Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
With our kickoff event in June at St. Mary’s Cathedral, we have now officially begun the National Eucharistic Revival, our U.S. Church’s three-year initiative to unite the People of God through a renewed encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist. It’s an opportunity for formation, healing and conversion, a chance to reignite our life of faith and reflect on how we can be better Christian disciples.
The Revival has four main goals that can help guide our diocese, Area Catholic Communities and parishes as we move ahead:
1. “To provide a more profound encounter with Jesus Christ in the Sunday liturgy as a point of unity among all Catholics, and through this powerful encounter, find personal healing and courage to take the Gospel to a world in need of authentic love — the love of Christ found
in the Eucharist.”
As I travel around the diocese for confirmations and other special events, I’m impressed by the quality of the liturgies. It’s clear to me that our pastors, church staff and volunteers put a great deal of time and effort into planning. Ongoing education and formation are important, and the Revival offers a good opportunity to focus on areas such as hospitality, preaching and music, and to ask: What do we do well? What could we do better?
2. “To spark personal conversions through the joyful discovery of a relationship with Christ by encountering the love of God present in Jesus in the Eucharist.”
3. “To elevate the truth and practices of our Catholic faith through the rediscovery of the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist — the source and summit of our Church and of who we are as a people of God.”
[perfectpullquote align=”right” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=”14″]Learn more: More information about the National Eucharistic Revival and local opportunities is available at stcdio.org/eucharistic-revival.[/perfectpullquote]I encourage you to spend more time in prayer each day and to make a holy hour in front of the Blessed Sacrament each week or whenever you are able. As part of your prayer and meditation, reflect on how the Eucharist has made a difference in your life. Share your story with others, especially those still searching for the same joy and hope you’ve experienced through the transformative power of Christ truly present.
4. “To form, inspire, and launch missionary disciples, filled with love of God and neighbor that comes from an encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist, to the margins of the Church and the world.”
The Eucharist compels us to follow Christ’s example of self-giving love in service to others. If you are not already involved as a volunteer in your parish/ACC or active in one of the many Catholic organizations in our diocese, I invite you in the spirit of the Revival to consider how you might best use your gifts for the benefit of the people in our communities, especially those in need of healing, charity and justice, or simply a listening ear.
May God bless our efforts over these next three years.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
+Donald J. Kettler
Bishop of Saint Cloud