From The Bishop

In this Sunday’s Gospel (Luke 24:35-48) we are presented with the Risen Lord appearing to “the eleven” after journeying with the disciples on the road to Emmaus. It appears that Jesus offers a similar experience to the apostles. There is food that is shared and an opportunity to have a more profound understanding of scripture. There is also a commission given to go forth and proclaim His name to all nations. The early Christian Church quickly understood that they needed to liturgically celebrate what the Lord had modeled for them. At every celebration of the Eucharist we encounter the Risen Lord. We hear His word and are fed with His Body and Blood. We are also sent forth to make disciples of all nations. This is why the Eucharist is the perfect means of catechesis and evangelization. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states, “In brief, the Eucharist is the communal summary of our faith: our way of thinking is attuned to the Eucharist and the Eucharist in turn confirms our way of thinking” (CCC 1124). This is why the Church in her wisdom places such importance on attending the Sunday Eucharist. We come in humble worship and are transformed by what we celebrate. During our 60th anniversary as a diocese, a primary focus is the Eucharist. As we “put out into the deep,” we pray that we will be able to draw more people to the beauty of the Mass so that they may encounter Christ. A significant way to do this is to witness to others what we celebrate each Sunday. In this way, we are fulfilling the commandment of Jesus who tells us in the Gospel to be His witnesses.