Real Catholic Blog

It’s funny how things work. Okay, let me stop myself: “how things work” — how very secular. You see how long hours in the pits can make you forget what’s important? Which is exactly why this little story is relevant. It’s not “things” at work. It’s the Holy Spirit, of course!

Yesterday, when I got home, there was a message from the new Friday captain at the Adoration Chapel I attend. Make that, had been attending. A unrelenting work schedule (for the most part) and, admittedly, some disorganization om my part, over the last several months had prohibited me from attending my Friday afternoon hour. But finally, some very much looked-forward-to light at the end of the tunnel is upon men, as the schedule is about to relax, and so I have look forward to rededicating myself to a 3:00 Friday hour of adoration. So, what perfect timing to get such a message!

Then, I get an e-mail from my local Legion of Mary friend. They are having a Mass, Rosary and a potluck brunch, but she left off the flyer attachment. There was enough information in the e-mail, but I replied and asked her to send the flyer anyway. In her reply, was the below quote. Wow! I guess something — not a thing, the Holy Spirit — is telling me something, huh?

Adore and visit Jesus abandoned and forsaken by men in His Sacrament of love. Man has time for everything except for visits to his Lord and God, who is waiting and longing for him in His tabernacle. The streets and houses of amusement are filled with people. The house of God is deserted.

- St. Peter Julian Eymard (1811 – 1868)

Oh, so very true. Just as in my case with work. We all need time to for perspective. Nothing gives us that than time alone with the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament at Adoration. Silence. The Rosary. Reading meditations or Scripture. Especially during Lent. It will do you good in many ways. Not the least among them, remembering from whence all things come.

Yesterday was the Feast of two great saints. One, Saint John of the Cross (see DoctorsoftheCatholicChurch.com) is better known and it was his feast celebrated on the Latin Rite calendar. Also, yesterday, celebrated in the Eastern Rite, specifically, the Maronite Rite (see MaroniteMonks.org), was the feast of my ancestor, Saint Nimatullah Kassab Al-Hardini (Hardini.org), a Lebanese Maronite monk who was the mentor to the best known Lebanese Maronite Saint, Saint Charbel, whose Feast is celebrated in the Latin Rite in July (see Catholic Online).

Saint Nimatullah (1808-1858) was known for many things (see Eparchy of Saint Maron). He was an efficient administrator, a scholarly teacher and a devout priest. He was especially noted for his love of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Blessed Sacrament (see Vatican biography). He spent many hours in Eucharistic Adoration, often at the expense of sleep, kneeling in the chapel, arms raised cross-like and eyes trained on the tabernacle (see LebaneseSaints.com). Although there are photographs of him, the image below is the most famous one, and was used at his canonization, and honors his devotion to the Blessed Sacrament.

There is volumes of information on Saint Nimatullah and other Maronite Saints. He lived an extradordinary life as a monk and was widely regarded from the Middle East to Rome, and was given great responsibilities. However, when the opportunity came to move to safer quarters at the outset of war, he remained, to look after those in need.

I could go on, but who better than John Paul The Great to speak of him? Saint Nimatullah was one in the last group of saints canonized by John Paul, on May 16, 2004.

Said the His Holiness about Saint Nimatullah:

A man of prayer, in love with the Eucharist which he adored for long periods, Saint Nimatullah Kassab Al-Hardini is an example for the monks of the Order of Lebanese Maronites as he is for his Lebanese brothers and sisters and all Christians of the world. He gave himself completely to the Lord in a life full of great sacrifices, showing that God’s love is the only true source of joy and happiness for man. He committed himself to searching for and following Christ, his Master and Lord.

Welcoming his brothers, he reassured and healed many wounds in the hearts of his contemporaries, witnessing to God’s mercy. May his example enlighten our journey and bring forth, especially in young people, a true desire for God and for holiness to proclaim to our world the light of the Gospel!

Devout to the Blessed Sacrament, in his love for the Lord and for the Church, Saint Nimatullah is a role model in many respects.

Continuing with the emphasis of reverence in preparation to receive the Body and Blood of our Lord, Jesus Christ, in the Blessed Sacrament —prompted by Cardinal Cipriani — here is another prayer to say and upon which to meditate in the minutes prior to receiving Holy Communion.

Perhaps say it before Mass to help you prepare your mind for the Holy significance of the Eucharist and the meaning of our celebration at Mass. It was written by Saint Francis de Sales (biography, here, at Catholic Online). A good essay on the Holy Spirit is linked to Catholic Online within the prayer.

Your Sacred Table: A Prayer before Communion  

Divine Saviour,
we come to Your sacred table
to nourish ourselves,
not with bread but with Yourself,
true Bread of eternal life.
Help us daily to make a good and perfect meal
of this divine food.
Let us be continually refreshed
by the perfume of Your kindness and goodness.
May the Holy Spirit fill us with His Love.
Meanwhile, let us prepare a place
for this holy food by emptying our hearts.

Amen.

To further your appreciation of the significance of what it means to receive the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, here is a link to an index of Communion Prayers at Catholic Online. Please make reverence at Holy Communion a point of emphasis within your family, friends and fellow parishioners.

The Archbishop of Lima, Peru, his eminence Cardinal Juan Luis Cipriani, in a homily Sunday at the Cathedral of Lima, said that the most reverent way to receive the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament is on the tongue and kneeling (see CNA, here). While this may seem old fashioned to many who see no reason to “go back” to traditional forms of worship, it is perfectly in line with a new emphasis by the Church to ensure proper reverence when receiving Holy Eucharist, which is the Holy Sacrifice of the Altar, the pillar of the Faith and the summit of our worship to Christ our Lord.

How often do we observe people casually walk up to the altar as if receiving a treat? Are people in prayer as they walk toward the Holy Eucharist? Do they contemplate the significance of the act of which they are about to undertake? If not, do they not know the holy significance of what they are about to receive?

It is our Lord’s Body and Blood! If He were to appear to you in a room, wouldn’t you fall to your knees in worship of our Lord? Of course! At the same time, the Holy Eucharist is our Lord present in transubstantiated bread and wine, just as He said at the Last Supper! So, kneeling makes not only perfect logical sense, but perfect theological sense. His eminence has it right.

Many now show reverence with a bow before receiving Holy Eucharist, which is a vast improvement over a casual walk up. Others, such as myself, genuflect and make the Sign of the Cross before receiving Holy Communion. I have read, rightly or wrongly, this imparts a special blessing. It seems to me this is the least we can do to show our adoration to our Saviour.

As Cardinal Cipriani proclaimed:

The most respectful manner of receiving the Eucharist is kneeling and on the tongue. We must recover the respect and reverence that the Eucharist deserves, because the love of Jesus is the center of our Christian life. The soul is at stake.

The days of the Communion rail may be over, but that does not preclude us, laity and clergy alike, from showing and facilitaing the proper reverence for our Lord. 

Cardinal Cipriani urges his flock to show the proper reverence when receiving our Lord’s Body and Blood. It’s something we all can take to heart.