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Featured Term (selected at random):PODIUM Any elevated platform. But especially the platform on which the Pope is carried when he officiates in a procession with the Blessed Sacrament. Part of the podium is a kneeler or seat for the Pope as he adores the Holy Eucharist. (Etym. Latin podium, elevated place, parapet, balcony.)   All items in this dictionary are from Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.

Please watch this whole video before reacting. Then think about it for a few minutes before reacting.A Franciscan priest and a small group with him took it to the streets and staged a Eucharistic Flash Mob. WATCH THE VIDEO What do you all think of this for urban centers in wealthy countries?I think something like this needs some care to preserve proper reverence for the Blessed Sacrament. I am not sure how this squares with liturgical law, involvement with the local bishop, etc.But… if those things can be worked through…Does this fit with the New Evangelization?Is this what we need...

VATICAN CITY (RNS) For seven centuries, Eucharistic adoration -- praying before an exposed consecrated Communion host -- was one of the most popular forms of devotion in the Roman Catholic Church, the focus of beloved prayers and hymns and a distinctive symbol of Catholic identity.Following the modernizing reforms of the Second Vatican Council (1962-65), the practice fell from favor, especially in Europe and the U.S. But over the last decade, under Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI, the church has strongly encouraged a revival of the practice. "No one eat this flesh, if he has not adored it...

Dear Friend in Christ, In 2011, what if Catholic college students nationwide resolved to spend time in Eucharistic Adoration? With your prayers and support, The Cardinal Newman Society is prepared to launch our fourth year of leading Catholic college students to Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament. The Cardinal Newman Society is nearing completion of a powerful new video to lead young people to Eucharistic Adoration . . . and we continue to sponsor the Vatican’s Eucharistic Miracles of the World exhibit on college campuses. This work is essential to our mission of renewing authentic Catholic education.  The Eucharist must be...

The First International Conference on Eucharistic Adoration will be held in Rome (Italy) from June 20 to June 23, 2011, with the intention of promoting the desire of the Magisterium of the Catholic Church to see Perpetual Adoration spread to Parishes and Dioceses around the world. The faithful must seek to receive and to venerate the Most Holy Sacrament with piety and devotion, eager to welcome the Lord Jesus with faith (Pope Benedict XVI May 11, 2007) Holy Mass is in itself the Church's greatest act of adoration: "No one eats of this flesh", as St Augustine writes, "without...

Today many people have trouble with the truth i.e. both with a little "t" and a capital "T." When it is spelled with a lower case "t," it represents the dictionary definition: 1. Conformity to fact or actuality.2. A statement proven to be or accepted as true.Spelled with a capital "T," it represents Jesus as He answered the Apostle Thomas in John 14:6, "I am the way, the truth and the life."Modern atheists seem to be enjoying the limelight (no pun intended) especially in England as they attack Pope Benedict XVI for the beatification of the famous convert John Henry...

The present title of our meditation can be shortened and simplified. It should read, "Prayer before the Blessed Sacrament and the Catholic Prolife Movement." We have already spoken at length and in detail about the Holy Eucharist. Our focus has been to bring out the role of the Holy Eucharist in obtaining the graces we need to stem the tide of infant homicide and restore moral sanity in the modern world. As we reflected on the power of the Eucharist to achieve miracles, we kept insisting that these miracles will be performed by Our Lord only if we believe. Christ...

  The First Friday Devotion in the Catholic Church History of First Friday First Friday devotions among Catholics are related to devotion to the Sacred Heart of Christ. First Friday practices date to the last decades of the 17th century, when Jesus appeared to St. Margaret Mary and spoke to her of His Sacred Heart. Among the promises Our Lord revealed to St. Margaret Mary, the 12th specifically referenced practices for Fridays:In the excess of the mercy of my Heart, I promise you that my all powerful love will grant to all those who will receive Communion on the...

Jesuit Father John Hardon lived from 1914 to 2000. I only met him once, briefly, and heard him give a talk at a fund-raiser for a private Catholic academy in Milwaukee. Archbishop Raymond Burke has opened up his cause for canonization and the more I learn about him the more I find myself enlisting his intercessory support for the work of the Apostleship of Prayer. Fr. Hardon was a true apostle of the Sacred Heart. He was on fire with the same love that burns in the Heart of Jesus. He couldn't keep the fire to himself and did everything...

Dear Father X, You asked me the other day to write something that would encourage you to be faithful to your daily Eucharistic adoration. Here then are a few thoughts that came to me while at prayer. I share them with you simply, as one priest to another. When you come into Our Lord's presence to adore Him, and when you prefer Him to the countless other things that solicit your attention and make claims upon your time, Jesus is consoled and glorified. The proof of friendship is the choice of one's friend over all else. Our Lord wants you...

Obama's formula for suckering white folks: Don't make any sudden moves. This was usually an effective tactic, because (white) people were satisfied as long as you were courteous and smiled and made no sudden moves. They were more than satisfied; they were relieved -- such a pleasant surprise to find a well-mannered young black man who didn't seem angry all the time. Bill Clinton often used the actor's trick of suddenly dropping his voice low on TV so you had to listen carefully. This way, you felt drawn into his voice. It's like those kissing-distance close-ups the TV people like...

Michelle Obama decided to go all in. Ever since her husband took office in January, the first lady has been cautious about the causes she embraced. But with her hometown of Chicago vying to host the 2016 Olympics, Michelle boarded a plane to Copenhagen last month to make a personal appeal. She brought along Oprah Winfrey, worked her sleeveless charm on the assembled dignitaries, and even lunched with the Queen of Denmark. Her efforts culminated in a passionate televised speech to the International Olympic -Committee—-perhaps her most high-profile advocacy ever. Then it all fell flat. Rio won the Olympic bid;...

From arch-dissenter Father (he doesn't like using the title) Richard McBrien in arch-liberal publication National Catholic (they shouldn't get to use the title) Reporter: "Eucharistic adoration, perpetual or not, is a doctrinal, theological, and spiritual step backward, not forward." (source)Yes, I'm sure Jesus doesn't want us worshipping His substantial presence (sarcasm). Seriously, remind me why the Catholic News Service Twitter (the official news agency of the US Catholic Bishops) continually publicizes National Catholic Reporter articles?! Here's my quote of the day: "Supporting NCR, perpetually or not, is a doctrinal, theological and spiritual step backward, not forward." Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration...

Faithful Invited to Follow Pope, Adore Eucharist VATICAN CITY,  MARCH 10, 2009 (Zenit.org).- In this secularized era, Catholics should follow Benedict XVI's example and recover the practice of Eucharistic adoration, says a Vatican official. Cardinal Antonio Cañizares, prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments, affirmed this to Vatican Radio, as he spoke about the plenary assembly his dicastery is holding this week."The liturgy is, above all, adoration," he explained. "The Church is the work of God, God's action; it is recognition of what God does for men. And the adoration that the liturgy expresses, especially the Eucharist,...

Entrepreneurs have a mindset and orientation to work their way through uncertainty by taking action. "Making things happen" is the hallmark of an entrepreneur, and it defines our 44th president.

June 20, 2008 A Shepherd Speaks His Excellency, Bishop Edward J. Slattery of the Diocese of Tulsa, Oklahoma speaks to his people of Divine Intimacy, the holiness of the clergy, Eucharistic adoration, the maternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and his plans for a Cenacle of Eucharistic Adoration for priests. Emphases in boldface are my own. The full article can be found in the June 8, 2008 edition of Eastern Oklahoma Catholic.Assessments aren’t auditsAs a living organism, the Diocese must be assessed not at the level of measurable material things, but at the level of spiritual health, that is, the...

Editorial Six Habits of Highly Effective Dioceses Why are some dioceses better at attracting vocations than others? In Tim Drake’s recent story “Vocations Surge,” the Register provided some answers to that question. BY The Editors January 28- February 3, 2007 Issue Posted 1/23/07 at 8:00 AM Based on what we learned, here are six questions successful dioceses all answer “Yes.” 1. Is the Eucharist the center of vocation efforts? We found that the promotion of Eucharistic adoration for vocations is a decisive factor in attracting candidates. The reason is simple: It’s a vocations strategy that came from Christ himself, when...

Interview With a Monsignor in Sicily ROME, NOV. 15, 2006 (Zenit.org).- The archpriest of one of the best-preserved historical centers of Sicily thinks that "the first thing that any parish should engage in is perpetual Eucharistic Adoration." Monsignor Michele Placido Giordano, archpriest of Mistretta, has always promoted this type of prayer. In fact, the Church of the Most Holy Savior, in Mistretta, is one of only a handful of churches in Italy that has perpetual Eucharistic adoration. On Nov. 9, Benedict XVI urged a rediscovery of this practice, when he met with participants in the plenary assembly of the Pontifical...

Last Thanksgiving, Andy Petty of Gretna saw something he'll never forget. Nearly a year later he can remember it like it was yesterday. It all started when Petty visited Our Lady of Perpetual Help (OLPH) Adoration Chapel in Rivertown. Little did he know that someone was waiting for him there. Petty, who belonged to the Worldwide Church of God, was only attending OLPH to be with his fiancée, Ina. When Ina said, "lets go to the chapel" he thought she meant wedding chapel. "I had never been to an adoration chapel, never even heard of it," acknowledged Petty. He had...

Our belief in the real true presence in the Eucharist has a long history of dramatic events. The first apostles were shocked when Jesus gave them His Body and Blood at the Last Supper; many of His followers left Him because He preached the "reality of His Body and Blood as food and drink." (Fr. John A. Hardon, S.J. The History of the Eucharist, Illinois: CMJ Associsates, Inc. 1997, p. 1). St. Paul reminded the Corinthians that the "tradition which I handed on to you came from the Lord Himself" (1 Cor 11:23-26). St. Ignatius of Antioch, before he was...

The Mailbag:TO OUR DEAR BISHOPS: WITH ALL RESPECT, THE TIME HAS COME TO REFORM CHANCERIESWe have always urged obedience to our bishops as they adhere to Vatican rule and always will. Obedience is greater than sacrifice (says the Good Book) -- and we have always held that dear. We urge it for everyone.But these are distressing times, and we are often forced to report unpleasant trends. One of them is what seems like growing dissatisfaction on the part of the faithful with how chanceries are run. While maintaining faith in the Church itself (Mass attendance has held steady despite the...

The Holy Hour A pious exercise of mental or vocal prayer, in union with the prayer of Our Lord in the Garden of Olives on Maundy Thursday night, when He wae abandoned by the Apostles. It was taught as a practise to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque by Our Lord Himself, who appeared to her in 1673, as she was in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament. In 1829 Father Debrosse, S.J., founded a confraternity at Paray-le-Monial for the purpose of spreading this devotion, and in virtue of a rescript of Pius IX, 1875, the associates of the Apostleship of Prayer can...

Code: ZE06030906Date: 2006-03-09Pope Backs Perpetual Eucharistic AdorationParticularly in Rome DioceseVATICAN CITY, MARCH 9, 2006 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI has supported an initiative to offer the possibility of perpetual Eucharistic adoration in churches of the Rome Diocese. The Pope expressed his enthusiasm for this initiative during his meeting March 2 with Roman parish priests, as reflected in his conversation with them. A text of the conversation was subsequently published in Italian by the Vatican. Father Alberto Pacini, rector of the Church of St. Anastasia on the Pallatine Hill -- which has had perpetual Eucharistic adoration for the past five years -- made...

There seems to be sudden jockeying in various corners of Catholicism as the faithful wait to see where exactly Pope Benedict XVI will settle when it has to do with 'liberal" and "conservative" interpretations of liturgical norms. Was the pope, as Cardinal Ratzinger, as tough as many believe, or was he operating more at the behest of John Paul than previously recognized? That's the question of the hour: how far the Pope, widely described as a liberal before Vatican II, but stringently orthodox since, will keep to the conservative strictures for which he was famous as prefect for the Sacred...

by Leon J. Suprenant, Jr Other Articles by Leon J. Suprenant, Jr Christmas Presence, Lenten Gifts 02/25/06 Nine months after his election, Pope Benedict XVI issued his much-anticipated first encyclical letter, entitled "Deus Caritas Est" (“God Is Love”). No doubt it will provide Christ-centered wisdom and encouragement to a world that increasingly looks for true love “in all the wrong places.” In This Article...Papal TransitionThe Church Is Alive!Vatican II Today Papal Transition As we drink in "Deus Caritas Est" and the many other blessings that God desires to give us this year, I'd like to focus our attention on the first...

AS A NEW YEAR BEGINS SO DOES CHANCE TO START 2006 WITH 'FIRST-FRIDAY' DEVOTIONSBy Susan TassoneOnce, while St. Margaret Mary was praying before the exposed Blessed Sacrament, she saw a vision of Jesus in glory, with His five wounds shining like suns. He then showed her His Heart on fire with love for mankind, a love that, unfortunately, too often, has been ignored or treated with contempt. According to St. Margaret, whose revelations inspired the Sacred Heart devotion, the Lord asked her to make up for this coldness and ingratitude by receiving Holy Communion as often as she was allowed, and...

Interview With Archbishop Comastri, Pope's Vicar for Vatican City State VATICAN CITY, OCT. 20, 2005 (Zenit.org).- Is the real presence of the body and blood of Christ in the Eucharist a convention or a fact? Archbishop Angelo Comastri, the Pope's vicar general for Vatican City State, has asked himself this question and responds in this interview, which comes as the Synod of Bishops on the Eucharist draws to a close this Sunday. "Some years ago, I published an investigation on Eucharistic miracles," he says. "To my surprise, I received a letter that challenged the documents collected, stating that the phenomenon...

"What Are Your Memories of Your First Communion Day?" VATICAN CITY, OCT. 20, 2005 (Zenit.org).- Here is the catechesis that Benedict XVI addressed last Saturday afternoon to children who were receiving their First Communion this year. * * * 1. Andrea [asked the first question]: "Dear Pope, what are your memories of your First Communion day?" Benedict XVI: I would first like to say thank you for this celebration of faith that you are offering to me, for your presence and for your joy. I greet you and thank you for the hug I have received from some of you,...

VATICAN CITY, OCT. 17, 2005 (Zenit.org).- The Synod of Bishops spent a day in reflection and Eucharistic adoration before making its key decisions. There was no general assembly this morning, allowing the relator general, Cardinal Angelo Scola of Venice, and other officials to finish writing the "propositions" that the synod will present to the Pope. The "unified list of propositions" will be presented Tuesday in the synod hall. The list will be analyzed that day and Wednesday by working groups and submitted for possible amendments. The final version of the propositions will be presented Friday. The synodal fathers will vote...

It is generally known, that, since Vatican II, much has changed in the Catholic Church with regard to this veneration of the Host (whic means "sacrificial gift" in Latin). Most of the forms of reverence I have described [such as kneeling for Communion] have disappeared. The liturgical reformers succeeded in convincing the faithful that reverence for the Host, worship of the Host as the real physical appearance of Jesus Christ, has been unknown in the Church of the Apostles and their early successors. This veneration of the Host was medieval, they said. The word "medieval" has an even more pejorative...

by Pat Gohn Other Articles by Pat Gohn The Gaze 07/13/05 I do a weekly adoration hour. If you are familiar with the devotion of Eucharistic Adoration, skip the next paragraph. If not, allow me to explain. In formal settings, when a Catholic church sets up a weekly or daily schedule of Adoration or “Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament,” volunteers (like me) sign up to pray during a designated hour. The Blessed Sacrament, meaning the large consecrated Host that a priest elevates during Mass, is “exposed” or “revealed” in a monstrance — usually an ornate vessel that displays the Host on...

By Elizabeth Lev ROME, MAY 26, 2005 (Zenit.org).- Santa Maria Maggiore proudly crowns the Esquiline Hill. It is Rome's most important church dedicated to the Blessed Mother as well as a patriarchal basilica. This week it also led Romans and pilgrims alike toward a greater experience of the Year of the Eucharist. From May 19 to 21, Rome saw the Forty Hours devotion offered for the first time in decades. The basilica stayed open all day and all night allowing residents and pilgrims to stop by for a few moments with the Blessed Sacrament. The Host was in a monstrance...

St. Francis and the Eucharist Gordon Plumb, Tertiary from the Lincoln Area examines the centrality of the Eucharist for us. The Eucharist At the end of his life Francis dictated a document that has remained a primary expression of his Gospel vision. He says in what has become known as The Testament: …the Lord gave me, and gives me still, such faith in priests who live according to the rite of the holy Roman Church because of their orders that, were they to persecute me, I would still want to have recourse to them…..And I act in this way because,...

by Fr. William Saunders Other Articles by Fr. William Saunders Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament 02/18/05 For the Year of the Eucharist, my parish is having all-day adoration and benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. I just recently moved here and I am not familiar with this practice at all. Can you explain it? Unfortunately, the lack of familiarity with exposition and benediction of the Blessed Sacrament is not uncommon these days. I remember when I was growing up in the '60s, that on special occasions my home parish, St. Bernadette Church in Springfield, had exposition and benediction. Then, for whatever reason,...

Code: ZE05011720Date: 2005-01-17Adoration for Vocations to be Promoted WorldwideROME, JAN. 17, 2005 (Zenit.org).- In the Year of the Eucharist, Serra International and the Vatican Congregation for Catholic Education are working to make it a year of adoration for vocations. On Nov. 24, the two organizations launched the Worldwide Adoration for Vocations campaign in Rome, with John Paul II blessing six monstrances, which will be used to promote the effort in continents worldwide. The U.S. bishops' conference officially launched the campaign in North America on Jan. 12 with Adoration for Vocations at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate...

The Adoration of the Name of Jesus (c. 1578), El Greco (1541-1614) "...God great exalted Him and bestowed on Him the Name that is above every name, that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in Heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Phil. 2: 9-11) In illustrating this quote from an epistle of Saint Paul, Domenikos Theotokopoulos, popularly known as "El Greco," drew upon his Greek heritage and composed a painting that is both an exaltation of...

How many times have you heard someone speak about his favorite actor this way? "Oh, I just adore him. I love his work!" People have a tendency to describe in glowing terms someone whose artistic efforts kindle the fire of inspiration in them. The next common reaction is for the fan to wish, "If I ever meet him I would love to get his autograph." What the person desires is to gain even a small piece of their adored performer. It's funny how many of us, myself included, react in the directly opposite manner when it comes to the greatest...

VATICAN CITY, JAN. 6, 2004 (Zenit.org).- A Web site that aimed to log 100,000 hours of eucharistic adoration for vocations as an gift for John Paul II ended up surpassing its goal. The site, www.vocation.com, logged more than 125,000 hours by the time its six-month campaign for eucharistic adoration ended on Christmas Day. Catholic faithful from 41 countries logged in their time spent praying before the Blessed Sacrament with this intention. Participating countries included Australia, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, India, China, South Korea, Brazil, Mexico, the United States, Britain, Zimbabwe, Kazakhstan, France, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Bulgaria. Last Friday, officials...

"Could you not watch one hour with Me?" It all began at the Last Supper on Holy Thursday... 1st Century: Evangelists and St. Paul made it plain to the apostolic Church that the Eucharistic Elements were literally Jesus Christ continuing His saving mission among men (according to "the tradition which I handed on to you that came to me from "The Lord Himself""(1 Cor. II: 23-26)). Ignatius of Antioch warned people to not be taken in by the Gnostics who denied the Real Presence and thus abstained from The Eucharist. 2nd Century: The Rite of Fermentum was practiced. This...

French police sources said that after they received the U.S. information, six people were questioned but no one was arrested. All of the men had tickets for Air France Flight 68 to Los Angeles and were on a watch list provided by U.S. authorities, an Interior Ministry spokesman said.

The Mass Explained    CORMAC BURKE The following commentaries on the Holy Mass — one for each day of the month — were first prepared for school use. They can easily be adapted for other uses. ContentsIntroductionChrist's actionLove for the MassFaith The purposes of the MassThe first purpose: adoration The second purpose: to give thanks The third purpose: to make up for our sinsThe fourth purpose: petitionReadingsGospelCreedPresentation of the giftsPresentation of the giftsOrate, fratresSanctusConsecrationConsecration-CommunionThe Our FatherPreparation for CommunionCommunionHoly Mass: self-givingOpening prayer, prayer over the gifts, Prayer after communionMass: presence of God Sorrow for one's sin Thanksgiving IntroductionTo judge the...

I read something on a Catholic message board the other that chilled my blood. The mother of one of a cognitively challenged brother in Christ had posted my piece "Special Love for Special Children" to the board, letting others know about the work of the Order of Alhambra does among God's special children. Nothing unusual about that. Nevertheless, one of the homosexual activists (at least it appears that way) on the list replied: "If I had Down's Syndrome, I would hope that my parents would have the good sense to abort me because I could not lead a productive life."...

(PAUL HENRY WOOD (AMERICAN, 1871-92), “ABSOLUTION UNDER FIRE,” 1891 OIL ON CANVAS, 72 X 102 IN. UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME COLLECTION OF THE SNITE MUSEUM OF ART, UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME, AA.76.57)Editor’s Note: The following address was given at the first Knights of Columbus Eucharistic Congress in Washington, D.C., June 22, 2002. In the beautiful rolling hills of western Maryland lies the historic battlefield of Antietam. There on Sept. 17, 1862 (“the Glorious 17th”) was fought the bloodiest battle of any American war. More than 20,000 soldiers from both sides of the Civil War lay dead or wounded. The battle...

DEVOTION TO HOLY EUCHARIST OUTSIDE MASS Pope Paul VI  Holy Father stresses Need of Devotion to Holy Eucharist outside of MassThe duty and present importance of devotion to the Blessed Sacrament not only during but also after and apart from the Mass are re-affirmed in a letter which the Holy Father has sent to the Superior General of the Congregation of Priests of the Blessed Sacrament, Father Roland Huot, on the occasion of a meeting in Rome concerned with eucharistic devotion. The letter, the text of which we here reproduce in full, underlines the benefits accruing to the ecclesial...

Roots of Marian Devotion Go Back to Old Testament ROME, DEC. 25, 2002 (Zenit.org).- Scholar Scott Hahn roundly rejects the idea held by some outside the Church that Catholics, by honoring Mary, somehow detract from God. "The glories we honor in Mary are merely her own reflections of God's glory," says the author of books such as "Rome Sweet Home" and "Hail, Holy Queen." Here, the one-time Presbyterian minister spells out his ideas. Q: Why do you say that Catholics should love Mary a lot more than they do? Hahn: Because God does! And he wants us to love her...

The Monks of Adoration Contemplative Catholic monastic life dedicated to  Eucharistic Adoration, the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Rule: Saint Augustine Prayer: Full Liturgy of the Hours, Rosary, Individual Holy Hours Work: Writing, gardening, Internet, quarterly publication, bookshop, clock making.monkadorer@catholic.org   Vocational Information We wish you all a grace filled Easter Season!!!HEISRISEN!!!