"I AM THE LIVING BREAD THAT CAME
DOWN FROM HEAVEN"
Excerpts
taken from the: APOSTOLIC LETTER - MANE NOBISCUM DOMINE
of the HOLY FATHER JOHN PAUL II to
the Bishops, Clergy and Faithful for the YEAR of the EUCHARIST(2004-2005)
(Continued from the previous issue)...
14. It is significant that the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, duly prepared by our Lord's words, recognized him at table through the simple gesture of the “breaking of bread”. When minds are enlightened and hearts are enkindled, signs begin to “speak”. The Eucharist unfolds in a dynamic context of signs containing a rich and luminous message. Through these signs the mystery in some way opens up before the eyes of the believer. “The Eucharist is too great a gift to tolerate ambiguity and depreciation”.
15. There is no doubt that the most evident dimension of the Eucharist is that it is a meal. The Eucharist was born, on the evening of Holy Thursday, in the setting of the Passover meal. Being a meal is part of its very structure. “Take, eat... Then he took a cup and... gave it to them, saying: Drink from it, all of you” (Mt 26:26, 27). As such, it expresses the fellowship which God wishes to establish with us and which we ourselves must build with one another.
Yet it must not be forgotten that the Eucharistic meal also has a profoundly and primarily sacrificial meaning. In the Eucharist, Christ makes present to us anew the sacrifice offered once for all on Golgotha. Present in the Eucharist as the Risen Lord, he nonetheless bears the marks of his passion, of which every Mass is a “memorial”, as the Liturgy reminds us in the acclamation following the consecration: “We announce your death, Lord, we proclaim your resurrection...”. At the same time, while the Eucharist makes present what occurred in the past, it also impels us towards the future, when Christ will come again at the end of history. This “eschatological” aspect makes the Sacrament of the Eucharist an event which draws us into itself and fills our Christian journey with hope.
“I am with you always...” (Mt 28:20)
16. All these dimensions of the Eucharist come together in one aspect which more than any other makes a demand on our faith: the mystery of the “real” presence. With the entire tradition of the Church, we believe that Jesus is truly present under the Eucharistic species. Faith demands that we approach the Eucharist fully aware that we are approaching Christ himself. It is precisely his presence which gives the other aspects of the Eucharist — as meal, as memorial of the Paschal Mystery, as eschatological anticipation — a significance which goes far beyond mere symbolism. The Eucharist is a mystery of presence, the perfect fulfilment of Jesus' promise to remain with us until the end of the world.
CELEBRATING, WORSHIPPING, CONTEMPLATING
17. The Eucharist is a great mystery! And it is one which above all must be well celebrated. Holy Mass needs to be set at the centre of the Christian life and celebrated in a dignified manner by every community, in accordance with established norms, with the participation of the assembly, with the presence of ministers who carry out their assigned tasks, and with a serious concern that singing and liturgical music be suitably “sacred”. One specific project of this Year of the Eucharist might be for each parish community to study the General Instruction of the Roman Missal. The best way to enter into the mystery of salvation made present in the sacred “signs” remains that of following faithfully the unfolding of the liturgical year.
18. There is a particular need to cultivate a lively awareness of Christ's real presence, both in the celebration of Mass and in the worship of the Eucharist outside Mass. Care should be taken to show that awareness through tone of voice, gestures, posture and bearing. In this regard, liturgical law recalls—and I myself have recently reaffirmed—the importance of moments of silence both in the celebration of Mass and in Eucharistic adoration. The way that the ministers and the faithful treat the Eucharist should be marked by profound respect. The presence of Jesus in the tabernacle must be a kind of magnetic pole attracting an ever greater number of souls enamoured of him, ready to wait patiently to hear his voice and, as it were, to sense the beating of his heart. “O taste and see that the Lord is good!” (Ps 34:8).
During this year, Eucharistic adoration outside Mass should become a particular commitment for individual parish and religious communities. Let us take the time to kneel before Jesus present in the Eucharist, in order to make reparation by our faith and love for the acts of carelessness and neglect, and even the insults which our Saviour must endure in many parts of the world. Let us deepen through adoration our personal and communal contemplation, drawing upon aids to prayer inspired by the word of God and the experience of so many mystics, old and new. The Rosary itself, when it is profoundly understood in the biblical and christocentric form which I recommended in the Apostolic Letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae, will prove a particularly fitting introduction to Eucharistic contemplation, a contemplation carried out with Mary as our companion and guide.
THE EUCHARIST- SOURCE AND MANIFESTATION OF COMMUNION
“Abide in me, and I in you” (Jn 15:4)
19. When the disciples on the way to Emmaus asked Jesus to stay “with” them, he responded by giving them a much greater gift: through the Sacrament of the Eucharist he found a way to stay “in” them. Receiving the Eucharist means entering into a profound communion with Jesus. “Abide in me, and I in you” (Jn 15:4). This relationship of profound and mutual “abiding” enables us to have a certain foretaste of heaven on earth. Is this not the greatest of human yearnings? Is this not what God had in mind when he brought about in history his plan of salvation? God has placed in human hearts a “hunger” for his word (cf. Am 8:11), a hunger which will be satisfied only by full union with him. Eucharistic communion was given so that we might be “sated” with God here on earth, in expectation of our complete fulfilment in heaven.
One bread, one body
20. This special closeness which comes about in Eucharistic “communion” cannot be adequately understood or fully experienced apart from ecclesial communion. I emphasized this repeatedly in my Encyclical Ecclesia de Eucharistia. The Church is the Body of Christ: we walk “with Christ” to the extent that we are in relationship “with his body”. Christ provided for the creation and growth of this unity by the outpouring of his Holy Spirit. And he himself constantly builds it up by his Eucharistic presence. It is the one Eucharistic bread which makes us one body. As the Apostle Paul states: “Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread” (1Cor 10:17). In the mystery of the Eucharist Jesus builds up the Church as a communion, in accordance with the supreme model evoked in his priestly prayer: “Even as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they may also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me” (Jn 17:21).
21. The Eucharist is both the source of ecclesial unity and its greatest manifestation. The Eucharist is an epiphany of communion. For this reason the Church sets conditions for full participation in the celebration of the Eucharist. These various limitations ought to make us ever more conscious of the demands made by the communion which Jesus asks of us. It is a hierarchical communion, based on the awareness of a variety of roles and ministries, as is seen by the reference to the Pope and the Diocesan Bishop in the Eucharistic Prayer. It is a fraternal communion, cultivated by a “spirituality of communion” which fosters reciprocal openness, affection, understanding and forgiveness.
THE LORD'S DAY
23. In a particular way I ask that every effort be made this year to experience Sunday as the day of the Lord and the day of the Church. I would be happy if everyone would reflect once more on my words in the Apostolic Letter Dies Domini. “At Sunday Mass, Christians relive with particular intensity the experience of the Apostles on the evening of Easter, when the Risen Lord appeared to them as they were gathered together (cf. Jn 20:19). In a sense, the People of God of all times were present in that small nucleus of disciples, the first-fruits of the Church”. During this year of grace, priests in their pastoral ministry should be even more attentive to Sunday Mass as the celebration which brings together the entire parish community, with the participation of different groups, movements and associations.
THE EUCHARIST, PRINCIPLE AND PLAN OF “MISSION”
“They set out immediately” (cf. Lk 24:33)
24. The two disciples of Emmaus, upon recognizing the Lord, “set out immediately” (cf. Lk 24:33), in order to report what they had seen and heard. Once we have truly met the Risen One by partaking of his body and blood, we cannot keep to ourselves the joy we have experienced. The encounter with Christ, constantly intensified and deepened in the Eucharist, issues in the Church and in every Christian an urgent summons to testimony and evangelization. The dismissal at the end of each Mass is a charge given to Christians, inviting them to work for the spread of the Gospel and the imbuing of society with Christian values.
25. The Eucharist not only provides the interior strength needed for this mission, but is also —in some sense—its plan. For the Eucharist is a mode of being, which passes from Jesus into each Christian, through whose testimony it is meant to spread throughout society and culture. For this to happen, each member of the faithful must assimilate, through personal and communal meditation, the values which the Eucharist expresses, the attitudes it inspires, the resolutions to which it gives rise. Can we not see here a special charge which could emerge from this Year of the Eucharist?
(To be continued in the next issue...)
PERSONALITY PROFILE
JAMES - THE APOSTLE
Jesus singled out
three of his 12 disciples for special training. James, his brother John,
and Peter made up this inner circle. Each eventually played a key role
in the early church. Peter became a great speaker, John became a major
writer, and James was the first of the 12 disciples to die for his faith.
James enjoyed being in the inner circle of Jesus’ disciples, but
he misunderstood Jesus’ purpose. He and his brother even tried to
secure their role in Jesus’ Kingdom by asking Jesus to promise them
each a special position. Like the other disciples, James had a limited
view of what Jesus was doing on earth, picturing only an earthly kingdom
that would overthrow Rome and restore Israel’s former glory. But
above all, James wanted to be with Jesus.
James was willing to die for the gospel because he knew Jesus has conquered
death, the doorway to eternal life. Our expectations about life will be
limited if this life is all we can see. Jesus promised eternal life to
those willing to trust him. If we believe his promise, he will give us
the courage to stand for him even during dangerous times.
Strengths and Accomplishments:
One of the 12
disciples; one of a special inner circle of three.
First of the 12
disciples to be killed for his faith.
Weaknesses and mistakes:
Two outbursts
from James indicate struggles with temper (Luke 9:54) and selfishness
(Mark 10:37). Both times, he and his brother, John, spoke as one.
Lessons from his life:
Loss of life is
not too heavy a price to pay for following Jesus.
Vital Statistics:
Where:
Galilee
Relatives: Father:Zebedee; Mother:Salome; Brother: John.
Occupations: Fisherman, disciple
Contemporaries: Jesus, Pilate, Herod Agrippa
Key verse:
“James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to him and said
to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.”
And he said to them, “What is it you want me to do for you?”
And they said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and
one at your left, in your glory.” (Mark 10:35-37)
Mentioned in:
James’s story is told in the Gospels. He is also mentioned in Acts
1:13 and 12:2.
BIBLE READING PLAN FOR THE MONTH OF JULY:
| 182.. Day 1 ..... Psalms 120-133 | 183.. Day 2 ..... Psalms 134-140 | 184.. Day 3 ..... Psalms 141-150 | 185.. Day 4 ..... Proverbs 1-5 |
| 186.. Day 5 ..... Proverbs 6-9 | 187.. Day 6 ..... Proverbs 10-14 | 188.. Day 7 ..... Proverbs 15-19 | 189.. Day 8 ..... Proverbs 20-24 |
| 190.. Day 9 ..... Proverbs 25-28 | 191.. Day 10 .... Proverbs 29-31 | 192.. Day 11 .... Eccles. 1-6 | 193.. Day 12 .... Eccles. 7-12 |
| 194.. Day 13 .... Song of Sol. 1-4 | 195.. Day 14 .... Song of Sol. 5-8 | 196.. Day 15 .... Wisdom 1-5 | 197.. Day 16 .... Wisdom 6-9 |
| 198.. Day 17 .... Wisdom 10-14 | 199.. Day 18 .... Wisdom 15-19 | 200.. Day 19 .... Sirach 1-6 | 201.. Day 20 .... Sirach 7-11 |
| 202.. Day 21 .... Sirach 12-16 | 203.. Day 22 .... Sirach 17-21 | 204.. Day 23 .... Sirach 22-25 | 205.. Day 24 .... Sirach 26-30 |
| 206.. Day 25 .... Sirach 31-35 | 207.. Day 26 .... Sirach 36-39 | 208.. Day 27 .... Sirach 40-43 | 209.. Day 28 .... Sirach 44-47 |
| 210.. Day 29 .... Sirach 48-51 | 211.. Day 30 .... Isaiah 1-5 | 212.. Day 31 .... Isaiah 6-10 |
XV) THE END AND THE SECOND COMING OF JESUS
Jesus prophesied about the end time, about the destruction of Jerusalem, about the end of the World, and the way the Son of Man will return in glory to Judge everyone. Christ’s second coming will be swift and sudden. There will be no opportunity for last-minute repentance or bargaining. This unexpected return should motivate us to be prepared. We are to live responsibly and obey him today (24:46) Are you prepared for all this?
| Do you believe in the words of Jesus and follow them?
Now, you have to locate these statements (with chapter and verse nos.)
given below in the Gospel of Matthew and fill-up the blanks
in them. 1. Pray that your flight may not be in _____ or on a _______. For at that time there will be great suffering, such as has not been from the _________ of the world until ____, no, and never will be. 2. For many will come in ___ name, saying, ‘I am the ________!’ 3. _______ and _____will pass away, but my ______ will not pass away. 4. For as the ________ comes from the east and _______ as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of ____. Wherever the corpse is, there the _______ will gather. 5. ...and there will be __________ and ________ in various places: all this is but the ___________ of birth pangs. 6. ...the sun will be ________, and the moon will not give its _____; the ______ will fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven will be shaken. Then the sign of the ____ ___ ____ will appear in heaven... 7. But about that ___ and hour no one knows, neither the _____ of heaven, nor the ____, but only the _____. 8. And if those _____ had not been cut short, no one would be _____; but for the sake of the _____ those ____ will be cut short. |
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| Answers to Last month’s Quiz XIV. PARABLES OF JESUS Answers in the Correct sequence: Classification code - a) or b) or c) where a) Teaching Parables about the Kingdom of God, b) Parables of Judgement and the future, c) Teaching parables about service and obedience. 11.The Soils -13:3-8 a) 6. The Weeds - 13:24-30 a) 9. The Mustard Seed - 13:31-32 a) 4. The Yeast - 13:33 a) 1. The Fishing Net - 13:47-50 a) 7. The Workers in the harvest- 20:1-16 c) 10. The Evil Farmers -21:33-41 b) 8. The Wedding Feast - 22:1-14 b) 5. Wise & faithful Servants - 24:45-51 b) 2. The ten Bridesmaids - 25:1-13 b) 3. The loaned money - 25:14-30 c) |
Send Your Answers to: Rules to be followed: Thanks for taking the Quiz! Good Luck! |
A) JESUS GAVE MY DEAD DAUGHTER A NEW LIFE! ALLELUIA!
Praise
be to Jesus! Thanks be to Jesus!
I am Seema (aged 29 years) and today it is the second time that I have
come to Jeevan Dham. The loving Lord through His invaluable blessings
showered on my daughter has turned a disbelieving sinner like me into
a staunch believer.
My 9-year-old daughter, Rashmi, is a heart patient who has already got
the heart attacks thrice. I believe that the Lord has kept her alive so
far for His own glory and to show His infinite love to all through the
miracles He has done in her life.
Rashmi got the first attack when she was just one-and-a-half year old.
Tests showed that her heart was weak. We started treating her in a hospital
in Tughlakabad. Doctors told me that she would not be able to bear extreme
emotions, that is, too much of joy or sorrow will be hazardous for her
heart. She got the second attack at the meagre age of four. Doctors informed
me that there was nothing to worry about this attack but the third attack
could be severe and fatal. It’s quite possible, what the doctor
explained as to be the after-effects of the third attack, that her neck
would hang down to one side and she won’t be able to talk. Besides,
he had warned, there is no treatment available for such disorders.
We could do nothing to prevent it but wait for that shocking moment helplessly.
That day came on August 13 2003, when she got her third attack in the
morning hours. Her neck hanged down to one side and she became dumb and
stiff. The deficiency of blood in her body paved way for her weakness.
All had started crying at home looking at her pitiful condition. Without
wasting any time, she was taken to the AIIMS (Medical, Delhi) Hospital
by her father. But I was in the last days of my pregnancy. So I could
not accompany him to the hospital. I was at home with my neighbour and
mid-wife.
At AIIMS, the doctors refused to do anything as it was very late and they
suggested my husband to take her back home. From there she was taken to
a hospital in Sangam Vihar and admitted in the emergency ward. Everyone
waited anxiously for her quick recovery.
I came for the first time at Jeevan Dham with my mother who has been coming
here regularly and who had explained to me about several of His miracles
done in Jeevan Dham. My faith in the Lord became firm when He listened
to my fervent prayers and gifted me with a baby boy on August 14, 2003,
without any complication or threat. Praise the Lord!
Coincidentally, my mother was at the Sangam Vihar hospital praying with
tears in her eyes for Rashmi. Two days had passed by and there was no
sign of her recovery. X-ray, Ultrasound and other tests were taken except
the blood test because of the very low blood content in her body. The
doctors were finding it extremely difficult to get her nerves for extracting
blood. During all this time Rashmi lied there like a lifeless body. But
Her grandmother (Nani) did not give up praying to God and fasting (for
two days) for her good health and a new life. Her life was hooked up on
the edge of life and death.
Miraculously, after a few hours, she had a vision where the Lord said
to her: “Don’t worry, the child will be fine.” Praise
the Lord! The Lord blessed my child immediately. It was the third day
when her neck came back to the normal position. The doctors were able
to inject medicine into her body. The doctors had earlier declared that
she would not live for more than 2 to 3 hours. But she survived! Praise
the Lord!!! Alleluia!!! Just within one month, she recovered completely
from her weakness and the after effects of the attack. She was cured by
God’s grace. Our prayers were answered and due to our unfeigned
faith in Him, God gifted her with a new life. Jesus is the greatest doctor,
who cured her free of charge where on the other hand we had spent over
Rs.1.5 Lakhs on her treatment which was ineffective on her...She started
having her regular meals without any problem of digestion. Alleluia! Thanks
a million to the Almighty God! Praise be to Him, our true Saviour and
Healer. Alleluia!
Seema m/o Rashmi, New Delhi.
B)
THESE TWO PERSONS, WHO EARLIER WERE STOOPED FOR FEW YEARS, ARE NOW ABLE
TO STAND AND WALK ERECT THROUGH THE POWER OF GOD’S WORD. HE
STRAIGHTENED THEIR BACKBONES AND
HEALED THEM FOR HIS GLORY!
E-mail us your petitions to: justcallanthony@yahoo.com |
IMPORTANT TIMINGS DAILY MORNING PRAYER :  On
Weekdays from 9:00a.m. to 11:00p.m. 24-HOUR Adoration is going on
everyday ROUND-THE-CLOCK for over the last 1 year. You too can join
us in prayer anytime. HOLY MASS : On Fridays: morning 10:00 a.m. On Sundays: evening 6:30 p.m. |
WELCOME TO JEEVAN DHAM Are you … worried & burdened? Are you … depressed? Are you … sick or weak? Do you … feel the absence of peace & love in your life? Are you … grappling with a lot of problems in your life? Then visit this place chosen by God & see for yourselves all the incredible miracles happening here.This place is ‘JEEVAN DHAM’. Believe in God and attend the prayer session held every Sunday at St.Anthony’s School (ground), Sec-9, Faridabad from morning 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. organized with the grace of Almighty God by ‘Jeevan Dham’- H.no.696/ Sec-22, Faridabad. Obtain invaluable graces & heavenly blessings & witness the miraculous healings performed by Him. |
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WELCOME TO JEEVAN DHAM!
Scriptural references in DIVYA JYOTI are from the New Revised Standard Version (© Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers)1989 |
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Edited
and Published by Anthony. JEEVANDHAM, 696/22. Faridabad -121005,
Haryana, INDIA
Ph: 91-0129-2231126, 9350128560 |
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