Angelus News | July 29, 2022 | Vol. 7 No. 15

NEW WORLD OF FAITH
ARCHBISHOP JOSÉ H. GOMEZ
The eucharistic revival begins
The eucharistic revival is beginning.
In a Mass and procession
celebrated last month at the cathedral
on the feast of Corpus Christi, we launched
the National Eucharistic Revival,
an initiative of the U.S. Catholic
bishops. This revival will go on for the
next two years, closing with a National
Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis,
in July 2024.
On Aug. 13, we will hold our
archdiocesan Eucharistic Congress at
the cathedral.
I hope many of you will join me.
The daylong event is free for everyone.
We will have Mass and Exposition
of the Blessed Sacrament, along with
presentations from top speakers, in
English and Spanish.
I am praying that our Eucharistic
Congress will be an encounter with
Jesus that renews us and transforms
our daily lives.
This revival is about restoring the
vision of the Eucharist to the heart of
Catholic identity and to our experience
as followers of Jesus Christ.
In the mystery of the Eucharist, we
witness to our worldview as Catholics,
the beautiful truth that our world is
created and sustained by the love of
God.
In the Eucharist, we proclaim the
truth that this creation has a loving
Creator, and that each one of us receives
our life as a gift from the Creator.
We proclaim that the Father loves
each one of us so much that he gave
his only Son, who offered his body
and blood, who poured out his life
on the cross, who died and rose again
for us for the life of this world that he
created.
In the Eucharist, we remember that
Jesus loves us to the end, that he gave
everything he had for us on the cross.
He became flesh in the womb of the
Virgin Mary in order to offer his flesh
and blood on the cross. Now, he gives
his body and blood to us, to be our
daily bread, to nourish and strengthen
us, as we walk with him on our journey
through this world.
When the priest speaks the words of
consecration at the altar, we proclaim
Jesus’ death, and he comes to us
again, and speaks to us of his love. In
these words, the Lord is telling us:
This is my body, broken and given
for you and your salvation. This is my
blood, poured out for you, and for the
life of the world.
And as Jesus humbled himself to
share in our humanity, in the Eucharist
he calls us to share in his divinity.
Jesus wants to live his life in us, and
he wants us to live our lives through
him, in him, and with him.
These are mysteries beyond words.
But these mysteries give our lives a
direction and shape, a purpose.
The offertory prayer that we make in
every Mass — “Lift up your hearts /
We have lifted them up to the Lord”
— this is how we should live now,
offering our life back to our Creator.
This gift that we have received, we
should give back to him in gratitude,
in remembrance of his gift, his sacrifice
for us, and for our salvation.
The Eucharist makes our lives as Catholics
a prayer, something beautiful
that we offer to God, that we offer to
our brothers and sisters.
Just as the bread and wine we offer in
the Mass is transformed into his body
As Jesus gave his life for us, he calls us now to
walk with him and to follow him. He calls us to
love as he loves, and to give our lives for others,
in works of mercy and love.
and blood, so our lives are meant to
be transformed through our partaking
in the Eucharist.
As Jesus gave his life for us, he calls
us now to walk with him and to follow
him. He calls us to love as he loves,
and to give our lives for others, in
works of mercy and love.
We have a beautiful opportunity in
these next two years, to revive and
renew our personal love for Our Lord
in the Eucharist and to rediscover his
love for us.
Pray for me and I will pray for you.
And let us pray for the Holy Spirit to
bring many hearts back to the Eucharist
and to Mass in these coming
months.
May our Blessed Mother Mary, in
whom the word became flesh, help all
of us to make the Eucharist and the
Holy Mass the center of our lives.
July 29, 2022 • ANGELUS • 3