The Year of Mission – Eucharistic Encounter

As we continue on the road of  National Eucharistic Revival in the Mission Dimension, we find that an abundance of God’s grace is poured out upon us  revitalizing all that we do as members of Christ’s Body the Church.

The National Eucharistic Revival highlights for us four pillars that help us to embrace the revitalizing work of the Holy Spirit that is flowing through the Church in our nation. These four pillars include 1.) Eucharistic Encounter, 2.) Eucharistic Identity, 3.) Eucharistic Life, and 4.) Eucharistic Mission.
            
Let’s take a look at the first pillar – Eucharistic Encounter. This pillar is about “encouraging missionary disciples to encounter Christ frequently through the Eucharist.” (Year of Mission Playbook) These encounters happen by participating in the Eucharistic Sacrifice at Mass, receiving the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ in Holy Communion, and coming to adore Christ in the Blessed Sacrament exposed on the altar or reserved in the tabernacle in our churches.
            
A gospel reflection that is offered to us to illustrate the absolute importance of coming before the Eucharistic Lord in prayer is taken from 22^nd chapter of the Gospel of St. Luke  It is the beautiful passage that tells of Jesus’ agony in the Garden of Gethsemane. On the very night, and just after our Lord instituted  the Sacrament of His Body and Blood at the Last Supper, as Jesus was entering into His Passion, He goes to the garden to pray to His Heavenly Father. So deep was Jesus’ sorrow and so profound was His love, that He sweat drops of His own Blood as it fell upon the ground.
            
Our Savior manifests to us that this moment of prayer was absolutely necessary as He entered into the greatest deed of mercy and act of love – His Passion and Death. So, too, for each of us, we need to enter into deep Eucharistic prayer to the Father through the Son and in the power of the Holy Spirit to enable us to be united with Him in His redemptive work. This is exactly what happens when er come to Real Presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.
            
Coming and participating in the celebration of Holy Mass, receiving our Lord Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity in Holy Communion, and coming to adore Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament is the greatest preparation to become missionary disciples. We need to be strengthened, prepared, and graced by drawing close to Christ in the Holy Eucharist. Imagine what would happen if the Steelers did not spend time in practice before they went out to play a football game.   Imagine what would happen if an Olympic athlete did not spend time in training before making an attempt at a gold medal.  So it is for us as Eucharistic missionary disciples.  We must spend time with the Eucharistic Lord at Mass, receiving Him, and adoring His Real Presence.
            
It is just as Pope Francis said to the Organizing Committee of the National Eucharistic Congress on June 19, 2023.  

“It is my hope, then, that the Eucharistic Congress  will inspire Catholics throughout the country to discover anew the sense of wonder and awe at the Lord’s great gift of himself  and to spend time with him in the celebration of the Holy Mass and in personal prayer and adoration before the Blessed Sacrament.  I believe that we have lost the sense of adoration in our day.  We must rediscover the sense of adoration in silence. It is a form of prayer that we have lost.”

O come let us adore Him most wonderfully present in the Holy Eucharist!
 
Most Reverend William J. Waltersheid
Auxiliary Bishop of Pittsburgh