By Joel Padgett
Special to The Message
This Sunday, June 11, we will complete the diocesan phase of the Eucharistic Revival and launch the parish phase! Before all else, I sincerely want to thank everyone for their efforts during this first year of renewal. I know that many of our parishes and schools, together with numerous faithful throughout our diocese, have striven in a special way to grow in their love for the Jesus in the Eucharist. I believe that God will continue to bless us as we move into this year of Parish Revival, and as we prepare for a National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis, which will take place July 17–21, 2024.
In discussing the aim of the Eucharistic Revival, Bishop Andrew Cozzens, the chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis, states, “We are invited to deepen our relationship with Jesus Christ, Our Lord, through the celebration of the Eucharist, so that we can be set on fire for the mission our Church needs so desperately.”
To that end, the national office for the Eucharistic Revival has put together a Parish Playbook that includes many helpful suggestions — structured around four invitations — for use in living out the Parish Revival. This playbook, together with many other resources, can be found on our diocesan website at: evdio.org/eucharistic-renewal.
According to the playbook, “This is the task of local parishes in this Year of Parish Revival: to revive their parishioners in their love with Jesus in the Eucharist and to send them forth to share this love with others.” As each parish, aided by the Holy Spirit, discerns the best pathways to help others encounter, believe in and worship Jesus in the Eucharist, I want to share some of the ideas the Parish Playbook offers:
Invitation #1: Reinvigorate Worship
- Encourage a renewed reverence for liturgical silence
- Invite parishioners to consider daily Mass attendance
- Host a catechetical formation series on the Eucharist
- Provide confession before the celebration of Holy Mass
- Encourage the sharing of witness stories about powerful experiences of the Holy Mass
Invitation #2: Personal Encounter
- Plan music to aid worship
- Invite prayer teams
- Equip parishioners with language to invite others
- Plan a Eucharistic procession for Corpus Christi
- Plan a Eucharistic Revival parish retreat
- Discuss ways your parish can provide space for regular Eucharistic adoration
Invitation #3: Robust Faith Formation
- Provide Eucharistic talks throughout the year
- Encourage participation in Eucharistic formation programs available on the National Eucharistic Revival Learn Platform (eucharisticrevival.org/learn-resources) and in the Heart of the Revival Newsletter (eucharisticrevival.org/heart-of-the-revival-newsletter)
Invitation #4: Missionary Sending
- Recommit to a social service and to the poor in the community
- Facilitate volunteer efforts at area organizations
- Invite someone to a small group
- Accompany or mentor someone in deeper discipleship
As the Revival moves from the diocesan level to the parish level, it is my hope that it may continue to move to a deeper, more personal level. At the end of the day, the fruits of the revival correspond in large part to the personal response of each one of us to God’s grace in its regard. As the word revive suggests, may the Eucharistic Jesus become ever more fully alive in our hearts, minds and souls; and may we, in turn, share Christ and His love more fully with others!