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                                     ST. ANDREW'S CATHEDRAL - VICTORIA BC
                                                                         
Adoration is the first act of virtue. For weekday times of Adoration visit www.standrewscathedral.com Please, pray for an increase to religious vocations.

THE POWER OF THE HOLY MASS from the Doctors of the Church..

St.Augustine: "The heavens open and multitudes of angels come to assist in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass." "It is most true that he who attends holy Mass shall be freed from many evils and from many dangers, both seen and unseen."

St. Jerome: "The angels surround and help the priest when he is celebrating Mass." "He who devoutly   hears holy Mass will receive a great vigor to enable him to resist mortal sin, and there shall be  pardoned to him all venial sins which he may have committed up to that hour." "He [ who attends Mass with all possible devotion] shall be freed from sudden death, which is the most terrible stroke launched by the Divine Justice against sinners. Behold a wonderful preservative against sudden death."

Pope Benedict XV 'Not a Dr. of the Church' ."The Holy Mass would be of greater profit if people had it offered in their lifetime, rather than having it celebrated for the relief of their souls after death."

St. John Chrysostom:  "When Mass is being celebrated, the sanctuary is filled with  countless angels who adore the divine victim immolated on the altar."

St. Anselm:  "A single Mass offered for oneself during life may be worth more than a thousand celebrated for the same intention after death."

St. Teresa:  Once, St. Teresa was overwhelmed with God's Goodness and asked Our Lord "How can I thank you?" Our Lord replied, "ATTEND ONE MASS."

THE PRAYER OF JESUS   -  They do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world. Consecrate them in truth. Your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I sent them into the world. And I consecrate myself for them, so that they also may be consecrated in truth. (Jn:17:16-17)

"I pray not only for them, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, so that they may all be one, as you Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me".
(Jn:20-21)

The Presence Of Christ By The Power Of His Word And The Holy Spirit

C.C.C.1373  Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us," is present in many ways to his Church: (Rom 8:34)  in his word, in his Church's prayer, "where two or three are gathered in my name,"  (Mt.18:20)  in the poor, the sick, and the imprisoned,197(Mt.25:31-36) in the sacraments of which he is the author, in the sacrifice of the Mass, and in the person of the minister. But  "he is present in . . . most especially in the Eucharistic species.

                                     Adoration - Prayer - Praise - Thanksgiving
Adoration is the first act of virtue of religion. "You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve" says Jesus, citing  Dueteronomy  6:13)  Dueteronomy (Lk 4:8 cf. C. C. C. 2096-2098 To adore God is to acknowledge, in respect and absolute submission, the " nothingness of the creature" who would not exist but for God. To adore God is to praise and exalt him and to humble oneself as Mary did in the Magnificat, confessing with gratitude that he has done great things and holy is his name.

The acts of faith, hope and charity enjoyed by the first commandment are accomplished in prayer. Lifting up the mind toward God: prayer of praise and thanksgiving, intercession and petition.

Prayer is an indispensable condition for being able to obey God's commandments.
            " We ought always to pray and not loose heart."15 ( Lk.18:1 )

ADORATION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT
To adore God is to acknowledge, in respect and absolute submission, the " nothingness of the creature" who would not exist but for God. Lifting up the mind toward God: prayer of praise and thanksgiving, intercession and petition.

What Is Perpetual Adoration ?
Perpetual Adoration is a Eucharistic devotion whereby members of a given parish (or others) unite in taking hours of adoration before the Most Blessed Sacrament (in most cases, exposed), both during the day and throughout the night, seven days a week.

Why is exposition in the monstrance preferred?
To see Jesus visibly present under the appearance of the small white host is much more conducive to intimacy than hidden away in the tabernacle. Moreover, it adds an extra responsibility on the adorers to be sure to be faithful to the hours they are scheduled, since the suggested norm for having Jesus exposed in the monstrance is that there should be at least two adorers present, and He must never be left alone. Could not these words of our Lord be applied today: "Indeed, this is the will of My heavenly Father, that everyone who looks upon the Son, and believes in Him, shall have eternal life. Him I will raise up on the last day.

"What are some good reasons for establishing Perpetual Adoration?
To provide an easy, attractive, and practical way of rendering God adoration which is His due as our Creator of giving Him thanks for our redemption of making reparation for our sins and the sins of mankind; of petitioning the good God for the constant help we need.

To show our gratitude to our Lord for remaining among us in our tabernacles, and to make at least some atonement for the many sacrileges, indifferences, and ingratitude which He receives in His Sacrament of Love.

       

Bishop Fulton Sheen attributes all his inspiration for his preaching and writing directly from what he described as his daily 'hour of power'--an hour in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament per day. That is also where he would faithfully prepare his talks.                            Web editor (  R.T.M. )

Fulton Sheen's Eucharistic Attraction
Interest in His Cause, and His Work, Still Runs High NEW YORK, DEC. 25, 2004 (Zenit.) Excerpts

Archbishop Fulton Sheen has been gone for a quarter century, but certainly not forgotten. The archbishop, who died in 1979 at age 84, was a pioneer in using television to educate, inspire and convert. His cause for canonization is under way. The vice postulator for Sheen's cause, Father Andrew Apostoli, told ZENIT that the archbishop's message is still as relevant today -- and that includes his reflections on the Christmas season.

"Firstly, in his beautiful book, 'Life of Christ,' the archbishop starts by setting Jesus apart from all other religious leaders by saying that he was the only person in all of history ever pre-announced .prepared for and awaited," Father Apostoli said.

The priest, who was ordained by Sheen, remembered that the archbishop linked Christ's birth directly to the Eucharist. "As he said, Mary was the first tabernacle who carried Christ within her and gave birth to the One who would say, 'I am the living bread come down from heaven,'" the vice postulator said. The priest thinks that Archbishop Sheen would have been delighted over this Year of the Eucharist proclaimed by John Paul II.

"He truly loved and promoted the Eucharist and used to say that all his inspiration for his preaching and writing sprang directly from what he described as his daily 'hour of power' -- an hour in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament per day, despite his very heavy schedule," Father Apostoli said.  Known for his ability to keep television and radio audiences captivated by his dynamic presentation, Sheen had been told by his teachers that there was no hope for him as a public speaker.

"When people used to praise him for his abilities, he would answer that he had absolutely no talent as a speaker," Father Apostoli explained. "He'd say: 'All my insight and power of words come from the Blessed Sacrament.' And it was before the holy Eucharist where he would faithfully prepare his talks."


January 1, 2004  World day of Peace Message: 
All of you, hear the humble appeal of the Successor of Peter who cries out: today too, at the beginning of the New Year 2004, peace remains possible. And if peace is possible, it is also a duty!

January 1, 2005 World day of Peace Message:
I have chosen Saint Paul's words in the Letter to  the Romans: "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good" (12:21) Evil is never defeated by evil; once that road is taken, rather than defeating evil, one will instead be defeated by evil.

The good of peace and the common good . Each person, in some way, is called to work for the common good, constantly looking out for the good of others as if it were his own.
 

                         WORLD YOUTH DAY  2008 
                        

                                                              

  
                      "Reveal Yourself to Those Who Are in Search of You"

Cologne, Germany, JULY 9, 2004 (Zenit.org).- Here is the official prayer in preparation for the 20th World Youth Day, to be held in Cologne in August 2005.    www.wyd2005.org.

The theme of World Youth Day is: "WE HAVE COME TO ADORE HIM."


Oct.2-29, 2005 POPE CALLS Worldwide Synod of Bishops on Eucharist

Pope John Paul II  "The Eucharist is too great a gift to tolerate ambiguity and depreciation," "In fact, there are places where there is almost total abandonment of the practice of Eucharistic adoration," he writes. "To this must be added, in different ecclesial contexts, certain abuses that contribute to darken correct faith and Catholic doctrine on this admirable Sacrament." VATICAN CITY, FEB. 12, 2004 (Zenit.org)