Talk to catechetical leaders - II

Yesterday's talk went very well, thanks be to God. The Archbishop wasn't able to be there for my talk, but the catechetical leaders seemed pleased with the presentation. Thanks for all of the prayers! Here are the second half of my notes:


Once we have been fed, then we as Christian disciples go out to feed others

- Mother Teresa + feeding the poorest of the poor / Calcutta:
she said that if she didn't receive the Eucharist at Mass each morning, she wouldn't have lasted more than a week serving the poorest of the poor


SC: “we cannot approach the eucharistic table without being drawn into
the mission which, beginning in the very heart of God, is meant to
reach all people” (84)

- what is the mission for Christian disciples? “to bring Christ to others” (86)
- mainly through the Eucharist

“ the Eucharist is thus the source and summit not only of the Church’s life, but also of her mission” (84)

- how do we do this (with God’s help): bring the Eucharist to others?
1) By “bearing witness by our lives” (85)
- be men and women of the Eucharist
- have the Eucharist as the center of our lives from which everything flows
- be a “witness who introduces others to the mysteries” (64)

- example of non-Catholic friend who heard me talk about going to Adoration, then started going herself, fell in love with it and came into the Church last year

- SAA teens @ daily Mass during Lent and summer

- laity should “cultivate a desire that the Eucharist have an ever deeper effect on their daily lives, making them convincing witnesses”

- witness of some Saints is so strong for the Eucharist that they have desired to become the Eucharist in martyrdom

- “St Ignatius of Antioch describes his own imminent martydom: he sees himself as ‘God’s
wheat’ and desires to become in martydom ‘Christ’s pure bread’” (85)

- Augustine on feast of Cosmas and Damian (9/26):
“ the martys took careful note of what they ate and drank, so that they might return the same”


- whether or not any of us is called to physical martydom, the Holy Father reminds us that “each of us is truly called, together with Jesus, to be bread broken for the life of the world” (88)


- Mass: best way to cultivate the desire to be conv. witness
- “best catechesis of the Eucharist is the Eucharist itself” - Synod
-daily Mass, if possible

- Adoration, if possible
-perpetual adoration – PB XVI, JP II, etc.


2) Speak to others as often as possible about the Eucharist
“the Eucharist: a mystery to be proclaimed” (84)
(“let us proclaim the mystery of faith”)

- homilies
- constant catechesis needed (p. 73)
- especially to youth
- “children should be taught the meaning and the beauty of spending time with Jesus” (67)

- Adoration + SAA students

- PB XVI addresses “the evangelization of cultures” in regards to the Eucharist
- culture of youth?
- changing the culture > more Eucharistic
- 4 yo girl, 6th grade boy, 8th gr boy


V. Conclusion
- as modern day disciples, we want to imitate the early
Christian disciples
- Emmaus
- Acts 2:42

- especially imitate Mary
Mary teaches us to be “men and women of the Eucharist” (96)

- like Mary, we are to have our eyes on Christ… have our eyes on our salvation…eternal life…”Heaven on Earth”

-if we are being fed and feeding others with the Bread of Life, then we, too, are a Eucharistic, Christ-centered people

- Kaligat