Have you ever noticed how delicately our priests remove the Blessed Sacrament from the monstrance? It's quite a beautiful ceremony to end each Adoration, by returning Jesus in the consecrated host to the tabernacle, where all can continue their praise for the one who laid down His life for us.

We as Catholics believe that Jesus is truly present before us in the Eucharist. Jesus himself said to the apostles, ""I am the living bread that came down from heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; … he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life and … abides in me, and I in him.” We do not simply remember the Last Supper at Mass, we are reliving it. We take an active part in receiving the true Body and Blood of Jesus. We say Amen, yes, to receiving Him.

While it may sometimes feel like we are just going through the motions at Mass, it is something new every time. We are older, we are different than we were the week prior. We reconfirm our belief and our stance as missionary disciples when we leave the church building and go out into the world. To quote the Catechism: "The Eucharist is 'the source and summit of the Christian life'" (CCC 1324). Life begins with the Eucharist, and it continues with us.

This is why our priests are so gentle while removing the Blessed Sacrament from the monstrance. How amazing it must be to hold Jesus in the Eucharist in their very hands. To cradle Him as they humbly carry Him back to the tabernacle.

Although, that's what it is to receive the Eucharist during Communion each time we go to Mass... isn't it? Whether we receive through our hands or on the tongue, we consume Jesus and in turn are living tabernacles. Jesus is alive within us. St. Pope John Paul II once said, "From the Eucharist comes strength to live the Christian life and zeal to share that life with others." How do we reflect God's love and mercy to those around us after we receive the Eucharist? How can we make a conscious effort to make God a focal point in our lives and share Him with others?

On July 21, a bus filled to the brim with over 50 parishioners from Our Lady of Light Family of Parishes joined 50,000+ people in Indianapolis to be revived in their love for the Holy Eucharist. While it was clear that this event would be impactful, there was no way to prepare oneself to how deeply just one day surrounded by their Church family would change their hearts and lives.

Apart from our busload of parishioners, a large number of parishioners travelled to the Eucharistic Congress for the weeklong experience. We also had a handful of younger parishioners who traveled either with their families for the weeklong conference or on the bus trip with parents. Some of these younger parishioners, who are considering a religious vocation, found the experience to only grow that urge to follow Christ in a special way.

The Congress was fully prepared to accommodate Catholics of all ages and stages, as there was a family track young families could register for that encouraged them to seek their faith even in the busiest times of life.

"I was shocked at the number of young families in attendance," Sarah Chivers, Digital Communication Specialist said. "Families with 4+ kids, families with multiple kids still in strollers. The sweetest little boy that was coloring a picture of a monstrance during Jonathan Roumie's talk. I was talking to a woman from the Trenton area at one point and she said that there was no way that this event wouldn't make a lasting impact on these children's lives. I was in complete agreement."

The Eucharistic Congress cemented the beauty of a universal Church. Ruth Reeve and her daughter experienced the joy of this larger community as they waiting for the Eucharistic Procession to begin. Shortly after finding spots on the curb to witness this miles-long procession, a woman approached them to join their group in saying the rosary across both sides of the street.

"I wasn't sure how it would work -- but it did. Fortunately, her friend had a very strong voice and pretty soon everyone on both sides of the street were praying along. But not only that - there were people walking the procession route,  and every single one of them would start praying along with us while they were walking past our section of the route. It made me realize how truly universal our faith is; we are connected in so many ways. Through our prayers, through the mass, and most especially through the Eucharist. We sing the same songs, we pray the same prayers, we recognize and honor our professed religious brothers, sisters and priests, and we acknowledge Jesus as Lord and Savior, truly present, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity, in the Eucharist. The Eucharistic Procession gave me the opportunity to witness all of those things in one place and time and the word 'catholic' became crystal clear to me through that experience."

Those who witnessed Eucharistic Adoration throughout the Congress expressed how impactful it was. Parishioner Phil Mraz was one in attendance among thousands of people falling to their knees before the Blessed Sacrament.

"Though high up in the second level of stadium seats, I caught a whiff of the incense after the long procession had passed by. How remarkable and powerful to be in silent communion (pun intended) praying with thousands of Catholics adoring the Most Holy Sacrament."

While many of these more reverent experiences rang out as highlights of the Congress, there were many lighthearted moments that reminded us of the pure humanity that makes up the Catholic Church. Laughter and the arts played a major part of the weeklong event celebrating our Lord.

One speaker that stuck out amongst others was Sr. Josephine Garrett. 

"After viewing several of her online videos, I really wanted to hear Sr. Josephine speak in person," Phil Mraz explained, "What a joy it was to see and hear her!  A person walking by the outside of the conference room might have mistook it for a comedy club rather than a religious presentation.  Her humorous anecdotes about a nun's life had everyone laughing.  But then she got serious without warning and provided numerous insights into the spiritual, physical, and mental healing power that the Eucharist has to offer.  What a thrill it was to meet her in person after the presentation to thank her for inspired and hopeful message."

As mentioned previously, the arts rounded out the weekend by orchestrating the emotional pull of our faith. The music throughout the weekend found the perfect balance of prayerful reflection and powerful ballads of love and glory for our Heavenly Father. From the established Matt Maher to newer artists like Sarah Kroger (who will be joining us at our Parish Picnic in August), Catholic artists set the stage to bring us into the moment fully.

"The music was wonderful!" Linda Shea reminisced, "To hear that many people singing hymns of praise to our Lord was so uplifting."

Sarah Chivers, who spent the day recording the event for those who were back home, took the back seat for many events to simply take it in. 

"The music would begin playing and arms shot up in praise," she recalled. "It was overwhelming. People were smiling, people were crying. But in the best ways. The power of the Eucharist had such an emotional pull over all of us."

The music and overall event were so powerful that they have inspired minister leaders on our campuses.

"I have been ignited with a evangelistic motivation now to share the Truth with people in my every day life as well as my music ministry and also through the Cursillo Movement," said Alex Abuyuan, who plays guitar at the 11:30am Mass at the Incarnation Campus.

Our parishioners who traveled on the Our Lady of Light bus were lucky to witness Jonathan Roumie, the actor who portrays Jesus on the acclaimed series The Chosen, speak at the final session before boarding the bus back home. At the end of his talk, he performed a dramatic reading of scripture that multiple parishioners mention gave them goosebumps. 

After coming home, parishioners had an opportunity to share their thoughts overall to share with you. Here are just a couple of quotes that express how closely they encountered Christ during the Eucharistic Congress:

"It was AMAZING!  So wonderful to share our love of the Lord, the Eucharist, & our Blessed Mother with 54,000 friends!! The sessions were inspiring & energizing.  I returned renewed & grateful for having the opportunity to attend." -Cheri Rotterman

"The Eucharistic Congress was truly life-changing. It’s humbling and surreal to have gotten to be a part of history! From the speakers to the liturgies to the music to the procession, everything was fabulous! Over 60,000 hearts of those in attendance were touched, as well as so many others we will touch as we all go out and spread the amazing news of the Eucharist! I’m so thankful Blake and I could attend. We are so excited about the next National Eucharistic Congress in 2033!!" -Beth Rinderle

"This was my first Catholic 'revival' and way out of my comfort zone.  I'm so glad that I took the leap of faith and went.  I wasn't very familiar with all the songs and the presentation speakers, but every single event was uplifting and inspiring.  How can you not be inspired when surrounded by tens of thousands of faith-filled Catholics!?!  Honestly, I'm still struggling a bit with what this all means to me and how it will change my life, but I am committed to praying about it further and sharing my experience with others.  See you in the Eucharist!" -Phil Mraz

"As we boarded the bus taking us to Indianapolis, my prayer was to ask Our Lord to make my day what He wanted for me. Well I could never imagine what He had in store for me. Words cannot describe how seeing over 50,000 pray together shaped my vision of how blessed I am to be Catholic." -Mary Gutman 

"It was one of the most incredible experiences of our lives.  To be worshipping the Eucharistic Jesus at Adoration with 50,000 to 60,000 people.  It was truly life changing or more specifically it was transforming." -Alex Abuyuan

It isn't everyday that you find someone with a commitment to the inclusion of persons with disabilities as strong as Noelle Collis-DeVito's. From volunteering with youth programs and assisting students with disabilities to developing an office at the Archdiocesan level dedicated to serving persons with disabilities, Noelle found her passion for this community of believers with disabilities through years of working side-by-side and advocating for all to be included.

Currently in pursuit of her Master's Degree in Pastoral Ministry with a certificate in Disability and Ministry, Noelle fondly remembers the start of her ministry journey as a volunteer for the youth ministry program at St. Francis of Assisi in the early 2000s. At the time, she was working on her Bachelor's Degree in Religious Studies, and upon graduation she accepted the position of High School Youth Ministry Coordinator at St. Francis of Assisi. When her second child was born, Noelle made the decision to stay home with her children, but continued to share her gifts with the Church through parish missions, conferences, retreats and volunteering. 

In 2018, after her children were comfortable settled into school, Noelle accepted a position with the Archdiocese of Cincinnati in the Respect Life Ministries. There, she worked to establish the Office for Persons with Disabilities. Today, Noelle works for the University of Dayton in the Institute for Pastoral Initiatives where she is developing curriculum for adult learners surrounding catechesis. 

Noelle Collis-DeVito's commitment to including those with disabilities is clearly expressed through her impressive resume of leadership in the field. In addition to her position at the University of Dayton, she serves on the Council on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities for the National Catholic Partnership on Disability. She is also a national speaker and writer on the topics of sensory-friendly Mass, adaptive catechesis, and multi-sensory learning for accessible classroom. 

Noelle is currently pursuing her Master's Degree in Pastoral Ministry with a certificate in Disability and Ministry. For her practicum, Noelle  offered an integrative program over the summer for families at Our Lady of Light centered around the Eucharistic Revival. Inspired by those living with disabilities within her own community, Noelle wanted to make a difference for those with disabilities within the Our Lady of Light Family by fulling integrating those with developmental and learning disabilities with the full Body of Christ. She modeled her practicum to allow full families to encounter the Eucharist through integration of diverse considerations, including multiple-intelligence learning theory, sensory-oriented experiences, a family model approach and a Montessori feel, with the hope that the program would be reproducible and offer best practices for parishes who are exploring solutions for new catechetical approaches.

Overseeing this program energized and revitalized Noelle's faith as she witnessed how the Eucharist is seen through the eyes of children learning about Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. How wonderful it would be to understand how deeply and truly Jesus loves you for the first time all over again.

Luckily, we have that opportunity each week at the Mass. Each week we relive the Last Supper together. Just as Jesus gathered with His disciples around the table, told stories and broke bread, we too gather around the altar, tell stories from the old and new testaments and receive Jesus in the Eucharist. If you've felt stuck in a period of repetition and going with the motions at Mass, let this weekend be a fresh start. At Mass this weekend, open your eyes and your heart and understand how deeply our Father in Heaven loves you.