Phil’s Notes & Tidbits

                                    “Corpus Christi”

            As we celebrate Corpus Christi, the Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ, we perhaps do well to consider Who we consume in the Eucharist. 

            Katrina was a 16 year old when I met her.  She had just returned from a Steubenville Catholic Youth Conference.  At these conferences the young people often come to a deeper realization of Jesus’ Presence in the Eucharist.  Katrina shared with me that after the conference, her knees would shake as she would go up to receive Communion.  She KNEW who she was receiving.

            A few years ago I saw another young lady, a freshman in high school.  She had just exited the Church on a Wednesday evening after spending some time in Eucharistic Adoration.  As she walked through the inner church door, she looked back one last time at the Monstrance and blew a kiss to Jesus.   I was amazed.  For she KNEW the one who was present in the Eucharist, Jesus our Lord.

            A long time ago, the King of France, St. Louis IX would serve Mass on his knees on the bare floor.  One time a servant offered him a kneeler, but the king responded, “At Mass God offers Himself as a sacrifice, and when God sacrifices Himself, kings should kneel on the floor.”  He KNEW before whom He was kneeling.

            One of the few things I remember from 2^nd grade was this tidbit from Sr. Mary Ella Francis, “when you go up to Communion, repeat to yourself, ‘My Lord and my God’ for that is who you are receiving.”  You may note that those are the words of St. Thomas upon seeing the Resurrected Christ in John 20:28.   You know what?  I still repeat those words to myself every time I go up to Communion some 27 years later!  Sr. Mary Ella Francis KNEW who she was introducing us too. 

At the recent training session for Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion I shared with those present that when I first began assisting in the distribution, my hands would tremble at what I was doing, and Who I had in my hands.  I KNEW who I was giving to others in Communion.  I try never to lose sight of that reality and encouraged the Extraordinary Ministers of Communion to do the same. 

Pope St. Pius X famously said, “Holy Communion is the shortest and safest way to Heaven.”  And why wouldn’t it be as the same Lord we KNEW in this life in the Eucharist is the one who escorts us and grants us access to Heaven in the next. 

May we all come to KNOW the One we adore and receive in the Eucharist. 

God bless you!

Phil Lawson                                                                                     

Director of Catechesis & Evangelization

                                          “The Gospel and the Digital Age”

             Pope Benedict has spoken a number of times of the need for the Church to engage the digital world with the truths of the Gospel.  In fact, the Vatican even hosted a conference for bloggers, especially Catholic ones in 2011. 

            St. Peter’s is blessed to have a substantial presence online via our parish website:  http://www.saintpetercatholic.com/        and our Facebook Account.  Special thanks to parishioners Jason & Darcy Bunn who both set up and maintain the website and Facebook account!   Unlike most of my generation, I’m not the most savvy with regard to the “New Media” so they’ve helpfully made it simple enough for even me to upload material!    

            Some time back I received an email from a parish in Florida who had come across our website.  They were impressed with the Eucharistic Adoration we have at St. Peter’s and the resources on the website in regard to it.  So they asked if they could use our material as they sought to implement Adoration at their parish.  We happily agreed to do so!  Similarly, every year we get requests from all over the country (and even the Philippines!) for our Vacation Bible School materials, all of which our very talented parishioners have created from scratch.  

            As I’ve written previously, Stevens Point held its first ever 40 Days for Life Prayer Vigil this past Lent.  St. Peter’s, and our own Jennifer Dunnett, were a huge part of making this a success.   Pro-Life Wisconsin wanted to put together a short documentary on the experience of 40 Days for Life here as a tool to encourage other communities to take up the effort.   Virginia Zignego, Communications Director for Pro-Life Wisconsin recently spent a day at St. Peter’s doing video interviews of the participants.  Since, St. Peter’s Parishioners were such a huge part of the effort, it seemed natural to do the filming here—and we were only too happy to cooperate!  I’ll be sure to let you know when the finished product comes out! 

It was the first time Virginia had been to St. Peter’s and she was awed by the beauty of the church, so much so that she took lots of pictures and then posted them on a statewide blog she’s a part of, The Badger Catholic.   More good (and free) press coverage for our beautiful church!   You can find the link either off of the Parish Facebook account or at:  http://badgercatholic.blogspot.com/2012/05/st-peter-stevens-point.html?spref=fb         

God bless you!

Phil Lawson                                                                                     

Director of Catechesis & Evangelization

                        Phil’s Notes & Tidbits

Where can you find 4 religious sisters, 3 religious communities, 4 priests-including our diocesan vocation director, Irish ceili dancing, snow football, presentations on Saint Francis and Saint Claire, the Rosary, Liturgy of the Hours, Stations of the Cross, skits, all-night adoration, confessions being heard till 1:15AM in the morning, Mass, and a host of amazing young adult Catholics?   All were part of last weekend’s John Paul II Young Adult Discernment Retreat.  44 people were part of this retreat, now in its 9^th year.  

To give you a sense of the faithfulness of these young people, confessions began about 9PM on Saturday evening and didn’t end till 1:15AM. (Don’t worry, the priests truly enjoyed working with the young adults, even for such a long duration!)  Similarly, we had no difficulty filling all the time slots for all-night Eucharistic adoration.   It is always such an inspiration to be around so many amazing young people! 

The retreatants came from St. Peter’s of course, but others came from as far away as Minneapolis, Milwaukee, and La Crosse.   As far as I know, this is the only retreat of its kind in Wisconsin.  It is a beautiful gift to get this large a group of faith-filled young adults (ages 18-39) together to strengthen each other, inspire each other, and ultimately ask the most important questions, i.e. “what does God want me to do with my life?” 

This retreat was first initiated as an opportunity for the St. Peter’s college-DTS group to go deeper in their faith and concretely as God to what vocation He is calling them. 

Some of the evaluation sheet comments: 

“I was reunited and convicted of my Catholic faith again. I believe I have the strength and courage to say yes to God’s will and say no to my own.”

“…it was BEAUTIFUL being around people my age asking God about vocations.”

“I am encouraged by how many young folks are discerning their call.”      

“Please keep having these retreats!”

Please keep these young adults in your prayers—from retreats like this will come our future priests, future religious, and the future adult pillars of our parishes.    

God bless you!

Phil Lawson

Director of Catechesis & Evangelization

Efficacious Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, for the Success of 24 Hour Weekly Eucharistic Adoration at St. Peter’s

“It is moving for me to see how everywhere in the Church the joy of Eucharistic adoration is reawakening and being fruitful. In the period of liturgical reform, Mass and adoration outside it were often seen as in opposition to one another: it was thought that the Eucharistic Bread had not been given to be contemplated, but to be eaten, as a widespread objection claimed at that time. The experience of the prayer of the Church has already shown how nonsensical this antithesis was. Augustine had formerly said: “...No one should eat this flesh without first adoring it ... we should sin were we not to adore it.” Pope Benedict XVI, in his December 22, 2005 Christmas Address to the Cardinals and members of the Roman Curia

Read an Introduction to Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament

First Friday Adoration

Eucharistic Adoration at St. Peter’s takes place on First Fridays, following the 8 AM Mass and concluding with Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament at 5 PM (Mass following at 5:15 PM).

Weekly Opportunity for Eucharistic Adoration

Eucharistic Adoration takes place from Wednesday 8:30 AM – Thursday 8:00 AM every week . Committed adorers are needed to take a Holy Hour each week.

If you are interested in becoming a regular adorer, contact Darcy Bunn at 715-252-5951 or email jdbunn (at) charter.net.

Fr. Louis Bulletin Letter – October 16, 2005

In recent weeks several parishioners had questions for me pertaining to the Most Holy Eucharist. Perhaps the following answers may be helpful to some of you as well. The current discipline of the Church with regard to the frequency with which one may receive Holy Communion in one day is reflected in the Code of Canon Law promulgated by Pope John Paul II on 25 January 1983. Canon 917 states that “a person who has received the Most Holy Eucharist (at one Mass) may receive it again on the same day” at the second Mass in which the person participates. In other words, if you participate in two Masses in one day, you may receive Holy Communion at both Masses.

The Roman Ritual Holy Communion and Worship of the Eucharist Outside Mass published by the Congregation for Divine Worship under the authority of Pope Paul VI on 21 June 1973 (revised in 1983 in light of the new Code of Canon Law) gives the current discipline of the Church with regard to the Eucharistic fast. Paragraph number 24 states that “communicants are not to receive the Sacrament unless they have fasted for at least one hour from foods and beverages, with the exception only of water and medicine. However, the elderly and those suffering from any kind of infirmity, as well as those who take care of such persons, may receive the Eucharist even if they have taken something within the hour before Communion.”

The Catechism of the Catholic Church (1378) reminds us that “we express our faith in the Real Presence of Christ under the species of bread and wine by, among other ways, genuflecting or bowing deeply as a sign of adoration of the Lord.” It used to be the custom that before the Blessed Sacrament exposed in the monstrance a person knelt on both knees for a moment while bowing the head (a so-called “double genuflection”). The above-mentioned Roman Ritual Holy Communion and Worship of the Eucharist Outside Mass did not maintain this double genuflection. Paragraph number 84 of that document states that “a single genuflection is made in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, whether reserved in the tabernacle or exposed for public adoration.” The rationale for that change simply was that it is the one Lord who is present in the Holy Eucharist – and equally so – whether in the reserved Sacrament in the tabernacle or in the exposed Sacrament during adoration. Thus, any distinction between acts of reverence to our Lord present in the tabernacle or in the monstrance is avoided. This means that those who exercise an official liturgical role in a ceremony before the exposed Blessed Sacrament – for example, priest, deacon, reader, altar server – must make a single genuflection when passing before the monstrance. Also, it is perfectly acceptable for the faithful participating in the adoration of the Blessed Sacrament to do a single genuflection. However, this does not prohibit any of the faithful “in the pews” from doing a double genuflection out of their own personal piety.

Q. What are we supposed to do during a Holy Hour of Eucharistic adoration?

A. Many people wonder what the proper way to pray when in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is. Especially if they set out to make a Holy Hour, what should they do during those 60 minutes with the Lord?

It seems that there was some question as to whether praying the rosary during adoration was permitted, but it was clarified in 1998 by the Vatican Congregation for Divine Worship: “One should not expose the Eucharist only to recite the Rosary. However, among the prayers that are used during adoration, the recitation of the Rosary may certainly be included, emphasizing the Christological aspects with biblical readings relating to the mysteries, and providing time for silent adoration and meditation on them.” What better way to grow closer to Jesus than through the intercession of His Blessed Mother?

What else can you do during the time of adoration? Here is one prayer you can pray:

Adoration Prayer

I adore you, O Jesus, God of Love, truly present in the Most Holy Sacrament. I adore you Who has come to Your Own but were not received by them. I adore you, Whom the majority of mankind rejected and despised. I adore you, Whom the impious incessantly are offend by their sacrileges and blasphemies. I adore you, Who are grieved by the coldness and indifference of a vast number of Christians. I adore you, O Infinite Goodness, Who has wrought so many miracles, in order to reveal Your love to us. I adore you, with all the angels and saints, and with those chosen souls that are now already the blessed of Your Father and are all aglow with burning love for you. I adore you with all Your friends, O Jesus! With them I prostrate myself at the foot of the Altar, to offer you my most profound homage, to receive Your Divine Inspiration, and to implore Your grace. Oh, how good it is for me to be here with you! How sweet to hear the Voice of my Beloved! O Victim of Divine Love! A piercing cry breaks forth from Your Heart here on the Altar, as it once did on Calvary; it is the cry of Love; “I thirst,” You call to You children, “I thirst for your love! Come all, whom I love as My Father has loved Me; come and quench the thirst that consumes Me!

Lord Jesus, behold I come. My heart is small, but it is all Yours. You are a prisoner in our Tabernacles, You the Lord of Lords! And love it is, that holds you here as such! You leave the Tabernacle only to come to us, to unite Yourself with the faithful soul and allow Your Divine Love to reign within. O King of Love! Come, live and reign in me. I want no other law but the law of Your Love! No, no, I henceforth desire to know nothing, neither of this world nor of what is in it, nor of myself; Your Love alone shall rule in me eternally.

O Jesus, grant me this grace! Break all my fetters, strip me of all that is not of Yourself, in order that Your Love may be my life here below, and my happiness and delight in eternity, Amen.

Decree of S. Congregation of indulgences, May 30th, 1908.
Approved, Cleveland, May 1st, 1923.
Joseph Schrembs, D. D., Bishop of Cleveland.
From Pope John Paul II Eucharistic Adoration Association

Here is a whole list of suggestions from www.perpetualadoration.com on how to pray during a Holy Hour:

25 WAYS TO SPEND AN HOUR WITH JESUS
By Eileen McCarthy; New London, CT

1. Slowly read scripture until something hits you. Then listen.
2. Say a rosary.
3. Let God look at you.
4. Tell Him something that made you happy. Then listen.
5. Tell Him what you are afraid of. Then listen.
6. Tell Him what angers you. Then listen.
7. Speak about your loved ones.
8. Pray for an enemy.
9. Talk with Him about work.
10. Sing a song for Him in your heart.
11. Promise to trust Him.
12. Imagine Mary sitting next to you and praying with you.
13. Renew your loyalty to His Church.
14. Lean on Him. Tell Him you love Him
15. Thank Him for the Sacraments.
16. Tell Him your failures. Ask for help. Then listen.
17. Slowly recite the Beatitudes.
18. Say one Our Father slowly.
19. Say one Hail Mary slowly.
20. Say the Creed slowly.
21. Pray for vocations.
22. Ask Him to show you the next step.
23. Look at yourself. Count your gifts. Then thank Him.
24. Pray for the world.
25. Enjoy just being in His presence.

Spending time with Jesus should not be any different, fundamentally, then spending time with a very close friend. You can tell Him your deepest heart’s desires and longings, or just tell Him how your day has gone, talk about your children, whatever you would like to share with your Good Friend whom you are spending one intimate hour with. Whatever happens, don’t let worry over how to pray stop you from coming to “Son-bathe” in the Real Presence. Just being there will have an effect on you.

The answer to the question of what to do during your Holy Hour is: whatever you want to do that will help you enjoy your time in Christ’s Presence and grow closer to Him. There is not one answer. But perhaps the single best thing you can do in a Holy Hour of adoration is:

“Be still and know that I am God.”

Psalm 46:10