Category Archives: Consecration

Saint Ignatius of Antioch, An amazing 2000 year old Saint – by Deacon Marty McIndoe

Agony and Difficulty, Apologetics, Church, Community, Consecration, Cross to Bear, Death and Dying, Early Church Fathers, Eucharist, Evangelism, Heresy, Holiness, Holy Orders, Preaching, Priesthood, Sacraments, Saints, Scripture, Service, Spirituality, Suffering, Trust, Unity, Vocation, ,

The Roman Catholic Church celebrates the Feast of this Martyr on October 17 of every year. He was the third Bishop of Antioch (70AD) and was ordained by St. Peter. He and Polycarp, were both taught by St. John, the Gospel writer. A Church tradition tells us that Ignatius was the child that Jesus, in Mathew 18: 3-4 chose to place on His lap and teach the disciples about humility. There is no doubt that Ignatius, who was martyred in 107, was around from the very beginnings of the Church. There are seven extant letters of his that tell us a lot about early Church life. These letters were written while he was under arrest and on his way to Rome to be killed.

Ignatius, as Bishop of Antioch, was arrested for failing to worship the Roman Emperor as God. When Ignatius ruled the Christians in Antioch, the Roman Emperor Domition declared himself a god and took on the title, “Lord and God”. Ignatius stood up against this, as an example to his fellow Christians. Domition was murdered in 96, and his successor Nerva reigned only briefly, but was soon followed by the Emperor Trajan. Trajan again pushed that all in the Empire see him as God. Everyone was required to follow the State religion and if they failed to do so, they were to be killed. Of course, Ignatius would not follow the State religion and was sentenced to death, at Rome. Those seven extant letters of his were written on his journey to Rome.

The letters tell us about how important it was to have unity in the Church and to obey the local Bishop. They also showed his deep love for the Eucharist as the Body and Blood of Christ and how the Eucharist was so important in remaining in unity. Ignatius called the Eucharist, the “Medicine of Immortality”. The letters also have the first surviving written words describing the Church as Catholic. Ignatius’ teachings are very rich but can be summoned up in the word UNITY. He taught that Christian Unity was a command of Jesus (John 17:26) and that Unity was obtained by remaining true to the faith (no heresy), obedience to the clergy and bishops, AND Eucharistic worship. Ignatius said, “Make it a point, then, to participate in one Eucharist. For the flesh of our Lord Jesus Christ is one, and one is the cup that yields unity in his blood”. Ignatius laments that “those who hold heretical opinions about the grace of Jesus Christ … refuse to acknowledge that the Eucharist is the flesh of our savior Jesus Christ, which suffered for our sins and which the Father by his goodness raised up” (Letter to the Smyrnaeans 6.2).

Ignatius welcomed his upcoming martyrdom and told his fellow Christians in his letter to Rome, “All the pleasures of the world, and all the kingdoms of this earth, shall profit me nothing, It is better for me to die in behalf of Jesus Christ, than to reign over all the ends of the earth.” He continued, “Now I begin to be a disciple, Let fire and the cross; let the crowds of wild beasts; let tearings, breakings, and dislocations of bones; let cutting off of members; let shatterings of the whole body; and let all the dreadful torments of the devil come upon me: only let me attain to Jesus Christ.” He quite clearly did not want the Roman Christians to try to keep him from martydom. As he witnessed to Jesus for the last time in Flavian’s Amphitheater (the Roman Colliseun) where he was to be torn to shreds by lions, he said, “I am the wheat of the Lord, and I am being ground by the teeth of the wild beasts, so that I may prove to be pure bread”. Even in his death, Ignatius is remembering the Eucharist. He was a true man of faith and we celebrate him, now 2000 years after his death. Here are a few of his quotes:

“Do not have Jesus Christ on your lips, and the world in your heart.”

“We recognize a tree by its fruit, and we ought to be able to recognize a Christian by his action.”


“My dear Jesus, my Savior, is so deeply written in my heart, that I feel confident, that if my heart were to be cut open and chopped to pieces, the name of Jesus would be found written on every piece.”

“It is not that I want merely to be called a Christian, but actually to be one. Yes, if I prove to be one, then I can have the name”.

“The only thing I ask of you is to allow me to offer the libation of my blood to God. I am the wheat of the Lord; may I be ground by the teeth of the beasts to become the immaculate bread of Christ.”

He describes the Eucharist as, “the medicine of immortality, the antidote we take in order not to die but to live forever in Jesus Christ”

He tells the Christians at Smyna that they “are established in an unshakable faith, having been nailed, as it were, to the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ in both body and spirit, and firmly established in love by the blood of Christ”

We pray that Saint Ignatius will help us to live out the UNITY that Jesus prayed for, help us to remain faithful to the Bishops and the Church, and see the Eucharist as the true Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Christ.

The First GLORIOUS Mystery – THE RESURRECTION – by Deacon Marty McIndoe

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The First GLORIOUS Mystery: The RESURRECTION – by Deacon Marty McIndoe

All four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John tell us about the resurrection of Jesus. They vary in different details, and order, but essentially tell us the profound truth that Jesus rose from the dead after being crucified and buried. This is essential to our faith. This is the heart of our faith. This is the heart of the good news. The resurrection of Jesus shows us that that death no longer has a hold on the world, or on us. This is so essential to our faith that EVERY Sunday we celebrate it by going to mass where we remember the death and resurrection of Jesus and we follow His command in John chapter 6, verse 54 to “eat my body and drink my blood”. The Eucharist that we receive is the resurrected-glorious, body, blood, soul and divinity of Jesus. It is so important to do this that the Church has made it an obligation to attend mass EVERY Sunday (or Saturday evening in anticipation). Sunday, as the day of Jesus’ Resurrection was so important to the early Church that, even though they were good Jews, they started to move the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday to recognize the Resurrection. We should reflect on this central facet of our faith even more than just once a week. Reciting the Rosary and the Glorious Mystery helps us to do this.

The gospel accounts tell us that after Jesus died on the cross (clearly shown by the gospels and eyewitness accounts), he was taken down and laid in a tomb. On the third day, the women went to visit His tomb and He was gone. They were greeted by angels and by the resurrected Jesus himself and given instructions to tell the GOOD NEWS of His resurrection. The Resurrection of Jesus is further shown by His glorified presence to the apostles and disciples for a forty day period before His Ascension to Heaven. One of my favorite stories from the Gospel during this period is the story of how Jesus appeared to His disciples in His glorified body in the Upper Room. Thomas was not there and when the disciples told Thomas of seeing the resurrected Jesus, he told them that he could not believe this unless he, himself, put his fingers in to the nail holes and his hand in to the pierced side of Jesus. Shortly after, the disciples were again gathered and this time Thomas was with them. Jesus again appeared in His resurrected, glorious body and looked to Thomas and told him to place his fingers in His nail holes and His pierced side. Thomas responded with, “my Lord, and my God”. I think that it is interesting that Thomas, forever known as DOUBTING Thomas because of his initial doubt, gave one of the greatest expressions of belief and faith found in the gospels. This gives us all hope. In Mark 9:24 the father of a boy possessed by a demon said to Jesus, “Lord I believe, help my unbelief.” This is a cry we too can utter at times, especially in difficult moments.

Another resurrection story that I love is the walk to Emmaus (Luke 24: 13-35). In this narrative, we have two of Jesus’ disciples walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus (7 mile walk). As they walk, they are discussing the death of Jesus and how the women found an empty tomb. It appears that they didn’t fully understand that this meant that Jesus was resurrected from the dead. The resurrected Jesus then appeared to them and walked along with them, but they did not recognize Him. As they walked, He explained to them all of the Scriptures that talked about the Messiah and His death and resurrection. When they came to an Inn, they stopped for some rest and food. It was here that Jesus took bread and broke it and at that time they recognized Him in the “breaking of the bread”. After that, He disappeared and they immediately walked back to Jerusalem to tell the others that they had seen the resurrected Jesus. This is definitely an eucharistic moment. As a matter of fact, the whole story reminds us of the two parts of the mass that we celebrate, (and the final dismissal where we are given our mission). His explaining the scriptures reminds us of the Liturgy of the Word, and His breaking of the bread reminds us of the Liturgy of the Eucharist. We too are called, each time we attend mass, to recognize Jesus in both Word and Eucharist. At the end of mass we are told to GO FORTH and share the gospel message with others, just as the disciples on the walk to Emmaus did. This is our mission.

I cannot stress enough that the Resurrection of Jesus is the important event that allowed the Good News to spread. It is essential to our faith. Even St. Paul, in his first letter to the Corinthians (1 Cor 15:14) says, “if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith”. It is so important for us to celebrate His Resurrection and remember this always. The First Glorious Mystery of the Rosary helps us to do this.

Questions to Ponder:

1 – How often do I think about how Jesus ROSE from the dead?

2 – Do I offer Him thanks and praise for dying and rising for me?

3 – Do I attend mass at least on Sunday (or Saturday evening) every week?

4 – Do I listen closely to all the readings in the “Liturgy of the Word”?

5 – Do I pay close attention to the Homily and think about it afterwards?

6 – Do I recognize that the Eucharist is the risen, glorified, body, blood, soul and divinity of Jesus?

7 – When I have moments of unbelief, do I ask God to help my unbelief?

8 – When a friend or family member loses a loved one, do I offer HOPE and FAITH and LOVE?

9 – Do I ponder the Mystery of the Resurrection in my prayer life and in the rosary?

10 – Do I follow the mission given to me to share the GOOD NEWS with others?

The Fifth Luminous Mystery – THE INSTITUTION OF THE EUCHARIST by Deacon Marty McIndoe

Apologetics, Blessed Virgin Mary, Books, Church, Consecration, Early Church Fathers, Eucharist, Evangelism, Holiness, Holy Orders, Holy Spirit, Jewish roots, Miracles, Priesthood, Rosary, Sacraments, Scripture, Spirituality

The Institution of the Eucharist is recalling how Jesus, at the Last Supper, when Jesus celebrated the Jewish Passover, started the Eucharistic celebration of the mass. It was here that He taught His disciples to consecrate bread and wine to become His body and blood. It started at the Last Supper and continues today throughout the world in the mass where the priests or bishops use the same words of Jesus to take ordinary bread and wine and make it become the body and blood of Jesus. Catholics believe that even though the hosts and wine keep their appearances of bread and wine, they DO become the glorified body and blood, soul and divinity of Jesus. This process is called Transubstantiation.

Matthew, Mark and Luke, as well as Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians, detail the account. John spends one whole chapter discussing this, without repeating the exact words of consecration. The Synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) tell us that Jesus took bread, broke it and said, “take this and eat. This is my body”. They continue to say that he then took the chalice of wine and said, “drink from it all of you. This is the blood of my covenant, poured out for you.” The Church has continued, from the earliest days, to celebrate the Eucharist and to hold it up as Live Giving. St. John, in his chapter 6 of the Gospel tells us how Jesus is to give us His body and blood to eat and drink to give us Life for all eternity. He recalls how Jesus said that everyone who eats His body and drinks His blood will live forever. For Catholics, the Eucharist is the “Summit and Source of our faith”. To attend mass and to receive the Holy Eucharist is the highest form of our faith and worship.

It is important to realize that Jesus instituted the Eucharist during His last celebration of the Jewish Passover meal. We must remember that as Catholics, we are rooted in Judaism. Jesus and the twelve were all good Jews, and their church continues the Jewish traditions in many ways. I can’t help but to recommend a couple of books by Dr. Scott Hahn. He is easy to read, but is also profound in what he teaches. Two books on the Eucharist that he wrote and that I would highly recommend are; “The Lamb’s Supper: The Mass as Heaven on Earth” and “Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist: Unlocking the Secrets of the Last Supper”. There are many other books as well, but starting with these would be highly recommended.

Above I indicated that the changing of the bread and wine in to the Body and Blood of Jesus is called Transubstantiation and that even though the bread and wine truly become the Body and Blood, they keep the appearance of bread and wine. Sometimes this is not so. There have been numerous Eucharistic miracles where the bread and wine also change their appearance in to the body and blood. Our soon (Sept 2025) to be Saint, Carlos Acutis who had a great devotion to the Eucharist, compiled a list of Eucharistic Miracles and put them on a website prior to his dying at the age of 15 from leukemia. His website is available at https://www.miracolieucaristici.org/en/liste/list.html. Many scientific studies of these miracles have confirmed their authenticity. The Eucharist truly is the body and blood of Jesus.

Questions to ponder:

1 – Do I really believe that the Eucharist is the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus?

2 – Do I attend mass at least every week on Sunday (or Saturday evening)?

3 – Have I considered going to mass more often, if possible?

4 – Do I see the Eucharist as the Source and Summit of our Faith (from Catechism)?

5 – Do I understand that our Church relies heavily upon its Jewish roots?

6 – Have I read any good books on the Eucharist?

7 – If NO to above, then why not?

8 – Have I looked at any Eucharistic Miracles?

9 – Do I treat the Eucharist with utmost respect?

10 – Have I ever attended Eucharistic Adoration?

The First LUMINOUS MYSTERY of the ROSARY – The Baptism of Jesus by Deacon Marty McIndoe

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Many people ask, “Why did Jesus undergo Baptism by John?” It is obvious that the Baptism performed by John was one of repentance for SIN. Since Jesus did not sin, why would He consent to this baptism? The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us, “The baptism of Jesus is on his part the acceptance and inauguration of his mission as God’s suffering Servant. He allows himself to be numbered among sinners; he is already “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world”. His baptism even is a connection to his saving death and resurrection and unites us to that. Saint Paul tells us, “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his [Rom. 6:3-5]. Jesus is the normative man; that is, we should do as Jesus does. The Catechism goes on to say, “Through Baptism the Christian is sacramentally assimilated to Jesus, who in his own baptism anticipates his death and resurrection. The Christian must enter into this mystery of humble self-abasement and repentance, go down into the water with Jesus in order to rise with him, be reborn of water and the Spirit so as to become the Father’s beloved son in the Son and “walk in newness of life”

Just as the Baptism of Jesus was the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, our Baptism is the beginning of our walk with Him. The baptism that we follow in the Catholic Church is at the command of Jesus. Just before ascending in to heaven, Jesus told His disciples, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit…” (Matthew 28:19). The Catholic Church follows this command, strictly. Let us take a moment to reflect on how this affects us.

1 – Have I been baptized in the Trinitarian formula (Father, Son and Holy Spirit)? If you were baptized in the Catholic Church, you were. If you were baptized in another faith, you many not have been. Check to see and if you were not, sign up for the Adult Christian Initiation classes in your church and be baptized as Jesus tells us to.

2 – Do I understand that my baptism marks me for all eternity as a follower of Jesus?

3 – Do I understand that my baptism means that I have been given a job to do, namely being like Jesus and telling others about HIM.

4 – Do I understand that when I was baptized, I received new birth and received the Holy Spirit (to be later given in fullness at Confirmation).

5 – Do I understand that my baptism has made me a child of God?

6 – Do I fully appreciate the humility that Jesus showed in being baptized?

7 – Do I treat the baptism of friends and relatives with the respect that it deserves?

8 – Do I understand that God has sanctified water and continually uses it to bring about His graces.

9 – Do I see other baptized people as my brother and sisters?

10 – Have I encouraged my friends and relatives to honor baptism,

MYSTERIES OF THE ROSARY the Fourth JOYFUL Mystery: the PRESENTATION – by Deacon Marty McIndoe

Anxiety and Worry, Blessed Virgin Mary, Church, Communication, Consecration, Evangelism, Family, Fasting, Holiness, Holy Spirit, Jewish roots, Lent, Nativity, Prayer, Pro-Life, Relationships, Rosary, Spirituality

In Luke 2: 22-40 we hear how Mary and Joseph bring Jesus to the Temple to perform the prescribed rituals as to the custom of the law. We heard how Mary’a time of “purification” was over (not that she really needed it) and that she and Joseph would take the baby Jesus to the Temple. It appears that there was both a need for a purification ritual for Mary and a Presentation of the Lord as the first born son. Both were required by Jewish law. The purification of Mary meant that a sacrifice (two doves indicated their poor status) had to be offered. It was also customary for the first born male baby to be presented to God. This reflected the call from Exodus regarding the Angel of Death passing over the first born males of the Jews, but not the Egyptians. Joseph and Mary did both.

While going in to the Temple, they were greeted by two prophets. The first was Simeon who was led by the Spirit to go to the Temple at that perfect time. Luke relates that Simeon was a Holy man who had been told by God that he would not pass from this life, until he had seen the Messiah. Upon looking at the baby Jesus, Simeon immediately knew that He was the Messiah. Simeon then prayed the

Nunc Dimintis, sometime known as the Song of Simeon or Canticle of Simeon. This prayer says to God:

“Now, Master, you let your servant go in peace. You have fulfilled your promise.
My own eyes have seen your salvation,
which you have prepared in the sight of all peoples.
A light to bring the Gentiles from darkness; the glory of your people Israel”.

This canticle is recited every day in Evening Prayer in the Liturgy of the Hours. Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted – and you yourself a sword will pierce, so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” (Mary Queen of Sorrows)

About this time a prophetess by the name of Anna came. All of scripture only mentions four women prophets, and Anna is one of them. We were told that she was a very Holy woman who remained in the Temple day and night fasting and praying. She too immediately recognized the baby Jesus as the Messiah. She gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.

Luke then said, “when Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.”

There is so much to meditate on in this Mystery. Here are some questions to help us see how this Mystery affects each one of us:

1 – Do I diligently do all that the Church asks and even requires me to do?

2 – Do I include my immediate family in this?

3 – Am I comfortable in going, with my whole family, in to the Church?

4 – Do I see my children as both a gift from God and as a gift to God?

5 – Am I open to listening to the words of Holy men and women?

6 – Am I able to trust God, even when given bad news?

7 – Do I experience the wonder (and grace) of watching my children grow?

8 – Am I open to hear the voice of God, and to do what He asks me to do?

9 – Do I truly believe that every childs is filled with potential?

10 – Am I confident enough to share with another a “word” that God has given me for them?

Our House of the Sacred Heart by Annabelle Moseley – a book review by Deacon Marty McIndoe

Anxiety and Worry, Blessed Virgin Mary, Book Review, Church, Consecration, Death and Dying, Evangelism, Family, Holiness, Holy Spirit, How to be Catholic, Marriage, Prayer, Relationships, Sacred Heart, Spirituality, Teaching, Women

Once in a while you come across a book that is not only interesting and inspirational, but is also something that is so needed for the difficult times we are in. Our House of The Sacred Heart is one of those books. It is a very interesting book. The writer is a gifted poet who is able to deliver both prose and poetry in a way that stimulates the intellect and makes the reader continue to look for more. I found it very difficult to put the book down. As if her writing was not enough (which it is), Moseley presents scripture quotes, words of wisdom and beautiful art work to further stimulate our very being. She tells so many beautiful stories about her family and the way she was brought up. These show us how the gift of faith, especially through the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, makes life bearable and even joyful during both times of trial and times of cheer. When I read her previous book, Sacred Braille, I thought to myself that this is truly a woman of faith. After reading House of the Sacred Heart, I now can see where that faith came from.

I also found the book to be quite inspirational. Now inspirational can mean many things from how God inspired the writing of the Bible to how a hero can inspire others to do good. This book is inspirational in both ways. Now I am not saying that Our House of the Sacred Heart is inspired like the Bible is, but I can say that the same Holy Spirit that inspired the writings of the Bible also inspired Annabelle Moseley to put together this book using her God-given (inspired) talent of writing and using the inspired scriptures and using artwork that everyone can see is inspired. For the foundation of her book she uses the Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. She takes the 33 titles of the litany and weaves stories around them from her family to help show what each litany means. At the center of the family stories is what she calls Our House of The Sacred Heart, or the Red House, which is her grandmother’s house. So much of what her family is, centers around that house. The house is so much more than a dwelling, it is where the faith has been taught and lived out. I particularly like the cover design showing the Red House. The cover was done by my talented friend, T.J. Burdick. I wonder how much it resembles the actual house?

This book is something that is so needed for this time. Our culture has seen family life being disrupted over and over again. It has also seen a significant decrease in people who find their faith meaningful or even relevant to their everyday life. This book shows, in so many ways, through examples from several generations, how important strong faith and strong family life is. It shows us that faith and family, together, can bring us through the darkest moments and can even bring us joy in the midst of difficulties. The book also shows us that our faith is definitely handed down from one generation to the next. This book can not help but to awaken any dormant faith within us.

Annabelle Moseley has definitely written a book to inspire people towards a better appreciation of family life and a better appreciation or our faith. The book can be used in so many different ways. It is a great book for a person to read and appreciate by themselves. It is also a book that could lead an individual to make a Consecration to The Sacred Heart of Jesus. That consecration could use the book in the popular 33 day consecration method to do this. Moseley has included beautiful prayers at the back of the book to not only lead an individual to the consecration but to also do a Consecration of their home. I also believe that this book could be used in the parish setting by offering a group study that leads to the consecration. I certainly hope that this book becomes popular and that a large number of people read it. It is most interesting, very inspirational and certainly very needed for these difficult times. Do yourself, and your family, a favor and buy and read this book. You will be glad that you did.

SPECIAL ADDITION: The author has personally told me that: “I’m leading a Consecration to the Sacred Heart through my website! For those who sign up, they’ll get on each of the 33 days leading to their Consecration a brief daily podcast reflection that includes classic prayers to the Sacred Heart, contemplation of the Litany line of the day, and a brief soundbite to inspire deeper devotion to the Sacred Heart. The consecration begins on May 9th and ends on the Feast of the Sacred Heart: June 11th (on that day participants will get access to a Consecration Day-webinar and along with an author talk will be open to participant Q&A etc).  For anyone who signs up, I will also offer a special parish Book Group “Meet the Author” zoom for any parishioners who have read the book… all they have to do is sign up and then email me at annabelle@annabellemoseley.com ” I think that we should all take advantage of this opportunity. I know that I am and have already signed up. I encourage you to do so too by using the following link. God is good.

Here’s the link: https://www.annabellemoseley.com/consecration-to-the-sacred-heart-of-jesus/