Missionaries of the Blessed Sacrament

“In the tender compassion of our God the dawn from on high shall break upon us,  
to shine on those who dwell in darkness and in the shadow of death,  
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.” (Luke 1:78-79)

“Our own belief is that the renovation of the world will be brought about only by the Holy Eucharist.” (Leo XIII) 

What can I give Jesus? I will give Him my heart.

“Here is a good thought which is not often mentioned: receive Communion not only for yourself, in order to have this immense grace, but for Jesus, in order to respond to His desire to come down into you, to give Him the joy of descending into your heart, which is a heaven for Him. Perhaps you will say, ‘What? My poor heart, so miserable, so unworthy, a heaven for Jesus?’ Yes, if you call upon Him to make your heart a heaven for Him. Listen to little Therese: ‘I offered myself to Jesus, not as a person who desires to receive His visit for my own consolation, but on the contrary, for the pleasure of Him who gives Himself to me. It is not in order to remain in the golden ciborium that He comes down each day from Heaven, but in order to find another heaven, the heaven of our souls, made in His image, the living temple of the adorable Trinity.’” (Pere Jean du Coeur de Jesus d’Elbee, I Believe in Love)

I will praise God with the heart of the Angels

“Venerable Bruno [Lanteri] writes, ‘At the Gloria, I will seek the sentiments and the heart of the Angels.’ When we pray the words, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to people of good will. We praise you, we bless you, we adore you, we glorify you,’ and the whole of this prayer of praise, Venerable Bruno invites us to do so with the sentiments and heart of the angels on the night when Christ was born in Bethlehem (Luke 2:13-14).

“God has taken flesh and lies in a manger. The angel proclaims ‘good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord’ (Luke 2:10-11). As the shepherds gaze in wonder, a multitude of angels fills the heavens and sings God’s praise…. Our Gloria in the Mass praises God with their same words.

“With what appreciation of God’s work did the angels sing these words that night? With what understanding of the magnitude of the gift? With what joy? With what delight? With what desire to praise God for the immensity of his love? When you pray the Gloria at Mass, Venerable Bruno tells us, ask for their same sentiments. Ask for a heart like theirs, eager to proclaim God’s praises.” (A Biblical Way of Praying the Mass, Fr. Timothy Gallagher, OMV)

Meditations on the Holy Rosary

Servant of God Fr. Dolindo Ruotolo, called a saint by Padre Pio, wrote these reflections in his book on the Rosary:

In the Third Joyful Mystery, the Birth of Jesus, the soul adores the Divine Redeemer as a Child, unites itself to the choir of angels and offers to Jesus its gifts, as did the shepherds and the magi. It makes reparation in this way for its own ingratitude, and that of others, toward Jesus. The soul offers itself to Him with the loving tenderness, which the little Newborn inspires.

Jesus: Every day I come to you in the Holy Eucharist, and every day I rest in you as in the stable of Bethlehem. I was born in the silence of the night, and in the silence of love I want to work in your soul.

The soul: Come, O my Jesus. I believe in You. I adore You. Come into my poor heart and let me warm You with my love. I believe it is You who comes to me, and I want to be faithful to You till death.

St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Carmelite, Church Doctor, Patroness of Missionaries, (1873-1897), France—Oct. 1:  

“I wanted to give Him consolation, to draw near to the tabernacle, to be watched over, tended and gathered by Him.” (St. Therese) “St. Therese, you loved to meditate upon the Scriptures in the presence of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist. Help me to always remember His words, as I pray before Him. Please intercede that I may hear His voice and do His holy will.” (From The Little Way of Healing Love Through the Passion of Jesus, available through us) 

St. Francis of Assisi, Deacon, Franciscan Founder, Stigmatist (c. 1181-1226), Italy—October 4 : 

“Let everyone be struck with fear, the whole world tremble, and the heavens exult when Christ, the Son of the living God, is present on the altar in the hands of a priest!” (St. Francis of Assisi) 

St. Faustina, Religious, Virgin, Mystic, Visionary, Apostle of Divine Mercy (1905-1938), Poland—October 5: 

“When the priest took the Blessed Sacrament to bless the people, I saw Jesus as he is represented in the [Divine Mercy] image. The Lord gave his blessing and the rays extended over the whole world.” (St. Faustina) 

Bl. Francis Xavier Seelos, Redemptorist, missionary to US, Miracle worker (1819-1867), Bavaria—Oct. 5: 
Among his top ten ways to holiness were: “Go to Mass with deepest devotion.” “Say the rosary every day.” “Also daily, if at all possible, visit the Blessed Sacrament.” He also promoted frequent Confession and spiritual reading.

Our Lady of the Rosary: Pray the Rosary every day!— October 7: 

“Jesus gave Himself as spiritual food and True Presence among us in the Blessed Sacrament. In our own century at Fatima, Mary asked the three children and us to, ‘Pray the Rosary every day.’ Here we see two marvelous fonts of grace flowing together. When we receive Jesus in the Eucharist, we become united with Him. Adoring His presence exposed on the altar or in the tabernacle we bask in His warmth. Meditating on the Rosary, we recall Jesus’ life, death and resurrection and the union of His mother in the work of our salvation. Through the Eucharist and the Rosary, two hearts are joined in love, and we, in love, are joined to those two hearts.” (Michael Six)

Anniversary of Our Lady’s Apparition at Fatima and the Miracle of the Sun (1917), Portugal—October 13: 

“Jacinta, one of the three children to whom our Blessed Mother appeared in Fatima, was struck down by the flu epidemic that raged in 1918. For a time she seemed to be recovering, she even had the strength to attend Mass and make visits to the Blessed Sacrament. But little by little her health deteriorated and it was only with difficulty that she managed to drag herself to church along the country lanes. When told that her health was too poor to allow her to attend Mass she replied: ‘I’m going for sinners who miss Mass even on Sundays.’” (The Link, No. 59) 

St. Teresa of Avila, Carmelite, Doctor of the Church, Reformer, Mystic, (1515-1582), Spain—October 15: 

“I am quite sure that if we could but once approach the Most Holy Sacrament with great faith and love, it would suffice to make us rich. How much more so if we approach it often!” (St. Teresa) 

St. Ignatius of Antioch, Bishop and martyr (d. 107)—October 17: 

“The Eucharist is ‘the medicine of immortality, the antidote against sin, and everlasting life in Jesus Christ.’”

Sts. Isaac Jogues, John de Brebeuf, Charles Garnier & Companions, Martyrs, (1607-1646), France—Oct. 19: 

In a novena to the North American Martyrs, the following words were written of St. John de Brebeuf, “The confidence of the Blessed Martyr in God’s goodness was boundless. His devotion to the Holy Eucharist, to Our Lady and St. Joseph, also sustained him during the long years he spent in the Canadian wilderness.”

Pope St. John Paul II, Apostle of the Eucharist, (1920-2005), Poland—October 22: 

“The Church lives by the Eucharist, she draws from it the spiritual energy to carry out her mission. It is the Eucharist that gives her the strength to grow and to be united. The Eucharist is the heart of the Church!” (St. John Paul II, Homily at the 46^th International Eucharistic Congress) 

St. Anthony Mary Claret, Bishop, Missionary, Founder of the Claretians, (1807-1870), Spain—October. 24: 

“St Anthony of Claret had always been especially attracted by devotions honoring the Blessed Sacrament. During his school days he had been so captivated by a book his father gave him, The Goodness of Our Sacramental Lord, that he had committed it to memory! Kneeling before the Blessed Sacrament, he would pray: ‘Oh, my God, grant me a place by the gates of hell, that I may stop those who enter there, saying: ‘Where are you going, unhappy one? Back, go back! Make a good confession. Save your soul! Don’t come back here to be lost forever.’” (From Hidden Treasure: The Riches of the Eucharist, by Louis Kaczmarek, available from us)

St. Jude Thaddeus, Apostle, Martyr, Patron of Impossible Cases (d. 67)—October 28:

Good St. Jude, help of the hopeless, intercede for me and help me take refuge in the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus!

Saints Day—November 1: 

“Be gracious to remember us, flawed and failing, who still struggle on earth, who kneel here adoring Our Lord hidden in the tabernacle, who long for the day when we too will be made like Him and will see Him as He is. Gather around us here in His Eucharistic Presence to strengthen us with your prayers and to enrich our feeble worship with the mighty chorus of your praise.  Teach us by your example to love Him above all things, so that we too may become the pure in heart to see God, who enjoy with you the eternal blessed fellowship of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.” (From Jesus, We Adore You, Prayers Before the Blessed Sacrament, by Paul Thigpen)

All Souls Day: Offer Masses, Holy Hours, Rosaries and other prayers for the Holy Souls!—November 2:  

Jesus told St. Gertrude that this prayer releases 1,000 souls from Purgatory: “Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with all the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the holy souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal Church, those in my own home and within my family. Amen.” This St. Gertrude prayer is available from us. (St. Gertrude’s feast day is November 16.)

St. Martin de Porres, Patron of South America, Surgeon, Miracle Worker, (1579-1639), Peru—Nov. 3:  

“Martin identified with Jesus, ignored and mistreated in the Blessed Sacrament. As they consoled each other, Martin became more charitable, not hostile, better not bitter. He would spend as many as eight hours each day in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. This so pleased Jesus that he made Martin a miracle worker. He would take a basket of fresh bread from the monastery and go out into the streets to feed the poor. With a single basket of bread he would feed an entire barrio. Martin fed hundreds of starving people with a single basket of bread. You ... save hundreds of people from hell with a single holy hour of prayer in the Presence of the Living Bread come down from Heaven.” (From Letters to a Brother Priest, available through us)

St. Martin of Tours, Priest, Bishop, Patron of Soldiers, (316-397), Italy—November 11: 

“While many miracles are attributed to him, St Martin is known most of all for an act of fraternal charity. While still a young soldier, he met a poor man on the street numb and trembling from the cold. He then took his own cloak and, cutting it in two with his sword, gave half to that man. Jesus appeared to him that night in a dream smiling, dressed in the same cloak . . . . St Martin’s charitable gesture flows from the same logic that drove Jesus to multiply the loaves for the hungry crowd, but most of all to leave himself to humanity as food in the Eucharist, supreme Sign of God’s love, Sacramentum caritatis.” (Pope Benedict XVI, 2007 Angelus message) 

St. Giuseppe Moscati, Physician, Medical Professor, Miracle Worker (1880-1927), Italy—November 16: 

“He heard and served my Mass many times…. The Holy Sacrament was at the centre of his life. Each time he served my Mass, when he looked at the Eucharist, he had such a light in his glance, that my eyes could hardly bear it. At the moment of Holy Communion, I had to lower my eyes. He has often prescribed a ‘Eucharist cure’ to young boys suffering from physical weakness, as a source of every strength.” (Fr. Giovanni Aromatisi)

St. Elizabeth of Hungary, Wife, Mother, 3rd Order Franciscan Patron (1207-1231)—November 17: 

As a little girl, St Elizabeth of Hungary used to play around the palace with her companions. She would always pick a spot near the chapel so that every now and then, without being noticed, she might stop by the chapel door, kiss the lock, and say to Jesus, “My Jesus, I am playing, but I am not forgetting You. Bless me and my companions. Goodbye.” (knightsoftheholyeucharist.com)

Feast of Christ the King: “All the nations shall come to adore you.” (Ps 86:9)—November 20: 

Holy Guardian Angel, excellent adorer of our eternal King hidden in the Holy Eucharist, obtain for me an ever-increasing love and esteem for the Blessed Sacrament. (From our “How to Make a Holy Hour” pamphlet)

The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary)—November 21: 

From the Byzantine Liturgy: “The most pure temple of the Savior, His most precious bridal chamber, the Virgin, sacred treasury of God’s glory, enters today into the house of the Lord, bringing with her the grace of the divine Spirit. Wherefore the angels of God are singing: ‘Behold the heavenly tabernacle!’” 

St. Catherine Laboure, Religious Mystic and Visionary, (1806-1876), France—November 28: 
Numerous miracles and conversions have occurred through Our Lady’s intercession when people wear a blessed Miraculous Medal. People return to the sacraments, especially Confession and the Holy Eucharist. St. Catherine Laboure received apparitions of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal (feast Nov. 27), before the Blessed Sacrament.

Feast of St. Andrew the Apostle: START NOVENA TODAY!—Nov. 30:   

St. Andrew Novena: Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in piercing cold. In that hour vouchsafe, O my God! to hear my prayer and grant my desires, through the merits of Our Saviour Jesus Christ, and of His Blessed Mother. Amen. (It is said that God will answer the prayer of whoever recites this prayer 15 times a day from November 30 until Christmas.)   

St. Francis Xavier, Jesuit Priest, Patron of Missionaries, (1506-1552), Spain—December 3: 

“What shall we say of St. Francis Xavier who at times when distributing Holy Communion felt so carried away by a sense of adoration toward Our Lord Who was in his hands, that he got on his knees and in that position continued giving Holy Communion? Did that not present a witness of faith and love worthy of heaven?” (Fr. Stefano Manelli)

St. Nicholas, Bishop, Patron of Children and Russia, (4th century), Myra— December 6: 

St. Nicholas witnessed to the Real Presence of Christ and gave his life for others, especially children, in charity.

St. Ambrose of Milan, Bishop, Doctor, Pt. of Candlemakers, (c. 340-397), Italy—December 7: 

“One day after he had celebrated Holy Mass, St Ambrose was approached by a woman afflicted with paralysis who wanted to kiss his hands. The woman had great faith in those hands that had consecrated the Eucharist; and she was cured at once.” (From Jesus Our Eucharistic Love, Fr Stefano Manelli, O.F.M.)

Feast of the Immaculate Conception: Blessed be her Holy and Immaculate Conception!—December 8: 

“Mary was made immaculate, conceived without any trace of sin because she was going to be the co-creator of the humanity of Christ. She was going to be, as God the Father was the Creator, the re-creator of the human race with Christ. She was going to be the tabernacle in which Christ would be conceived.” (John Cardinal O’Connor)  

Our Lady of Guadalupe (Apparition 1531)—December 12:­­­

“The woman clothed with the sun, bearing the Infant Savior, the Anointed, in her womb, appeared … in order that a chapel be built in which she might manifest the all-generous and never-failing merciful love of God for us, incarnate in her womb and alive for us in the Church, above all, in the Sacrament of the Real Presence, the Holy Eucharist. . . . She inspired her sons and daughters to abandon the horror of human sacrifice and to respect the inviolable dignity of every man, both the Native American and the European, so now she inspires us to be tireless disciples of the Gospel of Life, working to end the horror of procured abortion and so-called ‘mercy-killing.’” (Cardinal Raymond Burke)

St. Lucy, Virgin, Martyr and Patroness of Eye Patients, (d. 304), Italy—December 13: 

A 4^th century martyr from Syracuse, Italy, St. Lucy consecrated her virginity to Christ and refused to break this promise, despite threats of torture and death. Her witness reflects the love of Jesus, the Light, in the Holy Eucharist.

St. John of the Cross, Carmelite Priest and Doctor, (c. 1542-1591), Spain—December 14: 

St. John was so devoted to the Holy Eucharist that during Mass he was oblivious to everything else going on around him. His greatest consolation as superior was to have the cell closest to the chapel.

St. Stephen—December 26:

“[Today] I (St. Paul of the Cross) was in particular uplifting of soul, especially at Holy Communion; I wanted to go and die a martyr’s death in a place where the adorable mystery of the Most Blessed Sacrament is denied...I had the desire for the conversion of heretics...and I offered a special prayer for that at Holy Communion.” (Fr. Edmund, CP)

Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph—December 30: 
“So Holy Communion is a delight to your Infant Savior; because He loves you, oh, how immeasurably! He tells you in His heart-to-heart interview that He has become a little Infant so that you may love Him with a human love without fear.” (St Katherine Drexel)

St. John, Apostle and Evangelist, Patron of Theologians, Asia Minor, (d.100), Galilee—December 27: 

John rested his head upon the bosom of Jesus at the Last Supper. Let us rest upon the Sacred Heart of Jesus during our Holy Hours of Eucharistic Adoration and listen and learn from Him. 

Feast of the Holy Innocents—December 28:            

“You, Christ’s first fruits,/a flock of tender sacrificial victims,/now play with your palms and crowns/right up by the very altar” (Hymn for the Feast of the Holy Innocents).