ChristianTales.com
  • Home
  • Spiritual Blog
  • Contact Me
  • The Ghost Driver
  • A Scandalous Education

On Gnats & Daily Mass

4/28/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
Through the example of others the Holy Spirit can move us to make great decisions!
For many years it never occurred to me to go to daily Mass.

After my parish priest told his congregation that we should all do something to help our community. I realized that included me and I began volunteering locally. 

While working there, I was struck by the positive attitude of one particular Catholic volunteer. Despite home-schooling five sons of varying ages, she still found time to go to Mass every morning!

She showed no reproach towards those of us who had plenty of time to attend daily Mass, yet didn’t go.  

I felt ashamed of myself.

Picture
Some of us take longer than others to 'get' it!
The Last Straw

However, this still didn’t prod me into following her example. She became pregnant with her sixth child and left our organization for one year. 

Her replacement was a Catholic lady who'd worked for decades in D.C. Before driving into the city, she went to daily Mass, and maintained the habit after retiring.

That was the straw that broke the camel’s back for me.

I'd attended Mass every day during the past few Lents and considered myself very wonderful for such heroic effort. But the year this lady joined our organization, I continued to go daily once Easter was over.


The unassuming example of my fellow Catholics had had its effect.

Picture
O.K. purists - I know this is a mosquito. But I couldn't find a photo of a gnat, and I'm sure mosquitoes have short attention spans, too!
The Gnat Needs Reminding

The benefits of daily Mass cannot be overstated.

Our attention spans are becoming ever shorter these days, and this is especially true of anything to do with God. He is so unwelcome in this secular world that there are few, if any, reminders of His existence beyond the church walls. Out of sight, out of mind, once we exit our pews on Sunday.

Attending Mass every morning begins each day with our Creator. His Word supports and encourages us, after leaving the Church building, to carry God to the particular part of the world in which we move and have our being.

That half hour of daily Mass is the most valuable time of day. The priest explains the reading and Gospel message from Scripture, and gives us a message to treasure in our hearts and share with others during the next twenty-four hours.

But our gnat-like attention spans need another boost at Mass the following morning!

I find it helpful to write down in a note book every sermon as it’s being preached – a habit begun with urging from my parish priest. That way I stay focused on what’s being said, as well as producing a useful record of it to look over later.  

Picture
Daily Mass Brings Phenomenal Graces! 

So many graces and other goodness from God are derived from participating at daily Mass. I think if all Catholics were aware of them, those that could, would attend Mass every day for the rest of their lives.

All 77 graces are listed in Graces Derived from Participating at Daily Mass but here are some of them:

1) The Mass is Calvary continued.

2) Every Mass is worth as much as the Sacrifice of Our Lord's Life, suffering and death.

3) Holy Mass is the most powerful atonement for your sins.

4) At the hour of death the Masses you have heard will be your greatest consolation.

5) Every Mass will go with you to Judgement and plead for pardon.

6) At Mass you can diminish more or less temporal punishment due to your sins, according to your fervor.

7) Assisting devoutly at Holy Mass, you render to the Sacred Humanity of Our Lord the greatest homage.

8) He supplies for many of your negligences and omissions.

9) He forgives the venial sins which you have not confessed. The power of satan over you is diminished.

10) You afford the Souls in Purgatory the greatest possible relief.

11) One Mass heard during life will be of more benefit to you than many heard for you after your death.

12) You are preserved from dangers and misfortunes which otherwise might have befallen you.

13) You shorten your stay in Purgatory.

14) Every Mass wins for you a higher degree of glory in Heaven.

15) You receive the Priest's blessing which Our Lord ratifies in Heaven.

16) You kneel amidst a multitude of holy angels, who are present at the adorable Sacrifice with reverential awe.

17) You are blessed in your temporal goods and affairs.

18) For you Christ offers Himself as the all-powerful Victim, reconciling you to the GOD that you have offended.

19) He pardons you all your venial sins, provided you are firmly resolved to forsake them.

20) He also makes reparation for many of your sins of omission, when you did leave undone the good that you might have done.

21) He removes many of the imperfections attached to your good deeds.

22) He forgives you the sins, unknown or forgotten which you have never mentioned in confession.

23) He offers Himself as a Victim to make satisfaction at least of your debts and transgressions.

24) Each time you hear Mass you can do more to pay the penalty due to your sins than by the work of the severest penance.

You see why this precious opportunity should not be wasted!

Picture
For Those Who Can’t Go to Daily Mass

Not everyone can get to Mass every day and for those who can’t, there is the Spiritual Communion Prayer, which also carries a partial indulgence if said three times (according to the Pieta Prayer Book):

“Oh Jesus, I turn toward the holy tabernacle where You live hidden for love of me. I love you, O my God. I cannot receive you in Holy Communion. Come, nevertheless, and visit me with Your grace. Come spiritually into my heart. Purify it. Sanctify it. Render it like unto Your own. Amen.

“Lord, I am not worthy that Thou shouldst enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.”

Here is the other Spiritual Communion Prayer (to be found on the same website):

“My Jesus, I believe that you are present in the most Blessed Sacrament. I love You above all things and I desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot now receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You have already come, and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen.”

Satan, the prince of this world, is trying his hardest to drive God out of our lives. We must work our absolute hardest against him to keep God firmly in our whole hearts, minds and souls.


Picture
If you can attend daily Mass, you'll begin every day in Christ's peace
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Tweet

    Hilary Walker

    A fanatic horse rider and writer of Christian Inspirational Fiction, who's beginning to understand that making it to Heaven is a tad more important than winning at horse shows.

    Archives

    April 2022
    March 2021
    December 2019
    March 2019
    January 2019
    October 2018
    March 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    December 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    December 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    August 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    October 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011

    Categories

    All
    Absolute Relativism
    Acknowledging Christ
    Acts Of Heroism
    Agony In The Garden
    A Happy Christmas
    Air Travel
    Alternative To Cow's Milk
    Anger
    Baby Jesus
    Baby Jesus
    Bad Horse Show
    Battling Relativism
    Battling Ulcerative Colitis
    Believing In The Invisible
    Blasphemy Against The Holy Spirit
    Blessings
    Blind Faith
    Body And Blood Of Christ
    Body And Blood Of Jesus
    Body And Blood Of Jesus Christ
    Canonization
    Carrying The Cross
    Catholicism
    Chaplet Of Divine Mercy
    Chicago
    Chicago River
    Choosing Absolute Truth Over Absolute Relativism
    Choosing Christianity Over Relativism
    Christ
    Christ Crucified
    Christian Faith
    Christian Faith
    Christian Hero
    Christian Heroism
    Christianity
    Christianity And Tim Tebow
    Christian Response
    Christians
    Christmas
    Christmas Fall
    Christmas Stars
    Christmas Thanks
    Christmas Thanks
    Christ's Passion
    Confession
    Constellations
    Cross
    Cross Of Christ
    Crucifixion
    Daily Commute
    Daily Mass
    Dairy-free Product
    Definition Of Grace
    Despair
    Devil
    Disowning God
    Divine Mercy Sunday
    Dogs And Ulcerative Colitis
    Donkey Work
    Driving
    Easter
    Easter Monday
    Evangelizing
    Evil
    Extraordinary Graces
    Faith In The Unseen
    Falling Over
    Fasting
    Father Gerald Vann
    Father Jean C.J. D’Elbée
    Fear Of Flying
    Feast Of The Assumption
    Feeding Horses
    Feeling An Idiot
    Fighting For The Bride Of Christ
    Forgiveness Of Sins
    Funeral
    Gaudete
    Getting Children To Go To Mass
    Getting Young Adults To Go To Mass
    Give And You Shall Receive
    Giving Thanks
    Giving Thanks
    God
    God And Horses
    Golgotha
    Good Deeds
    Good Friday
    Good Habits
    Grace
    Green Chicago River
    Happiness
    Happy News For Easter
    Heaven
    Hematidrosis
    Holistic Approach To Ulcerative Colitis
    Holistic Bee Nutrition & Welness
    Holistic Healing
    Holy Communion
    Holy Spirit
    Home
    Hope
    Horses
    Horses And Heaven
    How To Get Your Child To Go To Mass
    Humility
    Hurt
    Husbands
    I Believe In Love
    Is Heaven Boring
    Jesus
    Joy
    Judas
    Judas' Betrayal Of Christ
    Judas The Weasel
    Keeping Faith Through Adversity
    Lent
    Lenten Mass
    Love
    Love Is An Act Of Will
    Loving Our Neighbor
    Mary Our Mother
    Mary The Mother Of God
    Mass
    Medjugorje
    Men
    Merciful Savior
    Mercy
    Merry Christmas
    Merry Christmas
    Miracles
    Mother's Day
    Mother Therese Of Jesus
    Nature Of Love Of God
    Nature Of Sin
    Novena
    Old Priests
    Our Lady
    Overcoming Doubts In God
    Overcoming Sin
    Parish Priest
    Patience
    Peace On Earth
    Peter
    Pope Francis
    Power Of Prayer
    Prayer
    Praying For Enemies
    Praying For Suicides
    Praying For Those Who
    Priests
    Reconciliation
    Redemption
    Rejecting Evil
    Rejection Of Christ
    Relativism
    Relic
    Relocating
    Repentance
    Resentment
    Rosary
    Sacrament Of Absolution
    Sacrament Of Confession
    Sacrament Of Reconciliation
    Satan
    Seven Daily Habits For Faithful Catholics.
    Sign Of The Cross
    Sins
    Son Of Man
    Spirituality Of Small Jobs
    Spiritual Lollipops
    Spiritual Oasis
    State Of Grace
    St Bridget's Prayers
    St Bridget's Promises
    St Faustina
    St. Jude
    Stroke
    Struggling Christians
    Suffering
    Sweating Blood
    The Agony In The Garden
    The Chaplet Of Mercy
    The Divine Mercy Chaplet
    The Gospel
    The Greatest Sin
    The One Year Uncommon Life Daily Challenge
    The Power Of Setting The Example
    The Real Presence
    The Road To Destruction
    The Road To Perdition
    The Road To Ruin
    The True Presence
    Tim Tebow
    Tony Dungy
    Transubstantiation
    Treadmill
    Trust In Jesus
    Ttruth Not Relativism
    Ulcerative Colitis
    Voting Against Evil
    Weekday Mass
    Widow
    Young Adults And The Catholic Church

    RSS Feed