Eucharist: for discussion

[Bailey2]

"Our Lord does not come from Heaven every day to stay in a golden ciborium.  He comes to find another Heaven, the Heaven of our soul in which He loves to dwell."  St. Therese de Lisieux

Our soul "heaven?"   What does it mean that "He loves to dwell" in us?  Knowing this, how to I mirror that He is in us?

[Brigid]

"Our Lord does not come from Heaven every day to stay in a golden ciborium.  He comes to find another Heaven, the Heaven of our soul in which He loves to dwell."  St. Therese de Lisieux

Our soul "heaven?"   What does it mean that "He loves to dwell" in us?  Knowing this, how to I mirror that He is in us?

Mirroring is not something that society admires in anyone (especially in women, those whom He has provided with such a perfect model in Our Blessed Virgin Mary). I think the answer may lie in the acknowledging that we are not the originator of our good acts, but that He is and is dwelling in us in order to help us learn His Ways so that we can be happy with Him (now, but mostly in eternity).

[Brigid]

Since, as Teresa of Avila has said (in the Interior Castle), it is difficult for us to pray while trying to find Him within us, He has given Himself to us in a material manner that we can easily understand - the Eucharist (and after the Mass He is in a golden ciborium). Not to recognize His Gift of Himself in whatever manner He decides to be present to us is practically a blasphemy which I'm sure Therese didn't mean at all. This quote is well known, however as it is always spoken of outside of the context from which it was spoken/written, I don't think we can even imagine the depths from which she said that.

I prefer to receive Him in the material manner in which He has re-presented Himself to us as a little bird being fed by it's mother (the Church). This does not deny His presence inside each of us, however it shows to Him, I feel, the humility I owe Him for His Gift.

[Bailey2]

I think the answer may lie in the acknowledging that we are not the originator of our good acts, but that He is and is dwelling in us in order to help us learn His Ways so that we can be happy with Him (now, but mostly in eternity).

"No longer I but Christ who lives within me"  St. Paul

I like this Brigid.  

Regarding your next post, I think what Therese might be alluding to is that we are to become Eucharist for each other when we receive Him.  This goes along with what you said above here.  I think the concept of God inside us means a little different; more general for lack of descriptive words.  I was also wonder ing if by saying the "Heaven of our soul," she was also referring to our need to prepare for Him?  I don't know, I just saw the quote, not the treatise.

[Brigid]

"No longer I but Christ who lives within me"  St. Paul

This is such a perfect quote for this discussion. I pray  that we all can get to know Him there more and more. It must be in the extreme humility and love for Him that St. Therese (and the other Saints) received the grace, to get to know Him there.

[Patricia]

St. Cyril of Alexandria, Father and Doctor of the Church, wrote:

 "If the poison of pride is swelling up in you, turn to the Eucharist; and that Bread, Which is your God humbling and disguising Himself, will teach you humility. If the fever of selfish greed rages in you, feed on this Bread; and you will learn generosity. If the cold wind of coveting withers you, hasten to the Bread of Angels; and charity will come to blossom in your heart. If you feel the itch of intemperance, nourish yourself with the Flesh and Blood of Christ, Who practiced heroic self-control during His earthly life; and you will become temperate. If you are lazy and sluggish about spiritual things, strengthen yourself with this heavenly Food; and you will grow fervent. Lastly, if you feel scorched by the fever of impurity, go to the banquet of the Angels; and the spotless Flesh of Christ will make you pure and chaste."

[Shin]

Amen! 

I love this beautiful quotation!

This is reminding me of a quote.. a-ha..

'The passions lying hidden in the soul provide the demons with the means of arousing impassioned thoughts in us. Then, fighting the intellect through these thoughts they force it to give assent to sin. When it has been overcome, they lead it to sin in the mind; and when this has been done they induce it, captive as it is, to commit the sin in action. Having thus desolated the soul by means of these thoughts, the demons then retreat, taking the thoughts with them, and only the spectre or idol of sin remains in the intellect. Referring to this our Lord says, 'When you see the abominable idol of desolation standing in the holy place (let him who reads understand). . .' (Matt. 24:15). For man's intellect is a holy place and a temple of God in which the demons, having desolated the soul by means of impassioned thoughts, set up the idol of sin. That these things have already taken place in history no one, I think, who has read Josephus will doubt; though some say that they will also come to pass in the time of the Antichrist.'

St. Maximos the Confessor

So man's 'intellect' is the holy place.. where we can worship God on the altar.. or an idol..

A church is built in stages of holiness and sacredness.. representing the journey from the world to Heaven.. and in reality being that too.. truly, really being that...

With the sanctuary being the place where Heaven and Earth most meet.. where the mass takes place, and the altar and the sacrifice are. There is no priesthood without sacrifice. On the altar is Christ.. or what we worship.

God existed before Heaven existed, I am suddenly thinking, though we now equate Heaven and God directly and often think of Heaven as a state of union with God, there is also Heaven the place, or location, as well as the state of being.

[martin]

So man's 'intellect' is the holy place.. where we can worship God on the altar.. or an idol..


 “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;”
2 Corinthians 10:5

[Shin]

This reminds me of how the war in Heaven between the angels was described by a traditional priest as a war of ideas, a war of the mind.

[martin]

Take every thought captive.
Many of the saints tell us  to take our senses captive too.
Taking custody of the eyes, ears and tongue.
It's so hard to do but I hope over time that practice practice practice will make perfect and He who started the good work in us will bring it to fulfillment

[Shin]

It's a soldier's duty.

[Patricia]

'Be careful that you do not lose anything of the Body of the Lord. If you let fall anything, you must think of it as though you cut off one of the members of your own body. Tell me, I beg you, if someone gave you kernels of gold, would you not guard them with the greatest care and diligence, intent on not losing anything? Should you not exercise even greater care and vigilance, so that not even a crumb of the Lord's Body could fall to the ground, for It is far more precious than gold or jewels?'

~~St. Cyril of Jerusalem

The above quote reminded me. Where have the altar boys gone who would hold 'what do you call it?' a little plate like thing, just below your face when the priest gave you Communion, to catch any Particles that may fall?  We had those when I was a kid, but I don't see them anymore.

[Brigid]

.... hold 'what do you call it?' a little plate like thing, just below your face when the priest gave you Communion, to catch any particles that may fall? 

'paten'.  I sure wish they had those again. It'd save the EMHCs putting their hand down quick thinking that when anyone takes Communion on the tongue that the Host will fall (mostly since they're unsure how to give it that way - the older priests don't do that since they place It easily and squarely on your tongue). Plus, I love having the altar boys - they're so dignified.

[Patricia]

What are good prayers to say during Eucharistic Adoration besides the Rosary? 

[Bailey2]

"I look at Him and He looks at me."   Some Saint said that once.   

[Patricia]

"He took flesh from the flesh of Mary . . . and gave us the same flesh to be eaten unto salvation. . . . We do sin by not adoring" (ibid).

~~ St. Augustine