Category: Fr. Abraham’s Weekly Column

28th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Posted on by Nathalie Godet

 

Dear Friends,

After reading about the Shrine of Our Lady of Knock in my column last Sunday, a couple of you told me that you were curious to read about the Shrine of Our Lady at Walsingham which was something unheard of. Yes, that was true for almost all of us in the pilgrimage. We never heard of this shrine that is very famous in the UK. It was established around 1061 when Richeldis de Faverches, a holy woman, prayed that she might undertake some special work in honor of Our Lady. Richeldis was not a visionary like the children in Lourdes and Fatima. She was a woman of faith, she pondered, meditated, and prayed. In answer to her prayer, the Virgin Mary led her in spirit to Nazareth, showed her the House of the Annunciation where the Angel greeted Mary, and asked her to build a replica in Walsingham as a perpetual memorial of the Annunciation. This Holy House was built and a religious community took charge of the foundation.

Walsingham became a shrine, a place of pilgrimage and miracles. Many kings made pilgrimages there. This included Henry VIII, but after his break with the Church he turned against anything Catholic. In 1538, the Reformation caused the shrine property to be handed over to the King’s Commissioners and the famous statue of Our Lady of Walsingham was taken away to London to be burnt and the shrine was destroyed. Walsingham ceased to be a public place of pilgrimage. Devotion was necessarily kept in secret until after Catholic Emancipation (1829) when public expressions of the Catholic Faith were allowed once more. In 1897, by rescript of Pope Leo XIII, the sanctuary of Our Lady of Walsingham was restored, with the building of a Holy House as the Lady Chapel of the Catholic Church of the Annunciation, at King’s Lynn.

We were able to visit and pray in the “Slipper Chapel” where the statue of Our Lady of Walsingham is enthroned. (It is called “Slipper Chapel” because pilgrims would remove their shoes and travel the final mile – called the “Holy Mile” – to Walsingham with penitentially unshod feet.) The statue is of course a modern one but has been modelled as closely as possible on the medieval statue. Our Lady is depicted in traditional style seated on a simple chair of state with the Child Jesus on her knee. She wears a Saxon crown in token of her ancient queen-ship and carries the lily of purity.

The devotion to Our Lady of Walsingham received a further mark of papal approval during the visit to Britain of Pope Saint John Paul II in 1982. As Our Lady guided Richeldis to make a Nazareth in England, every chapel and shrine to Our Lady of Walsingham is a particular, local Nazareth, an encounter with the joy of the Incarnation in that special place. This shrine has inspired the formation of one of the new forms of consecrated life, recognized by the Church. They call themselves “The Community of Our Lady of Walsingham.” It is an Ecclesial Family of men and women who consecrate their life to Jesus through Mary. They work for the coming of God’s Kingdom by enabling people to live in the joy and freedom of Mary’s Fiat. As a Marian community they are praying and working for the re-evangelization of England and the western world, taking that popular verse from Matthew 6:10 as their guide: ‘Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

Your brother in Christ,

Fr. Abraham Orapankal

 

27th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Posted on by Nathalie Godet

 

Dear Friends,

Last Sunday I wrote about October as the Respect Life month. It is also the month of the Most Holy Rosary. This is primarily because the liturgical feast of Our Lady of the Rosary is celebrated on October 7. Mary is said to have appeared to St. Dominic in 1206 after he had been praying and doing severe penances because of his lack of success in combating the Albigensian heresy. Mary praised him for his valiant fight against the heretics and then gave him the Rosary as a mighty weapon, explained its uses and efficacy, and told him to preach it to others.

Recently I had the privilege of joining about 50 Catholics from various parishes, including ours, to go on a pilgrimage to Ireland, Scotland and the UK. Among the many shrines, basilicas, castles, ancient monuments and museums we visited, two Marian shrines stood out for me: the Shrine of Our Lady of Knock in Ireland and the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham in the UK.

The Story of Knock in East Mayo began on the 21st August 1879 when Our Lady, St. Joseph and St. John the Evangelist appeared at the south gable of Knock Parish Church. Many men and women, whose ages ranged from five years to seventy-five, witnessed what they claimed was an apparition of Our Lady, St Joseph, and St John the Evangelist at the south gable end of the local small parish church. Behind them and a little to the left of St John was a plain altar. On the altar was a cross and a lamb (a traditional image of Jesus, as reflected in the religious phrase The Lamb of God) with adoring angels.

The guide explained to us that there was no message given by Mary. She just stood there in front of the altar and lamb with her hands folded. But in her silence she said so much. Like any child knows, a mother’s silence is powerful. Our Lady of Knock does the same thing; she does not say a word because our focus is not meant to be on her, our focus is meant to be on what is behind her: the lamb (symbol of Jesus) and the altar. Mary’s whole life and mission is to bring us closer to her son.

This tells us that the Rosary is not so much about Mary as it is about her Son Jesus. Rosary is Christo-centric! Her only desire and command all is: “Do what he tells you” (John 2:5) We need to open the gospels to understand what he tells us. The FALL INTO FAITH small faith sharing groups are the best opportunity for us to understand His Word better (see page 4). As you hear the witness stories of those who have benefitted from these groups, I urge you to consider signing up for this wonderful experience. It is not a long-term commitment – just six times during this Fall season.

The resource we are using is paid for by the parish for the participants, We need to know how many will participate in this faith-enhancing opportunity as we are contracting with a Catholic publishing company. If you are part of an already existing group, kindly let your group leader know if you intent to do it this time – I hope you will. If you are a first-timer, please contact Debbie Schurko, our DRE, at dschurko@stmatthias.net How I wish more of you will utilize this beautiful chance to grow more into His Word!

Your brother in Christ,

Fr. Abraham Orapankal

 

26th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Posted on by Nathalie Godet

 

Dear Friends,

This Tuesday we enter October, the Respect Life Month. We are a pro-life Church. This past Thursday (9/26/24) was the March for Life in Trenton, by thousands of young and old, giving peaceful, prayerful witness to the sanctity of human life. We know the Biblical teaching that life is a gift from God, and, hence, we respect it from womb to tomb. But, where in the Bible do we see explicit support for this?

The term “with child” (in reference to pregnant women) occurs 26 times in the Bible. The term “with fetus” never occurs. The Bible never uses anything less than human terms to describe the unborn (Exodus 21:22Ǧ23). In Luke (1:36 and 41), we are told that Elizabeth conceived a “son” and that the “babe” leaped in her womb. God does not say that a “fetus” leaped in her womb! Elizabeth greets Mary (in her early pregnancy) as “my Lord’s mother.” If God allows a child to be conceived, then God obviously has a plan for unborn children (Jer. 1:5; Lk. 1:13Ǧ17; Gen. 4:25; Jud. 13:3Ǧ5), and so to abort an unborn child is to stop a plan of God: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you, a prophet to the nations I appointed you… Psalm 139: 13: You formed my inmost being; you knit me in my mother’s womb. I praise you, so wonderfully you made me; wonderful are your works! Thus, based on the word of God, the Church teaches that an unborn child, from the moment of its conception in his or her mother’s womb, is precious because he or she carries an immortal soul.

We, here at St. Matthias, have been always supporting Sr. Mary Vertucci and her ministry to the poor girls in Tanzania. We have listened to her touching stories of many girls who have been helped to reach successful careers because of their experience at the Emusoi Center. We have supported Emusoi Center for long with our prayers and financial support. As we enter the Respect Life month, we have a special second collection next Sunday (October 6). We wish to be participating in promoting the fullness of life that Sr. Mary Vertucci and other missionaries are doing.

Such Biblical insights and action plans are important. What about biblical understanding to be grounded in God’s message for taking care of other aspects of our life? The best way is the small groups that we are starting soon. Pope St. John Paul II said, “Small Christian Communities are a tremendous source of bringing more life into our life and into a Parish.” We have rightly titled this season of Bible sharing as “Fall Into Faith.” Time and again we have heard the testimonies of those who were and still are in small groups. Why not be enriched the same way? For sign up information, please see page 4 of our bulletin, or call Debbie Schurko, our Director of Religious Education in the parish office.

October begins with the feast of Little Therese of Child Jesus – the very popular saint of simplicity, teaching us that we can be holy by doing the smallest acts with love. One of her many inspiring quotes that touched me is: “I learned from experience that joy does not reside in the things around us, but in the very depths of the soul, that one can have it in the gloom of a dungeon as well as in the palace of a king.” May we all experience that joy, no matter what!

Your brother in Christ,

Fr. Abraham Orapankal.

 

25th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Posted on by Nathalie Godet

A Message From Fr. Lancelot

Dear Friends,

In his book “True Self, False Self,” Basil Pennington presents us with one of the greatest tasks of our lives: coming to a true knowledge of ourselves. While we often define ourselves by our achievements or the successes of our families, it is far more difficult to understand our true selves—who we are at the core, beyond the superficial layers of identity.

Throughout literature, we find characters wrestling with their identity,

    1. Shakespeare’s Hamlet laments:

                 “What a piece of work is man! How noble in reason, how infinite in faculties… and yet, to me, what is this quintessence of dust?”

    1. In Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations, Estella admits:

                 “I am what you have made me.”

    1. Elizabeth Gilbert, in her memoir Eat, Pray, Love, describes her personal crisis:

“I don’t know how to be here. I don’t know how to live in this world anymore.” This is a striking confession of her disorientation, as she embarks on a journey to reconnect with herself, realizing that she has lost touch with who she truly is.

This past weekend’s Gospel also challenges us to reflect on our knowledge of Jesus, which is intrinsically linked to our self-awareness. Jesus was often misunderstood—even by His closest followers. When Philip asked to see the Father, Jesus responded:

“Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time?” (John 14:9).

Jesus’ Confrontation of Our False Self:

Jesus continually confronts us, urging us to move beyond the false self—the self that is preoccupied with personal gain, security, and social image. His teachings challenge our assumptions about life and force us to confront deeper truths:

Self-Centeredness:

Jesus challenges us to break free from a life centered on self interest. The false self-thrives on selfish ambition, but Jesus calls us to love others, sacrifice, and live for a higher purpose.

A Personal Reflection:

As I reflect on these lessons, I am confronted by the reality that, while there are many tasks to accomplish during our time on earth, one of the most essential is to come to know both God and ourselves. Personally, I would be deeply saddened to reach the end of my life only to realize that I had lived more for myself and my needs than in my relationship with God. To miss this opportunity for deeper connection and true self-awareness would be a great loss.

St. Augustine’s “Late have I loved you, O Lord, late have I loved you. You were within me, but I was outside.”

 

Fr. Lance

 

24th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Posted on by Nathalie Godet

 

Dear Friends,

What do you think of the new screen in our church? Thank you to those of you who approached me or Fr. Lancelot, and shared your joyful approval and positive feedbacks about it – far from the doubts and concerns some had before seeing it. It was a labor of love – extended over four years of deliberations, fundraising, planning, checking with other parishes with similar media projects, choosing a company that would give us the best service, and spending so many hours in meetings, consultations, revisions, re-scheduling,  and so on and so forth. Thanks be to God that it has already made a big difference in the participation of the congregation to pray and sing – as many of you commented – due to the clarity of the letters on the screen which can be seen from all angles as well as all the way back. The livestream of the Mass has excellent clarity of the video and sound for those who are watching online. This is an asset for the parish not only for enhancing our liturgy but also for faith formation, sacramental prep and other events.

In the contest of enhancing our liturgical experience, I wish to share with you that Joan Seamon, our music director, and I have been getting some letters about our music. The good news is that these letters were not concerned about the quality of music or singing during Mass. They were appreciative of our music ministers and the quality of their singing. The concern was regarding the desire to have some quiet time to pray in the church before the Mass.

The rehearsal before Mass is a common practice in many parishes – though where the rehearsal takes place varies. But, the unique situation of our church is that the position of the choir is directly facing the congregation which is perfectly fine during Mass. Yet, during the rehearsal, the choir is, as one put it, “in your face”, making it very distracting for people who want to pray. During rehearsal, it is only human and natural to have some small talk, fun, laughter, etc, all of which are watched by the congregation and it is not surprising that those who want to concentrate in prayer/meditation/silence are unable to do so.

More letters began to come in the recent months from parishioners as well as visitors (some anonymous, few with names) – all of which I have shared with Joan Seamon. Some parishioners talked to me in person on this matter. Some wanted me to send the choir back to the loft – which I flatly refused stating that it would not happen during my pastorate. That was one of the reasons I spoke at all the four Masses of one weekend last month (and two Masses previous to that) about why we are a Eucharistic community where the people are surrounding the altar and sanctuary, and that I was not interested in changing the layout of our church. I also discussed these matters with all our deacons and Fr. Lancelot.

After all these months of prayerful reflection, consultations, and listening, my own discernment is that the desire for some quiet time in the church before Mass is not only genuine but is also required by the Church. The General Instruction for the Roman Missal says that there should be a quiet opportunity in the church for the faithful to prepare prayerfully for the Holy Mass (GIRM, no. 45). We have to admit humbly that we have not been practicing this in our church. Considering all these, I have asked Joan to create that time of sacred silence by not having the practice in the church from now on. I understand it will bring some unhappiness and inconvenience. But such sacrifice by a few is for the greater good of our larger community. We are very proud and grateful that we have the best church music in our diocese and beyond. Thank you Joan and all the Music Ministers.

Your brother in Christ,

Fr. Abraham Orapankal

 

23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Posted on by Nathalie Godet

 

Dear Friends,

September 8 is a very important day in the Marian calendar and for Marian devotion. It is the birthday of our Blessed Mother Mary. This feast day is celebrated exactly nine months after the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception on December 8. However, this year, September 8 falls on a Sunday and so Mary’s birthday is not even mentioned in the Ordo, the liturgical calendar of the Church. Even though September 8 is not a Holy Day of Obligation, many Marian devotees may be confused or even upset about this glaring omission. How is this possible? Is this not an affront or disrespect to Mary? Not at all. Why not? The reason is simple: Sunday is the Day of the Lord and it will have precedence over the feast of any other saint, even that of Mary. There can be exceptions, for instance, when the feast of the patron saint of a parish is to be celebrated on a Sunday.

In this context, it is good for us to know of a beautiful Apostolic Exhortation that Pope Saint Paul VI wrote in 1974 titled Marialis Cultus, (The Cult of Mary). It is a short but excellent writing on Mary. In the face of excessive pious practices and non-Biblical devotion to Mary, the Pope wanted us have a true Marian spirituality and appreciate the right place of Mary in the life of the Church. The Marian devotions should not be an end in themselves, but should clearly lead us to the mystery of Christ. Hence when a Mass is celebrated to honor Mary, the key point is that Mary is present always to glorify and to magnify the Lord. Mary never seeks her honor and glory but to glorify Jesus. Our Lady proclaimed so eloquently in her Canticle of praise—the Magnificat—these words: “My soul does magnify the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior….” (Lk 1:46-47)

Paul VI insisted that a true Marian devotion should include at least three indispensable elements: Christocentric, Biblical, and Ecclesial. The document called for the need to correct some doctrinal deviations, in some popular presentations of Mary, in the light of the Scriptures and under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. This was very important to Catholic Church’s sensitivity to the perception of different Christian denominations who base themselves only on the Bible for their beliefs and practices, including their understanding of Mary’s role. Marialis Cultus no.32 reveals the concern for the restoration of Christian unity in the ecumenical environment, with the document identifying some common understandings of the mystery of Mary with the Orthodox Christians, the Anglicans and the Reformed Churches.

Today’s gospel has Jesus healing a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment. Jesus takes the man aside from the crowd. Being away from the bustling noise of the crowd is very significant. Blaring voices can hinder us from hearing the voice of God. We can truly listen to God only when we create a space for silent listening. That is what Mary did as Luke testifies: And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart – Luke 2:19. He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and His mother kept all these things in her heart – Luke 2:51. Happy Birthday to our Blessed Mother Mary!

Your brother in Christ,

Fr. Abraham Orapankal

 

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Posted on by Nathalie Godet

 

Dear Friends,

I hear so many say, “I can’t believe summer is over!” When we keep ourselves very busy, I think it is only natural that we don’t realize the passing of time. So here we are stepping into September. That means our school and campus will be more alive as we happily welcome back our students, parents, teachers and administrators for the new school year. The summer vacation was the ideal time to do all the maintenance work for the school building – cleaning, waxing, painting etc. The classrooms, bathrooms, hallways and cafeteria – in fact the whole school building looks very inviting – thanks to the hard work of Julio Montero and team, and Mary Pat Burke-Grospin, our Business Administrator, who oversaw it.

Parents, students and teachers must have been going through what experts call “back to school stressors” – making them feel nervous, worried, anxious about changing the easy summer routine and adjust to the schedule of going back to school. But, it is important for us to realize that returning to St. Matthias School should be producing, not stress and anxiety, but hope and comfort. What makes us different from public schools, charter schools, and other private schools is that we teach the beauty and truth of the Catholic faith. We provide for the spiritual, intellectual, physical and emotional needs of our students and so parents are at ease to leave their children with us. Thank you parents for making sacrifices to send your children to St. Matthias. Thank you to Mrs. Mary Lynch, our Principal, and our staff and faculty for caring for the holistic formation of each and every student entrusted to our care. It was so edifying for me to see teachers spending many days to prepare their classrooms, making them as attractive and welcoming as possible. Our students will certainly feel very welcomed and loved.

Keeping our St. Matthias School open, welcoming and going is the happy fruit of the united effort of all of us in this Catholic Community of St. Matthias. Thanks in a special way to all our parishioners and Tuition Angels who contribute so generously to promote Catholic education which is an integral part of the mission of our parish.

All this flurry of activity – be it for back to school, back to regular work after vacation, or continuing work with no vacation – is more meaningful when we realize that this is the Labor Day weekend and that it provides us a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the deeper meaning of our work. The Catholic Church proclaims the dignity, meaning and redemptive value of all human work which was transformed by Christ the carpenter-worker.

Hence in the midst of resting and celebrating this Labor Day weekend, let us take a few minutes to reflect on the deeper meaning of our labor, and how our faith shapes our understanding of the value of our jobs: “How is my job creating good in the little world I find myself in? In my family? In my work place? In my friendship circle? In my own heart?”

 

Happy Labor Day!

Your brother in Christ,

Fr. Abraham Orapankal

 

21st Sunday in Ordinary Time

Posted on by Nathalie Godet

 

Dear Friends,

There are two matters of importance to share with you. The firsts is about the checks that are made out to St. Matthias. The Chase bank has introduced stricter security controls and so they have informed us that every check must be made payable to “Church of St. Matthias” which is the official name of our account with them. That means they will not honor checks written to St. Matthias Church, Community of St. Matthias, St. Matthias parish, etc. So I request you, if you are making any contribution by check to the parish, to write it to Church of St. Matthias.

The second matter is: today we have the commissioning of our new Parish Pastoral Council (PPC) at the 12 noon Mass. Each year, one third of the members retire after a three-year term of service. Thus Marilyn Wegg and Frank Rees are retiring this year. They have been very committed to the Pastoral Council with a sense of passion that was clearly evident in their regular attendance at the meetings, constant involvement in the events in the parish and in their own attention to the common good of the Parish Community. I wish to thank them very sincerely for their goodness and time of ministry as PPC members.

Together with the existing members who completed two years (Stephen Busono and William Isele) and one year (Sheila Tartaglia and Didi Molano), I am very happy to welcome Teresa Yannotta, Joe Percoco and Miles London to the new PPC team. Every potential member of the Council attended the “Discernment Retreat” to pray and discern the will of God in the matter of serving the People of God of St. Matthias through the ministry of the Parish Pastoral Council. The PPC assists the pastor on all matters concerning the pastoral life of the parish. The PPC members represent the parishioners, bringing to the Council the concerns and ideas of the community to be discussed and give recommendations to the pastor.

One of the initiatives that the PPC implemented this year was the suggestion box in the narthex to make it easy for the parishioners to communicate their comments and ideas for the good of the parish. The PPC informed our community through bulletin that if anyone wishes to get a response, the name should be given. Interestingly many comments are anonymous expressing an individual’s anger and discontent towards the clergy, to the music ministers, staff members or to something that he/she is unhappy with. I have been very open to suggestions and criticisms, willing to engage anyone who has a grievance. But when someone hides behind anonymity simply to vent their angry feelings in uncivilized words, there is no way to engage that person in an open and meaningful dialog. No matter what, I am happy to hear from our parishioners not only through the suggestion box, which will continue to be there, but also through other ways of communication, including meeting in person.

Today, as we commission the new PPC for 2024-2025, I wish them another year of ministry as a consultative body to the pastor. Let us pray for them and continue to offer them our support. Please congratulate and get to know them so that you can communicate to them the needs and concerns of the Parish.

Your brother in Christ,

Fr. Abraham Orapankal

 

20th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Posted on by Nathalie Godet

 

Dear Friends,

Have you ever been asked to bring up the gifts to the altar during Sunday Mass? Did you agree or disagree? I heard about an informal survey that asked: “Do you say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ when the usher asks you to bring up the gifts?” It seems the majority were nay-sayers! Some people feel embarrassed to bring up the gifts in front of the congregation, like this mother who told me that she was very upset when her husband readily said yes to the usher who asked “Would your family like to bring up the gifts?” She was a nervous wreck, worrying that she or the kids might spill the wine or drop the hosts. But nothing went wrong, and they were happy and the kids were excited from then on, to be chosen to bring up the gifts more often.

Inviting people to participate in the Offertory presentation is an ancient custom dating back to the early centuries of Christianity. In the 2nd Century, St. Justin Martyr wrote: “When our prayer is ended, bread and wine with water are brought forth, and the president offers prayers and thanksgivings, according to his ability.” In the 5th Century, St. Augustine, in reference to the offertory, spoke of the “admirable exchange” that takes place, where the faithful return their gifts they have been given back to God. The priest acting in “persona Christi” (in the person of Christ) receives from the faithful their contributions and sacrifices, offers them to God, who perfects them and transforms them into the Body and Blood of Christ.

Pope Benedict drew attention to the presentation of the Gifts when he said: “This humble and simple gesture is actually very significant: in the bread and wine that we bring to the altar, all creation is taken up by Christ the Redeemer to be transformed and presented to the Father. In this way, we also bring to the altar all the pain and suffering of the world, in the certainty that everything has value in God’s eyes. The authentic meaning of this gesture enables us to appreciate how God invites man to participate in bringing to fulfillment his handiwork, and in so doing, gives human labor its authentic meaning since, through the celebration of the Eucharist, it is united to the redemptive sacrifice of Christ”.

After receiving the gifts, the priest prays over them: “Blessed are you, Lord, God of all creation. Through Your goodness we have this bread to offer, which earth has given and human hands have made. It will become for us the bread of life. Blessed are you, Lord, God of all creation. Through Your goodness we have this wine to offer, fruit of the vine and work of human hands. It will become our spiritual drink.”

The Church invites us all to have the full, conscious and active participation in the Eucharist. Bringing up the gifts is just one expression of that. The family that is chosen to bring up the gifts represents the entire congregation. Thank you to our wonderful ushers who do an excellent ministry. It’s understandable to be a little nervous when you are asked to bring up the gifts. Don’t be afraid! Consider it as an honor. In presenting the gifts, you are carrying the very bread and wine that will be changed substantially (the theological term is ‘transubstantiation’) into the Body and Blood of Christ.

Your brother in Christ,

Fr. Abraham Orapankal

 

19th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Posted on by Nathalie Godet

 

Dear Friends,

Did you follow the National Eucharistic Congress that took place in Indianapolis last month, from July 17-21? It was an inspirational and awe-inspiring event that created a sensation among the 50,000 plus Catholics present there and so many others who heard about it from them and from the media coverage.

There were many key-note speakers, break out sessions, exhibits, conferences, Mass, adoration and many other activities. In the evening, at Lucas Oil Stadium—a massive indoor and very cool-looking stadium of exposed girders and pipes and catwalks, a brilliant theater set of a stadium—thousands of people knelt in the half dark in adoration of the Eucharist as a simple song played quietly in the background (“Set a fire down in my soul, I want more of you God. No place I’d rather be than here in your love…”).

All these were meant to create a sense of Eucharistic fellowship and a greater understanding and appreciation of the Eucharist – not only for those present in Indianapolis, but also for all Catholics. Here are two ways in which it can happen:

First is through the “Walk with One” Initiative. At the sending-forth Mass on July 21, Pope Francis’ special envoy to the congress, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, delivered a homily with warmth, joy and humor that made participants both laugh and feel inspired as he told them, “A Eucharistic people is a missionary and evangelizing people.” At the close of the congress, the Year of Mission was launched, during which the bishops are encouraging Catholics to take on the initiative of “walk with one” by accompanying and helping another person to better know Jesus. This “Walk with One” initiative of the Congress invites each Catholic to commit oneself to walking with one other person. Bishop Andrew Cozzens of Crookston, MN, board chairman of the National Eucharistic Congress, exhorted: “Commit yourself to becoming a Eucharistic missionary, someone who lives deeply a Eucharistic life, and having received that gift, allows themselves to be given as a gift.” You and I can do that by being a Eucharistic missionary to any one person we choose.

Second is through the witness of those 50, 000 who were at the Congress. They were fired up with power of the Holy Spirit to become Evangelizers of the mission of Jesus Christ. Some people described this event as a “mountaintop experience,” but it was not meant to be a spiritual high to be looked back upon with nostalgia and move on. Instead, the graces received at this great event are meant to go out, spiritually irrigating a parched land of the Catholic parishes of the United States.

We are very happy that two of our own parishioners – Bill Grippo and Emile Capuno – were there in person to attend this great event that was taking place in the US after 83 years! I requested them to share their reflections with us. So each Sunday, you will find portions of what they wrote in our bulletin. Kindly read it and let us all get a taste of what they experienced, and share in their enthusiasm.

Your brother in Christ,

Fr. Abraham Orapankal