Dear Friends,
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops recently introduced a new initiative aimed at deepening our understanding of the Eucharist, its centrality in the life of the Church and our own lives. This initiative, called the National Eucharistic Revival, rose, in part, out of concerns that emerged from recent polls that indicate that numbers of Catholics do not believe what the Church believes and teaches about the Eucharist, namely that the Eucharist is truly the Body and Blood of Christ. When we receive the Eucharist, we are receiving Jesus himself, body, blood, soul and divinity. It is not a symbol and it is not some meaningless ritual.
The Second Vatican Council (Vatican II), in its document on the liturgy issued in December of 1963, refers to the Eucharist as “the summit toward which the activity of the Church is directed; it is also the fount from which all her power flows.” This tells us just how crucial, how important the Eucharist is and should be to us. The Eucharist stands at the head of all the sacraments, and it is around the altar, the Eucharistic table, that the Church is most fully manifested and pre- sent. Thus, because the Eucharist is of such centrality and importance, no faithful Catholic would absent himself or herself willfully from the Sunday Eucharistic celebration.
The Eucharistic Revival will unfold in a number of stages. The first, just underway now, runs through June 11, 2023. It focuses on the Archdiocesan level and invites the staff of the Archdiocese as well as its clergy to reflect on the gift of the Eucharist as a source of blessing for ministry so as to prepare them to introduce the second stage, the parish revival running from June 2023 to July 2024. During that year, we will focus on the reverent celebration of the Mass, Eucharistic adoration, a parish mission centered on the Eucharist and formation in Eucharistic faith. The third stage is the National Eucharistic Congress which will be held in Indianapolis from July 17-21, 2024. At this event, over 80,000 Catholics from around the country will gather for presentations on the Eucharist and the life of the Church, Eucharistic
adoration, and several Masses. The National Eucharistic Revival’s final stage will be a year of “going on mission” to share our faith in the Eucharistic Lord with others, fallen away Catholics included. This will run from July 2024 and conclude on Pentecost 2025.
I share this with you for purposes of information. As the year of parish Eucharistic renewal approaches, we will be planning some events and celebrations. It goes without saying that, since we are one of the few parishes in the Archdiocese specifically dedicated by name to the Eucharist, we should make some effort in connection with the National Eucharistic Revival.
Have a good week!