Eucharistic Amazement - a Letter from Bishop Gregory

August 2022

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

The United States Bishops have invited us to reflect, over the next three years, on the great Mystery of the Eucharist. Thus, I would ask all our parishes, missions and institutions to enter even more fully into the joy and spirit of this time and to deepen our amazement, love and devotion to our Eucharistic Lord.

These years will afford us the opportunity to reflect on what it means that our Lord not only washed the feet of his disciples, but also at the last supper took bread, broke and gave it to his disciples saying, “take and eat, this is my body”, and in like manner took the cup blessed, and said “take and drink, this is my blood. Do this in memory of me”.

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Tip for a New Catechetical Year

 New Catechetical Year   (click on this link for more tips and resources)

The Evangelizing Catechist: A Webinar with Joe Paprocki Enjoy a recording of Joe Paprocki’s recent webinar, hosted by Julianne Stanz.  Catechetical Sunday Find articles and prayers to help you celebrate and pray for the Church’s mission to teach the Gospel to all people.  Three Ways to Turn Your Faith Formation Class into a Mini-Retreat Use class time to give the students an opportunity for stillness and quiet.  National Eucharistic Revival The Catholic Church in the United States has embarked upon a three-year Eucharistic Revival in hopes of rekindling within Catholics "a living relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist."   Eucharistic Adoration Cards Encourage young people to have a conversation with Jesus in front of the Blessed Sacrament.  Eucharist Resources Deepen your own understanding of the Eucharist to help young people do the same.  Taking Children to Adoration Barb Gilman shares her experience taking third graders to Adoration.

Eucharistic Living

by Sr. Therese Maria Touma, MSCL

“Dear Jesus, help me to spread Your fragrance wherever I go. Flood my soul with Your spirit and life. Penetrate and possess my whole being so utterly, that my life may only be a radiance of Yours.” (Blessed Cardinal John Henry Newman)

Cultivating an ongoing reverence and love for the Eucharist is key if we seek to be people of Eucharistic living. Attending Divine Liturgy on Sunday (or daily if your schedule permits) and spending quiet time in adoration before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament are two primary ways to encounter Jesus, the source of all love, healing and life. As God’s beloved sons and daughters, we have been given a tremendous gift in the Eucharist; Jesus’ precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity. 

Recent polls have shown that close to 70% of Catholics do not believe in the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist. These statistics are alarming as the Eucharist is a central doctrine of our faith. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church states: the Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life (CCC #1324). If most people do not recognize or reverence Jesus in the Sacred Host, how will they recognize and reverence Jesus in their brothers and sisters? 

As Baptized Christian, we are called to be living hosts broken and shared for others. We are given a perfect example of this at the Last Supper, when Jesus gave us his Body and Blood and showed us how to humbly give of ourselves in service, and live the Eucharist. Jesus knelt down to wash the feet of His Apostles, and He told them to go and wash the feet of others. “I give you a new commandment: love one another; you must love one another just as I have loved you. It is by your love for one another, that everyone will recognize you as my disciples (John 13:34-45)

Eucharistic living is “going out of our comfort zones” to care for and be attentive to the needs of those suffering in our homes and parish communities; it is tangibly reaching out to the lonely, poor, sick, hopeless and the vulnerable. It is sowing words of peace, hope and forgiveness. It is carving out time to pray for those who need our prayers. It is seeking to love others and understand them with the compassionate heart of Christ. It is making a total gift of ourselves back to God so that our will can become one with His holy will. 

We ask you Mary “Mother of the Eucharist” to lead us closer to your Son Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. We entrust to you our hearts. Give us the courage and generosity to give of ourselves without counting the cost. Arrange our hearts as you see fit and help us to be Love and credible witnesses of your Son, Jesus. Amen.