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National Eucharistic Pilgrimage 2025... And Beyond!
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Reflection Questions & Suggested Actions
Through the Eucharist, we meet Christ. When at Mass, we meet Christ, really present, in one another, the priest, when the word is proclaimed and preached, and under the forms of the eucharistic bread and wine. This last way of Christ being present to us is unique.
While to all appearances remaining bread and wine, what we receive at communion is Christ’s complete gift of himself to us. That gift remains, so we may bring communion to the dying, to the sick and those unable to join us, and so we may spend time in eucharistic adoration.Reflection Questions- Do I listen to the readings at Mass as if Christ were proclaiming them? What do I do to prepare to listen to the scriptures?
- When I look around the assembly during worship, do I recognize Christ in those around me?
- How can I better recognize that communion is just that, communal, and that we, as the assembly, receive the Eucharist together, not as isolated individuals?
- We are the Body of Christ, receiving the Body of Christ, to become more and more the Body of Christ!
- How do I meet Christ in the ministry of the priest at Mass?
Suggested Actions- Read one or more of these books
- Anne Koester, The Real Presence of Christ in the Liturgy and in the World
- Jeanne Marie Miles, Encountering the Real Presence of Christ
- John F. Baldovin, Bread of Life, Cup of Salvation
- Timothy O'Malley, Real Presence
- Listen to this Podcast Series
- Read these Church Documents
- Sacrosanctum Concilium - Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy
- Desiderio Desideravi - On the Liturgical Formation of the People of God
- Sacrumentum Caritatis - Sacrament of Charity
- Sacrosanctum Concilium - Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy
- Pray this short prayer before mass
- Jesus, you promised to be with us whenever two or more gather in your name. Help me to meet you at Mass today: in everyone I see, in the readings as they are proclaimed, and as the Bread and Wine we share at Eucharist. Open my heart to your love, shared with us in these ways. Loved by you, help me share that love with others. In your name I pray, Amen.
- Visit this webpage: https://www.davenportdiocese.org/mystery-believed
Eucharist is not just a noun; it is a verb. It is what we do. The word itself means thanksgiving. Christ is the one who gave the gift of his very self on the cross for us, a gift that is made present for us every time we celebrate the Mass. Reflection Questions- How will this experience effect your prayer life going forward? For what are you grateful?
- How have you experienced God’s love in everyday life? How is this connected to your experience of the Eucharist?
- Having met Christ at the Eucharist, how am I being changed?
Suggested Actions- Take a few moments before or after Mass to pray and reflect on the Eucharist that you are about to or just have received.
- Take time before mass to look over the readings for the day, so when you hear them proclaimed, you already have a familiarity with them.
- During the consecration of the Eucharist at mass, take a moment to look around and acknowledge the presence of Christ in the priest, the assembly, and the body and blood.
- While processing up to receive communion, pray for those around you also receiving communion.
- Visit this webpage: https://www.davenportdiocese.org/mystery-celebrated
Pope Benedict XVI wrote, "The union with Christ brought about by the Eucharist also brings a newness to our social relations" (Sacramentum Caritatis, 89). The worship of God in our lives cannot be relegated to something private and individual, but tends by its nature to permeate every aspect of our existence. When we receive the Eucharist and adore the Eucharist, it must have an effect on the way in which we live our lives and treat ourselves, others, and creation.When we see the Eucharist in the monstrance, we recognize the holiness of Jesus' incarnation. In doing so, we must acknowledge the sacredness of the incarnate reality of all which is made in the image and likeness of God. As Pope Benedict XVI wrote, "A Eucharist which does not pass over into the concrete practice of love is intrinsically fragmented" (Deus Caritas Est, 14).Reflection Questions- Having been changed by meeting Christ at the Eucharist, how am I being called to live differently?
- During this experience, what did I notice about the surrounding community that I haven’t noticed before?
- What new relationships were established? How could you invest in those relationships?
Suggested Actions:- Host a listening session in your local community. How can your parish serve the neighborhood that surrounds it?
- Address the problems of hunger and malnutrition in your local community.
- Write to your local politicians to keep food aid flowing
- Serve at a local soup kitchen
- Donate to a local food bank.
- Protect the vulnerable.
- Write to your representatives about the care of migrants
- Volunteer with a ministry that cares for women in crisis pregnancies and their babies
- Commit to working responsibly for the good of creation.
- Buy less
- Stop using single-use plastics
- Carpool to work
- Try eating vegetarian once per week
- Visit this webpage: https://www.davenportdiocese.org/mystery-lived