ROCKFORD—The National Eucharistic Revival kicked-off in the way it should … with prayer and reverence.

 

Bishop David Malloy celebrated the 11 a.m. Mass at the Cathedral of St. Peter on the Solemnity of Corpus Christi explaining that because of the occasion there were additional priests present along with the Knights of Columbus, permanent deacons, a transitional deacon, seminarians and the diocesan Master of Ceremonies.

 

Diocese of Rockford Eucharistic Revival Prayer   O, Jesus, truly present in the Most Holy Eucharist, I adore You, I praise You, I treasure You.   I acknowledge that You are truly present, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity under sacramental signs.   When the priest elevates the Host, it is You whom I adore.   When I bow before the monstrance in adoration, it is You who I adore.   When I make visits to the tabernacle, it is You whom I adore.   During these years of Eucharistic Revival in our country, may Bishop Malloy, the priests, deacons, consecrated men and women, seminarians and lay faithful of the Diocese of Rockford, receive a renewed and strengthened devotion to You in the Most Blessed Sacrament.    May I praise You more frequently, more sincerely, and more faithfully each day as I encounter You personally in the Holy Eucharist. I pray that in this local church the Eucharist will truly be the source and summit of the Christian life.   As I encounter you in the Sacrament of Your Body and Blood, may I be led to greater charity and concern for my brothers and sisters in the human family, recognizing Your face in each one of them. May we all possess a unity in faith, adoration and mission. O Dear Jesus, May You be praised, worshipped, and adored in all the tabernacles of the world now and until the end of time.   Amen.

Bishop Malloy told parishioners and some visitors gathered for the Mass this Mass was not only to celebrate the Feast of Corpus Christi, but also to begin the National Eucharistic Revival. The Revival is a three-year initiative sponsored by the Bishops of the United States to inspire and prepare the people of God to be formed, healed, converted, united, and sent out to a hurting and hungry world through a renewed encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist — the Source and Summit of our Catholic faith.

 

In his homily Bishop Malloy explained that the Eucharist, instituted by Christ Himself at the Last Supper, is “a great gift to the Church and the world,” and through that gift “Christ gave us hope.” The act of giving us the Eucharist, Bishop Malloy  said, is not merely a symbol but is proof that Christ is with us.