This year on the Solemnity of The Body and Blood of the Lord, Corpus Christi Sunday, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) launched a National Eucharistic Revival with a myriad of Eucharistic processions and adoration throughout the country. The revival is composed of three phases — a year of Diocesan Renewal, a year of Parish Renewal, and a National Eucharistic Congress that will complete the renewal in 2024.
At St. Michael, we marked the beginning of the revival with a short procession to the front portico at the end of each Mass for the Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament to the assembly and to the Village of Kailua-Kona. With this gesture, we hope to emphasize our mission of becoming empowered by the Eucharist to bring Jesus to all we encounter as we work to build the Kingdom of God right here in our midst. A large new monstrance that was brought from the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City was dedicated for this occasion. This prominent ostensorium makes it easier for anyone sitting anywhere in the church to have a better view of the Holy Eucharist during adoration while providing a dignified way of exposing the Blessed Sacrament in our voluminous sanctuary.
As stated on the USCCB’s revival website, “Our world is hurting. We all need healing, yet many of us are separated from the very source of our strength. Jesus Christ invites us to return to the source and summit of our faith: His Real Presence in the Eucharist. The National Eucharistic Revival is a movement to restore understanding and devotion to this great mystery here in the United States.”
During this time, keep an eye out for the different ways that our parish will be living out the revival. This is a great opportunity to pay closer attention to how we celebrate the Holy Mass. You may notice how we honor and recognize Jesus’ presence in our sanctuary by our gestures of reverence and gratitude to God for the gift of Holy Communion. During this revival, we want to emphasize the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist: Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity fully and physically present at every Mass and inside the tabernacle at the heart of our church. Jesus awaits to nourish us with His Presence in His Body and Blood.
We are holding several eucharistic events, some that may be recurring, such as more opportunities for adoration, special holy hours for healing and deep prayer, and reflections and talks on different aspects of our life with this great gift of the Holy Eucharist. We are also collecting and sharing stories from recent converts and those who have returned to the faith on how the Holy Eucharist has changed their lives, and in many cases, brought them to participate in the sacramental life of the Church. Get involved in this renewal by participating in the different events and allowing yourself to be transformed by a deeper faith in the life-giving power of the Holy Eucharist!
More photos from Corpus Christi Sunday 2022 here: https://www.facebook.com/onecatholicohana/posts/pfbid0CQQNo8M8GQS2eEmE3ehBve9ziiCjz5eDKnByp9d5yj9XdEx5cdtSSWAphztpuqzcl
