123

The of St John the Baptist

Perpetual Winter 2016

“The WORD became flesh and dwells among us” John 1:14

Feb 1, 2016 - St John’s Perpetual Adoration of Jesus marks 2nd Anniversary!

Greetings! Saint John’s has I know it still amazes me that as Him and carries this into daily life! reached our 2nd Anniversary of Catholics, we have the priceless If you are new to Adoration, perpetually adoring Jesus truly GIFT of being able to actually please see page 3 about the present in the Most Blessed spend time in His PHYSICAL importance of Adoration. If you’re Sacrament – praise be to God! presence! What a GREAT chance seeking more substance to build Over the last couple years, we to prove our love to Him by your faith life, try reading the have seen many blessings and making the personal effort to writings of God’s great Saints, challenges, including the loving show up just for Jesus! And the particularly the early Church witness of hundreds and more we develop our personal Fathers, or Doctors of the Church, hundreds of committed adorers, relationship with Jesus Truly and the Catechism. St Thomas weather events, the installation Present with open and Aquinas, the Angelic Doctor, is of building security to support cooperative hearts, Jesus recognized as offering the most night members, new bookcases, increases a desire in us for more enlightened and complete promotional T-shirts and window of Him, to be closer to Him, to synthesis of the Catholic faith clings, the gift of lovely adoration live as He wants us to live, to concerning the mystery of the stoles, the development of a build a stronger foundation in our Eucharist. Dig into these Facebook support group, the faith lives. He literally gives us treasures of our Faith and let development of an Adoration the love and graces we need to them help you. If you’re looking Power Point Education go and serve Him, to order our for solid ways to grow in holiness, Presentation, and the expansion lives in ways that please Him. peek at page 2. And if you haven’t of Adoration over to St Ann’s This is why Mother Teresa had tried Adoration, please join us. I community in OKC by one of St her sisters spend an hour a day feel so fortunate to be able to love John’s members, and the list with Jesus in Adoration –the Jesus in Adoration with souls who goes on. It’s exciting to see some more time one spends loving realize “the word became flesh of what God is doing. Jesus, the more one resembles and dwells among us.” J

Inside This Issue: Page 1 – St John’s Perpetual Adoration marks 2nd Anniversary! Page 2 – Holiness, Confession, and the Eucharist Page 3 – The VALUE, POWER, and IMPORTANCE of Adoration Lorem“Be holy Ipsum for I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:16 2 The Requirement to Confess Serious Sin – Mortal Sin - in the Sacrament of Before Receiving Holy Communion … “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His Decades ago, I was invited to a talk at the Pastoral Center where a visiting righteousness; and all these things shall be priest was teaching about vocations being God’s call on our lives; His holy added unto you.” Matt 6:33 will for us individually, our mission from God. The priest explained the 3 vocations available in the Church; the priesthood/religious life, the married life, and the single life. One should Holiness, Confession, and the Eucharist pray to find their vocation, and each vocation has its own duties and For those who love God, this next considerable number are dying” (1 responsibilities. It is in faithfully part is especially significant. Corinthians 11: 27-30). carrying out these duties in Section 1415 of the Catechism of cooperation with Christ that we have the Catholic Church states, If we know by the teachings of the the opportunity to increase in virtue, “Anyone who desires to receive Church that we’re not in a state of and be made holy. The frequent Christ in Eucharistic communion grace, then it becomes another reception of the sacraments of must be in the state of grace. mortal sin, an outrage against Our Reconciliation and Holy Communion Anyone aware of having sinned Lord to receive Holy Communion greatly assist us as the surest and safest mortally must not receive before being reconciled to Him ways to increase in holiness; communion without having through the . supporting our vocations, along with received absolution in the If sin didn’t matter, Christ would persistence in daily prayer. This sacrament of penance.” This is not have had to suffer and die to faithful living helps keep us in a state because mortal sin makes us save us from it. In Confession, in of grace which is defined in The New unworthy to partake of the TRUE the person of the priest, Our Lord Saint Joseph Baltimore Catechism as presence of Christ in the Eucharist. absolves us from our sins. If we “the presence of sanctifying grace The truth is, “Dead souls can’t really love Jesus, we won’t want to [God’s life] in one’s soul; freedom receive nutrition,” so regardless of further offend Him if we realize we from mortal sin.” Whereas mortal sin one’s opinion on the matter, faith ought to go to Confession before is defined in the same catechism as; “a tells us that receiving the Body and receiving Him in Communion. grievous offense against the law of Blood of Christ does not help a No matter our vocation, Christ calls God” that “deprives the sinner of soul that’s in mortal sin. To receive all to holiness. This is the Year of sanctifying grace, and makes the soul the Body and Blood of Christ Mercy – make frequent use of the an enemy of God, takes away the merit unworthily does however threaten sacrament of Reconciliation – it of all its good actions, deprives it of new and grievous consequences. sensitizes us to sin & we receive the right to everlasting happiness in God’s grace, love and forgiveness! heaven, and makes it deserving of Saint Paul gives a very dire It is not necessary to have mortal everlasting punishment in hell.” The warning about receiving the sin to benefit from Confession! Baltimore Catechism goes on to Eucharistic presence of Christ Instead, frequent the sacraments of explain, “there are three conditions to unworthily (in mortal sin): Reconciliation and Holy make a sin mortal; first – the thought, “Therefore whoever eats the bread Communion with an extra intensity desire, word, action or omission must or drinks the cup of the Lord this year – each sacrament worthily be seriously wrong or considered unworthily will have to answer for received increases God’s life in our seriously wrong; second – the sinner the body and blood of the Lord. A soul and we grow in holiness! must be mindful of the serious wrong; person should examine himself, Please see the bulletin for the Mass third – the sinner must fully consent to and so eat the bread and drink the schedule. Confessions are heard it.” Whew! Thankfully a sincere cup. For anyone who eats and each Wednesday at 5pm, and 4pm Confession of all remembered serious drinks without discerning the body, on Saturdays, or by request. Our sins removes mortal sin and places the eats and drinks judgment on parish Lenten Penance Service is at soul back in a state of grace; in other himself. That is why many among 7pm Monday, Feb 29; bring others! words, God’s life returns to the soul! you are ill and infirm, and a Frequently call on Jesus & Mary each day to fan the flame of love for your meeting with Him! 33

Think of our Chapel as a spiritual nuclear power The VALUE, POWER, and plant containing God’s DIVINE power. Each time IMPORTANCE of Adoration we enter His presence waiting for us in the Adoration Chapel, our prayers before Our Lord What is Eucharistic Adoration? Eucharistic release God’s power! Recall the hemorrhaging Adoration is the act of giving worship to Jesus woman in the Gospel who reached out and Christ truly present in the Blessed Sacrament. touched the Lord and received His healing power; each visit we make before His True Presence What is the Blessed Sacrament? The Blessed draws on HIS power. If a simple x-ray affects the Sacrament is the term for the consecrated bread molecules and cells of our body, imagine what the and wine that has become the Body and Blood of DIVINE rays of GOD’s presence can do to us? Jesus Christ during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Don’t be afraid, He only does GOOD things. Each visit we make before the presence of God blesses What is the tabernacle? The tabernacle is the gold us; mind, body, & soul. Faith asks us to think on receptacle located in the Adoration Chapel; it is this when worthily receiving Jesus in Communion. placed in a prominent location visible to all. It is immovable, solid and locks to house the True What is the IMPORTANCE of Adoration? This life Presence of Christ. is temporary. We are all called to know, love, and serve God so we can live with Him forever in What is exposition? Exposition of the Blessed Heaven. Adoration of God in the Most Blessed Sacrament is when the Sacred Host, the Sacrament – in the Mass & outside of the Mass - Eucharistic Heart of Jesus, is removed from the is our supreme form of loving God in this life. tabernacle and placed in a monstrance, set on the Because this IS God – it’s important! It’s our tabernacle or altar, positioned for all to see, for chance to prove our belief in Him when Jesus said, adoration by the faithful. The purpose is to “This is my body, this is my blood.” Wouldn’t you highlight the true presence of Christ in the dread hearing Jesus say of you, “Among you there Eucharist – His body, blood, soul and divinity. are some who do not believe.” Remember, the What is Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration (PEA)? disciples He said did not believe “turned back and Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration is the continual no longer walked with Him.” (John 6:64 & 66) adoration of Jesus Christ present in the Holy Realize, our world needs God’s help. WE need Eucharist; throughout each day and night. God’s help. Our loved ones need God’s help. God In order to have a constant vigil of adoration WANTS to help … it’s up to us to ask and receive. before Our Lord’s True Presence, we need faithful Our Lord is WITH us. “I am with you until the end souls willing to sacrifice an hour each week to of time.” (Matt 28:20) What do YOU need from Jesus – in love for Him and reparation for sin. Him? Visit Him and talk with Him. “He is really there in Person waiting for you.”(Mother Teresa) What’s the VALUE of Perpetual Adoration? It is an affirmation of our belief that Christ is truly present What Spirit of Sacrifice is required to commit to in the Most Blessed Sacrament – the WORD made Perpetual Adoration? Jesus Himself set the flesh, dwelling with His people! Perpetual standard for His followers – true love always Adoration makes our parish an “oasis of His requires sacrifice. What sacrifice compares to His? Heart”. By our unceasing adoration, we say to Our Lord gave His life as the ultimate sacrifice for Him, “Stay with us, Lord,” and He says to us, us. He makes Himself present as a sacrifice for “because you love Me, you are the oasis of My love of us. Sacrificing one hour a week to Jesus is Heart.” Perpetual Adoration is an a proof of one’s love for Him. The night hours acknowledgement of our total dependency upon often require a more generous spirit of sacrifice, Him. He says, “I am the Vine and you are the and God is never outdone in generosity. Your branches. Whoever remains in union with Me will sacrifice consoles Jesus. He asks, “Could you not bear much fruit for without Me you can do watch one hour with Me?” You are the apostle nothing.” (John 15:5) today – comfort Him – stay with Him … whatever hour you can afford Him, God will honor you for all What is the POWER of Perpetual Adoration? eternity. There are times in life when one is able to Because the Blessed Sacrament is God Himself, do this, don’t waste the chance, life passes this is INFINITE power, HIS power; let this sink in. quickly, “Seek the Lord while He may be found.”

“Come to Me all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matt 11:28 Winter 2016, Issue 4

Is there a relative, a friend, a loved one, 25 WAYS TO SPEND AN HOUR WITH JESUS whom you are deeply concerned about? 1. Slowly read scripture until something hits you. Then listen. Put him, or her, or all of them, into the 2. Say a . Eucharistic Heart of Jesus. Be convinced 3. Let God look at you. that Jesus will really help them. Have 4. Tell Him something that made you happy. Then listen. absolute confidence and trust in the power 5. Tell Him what you are afraid of. Then listen. of His love to bring them back to His 6. Tell Him what angers you. Then listen. 7. Speak about your loved ones. Sacred Heart. 8. Pray for an enemy. - Apostolate for Perpetual Adoration 9. Talk with Him about work. Come to Me 10. Sing a song for Him in your heart. 11. Promise to trust Him. My child I'd like to bid you 12. Imagine Mary sitting next to you and praying with you. To come and rest your head To bring me all your problems 13. Renew your loyalty to His Church. I'll give you peace instead 14. Lean on Him. Tell Him you love Him Come and shut the door on life 15. Thank Him for the Sacraments. and look upon My face 16. Tell Him your failures. Ask for help. Then listen. Share with me your troubles 17. Slowly recite the Beatitudes. and I will give you grace

18. Say one Our Father slowly. I'm waiting in the chapel 19. Say one Hail Mary slowly. I'm there for you each day 20. Say the Creed slowly. A quiet peaceful heaven For you to come and pray 21. Pray for your clergy and vocations. 22. Ask Him to show you the next step. So come to me My child 23. Look at yourself. Count your gifts. Then thank Him. Come, be with Me, your Lord Take time for Me in this life 24. Pray for the world. So great is your reward. 25. Enjoy being with Jesus. By Eileen McCarthy; New London, CT Rita Zimmerman, Shoreview, MN

St Thomas Aquinas, Angelic Doctor of the Church says, “Christ’s followers know by faith that bread is changed into His flesh and wine into His blood. Man cannot understand this, cannot perceive it; but a lively faith affirms that the change, which is outside the natural course of things, takes place. Under the different species, which are now signs only and not their own reality, there lie hidden wonderful realities. His body is our food, His blood our drink. And yet Christ remains entire under each species. The communicant receives the complete Christ ... The good and the wicked alike receive Him, but with the unlike destiny of life or death. To the wicked it is death, but life to the good. See how different is the result, though each receives the same. Last of all, if the sacrament is broken, have no doubt. Remember there is as much in a fragment as in an unbroken host. There is no division of the reality, but only a breaking of the sign; nor does the breaking diminish the condition or size of the One hidden under the sign.” Lauda Sion Salvatorem “The just man sins 7 times a day” Frequent Confession helps us stay close to God, fine tunes our consciences, helps us pray better, gives us the strength to desire to love God more, makes us more like Jesus, strengthens us against temptation and increases God’s life in us - we grow in holiness! 5 Simple Steps: 1) Think of your sins; 2) Be sorry for your sins; 3) Make up your mind to try not to do the sins again; 4) Tell your sins to the priest; 5) Do the penance the priest gives you.

*Serious sin MUST be confessed before receiving Jesus in the Eucharist.