Saturday, October 7, 2023
DAY 54 - OUR LADY OF VICTORY, PRAY FOR US
NO CROSS, NO CROWN!
No cross, no crown. No pain, no gain. No guts, no glory. St. James summons us to see the challenges we face as opportunities to rise to new heights of existence, “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him” (Jas 1:12).
In the military, the cross and crown symbolizes a soldier’s willingness to remain faithful to the mission at hand, to each other, and to country, no matter what. This kind of unwavering dedication is exactly what Jesus meant when he gave us the criterion for enlisting in his elite fighting force: “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake, he will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?” (Lk 9:23-25).
While sounding like a military drill instructor, St John Vianney expounds on this radical call to discipleship: “There is no doubt about it: a person who loves pleasure, who seeks comfort, who flies from anything that might spell suffering, who is over-anxious, who complains, who blames, and who becomes impatient at the least little thing which does not go his way — a person like that is a Christian only in name; he is only a dishonor to his religion, for Jesus Christ has said so: ‘Anyone who wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross every day of his life, and follow Me.’”
The Gospels stories show how Jesus touched people in ways that made them question the direction of their lives. Some turned away because his challenge seemed to be too hard. But many others were so moved by his mission and ministry that they were compelled to search for a more perfect way of living and being. Where do you stand? Are you ready to put it all on the line? This means nothing less than to do what God is calling you. Are you ready to say “yes” to the call to become his champion? (Excerpt from my book, Church Militant Field Manual).
PRAYERS FOR TRADITIONAL 54 DAY NOVENA
THE GLORIOUS MYSTERIES OF THE HOLY ROSARY
Prayer before the recitation: Sign of the cross. Hail Mary.
In petition (first 27 days): Hail, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, my Mother Mary, hail! At thy feet I humbly kneel to offer thee a Crown of Roses, full-blown white roses, tinged with the red of the passion, to remind thee of thy glories, fruits of the sufferings of thy Son and thee, each rose recalling to thee a holy mystery, each 10 bound together with my petition for a particular grace. O Holy Queen, dispenser of God’s graces, and Mother of all who invoke thee! Thou canst not look upon my gift and fail to see its binding. As thou receivest my gift, so wilt thou receive my petition; from thy bounty thou wilt give me the favor I so earnestly and trustingly seek. I despair of nothing that I ask of thee. Show thyself my Mother!
In thanksgiving (last 27 days): Hail, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, my Mother Mary, hail! At thy feet I gratefully kneel to offer thee a Crown of Roses full blown white roses, tinged with the red of the passion, to remind thee of thy glories, fruits of the sufferings of thy Son and thee each rose recalling to thee a holy mystery; each 10 bound together with my petition for a particular grace. O Holy Queen, dispenser of God s graces, and Mother of all who invoke thee! Thou canst not look upon my gift and fail to see its binding. As thou receivest my gift, so wilt thou receive my thanksgiving; from thy bounty thou hast given me the favor I so earnestly and trustingly sought. I despaired not of what I asked of thee, and thou hast truly shown thyself my Mother.
Say: The Apostles’ Creed, Our Father, 3 Hail Marys, Glory Be.
For each of the following Mysteries, say: Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, Glory Be.
The Resurrection – Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, Glory Be.
Concluding Prayer: I bind these full-blown roses with a petition for the virtue of faith and humbly lay this bouquet at thy feet.
The Ascension – Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, Glory Be.
Concluding Prayer: I bind these full-blown roses with a petition for the virtue of hope and humbly lay this bouquet at thy feet.
The Descent of the Holy Spirit – Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, Glory Be.
Concluding Prayer: I bind these full-blown roses with a petition for the virtue of charity and humbly lay this bouquet at thy feet.
The Assumption of Mary – Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, Glory Be.
Concluding Prayer: I bind these full-blown roses with a petition for the virtue of union with Christ and humbly lay this bouquet at thy feet.
The Coronation of the Blessed Mother – Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, Glory Be.
Concluding Prayer: I bind these full-blown roses with a petition for the virtue of union with thee and humbly lay this bouquet at thy feet.
Say: The Hail Holy Queen.
Spiritual Communion: My Jesus, I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament. I love You above all things, and I desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot at this moment receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen.
In petition (first 27 days): Sweet Mother Mary, I offer thee this spiritual communion to bind my bouquets in a wreath to place upon thy brow. O my Mother! Look with favor upon my gift, and in thy love obtain for me (specify request, see below). Hail Mary …
In thanksgiving (last 27 days): Sweet Mother Mary, I offer thee this Spiritual Communion to bind my bouquets in a wreath to place upon thy brow in thanksgiving for (specify request, see below) which thou in thy love hast obtained for me. Hail, Mary, etc.
PETITION: May our Church and our country find hope as we unite at the foot of the cross. (Please add your own petitions to this powerful novena)
PRAYER OF TOTAL CONSECRATION
By St. Maximilian Kolbe
O Immaculata, Queen of heaven and earth, refuge of sinners and our most loving Mother, God has willed to entrust the entire order of mercy to you. I, N…, a repentant sinner, cast myself at your feet humbly imploring you to take me with all that I am and have, wholly to yourself as your possession and property. Please make of me, of all my powers of soul and body, of my whole life, death and eternity, whatever most pleases you. If it pleases you, use all that I am and have without reserve, wholly to accomplish what was said of you: “She will crush your head,” and, “You alone have destroyed all heresies in the world.” Let me be a fit instrument in your immaculate and merciful hands for introducing and increasing your glory to the maximum in all the many strayed and indifferent souls, and thus help extend as far as possible the blessed kingdom of the most Sacred Heart of Jesus. For wherever you enter you obtain the grace of conversion and growth in holiness, since it is through your hands that all graces come to us from the most Sacred Heart of Jesus.
V. Allow me to praise you, O sacred Virgin.
R. Give me strength against your enemies.
All of the daily Novena Prayers and Reflections are found in this book: 54 Day Basic Training in Holiness
All of the daily Novena Prayers and Reflections are also posted at usgraceforce.com
You can join the United State Grace Force Facebook group HERE, to receive the reflections each day.
Spanish language Novena prayers and reflections are available at https://rosarycoasttocoast.
Those who would like to pray with others via The Telephone Rosary, call 1-951-799-9866 daily at 6 pm Eastern.
Enroll in the worldwide Confraternity of the Most Holy Rosary! Click here: https://championshrine.
GET YOUR GROUP TOGETHER AND JOIN US WHEREVER YOU ARE ON OCTOBER 7!!
Sign your group up at https://rosarycoasttocoast.
First
Saturday
FEAST
OF THE HOLY ROSARY
See,
the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear
him, upon those who hope for his kindness, to deliver them from death and
preserve them in spite of famine.
Judith, Chapter 16,
Verse 15-16
15
For the mountains to their bases
are tossed with the waters; the rocks, like wax, melt before your glance. “But
to those who FEAR you, you will show
mercy. 16 Though the sweet fragrance of every
sacrifice is a trifle, and the fat of all burnt offerings but little in your
sight, one who fears the Lord is
forever great.
With
victory come the spoils of war and Judith as Heroin of the people get the
spoils from Holofernes tent. She is rich indeed but because she is truly a
servant of God; all of the booty she receives she keeps none sending it all to
the temple in Jerusalem.
“Only
those that see the invisible can do the impossible.” Tyrese
Victory[1]
·
Material
gains from victory are turned back to God.
·
People’s
joy and exultation are also returned to God in celebration.
·
The
Lord is God; he crushes warfare.
·
The
Lord shatters the enemy with a women’s hand.
·
Yahweh
sends heroes to deliver the people when they cry out for help. The victory of
Judith confirms that premise.
·
Judith’s
victory is symbolic of God’s victory over evil, preservation of the sanctuary,
and the deliverance of the people.
·
The
beheading of Holofernes is the symbolic defeat of the devil. Judith is a precursor of Mary the Lord’s
mother who will defeat the devil as he defeated Eve our first mother.
·
God’s
message in Judith is when you face evil beyond your strength; persevere in
hope.
Judith
gave all her wealth to the temple of Jerusalem; Mary, Queen of heaven gave us
her Son to complete the work of God making our bodies and soul the true temple
of the Lord. Today’s Saint St. Josemaria founded Opus Dei whose goal is to aid
us in being a living temple for God.
First Saturday[2]
The Five First
Saturday’s devotion is one of the principal points of the Fatima message. It
centers on the urgent need for mankind to offer reparation and expiate for the
many injuries that the Immaculate Heart of Mary suffers from the hands of both
impious and indifferent men.
On the First Saturday during 5 Consecutive
Months, the Devotion consists of:
1. Going to Confession,
2. Receiving the Sacrament of Holy Communion,
3. Saying five decades of the Rosary,
4. Meditating for 15 minutes on the mysteries of the Rosary.
All this offered in REPARATION for the sins of
blasphemy and ingratitude committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
During the third apparition on July 13, 1917, Our Lady
revealed that she would come to ask for the consecration of Russia to her
Immaculate Heart and for the Communion of Reparation of the Five First
Saturdays. Consequently, she asked for the devotion in 1925 and the
consecration in 1929. While staying at the House of the Dorothean Sister in
Pontevedra, Portugal, Sister Lucia received a vision on December 10, 1925,
where the Blessed Mother appeared alongside a Boy who stood over a luminous
cloud. Our Lady rested one hand on the Boy’s shoulder while she held on the
other hand a heart pierced with thorns around it. Sister Lucia heard the Boy
say, "Have pity on the Heart of your Most Holy Mother which is covered
with thorns with which ingrate men pierce it at every moment with no one to
make an act of reparation to pull them out." Our Lady expressed her
request in the following words, "See, my daughter, My Heart surrounded
with thorns with which ingrates pierce me at every moment with blasphemies and
ingratitude. You, at least, make sure to console me and announce that all those
who for five months, on the first Saturdays, go to confession, receive
Communion, say five decades of the Rosary and keep me company for 15 minutes
meditating on the mysteries of the Rosary, with the purpose of making
reparation to Me, I promise to assist them at the hour of death with all the
graces necessary for the salvation of their souls." A few days afterward,
Sister Lucia detailed this vision in a letter addressed to Monsignor Manuel
Pereira Lopes, her confessor when she resided in the Asylum of Vilar in the
city of Oporto, Portugal.
Why Five Saturdays?
Sister Lucia’s confessor questioned her about the reason
for the five Saturdays, asking why not seven or nine. She answered him in a
letter dated June 12, 1930. In it she related a vision she had of Our Lord
while staying in the convent chapel part of the night of the twenty-ninth to
the thirtieth of the month of May, 1930. The reasons Our Lord gave were as
follows: The five first Saturdays correspond to the five kinds of offenses and
blasphemies committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary. They are:
1.
Blasphemies against the Immaculate Conception
2.
Blasphemies against her virginity
3.
Blasphemies against her divine maternity, at the same
time the refusal to accept her as the Mother of all men
4.
Instilling, indifference, scorn and even hatred towards
this Immaculate Mother in the hearts of children
5.
Direct insults against Her sacred images
Let us keep the above reasons firmly in our minds.
Devotions have intentions attached to them and knowing them adds merit and
weight to the practice.
Modifications to the Five First Saturdays
Devotion to facilitate its observation.
The original request of Our Lady asks one to confess and
receive Communion on five consecutive first Saturdays; to say five decades of
the Rosary; to meditate during 15 minutes on the mysteries of the Rosary for
the purpose of making reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary in reparations
for the sins of men. In subsequent private visions and apparitions however,
Sister Lucia presented to Our Lord the difficulties that devotees encountered
in fulfilling some conditions. With loving condescension and solicitude, Our
Lord deigned to relax the rules to make this devotion easy to observe:
·
Confession may be done on other days other than
the First Saturdays so long as one receives Our Lord worthily and has the
intention of making reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
·
Even if one forgets to make the intention, it
may be done on the next confession, taking advantage of the first occasion to
go to confession.
·
Sister Lucia also clarified that it is not necessary
to meditate on ALL mysteries of the Rosary on each First Saturdays. One or
several suffice.
With much latitude granted by Our Lord Himself, there is no
reason for the faithful to hesitate or delay this pious practice in the spirit
of reparation which the Immaculate Heart of Mary urgently asks.
This devotion is so necessary nowadays.
The culture of vice and sin remains unabated even as one
reads this. Abortion, blasphemy, drug abuse, pornography, divorce and bad
marriages, religious indifference, the advances of the homosexual agenda and
others are just some of society’s many plagues that cut deeply into the
Immaculate Heart of Mary. We must
console Our Lady amidst all these insults and injuries to her and her Divine
Son. She asks for reparation, she pleads for our prayers, she hopes for our
amendment of life. Let us listen to her maternal pleas and atone for the
ingratitude of men. The First Five Saturday’s devotion stimulates the spirit of
reparation; it instills a tender love for the Holy Sacraments of Confession and
the Blessed Eucharist. It nurtures a holy affection for the Immaculate Heart of
Mary and the Rosary. Above all, it is an excellent means to maintain one in the
state of grace while immersed in the daily spiritual battles and prosaic existence
in the neo-pagan world that we live in. Let us not delay in observing this
devotion for it too gives us hope for eternal salvation.
Feast of the Holy Rosary[3]
This feast was fixed for the first Sunday in October by Pope Clement XI; in perpetual commemoration of a celebrated feast was fixed for the first Sunday in October by him due to the double victory gained by the Christians at Lepanto, in 1571, under Pope St. Pius V., and at Belgrade, under Pope Clement XI., through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, who had been invoked by saying the Holy Rosary. It is at the same time the principal feast of the Archconfraternity of the Holy Rosary. In 1885 Pope Leo XIII., ordered the Rosary to be recited every day during the month of October in every parish church and cathedral throughout the world, and those of the faithful who cannot be present at this recital he exhorted to say it with their families or in private. The Holy Rosary is a form of prayer in which there is first said the Apostles Creed, and then fifteen decades, each one of which consists of ten Hail Mary’s. Each decade has one Our Father to be said before it and is followed by a meditation upon one mystery of our redemption. It is called the Rosary, or Wreath of Roses, because the joyful, the sorrowful, and the glorious mysteries, aptly symbolized by the leaves, the thorns, the flower, of which the rose consists with the prayers and praises that are blended together compose, as it were, a wreath or crown. It is also called the Psalter, because it contains a hundred and fifty Hail Mary’s, as the Psalter of David contains a hundred and fifty psalms, and because it is used in place of the singing of psalms, as practiced in former times. There are three parts in the Rosary the joyful, the sorrowful, the glorious. The joyful part consists of the five first decades, to which are attached five mysteries of the incarnation of Jesus Christ, through which, full of joy, we speak to Mary of Him: 1. Whom she conceived while a virgin. 2. Whom she bore to Elizabeth. 3. Whom she brought forth while a virgin. 4. Whom she offered to God in the temple. 5. Whom she found Him in the temple. (This is said particularly in Advent.) The sorrowful part, in like manner, contains five decades, in connection with which there are presented for our meditation five mysteries of the passion and death of Jesus: 1. Who for us sweat blood. 2. Who for us was scourged. 3. Who for us was crowned with thorns. 4. Who for us bore the heavy cross. 5. Who for us was crucified. (This is said particularly in Lent.) The glorious part, consisting of the last five decades, reminds us of the glory of Christ and of the Blessed Virgin by five mysteries in which we commemorate Him: 1. Who rose from the dead. 2. Who ascended into heaven. 3. Who sent to us the Holy Ghost. 4. Who received thee, O Virgin, into heaven. 5. Who crowned thee, O Virgin, in heaven. (This part is said particularly at Eastertide.)
How was this prayer introduced into the Church?
St. Dominic had for many years preached against the errors of the Albigenses and other heretics, with such zeal and profound ability that they were often convinced. But nevertheless, the results were unimportant; but few returned to the bosom of the Catholic Church. In this discouraging state of things St. Dominic redoubled his prayers and works of penance, and in particular besought Mary for support and assistance. One day Mary appeared to him and taught him the Rosary. He zealously labored to introduce everywhere this manner of prayer, and from that time preached with such success that in a short period more than one hundred thousand heretics and sinners were converted. The divine origin of the Rosary is testified to by the bull of Gregory XIII of the year 1577.
Is the Rosary a profitable method of prayer?
Yes, for by bringing before the
eyes of the spirit the fundamental mysteries of Christianity it supplies us
with the strongest motives to love God, to hate sin, to subdue the passions, to
condemn the world and its vanity, and to strive after Christian perfection, in
order that we may gain those happy mansions which Jesus prepares for us. The
Rosary, besides, brings before us living examples Jesus and Mary whom we must
follow, and encourages us to good works by pointing to the all-powerful grace
procured for us by Jesus, and the all-prevailing intercession of the gracious
Mother of God. Let us not be ashamed to carry the beads with us, for otherwise
we might be ashamed of being Catholics; let us say the Rosary often every
evening as was the custom with Catholics in former times, and we shall find
that, as in St. Dominic’s day it was a wholesome check to error, so too in our
times it will be, if said aright, a powerful weapon against heresy and
unbelief, and will increase faith, piety, and virtue.
“I am the resurrection and the life. Those who
believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and
believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”– John 11:25-26
Our Lady of the Rosary[4]
The feast of Our Lady of
the Rosary was instituted to honor Mary for the Christian victory over the
Turks at Lepanto on October 7, 1571. Pope St. Pius V and all Christians had
prayed the Rosary for victory. The Rosary, or the Psalter of the Blessed Virgin
Mary, is one of the best prayers to Mary, the Mother of God.
Pope Benedict XVI invites
all families to pray the Rosary for the intentions of the Pope, the mission of
the Church and peace. "It is as if every year Our Lady invited us to
rediscover the beauty of this prayer, so simple and profound." The Rosary,
a "contemplative and Christocentric prayer, inseparable from the
meditation of Sacred Scripture," is "the prayer of the Christian who
advances in the pilgrimage of faith, in the following of Jesus, preceded by
Mary," said the Pontiff.
Things to Do
·
Pray
the Rosary, or 5 decades of the Rosary tonight with your family. Continue this
practice through October, the month that is especially dedicated to the
Rosary.
·
Read
the encyclicals on the rosary, and the latest apostolic
letter.
·
Learn
the Luminous Mysteries. For families with younger children,
it helps to have visual aids for the mysteries. Have a picture to flip at the
beginning of each decade for the family Rosary. See the Activities Bar for
ideas.
·
Learn
how to make rosaries, cord and/or wire for missions.
·
Learn
about the great victory of Our Lady at the Battle of Lepanto. You can also read more about Pope St. Pius V, who instituted the Feast of Our
Lady of the Rosary.
·
Read
Cardinal Angelo Sodano's homily at the Shrine of Our Lady of the
Rosary.
·
"The
Rosary, or Psalter of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is one of the most excellent
prayers to the Mother of God." Read the Directory on
Popular Piety and Liturgy
on the Rosary, particularly encouraging the practices of:
1.
[T]he
recitation of the Rosary could be made more solemn in tone "by introducing
those Scriptural passages corresponding with the various mysteries, some parts
could be sung, roles could be distributed, and by solemnly opening and closing
of prayer."
2.
The
custom of making an insertion in the recitation of the Hail Mary, which is an
ancient one that has not completely disappeared, has often been recommended by
the Pastors of the Church since it encourages meditation and the concurrence of
mind and lips.
Insertions
of this nature would appear particularly suitable for the repetitive and
meditative character of the Rosary. It takes the form of a relative clause
following the name of Jesus and refers to the mystery being contemplated. The
meditation of the Rosary can be helped by the choice of a short clause of a
Scriptural and Liturgical nature, fixed for every decade.
·
Foods
for this feast: Since the origin of this feast came from the Christian fleet
defeating the Turks at the Battle of Lepanto in 1570 through the intercession
of Mary through the Rosary, why not make a cake in the shape of a ship? See the
top bar for a cut-out cake, or make moderations to this Ship Cake. Read more about the Battle of Lepanto for ideas.
·
St.
Pius V was a very holy Dominican, who wore his scratchy habit underneath his
papal robes, and walked around Rome barefoot. He ate just to sustain himself
and fasted frequently. We should use his example and remember to fast and pray
the Rosary for the conversion of Islam.
Catechism of the Catholic
Church
PART TWO: THE CELEBRATION OF THE CHRISTIAN
MYSTERY
SECTION TWO-THE SEVEN
SACRAMENTS OF THE CHURCH
CHAPTER ONE-THE SACRAMENTS OF CHRISTIAN
INITIATION
Article 3-THE SACRAMENT OF THE EUCHARIST
III. The Eucharist in the Economy of Salvation
The signs of bread and wine
1333 At the heart of the
Eucharistic celebration are the bread and wine that, by the words of Christ and
the invocation of the Holy Spirit, become Christ's Body and Blood. Faithful to
the Lord's command the Church continues to do, in his memory and until his
glorious return, what he did on the eve of his Passion: "He took
bread...." "He took the cup filled with wine...." the signs of
bread and wine become, in a way surpassing understanding, the Body and Blood of
Christ; they continue also to signify the goodness of creation. Thus in the
Offertory we give thanks to the Creator for bread and wine, fruit of the
"work of human hands," but above all as "fruit of the
earth" and "of the vine" - gifts of the Creator. the Church sees
in the gesture of the king-priest Melchizedek, who "brought out bread and
wine," a prefiguring of her own offering.
1334 In the Old Covenant bread and
wine were offered in sacrifice among the first fruits of the earth as a sign of
grateful acknowledgment to the Creator. But they also received a new
significance in the context of the Exodus: the unleavened bread that Israel
eats every year at Passover commemorates the haste of the departure that
liberated them from Egypt; the remembrance of the manna in the desert will always
recall to Israel that it lives by the bread of the Word of God; their
daily bread is the fruit of the promised land, the pledge of God's faithfulness
to his promises.
The "cup of blessing" at the end of the Jewish Passover meal
adds to the festive joy of wine an eschatological dimension: the messianic
expectation of the rebuilding of Jerusalem. When Jesus instituted the
Eucharist, he gave a new and definitive meaning to the blessing of the bread
and the cup.
1335 The miracles of the
multiplication of the loaves, when the Lord says the blessing, breaks and
distributes the loaves through his disciples to feed the multitude, prefigure
the superabundance of this unique bread of his Eucharist. The sign of
water turned into wine at Cana already announces the Hour of Jesus'
glorification. It makes manifest the fulfillment of the wedding feast in the
Father's kingdom, where the faithful will drink the new wine that has become
the Blood of Christ.
1336 The first announcement of the
Eucharist divided the disciples, just as the announcement of the Passion
scandalized them: "This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?" The
Eucharist and the Cross are stumbling blocks. It is the same mystery and it
never ceases to be an occasion of division. "Will you also go away?": The
Lord's question echoes through the ages, as a loving invitation to discover
that only he has "the words of eternal life" and that to receive
in faith the gift of his Eucharist is to receive the Lord himself.
The institution of the Eucharist
1337 The Lord, having loved those
who were his own, loved them to the end. Knowing that the hour had come to
leave this world and return to the Father, in the course of a meal he washed
their feet and gave them the commandment of love. In order to leave them a
pledge of this love, in order never to depart from his own and to make them
sharers in his Passover, he instituted the Eucharist as the memorial of his
death and Resurrection, and commanded his apostles to celebrate it until his
return; "thereby he constituted them priests of the New Testament."
1338 The three synoptic Gospels and
St. Paul have handed on to us the account of the institution of the Eucharist;
St. John, for his part, reports the words of Jesus in the synagogue of
Capernaum that prepare for the institution of the Eucharist: Christ calls
himself the bread of life, come down from heaven.
1339 Jesus chose the time of
Passover to fulfill what he had announced at Capernaum: giving his disciples
his Body and his Blood:
Then came the day of Unleavened
Bread, on which the passover lamb had to be sacrificed. So Jesus sent Peter and
John, saying, "Go and prepare the passover meal for us, that we may eat
it...." They went ... and prepared the passover. and when the hour came,
he sat at table, and the apostles with him. and he said to them, "I have
earnestly desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer; for I tell you
I shall not eat it again until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God."....
and he took bread, and when he had given thanks he broke it and gave it to
them, saying, "This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance
of me." and likewise the cup after supper, saying, "This cup which is
poured out for you is the New Covenant in my blood."
1340 By celebrating the Last Supper
with his apostles in the course of the Passover meal, Jesus gave the Jewish
Passover its definitive meaning. Jesus' passing over to his father by his death
and Resurrection, the new Passover, is anticipated in the Supper and celebrated
in the Eucharist, which fulfills the Jewish Passover and anticipates the final
Passover of the Church in the glory of the kingdom.
"Do this in memory of me.”
1341 The command of Jesus to repeat
his actions and words "until he comes" does not only ask us to remember
Jesus and what he did. It is directed at the liturgical celebration, by the
apostles and their successors, of the memorial of Christ, of his life, of his
death, of his Resurrection, and of his intercession in the presence of the
Father.
1342 From the beginning the Church
has been faithful to the Lord's command. of the Church of Jerusalem it is
written:
They devoted themselves to the
apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers....
Day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes,
they partook of food with glad and generous hearts.
1343 It was above all on "the
first day of the week," Sunday, the day of Jesus' resurrection, that the
Christians met "to break bread." From that time on down to our
own day the celebration of the Eucharist has been continued so that today we
encounter it everywhere in the Church with the same fundamental structure. It
remains the center of the Church's life.
1344 Thus from celebration to
celebration, as they proclaim the Paschal mystery of Jesus "until he
comes," the pilgrim People of God advances, "following the narrow way
of the cross," toward the heavenly banquet, when all the elect will
be seated at the table of the kingdom.
Daily Devotions
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Today's Fast: Holy
Bishops and Cardinals
·
Religion
in the Home for Preschool: October
·
Litany of the Most Precious
Blood of Jesus
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Rosary
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