By Jenny Koch
Connecting Faith and Life
“Will you be at Mass today, Mom?” I remember the first time I heard it. I was a schoolteacher at the time and had little flexibility to attend the weekday Mass with my children. While I realize that most working parents are not able to attend, I also have been thinking of ways to incorporate the National Eucharistic Congress — a historical event taking place very soon — into our lives. This makes me wonder — what if every adult reading this article made it a priority to attend an extra weekday Mass this upcoming school year? It is truly a little miracle to witness their participation and community, and it is open to adults!
My thoughts for this article come as I witness four routes of pilgrims make their way to Indianapolis. This continual Eucharistic Procession has caught the attention of the press. YouTube videos are all over the web. Priests are recording homilies and showing drone videos from their processions. The entire country is watching as Jesus in the Eucharist makes his way to Indianapolis! (If you want to learn more about the events, you can visit www.eucharisticrevival.org).
The excitement is growing, and the event is now upon us. However, we encounter an event ever more exciting than this when we attend Mass. The Catechism reminds us that, “The Christian who seeks … to become holy with the help of God's grace is not alone. The life of each of God's children is joined in Christ and through Christ in a wonderful way to the life of all the other Christian brethren in the supernatural unity of the Mystical Body of Christ, as in a single mystical person" (CCC 1474). In other words, at every Mass, we are indeed surrounded by members of the community, as well as the communion of saints.
We are also taught that because of this communion of saints, “A perennial link of charity exists between the faithful who have already reached their heavenly home … and those who are still pilgrims on earth.” At the Mass, as we join in Holy Communion, “the holiness of one profits others.” It’s no wonder that the communion of saints is called the “Church’s treasury!”
Let’s allow the Mass — and this communion of saints — to transform us. An extra hour during the week or perhaps making Mass a priority in your family life will expose your family to Jesus. Present in the Eucharist, he is also present in the Word proclaimed. Catholics also believe that the priest represents Christ as he serves in persona Christi. Lastly, we believe Christ is present in the assembly, “For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them” (Matthew 18:19-20).
In life and work, we can find ourselves conformed to so many things. I’m just as guilty as anyone — allowing myself to be concerned with the next Netflix release, taking too much time to research recipes or that new type of mushroom coffee that will help satisfy my caffeine addiction and help me lose weight — so much more than my boring cup at home! It never ends. As humans, we seem to be on a continual journey to find the next best thing.
On this earthly pilgrimage, let us remember who, not what, we are searching for. We don’t need the next best thing. At Mass, Jesus is fully present among us. Whether you commit to visiting a school Mass to hear those little heavenly voices or you make daily Mass a new routine in your life, I pray that this National Eucharistic Congress brings a new revival in your home. We don’t have to be in Indianapolis to witness the power of Jesus present among us. We have a communion of saints every Mass at every Church. As we watch the celebration in Indianapolis, let’s make our own churches pilgrimage destinations. Leave the worries and distractions of the world behind, let us journey to the Eucharist together.