The Most Blessed Sacrament Is Christ Made Invisible The Poor Sick Person Is Christ Again

By Fr. Joseph Mary, MFVA

In Alabama in the United States where I am from are 2 major sites associated with Mother Angelica (the foundress of the Eternal Discussion Television Network – a Cosmic idiot box network which now reaches more 250 1000000 homes in 140 countries.) The first site, located in the center of the Land, is in Irondale, which is next to Birmingham, the largest metropolis in Alabama having a population of over 200,000. Mother Angelica started a new foundation of the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration hither in 1962 and from it sprang the Eternal Word Television receiver Network founded in 1981.

The 2d site associated with Female parent Angelica is located 60 miles (100 km) to the North where is located the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament – which is located on 400 acres in the remote rural area of Hanceville.

Alabama is in the middle of the so-called "Bible Chugalug" where Catholics are in the minority and the vast bulk of people identify themselves equally Protestants with little churches of different denominations on practically every street corner – with names such as First Baptist Church and Saint James Methodist Church building to newer Christian churches like the Faith Restoration Church and the New Rising Star Missionary Church.

And so when Female parent Angelica congenital a 13th century style monastery there with a façade like the Basilica of St Francis in Assisi, information technology got people's attention. Some thirty,000 people showed up for the open up business firm in August of 1999, including the Governor of Alabama at the time, who flew in past helicopter. Mother Angelica greeted each and every person – standing at door near the terminate of the tour.

The Shrine continues to be a place of pilgrimage for Catholics who travel at that place from all over the United States, as well as, from other countries where EWTN is broadcast. A couple of groups have even flown in from Ireland to spend a few days of retreat there. Merely a large percent of the visitors are Protestants who visit out of curiosity or who find information technology to be a place of peace and prayer.

Nosotros take Eucharistic Holy Hours for the groups who travel there and on one occasion I led a group from Louisiana in prayers, adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and Benediction. Afterwards a young father told me the story of taking his young boy and girl to Eucharist adoration in a chapel in New Orleans, where they stopped to make a visit. As they were driving there, knowing that his active children may have a hard time sitting notwithstanding in the chapel, he instructed them that they were going to visit Jesus in the Blest Sacrament and that they should but say "hello" to Jesus – that they would merely exist there for a few minutes to pray.

He told me, that when they arrived at the adoration chapel, he opened the door to the chapel for his children just when they reached the threshold of the chapel, they both immediately prostrated themselves on the floor. He said that his son looked similar a young man existence ordained to the priesthood with his arms outstretched in the form of a cross and his daughter looked similar a nun with her hands folded in front end of her. Embarrassed, he quickly knelt down and whispered "What are you doing? Go up! Go up!" But they didn't move and he couldn't budge them. Finally, afterward a few minutes, they did get up. Later, when he asked them why they did what they did – they said they didn't know – they couldn't explain what had happened to them. He told me that this result further strengthened his own faith in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Virtually Blessed Sacrament because of this experience with his children.

And so, today, I would like to discuss how the Message of Fatima and the experience of the shepherd children, in particular Saint Francisco, leads us to a greater personal dear and devotion to the Nigh Blessed Sacrament.

For the concluding years of his life, Fr. Robert Fox, founder of the Fatima Family Apostolate lived most the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament where he offered the daily apex Mass. He, in fact, brought young people to Fatima annually and helped to build Russian federation's first Shrine to Our Lady of Fatima in St. Petersburg, Russia – having spent years raising funds for it and working with the local bishop. Fr Play a trick on was at that place in St Petersburg, Russia, for the dedication in October of 1998. Pope St. John Paul Ii sent his approving for the occasion.

For the Fatima Family Apostolate that he founded, Fr. Fox produced a little pamphlet on Fatima entitled Fatima, The Facts. In that pamphlet he relates a question he had addressed to Sr. Lucia. He wrote, "When I asked Sr. Lucia, through her priest nephew, Father Jose dos Santos Valinho, "What do you consider the about important function of the Fatima bulletin?" Sr. Lucia answered that it was at the get-go, where the Angel appeared, and drew them to God, to the Real Presence in the Eucharist."

Then permit united states of america recall now the Bogeyman of the Affections – his tertiary and final bogeyman – which took place in the Fall of 1916:

When the Angel appeared to the shepherd children he was holding a Chalice in his hands, with a Host above it from which some drops of blood were falling into the Sacred vessel. The Angel left the Chalice and Host suspended in the air, and prostrated himself upon the ground with the children joining him and prayed the prayer: About Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, I admire You profoundly, and I offer You the Almost Precious Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles of the earth, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges and indifferences by which He is offended, and past the infinite merits of His Most Sacred Heart and through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg the conversion of poor sinners (The Angel and the children prayed this prayer three times).

The Angel then arose, and taking the Host he gave it to Lucia – and to Jacinta and Francisco he gave the contents of the beaker, saying every bit he did so: "Accept and drink the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, horribly outraged by ungrateful men. Repair their crimes and panel your God." Then he prostrated himself once more than with the children and repeated the prayer to the Most Holy Trinity 3 times, then disappeared.

Lucia related the effects this last visit of the Angel had upon them. She wrote:

Impelled past the power of the supernatural that enveloped united states of america, we imitated all that the Angel had done, prostrating ourselves on the ground as he did and repeating the prayers that he said. The force of the presence of God was and then intense that it absorbed us and almost completely annihilated us. It seemed to deprive u.s.a. even of the use of our bodily senses for a considerable length of fourth dimension. During those days, we performed all our outside actions as though guided by that same supernatural beingness who was impelling u.s. thereto. The peace and happiness which nosotros felt were great, merely wholly interior, for our souls were completely immersed in God.

Lucia had already received her First Holy Communion, the year before – just this was the First Holy Communion for Francisco and Jacinta. Seven years prior to this, Pope St. Pius X had mandated that children who had reached the age of reason (approx. 7 years of age) should exist admitted to their First Holy Communion. (Francisco, at the time of the Apparition of the Angel, was 8 years former and Jacinta was 6.) Pius X showed that this was Christ's will: "Let the little children come up to me, and do not hinder them, for of such is the kingdom of heaven" (Mk 10:14). Pius X was nearly concerned, lest children, deprived of this Eucharistic embrace of Christ and so "destitute of this stiff help, [and] surrounded by and so many temptations, they [might lose] their innocence and [autumn] into vicious habits even before tasting the Sacred Mysteries."

The papal prescript was very slowly being implemented in many places. In the case of Francisco and Jacinta, the Angel implemented information technology.

The children received ii dissimilar species. (The Eastern Rites of the Church have always had Communion under both species – and some take suggested that that is possibly, in part, considering they have always suffered persecutions.) The Precious Blood specially symbolizes the cede and death of Jesus – the "Blood which will be poured out for you and for many" equally the priest says in the Eucharistic Prayers.

Thus the activeness of the Affections, on the eve of the Communist Revolution, was prophetic, for the godless atheism of the 20th century would spill more than claret and send more martyrs to heaven than all the persecutions of all other centuries combined. The 20th century truly being the age of martyrs in the Church – which has connected into the 21st century. Nosotros can, yet, look optimistically to the futurity – for the Blood of Martyrs is the Seed of Christians.

While the Children of Fatima are not martyrs, still in their heroic sufferings they manifested the courage of martyrs. Think, for case, of their willingness to die when they were threatened with a frightening and horrible death in prison.

During the Angel's Eucharistic Apparition, Lucia received the Sacred Host – Jacinta and Francisco, the Precious Blood. Bread is a symbol of life, the staff of love, and of communion in the life of Christ; while the Blood, again, especially symbolizes the cede and death of Jesus.

Lucia, who received the Host – was called to alive on every bit a witness to the Message of Fatima and God's appeal to return to Him – while Jacinta and Francisco, who drank the Claret of Christ from the chalice, were called in a special way to share in His victimhood.

Pope Benedict Sixteen in his 2007 Apostolic Exhortation Sacrosanctum Caritatis = The Sacrament of Charity #6 wrote these words: Every groovy reform has in some way been linked to the rediscovery of belief in the Lord'south Eucharistic presence amidst his people.

Remember, for example, of the Franciscan movement, which has been chosen a movement of devotion to the Most Blest Sacrament. With Saints similar St. Paschal Baylon, patron of Eucharistic Congresses (whose Feast Day was celebrated before this week); St Joseph Cupertino (whose Feast 24-hour interval was also this week) who experienced remarkable levitations during Mass; St. Pio (Padre Pio) who, during his Masses, mystically entered into the Lord'southward Passion; St Clare, who is about oftentimes depicted with a monstrance; or finally Venerable Solanus Casey, who may soon be beatified – you lot accept a biography and prayer for his beatification in your handbag.

Fr. Benedict Groeschel, of happy retentivity, was a novice for a time at the friary where Fr. Solanus Casey, while living, was assigned. Fr. Bridegroom told me that one night he woke up in the middle of the night and and then he decided to get to the chapel to pray. Turning on the lights in the chapel – he institute Fr Solanus in ecstasy before the tabernacle. Fr Solanus, he said, didn't fifty-fifty notice the lights beingness turned on or the young novice's presence. Fr. Groeschel told me that he considered the moment a very private moment for Fr Solanus and and then he quietly turned off the lights and left.

The Messages of Saint Francis of Assisi, besides, are filled with exhortations for reverence and laurels for the Blest Sacrament. In his Letter to the Gild #12 he wrote:

Kissing your feet, therefore, and with all that honey of which I am capable, I implore all of you brothers to show all possible reverence and honor to the most holy Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ in whom that which is in sky and on earth has been brought to peace and reconciled to almighty God (LtOrd 12-13).

In his First Admonition (which is a compilation of the exhortations of St Francis to the friars) he admonished them that just as the Apostles could see before them the advent of a homo – Jesus – but by Organized religion could discern the Son of God, so the friars were to wait upon the Consecrated Breadstuff and the Wine and by Religion discern the Most Holy Trunk and Blood of the Lord.

And finally, 1 of his biographers, Friar Thomas of Celano wrote that St. Francis "burned with fervor to his very marrow and with unbounded wonder of that loving condescension and cavalier beloved." Friar Celano connected that St. Francis "received Holy Communion frequently and so devoutly that he fabricated others devout" (2C 201).

Again, Pope Benedict XVI wrote that: Every dandy reform has in some way been linked to the rediscovery of conventionalities in the Lord's Eucharistic presence amidst his people.

The Prostrations of the Affections and of the shepherd children – and the message the Messenger of God (the Affections) imparted, reaffirmed and continues to reaffirm the reality of the Real Presence of Jesus (His Almost Precious Torso, Blood, Soul and Divinity) being nowadays in all the tabernacles of the earth – and of the indifference and ingratitude, fifty-fifty sacrilege of and so many. It is also a call for us all to make reparation – to "repair their crimes", every bit the Angel said, and "to console Your God", which became so burning a desire for, another St Francis: Saint Francisco Marto.

The Bulletin of Fatima has helped and so many to rediscover conventionalities in the Lord's Eucharistic presence among us: those who were not catechized well or those who grew indifferent to the Treasure of the Eucharist.

If Catholics understood what we accept – they would never leave the Church, no thing what happened, no matter what scandal may be in the news.

The events of Fatima has helped many to "rediscover belief in the Lord'due south Eucharistic presence among us" – and to reform their own lives and to be instruments of reform for others.

"Every corking reform has in some way been linked to the rediscovery of belief in the Lord's Eucharistic presence among his people," Pope Benedict wrote.

Now let us talk about the Apparitions of Our Lady

During the First Apparition, Our Lady opened her hands and Lucia wrote that from her easily was "[communicated] to us a light so intense that, as information technology streamed from her hands, its rays penetrated our hearts and the innermost depths of our souls, making u.s. see ourselves in God, Who was that light, more clearly than nosotros encounter ourselves in the all-time of mirrors."

That low-cal seems to be what made the greatest impression on Saint Francisco Marto. Listen to the hierarchy of his feel which he related to Lucia. He said:

I loved seeing the Angel, just I loved still more than seeing Our Lady. What I loved most of all was to see Our Lord in that light from Our Lady which penetrated our hearts. I love God and so much! But He is very sad because of and then many sins! Nosotros must never commit any sins again.

In the July thirteen Apparition, the Vision of Hell made a deep impression on Francisco, but even more the light communicated through Our Lady: He said to Lucia and Jacinta:

We were on fire in that light which is God, and however nosotros were not burnt! What is God?… Information technology is incommunicable to say…. But what a pity it is that He is so deplorable! If only I could console Him!

Pope Saint John Paul Ii in his homily at the beatification of Jacinta and Francisco spoke of how Francisco's father heard him sobbing one night – "I was thinking of Jesus who is so distressing because of the sins that are committed confronting Him." Francisco told his father. Pope John Paul said that Francisco "was motivated by ane desire – so expressive of how children think – to panel Jesus and make him happy."

And, finally, we see again the force of allure for Our Lord that Saint Francisco experienced after the last Bogeyman of October 13. An Apparition in which Our Lord appeared with Saint Joseph. Francisco said:

"I loved seeing Our Lord, but I loved still more seeing Him in that lite where we were with Him too. It'due south non long now, and Our Lord will take me up close to Him, and then I can look at Him forever."

The parish church was undergoing a renovation during this fourth dimension, and the Blessed Sacrament was on a temporary altar backside the baptismal font. Francisco would squeeze in between, and remain all twenty-four hour period next to the tabernacle, lost in prayer, comforting the Lord. He did this even when he was ill – as long equally he could drag himself at that place. When he was no longer able to go because of sickness, he would tell Lucia:

"Look! Get to the church and requite my beloved to the Hidden Jesus. What hurts me well-nigh is that I cannot go at that place myself and stay awhile with the Subconscious Jesus."

Lucia related some other remarkable outcome regarding Francisco'southward love of the About Blest Sacrament. She wrote:

Francisco came out of the house one day and met me with my sister Teresa, who was already married and living in Lomba. Another woman from a nearby village had asked her to come to me about her son who had been defendant of some crime which I no longer remember, and, if he could non prove his innocence, he was to be condemned either to exile or to a term of some years of imprisonment. Teresa asked me insistently, in the proper noun of the poor woman for whom she wished to practice such a favor, to plead for this grace with Our Lady.

Having received the message, I set out for schoolhouse, and on the way, my cousins and I talked about it. When nosotros reached Fatima, Francisco said to me: "Listen! While you go to school, I'll stay with the Hidden Jesus, and I'll inquire Him for that grace." When I came out of schoolhouse, I went to get him and asked: "Did you pray to Our Lord to grant that grace?" "Yes, I did. Tell your Teresa that he'll be home in a few days' time." And indeed, a few days later, the poor male child returned habitation. On the 13th, he and his unabridged family unit came to thank Our Lady for the grace they had received.

Francisco was not choosing be truant from going to school, but rather, equally he said at other times, knew that he would soon be going to Heaven and thus is was more than important for him to spend the fourth dimension he had praying and consoling the Hidden Jesus.

Gospel of John 13:23 One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was lying close to the breast of Jesus.

Erat ergo recumbens unus ex discipulis eius in sinu Iesu quem diligebat Iesus.

In a contempo book of meditations on the priesthood and admiration of the Most Blessed Sacrament (2016), In Sinu Jesu, On the Breast of Jesus – an bearding Benedictine monk wrote these words every bit coming from Jesus:

The About Holy Eucharist is not but My Sacrifice offered to the Begetter, although in a bloodless manner; it is non only the sustenance of souls, nourishing them with My very Body and Blood; it is too the Sacrament of my Divine Friendship, the pledge of My burning desire to remain close to all who seek Me, to all who need Me, to all who would spend time in My visitor.

Conclusion

In the First Apparition of Our Lady on May xiii, 1917, Lucia wrote that when Our Lady opened her easily, that from her easily was:

"[communicated] to us a light so intense that, every bit it streamed from her hands, its rays penetrated our hearts and the innermost depths of our souls, making united states of america see ourselves in God, Who was that light,…"

As I said, this was an feel that affected Francisco profoundly. It was also within that experience of intense light, that the shepherd children were moved by an interior impulse that moved them to fall on their knees and to repeat in their hearts, a prayer of adoration and dear of the Nigh Holy Trinity and of the Most Blest Sacrament:

"O Nearly Holy Trinity, I adore You lot! My God, my God, I love You lot in the About Blessed Sacrament!"

Inside the very outset Apparition of Our Lady at Fatima, the children are atomic number 82 to adore and love God truly present in the Nigh Blest Sacrament. Francisco said after that Apparition:

I loved seeing the Affections, but I loved still more seeing Our Lady. What I loved about of all was to meet Our Lord in that lite from Our Lady which penetrated our hearts. I love God and then much!

Mary always leads u.s.a. closer to Jesus. Wherever you observe genuine devotion to Mary, you volition detect devotion to the Near Blessed Sacrament.

The concluding words of Mary, recorded in the Scriptures are "Do whatever he tells you lot." The last words of Jesus regarding his female parent are: "Behold your mother."

Mary teaches us how better to honey Jesus – and Jesus tells us to look to Mary as our mother, which is why Pope Saint John Paul 2, in his homily at the beatification of Jacinta and Francisco concluded with these words to the children there, many of whom had dressed like Francisco and Jacinta (words with which I conclude today):

Enquire your parents and teachers to enroll you in the "school" of Our Lady, so that she tin teach you to exist like the little shepherds, who tried to do whatever she asked them. I tell you [and here he quotes St Louis Marie de Montfort] that "ane makes more progress in a brusk fourth dimension of submission and dependence on Mary than during unabridged years of personal initiatives, relying on oneself alone." [The Pope continued] This was how the little shepherd became saints so quickly…. Devoting themselves with total generosity to the direction of such a skillful Teacher [Mary], Jacinta and Francisco presently reached the heights of perfection.

Yes, indeed, may dearest people, equally Our Lady herself said:

My Immaculate Heart will be your refuge and the fashion that will lead you to God.

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Source: https://franciscanmissionaries.com/fatima-love-blessed-sacrament/