This homily will be mainly in English with a summary in Spanish.
El Obispo Sheen - que era el Billy Graham de los Catolicos - cuenta como una niña china lo inspiró. Cuando los comunistas arrojaron Hostias en el piso, ella volvió por 32 noches para adorar y consumir el Cuerpo de Cristo. Al final dio su vida. Si una niña de 11 años puede arriesgarse la vida por Jesus, ¿no podemos encontrar tiempo para rezar ante Jesus en el Santismo?
All of you have heard of Billy Graham's death. The closest we Catholics had was Bishop Fulton Sheen. A few months before he died in 1979, Bishop Sheen gave a television interview. The reporter asked, “Your Excellency, you have inspired millions. Who inspired you? Was it the pope?”
Bishop Sheen responded that it was not the pope or a cardinal or another bishop or even a priest or nun. It was an eleven-year-old girl. He explained that when the communists took over China in the late forties, they imprisoned a priest in his own rectory. Looking through the window, he saw a soldier enter the church and break open the tabernacle, scattering the Blessed Sacrament on the floor. The priest knew the exact number of hosts: thirty-two.
Unnoticed by the soldiers, a young girl had been praying in the back of the church and she hid when they came in. That night the girl returned and spent an hour in prayer. She then entered the sanctuary, knelt and bent over to take one of the hosts on her tongue.
The girl came back each night, spent an hour in prayer and received Jesus by picking up a sacred host with her tongue. The thirty-second night, after consuming the final host, she made an accidental sound, awakening a soldier. He ran after her and when he caught her, he struck her with his rifle butt. The noise woke the priest – but too late. From his house, he saw the girl die.
Bishop Sheen said that when he heard about this, it inspired him so much that he made a promise that he would spend one hour each day before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. He always said that the power of his priesthood came from the holy hour.
Tonight, brothers and sisters, we celebrate the institution of the Eucharist. At the end of the Mass we will have a procession inside the church to adore our Savior. I invite you to spend some time with Jesus. If an eleven year old girl can risk her life for Jesus, can we not find time tonight and this coming year to pray before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament? From him comes our strength. Amen.
El Obispo Sheen - que era el Billy Graham de los Catolicos - cuenta como una niña china lo inspiró. Cuando los comunistas arrojaron Hostias en el piso, ella volvió por 32 noches para adorar y consumir el Cuerpo de Cristo. Al final dio su vida. Si una niña de 11 años puede arriesgarse la vida por Jesus, ¿no podemos encontrar tiempo para rezar ante Jesus en el Santismo?
All of you have heard of Billy Graham's death. The closest we Catholics had was Bishop Fulton Sheen. A few months before he died in 1979, Bishop Sheen gave a television interview. The reporter asked, “Your Excellency, you have inspired millions. Who inspired you? Was it the pope?”
Bishop Sheen responded that it was not the pope or a cardinal or another bishop or even a priest or nun. It was an eleven-year-old girl. He explained that when the communists took over China in the late forties, they imprisoned a priest in his own rectory. Looking through the window, he saw a soldier enter the church and break open the tabernacle, scattering the Blessed Sacrament on the floor. The priest knew the exact number of hosts: thirty-two.
Unnoticed by the soldiers, a young girl had been praying in the back of the church and she hid when they came in. That night the girl returned and spent an hour in prayer. She then entered the sanctuary, knelt and bent over to take one of the hosts on her tongue.
The girl came back each night, spent an hour in prayer and received Jesus by picking up a sacred host with her tongue. The thirty-second night, after consuming the final host, she made an accidental sound, awakening a soldier. He ran after her and when he caught her, he struck her with his rifle butt. The noise woke the priest – but too late. From his house, he saw the girl die.
Bishop Sheen said that when he heard about this, it inspired him so much that he made a promise that he would spend one hour each day before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. He always said that the power of his priesthood came from the holy hour.
Tonight, brothers and sisters, we celebrate the institution of the Eucharist. At the end of the Mass we will have a procession inside the church to adore our Savior. I invite you to spend some time with Jesus. If an eleven year old girl can risk her life for Jesus, can we not find time tonight and this coming year to pray before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament? From him comes our strength. Amen.
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