The exhortation that St. Paul gives to the Church of the Thessalonians in today’s reading reminds
me of the presentations my husband and I were so blessed to witness last month at the National
Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis.
Every one of the amazing speakers spoke of God’s love and His mercy being poured out, not
only to the 50,000+ Catholics in attendance, but to the entire world! It was a tremendous
experience to witness the joy on everyone’s faces; people who ranged from the very old to little
babies, with everyone in between. There were thousands of nuns in many different habits, as well
as thousands of priests, deacons, and seminarians. We were like the Church of the Thessalonians
ensconced in Lucas Oil Stadium being ministered to by the modern-day Paul, Silvanus, and
Timothy.
Eucharistic Revival
The theme of the Congress was of course the Eucharistic Revival, and to remind everyone of the
true presence of Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament, which we, as Catholics, are so privileged
to receive in Holy Communion.
To see the entire stadium succumb to pin drop silence at the sight of the Monstrance was truly
awe inspiring, as everyone, young and old, dropped to their knees in adoration!
Relevant Radio, one of the main sponsors, had a gathering of five to six thousand people, who all
prayed the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. God surely must have had a huge smile on His face to see
so many praying hearts in one place.
Adoration
St. John the Evangelist Church in downtown Indianapolis, directly across from the convention
center, became the heart of the event, as Our Lord was exposed there around the clock during the
duration of the Congress. To see a church full of silent adorers was a beautiful sight.
We Catholics are so blessed to be able to receive the Eucharist at every Mass we attend, with
many of us receiving on a daily basis. We become mini tabernacles walking around with Jesus
within us. Think of the power we have, to reach out to the hungry, the poor, the imprisoned, the
marginalized, being the Face of Jesus to those we minister to. After all, we become the hands and
feet of Jesus, doing His will and continuing His ministry. What a gift to be able to share God’s
love with our fellow brothers and sisters!
Truly, the essence of the Congress was to “proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations” as
today’s responsorial psalm states.
As Chris Stefanick, one of the speakers, said in his last line (which has stayed with me thus far),
two thirds of God is “go,” so go proclaim the good news to everyone!
Beautiful! How wonderful that you were able to attend the Congress. It is inspiring to see the awe so many experienced before Jesus in the Eucharist. What a treasure! Thank you so much for sharing the power of this experience. And yes, now we are called to “go”! Having received Jesus and having dwelt before Him, let us bring Him to everyone around us! God bless.