The Eucharistic Congress: What’s Next?

This week we witnessed a monumental shift in the American Catholic Church. The first-ever National Eucharistic Pilgrimage was completed, moving our Eucharistic Lord north, south, east, and west, converging on the city of Indianapolis for the 10^e National Eucharistic Congress. The last congress was 83 years ago.

I commend the bishops who were courageous enough to allow this Herculean task to take place; thank you for seizing the opportunity. The fruits of this event will undoubtedly mirror or surpass the World Youth Day in Denver, Colorado, where apostolate, vocations and an abundance of graces overflowed with the appearance of a future saint, Pope John Paul II.

For those opposed, I am reminded of a poem by G. A. Studdert Kennedy, made famous by (hopefully soon to be canonized) Archbishop Fulton Sheen, entitled “When Jesus Came to Birmingham.”

When Jesus came to Golgotha, they hanged Him on a tree,
They drove great nails through his hands and feet, and made a Calvary;
They crowned Him with a crown of thorns, His wounds were red and deep,
For these were hard and cruel times, and people were cheap.

When Jesus arrived in Birmingham, they just passed Him by.
They would not harm a hair of Him, they left Him alone to die;
For the people were tenderhearted and did not want to hurt Him,
They had barely gotten out of the street and left Him in the rain.

Yet Jesus cried out, “Forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
And the rain kept falling, the winter rain that soaked Him through and through;
The crowd went home and left the streets without a soul in sight,
And Jesus crouched against the wall and cried out to Golgotha.

Apathy and indifference are more painful to Our Lord than nails, thorns and spears.

Another example that comes to mind is Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamazovspecifically the conversation between the Grand Inquisitor and Christ. The Grand Inquisitor arrests Christ and tells him that He is disrupting the work of “the church”.

Friends, it took a Pew Research poll to make our leaders realize that only 30% of Catholics believe in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. How is it possible that That bad before we knew it? How come that which is the source and pinnacle of our faith is not believed by 2/3 of believers, and it took a secular research company to reveal it to us? And then covid hit…phew (no comment). We are talking about that which affects the eternal salvation of people. Faith, to trust is essential!

Okay, enough negative. As they say, Satan lives in the past, let’s move on to the present and make some plans for the future.

It’s time to double down and raise the stakes, to aim even higher. Here are a few things we can do to strengthen and practice our faith in the Eucharistic Lord:

1. Create and formally renew a covenant with our Eucharistic Lord in reparation for the ways we have failed Him.
2. Ask religious orders to take us on an ongoing pilgrimage across the United States, seeking out the lost who will never see the inside of a church.
3. Let the bishops use their authority to banish the institutional demons that have nested in the fabric of our society.
4. Encourage all priests to carry our Eucharistic Lord through all the streets of their parish and reclaim them for Jesus Christ.
5. Renew your baptismal promises regularly.

1 Peter 5:8 says the devil prowls around like a roaring lion. Well, newsflash: there’s a new sheriff in town and his name is Jesus Christ. No more backing down, no more defending, we’re going to be off our heels and onto our toes. It’s time to charge in with our Eucharistic Lord, going down every road, every highway, every byway and claiming them for Jesus Christ, our King.

It is time to realize that we are in a battle, that this is war! Our enemy appears “like” a roaring lion. But behold, the lion of judah is here, and He wants what is His for the Father.

We cannot think that our good God remains silent and distant. He is only waiting for someone to fight for Him, to fight for His children.

As you read this, you must understand that the fate of the world truly lies in the hands of your hands. Everyone must realize that we are all to blame for this macabre outcome that has wrapped its tentacles around the spine of our country. We must now do our part to prepare this country for our King.

Now take up the fight again, souls depend on you, our Father is counting on you!

To renew your baptismal promises today, pray the following:

Q. Do you reject Satan?
R. Yes, I do.
Q. And all his works?
R. Yes, I do.
Q. And all his empty promises?
R. Yes, I do.
Q. Do you believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth?
R. Yes, I do.
Q. Do you believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was born of the Virgin Mary, was crucified, died, was buried, rose from the dead, and is now seated at the right hand of the Father?
R. Yes, I do.
Q. Do you believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and everlasting life?
R. Yes, I do.
V. God, the almighty Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, has given us new birth through water and the Holy Spirit and has forgiven us all our sins. May he also keep us faithful to our Lord Jesus Christ forever and ever.
Windows.

Photo by Richard Felix on Unsplash