It was painted by Rodrigo Garcia for the "Remnant' newspaper, March 23rd issue.
When I converted 34 years ago, and heard that Jesus Himself, Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity was in the Host, I had a decision to make. I had always received communion at my protestant church, first taking the wafer from the dish, then taking a cup of grape juice, and consuming. No big deal. Now, after my conversion, I didn't deem myself worthy to touch Him, and I have NEVER held Him in my grubby little hands. I had strange looks from priests early on when I was going to the N.O. Mass, but it didn't deter me, even when I started to kneel. My wife and I started kneeling after a great deal of praying. We needed strength. On our first time, knowing that our priest would not be very happy about it, we had a visiting priest from South America. I told him of our intentions to kneel, he told me that if I was to lay prostrate on the floor, he would get down there and give me Communion. On my way to read the announcements, I told my wife that we were good to go. What a relief! I have never regretted my decision.
Here is another story. When I converted, I took Bible study classes. Someone there mentioned that the angels were present at the Consecration. It made sense to me, if He Himself was present. Anyway, I was the commentator then, reading the announcements and so forth. So, after receiving Holy Communion, I was kneeling at the side of the altar. To my left, a man came to Communion carrying a little boy of approx. 2-3 years. The boy pointed toward the ceiling and asked his dad: "Who are all those people?" The man responded: "There's no one there." I knew then and there that what I had heard at Bible class was absolutely true. The angels WERE there! Keep in mind that this was Easter morning, and all that was on the altar was the risen Christ. And flowers.
A last thought: How many of these heavenly beings cry at the thought of Jesus being trampled upon at Masses these days, when Particles are surely falling on the floor?
2 comments:
Thank you for posting this article. It's about time the world in all its vanity and evil pleasures learns of how cruelly they treat the Creator of Creation. Catholics, WITH ALL HUMILITY, FALL ON YOUR KNEES AND RECEIVE OUR LORD ON THE TONGUE, do this AFTER BEING ABSOLVED OF YOUR SINS! Who are you to approach the King of Kings Who is eternal Holiness as you would a meaningless wafer in a Protestant service?! You want to PROTEST against the True Word and Presence of God, then become a Protestant, for there is no room for such disgusting behavior with Almighty God. The intent of this post is not to judge but to inform. Better you are scolded now, than on the Day of the Last Judgement.
God bless the hands of the lay faithful that have never touched Him. God bless the hands of consecrated MALE Priests that were given true authority to distribute Him.
How very right you are! And it's wonderful that you and your wife and family kneel to receive Our Blessed Lord! I was for many years a Eucharistic Minister, and I was appalled at other ministers who would wash the Sacred Vessels in the sacristy and then pour the water with a possible residue of the Precious Blood and/or particles of the Body--not down the special drain that leads to pure earth--but down the usual drain that leads to the sewer!
I can no longer serve, as I am elderly and handicapped, but I yearn still for the incomparable privilege of helping to distribute Our Lord's precious Body and Blood.
And yet, I wonder whether letting members of the Congregation distribute Communion was a wise move, and whether--although there was a formal 'commissioning' of persons who had this inestimable task, actually touching God!--because the Priest had to have the three fingers of his hand specially dedicated when he was ordained. How then could we be allowed to touch Him? The picture is so moving. At Communion time, I watch carefully for people who try to steal the Holy Eucharist, and more than once have seen it happen..
In one of our parishes, I helped stop the kidnap of the Baby Jesus in Communion, when the Priest chased the woman to the back of the church and spoke to her privately; in another parish, when we moved to another city, the Priest refused to stop the woman, saying, "Jesus can take care of Himself."
We need to pray for our Priests and for each other, to go back to Communion on the tongue. Jesus said, "Feed my sheep," not "Let my sheep feed themselves."
Post a Comment