Last month, the Catholic Church in the United
States concluded its “Diocesan Phase” year of the
National Eucharistic Revival and entered the
“Parish Phase”. The Eucharistic Revival was called
by the US bishops, asking God to restore our devo-
tion and understanding of the Eucharist here in the
US. Many of our Catholic brothers and sisters do
not acknowledge or are simply unaware of the
greatest treasure of our faith-–the Real Presence of
Christ in the Eucharist! In the Eucharist, we en-
counter not just a symbol of Christ’s Body and
Blood, but Christ Himself, in the flesh, veiled un-
der the appearance of bread and wine.

This new “Parish Phase” of the Eucharistic Revival
shifts the focus to the parish. This is our oppor-
tunity to engage with the profound mystery of Je-
sus’ presence among us. Especially encouraged
during this time is the practice of Eucharistic Ado-
ration. Eucharistic Adoration is the practice of
spending time prayerfully adoring the Lord pre-
sent in the Eucharist, usually exposed to view in
the gold vessel called a monstrance, although it’s
always possible to adore the Lord in the tabernac-
le, as well. Jesus is here, in person, in our churches.
And we have the opportunity to spend time with
him. The silence and beauty that can envelope us
during this time of prayer before Jesus is truly in-
describable. Here at St. Paul the Apostle, we have
Eucharistic Adoration every second Tuesday of the
month from 8:30am to 6:00pm. I’ll be putting some
thought into whether we might be able to incorpo-
rate adoration even more during this parish year
of the Eucharistic Revival.

If you are not used to Eucharistic Adoration or
aren’t sure where to start, don’t worry! Simply sit-
ting before the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament and
making yourself aware of His presence is a prayer,
and one that can be very powerful. All of us have
an opportunity for a moment of adoration before
Mass begins. It’s a common practice to genuflect
(or bow) before the tabernacle before entering our
pew, and this is a great way to begin our prayer to
Him. The Eucharist is our greatest gift. Let’s not
forget it!