We love because He first loved us. — 1 John 4:1

As we celebrate the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus on June 7 (and honor the Sacred Heart during the entire month of June), it seems appropriate to reflect on the love of Christ.

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. – John 1:5

“Human kind cannot bear very much reality,” wrote the poet T.S. Eliot. While some might interpret this verse from the “Four Quartets” as a need to escape from the daily grind, this is not what Eliot is saying. Rather, he is referring to a deeper reality that underlies the world that we see. He is referring to a sacramental vision of the world.

"Blessed are those who have been called to the wedding feast of the lamb.” — Revelation 19:9.

St. Thomas Aquinas once said that “love follows knowledge.” It’s also true that the more we love, the more we want to know. During this second year of Eucharistic Revival, as we seek to grow closer to Our Lord in the Eucharist, hopefully our desire to know and love him more has also grown. God reveals himself to us in a myriad of ways, but the most important and intimate way we come to know him is at Mass. The Church obliges us to attend Mass every Sunday and going to Mass is often spoken of as something that we do. What if the Mass is something that God does — for us?

COLORADO SPRINGS. St. Gabriel the Archangel Parish is hosting an art exhibit April 13 - May 16 titled “St. Mary’s High School: Eucharist Show.” The exhibit consists of 14 students’ perspectives on the Eucharist for contemplation. The exhibit will be open from 3 p.m.-9 p.m. on weekdays and after weekend Masses. 

DENVER. On May 18-19, groups of eight young adults will leave San Francisco; New Haven, Connecticut; San Juan, Texas; and Itasca State Park in Minnesota.

COLORADO SPRINGS. What is the Eucharistic Revival, and why should we, the Catholic laity, care?

During a recent webinar sponsored by the National Eucharistic Revival for parish leaders, Dr. Mary Healy attempted to answer that question as she spoke about “what true Eucharistic Revival looks like.”

Friar Raymond della Vigna was perplexed.

Sometime in 1375, the priest, a member of the Order of Preachers founded by St. Dominic, was celebrating Mass. As the moment of consecration approached, he prayed that the wafer of bread he held would become the veritable body of Christ by virtue of his speaking the words of Jesus at the Last Supper, “For this is My body”.

COLORADO SPRINGS. A 2019 Pew Research Center survey revealed that approximately 70% of Catholic interviewees believe that the bread and wine used at Communion are symbols of the body and blood of Jesus Christ, compared with 30% who believe the bread and wine actually become the body and blood of Jesus Christ. Spurred on by this information, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops responded to this crisis of belief by proposing a national Eucharistic Revival, comprised of three years of renewal and formation. The process began officially in June 2022, with the year of Diocesan Renewal. In June 11, 2023, Corpus Christi Sunday, the parish phase kicked off, and in June 2024, a year of Mission will commence.

COLORADO SPRINGS. St. Patrick Parish will continuously adore the Blessed Sacrament in Our Lady of Knock Chapel after the 11:30 a.m. Mass on June 4 through June 10 at 4 p.m. This extended period of adoration will be in honor of the Feast of Corpus Christi on June 11 and to highlight the start of the second year of our nation’s Eucharistic Revival — which will be focused on the parish level. 

We are getting closer to the Solemnity of Corpus Christi and the next phase of the Eucharistic Revival! This past year has been spent praying, discerning, and laying a foundation for the upcoming year.  Now it is time for an update and a look ahead.