Encountering Jesus in the Eucharist
About a year ago, I had the privilege of listening to our parish as we came together in the synod experience. There we were, somewhat hesitant and unsure, wearing masks and recalling what it is like to be together as a church and as a community. And in the midst of confronting the challenges of the pandemic, one common thread stood out. The Eucharist is truly at the heart of our parish life.
But why am I bringing this up today?
I did not always know and believe that Jesus was truly present in the Eucharist. I grew up Catholic. My family went to Mass every Sunday. We prayed the rosary on the way to church, and my mom personally guided me through my First Communion preparation. I’d like to say that I had an epiphany and suddenly understood what was happening one day at Mass. A more accurate explanation would be that God sought me specifically by revealing Himself to me in the Eucharist over a series of seemingly unconnected events.
One of these events occurred the summer before I entered high school. My older sister had joined the core team for a new retreat that was beginning in Rochester specifically directed towards high school youth. I remember the day she came home and insisted that I just ‘had’ to go to the Steubenville Conference. I squirmed a little at her suggestion; I thought of church as something that you did on the side. What would I do with all the weird, overly churchy kids whom I definitely wouldn’t fit in with? None of my friends were Catholic, so I knew I would be on my own if I went. And how could I possibly give up another precious weekend of summer? In the end, I’m not even sure why I said yes; perhaps I wanted a break from my sister’s enthusiasm. Regardless, that July, I attended the first Rochester Steubenville Conference.
I still felt awkward for much of the Conference. I was not a super social kid. The conference had about 400 other Catholic young people who seemed thrilled to be there. I had never seen that many people who were actually happy to be Catholic. And then after a day of talks, music, games, and confession, the retreat changed. A priest brought out the Eucharist and began to process through the auditorium. At one moment, the priest paused, just briefly, in front of where I knelt. And I felt a presence beyond words. Years of emotion came out in rivers of tears because right then I knew that I was loved by God. The rest of the conference passed with such joy, especially Mass on Sunday as I continued to realize the presence of Christ in the Eucharist.
As I continued to grow in my faith, I often found myself attending various large gatherings of Catholics from all different walks of life. During college, I had the privilege to attend a SEEK conference, which gathers roughly ten thousand college Catholic university students from all across the United States. Each of these conferences impacted me differently, and yet each served to revive and renew my own appreciation for the Eucharist, the Mass, and our Catholic faith.
Today, I am still on the journey. I am happy to know Jesus truly present in the Eucharist, to give thanks for this most wonderful mystery that has been freely offered to each and every person. Even with this knowledge, I am excited for the opportunity to say yes to the invitation to encounter Jesus in the Eucharist again at the upcoming Eucharistic Congress. No matter where you are on your journey, I want to invite you to join me and the rest of our parish on June 10th in Mankato as we gather for revival and renewal in the Eucharist. Jesus is seeking you today. Will you say yes?
Learn more and register for the Eucharistic Congress at eucharist.dowr.org