The Greatest Mystery

One of the hardest mysteries to comprehend known to humans: The Holy Eucharist. If you think about it, the belief in the Eucharist is a pretty mysterious thing. It is something that no, we don't fully understand, but yet it is totally and completely 100% true.

I was contemplating this mystery earlier as I was sitting in front of the Blessed Sacrament in Adoration earlier this morning. I have been to a variety of different types of Masses and Churches (Although I have never been to a Latin mass... But it's on my list of things to do!) And the difference in the way people approach the mass is tremendous. I've been to masses where the people sit, stand, and kneel at the different 'normal' times, and I've also been to masses where the people wouldn't kneel at all, or even masses where the people sat for the whole mass.

It is my personal belief that all those who are able should be kneeling during certain parts of the mass. (During the Consecration and right after the Lamb of God.) And this is why: If we could fully understand what is right before us, would we even think for a moment about standing? Right before our eyes is the very essence, Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of the one who gave us the ability to stand.

If we could fully understand and all the 'blinders' were taken from our eyes to see the True Presence without a single grain of doubt would we be able to stand, or would we be too in awe of what is before us that it literally makes us weak. After all, if God stopped thinking about us for one moment, just one moment, we would cease to exist. We cannot exist without Him. Talk about power.

But even with all that power, God chooses to come down to us in the simple forms of bread and wine. He chooses to remain simple, because if He was to totally reveal Himself to us, we would be in such awe, and so petrified by His presence. He leaves it up to us to choose Him, because if He totally revealed Himself, there would be no choice for us. We would just automatically accept him.

That being said, why do we treat the Eucharist as if it is something totally normal? It is truly a divine gift from God, to be treasured, to be honored, and to be given the most profound respect by us humans.

That's why I choose to kneel at Mass. (and why I think everyone who is able should do likewise.) The Savior of the world is fully physically present before my eyes, (and enters inside of my very beings.) and deserves as much respect as I can possibly give Him in my human frailty..

God Bless you all,
Catherine

Confessions of a Sinner

I am a sinner. But I'm also a human, and in my description of my human qualities, is sin. But Jesus came to make me a saint, and with His grace, I pray that one day I may obtain just that; the grace to overcome my selfish sinful ways and dwell with Him forever in my Heavenly home that he is already prepared for me.

I love all the Catholic Sacraments, but one of my favorites (Next to the Eucharist of course.) Is the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Jesus gave his Apostles the ability to forgive sins,(John 20:23) and it's been passed down through generations so that all the people may have the ability to experience God's grace in such a profound way. There is absolutely no experience that could compare to the experience of receiving God's grace in such a extraordinary way.

Protestants may argue that they don't need to confess their sins to another person. That they can confess their sins to God, and there is no need for doing any other extra things. Catholics believe in confessing their sins to God as well, but by means of the priest who is sitting "in persona christi" or 'In the place of Christ'. When we are sitting in the confessional, we believe that we are actually telling Jesus our sins.

There are also other things that we gain through our in counter with Christ in the confessional. We not only receive God's healing grace and mercy, we also learn a good lesson in humility. It takes a lot of courage to actually go and tell another human being what we did wrong, and how we've failed. It helps us to learn not to do what we did again. We also get wonderful advice on how to further our journey and to avoid the near occasion of sin.

Ask any Catholic about the "After Confession Feeling" and you are sure to get a smile. When one makes a sincere confession, it feels like an incredible weight has been lifted off your shoulders, and suddenly you realize that you have just been given a wonderful gift. I cannot think of any other feeling in the world quite like it. It's such a beautiful feeling.

God Bless you all,
Catherine