Missionaries of the Blessed Sacrament

“The Lamb who is at the center of the throne will lead them to the springs of the waters of life.” – Rev. 7:17

 “Every time the Son of God comes again to us in the ‘poverty’ of the sacramental signs of bread and wine, the seeds of that new history wherein the mighty are ‘put down from their thrones’ and ‘those of low degree are exalted’ (cf. Lk 1:52), take root in the world. Mary sings of the ‘new heavens’ and the ‘new earth’ which find in the Eucharisttheir anticipation and in some sense their programme and plan. The Magnificat expresses Mary’s spirituality, and there is nothing greater than this spirituality for helping us to experience the mystery of the Eucharist. The Eucharist has been given to us so that our life, like that of Mary, may become completely a Magnificat!” (St. John Paul II, Ecclesia de Eucharistia, 58)

National Eucharistic Revival

“The Church in the United States is responding to the bishops’ call for us to be healed, converted, formed, and unified by an encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist—and then sent out on mission ‘for the life of the world’ (Jn 6:51). We are invited to deepen our relationship with Jesus Christ, Our Lord, through the celebration of the Eucharist, so that we can be set on fire for the mission our Church needs so desperately. The Eucharist is the greatest gift that Jesus has given us because it contains his very self. At the Last Supper Jesus says to his Twelve Apostles, ‘No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends’ (Jn 15:13). Then he makes that statement real in the gift of the Eucharist when he says, ‘This is my Body given up for you… this is my Blood poured out for you’ (Lk 22:19–20). He gives this saving self-gift—his Paschal Mystery—an enduring presence in the Eucharist, so that for all ages we would be able to receive this gift and learn to make a gift of our own lives.” (Bishop Andrew Cozzens, Chairman of the USCCB’s Committee for Evangelization and Catechesis)

Eucharistic Miracle: Reunion Island, Indian Ocean (Property of France) – 1902

Fr. Lacombe, a priest at St. Andrew's Catholic Church exposed the Blessed Sacrament for 40 hours devotion.  During the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, in which Our Lord remained exposed in the Monstrance, Fr. Lacombe looked up to behold the face of Christ in Agony exposed in the Monstrance. Fearing what he was seeing was an optical illusion, he said nothing, but could not banish the image from his thoughts. After Mass, a man asked Father to bless a medal. Wanting to see if the image of Christ in the Host was an illusion, Father sent the man to look at the Host in the Monstrance. The man hurried back, crying that he has seen the face of a Man in the Monstrance. The altar boys, who Fr. Lacombe had sent to view the Host in the Monstrance, returned in amazement with the same reports. A little girl, who also beheld the face, later said, “I cannot forget what I have seen, I will always remember the Face of Our Lord... it has made an indelible mark on my life.” Word of the miracle of the Holy Face of Christ spread quickly across the island.  People flocked to the Church to see the Face of Christ in the Monstrance. 

Around 2:00 p.m. the image of Christ in the Host changed to that of a crucifix, the Host remaining Immaculate. Crowds gathered to adore Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, and as they were singing “Tantum Ergo” the image of the Crucifix disappeared. The Bishop ordered the Miraculous Host preserved. Although later attempts were made to discredit the Miracle and Fr. Lacombe, so many eyewitnesses were present that any such efforts were fruitless. 

July is the month of the Precious Blood of Jesus. “What need I fear? He Who sustains the world is within me. The Blood of a God circulates within my veins: Have no fear, O my soul. The Lord of the Universe has taken you up into His Arms and wants you to find rest in Him.” (Venerable Louise Margaret Claret de la Touche)

Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati, Patron of World Youth Days, Incorrupt, Italy (1921-1925)—Feast, July 4:
"I urge you with all the strength of my soul to approach the Eucharist Table as often as possible. Feed on this Bread of the Angels from which you will draw the strength to fight inner struggles." (Bl. Pier Giorgio)

St. Anthony Mary Zaccaria, Priest, Physician, Incorrupt, Italy (1502-1539)— Feast, July 5:  
St. Anthony was a powerful preacher both in Church and on the streets. He was a reformer and promoter of Eucharistic Adoration. Founder of Barnabites (men) and Angelics (women), he declared: "Unfurl your flags for Jesus Crucified is about to send you to proclaim everywhere the vital energy of the Spirit."

St. Maria Goretti, Patroness of Youth, Children of Mary, and Rape Victims, Italy (1890-1902)—Feast, July 6:

PRAYER after COMMUNION (Today's Liturgy): O God, who bestowed on blessed Saint Maria Goretti a crown among the Saints for her twofold triumph of virginity and martyrdom, grant, we pray, through the power of this Sacrament, that, bravely overcoming every evil, we may attain the glory of heaven. Through Christ our Lord.

St. Benedict, Priest, Benedictine founder, Patron of kidney disease, Italy (c.480-547)—Feast, July 11: 
Patriarch of Western Monasticism, Co-patron of Europe, and St. Scholastica's twin brother, he wrote of the need of silent prayer before our Lord: "What, dear brothers, is more delightful than the voice of the Lord calling to us?"

St. Kateri Tekakwitha, Virgin, Miracle Worker, North America (1656-1680)—Feast, July 14: 

When St. Kateri converted to the Catholic faith at age twenty, some of her relatives continuously ridiculed, maligned, and harassed her. Her aunts would have drunkards follow her to the chapel, shout insults at her, and pelt her with stones as she walked to the tabernacle to pray. St. Kateri left her home in Fonda, New York to live near Montreal, Quebec. There she was able to attend more than one Mass daily, spend time in Eucharistic Adoration, labor in subsistence work, and care for the sick and dying. She set aside other quiet moments of the day for prayer, including the Rosary and Angelus.

St. Camillus de Lellis, Founder, Patron of Hospitals, Nurses, and the Sick, Italy (1550-1614)—Feast, July 18:

Founder of the Fathers of Good Death, “St Camillus de Lellis never celebrated Holy Mass without first going to Confession, because he wanted at least 'to dust off' his soul. Once at sundown in a public square in Livorno, before taking leave of a priest of the same religious order, foreseeing that he would not have a priest to confess to on the following morning before his Mass, the Saint paused, took off his hat, made the sign of the Cross and went to Confession right there in the square to his confrere.” (Jesus, Our Eucharistic Love, Fr. Stefano M Manelli)

St. Mary Magdalene, Repentant Sinner, Disciple of Jesus, Apostle to the Apostles—Feast, July 22:

“Diving into her [St. Mary Magdalene’s] life will bring you to the life of Jesus Christ, most importantly in the Holy Eucharist, and allow his grace to transform your hearts and minds to love him and focus on him.” (Tom Perna)

St. Sharbel Makhluf, Priest, Hermit, Miracle Worker, Lebanon (1828-1898)—Feast, July 24:

“Sharbel’s companions in the hermitage were the Sons of God, as encountered in the Scriptures and in the Eucharist, and the Blessed Mother. The Eucharist became the center of his life. He consumed the Bread of his Life and was consumed by it. Though this hermit did not have a place in the world, the world had a great place in his heart. Through prayer and penance he offered himself as a sacrifice so that the world would return to God. It is in this light that one sees the importance of the following Eucharistic prayer in his life.” (www.catholicculture.org)

St. James the Greater, Apostle, Martyr, Patron of Spain and Santiago de Compostela (d. 42)—Feast, July 25:
James father was Zebedee and his brother was the Apostle John. “And just as He appeared before the holy Apostles in true flesh, so now He has us see Him in the Sacred Bread. Looking at Him with the eyes of their flesh, they saw only His Flesh, but regarding Him with the eyes of the spirit, they believed that He was God.” (St. Francis of Assisi)

Sts. Joachim & Anne, Parents of the Bl. Virgin Mary, Patrons of parents and grandparents—Feast, July 26:

“When He [Jesus] gives us His body He gives us the DNA of Mary and Anne and Joachim. We touch God. We eat God. We digest God. God becomes part of us. His body becomes our body. And that Body, that flesh and that blood, came down through His grandparents, Saints Joachim and Anne.” (mycatholic.life)

Sts. Martha, Mary and Lazarus, Patron Saints of siblings— Feast, July 29:

Prayer after Communion: May the holy reception of the Body and Blood of your Only Begotten Son, O Lord,
turn us away from the cares of this fallen world, so that, following the example of Saints Martha, Mary and Lazarus, we may grow in sincere love for you on earth and rejoice to behold you for eternity in heaven. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

St. Ignatius of Loyola, Priest, Founder of Jesuits, Spain (1491-1556)—Feast, July 31

August is the month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

St. Alphonsus Liguori, Bishop, Doctor, Lawyer, Patron of Arthritis, Italy (1696-1787)—Feast, Aug. 1 

Founder of the Redemptorists, St. Alphonsus wrote: “Our holy faith teaches us, and we are bound to believe, that in the consecrated Host, Jesus Christ is really present under the species of bread. But we must also understand that He is thus present on our altars as on a throne of love and mercy, to dispense graces and there to show us the love which He bears us, by being pleased to dwell night and day hidden in the midst of us.”

St. Peter Julian Eymard, Priest, Founder, Apostle of the Eucharist, France (1811-1868)—Feast, Aug. 2

Founder of the Priests of the Blessed Sacrament, St. Peter Julian Eymard taught: “The Eucharist is not only for personal piety; it is essential to social life, for it is the very life of the world.”

St. John Vianney, Cure of Ars, Patron of Priests, France (1786-1859)—Feast, Aug. 4: 

“Our Lord is hidden there, waiting for us to come and visit him and ask him or what we want. He is there, in the Sacrament of his love, sighing and interceding unceasingly for sinners before God his Father. He is there to console us ... See how good he is! He adapts himself to our weakness.” (St John Vianney)

Feast of the Transfiguration—Aug. 6: Jesus “allows us to dwell with Him on His Eucharistic Thabor.” (Eymard)

St. Dominic, Founder of the Order of Preachers, Defender of Faith, Spain (1170-1221)—Feast, Aug. 8:

St. Dominic was a miracle worker. “John of Bologna, an early friar, relayed that when he served at St. Dominic’s Masses, he would see tears stream down the saint’s cheeks after he received Holy Communion. The simplicity of the tears of this great preacher reminds us that Jesus gives us a tremendous gift in the Eucharist: God Himself descends and takes His dwelling in the soul of man. Our response then should be one of gratitude, awe and reverence for the love Christ has for us: that He should give Himself to sinful man as food.” (Maria Cintorino)

St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, Carmelite Nun, Patroness of Martyrs, Germany—Feast, August 9:

Philosopher and convert from Judaism, St. Teresa Benedicta (Edith Stein) wrote: “To live the Eucharistic life means to exit the narrowness of one’s own life... in order to grow into the infinity of Christ’s life.”

St. Lawrence, Deacon, Martyr, Patron of Deacons and Third Patron of Rome (d. 258)—Feast, Aug. 10:

St. Lawrence is a patron of the poor. “The blessed apostle John clearly explained the mystery of the Lord’s supper when he said Just as Christ laid down his life for us, so we too ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. St Lawrence understood this, my brethren, and he did it; and he undoubtedly prepared things similar to what he received at that table. He loved Christ in his life, he imitated him in his death.” (St. Augustine)

St. Clare of Assisi, Foundress of Poor Clare Nuns, Italy (1193-1253)—Feast, Aug. 11: 

Of St. Clare’s passionate love of the Holy Eucharist, it is written: “When she would receive the body of our Lord, it was marvel to see the tears that she wept, of which [her eyes were] all wet.” (The Golden Legend)

 St. Maximilian Maria Kolbe, Franciscan Priest, Martyr, Poland (1894-1941)—Feast, Aug. 14:
St. Maximilian wrote of the Blessed Sacrament: “You come to me and unite Yourself intimately to me under the form of nourishment. Your Blood now runs in mine, Your Soul, Incarnate God, compenetrates mine, giving courage and support. What miracles! Who would have ever imagined such!”

The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven (Aug. 15) and Queenship of the B.V.M. (Aug. 22):

“Above all, let us listen to Mary Most Holy, in whom the mystery of the Eucharist appears, more than in anyone else, as a mystery of light. Gazing upon Mary, we come to know the transforming power present in the Eucharist. In her we see the world renewed in love. Contemplating her, assumed body and soul into heaven, we see opening up before us those ‘new heavens’ and that ‘new earth’ which will appear at the second coming of Christ. Here below, the Eucharist represents their pledge, and in a certain way, their anticipation: ‘Veni, Domine Iesu!’” (Rev 22:20). (St. John Paul II, Ecclesia de Eucharistia, 62)

St. Louis, King, Husband, Father of eleven children, France, (1214-1270)—August 25:
Upon hearing of a Eucharistic miracle, St. Louis replied: “Let them go to see the miracle who have any doubt regarding the Real Presence of our Lord in the Holy Sacrament. As for me, even if I saw Jesus on the altar in His visible form, and touched Him with my hand, and heard His voice, I should not be more convinced than I now am, that He is present in the consecrated Host. The word of Christ is sufficient for me. I need no miracle.” (Hidden Treasure, the Riches of the Eucharist, Louis Kaczmarek, available through us)

St. Augustine, Bishop, Doctor of the Church, North Africa (354-430)—Feast, Aug. 28:
“What you see is the bread and the chalice; that is what your own eyes report to you. But what your faith obliges you to accept is that THE BREAD IS THE BODY OF CHRIST AND THE CHALICE [WINE] THE BLOOD OF CHRIST.” (St. Augustine, Sermons 272)

Passion of St. John the Baptist—August 29:

September is the month of Our Lady of Sorrows.

St. Teresa of Calcutta, Rel. founder, Ptn of the Gutters & World Youth Day, Albania (1910-1997)—Sept. 5:

“If you are looking for vocations, as a community have adoration every day.” (St. Teresa of Calcutta) A pamphlet, prayer card, and posters of Mother Teresa are available through us.

Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary—Feast, Sept. 8:

“We rejoice, since Mary brings us the Bread of Life. From the day of her birth we salute her as the aurora of the Eucharist, for we know that the Savior of mankind will take from her the substance of that Body and Blood which He will give us in the Adorable Sacrament of His love.” (St. Peter Julian Eymard).

St. Peter Claver, Jesuit Priest, Spain, Patron of Black Missions (1580-1654)—Feast, Sept. 9:

“Fervent adorer of Jesus in the most holy Sacrament of the Altar, pray for us” (From his litany)

Most Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary: Blessed Be Thy Holy Name!—Feast, Sept. 12:

This feast, which celebrates the virtues of Our Lady and the graces that flow from her intercession, was first celebrated in Spain in 1513. It spread to other dioceses and became a universal feast following the victory of John Sobieski, King of Poland, over the Turks in 1683. Sobieski and his troops visited the shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa to invoke Mary’s intercession before the battle. After the victory, through which Austria was spared and Christendom saved, Sobieski attended Mass and offered thanksgiving to Our Lord for Whom he fought.

St. John Chrysostom, Bishop, Doctor of the Church, Patron of Orators, Syria (c. 347-407)—Feast, Sept. 13:

“Do not be fainthearted, do not cry, do not fear the difficult times. For He who did not refuse to shed His own blood for everyone and even made us partakers of His body and blood, what will He refuse to do for our salvation? Take heart, therefore, with this hope. Let us call on Him continually and give ourselves to prayer and supplication.”

Our Lady of Sorrows: “Behold your Mother!” (Jn 19:27)—Feast, Sept. 15: 

“Your role before the tabernacle [is to be]: living lamps before Jesus in the Eucharist . . . handmaids of honor of the tabernacle and of its Divine Dweller; angels of the Eucharist who receive and who give; souls who hunger and thirst for the bread of the Eucharist and the water of His grace; hearts that share with their Spouse in the Eucharist His desires, His goals, His self-sacrifice for all . . .; the intimate confidantes of Jesus in the Host, listening to His every word of life and meditating on it in your heart, as Mary did.” (Bl. James Alberione)

St. Pio of Pietrelcina, Franciscan Priest, Stigmatist, Mystic, Italy (1887-1968)—Feast, Sept. 23:

 “If some spiritual languor comes upon us, let us run to the feet of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, and let us place ourselves in the midst of the heavenly perfumes, and we will undoubtedly regain our strength.”(St. Padre Pio)

St. Vincent De Paul (1581-1660) Priest, Servant, France—Feast, September 27:

“Do you not feel, my brothers, do you not feel this divine fire burning in your chest, when you receive the adorable Body of Jesus Christ in communion?” (St. Vincent)

Feast of Archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, Saints—Feast, Sept. 29:

St. Michael, Great Prince of the heavenly host, protector of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist, and the people of God, pray for us!St. Gabriel, Great Messenger of God, herald of God’s word, pray for us! St. Raphael, Glorious Angel and guide of the Lord, bearer of God’s healing, pray for us!

St. Jerome, Priest & Doctor, Patron of Librarians, Dalmatia (c. 340-d. 420)—Feast, Sept. 30:

“If Christ did not want to dismiss the Jews without food in the desert for fear that they would collapse on the way, it was to teach us that it is dangerous to try to get to heaven without the Bread of Heaven” (St. Jerome).

PRAYER INTENTIONS

Send us the names of your family members, relatives, friends, loved ones, sick, suffering dying, clergy, religious, and any other intentions you would like us to pray for before Jesus, Our Eucharistic Savior!

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