THE MONTH OF APRIL.

The Month of April: Dedicated to the Holy Eucharist

"There is nothing more to be added when we have said 'The Eucharist', since It is Jesus Christ." (St. Peter Julian Eymard) "Every Communion is a new gift which Jesus Christ makes of Himself." (St. Ignatius Loyola) "[T]o the Holy Eucharist we owe the future resurrection of our bodies. Our Savior himself teaches us this, where he says: 'Your fathers did eat manna in the desert, and are dead. This is the Bread which cometh down from heaven, that if any man eat of it, he may not die... He that eateth my Flesh, and drinketh my Blood, hath everlasting life, and I will raise him up in the last day (Jn. 5:49,50,55).'" (Dom Gueranger) "This Sacrament, whether as the theme of devout meditation, or as the object of public adoration, or best of all as a food to be received in the utmost purity of conscience, is to be regarded as the center towards which the spiritual life of a Christian in all its ambit gravitates; for all other forms of devotion, whatsoever they may be, lead up to it, and in it find their point of rest." (Pope Leo XIII, "Mirae Caritatis", 1902 A.D.) + + + Related Resources...   * Holy Communion / Holy Eucharist (Topic Page) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/tp/topic_page-Holy_Communion.htm * Holy Sacrifice of the Mass (Topic Page) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/tp/topic_page-catholic_mass.htm * Holy Eucharist / Mass (General Info.) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/sacraments/Holy_Eucharist.htm * Catechism of the Council of Trent on the Holy Eucharist -http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/sacraments/catechism_of_the_council_of_trent_Holy_Eucharist.htm * Holy Communion (Reflections) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/qt/sacraments_reflections_Holy_Eucharist_Mass__Holy_Communion.htm * Holy Eucharist / Mass (Reflections) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/qt/sacraments_reflections_Holy_Eucharist.htm * Mass / Holy Eucharist (Prayers) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pr/prayers_and_hymns_Mass_Holy_Eucharist.htm * Mirae Caritatis (On The Holy Eucharist, Pope Leo XIII) -http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pd/mirae_caritatis.htm * Holy Eucharist / Mass (Apologetics) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/nc/non_catholics__Eucharist_Mass.htm * Holy Eucharist (Word Search) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pca/word_search_Holy_Eucharist.htm * Holy Eucharist (Crossword Puzzle) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pca/crossword_puzzle_Holy_Eucharist.html * Communion in the Hand: Why Not? - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/sacraments/communion_in_the_hand__why_not.htm * Communion Under Both Species: Is it Required? - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/sacraments/communion_under_both_species__is_it_required.htm * Lay 'Eucharistic Ministers': Why Not? - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/sacraments/lay_ministers__why_not.htm Looking For Something Else? Try Our Various Indexes For 15,000+ Entries - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/help.htm + + +   "[The Eucharist is] a medicine of immortality, an antidote to death" (St. Ignatius of Antioch, c. 110 A.D.) "[T]he Eucharist is, in itself, the greatest of the sacraments" (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and "greatest theologian in the history of the Church") "When they see the Blood of the Lord, demons flee while angels gather." (St. John Chrysostom, Doctor of the Church) "A soul can do nothing that is more pleasing to God than to communicate (receive Holy Communion) in a state of grace." (St. Alphonsus Liguori, Doctor of the Church) "No tongue can express the greatness of the love which Jesus Christ bears to our souls. He did not wish that between Him and His servants there should be any other pledge than Himself, to keep alive the remembrance of Him." (St. Peter of Alcantara) "Eternal Wisdom, on the one hand, wished to prove his love for man by dying in his place in order to save him, but on the other hand, he could not bear the thought of leaving him. So he devised a marvelous way of dying and living at the same time, and of abiding with man until the end of time. So, in order to fully satisfy his love, he instituted the sacrament of Holy Eucharist and went to the extent of changing and overturning nature itself." (St. Louis de Montfort) "Jesus said to them, 'Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever.'" (Jn. 6:53-58)[Note: As Scripture makes clear, reception of the Holy Eucharist is one essential condition for salvation. To be saved, one must also live according to God's laws.] "For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus, the same night in which he was betrayed, took bread, And giving thanks, broke and said [to the Apostles]: Take ye and eat: This is my body, which shall be delivered for you. This do for the commemoration of me. In like manner also the chalice, after he had supped, saying: This chalice is the new testament in my blood. This do ye, as often as you shall drink, for the commemoration of me. For as often as you shall eat this bread and drink the chalice, you shall shew the death of the Lord, until he come. Therefore, whosoever shall eat this bread, or drink the chalice of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and of the blood of the Lord. But let a man prove himself: and so let him eat of that bread and drink of the chalice. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh judgment to himself, not discerning the body of the Lord. Therefore are there many infirm and weak among you: and many sleep [that is, die]." (St. Paul, 1 Cor. 11:23-30) "If any one denieth that in the sacrament of the most holy Eucharist are contained truly, really, and substantially, the Body and Blood together with the soul and divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ, and consequently the whole Christ; but saith that He is only therein as a sign, or in a figure, or virtue; the him be anathema." (Council of Trent) "No one who has a mortal sin on his conscience shall dare receive the Holy Eucharist before making a sacramental confession, regardless of how contrite he may think he is. This holy council declares that this custom is to be kept forever" (Council of Trent) "We are bound to receive Holy Communion, under pain of mortal sin, during Easter time and when in danger of death." (Baltimore Catechism) [Note: Of course, those receiving Holy Communion must be properly disposed and in the state of grace. Any who have committed a mortal sin must first make a sacramental Confession and receive absolution prior to receiving Holy Communion. Remember that "He who receives Communion in mortal sin receives the Body and Blood of Christ, but does not receive His grace, and he commits a great sacrilege." (Baltimore Catechism)]