DO YOU BELIEVE?
"He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him." John 6:54-56
Did we hear what Jesus said? "For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him."
According to a Pew Research study of Catholics and what they believe, carried out in August 2019 just before COVID hit, over two thirds of Catholics did not believe in the true presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist (the transubstantiation of bread and wine into the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Christ) and only considered the Eucharist as symbolic of the Last Supper. Furthermore, according to the same study, only half of the people who identified as Catholic understood the Church’s teachings on transubstantiation and that the priest is "in Persona Christi" (in the person of Christ) when saying the words of consecration (that it is Christ himself who is lifting up our sacrifice and His to God the Father). According to the same study, those 50 years-old or younger did not believe in the Eucharist, even as a symbol, nor did they believe anything the Church taught about the Eucharist.
The Eucharist is not a WHAT… the Eucharist is a WHO!
Over the coming year we will be hearing a lot about the National Eucharistic Revival, a three-year initiative commissioned by the bishops of the United States to "restore understanding and devotion" to the Eucharist (from eucharisticrevival.org). The initiative includes a pilgrimage procession with Jesus in the Eucharist from all four corners of the country, through thousands of miles, culminating in a Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis, in July 2024 (the First National Eucharistic Congress in 83 Years!). In the coming months, we will examine the Eucharist, the real presence of the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Christ, in our deacon and priests' preaching, Flocknotes, bulletin articles, teaching, and books studies.
So, what is a Revival?
Revival means to bring back to life what is assumed to be dead. If many do not believe Christ is present here in the Eucharist, we need to revive that understanding of the “Truth”. Here at Saint Francis, we will embark on this journey through “raising the veil” about what actually happens at and during Mass. We will share the testimony of Catalina Rivas and her visions during the Mass. We will share Eucharistic miracles, including video links to some of the most amazing miracles on the planet – some even going on today.
We hope that as we all come to learn about the truth of the Eucharist and the miracle we experience at every Mass, our reverence, our love for adoration, and the love we have for the Lord will all grow and become a greater part of our lives. We invite you to come along for the journey in understanding the source and summit of our faith.
