Let us pray

Lord Jesus Christ,we worship You living among usin the Sacrament of Your Body and Blood.May we offer to our Father in heavena solemn pledge of undivided love.May we offer to our brothers and sistersa life poured out in loving service of that kingdomwhere You live with the Father and the Holy Spirit,one God, for ever and ever. +Amen

Eucharist as Communion - Sacrament

The biblical foundation for Holy Communion is what Christ Himself did at the Last Supper. As narrated by St. Matthew, Jesus first offered the apostles what He was about to change, then changed the bread and wine, and then gave them Communion.
And while they were at supper, Jesus took bread and blessed and broke and gave it to His disciples and said, "Take you and eat, this is my Body." And taking the chalice He gave thanks and gave it to them saying, "Drink you all of this. For this is my Blood of the New Testament which shall be shed for many unto remission of sins." (Matthew 26:26-28)
St. John, who does not give us the narrative of the institution of the Eucharist, devotes a whole chapter to Christ's promise of giving His followers His own flesh to eat and His own blood to drink. What Christ emphasizes is the absolute necessity of being nourished by His Body and Blood if the supernatural life received at Baptism is to be sustained.

I tell you most solemnly, if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you will not have life in you. Anyone who does eat my flesh and drink my blood has eternal life and I shall raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives in me and I live in Him. As I, who am sent by the living Father, myself draw life from the Father, so whoever eats me will draw life from me. This is the bread come down from heaven; not like the bread our ancestors ate. They are dead, but anyone who eats this bread will live forever. (John 6: 53-58)

Throughout the gospels and St. Paul, Christ uses words like "take," "eat," "drink," always clearly indicating that the Eucharist is to be taken into the mouth and consumed. No less, and far more, than material food and drink are necessary to sustain the natural life of the body, so Holy Communion must be received to support and nourish the supernatural life of the soul.

The Body and Blood of Christ

The feast of Corpus Christi is one time when our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament is exposed not just to faithful Catholics but to all the world. This is a time when Catholics can show their love for Christ in the Real Presence by honoring Him in a very public way. It is also a wonderful way in which we can show our love for our neighbors by bringing Our Lord and Savior closer to them. So many conversions are a result of Eucharistic Adoration experienced from inside the Church. How many more there would be if we could reach those who only drive by the church in worldly pursuits. For an example of outdoor exhibits see the following Corpus Christi procession picture and the other pictures included in this article.

“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that those who believe in him may not perish, but may have life everlasting." John 3:14
"And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all things to myself." John 12:32

"Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, 'Take, eat; this is my body.' And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, 'Drink of it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.'" (Matthew 26:26-28)

God's love for us is poured out in the sacrament of the Eucharist, where Christ is truly present for us, giving us life and healing.
The Roman Catholic Church has consistently held fast to the belief in the Real Presence. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states:

The mode of Christ's presence under the Eucharistic species is unique. It raises the Eucharist above all the sacraments as "the perfection of the spiritual life and the end to which all sacraments tend." In the most blessed sacrament of the Eucharist "the body and blood, together with the soul and divinity, of our Lord Jesus Christ and, therefore, the whole Christ is truly, really, and substantially contained." "This presence is called 'real' - by which is not intended to exclude the other types of presence as if they could not be 'real' too, but because it is presence in the fullest sense: that is to say, it is a substantial presence by which Christ, God and man, makes himself wholly and entirely present."

- The Catechism of the Catholic Church: paragraph 1374

In many ways, Our Lord, is calling us to worship and receive Him in the Eucharist. He speaks this desire in many ways: through the Pope and the Magisterium of the Church, in the Bible (Jn. 6), through his Blessed Mother in approved Marian apparitions, through the testimonies of Saints and Martyrs, through Eucharistic miracles, through Church approved messages given by Jesus by Divine Revelation, through our souls who long for Jesus in Communion, and through our suffering world which is in much need of prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. Unfortunately many of us disbelieve or have grown indifferent towards Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.

Ascensão 2008: "A Caminho do Pai..."

Com a festa da ASCENSÃO, que hoje comemoramos,
queremos celebrar:
- O Final da Missão terrena de Cristo,
- O Início da Missão salvadora da Igreja.

As Leituras lembram o fato, embora narrados com pormenores diferentes
e até contraditórios.

Na 1ª Leitura, Lucas, após uma apresentação inicial,
introduz o tema da despedida de Jesus
Sublinha a Vinda do espírito Santo e o Testemunho
que os discípulos vão ser chamados a dar "até os confins da terra". (At 1,1-11)

Na 2ª leitura, São Paulo define a relação entre Cristo e a Igreja:
Formamos com Ele um "Corpo" destinado à Vida Plena. (Ef 1,17-23)

Por isso, devemos viver uma comunhão total com ELE,
e com todos os nossos irmãos.

O Evangelho descreve o encontro final entre Jesus e os discípulos e
o envio dos discípulos em Missão pelo mundo. (Mt 28,16-20)

* A Igreja de Cristo é, essencialmente, uma Comunidade MISSIONÁRIA,
cuja missão é testemunhar no mundo a proposta de salvação e de libertação
que Jesus veio trazer aos homens e deixou nas mãos e no coração dos discípulos.
- Essa missão tem duas características:
. É universal: destinação a "todas as nações".
. A Iniciação cristã tem duas fases: O Ensino e o Batismo.
Começava-se pela Catequese, cujo conteúdo
eram as palavras e os gestos de Jesus.
Quando os discípulos estavam informados da proposta,
vinha o batismo, que selava a íntima vinculação do discípulo
com o Pai, o Filho e o Espírito Santo.
- Jesus garante que está sempre com os discípulos "até ao fim dos tempos".

+ Os detalhes da narrativa
não devem ser tomados ao pé da letra; são mais simbólicos.
- 40 dias é um número simbólico que define o tempo necessário
para que um discípulo possa aprender e repetir as lições do mestre;
- A elevação ao céu expressa a exaltação total de Jesus;
- A nuvem manifesta e esconde o Mistério de Deus, Cristo ausente e presente;
- Os dois homens vestidos de branco indicam que o testemunho vem de Deus;
- Os discípulos com o olhar fixo no céu lembram a expectativa da comunidade
na espera da segunda vinda de Cristo.
+ Contradições: quando (logo ou depois); onde (em Jerusalém ou na Galiléia);
40 dias mesmo depois da ressurreição?

+ Ressurreição, Ascensão, Pentecostes: 3 Momentos distintos?
ou momentos catequéticos de um único Mistério de fé: a Páscoa do Senhor:
- Na Ressurreição: A Liturgia destaca sua VITÓRIA sobre a morte...
- Na Ascensão: Sua EXALTAÇÃO como Senhor do céu e da terra,
e a entrega de sua missão à comunidade eclesial, através dos apóstolos...
- No Pentecostes: A Ação do ESPÍRITO SANTO na Igreja,
que começa a sua atividade missionária de novo Povo de Deus...

* A ASCENSÃO não é uma narrativa histórica,
mas uma encenação literária da exaltação de Jesus...
com muitas semelhanças da subida de Elias ao céu no carro de fogo...

Sentido da festa:

1. A Ascensão de Cristo reforça a ESPERANÇA de nossa Ascensão.
O nosso Amanhã: "Eu vou preparar um lugar... para que..."

2. A Ascensão nos lembra que somos ENVIADOS de Cristo
para continuar e completar a sua obra...
Não podemos ficar parados, olhando para o céu...
Devemos Hoje ser discípulos e fazer discípulos...
E Cristo nos garante:
"Estarei convosco todos os dias, até ao fim dos tempos mundo..."

3. Mas esse trabalho não dependerá apenas de nossas forças...
Por isso os envia a Jerusalém
"para aguardar o Espírito Santo, reunidos em oração,
com Maria, mãe de Jesus".

* Como Maria e os apóstolos reunidos no cenáculo,
devemos REZAR e invocar o Espírito Santo.
Cristo já tinha afirmado: "Sem mim nada podeis fazer..."
Por isso, a igreja não começa com a Ação... mas com a Oração,
com Maria, Mãe de Jesus (e da Igreja)...

+ Cristo PARTE, mas PERMANECE
- no amor recíproco na COMUNIDADE,
- e no AMOR DE MÃE, que hoje celebramos...
A Igreja nasce com o amor de mãe e continua com amor de mãe...

Canto: Ide anunciar minha paz, ide sem olhar para trás,
estarei convosco e serei vossa luz na missão.

Pe. Antônio Geraldo Dalla Costa – 04.05.2008

Teresa of Calcuta

The fruit of faith is love

and the fruit of love is service

The apostolate of smiling

Just a little on your lips;
Cheers your Herat
Keeps you in good humor
Preserves pease in your soul
Promotes your health
Induces kindly thoughts
Inspires kindly deeds

Smile to your self
Until you notice that your constant seriosness,
Ore ven severity has vanished

Smile To your self
Until you have warmed your owned heat with the sunhine of your cheery countenance
Then……go out and radiate your smile.

That smile….
Has work to do…work to do for God

You are na apostle now, and your smile is your instrument for winning souls

Sanctifying grace dwilling in your soul will give the special charm to your smile which will render it productive of much good;

SMILE… on the lonely faces
SMILE… on the timid faces
SMILE… on the sorrowful faces
SMILE… on the sickly faces
SMILE… on the fresh young faces
SMILE… on the wrinkled old faces
SMILE… on the familiar faces of your family and friends
Let all enjoy the beauty and inspiring cheers of your smiling face

confidence in the hearths of others. These good disposition always give birth to unselfish acts and noble deeds. The influence of your smile is spreading, though you do not always see the wonders it is working

Your smile…can bring new life and hope and courage into the hearths of the weary, the overburdened, the discouraged, the tempted, the despairing.

Your smile.. can help develop vocations, if you are a preast, a brother or a sister

Your smile…can be the beginning of conversion to the faith and can prepare the way for a sinner s return to God
Your smile.. can win for you a host of devoted friends.

Smile, too, at God….
Smile that God in loving acceptance of whatever He send in to your life, and you Hill merit to have the radiantly smiling FACE of Christ gaze on you with special love throughout eternity.

PRAYER TO LIVE IN GOD'S PRESENCE

God, my Father, You have promised to remain forever with those who do what
is just and right. Help me to live in Your presence. The loving plan of Your Wisdom was made known when Jesus, your Son, became man like us. I want to obey His commandment of love and bring Your peace and joy to others. Keep before me the wisdom and love You have made known in Your Son. Help me to be like Him in word and deed.