Missionaries of the Blessed Sacrament

THE NEW PENTECOST

"I have come to cast fire upon the earth and would that it be enkindled" (Lk 12:49).

"The apostles were gathered around Mary in prayer . . . when the Holy Spirit descended upon them as tongues of fire, that same fire of divine love that inflames the Heart of Jesus in the Eucharist, where the very 'love of God is poured into our hearts' (Rom 5:5). The Holy Eucharist is the 'new and everlasting covenant,' the 'sacrament of unity,' the 'bond of love' between God and man . . . . In the Holy Eucharist, we surrender our hearts to Jesus that in the fire of His divine love He may remake our hearts like unto His, clothing us 'with heartfelt mercy, compassion and humility' (Col 3:12). Jesus lives His life all over again in us, as we radiate to one another the love and virtues of His Eucharistic heart. 'They will know you are My disciples by your love for one another' (Jn 13:35). Jesus 'comforts us in all our afflictions' here in the Eucharist, 'and thus enables us to comfort those who are in trouble with the same consolation we have received from Him' (2 Cor 1:4). Each act of kindness we receive or give is really Jesus loving us through others, or Jesus loving others through us. And what we do for each other, Jesus counts as done to Himself" (Loving Jesus With the Heart of Mary).

"The bread and wine, by the action of the Holy Spirit, really become the body and blood of Christ, who gives himself to be man's nourishment in his journey on earth." "The same logic of love precedes the Incarnation of the Word in the womb of Mary and his making himself present in the Eucharist. It is 'agape,' charity, love in the most beautiful and pure sense" (From Pope John Paul II's, April 8, 2004 homily).

"Jesus gave his mother to us so that she could show us the way to a new childhood, as well as the way to enter into deep solidarity with the anguished, suffering world . . . Each time we lift up the bread of life and the cup of salvation and thus connect the very concrete daily pain of people with the one, all-embracing sacrifice of Jesus, Mary is there and says, 'Become what you are, a true disciple of Jesus, taken, blessed, broken and given.' Dear sisters and brothers, let us put all our trust in her. She will teach us at every moment of our lives how to choose the narrow road and so become more and more disciples with a heart broken for the world, but a heart from which comes both water and blood" (Henri J. M. Nouwen).

"Every commitment to holiness, every activity aimed at carrying out the Church's mission, every work of pastoral planning, must draw the strength it needs from the Eucharistic mystery and in turn be directed to that mystery as its culmination. In the Eucharist we have Jesus, we have his redemptive sacrifice, we have his resurrection, we have the gift of the Holy Spirit, we have adoration" (Pope John Paul II, Ecclesia de Eucharistia, 60).

"As for us, who are called to adoration, the Holy Spirit makes us adore in spirit and in truth. He prays in us, and we pray in Him. He is above all the Teacher of adoration. He it was Who gave to the Apostles the force and spirit of prayer. He is called 'the Spirit of grace and prayer'--Spiritum gratiae et precum. Then let us unite with Him. Since Pentecost He has hovered over the Church and dwells in each one of us to teach us to pray, to form us on the model of Jesus Christ, and to make us like to Him in every way, so that one day we may be united to Him in His unveiled glory" (St. Peter Julian Eymard).

Come Holy Spirit, cast fire upon the earth through Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration!

Our Lady of Fatima--Our Lady of The Most Blessed Sacrament, Feast, May 13 Our Lady pray for us, help us to love, receive, adore and honor your Eucharistic Son!

Bl. Imelda Lambertini, Patroness of First Communicants (1322-1333)--Feast, May 13 Little Imelda, of Bologna, Italy, had a great love for adoration of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. This devotion gave her an intense desire to receive Holy Communion, which she was denied because of her young age. At the age of nine, Imelda entered a Dominican convent, to become a Nun. On Ascension Thursday, in 1333, Imelda--who was the only one at Mass not allowed to receive Communion--ardently longed to receive Jesus. The priest noticed a consecrated Host hovering, before the closed tabernacle, near where Imelda knelt. He was so moved by God's intervention, that he gave Imelda her First Holy Communion. Immediately, Imelda fell into rapture and died out of great love for Jesus!

Solemnity of the Ascension of Our Lord (Lk 24:51-52)--May 20 Mary is the perfect adorer of The Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of our Blessed Lord. After His bodily ascension into Heaven, Mary spent the rest of her life in Eucharistic Adoration.

St. Cristobal Magallenes and Companions, Mexican Martyrs--Feast, May 21 Between 1915 and 1937, 22 priests and 3 laymen gave their lives for the Catholic faith in Mexico. They drew their strength from receiving Jesus in the Holy Eucharist, in Mass and Adoration, and their love and devotion to their Blessed Mother Mary.

St. Rita of Cascia, Wife, Mother, Augustinian Nun (1381-1457)--Feast, May 22 Powerful Patroness of Impossible Cases. Rita suffered through a difficult marriage for 18 years. Her husband died and her two sons not long after him. Rita became a nun and had a deep devotion to the passion of Christ and the Holy Eucharist. She was a stigmatist and suffered the wounds of Christ. St. Rita's incorrupt body is preserved in a shrine in Italy.

St. Mary Magdalen di Pazzi, Carmelite Nun, Incorrupt (1566-1607)--Feast, May 25 A mystic, St. Mary Magdalen, wrote: "O Sisters, if we would only comprehend the fact that while the Eucharistic Species remain within us, Jesus is there and working in us inseparably with the Father and the Holy Spirit and therefore the whole Holy Trinity is there."

St. Philip Neri, Priest, Patron of Rome, Oratory Founder (1515-1595)--Feast, May 26 Said: "With true and living faith I believe that in this adorable Sacrament Thou Thyself, true God and true Man, art present, Who being the sole-begotten Son of God didst yet, from Thy great love for man, take to Thyself human flesh in the most pure womb of Mary ever virgin."

The Visitation (Lk 1:78)Feast, May 31 Mary went to help her cousin Elizabeth who was with child. While still in Elizabeth's womb, John the Baptist recognized Jesus hidden in the womb of Mary, the first tabernacle of the Lord. We now recognize Jesus hidden in the Eucharist.

"It is sufficient to ask favors of Mary to obtain them!" (St. Alphonsus Liguori)

Healing Intentions: Let us ask Our Blessed Mother's intercession for those who need healing. We invite you to send in the names of family, friends and loved ones, especially Mothers, Grandmothers, Godmothers, and Spiritual Mothers, living and deceased, to be included in prayers throughout this month and year and a special novena of masses starting on The Ascension.

Your generous monthly prayers and donations of $10, $25, $50, $100, $500, $1,000 or more can help this apostolate continue on with our outreach ministry. (Visa and Mastercard accepted). M.B.S., P.O. Box 1701, Plattsburgh, NY 12901

(518) 561-8193 www.ACFP2000.com

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