Dear Friends,
The Gospel of John tells us:
I am the living bread that came down from Heaven;
whoever eats this bread will live forever;
and the bread that I will give is my flesh
for the life of the world.” (John 6:51)
The Eucharistic revival began on the Feast of Corpus Christi in 2022 and will extend through Pentecost of 2025. Beginning with the Feast of Corpus Christi in 2022, the first year will focus on diocesan revival; the second year, parish revival; the third year, the National Eucharistic Congress in July of 2024. Not surprisingly the following year, 2024 to Pentecost 2025, the Church will be in mission to share the gift of our Eucharistic Lord as we enter the Universal Church’s Jubilee Year in 2025.
It’s not too early to start our own personal Eucharistic revival! Lent is an opportune time to quiet ourselves and focus on preparing for the events of the Triduum: Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday. What better way than to read and meditate on the writings of some great saints, particularly those especially devoted to the Eucharist.
Your Executive Committee recently returned from its February meeting held at San Alfonso, a retreat house on the New Jersey shore. It was named after Saint Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1797) who supported the doctrine of faith that Christ instituted the priesthood in order to perpetuate his human and divine presence on earth and had a great devotion to the Eucharist. Perhaps we can look to him for a Lenten practice: “Withdraw yourself from people and spend at least a quarter of an hour, or a half-hour, in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. Taste and see how sweet is the Lord, and you will learn from your own experience how many graces this will bring you.” And “You may be sure that of all the moments of your life, the time you spend before the divine Sacrament will be that which will give you more strength during life and more consolation at the hour of your death and during eternity.”
May each of you have a rich grace-filled Lent and a glorious Easter.
Sue Larkin
