Six ways to encounter Jesus in the Mass

By Nancy Ward

Then he took the bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which will be given for you; do this in memory of me. (Luke 22:19)

Although God’s presence is everywhere, mass is my favorite place to come into his presence. Every part of the liturgy helps me experience a personal encounter with Jesus. It will provide the same relationship with Jesus for you.

• Christ is present in the assembly of the body of Christ in the pews, for he has promised “where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst of them.” (Mt 18:20)  So sing and pray knowing that Christ is among us, gathered as the body of Christ.

• Christ is present in the priest or bishop who presides in persona Christi, in the person of Christ. When they vest before celebrating Mass the priests  "put on Christ" in a special way.

• Christ is present in the word proclaimed in the readings. It is Christ himself, as the Incarnate Word, who speaks when the holy Scriptures are read.

Continue reading at Nancy's blog  JOY Alive in our hearts.

Dust Into Flames

By Cynthia Scodova

In ancient times God spoke to us
Through prophets, and in varied ways,
But now he speaks through Christ his Son, 
His radiance through eternal days.

To God the Father of the world,
His Son through whom he made all things,
And Holy Spirit, bond of love
All glad creation glory sings.

                           Universalis Hymn Stanbrook Abbey Hymnal

                                                                                                               Google Images 



                                                     You cannot be grasped.
                                                     You enter all facets of closing
                                                     The myriad doors hinge.

                                                     You brush by 
                                                     Trailing
                                                     Your blinding 
                                                     Brilliance                                                                                                                                                                                                     Through the moors 
                                                     Of our exile:
                                                     Our hearts’ vast dark.

                                                     You are 
                                                     The bristling presence                                                                                                                                                                                Illuminating all forms 
                                                     You sustain
                                                     In your love
                                                     Stooping down

                                                     Stirring this dust
                                                     Into flames.


Cynthia blogs at The Mad-Eyed Monk.

Finding God--or being found by God?

By Colleen Spiro

The Prayer of the Spinner by Gerard Dou (photo credit: Wikimedia Commons)

I was hoping to talk about something else besides moving in this podcast. But my life is consumed with this right now and God always comes to us where we are.

As you may already know by now, we have been in the process of moving for the past several weeks. The first month was spent searching for a new home as well as packing all our stuff in-between working and church and ministry and such things as that. And putting down deposits and changing our address and well… you know the drill.

The last week has been spent unpacking. In other words, we are un-doing what we spent weeks doing. It would seem pretty funny if we were not so tired.

Never mind trying to figure out where everything should go and what looks right and what doesn’t and the storage problems. Oh my.

My writing life has certainly suffered through all of this but I couldn’t worry about it. I was too involved. Too focused on the task at hand.

Single-minded you might say.

Now I would like to tell you that my prayer life has not suffered at all. But it has. My usual silent time alone with the Lord has just not happened.

I have gone to Mass and I have prayed for Help quite a few times, but not that daily time spend in silence with the Lord. And oh, how I miss it. I cannot wait to get back to it.

But a funny thing happened on the way to me not having my usual prayer life. The Lord was always with me just the same. And not only did he stay with me, he let me know about it.


Read the rest or listen to the podcast here.

God is at work in our prayer

By Nancy Shuman

Jesus Christ in Capernaum by Rodolfo Amoedo (photo credit: Wikimedia Commons).

As I've been praying, and writing about, and trying to live lectio divina over these last weeks, there is one part I'd almost forgotten.

Lectio is not a one sided activity.  I read, I talk to God, I commit to Him.  And then....

Something happens.

This is not always a "felt" something.  It may not be perceived by me at all.  But when I am speaking with Jesus and reading His Word and committing myself to live for Him, an amazing thing is going on.  Jesus is actually here.  Not just in my imagination, not by an act of wishful thinking, but He is genuinely here.

I can forget this breathtaking reality when my prayer has been dry or weighed down with distractions.  But Jesus is actually here, regardless of how I feel.  AND...

He is doing something.  Sometimes He brushes my spirit with His presence, sometimes He breathes a word of Scripture into my life, sometimes He lets me see a path I might be called to take.  But always He is here, and always He is acting.


Continue reading at Nancy's blog The Cloistered Heart.