The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops is launching a three-year “National Eucharistic Revival” on June 16, the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, leading to a National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis, Indiana, in 2024. The campaign anticipates “a time of healing for the entire Church as well as a movement of evangelization and a reawakening of understanding of the sacrament of the Eucharist for Catholics across the country.” Heaven meets earth Each diocese is planning its own observance of the campaign. Here in our home Diocese of Springfield, Massachusetts, Bishop William Byrne has announced a “Year of the Eucharist” with a dedicated website (YearOfTheEucharist.net) filled with informative articles and videos. “The Eucharist is the meeting of Heaven and Earth, where the Kingdom is come. The daily bread is the coming of the Kingdom,” Bishop Byrne says. “No human life can really be truly fulfilled without the experience of the Eucharist in their lives. The more that we can set a fire in the hearts of those who are currently receiving Communion, they will then be the Lord’s ambassadors to tell others about it.” Forty Hours’ Devotion Parishes across Western Massachusetts will be offering Forty Hours’ Devotion (Mass followed by adoration of the Blessed Sacrament over several days). “It gives people a chance to sign up to be a part of this; of being with our Lord, praying and praising and interceding on behalf of our world,” Bishop Byrne explains. The National Shrine of The Divine Mercy is included in the schedule, and will be hosting Forty Hours’ Devotion June 30-July 3. All are welcome. Please visit ShrineOfDivineMercy.org for more information. National Eucharistic Revival Marian Helper • Summer 2022 • Marian.org 17 Me at any moment, at any time; I want to speak to you and desire to grant you grace (Diary, 1485). Jesus tells St. Faustina that He longs for us to visit Him in the tabernacle, not for His sake but for ours. This longing is born of His love, as He yearns to pour the graces of His merciful Heart into the hearts of those who visit Him. He tells her: My Heart overflows with great mercy for souls, and especially for poor sinners. … For them I dwell in the tabernacle as King of Mercy. I desire to bestow My graces upon souls, but they do not want to accept them. You, at least, come to me as often as possible and take those graces they do not want to accept. In this way you will console My Heart. Oh, how indifferent are souls to so much goodness, to so many proofs of love! My Heart drinks only of the ingratitude and forgetfulness of souls living in the world. They have time for everything, but they have no time to come to Me for graces (Diary, 367). How can we possibly stay away from our Merciful Lord and Savior in the Blessed Sacrament? United to Jesus The goal of an intense Eucharistic union with our Lord—nurtured by frequent reception of Communion, special times of Eucharistic Adoration, and the frequent practice of Spiritual Communion — is that we become more and more like Him. By spiritually and physically uniting ourselves with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, we can be completely transformed into His likeness. We can become living channels of His grace and mercy ready and willing to be distributed by Him to needy people everywhere. Jesus Himself sums up for us the great mystery of God’s merciful love in the Mass when He tells St. Faustina, What you see is just a tiny part, and already your heart swoons with love. How amazed will your heart be when you see Me in all My glory. But I want to tell you that eternal life must begin already here on earth through Holy Communion. Each Holy Communion makes you more capable of communing with God throughout eternity (Diary, 1810-11). The mercy Jesus offers us in the Holy Eucharist is a foretaste of the love of Heaven. Dr. Robert Stackpole is director of the John Paul II Institute of Divine Mercy. Excerpted from “The Holy Eucharist: Mystery of Mercy,” published in the Divine Mercy Catholic Bible, available on ShopMercy.org (Product code B54-BIDM).
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