnation and of the Redemption! Get to know our Lord better. Study His life, His sacrifices, and His virtues in the Most Blessed Sacrament. Study His love. Instead of always remaining within ourselves, let us go up to Him; it is all very well to see ourselves in Him, but to see Him in us is better. Instead of attending to yourself, attend to our Lord and make Him grow in you. Think of Him; study Him in Himself; penetrate into Him. You will find the food of your life in Him; for He is great and infinite. That is the broad and royal road to holiness and the way to the ennobling of our lives. Let us then love Him for our own sakes. Let us love Him for those who do not love Him, for our relatives and our friends. Let us pay our familys debt and our countrys. That is what all the saints do; they thus imitate our Lord Who loves His Father for all men and becomes surety for the whole world. May our Lord, the gentle Savior Who loves us so much, become at long last the King, the Master, and the Spouse of our soul!

"The daily adoration or visit to the Blessed Sacrament is the practice which is the fountainhead of all devotional works" (Pope St. Pius X).

"This [Perpetual Adoration] truly is a work of grace. By means of Perpetual Adoration of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, families, parishes and neighborhoods will grow in love of God and one another and will help to bring peace on earth" (Bl. Teresa of Calcutta).

Start Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration in your parish and city this year!

Mary, Mother of God & Day of Prayer for World Peace, Jan. 1 "Let us invite the Blessed Virgin to preside maternally over the Eucharistic life of the entire Church. May she, the spouse of the Holy Spirit, implore from Him the attainment of that Life which Christ offers to all through the Sacrament of His Body and Blood, celebrated and received in the power of the Spirit of Life and Love" (Pope John Paul II).

Epiphany, Jan. 4 With the wise men let us adore Him, Christ our Eucharistic Lord!

Baptism of the Lord, Jan. 11 (Jn 1:29-33): John the Baptist saw Jesus and exclaimed "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world." "It is He who will baptize with The Holy Spirit." When we go to "The Lamb," Jesus in The Holy Eucharist, we ask for grace to live out our Baptismal calling as faithful children of The Father. With each Hail Mary we pray--to be open to receiving the gifts of The Holy Spirit (from our A-13 Rosary pamphlet).

St. Hilary of Poitiers, Bishop and Doctor, France (315-367), Jan. 13 A layman when appointed Bishop, St. Hilary is known as "the Doctor of the Divinity of Christ," for his defense of the Divinity of Jesus. He wrote, "The greatest joy that we can give Mary is that of bearing Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament within our breast." "O Sovereign Lord! What do I now behold? All Thy greatness concealed under the veil of bread! And while Thy love for us ungrateful sinners reduces Thee so low, the heavens are astonished, the Angels tremble, and the Seraphim cover their faces. All the powers of the universe bow down in adoration and praise, and with a thousand voices exalt Thine infinite Majesty, which fills both Heaven and earth. Christian people, let us unite our voices with theirs and publish to the whole world this sublime and eternal canticle: Holy, holy, holy is the powerful God of armies! The heavens and the earth are filled with His glory. Let us bless Him that cometh in the name of the Lord, who is the Lord Himself."

St. Francis de Sales, Bishop, Doctor, France (1567-1622), Jan. 24 Wrote, "We must visit Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament a hundred thousand times a day."

St. Angela Merici, Consecrated, Foundress of Ursulines, Italy (1470-1540), Jan. 27 St. Angela worked tirelessly performing works of charity for those in need, in the missions, and in educating girls. Drawing her strength and energy from Jesus, in His Eucharistic presence, Angela began the first teaching order of women founded in the Church.

St. John Bosco, Priest, Salesian Founder, Italy (1815-1888), Jan. 31 "Jesus could have limited his presence only to the celebration of Mass, but no! He wanted to make a permanent dwelling among us. Night and day he awaits us and offers himself to us at all times. Like a most tender mother, he opens his arms to us. He is there generously to give us his gifts. He is there to draw us to him and lead us to paradise with him. Oh! Let us go visit him often" (St. John Bosco).

Help bring peace by spreading Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration worldwide! Last year the cost of paper, printing, mailing, and shipping all increased tremendously. We need your help to continue to print and distribute this newsletter and other Adoration materials worldwide. A donation of $9.99 covers the cost of a one year subscription, $19.98 gives a gift subscription, $29.97 will cover three subscriptions!

Please be generous with your prayers and donations to help bring peace on earth!

M.B.S., P.O. Box 1701, Plattsburgh, NY 12901 (518) 561-8193 www.ACFP2000.com

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