Matthew 11:25-27

The message of the Gospel today is very clear for all of us that the mystery of God the Father is revealed only through the Son. The Father invites us to go to the Son; and upon accepting the invitation of the Father, through Jesus, we knew the Father.

In the entire life of Jesus, His ministries here on earth reflect the will of the Father. With the presence of Jesus, the Kingdom of God has been made present among us.

It is Jesus who taught us to pray to the Father using the Lord’s prayer.

Before Jesus ascended to heaven, He promised to send us the Paraclete-- the Joy Giver, the Holy Spirit who will enlighten us and who will make Jesus present among us all.

To understand the message of God, we need to open ourselves with humility to the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to open our minds to the outpouring of the wisdom of God.

Here in the reading today, we heard the word ‘babe’ wherein the mysteries of God were revealed unto them. Jesus always tells us that unless we become children, we can go to the Kingdom of God. More than reasons, God wants us to believe using our faith. Like children, God wants us to believe with full trust and full faith.

One night Br.Israel offered me a leftover eggpie. He’s already munching it when Kuya Joey told me? “Panis na ba yung eggpie?” I told him, since I have already eaten it, with conviction I responded: “Hindi pa.” Then he insisted, “para kasing may laway-laway na.” Then I told him, “para malaman mo kung panis na ang  pagkain, tinitikman yun hindi lang tinitingnan.” And then he, ate it with gusto. I asked him, “bakit kinain mo na agad?” He just smiled at me, “kasi sinabi mo na hindi pa panis.”

Jesus Christ is the word of God the Father. To have a taste of the Kingdom of God, like Kuya Joey, we need to have a leap of faith. We need to believe so that we could have a taste of the heavenly banquet. Sometimes the appearance of the way going to the Kingdom of God is full of sadness, pain, sorrows, martyrdom, conviction and condemnation from our present society. But beyond that, the leap of faith make us to open not only our eyes but also to open our hearts so that we can embrace sufferings and become joyful in doing our sacrifices for God.

Upon making this reflection, I realized that the way towards Jesus is always leading to the cross. For us grown-ups, the cross is painful. But for the children I met, the cross is where Jesus is.

As the children song goes, “I am decided to follow Jesus, no matter what, no matter what.” As Christians, we need to wear our cross elegantly.

Photo Credit: http://dailyencouragement.wordpress.com/2011/10/12/jesus-loves-the-little-children/

A Reflection on Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament

ENCOUNTERING JESUS THROUGH OUR LADY OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT

AS INSPIRED BY THE CONGREGATION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT FOUNDER, 
ST. PETER JULIAN EYMARD

Br. Dennis DC. Marquez, SSS

Picture Credit: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/324822191847568513/

The Virgin Mary has a special place in the heart of our founder, St. Peter Julian Eymard. When Peter Julian lost his mother, he prayed to the Virgin Mary and owned her as her beloved mother. Upon the writing of our congregation’s constitution, Peter Julian has set a throne for her in our congregation’s Rule of Life no. 14. As Sacramentinos, our founder inspires us to pray with Mary-- for Mary, the Mother of God, is the beloved mother of our Lord Jesus Christ.

SSS-RULE OF LIFE #14: WITH MARY

Mary, mother of Jesus, voice of the poor and the lowly, welcomed the Word of God into her heart and put it into practice. She shared her life and prayer with the disciples actively working with them for the coming of the Kingdom.

We will honour Mary as the poor one of Yahweh and the Servant of the Lord, with a love like that of our Founder who also invoked her under the title of Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament. We will love to meditate the mysteries of the rosary.

As we understand in our Theology class—Jesus is the Eucharist… Jesus is the Blessed Sacrament. With Jesus, Mary is the first believer. With Jesus, Mary is the first disciple. With Jesus, Mary is the first witness, the first hearer of the Gospel and the first doer of the Gospel. In following Jesus, Mary is the perfect disciple. Through Mary, our prayers are being interceded to her Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

CATECHESIS:

Our founder, St. Peter Julian Eymard first gave the title of Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament to Mary in May 1868. He first spoke about her to the early novices of our congregation. In Fr. Eymard’s retreat note on 1865, he wrote:  "It was the Blessed Virgin who led me to Our Lord: to Sunday Communion (at Notre Dame du Laus) at the age of twelve; from the Society of Mary to that of the Most Blessed Sacrament." It was Fr. Eymard who described what the statue of the Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament would look like: "The Blessed Virgin holds the Infant in her arms; and He holds a chalice in one hand and a Host in the other."

Fr. Eymard honors Mary’s relationship to the Holy Eucharist and to place her before us as a model in our devotion to the Blessed Sacrament.

In 1921 the Sacred Congregation of Rites authorized the Blessed Sacrament Congregations to celebrate each year, on the 13th of May, a "solemn commemoration of the Blessed Virgin," with the intention of honoring Mary under the title of "Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament."

St. (Pope )Pius X agreed with Fr. Eymard. According to St.  Pius X, "this title, Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament, is perhaps the most meaningful of all."

REFLECTION:

As the mother of God, Mary, together with St. Joseph, became the first of the unborn Jesus inside her womb. The flesh of Mary becomes the flesh of the Divine God, who is Logos, the Word who incarnated and who became one of us.

 After giving birth to God who became man, Mary encountered how Jesus grew up and matured in wisdom. Mary was there and followed Jesus in His ministry of preaching the Kingdom of God up to the time when Jesus suffered and died on the cross. Mary was there when our Lord was resurrected from the dead. All throughout these joyful and painful salvific events of Jesus’ life, Mary becomes the silent adorer of our Lord… she becomes the silent witness to the entire life of our Lord Jesus Chris for Mary always pondered everything about Jesus in her heart.

In her silent heart she knows that Jesus is the Eucharist... that Jesus is the Blessed Sacrament. As St. Pope John Paul II always refer to Mary: ‘Mary’s womb became the first tabernacle of the Blessed Sacrament.’ Indeed, Mary is Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament for Mary is the first receiver of the Blessed Sacrament… the Eucharist who is Jesus.

CHALLENGE:

What is the invitation of Mama Mary? Together with our founder St. Peter Julian Eymard, Mama Mary invites us to open our hearts to receive our Lord Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament. To receive Jesus is to encounter Jesus in whatever circumstances we have in our life—to see and encounter Jesus in our happiness and in our pains. To receive Jesus is to share Jesus by being a Eucharist to others—our gift of self to God, like what our founder St. Peter Julian mentioned in his writings, is being transformed to being a gift to others.

Like our founder, St. Peter Julian Eymard, let us call to Mary as our beloved mother. Mary will always lead us to the Son. Mary will always lead us to the Blessed Sacrament.

According to Fr. Eymard:

“When you labor to promote the Eucharistic reign of Our Lord, unite yourself with Mary's intention and with her joy when she worked for Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, and you will be happy!.. She will enrich you if you live only for the love of Jesus! You will render her still more a Mother, since you enable her to discharge more perfectly her mission as Mother of the adorers of her Son Jesus.

Be devoted as Mary. Mary loved to the extent of Calvary – she loved even unto death. It was on Calvary that she became the Mother of love. There only will you become a true adorer, worthy of the Cenacle, worthy of Jesus and Mary.”

With Mary, Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament , let us continue to pray to Jesus as we receive Him in our daily Masses; and as we adore Him in the Blessed Sacrament. May these encounters with our Lord Jesus Christ through the inspiration of Mama Mary as Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament will always guide us to grow and mature in spirit and wisdom.

Prayers:

Prayer to Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament…

Our Father…

Hail Mary…

Glory be…

___

References/Sources:

1.SSS-Rule of Life

2.Eymard’s Great Retreat of Rome.

3.http://www.salvemariaregina.info/SalveMariaRegina/SMR-143.html. (Downloaded: July 8, 2014).

4. http://www.joshuastone.net/BlessedSacrament.html. (Downloaded: July 8, 2014).