The Church affirms that for believers the sacraments of the New Covenant are necessary for salvation. “Sacramental grace” is the grace of the Holy Spirit, given by Christ and proper to each sacrament. The Spirit heals and transforms those who receive him by conforming them to the Son of God. The fruit of the sacramental life is that the Spirit of adoption makes the faithful partakers in the divine nature by uniting them in a living union with the only Son, the Savior. ccc 1129
When the Father’s of Mercy were here last week for our parish mission, Father Joseph asked us what we offer when the Priest speaks the words, “pray brethren that my sacrifice and yours may be acceptable to God the almighty father”? I pondered this question for awhile, because though I do make an offering of myself at this point in my life and have for several years, there was a time I offered nothing. There was a time I did not pay attention to the words. There was a time I didn’t understand how God seeks our cooperation in His Sacrifice. True love is self-sacrificing, and Christ asks us to partake in this as part of His Mystical Body. When we do, sacramental grace pours over us, so that in offering ourselves in the sacrifice, God can lift us higher, for we know we cannot do it on our own. Our being lifted higher, partaking in Divine Nature, spreads outward to the rest of the world. This happens when we receive in a state of grace and when we recognize that we are not the center of everything, God is. With God nothing is impossible.
And in realizing what was happening when we do this, how that sacramental grace flows from Christ to each believer and how it then flows out from the believer to the rest of the world, I felt a profound joy and a profound sadness.
I felt joy because I realized how God can extend His grace to those who need it most, by His sacrifice and ours…. Our sacrifice united to Christ, in and through the sacraments, can be applied to our loved ones, and even to our enemies, in order that they might be saved. And all of it is done through the Pascal Mystery, through the Sacraments. I can place my fallen away loved ones in that chalice with me and sacrifice, for them. Christ already did it for them, our cooperation in that makes the sacramental grace flow. Everything flows through the sacraments. The light shines in the darkness.
And then I became profoundly sad because I realized that when our guardian angels approach the altar with what we have to offer as our sacrifice, many of them go forward with empty hands. I know mine did for a period of time. Not only does this put our own souls in jeopardy, but it cuts off the sacramental grace that could flow from us to others. And we wonder why the world is in the state that it is in.
We have spent so much time wondering what we can “get” out of Mass, missing the grace we receive, and offering nothing to give. It’s the tragedy of our time. When we sacrifice with Christ, when His divine nature fills us, our relationships with others are healed, creation operates in harmony, and souls are saved. We are so far away from this.
The Saints did have an understanding of this. Saint Therese of Lisieux, before she ever became a nun, prayed and offered sacrifice for Henri Pranzini, a murderer that all of France hated. Before he walked to the guillotine, he kissed the wounds of Christ on the Crucifix. It could be that the only place Henri Pranzini received the sacramental grace that could save him were through the prayers and sacrifice of Saint Therese of Lisieux united to Christ. How many souls did she offer for? How many repented before their particular judgement because of her offerings? Christ is the one mediator, and we are His Mystical Body. Would that we all pray and sacrifice like Saint Therese.
We are at a point in time where I do think it will take an illumination of conscience for mankind to understand all that we have lost by our lack of sacrifice with Christ. Today, October 3 in 1847, the people in Mexico experienced an illumination. It took place one day after a major earthquake in Ocotlán, Mexico. The city was destroyed and 40 people died. The parish church was destroyed. They held a Mass outside the day following the earthquake. An apparition of Christ crucified appeared in the sky for approximately 30 minutes witnessed by 2000 people. People cried out in contrition for their sins. It became known as the “miracle of Octolán”, and it serves as a reminder to purify your conscience with the sacraments, from which the grace flows.
We must stay on the path of purification and learn to offer sacrifice, even and especially when we don’t feel like it. The next time you go to Mass, think long and hard about the offering you will hand to your angel to carry to the altar, it just may help someone get to heaven.
Veil of Veronica 
I get so much out of your posts! Thank you for sharing…. L
you’re welcome! Thank you!!
AWESOME, SUSAN!!
Oftentimes I stop the Mass and explain and or teach my small group about the parts of the Mass and why we pray it. They like that so they know more of what is happening during Mass and then we talk about it after Mass over coffee.
Father Ed
so many don’t know. Thank you for teaching people.
Susan, you bring forth thoughts that I do not see or think of during this time at Mass. Thank you for your God given perception to bring this to our attention. I only wish I could see this on my own. God has graced you with this gift and I am so thankful you share it with us. You are leading so many souls in the direction of our Dear Lord and the importance of the Holy Eucharist. I have always thought our Guardian Angels do not receive enough credit. There are so many things I have just recently learned about our Guardiam Angels.
For instance, I did not know we can send them to daily Mass if we are not able to attend, or we can send them with a dying loved one while praying the divine mercy. I did not know that they need our permission to do so. If you have any more information on our Guardian Angels, please share. I learn so much from you and Father Chris Alar on YouTube. Thank you so much for sharing your Veil of Veronica and God bless you more than He already has.
My sister had a warning that her son was in danger and she sent her guardian angel to him. She found out later he was in an Osprey crash off the coast of Hawaii. He told his mom he saw a light and went towards it, and he was safe. I think his angel and her angel saved him.
We really need to thank our angels!
God Bless you!!
Incredibly and beautifully described and worded for a simple minded person to understand. I will be more prepared at mass to offer my ángel something or someone to take up to the Lord. If I come with a sincere heart and willing spirit through my Blessed Mother and the angel who guides and protects me, my offering will be welcomed!
Thank you for this reminder.
Peace, mercy and love to all.
Amen!
This! Thank you for your post. How we need to hear this…similarly has come before me in prayer before mass in front of the Tabernacle. The lost years of not offering ourselves united to Christ’s sufferings. I have made the constant plead to Mother Mary to come into these weaknesses of self absorption and assist in making perfect my imperfect prayer of not living as seriously as I should the consecration to Jesus through Mary. She welcomes the invitation ♥️ How much more we could give to Jesus if we made this intentional. At mass always at the Hosanna , my eyes raise to acknowledge the veil open with angels and Saints joining in Holy Holy Holy!
May we with your promptings place this on our minds first as we rise and as we fall asleep, and at mass especially…also acknowledge our guardian angels every day. Thank you Susan for sharing💝
Thank you and God Bless you!
GOD BLESS YOU thank you for sharing göteborg bless you from me On Today’s Gospel
11h sedan
Catholicjules.net
You know I had always thought to myself with somewhat faux bravado that should I ever face a situation like those in today’s first reading, I would gladly burn in the furnace then renounce my Lord and my God!
But what about losing my temper when the hawker gets my order wrong and refuses to change it? Or screaming at my children when they say and do something to upset me? What about reacting angrily when my spouse says something to irk me or put me down? Or turning to vice to distract me from woes and trials of daily life? All these things and more, are they not the same as me renouncing the Lord my God? Choosing to hear the lies of the evil one whispering sweet nothings in my ear?
If I give in too easily, it is because I have not made my Lord’s Word my home! For then I am not living the freedom of His truth within me.
Come Lord Jesus, come dwell in my heart now and forevermore. And let Your Word be a lamp unto my feet. Amen
________
First reading
Daniel 3:14-20,24-25,28
God has sent his angel to rescue his servants
King Nebuchadnezzar said, ‘Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, is it true that you do not serve my gods, and that you refuse to worship the golden statue I have erected? When you hear the sound of horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, or any other instrument, are you prepared to prostrate yourselves and worship the statue I have made? If you refuse to worship it, you must be thrown straight away into the burning fiery furnace; and where is the god who could save you from my power?’ Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to King Nebuchadnezzar, ‘Your question hardly requires an answer: if our God, the one we serve, is able to save us from the burning fiery furnace and from your power, O king, he will save us; and even if he does not, then you must know, O king, that we will not serve your god or worship the statue you have erected.’ These words infuriated King Nebuchadnezzar; his expression was very different now as he looked at Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. He gave orders for the furnace to be made seven times hotter than usual, and commanded certain stalwarts from his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the burning fiery furnace.
Then King Nebuchadnezzar sprang to his feet in amazement. He said to his advisers, ‘Did we not have these three men thrown bound into the fire?’ They replied, ‘Certainly, O king.’ ‘But,’ he went on ‘I can see four men walking about freely in the heart of the fire without coming to any harm. And the fourth looks like a son of the gods.’
Nebuchadnezzar exclaimed, ‘Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego: he has sent his angel to rescue the servants who, putting their trust in him, defied the order of the king, and preferred to forfeit their bodies rather than serve or worship any god but their own.’
________
Gospel
John 8:31-42
If the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed
To the Jews who believed in him Jesus said:
‘If you make my word your home
you will indeed be my disciples,
you will learn the truth
and the truth will make you free.’
They answered, ‘We are descended from Abraham and we have never been the slaves of anyone; what do you mean, “You will be made free”?’ Jesus replied:
‘I tell you most solemnly,
everyone who commits sin is a slave.
Now the slave’s place in the house is not assured,
but the son’s place is assured.
So if the Son makes you free,
you will be free indeed.
I know that you are descended from Abraham;
but in spite of that you want to kill me
because nothing I say has penetrated into you.
What I, for my part, speak of
is what I have seen with my Father;
but you, you put into action
the lessons learnt from your father.’
They repeated, ‘Our father is Abraham.’ Jesus said to them:
‘If you were Abraham’s children,
you would do as Abraham did.
As it is, you want to kill me
when I tell you the truth
as I have learnt it from God;
that is not what Abraham did.
What you are doing is what your father does.’
‘We were not born of prostitution,’ they went on ‘we have one father: God.’ Jesus answered:
‘If God were your father, you would love me,
since I have come here from God;
yes, I have come from him;
not that I came because I chose,
no, I was sent, and by him.’
2
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Molitva Predragocjenoj Krvi Kristovoj najmoćnijem sredstvu protiv zla i bolesti
(Moliti polako , sabrano…promišljajući o svakoj riječi koju smo izgovorili, sa vjerom u bezgraničnu moć Krvi kristove po kojoj smo otkupljeni)
U Ime Isusovo neka me Predragocjena Krv Kristova obrati u srcu u iskrenoj, dubokoj vjeri, ljubavi i pouzdanju u tebe, Gospodine… ! Predragocjenom Krvlju svojom Gospodine Isuse Kriste molim Te, Operi me od glave do pete, iznutra i izvana ! Neka Predragocjena Tvoja Krv poteče mojim venama, mojim organima, cijelim mojim tijelom, umom, dušom, duhom…! (možeš ovdje, po poticaju Duha meditativno i polako, imenovati svaki dio tijela, duše i duha … ili bolest i smetnju koju imaš, a koji želiš da Gospodin ozdravi svojom Krvi i u duhu osjetiti kako te Krv Kristova čisti, oslobađa i iscjeljuje, …)
Neka me Tvoja prečista Krv, Isuse Kriste iscijeli od svake bolesti tijela, uma, duše i duha. Odstrani iz mene i od mene svaku negativnost i sve što nije od tebe, Isuse! Gospodine Isuse Kriste, napravi štit oko mene, od svoje Predragocjene otkupiteljske Krvi i svih onih za koje te molim. (možeš navesti imena osoba za koje moliš…).
Isuse, Krvlju svojom operi i zapečati zrak koji dišem, hranu koju jedem, vodu koju pijem, putove koje hodim, prostore u kojima boravim, stvari koje dotičem, ljude sa kojima kontaktiram…!
Zapečati u svojoj svetoj Krvi mene (ime i prezime, osobe za koju molim), moj lik gdje god se nalazili i sve što je u vezi mene i onih za koje te molim.
Krvi Kristova operi me ( nas )… ( više puta zazivati…);
Krvi Kristova, zaštiti me (nas); Krvi Kristova pobjednice zlih duhova spasi me (nas) i zaštiti me (nas); Krvi Kristova iscijeli me (nas)…
U Ime Isusovo , zapovijedam neka me sad ovoga časa, napusti svaka bolest tijela, uma, duše i duha i iziđe iz mene VAN. (po poticaju Duha govoriti koliko dugo …)
Krvi Kristova , u ime Isusovo blagoslovi me u ovom danu …
u ime + Boga Oca, + Boga Sina i + Boga Duha Svetoga ! Amen !
Hvala Ti Isuse, Slava Ti Isuse… ( zahvaljivati neko vrijeme i vjerovati da se molitva već ostvarila …)
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