Holy Eucharist

3 Mistakes We make at Mass

by Melody Laila

(01) Come in Late: Can you imagine if you were given the chance to meet with U.S. President Barack Obama? Regardless of what your political views are, it would be a great honor & opportunity that no one would miss. Most likely, you’d pick your clothes out carefully, if you’re a woman, you’d probably also get your hair done, you’d ‘casually’ let it slip that you were going to meet the president (or perhaps not so casually, by blogging about it!). Whatever you’d do however, this is one thing you would not do: you would not be late.
You’d probably even be very early, just so that you could get a good place if possible & to make sure the security checks didn’t make you run behind time. All this to meet with a human being.
And when we’re given the Amazing, Miraculous, Divine honor & opportunity to meet with & receive Jesus in the most Holy Sacrament of Mass, what do we do?
Often times we do it on automatic, routinely, just doing what we have to do to complete an obligation. I’ve been late to Mass one time too many. If I say I love the Lord and if I truly believe He’s really present during Mass, then how can I be late, no matter what the human justification?
To combat this area, I now pick out my clothes the night before (helps especially since I go for an early Mass on Sunday). I also aim to reach church a whole 15 minutes before Mass starts - that way even if I get 5 to 10 minutes before Mass starts, it helps me settle in & pray before, rather than run in all huffing & puffing just in time or miss anything because I’m late.



(02) Paid more attention to the Punctuation & Pronunciation of the Reader than the Reading: I fancy myself a good orator. And so, many times when the lector (churcy term for the person who reads the readings during Mass) makes a mistake in pronunciation or the like, instead of letting it go & concentrating on what the Lord is saying to me, I have laughed in my head. Or wondered how “these people” can go to read.
This shameful pride of mine is just the door Satan needs to enter into me and steal away the precious gifts the Lord intends to give to me during the Reading of His most Holy Word during Mass.
To combat this area, I consciously ask the Lord to remove all pride from me & if my focus does shift off the reading to the reader, I ask the Lord for pardon & consciously try to focus on the reading again.

(03) Post Communion Fashion Parade: Am quiet ashamed to say I ever did this, but yet it is true. There was a time that after communion, I’d settle down & quite happily look at whatever everyone else receiving communion & walking down the aisle - or the fashion ramp in my head - was wearing. Worse still, I’d judge them: “too skimpy for church / what, no time to get out of tracks? / too fat to be wearing that!” Yes, I know. I was horrible.

Mercifully the Lord pardons all sinners who’re truly repentant - which means those who are not only sorry but also make a concerted effort to not repeat the sin.
And to this extent, I now sit on the first pew & pretty much kneel & close my eyes until well after communion is over.
As an added benefit of doing this, I’m able to concentrate on praying after communion better and the whole experience of receiving the real Presence of our Lord is now a valued one. Have noted only three mistakes, but there are so many other things we are all sometimes guilty of:

* Being distracted by the Choir / Cantor / Musicians (for no fault of theirs)
* Being judgmental about the Priest celebrating / giving Holy communion
* Being distracted by other people in Mass (again for no fault of theirs)
* Not actually praying the prayers, but only saying them automatically like a machine
* Rushing off before the last hymn is sung!
* Fussing about with children during Mass - good tip: sit near the exits so that in event of an emergency / crying baby, you can leave without a big to-do!
* Keeping Cell phones on during Mass!
* Talking to person near by during Mass
* Fussing about with hair / adjusting clothes too much

Remember Holy Mass is a Community form of prayer - if we fail to do our part, besides You are preserved from dangers and misfortunes which otherwise might have befallen you. You are blessed in your temporal goods and affairs despite you not realising it. nce, St. Teresa was overwhelmed with God's Goodness and asked Our Lord "How can I thank you?" Our Lord replied, "ATTEND ONE MASS."

A Virtual Visit to Vatican

INSTRUCTIONS: After you link on the site below and select an image and it appears, then
HOLD DOWN THE LEFT MOUSE BUTTON AND SLOWLY MOVE THE CURSOR AROUND THE ROOM. THEN CLOSE THE WINDOW AND START OVER. CLOSE BY CLICKING ON THE UPPER LEFT CORNER ARROW. BE SURE TO USE THE MOUSE WHEEL TO ZOOM IN. THE DETAIL IS BEAUTIFUL !!

Cut and past the below link onthe web address page...

http://www.vatican.va/various/basiliche/san_giovanni/vr_tour/index-en.html

The most awesome thing I have ever seen on the net. The Vatican virtual tours.
Once you get the hang of it, you can easily spend hours on this site
The lower left of your screen has a plus and minus button for zooming.

Should I celebrate my Birthday????

This is a Question I asked a thousand times….and yes yesterday I asked once again…Should we celebrate our Birthdays. YES…..

I, on purpose say yes in Capitols, because it has its own reasons. It’s good to be thankful for what you have achieved in life…the good and the bad.

Birth is our beginning. It is a window to the chance of a lifetime, the chance to fulfill our unique mission. So a birthday is a meaningful occasion, to be celebrated just as a nation celebrates its birth or as an organization celebrates its founding. Still, it is much more than an occasion to receive gifts. It is a chance to remember the day that a major event occurred, to celebrate and give thanks and to reflect upon how well we are fulfilling our calling.

A birthday is a time to celebrate birth itself, the joy of life. It is also an occasion to rethink your life: How great is the disparity between what I have accomplished and what I can accomplish? Am I spending my time properly or am I involved in things that distract me from my higher calling? How can I strengthen the thread that connects my outer life and my inner life?

On your birthday, gather with family and friends and enjoy something meaningful together.
I know many of them who close themselves on their birthday…switch off phones, go out on a be all by them selves on that day…people who have a different view of life…since I am getting old so why celebrate..

It's not the day you hate, but the fact that we are getting older, nor as fit or healthy as we used to be, we've stopped going out for midnight parties. and started listening to FM radio and eating diet food, or sometimes it's just looking at our shinning hair falling into the bowl, doesn’t mean that we should close our selves to others…

Cheer up, honey, You're not the only one getting old. No one likes getting older. But it's happening to us all, and ignoring your birthday won't make the family parties go away.

Even if you shut your self from the world or sit alone on a mountain top for the day, you're going to be a year older. What's more, if you're all alone with your depressing thoughts, who's going to stop you from jumping off?

I say, embrace your oldness. Take your age, multiply it by 100, then fly or drive that many kilometers away from where you live. Allow your favorite friends to accompany you and leave the rest behind. A birthday comes just once a year, so make birthday time extra special for those you care about.

I like to end with this beautiful poem I found on the net with regards to birthday….

Birthday Blessings
Instead of counting candles,
Or tallying the years,
Contemplate your blessings now,
As your birthday nears.
Consider special people
Who love you, and who care,
And others who’ve enriched your life
Just by being there.
Think about the memories
Passing years can never mar,
Experiences great and small
That have made you who you are.
Another year is a happy gift,
So cut your cake, and say,
"Instead of counting birthdays,
I count blessings every day!"
By Joanna Fuchs

How do we influences the life of

WHEN YOU THOUGHT I WASN'T LOOKING

A message every adult should read because children
are watching you and doing as you do, not as you say.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you hang my
first painting on the refrigerator, and I immediately
wanted to paint another one.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you feed a
stray cat, and I learned that it was good to be kind to animals.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you make my
favorite cake for me, and I learned that the little
things can be the special things in life.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I heard you say a
prayer, and I knew that there is a God I could always
talk to, and I learned to trust in Him.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you make a
meal and take it to a friend who was sick, and I
learned that we all have to help take care of each other.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you give of
your time and money to help people who had nothing,
and I learned that those who have something should
give to those who don't.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you take care
of our house and everyone in it, and I learned we have
to take care of what we are given.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw how you
handled your responsibilities, even when you didn' t
feel good, and I learned that I would have to be
responsible when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw tears come
from your eyes, and I learned that sometimes things
hurt, but it's all right to cry.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw that you
cared, and I wanted to be everything that I could be.

When you thought I wasn't looking I learned most of
life's lessons that I need to know to be a good and
productive person when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I looked at you and
wanted to say,'Thanks for all the things I saw when
you thought I wasn't looking."


Each of us (parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, teacher, & friend)

influences the life of a child.

How will you touch the life of someone today?
Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly.

Leave the rest to God.