“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”).
On February 8, something profound began at Asbury University in Kentucky. What started as a simple chapel service has developed into a "revival" that has made international headlines and drawn crowds of over 20,000 from as far away as New Zealand. This can be a sign that God is working to bring about in our Catholic Church a greater Eucharistic Revival than we can imagine. Read about it to learn why here.
Finally, this past week has been an eventful one in the National Eucharistic Revival movement, as registration launched for the 2024 National Eucharistic Congress. We are well positioned to have over 100,000 Catholics gather in Indianapolis July 17-21, 2024. Lives will be transformed by Jesus, and Eucharistic missionaries will be sent out to the margins of our society to share the good news that Jesus is alive andhe changes lives. The Congress is for the whole Church. There will be many ways for all of us to participate, even for those who cannot attend in person.
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.