If you have been paying much attention to the Catholic media (local and national) over the past several months, you may have noticed news about the Eucharistic Revival that is now underway. This effort, promoted by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, will take place in a few different phases:
- Year of Diocesan Revival: June 19, 2022 – June 11, 2023
- Year of Parish Revival: June 11, 2023 – July 17, 2024
- National Eucharistic Congress: July 17-21 2024 in Indianapolis
- Year of Going Out on Mission: July 21, 2024 – Pentecost 2025
Here in our diocese, we will observing a diocesan Year of the Eucharist from December 8, 2022 through December 8, 2023, with a very special Diocesan Eucharistic Congress and Mass at the Bank of Springfield Center on October 28, 2023.
So far, very few things have been set in stone with regards to how these various phases and celebrations will take place, but that should not deter us from jumping right in with our participation in this important time of Eucharistic renewal. One aspect of Eucharistic devotion that has and will continue to be emphasized throughout the revival is the importance of Eucharistic Adoration. Spending time in the presence of the Eucharist (exposed in the monstrance or reposed in the tabernacle) can have a very profound impact on our lives, deepening our relationship with Jesus and enflaming our hearts with a greater desire to receive Him in the Eucharist. When I was discerning entering the seminary, I was blessed to live in a parish that had Perpetual Adoration, meaning that I could stop in to visit Jesus at any time. It was during those visits that I grew more in my faith than the hours I spent reading or listening to Catholic radio. It is a practice that I pray will increase in the life of the faithful in our parish and our diocese over the next few years. Currently, we have Eucharistic Adoration at the Cathedral from 4 pm – 5 pm every Tuesday and Thursday. We are going to look closely at how we can expand these times, but also know that the church is open throughout the day and spending time with the Lord, present in the tabernacle, is equally powerful in deepening our love for the Eucharist.
Regarding Eucharistic Adoration, I’d like to share the following quote from Venerable Fulton Sheen that I came across recently on the topic of praying a Holy Hour in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament:
So the Holy Hour, quite apart from all its positive spiritual benefits, kept my feet from wandering too far. Being tethered to a tabernacle, one’s rope for finding other pastures is not so long. That dim tabernacle lamp, however pale and faint, had some mysterious luminosity to darken the brightness of “bright lights.” The Holy Hour became like an oxygen tank to revive the breath of the Holy Spirit in the midst of the foul and fetid atmosphere of the world. Even when it seemed so unprofitable and lacking in spiritual intimacy, I still had the sensation of being at least like a dog at the master’s door, ready in case he called me.
May we all come to desire to be “tethered to the tabernacle” during this time of Eucharistic Revival!
Father Alford