1 - The Tears
I cried, and I saw other people cry. During adoration, with tens of thousands of other adorers, amidst the music, I cried, and others around me also cried. Tears were shed during talks, testimonies, and riveting reflections. I cried at some point every day.
When I distributed communion, I vividly remember seeing people who were crying as they received communion with tears of joy. There was a burning desire for Jesus, and this left an impression on my heart and filled me with much hope.
The tears were meaningful to me.
2 - The link between Confession and the Eucharist
Within the convention center, there was a massive ballroom where over 100 priests heard confessions at any given time. Thousands upon thousands went to confession throughout a given day. I had the privilege as a priest to hear confessions on two different days.
As Fr. Mike Schmitz said in his Thursday night talk, “There is no revival without repentance.”
The belief in the sacrament of confession from the lay faithful was meaningful to me.
3 - Inter-generational
Pope Francis has encouraged all Catholics to enter into inter-generational dialogue. This benefits the youth and the elderly.
At the Eucharistic Congress, there were newborns, children, teens, young adults, middle-aged adults, and the elderly.
Seeing the inter-generational reality of everyone worshipping Jesus in the Eucharist was meaningful to me.
4 - Unity
Every state, and what appeared to be every diocese, for that matter, had someone present at the Eucharistic Congress. There were 4 cardinals, more than 200 bishops, some 1,200 priests and 500 seminarians, hundreds upon hundreds of nuns, and some 50,000 lay faithful present.
There were multiple different ethnicities present and languages spoken.
St. Thomas Aquinas taught that it takes many crushed grapes to make one bottle of wine and many grains of wheat to make one loaf of bread. The making of wine and bread helps us contemplate what the body and blood of Jesus does: it brings us together into unity and communion.
The unity that was felt at the Congress was meaningful to me.
5 - The Harmony of Vocations
Every vocation was abundantly present at the Congress: married life, single life, religious life, and priesthood. However, what struck me was the harmony felt in the vocations, all directed toward the Eucharist. The saints also depict this harmony between one another.
The Congress itself was a massive undertaking, and all the vocations contributed to making the Congress happen. I was reminded of St. Paul, who shared that some are teachers, others prophets, and others pastors, teachers, and evangelists. In other words, the Body of Christ helps one another by giving the gifts that one has. I felt this reality at the Congress.
The harmony of the vocations reminded me of the harmony of the saints and this was meaningful to me.
6 - Magnitude of People
I was simply overwhelmed by the magnitude of the people present. I vividly remember thinking, “How vast will Heaven be?”
The magnitude of people was meaningful to me.
7 - Joy
From the first moment the Congress opened, there was joy. This atmosphere of joy only amplified. I saw joy in the faces of thousands of people.
The joy was meaningful to me.
8 - Returning to History
The United States has had nine previous National Eucharistic Congresses; however, it has been 83 years since the last one. The Catholic Church has had a rich history of Eucharistic Congresses since the late 1800s, and they have yielded much fruit.
I am grateful we have returned to having Eucharistic Congresses because they are a gem in the Church’s rich tradition. History shows that Eucharistic Congresses build momentum; seeds are planted, roots deepen, and fruit follows.
Returning to the gems of Catholic tradition was meaningful to me.
9 - Eucharistic Educators, Evangelizers, and Encouragers
One of the things that has been on my heart for the last few months has been the call to become a Eucharistic educator, evangelizer, and encourager. I was overwhelmed by the encounter with many wonderful educators, evangelizers, and encouragers of the Eucharist.
The encounter with Eucharistic educators, evangelizers, and encouragers was meaningful to me.
10 - Ranging Belief
There were ranging belief levels of Jesus’ real presence in the Eucharist at the Congress. Some came who deeply believed, and others came who wanted to go deeper in their faith.
St. Thomas Aquinas taught that the human person is malleable. In other words, we are changeable. So, too, it is with our Eucharistic belief: Jesus can take us from where we are in our Eucharistic belief to where He wants us to be.
The Eucharistic Congress reminded me of this truth: our belief in the Eucharist is not static and unchangeable, but with the help of God, we can grow in Eucharistic belief.
The reminder that our belief in the Eucharist can grow with God’s help was meaningful to me.
11 - I needed it.
Not everyone was called to the Eucharistic Congress. I was called to go because God knew I needed it. On the first night of the Congress, Sr. Miriam James shared that it is okay to have wants and needs; we can bring those to Jesus in the Eucharist.
Jesus had things He wanted me to see, experience, learn, and open my mind to ideas He wants me to think about as a Catholic priest.
The realization that I needed the Eucharistic Congress and that God wanted to love me through the National Eucharistic Congress was meaningful to me.
12 - Catholic Reunion
The reality of communion is real. I had the chance to see friends from the past, friends from the other side of the country, and persons I did not anticipate seeing but was so grateful I had the chance to reconnect with. I also met Catholics I had never met before and look forward to seeing them in the future here on Earth or, if not then, in Heaven.
There is a saying that the Catholic Church is everybody. I felt that. I also felt that there were glimpses of foreshadowings of Heaven: everyone worshiping and focusing on Jesus at the same time.
The experience of being a part of a very large Catholic reunion was meaningful to me.
13 - As Iron Sharpens Iron
One of the big graces for me was being around many others who believe more than I do and have stronger devotion and faith.
I have felt this at the parishes I have served at and also at the Eucharistic Congress.
There is a resemblance between the natural and the spiritual. In the natural realm, an athlete who competes with stronger athletes becomes strengthened. So, too, in the spiritual realm, when a spiritual athlete is with other spiritual athletes who are stronger, then one also strengthens.
I was strengthened in my faith by being around others stronger than me.
God strengthened me in my Eucharistic belief through others and this was meaningful to me.
14 - Impossible to be Silent
In the Acts of the Apostles, Peter and John were taken into custody for “teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the Resurrection of the dead” (Acts 4:2). After the assembly discussed what they were to do with Peter and John the Sanhedrin ordered each of them to never again speak or teach in the name of Jesus.
Peter and John’s response is simply astounding. They boldly replied, “It is impossible for us not to speak about what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20). In time, Peter would be crucified upside down, John would be exiled, and the other Apostles would be martyred in different ways and places.
I encountered Jesus at the Eucharistic Congress and it is impossible for me not to speak about what I saw and heard.
The encounters with Jesus at the Eucharistic Congress were meaningful to me.
15 - Receiving what I needed, not what I wanted
One of the greatest graces for me was that the Eucharistic Congress was exactly what I needed but not what I had wanted going into it. God surpassed my expectations.
I was hoping for teaching sessions on how better to teach, preach, and explain the Eucharist. However, this is not what the Congress was for the priest program.
The focus for priests was on abiding with Jesus in the Eucharist, rekindling the relationship with Jesus in prayer, and falling in love with Jesus more and more.
The focus of the Eucharistic Congress for priests in abiding with Jesus was meaningful to me.
It is important to remember that the National Eucharistic Congress is a part of the whole Eucharistic Revival. More information on the three-year Eucharistic Revival can be found here.
Let us pray for each other that we may continue to grow more and more in our faith in the Eucharist.
+ Fr. Luke Daghir