National Eucharistic Congress: A Plan

On most Fridays, you can find my wife and I in a sandwich shop having a tuna sandwich for lunch. While I enjoy the tuna on Fridays, it’s not a sandwich I typically would order any other day. Our practice of not eating meat on Fridays has become part of our family life.

It recently raised the question: “Was eating a tuna sandwich on Friday an addiction?” My wife felt it was more of a tradition. Growing up it was part of Catholic life not to eat meat on Fridays throughout the entire year, not just during Lent. I think what we see today in Catholic life is a welcome return to many of the traditions of the Catholic Church.

For many reasons, often connected with our society and our culture, Catholics have gotten away from critical practices which make us Catholic. What we can sometimes find in the Catholic faith are the little practices we dismiss, which can lead to turning away from other traditions which make us Catholic.

One such practice often dismissed is attending Mass and receiving the Most Blessed Sacrament. Our lives become so busy we don’t make time for the Church. This trend has become so prevalent in the United States, and around the world, something had to be done to make an impact, to draw people to a renewal of their faith, a community gathered together in the presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist.

This is the National Eucharistic Congress, which will gather thousands of Catholics July 17-21 in Indianapolis.

Many of us will not be able to attend the conference. We would love to be there, but for whatever reasons we just can’t make the trip. So how do we participate from our homes here in Oklahoma? The National Eucharistic Congress will be broadcast on platforms such as EWTN. Other content will be available to those who cannot attend in person.

Here are some ideas, to go with the theme of each day of the Eucharistic Congress:

•    Day One: From the Four Corners
•    Eucharistic processions are converging on Indianapolis from four directions. Take out a map and examine the journeys, do a Google search for the many stories about those who have made the trek. Pick out a pair of walking shoes and set them out for your own journey in walking with Jesus.
•    Take a walk through a local cemetery and pray for All Souls. Share with your family why we pray for the dead and how going to a cemetery is not scary. Tell them about your family members who have passed and pray for them. Pray for all the souls in purgatory, especially those who have no one to pray for them.
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•    Day Two: The Greatest Love Story
•    Visit The National Shroud of Turin Exhibit to discover more about this piece of history.
•    Print off an image of the Shroud of Turin to have nearby as you watch the sessions for The Greatest Love Story.
•    Have your kid design a shroud with a paper towel or napkin and have them draw Jesus’ face on it to display on your refrigerator.
•    Go to Adoration, even if it’s just five minutes! Say ‘Thank You Jesus’ for everything! 
•    Day Three: Into Gethsemane
•    As a family/group, pray the Rosary, even if your littles can only sit still for one decade. It’s important to teach our children the importance of praying our traditional prayers in honor of Mary the Mother of Jesus. Include her fiat in your day by saying yes to Jesus in these prayers.
•    If you don’t know how to pray the Rosary, follow along with a booklet or video which can be found online.
•    Join the Knights of Columbus every Wednesday on Zoom at 8 a.m. for a Rosary. The meeting ID is 829 4276 1048 and the passcode is 962353
•    Join with other parishioners for a daily Rosary just prior to the daily Mass in your area.

•    Day Four: This is My Body
•    Attend daily Mass or an evening Mass. They are typically shorter, about 30 minutes long. Kids who wiggle and giggle are so very welcome and their morning joy can be shared with everyone there.
•    Add an activity where you can share the Gospel of God’s love with your neighbors. 
•    Collect flowers from your garden or purchase a small bouquet and take a walk in your neighborhood sharing a flower with each person you pass. If you want to add to your challenge, write a simple prayer which your kids can say for each recipient. 
•    Make an even bigger impact – take a field trip to a local nursing home and share some of your joy with the residents there. They love kids, flowers and prayers. What a beautiful way to share God’s word.
•    Gather donations of canned food or dry goods and donate to a local charity or food bank.
•    Day Five: To the Ends of the Earth
•    Learn more about our Catholic faith and the Eucharist through classes offered at your local parish, online or through the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City. Attend this year’s Discipleship Conference being held Aug. 10 at the Oklahoma City Convention Center.
•    Pray for an increase in vocations, especially to the priesthood. 
•    Most importantly, attend Mass every week, fully present and reverent to what the Eucharist is: the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ.

It’s officially summer, consider taking this time of year to include traditions in your family which expand your Catholic faith and knowledge.

Deacon Frank Alexander is a deacon at Epiphany of the Lord Catholic Church in Oklahoma City. 

(More details and information can be found at the National Eucharistic Congress website, eucharisticcongress.org.)