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Psychological Healing
in the Catholic Mystic tradition

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Eucharistic Revival
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The surest way to lose respect for the Eucharist
is to take It into your own hands.


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Learning How to Pray  |  Spiritual Counsels  |  Books  |  About CSF

 

HOW sad and tragic that most Catholics today do not understand much about reverence for the Eucharist. And it’s also sad and tragic that many priests today are either afraid to teach true reverence for the Eucharist or are indifferent to the truth. It’s no wonder that darkness and decline in the Church are growing.

Here, then, are the beginnings of a revival of reverence for the Eucharist—a revival based on a heartfelt mystical love for Christ and His Real Presence in the Eucharist that reverberates through all conduct in a church. In short, if you really loved Christ as your God, you would act accordingly at all times, and this includes reverent and modest conduct as well as pious reception of the Holy Eucharist.

 
Revering Sundays

According to the Precepts of the Church, all Catholics must attend Mass every Sunday and must rest from servile labor on Sundays. Anything less than this defiles reverence for the holy mystery of Christ’s resurrection—and that leads you away from revival and right into neglect.

 
Modest Clothing in a Church

For both men and women, immodesty is a grave opening to the sins of pride and lust. Note that we wear clothing to give our bodies dignity. Modest clothing covers our bodies with dignity, whereas immodest clothing reveals the body by making a pretense of covering it, and through this pretense the body becomes an instrument of social acceptance, an expression of vanity and pride, and a provocation to lust.

Therefore, modest clothing, for both women and men, should cover the body with dignity rather than reveal the body. Accordingly, all true Catholic men and women avoid the lustful display of tight and revealing clothing, and the prideful display of sports insignia, piercings, and tattoos. (If you have an existing tattoo, cover it in sorrow for having defiled your body, the temple of the Holy Spirit.)

For women, wear mid-calf-length skirts or dresses. Do not wear leggings, jeans, or slacks. Keep your shoulders, neck, and chest covered. Cover your head with a chapel veil when in church and whenever you are in the presence of the Eucharist (as in a Eucharistic Procession).

For men, wear dress clothes. Do not wear jeans, T-shirts, or sneakers.

 
Entering a Church

On entering a church, true Catholic women cover their heads by putting on their chapel veils, and true Catholic men uncover their heads by removing their hats, beanies, or anything else covering their heads. After showing this initial respect for Christ, then all true Catholics look to the tabernacle and genuflect in adoration while saying silently, “My Lord and my God.”

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A genuflection is a sign of adoration due to God. To make a proper genuflection, keep your back straight, bend your left leg, and touch your right knee to the floor while looking at the tabernacle. Note that a curtsy is just a half-hearted imitation of a genuflection as would be given to royalty, but not to God. Note also that a bow, in the Roman rite, is simply a sign of respect, as would be given to an altar with no tabernacle behind it; to bow, rather than to genuflect (or kneel), before the Blessed Sacrament is to give the appearance of “respecting” Christ while secretly denying His Real Presence.

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Be careful to arrive on time (before the priest enters the sanctuary). Always plan to arrive early, and, if you do arrive late (for any reason), stay in the back of the church so as to not create a disturbing distraction to others, and do not receive the Eucharist (as an expression of sorrow for the fact that your late presence is an insult to the dignity of your Lord and God).

 
In a Church

Maintain a general attitude of sacred silence in the church. If you have to communicate with someone, speak only in a reverent whisper.
 
Bow your head whenever the name of Jesus or Mary is mentioned during the liturgy.
 
When standing during the liturgy, stand reverently with your hands clasped in front of you. Standing with your arms crossed is a sign of defiance.
 
If, in your movement around the church, you should ever cross before the tabernacle, even if you may be in the back of the church, stop, turn and face the Tabernacle, and then genuflect before it.

 
Receiving the Eucharist

Fast (i.e., abstain from food) for at least an hour before receiving the Eucharist, according to Canon law (Can. 919 §1). And for that matter, fast for an hour after receiving. It’s admirable to not send Christ into a pit of half-digested food, but it is just as admirable to not pour garbage (such as coffee and donuts) on Him after you receive Him.
 
In the Roman rite, receive the Eucharist only from the hands of a priest (or deacon) and never from a lay person. Receive kneeling, on the tongue, and never in your own hands.

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To assist the priest in placing the Host on your tongue without him touching you, tilt your head back, extend your tongue, and curl the tip of your tongue down as if you were trying to touch your chin.

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Leaving a Church

On leaving a church, look to the tabernacle and genuflect while saying silently, “My Lord and my God.” Exit silently, and, if you must speak with someone, speak in the foyer or outside.

 
Summary

Trying to revive reverence for the Eucharist with reverent behavior might seem nice on the outside, but it is only the beginning of progress. On reading this webpage, you might be astonished that no one ever told you about these things, but remember: genuine revival begins with you, and neglect also begins with you. Therefore, now that you have learned proper Catholic conduct in church, turn your attention to living a holy life interiorly, not just in church. To do this, follow the Spiritual Counsels on this website and take up constant prayer of the heart wherever you may be.

 


 
Recommended Reading
 
A treasure of a resource for psychological and spiritual healing. Information gathered from my websites (including this webpage) is now available at your fingertips in book form.

 
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Catholic Compassion
When They Tell You That the Moral Teachings of the Catholic Church Are Wrong
by Raymond Lloyd Richmond, Ph.D.
 
It would be humorous, if the consequences weren’t so tragic, that contemporary society tries desperately to convince us that Catholic compassion is wrong because it lacks compassion. This book can help you understand how friends, teachers, professors, the entertainment industry—and even priests—can lead you away from God under the deceptive guise of “being compassionate.”

More Information

 

 

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Where Catholic therapy (Catholic psychotherapy) is explained according to Catholic psychology in the tradition of the Catholic mystics.

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