The Pope John Paul II Society of Evangelists

St. Anthony Mary Claret Living Tabernacles

St. Anthony Mary Claret (bishop and missionary) was born on December 23, 1807, at Sallent, Catalonia, Spain and died in Cistercian monastery at Fontfroide in France, on October 24, 1870 at the age of 63. He was a Spanish missionary priest and bishop who became known as the “Spiritual Father of Cuba.” He also founded the Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (Claretians). He was beatified in 1934 and by the time of his canonization in 1950, there were 4,000 Claretians living in 240 religious houses in 24 countries.

On December 8, 1869, seven hundred bishops from all over the world gathered in Rome for the First Vatican Council. St. Anthony Claret was one of the Council Fathers. His presence became noticeable when the subject of papal infallibility was discussed, which Claret defended vehemently. This teaching became a dogma of faith for all Catholics at this Council.

Cardinal James Gibbons of Baltimore came to know Archbishop Claret at the Council and said of him, “There goes a true saint.” Pope Pius IX was of the same opinion: “Archbishop Claret is a man of God. He is a saint!”

St. Anthony was given a singular grace from our Lord as he was known to be a living tabernacle: “On August 26, 1861, finding myself at prayer in the church of the Holy Rosary, at La Granja, at seven o'clock in the evening, the Lord granted me the grace of conserving the Sacramental Species within my heart.” For the rest of his earthly days he shared with the Mother of God in a special way the divine privilege preserving incorruptibly from Communion to Communion the precious Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Christ in his bosom. Now a human tabernacle of Our Lord, he reflected: “I now bear within me day and night the adorable Eucharist. I must therefore be always recollected and cultivate the interior life.”

It must be granted that this was the greatest grace received by Saint Anthony Mary Claret: a grace of intimate and total communion with Jesus, produced and increased through the Eucharist. The risen Lord remained in him as in His temple, transforming him and strengthening him for the service of God.

We too receive this grace for a short time when we receive, in a worthy manner, our Lord’s Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity in Holy Communion. We too, become living tabernacles.

This is the time to adore God, to thank God, to ask favors of God, and to beg God’s forgiveness. To adore God means to tell Him in thought, word and deed that He is above everything and everyone, that He is Supreme. To thank God means to express your gratitude for His countless blessings of body and soul, especially for the Eucharist. As Mass is the best time to adore and thank God, it is also the best time to ask for favors and to beg pardon. We offer God the Gift most pleasing to Him, His own Divine Son, asking Him for material and spiritual blessings, and begging His pardon for failing to use His gifts properly in the past.

The Christian is bound to make an act of thanksgiving after receiving Holy Communion. St. Philip Neri once observed a man habitually leaving the church immediately after receiving the sacred Host. In order to reprove him and put him to shame, he called two acolytes, asked them to take two lighted candles and accompany the man to his home. The servers obeyed and everyone in the street stared at them as they followed the man. Looking back and seeing the acolytes the man asked them why they were following him. They said that St. Philip had ordered them to do so. He therefore returned to the church and asked the saint what the meaning was of this unwanted escort?

The St. Philip replied: “It is to pay proper respect to Our Lord, whom you are carrying away with you. Since you neglect to adore Him, I sent the servers to take your place.” The man recognized his fault, knelt before the altar and made his thanksgiving devoutly. He remained in prayer for fifteen minutes; the length of time the Blessed Sacrament is intact in the body. These fifteen minutes should be recognized as the most precious of any day and should be spent in silent contemplation. As Scripture states, “My house is to be called a house of prayer for all peoples” (Is. 56:7).

This is the kind of thanksgiving that the Church and our Lord desires of us, as referred to in the Instruction on the Eucharistic Mystery:

“Union with Christ, to which the Sacrament [of the Eucharist] is directed is not to be limited to the duration of the celebration of the Eucharist. It is to be prolonged into the entire Christian life, in such a way that the Christian faithful, contemplating unceasingly the gift they have received, may make their life a continual thanksgiving under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and may produce fruits of greater charity” (no.38).

I urge you all, I beg you all to be intelligent, thoughtful, mentally alert during Holy Mass. Enter into every Mass as it were your last. Serious as that may seem, it will bring you the joy Christ promises.