Dear Friends,

“One does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God” (Mt 4:4). With these words, Jesus withstands the temptations of the devil in the desert. Jesus knows who he is, and he will not be shaken — he is not alone.

As followers of Jesus, we, too, are never alone. We are compelled to share our gift of God’s friendship with others, especially those most in need. This week as we reflect on the work of mercy to give food to the hungry, it is powerful to reflect on how God reaches out to us in our hunger, and we are led by him to do the same for others (“Behold the God who loves you”). When we know we are sinners in need of mercy, we are drawn to the very source of mercy (“Choosing mercy over ashes”); and we may even find that in our desire to bring Jesus to others, it is their very faith in our Savior that reinvigorates our own love for him (“Our Bishops Speak: The Eucharist”). The Lord in his bounty is constantly seeking to sustain us — and the Scriptures proclaimed at Mass have a very special role in this (“Do This in Remembrance of Me”).

I am also eager to announce that this coming Saturday a new weekly correspondence will be coming to your inbox called Companions on the Journey. This short weekly email will come from some of the leading voices of the National Eucharistic Revival and Congress, so you can gain a behind-the-scenes perspective of how the team is witnessing graces unfold and Jesus impacting lives on the journey to the Congress.

Please pray for the National Eucharistic Revival, Congress and Pilgrimage teams as we allow the Holy Spirit to help us prepare for this historic moment in the United States Catholic Church.

In Jesus,

Sister Alicia Torres, F.E.

MANAGING EDITOR