The Eucharistic Revival that was lit this past year through the walking pilgrimage across
America followed by the Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis, continues to ignite hearts! I am sure it is fanning into flames parish after parish, as pilgrims return home and share the incredible experience of these times. So, what was this experience? The reality that Jesus is fully present in the Eucharistic host.
Through these events, the Holy Spirit is convicting each attendee to
repent of any fluffy notions of an abstract Jesus who is not present in their everyday life, or that Jesus is simply some distant memory from CCD class, but He is fully alive, providentially directing our daily lives and is powerfully moving throughout our country.
The message of the Congress is to repent of any degree of lukewarmness in our
relationship with the Lord and to meet Him anew, to go deeper, to spend quality time with Him, and to unabashedly share Him with others. In this way we will be united in bringing America, and indeed the whole world, into a single all-encompassing flame of love united through, with, and in the Lord Jesus Christ.
For the Sisters, the return trip was full of the excitement of these times. Passions were
high, songs were flowing, and the joy was palpable. It was then that the question was
broached: ‘how can we do our part to keep the flame burning?’ As the bishops have asked that we continue with ongoing revival, to help make Eucharistic Missionaries, we decided it would be good to begin by sharing in our parish our experience of the congress, along with a little of our own personal journey with the Lord. With the Pastor’s permission, each Sister shared their story just before Mass throughout a number of consecutive Sundays.
As the flame continues to burn and ignite hearts, parishioners have also begun to share
before Mass, their love for the Eucharistic Lord from the pulpit. Also, during these times, it was most moving to hear our deacon share so passionately about the truth of the Lord’s presence in the host. He shared that the Lord’s answer to our spiritual hunger is Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament. He continued, there are those who already know this and have risked much to receive the Blessed Sacrament. He then reminded us of the trauma of the initial days of Covid, and how, throughout this time, many hungered to receive Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. In summary he encouraged us when approaching the Lord at communion and hearing the words spoken by the minister: “Body of Christ”, to respond with a resounding ‘Amen’ to Jesus’ gift of self. Let us say it with the absolute certainty that who we receive is not just a wafer, but God!
As the flame of love continues to burn in our own hearts, I look forward to joining
parishioners at their First Friday Eucharistic Holy Hour devotion. This is truly living quality time with the Lord and with our parishioners. As our parish continues to radiate a beautiful community spirit along with the joy of knowing of the Lord’s presence, we look forward with
great anticipation and hope to the continued work of the Holy Spirit throughout our parish.
In all our attempts to draw close, to go deeper with the Lord, He has generously poured out upon us much grace, and as the Lord is not outdone in generosity, much, much more will literally be unleashed upon our parishes. I am sure we will see from this blessed time a
blossoming of vocations in our Church. Why? Because in His presence, we have opened ourselves to receive the flame of His love. Through this our parishes, country, and the Church will be set ablaze with the love of God. Let us bask in the glow of the fire that is being lit all over American parishes and with joy, actively join ourselves to Him in seeing His plans unfold in these upcoming years.
Sr. Faustina Joseph, CFR
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