'Starting a fire, not a program'
In early June, I had the pleasure of attending the Catholic Media Conference in Baltimore. In all my years with the diocese, I have only attended three such conferences. In all sincerity, I consider myself very fortunate to have attended this particular conference because Bishop Andrew Cozzens of Crookston, Minnesota, chair of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis, gave a presentation on the ongoing Eucharistic Revival in the United States.
In early June, I had the pleasure of attending the Catholic Media Conference in Baltimore. In all my years with the diocese, I have only attended three such conferences. In all sincerity, I consider myself very fortunate to have attended this particular conference because Bishop Andrew Cozzens of Crookston, Minnesota, chair of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis, gave a presentation on the ongoing Eucharistic Revival in the United States.
I probably shouldn’t admit this, but, for me, the revival is somewhat of an enigma. Yes, on the surface, it is pretty straightforward. We all know there are Catholics who do not believe in the Real Presence, and the revival is the national Church’s attempt to remedy that troubling statistic. Personally, I believe the Blessed Sacrament is the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ, but I suppose I have blind faith; some might call me simple. My big “revival” hurdle derives from one simple question: “How do I help others believe in the Eucharist?”
This is where the good bishop comes into the picture. Bishop Cozzens began his talk on that June morning with a story from his early days as a priest. He was studying in Rome, and the Missionaries of Charity introduced him to Fernand, a paraplegic man who had been bedridden for 50 years. As a young man one month from beginning his seminary studies, Fernand contracted a disease which left him with the ability to only move his head and right hand.
Fernand’s circumstances were, no doubt, difficult, yet, the bishop reflected, “He was the most joyful man I’ve ever met.” Sharing his last visit with Fernand, Bishop Cozzens remembered: “I’d just given him Holy Communion. We were just paused in those minutes right after Mass, and then he opened his eyes and he said to me, ‘You know, Father Andrew, I’m just a man with all my weaknesses, but I’m burning with love.'”
For the bishop, the witness of one broken man is at the heart of the Eucharistic Revival. “Just to say this,” proclaimed Bishop Cozzens, “I’m just a man, I’m just a woman with all my weakness, but I’m burning with love. If the Church catches that fire, the world will be affected. … The Eucharistic Revival is about starting a fire and not a program.”
The bishop’s story from his younger days is, I think, the answer to my “hurdle,” and quite possibly yours. True encounter is the answer. “Encounter is the heart of discipleship,” explained the bishop. “Without this encounter, if we don’t come to meet the living person of Jesus as a real, living person, then we will not be able to be true disciples.”
First, we must fully encounter Jesus in the Eucharist. We must have a personal relationship with the Lord. Second, we must highlight, the bishop instructed, that true encounter with the person of Jesus is characterized by four elements: “‘Who is Jesus?’ He’s God. ‘What am I called to?’ Conversion. I’m infinitely loved, and I’m called to be a disciple.”
In short, if our own hearts are on fire, the fire will, most certainly, spread to those we encounter. Wherever you are on the journey, I pray that this issue will either help create the spark or kindle the flame of love for the Lord, fully realizing Jesus’ love for us in the Eucharist.