By Bishop Greg Kelly
Special to The Texas Catholic
I have to say that the highlight of the second day of the Eucharistic Congress was of a more personal nature: spending an hour or two in a room with 50+ priests hearing confessions. I am deeply moved by the faith of the people who come, young and old and every age between, and by the great generosity of Jesus, who meets them there with a gift for each one personally, fitted to their heart and to their life situation in that exact moment. It also struck me that in the words of absolution the gifts given are pardon and peace. I don’t think I pay attention enough to the second: peace. Our sins are a profound source of turmoil and confusion, and in giving us pardon, the Lord also gives peace. It was the first thing he said to the disciples when he appeared to them in the upper room after the Resurrection: Peace be with you.
A speaker last night, Mother Olga of the Sacred Heart, recounted several stories, Eucharistic Miracles: her own story of coming to faith as a young girl in a war-torn area, suffering through 4 wars and family turmoil, finding peace in a nearby Catholic Church, being led to the foot of the cross and thinking that the one who suffered in this way would understand her suffering. She spoke of a young boy, Mighty Quinn (Quinn was his first name) 5 years old, whom she got permission to make his First Communion before starting chemotherapy, and to whom she brought the Eucharist every day for 33 days. He went through the therapy with no side effects and lives still. She spoke of a young woman dying of cancer who hoped to live to see her daughter married with the veil she wore at her wedding, instead making the veil into a veil for her First Communion, the mother walking her down the aisle to receive the Lord there before dying soon after. Several other accounts of the power of the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, some receiving visible, obvious cures; others, a healing on the other side of death. She spoke of the miracle as present in either case: it was happening whether seen or not; whether in the way desired or not; whether in this life or on the other side of death.
Father Mike Schmidt also spoke, emphasizing that there can be no Eucharistic Revival without repentance, and that we should be careful of falling from our early love, referring to the words of the Lord to the Church of Ephesus in the Book of Revelation (2: 1-5), beginning to think we are doing alright, not paying attention to what he termed the little fire extinguishers, the small ways in which we dampen the fire of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. Which was motive enough for me to go to confession myself, and spend some time hearing confessions. A great privilege and grace.
Faithfully yours in Christ,
Most Reverend Gregory Kelly, V.G.
PS – I have now encountered six priests from the Diocese of Dallas: Father Russ Mower (also in the choir); Edwin Leonard, Kevin Wilwert, Michael Likoudis, Angel Rios, and Eugene Okoli–Father William Mobley is out there somewhere but haven’t seen him yet. Also, one Permanent Deacon: Michael Friske.
Bishop Greg Kelly is the auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Dallas.
