By Bishop Greg Kelly
Special to The Texas Catholic
The last 24 hours of the Eucharistic Revival were packed: a Eucharistic procession through the city on Saturday afternoon; talks on Saturday night and Sunday morning; the closing Mass presided over by Cardinal Luis Tagle, the Pro-Prefect for the Section of Evangelization of the Vatican Dicastery for Evangelization. Cardinal Tagle was sent as a personal representative of Pope Francis and brought greetings from him, a moment I found unexpectedly moving, a tangible point of connection to our Holy Father and to the universal church. He said that Pope Francis prayed that this event would bring about a conversion to the Eucharist which is also a conversion to mission.
In his homily the Cardinal emphasized the need to recover a sense of giftedness, not to regard others as problems, rather as gifts. Jesus came as gift for everyone, gave his life as gift for everyone. When we come to Mass, we offer the gift of our entire self in response to the one who gave his entire self as a gift for the world. The Cardinal noted that many walked away from Jesus when he said that they should eat his flesh (John 6: 66), but then the Cardinal asked: do we contribute to the departure of others from Jesus? Those who feel they don’t belong to him. Jesus never tired of coming to us with the gift of himself in the Eucharist. If we choose to stay with him, we are choosing to be sent by him to others. His gift to us leads us to make the gift of ourselves to others: the gift you have received, give as a gift. As participants in the Eucharistic Congress, as those who have received heavenly food here, we are to impart these gifts to others, not keep them to ourselves.
So much more to think about and to share with you. More later.
Faithfully yours in Christ,
Most Reverend Gregory Kelly, V.G.
PS: Three profound joys: 1) running into familiar people from all over the Diocese of Dallas and from all over the country. In particular Sr. Clare Marie, of the Franciscan Daughters of Mary of Covington, KY. She grew up in St. Gabriel’s in McKinney (Annette Borchard) and radiates the joy of one who has found her vocation. 2) Dave and Lauren Moore and company and their music ministry throughout the congress; and Steve Angrisano: all from the Diocese of Dallas; 3) hearing confessions for several hours. What a gift, as both a penitent and confessor.
