Growing Faith in Eucharistic Presence
Something amazing has been happening in this year of the 10th National Eucharistic Congress in the United States. Jesus travelled by truck on a Eucharistic Pilgrimage beginning on Pentecost Sunday in Northern Minnesota and winding its way to Texas. Four other simultaneous Eucharistic processions met up in Indiana for the National Congress July 17th.
One Eucharistic procession led by South East Missouri State University Knights of Columbus had a message: “This is what sets us apart from anybody else – the Eucharist, the Blessed Sacrament. It’s about Jesus, bringing Jesus to the streets and reviving hope in the faithful.”
“One of our guys said it beautifully: ‘You know, this is as close to the Gospels as we could live, travelling with Jesus everywhere we went, taking him to people, relying on them to care for us, feed us, just like the disciples did in the Gospels.’”
The Eucharist travelled through small towns like Springfield where a non-Catholic child pulling on her mother’s hand called out: “Hey, it’s Jesus!” and pointed at the monstrance. Typically, the day would begin with Mass, Holy Hour and Eucharistic processions to several locations. All night adoration followed.
One procession went past about a hundred homeless receiving a meal. They were loud and rowdy. A man in tattoos and piercings yelled at the others, “Hey, be reverent. It’s the Eucharist!” A procession passed through the gates of Folsom Prison where ninety-five inmates waited reverently. The inmates later said they felt the powerful presence of Jesus coming into their lives in the middle of the prison.
And there was heat! After a nine-mile walk a pilgrim drenched in sweat said he felt like a donkey for Christ: “All the devotion that I’m seeing is very beautiful. And even if I’m suffering in a small way, it’s really beautiful to be a part of this.”
Tens of thousands celebrated events along the pilgrimage routes. This once in a lifetime event endeavoured to gather all participants into one body, one Church. A Knight of Columbus from New Haven experienced a quiet calm: “As long as you are in the presence of the Lord, you will have peace.”
This year witnessed an urgent call for renewal. A new study in September 2023 showed that almost two-thirds of adult Catholics in the United States believe in the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, significantly different from the 2019 Pew Research study that suggested only one-third of adult Catholics believed in the real presence.
Many of us are old enough to remember Corpus Christi processions with the Blessed Sacrament and incense outside the church building. Some of us have forgotten the reverence. This year’s Eucharistic revival has done much to bring us back to the faith of our fathers.
Eucharistic Conference spokesperson Father Mike Schmitz said, “When you see the Word lifted up like this, you are looking at Calvary. …you are participating in his restoration of the world.” We pray daily Thy kingdom come. At Mass we are actually doing something and taking part in making it happen.
The reactions of participants at the Conference were real: Today TV host Carson Daily said: “I’m never missing Mass again. Wow!” “Hey, the Eucharist is real,” another said. Every Mass is a miraculous event with the real presence of Christ!
(552 words)
