Explore the Treasures - Part 3

     In this segment of our series, we will focus on the Eucharist.

     The Eucharist is called the Sacrament of the Presence of Christ, Who gives Himself to us completely. The word Eucharist means Thanks – giving. Jesus is truly Present – Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity – the same Jesus who was born in Nazareth, walked the streets of our world, suffered and died for us and rose from the dead and  now sits at the right hand of the Father.

Explore the Treasures -- Part 2

     In the second installment of our series, we will explore the Sacrament of Baptism.

     Having our children Baptized is the one of the greatest gifts we can give to them. Because of the sin of our first parents, Adam and Eve, every human person is born with the stain of original sin on their soul. Yes, even that sweet little infant who has stolen your heart! It is a great privilege, as well as a grave responsibility, as parents to have our children baptized. Baptism erases original sin by imparting the life of Christ’s grace.

Balm for the Soul

     “To learn from the Heart of Jesus the secret love for souls and deep knowledge of them: how to touch their hurts without making them smart and to dress their wounds without reopening them; to disclose Truth in its entirety and yet make it known according to the degree of light each soul can bear. The knowledge required for the apostolate can be had only from Jesus Christ, in the Eucharist, and in prayer.”                                                                                                                                                                               Elizabeth Leseur, Servant of God


     Our world is full of wounded souls; each longing to be listened to and loved. It is not evident to the naked eye; they hide their pain quite well! Life has brought happiness and joy, but also many disappointments and hurts that scream, deep within our hearts, and go unheard.

Transformed by Love

     “Holiness doesn’t consist of knowing much, or doing much, but of loving much.”                                            Mother Angelica



     Holiness does not come easily. It is not something that we can obtain by wishing for, or reading a book. It is received when we are able to empty ourselves of all selfishness. It happens when our hearts resemble the Heart of Jesus – His Sacred Heart!

     We are in great need of a heart transformation. Our good God calls us to love as He does and that is very difficult for us to accomplish -- day in and day out. There are many circumstances when we see it as impossible; our love is wanting.

Ascend to Him

     Our hearts were healed by His presence. Jesus had risen from the dead as He had promised and He appeared to us a number of times. He opened Scripture to us and we began to understand that this – His story – had all been foretold by the prophets. He had not abandoned us – His love was true. Jesus was the Promised Messiah!

St. Catherine of Genoa and the Fire of God's Love--Part 1

     “I believe no happiness can be found worthy to be compared with that of a soul in Purgatory except that of the saints in Paradise. And day by day this happiness grows as God flows into these souls, more and more as the hindrance to His entrance is consumed.  Sin’s rust is the hindrance, and the fire burns the rust away so that more and more the soul opens itself up to the divine inflowing.”

     This quote is from a book entitled “Fire of Love” by St. Catherine of Genoa, who was a fifteenth century mystic. Caterinetta Adorna was born to an aristocratic family and at age thirteen, she was denied entrance to the convent because of her young age.  After the death of her father, her eldest brother for political and financial reasons arranged a marriage for Caterinetta. The marriage was a disaster. Catherine’s husband was unfaithful to the point of having a mistress and child and squandered his fortune. The first five years of her marriage, Catherine withdrew from society. Her family pleaded with her to get involved with the social life of Genoa, thinking this would help. After another five years, Catherine instead fell into a deep depression.

Seeking holiness

     We so often act as though holiness is something very complicated and out of our reach – like there’s a ‘hidden formula’ to follow – and so we spend our time searching for it, in the hope that when it’s found – just maybe we’ll get it right -- and then we’ll be holy!

     Our good God did not make our sanctification an impossible feat – but placed His Holy Spirit within our souls to direct our every thought, word, and deed . . . but we must be attentive to His voice and then surrender to His promptings, so He may form Jesus in us.

Create a clean heart in me, O God!

     As I lie prostrate, that summer afternoon, in my empty parish Church, I begged God to help me to love my sister. I told Him that He was going to have to give me His heart and do it for me because I knew that I had failed miserably.

     I had not started my day off on the wrong foot…quiet prayer time, morning Mass, breakfast, and then the Wednesday morning bible study that I facilitated at my home...  The only difference would be that my sister Yoana would be a part of the bible study because another sister was in town and we would afterwards go out to lunch and do a little shopping.