Our NEW Eucharistic Theme, Surrender. Be Christ. Share Christ. begins this weekend and continues until Christ the King. Please see the attached notes from our meeting, the synopsis from Fr. Ken (below), and the phrases from each weekend that resonated with everyone. Hopefully this information will assist you as you prepare your homilies. Please remember that as often as the parishioners are able to hear the theme, the more it will drive home the theme and encourage everyone to reflect.
Synopsis from Fr. Ken:
EUCHARISTIC THEME: Surrender. Be Christ. Share Christ
The magnitude of God’s love is fully reflected in Christ’s self-emptying, humility, and obedience. Humility is considered to be a defining characteristic of our Christian identity, following the example of Christ, who did not come to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many (Mt 20:28).
The readings of this last part of the ordinary time focus on active faith, humility, and service. Strong faith in Christ requires total surrender to God’s will, following the example of Christ’s self-emptying. The choice to surrender to Christ must be firm, and this calls for sacrifice and commitment like the poor widow in the Gospel who gave all she had.
Surrendering to God does not necessarily mean giving up all our resources, free time, hobbies, friends, etc., but it means emptying ourselves and trusting in God’s promises to direct our lives as those called to be One in Christ. When we empty ourselves, we are filled with the grace of the Holy Spirit and are empowered to serve others.
Sharing Christ with everyone helps us to be doers of the word and not hearers only. This is what St. James referred to as faith that proves itself in action, and that is what Christianity is all about. Yes, what truly shows that we are bearing witness to the mercy of God is that we are called to be One in Christ, and we cannot be One in Christ unless we surrender ourselves to Him so as to share Him with others.
Therefore, the Eucharistic theme for this last part of the Ordinary time calls us to “Surrender, be Christ and share Christ”
Eucharist Prayer
Heavenly Father,
At our wondrous birth,
You invite us to be a
part of Your body.
We praise You
for Your Gift of
the Bread from Heaven
divine in Your Son, Jesus.
At Your table, You offer us
to take and eat the Eucharist,
to receive Jesus
in the depth of our soul.
Your prescient love
fills the longing of our heart
and we journey in hope –
strangers no longer.
In this sacred mystery,
You call us to
to do for others
as You have done.
Transfigured by Your holy Spirit
we promise to be Your Eucharist
to one another that all will know You
until the end of the age.
Amen.
Read Bishop Noonan’s Pastoral Letter, The Eucharist: God Among Us HERE.
Learn more about the National Eucharistic Revival and how you can get involved here.