Mersmerized...

In the Champions League Final played just a few hours ago, English Champions, Manchester United were simply…outplayed, outsmarted, outclassed, outmanoeuvered, mesmerized…but there was no shame in losing to the best.

Electrifying Spanish Champions, FC Barcelona took their third European supremacy crown in six seasons…denying the English Champions for the second time in three years…confirming their deserving place at the pinnacle of football’s greatest club sides in Europe, if not the world.

Truly, football (or soccer) today remains the greatest global game that connects multi-cultural people from all over the world - giving hope when there is no hope whatsoever, building friendships, harmony, creating dreams, reconciling…all of us on this journey...

Nevertheless, it still hurts to watch my favorite team concede...to, what is possibly, the masters of the game.



Blessed Eucharist...The Greatest Treasure of the Catholic Church

“Jesus answered them, and said: Amen, amen I say to you, you seek me, not because you have seen miracles, but because you did eat of the loaves, and were filled.  Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that which endureth unto life everlasting, which the Son of man will give you.  For him hath God, the Father, sealed.” (John 6:26-27, Douay Rheims)



“Our fathers did eat manna in the desert, as it is written: He gave them bread from heaven to eat.  Then Jesus said to them: Amen, amen I say to you; Moses gave you not bread from heaven, but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.  For the bread of God is that which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life to the world.  They said therefore unto him: Lord, give us always this bread.  And Jesus said to them: I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall not hunger: and he that believeth in me shall never thirst.” (John 6:31-34, Douay Rheims)

“He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath everlasting life: and I will raise him up in the last day.  For my flesh is meat indeed: and my blood is drink indeed.  He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, abideth in me, and I in him.” (John 6:55-57, Douay Rheims)

The Blessed Eucharist is indeed a great mystery of faith; so much so that even many of the Jews that heard this said, “…How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” (John 6:53)  Even the disciples on hearing this thought, “…This saying is hard, and who can hear it?” (John 6:61); so much so that, “…many of his disciples went back; and walked no more with him.” (John 6:67)

What more, for us mere mortals, with all our formed mindsets and conditioning, it can get pretty challenging, at different points of our life's journey, to fathom and embrace this fact...this truth of our faith.

This very day, in our journey through life, Jesus continues to pose this question to each one of us, pilgrims, “Will you also go away?” (John 6:68)


“And the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” (John 1:5, Douay Rheims)

Indeed, the Sacred and Blessed Eucharist remains a very central mystery of our Catholic faith, especially to those of us who have not, the eyes of faith; rather, worldly-distorted vision.  In the Bible, St Paul reminds us that faith is the belief in things which we do not see.


I would like to repeat the simple question posted a few days earlier for reflection, “Do you truly believe in the real physical presence of Jesus in the Eucharist?”

From the Book of Genesis and throughout the rest of the Holy Scriptures, we know that when God, Our Father in Heaven, speaks, what He commands is done in an instant.  It would be a tremendous pity if we, His children, were to doubt the words of Jesus when he assured us that “…behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world.” (Matthew 28:20)


“He came unto his own, and his own received him not.  But as many as received him, he gave them power to be made the sons of God, to them that believe in his name.” (John 1:11-12, Douay Rheims)

Many people today, mostly led astray by pride, conditioned mindsets and instigated by the devil through various means, still do not believe in the real presence of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist and even ridicule the Catholic doctrine about the Blessed Sacrament.

Even more humiliating sometimes, is that these could be the very, indifferent, people who professed that God is all-powerful, Creator of Heaven and Earth…yet, deep down, they cannot believe that He can transform bread and wine into His Body and His Blood.

In certain parts of the world, worshippers of Satan continue to secretly hold the “Black Mass” (the ultimate satanic rite to obtain magic satanic powers) where the entire service makes a mockery of the Catholic Mass...only the Catholic Mass...because of the Truth it contains.

Satanists steal only consecrated communion hosts from their local Catholic churches which are then desecrated at these “Black”services.  This is why, as a preventive measure, we can see wardens during Holy Communion, who is suppose to watch very carefully to make sure that no one receives the Eucharist and walks away without consuming the host.



Satan woeshippers actually recognize which are the consecrated hosts, transformed into the Body and Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ; and they will desecrate only these, with unimaginable blasphemies and mockery; cursing Jesus and honoring Satan.

Sad to say, even Catholics sometimes take the Eucharist for granted...not aware that even satanic occult groups believe in the real presence even more...for all the evil reasons...


As terrifying as this may sound, Satan does exist in this world promoting an eternity in Hell and he despises the real presence of the Eucharist in the Catholic Church.

Given this, should we then not be moved, ever more urgently, into a much greater devotion of this Sacred Sacrament, in order to nourish our souls and especially, to protect ourselves from the evil attacks of Satan.

“Come and see what thine eye has never seen; come and hear what thine ear has never heard; come and enjoy what on earth thy heart has never been conceived; come, enter into the joy of thy Lord forever and ever.” (Father Michael Muller, CSSR, p55, The Blessed Eucharist)

During Mass, a priest in Lanciano, Italy doubted that the bread and wine really became the Body and Blood of Jesus.  Before his very eyes, the host was actually encircled in flesh and the wine turned to blood!

This and many other true stories can be found at this link, which simply and brilliantly shares real testimonies from shrines of the various Eucharistic Miracles around the world; providing much-needed concrete evidence that Jesus is truly present in the Blessed Eucharist...to feed this restless and hungry world and to protect us from all evil.

May our pilgrimage to these visible shrines today help increase the knowledge and love of Jesus in the most beautiful Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist and make Him more widely known, adored and loved in what is suppose to be the greatest treasure (or secret) of the Catholic Church.


“Gustate et videte quoniam suavis est Dominus (“Taste and see how sweet is the Lord”) (Psalm 33:9)  Come, then and taste this heavenly food for yourself.  Let neither the example of others nor the pleasures of the world nor the coldness of your own heart deprive you of so rich a consolation.” (Father Michael Muller, CSSR, p81, The Blessed Eucharist)

Jesus…We Love You This Big, Too!

Hometown boy Scotty McCreery from Garner, North Carolina, has made it big time, winning Fox’s ‘American Idol’ Season 10 – down-to-earth simple, dreamy, genuinely modest, likeable, a member at First Baptist, bible-loving, always relying on and thanking God for the journey…words alone cannot describe…the transformation…an awesome testimony of the grace of God!  Truly Scotty loves the Lord this big!  All Glory and Praise to You, Lord!

I know I'm still young

But, I know how I feel

I might not have too much experience

But, I know when love is real.

By the way my heart starts pounding

When I look into your eyes

I might look a little silly

Standing with my arms stretched open wide.

I love you this big

Eyes have never seen... this big

No-one's ever dreamed... this big

And I'll spend the rest of my life

Explaining what words cannot describe but, I'll try

I love you this big

I'll love you to the moon and back

I'll love you all the time

Deeper than the ocean

And higher than the pines.

Cause girl (Lord), you do something to me

Deep down in my heart

I know I look a little crazy

Standing with my arms stretched all apart.

I love you this big

Eyes have never seen... this big

No-one's ever dreamed... this big

And I'll spend the rest of my life

Explaining what words cannot describe but, I'll try

I love you this big

So much bigger than I ever dreamed my heart ever would

I love you this big

And I'd write your name in stars across the sky

If I could, I would

I love you this big

Oh, eyes have never seen... this big

No-one's ever dreamed... this big

And I'll spend the rest of my life

Explaining what words cannot describe but, I'll try

I love you this big

I love you this big

Oh, eyes have never seen... this big

No-one's ever dreamed... this big

And I'll spend the rest of my life

Explaining what words cannot describe but, I'll try

I love you this big...

Nourishment for Your Soul…The Holy Eucharist

The past few days have been simply quiet here.  I spent a fair bit of my time, caught up in the reading and sourcing of good spiritual books; at used and second hand books store.


Echoing the words of Manchester United Boss, Sir Alex Ferguson, on the use of micro blogging websites, “Get yourself down to the library and read a book.  Seriously, it is a waste of time…”

Anyway, over the weekend, I watched my favorite football (or soccer) team, Manchester United clinch the record 19th English Premier League title.

If United can play to true to its form and absolutely get it correct, tactically, they can end the season with both the Premier League trophy and the European Cup.  But first, they would need to overcome, what is currently the best, passing cum potent attacking, team in Europe, if not, the world, Barcelona, at the Wembley Stadium, this Saturday, May 28.  This would surely cement the Old Trafford team’s presence across the continents.

Speaking of presence, I somehow, dreamt of the Eucharist last night. If I recall it correctly, I was holding this larger-than-normal piece of consecrated host and staring at it with a deep sense of the sacred.  Let me simply share my thoughts on this.

As a youth, I use to be fascinated by this and often wondered…how on earth can Jesus break himself into so many million and billion tiny little pieces?

Even worst, I often stared, without blinking, during the Eucharistic consecration when the priest puts his hands over the bread and wine and say some words, hoping to witness a miracle…yet, I don’t see Jesus physically coming down into them at the altar?

Perhaps, I did not possess the saintly eyes of faith to see beyond the physical form of bread and wine.

Do you truly believe in the real physical presence of Jesus in the Eucharist?

Bishop Fulton Sheen shared that when Jesus made the first Eucharistic statement, Judas Iscariot began his corrupt plot to betray the Lord.  Judas (and even many others today) simply could not embrace the doctrine of the Eucharist.  The Eucharist just does not make human sense!



Many cradle Catholics grow up still bound in this Eucharistic controversy.  Many other Christian denominations continue to accuse and influence Catholics of being non-biblical.

The Holy Eucharist is actually the third sacrament of initiation in the Catholic Church; not only a sacramental sacrifice of thanksgiving and praise, but it makes present again, the sacrifice of Christ’s death on the cross in an unbloody manner.  It reminds us, outside of our human senses, by faith of Christ’s everlasting presence.


“I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever; and the bread that I will give, is my flesh, for the life of the world.” (John 6:51-52, Douay Rheims)

“And taking bread, he gave thanks, and (break); and gave to them, saying: This is my body, which is given for you. Do this for a commemoration of me. In like manner the chalice also, after he had supped, saying: This is the chalice, the new testament in my blood, which shall be shed for you.” (Luke 22:19-20, Douay Rheims)

These words of Jesus are not mere metaphors.  With over 2,000 years of tradition in this belief, the Eucharistic doctrine is actually very scriptural and is the most important truth of our Catholic faith.  This is what distinguishes Catholics from other Christians.

The bread and wine actually becomes the Body and Blood of Christ.  The changing of the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ is known as “Transubstantiation” - the very heart of the Mass.

Simplistically, it means that whatever makes the bread to be bread or wine to be wine (the substance) is gone, not present, after consecration.  Only validly ordained priests (not pastors or laymen) can perform this act of consecration.

The Host is Jesus Himself, rather than merely a ‘symbol’.  Catholics were actually given the gift of knowledge of this great mystery of faith – the Eucharist, the heart and summit of the Church’s life (Catechism of the Catholic Church) – the most perfect expression of the worship we owe to God.

“At the Last Supper, on the night he was betrayed, our Savior instituted the Eucharistic sacrifice of His Body and Blood.  This he did in order to perpetuate the sacrifice of the cross throughout the ages until He should come again, and so to entrust to…the Church, a memorial of His death and resurrection.” (Vatican Council II, Constitution of the Sacred Liturgy)

In the celebration of the Eucharist, the bread and wine are truly transformed into the Body and Blood of Our Lord, but without any change in their visible outward appearance; together with the soul and divinity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.  “…The whole Christ is truly, really and substantially contained.” (Council of Trent, 1545-1563)

“We believe in the everlasting gift of the Body and Blood of Christ in the Eucharist, brought to us each day in miracle form on every altar in the world, at the Consecration of the Mass.” (Bob and Penny Lord, This is My Body, This is My Blood)

The consecrated bread and wine of the Eucharist signify nourishment and are nourishment for the soul.  Our Lord Jesus never leaves us, pilgrims, on this journey through life.  He is always here to help us, to heal us, to carry us.

Through the Holy Eucharist, we continue to feel His strength and power, especially during our times of weakness, doubt, hopelessness, worries, stress, sickness and temptation.

The various Eucharistic Miracles throughout the world today and centuries past, further testifies of His love for us. However, that topic would have to be an interesting sharing for another Blogosphere day.