A message from St. Augustine’s Church Pastor Rev. Alan Shnob
1- Spiritual help is always available. Our Masses are no longer public, but they are still taking place in private, and being broadcast on Facebook. The simplest way to find the Masses is to go to Facebook and type “St Augustine’s Parish Peru” into the search bar.
2- Parishioners are encouraged to pray a spiritual communion with their families and to watch the Mass on television or over the internet when they are able to.
3- The Church remains open for private prayer from approximately 6am until 9pm each day. Church staff is cleaning and disinfecting the Church throughout the day.
4- Confessions are still being heard from 3-4pm on Saturday, and 8-9am on Sunday, or anytime by appointment.
5- The Sacrament of the Sick is still available by calling the rectory, at 518-643-6759.
6- Father Alan and Seminarian Tom Middleton continue to pray the Liturgy of the Hours throughout the day on behalf of our parishioners.
What is a Spiritual Communion?
By Dr. Mark Miravalle
Make Spiritual Communions. piritual Communions comprise classic spiritual practices which calls for an immediate renewal during our present Mass-less Sunday experience. A Spiritual Communion is a spiritual practice in which the Christian, after professing his or her belief in the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, requests Jesus to spiritually enter the soul. Saint Thomas Aquinas describes a Spiritual Communion as a holy desire to receive Jesus in the Eucharist, and a loving embrace from Jesus as though we had already received him. Saint after saint have recommended this powerfully spiritual practice. St. Catherine of Siena compared it to receiving Jesus from a “silver Chalice” instead of the gold chalice of the Eucharist, and St. Padre Pio spoke of great efficacy in spiritually uniting with Jesus throughout the day.
Pope St. John Paul II strongly recommends the practice of Spiritual Communions in Ecclesia de Eucharistia:
…It is good to cultivate in our hearts a constant desire for the sacrament of the Eucharist. This was the origin of the practice of “spiritual communion,” which has happily been established in the Church for centuries and recommended by saints who were masters of the spiritual life. St. Teresa of Jesus wrote: “When you do not receive communion and you do not attend Mass, you can make a spiritual communion, which is a most beneficial practice; by it the love of God will be greatly impressed on you” [The Way of Perfection, Ch. 35](EE,34 ).
The basic elements for a Spiritual Communion are as follows:
Express your belief in the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist: “Jesus, I love you and I believe that you are really present, Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity in the Eucharist.”
Express your inability to receive Jesus sacramentally in the Eucharist: “Jesus, unfortunately, I cannot receive you sacramentally in Holy Communion at this time.”
Invite Jesus to spiritually enter your soul: “Jesus, I now ask you to spiritually enter my soul” (followed a brief time of silence and receptivity to the spiritual entrance of Jesus into your soul).
Offer your thanksgiving: “Jesus, thank you for spiritually entering my soul. I love you, I praise you, and I adore you for your infinite grace and mercy.”
If you are able to watch the Mass on television, make your Spiritual Communion after the “Lamb of God,” when you would normally receive Holy Communion.
Posted: March 20th, 2020 under Peru News, Religious News.