Dear Friends,

The US Bishops have initiated a two-year Eucharistic Revival, culminating in a National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis in 2024. As part of that, our Parish will host a Vatican Eucharistic Miracles Display, Feb. 5-7. Then the following Sunday, the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, will hold a Eucharistic Procession from the Church to Beardsley Park and afterwards have a Parish Picnic!

Plan to join us for this opportunity to publicly affirm our belief in the real presence of Jesus in the Most Holy Eucharist.

Why a Eucharistic Revival? As we are all aware, the diminishing numbers of Catholics in the pews on Sundays bespeaks a lack of faith and love for our Lord in the Mass and specifically in the Eucharist. As the Bishops have put it:

“Living the Eucharistic mystery necessitates that I attune my life to this mystery of love. I must testify in public spaces that I believe in this God who is love. I must live this out through the works of mercy, feeding the hungry and giving drink to the thirsty, visiting the prisoner and welcoming the stranger. In the political sphere, I must advocate for policies that are consistent with the Eucharistic mystery, where the God-man comes to dwell among us poor mortals. I must let my reception of the Eucharist shape my life so that I am coherent witness to the very God who is love.”

So, here we have an opportunity as Catholics to witness to our nation our love of Jesus in the Eucharist. It is also a time that will hopefully gently remind those Catholics who for too long have absented themselves from the Eucharistic Assembly. Part of our prayer should be that they especially will recognize their inner hunger for Jesus so that they will return to the practice of our Faith.

We can also make our intention during this Revival for our children who no longer attend Mass. I know how frustrating it is for so many of you: you did all the right things, raised your children in the ways of Faith and yet now they seem to reject it, are cold towards it or simply see no need for it. We can pray especially that the light of faith will be reawakened in them and that they come to appreciate the gift of faith that you parents imparted to them.

So, we will start with the Vatican Exhibit, plan to spend time with the various stories and history of Eucharistic miracles that extend through the centuries. And remember most of them occurred to people who doubted; doubted the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. So, if your faith is weak or your understanding deficient, this is definitely for you. Afterwards, I invite you to spend time in the Church before the Blessed Sacrament and express your gratitude to Jesus in quiet prayer and contemplation.

Then on February 12, after the 11am Mass we will process with the Eucharist from the Church to Beardsley Park and there have Benediction. I realize that not all of you can walk that far, so you are welcomed to meet us at the park a little after Noon. Afterwards, we will celebrate together as a Parish with a Parish Picnic. And yes, I know it is Super Bowl Sunday, but the game doesn’t start till around 6:30pm, so we will be finished in plenty of time.

The Church is giving us this time for Revival, and we never know how the mysterious plan of God will deepen our faith, bring our children back to the Faith and bless our entire nation.

Love, Fr. John B.

For more details on the Eucharistic Revival in the US see: https://www.eucharisticrevival.org.

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