A YEAR OF EUCHARISTIC LOVE
St. John the Baptist Catholic Church
May 12, 2024
Dear St. John’s parishioners,
Praised be Jesus Christ, truly present in the Most Blessed Sacrament of the Altar!
This summer, the three-year National Eucharistic Revival will culminate in the National Eucharistic Congress on July 17-21 in Indianapolis. The Eucharistic Revival was the U.S. Bishops’ response to a survey that reported that 70% of Catholics do not believe or do not understand that Jesus Christ is truly present in the Holy Eucharist.
The fruits of the Eucharistic Revival remain to be seen, but I am convinced that none of us, me included, can ever reach a point of having enough love for the Holy Eucharist. I know many in our parish have been inspired to a greater faith, but it cannot end here. Is there room to love a spouse, child, family member or friend more? Is there a need for us to love our neighbors more? Always. And so it is with Jesus, truly present in the Blessed Sacrament.
Because of this, I am pleased to announce at our parish a Year of Eucharistic Love. It will begin on June 2, 2024, on the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi) and continue until June 22, 2025.
Eucharistic love is the foundation of our Catholic faith. Our belief in the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist sets us apart from all Christian denominations and everything we do as a parish and everything we are as individual disciples flows from Him, and back to Him. I hope this year will lead all parishioners to a profound encounter with the person, Jesus Christ, and a deepened and more authentic relationship with Him in the Most Blessed Sacrament.
The Year of Eucharistic Love will begin with our annual Corpus Christi Eucharistic Procession, on June 2 at 10:15 am. I hope you make plans to attend. Your presence at this inaugural event will show the community our rich faith and deep desire to see the Love of God be shared with the world.
Throughout the year we will hold many diverse offerings, all focused on both Jesus, truly present in the Holy Eucharist, and you, his beloved child. During this Year of Eucharistic Love, I am asking all ministries, groups and activities to be planned through the lens of deepening our love for the Holy Eucharist. I, along with Fr. Alex and Fr. Manti, will be seeking in our preaching and teaching to emphasize Jesus Christ’s immense love for us, evidenced most profoundly in His True Presence, and encourage all our parishioners to make a return of love with hearts burning so ferociously as to set the world on fire! Stay tuned.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Fr. Novak
