Mindful of how the pandemic forced us to stay physically distant from one another and, for a time, to view the celebration of the Mass on a television of computer screen, it appears that many of the faithful have had their faith and their desire for the Eucharist strengthened by such a long separation. At the same time, as pastors we sense that others, having lived without Mass for so long, may have become discouraged or accustomed to life without the Eucharist. In many ways the pandemic is still with us. Thus, the Bishops of the United States document, "Thy Mystery of the Eucharist in the Life of the Church," draws its conclusion with these words:
Let us all ask the Lord to call us into a time of Eucharistic renewal, a time of prayer and reflection, of acts of charity and sincere repentance. The Lord is with us in the Eucharistic Mystery celebrated in our parishes and missions, in our beautiful cathedrals and in our poorest chapels. He is present and he draws near to us, so that we can draw nearer to him. The Lord is generous to us with his grace; and so we, by his grace, should always humbly ask him to give us what we need.
Our theme for the convocation is:
The Gift of the Eucharist in Our Shared Priestly Ministry:
Unity, Diversity, and Charity
As the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston launches an anniversary celebration of 175 of faith, the goal of this convocation is to assist our priests in unpacking the gift of the Eucharist in the context of our priesthood. How do we minister to not only the people entrusted to our care, but to one another as we deepen our relationship with the Lord? How do we revive a sense of Eucharist beginning with ourselves?
As the US Bishops prepare to launch a national Eucharistic Revival, our time together as the presbyterate of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston will allow us the time to manifest and rekindle our love for this unspeakable gift of the Eucharist. The Church and the world need the healing and unity that can flow from rekindling this love. Together, we begin this revival within our own Archdiocese by focusing on the Eucharist as the source of our life to renew the Church.