“Eucharist wasn’t meant just for us but for us to share”

Our world teaches us to focus on what we do and form our identity around that, drawing us into our own selfish desires, rather than relationship with God and those around us. In our routine, day-to-day lives, it is often difficult to recognize that we are called to greatness, a life that recognizes the relationship, identity, and mission God calls us to pursue.

A conference or retreat is often the antidote to shake us from our environment and routine that can convince us we are stuck with our sins, trapped in our circumstances, and that God cares little for us.

Muriel Rott and Frances Kanneh, both parishioners at St. Michael’s Church in Grand Forks, shared with New Earth how the Redeemed Eucharistic Conference on Sept. 23–24 in Fargo affected them.

“The conference itself was so forming and changing for me,” said Muriel. “I started going to daily Mass, which is actually crazy for me. I look back on myself a year ago and wow, the Holy Spirit is wild. I feel like I dove into my faith when I was confirmed in April, but this gave me an extra nudge that said, ‘hey, Jesus really loves you. How are you going to show more devotion to him?’ Because at the end of the day, faith in Christ is the most important thing. Before I would catch myself saying I don’t have time to pray or it felt like a chore. Since the conference, I see prayer more as building a relationship with Jesus that’s loving and forgiving.”

“The whole conference was a highlight for me,” said Frances. “I never experienced anything like this before. The first speaker Monsignor Shea opened my eyes that we were made for the invisible world, because the visible world cannot keep its promises to us. Dr. Mary Healy showed me a different way of God’s healing. Growing up Protestant, I have witnessed many healings through putting their hands on people and speaking in tongues, but Dr. Mary Healy was different. She allowed God to do the healing and made God the focus of that healing. I have seen others take the praise, but Dr. Healy made sure that God took all the praise.”

The number of people attending can mistakenly measure the success of a conference. One of the speakers at the conference, Bishop Cozzens, bishop of the Diocese of Crookston, said, “We can pat ourselves on the back because we had 1,000 people come to a conference. We did something great, but that’s actually not what’s most important. What’s most important is who we are. And if we live who we are, then the Lord will in fact use us for his mission in incredible ways…. We have received as Catholics the greatest gift in the world, the gift that our Lord gave us on the night before he died, the gift that carries forth his redemption throughout all of time and this gift, this incredible gift of the Eucharist, wasn’t meant just for us, but in fact, for us to share.”

“I love telling people my story,” said Muriel. “I went into RCIA with a list of nonnegotiables. I went into it mostly because I knew it would make some of my family happy. But sure enough that list disappeared. If I can do it, anyone can do it.”

“This was an unforgettable experience,” said Frances. “I would go again. It set my heart on fire for God. It’s a revival I believe the world needs, especially during this time. I am grateful and blessed to have a friend who encouraged me to go to this conference.”

Presentations of Monsignor James Shea, Sister Miriam James Heidland, Bishop John Folda, and Bishop Andrew Cozzens can be found on the Diocese of Fargo YouTube page.

Heavenly Father, increase our faith in the Real Presence of Your Son Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist. We are obliged to adore Him, to give Him thanks and to make reparation for sins. We need your peace in our hearts and among nations. We need conversion from our sins and the mercy of Your forgiveness. May we obtain this through prayer and our union with the Eucharistic Lord.

Please send down the Holy Spirit upon all peoples to give them the love, courage, strength, and willingness to respond to the invitation to Eucharistic Adoration.

We beseech You to spread Perpetual Adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament in parishes around the world.

We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord. Amen.

Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament, help us to spread the glory of Your Son through Perpetual Adoration.

From World Apostolate of Fatima