The Real Presence

Blessed John Paul II identified the Eucharist as the Presence Sacrament. Christ is on earth. He wants to perform miracles of His grace, especially miracles of conversion in what is becoming a Christ-less age. The key to tapping the resources of His grace is our deep faith in Christ's living presence among us in the Blessed Sacrament.



Today is the Feast Day of Saint Rose Philippine Duschene, a religious of the Society of the Sacred Heart. She began missionary work with the Native Americans. She was called the ”Woman Who Prays Always.” She was born in 1769, died in 1852 and was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 1988.

She was the Foundress of the first Catholic school for girls west of the Mississippi. She said, "As soon as we could, we taught our Indians the prayers of the Church, and especially the Litany of the Blessed Virgin, as it is sung on Sundays after Vespers."

The Sisters suffered during the severe winters. Sr. Rose had many infirmities which became worse. She visited the sick and helped the Indian girls but was not able to do much else. She lived a life of prayer and sacrifice. The Indians called her “Woman Who Prays Always” because she spent so much time in the church praying. She knelt motionless in prayer for long periods in the Church before the Blessed Sacrament. If she could not work at the mission, she would forward the success of the mission by her prayers. She would spend the last ten years of her life there praying for long hours before the Blessed Sacrament.

May we have the great love for Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament as Saint Rose did. May we spend time in Eucharistic Adoration praying for all the intentions we receive through this baby prayer ministry. Jesus, we love and adore You.