Year of Mission!

 

 

Become a disciple of Christ!
The Eucharist is the heart of the Church. Where Eucharistic life flourishes, there the life of the Church will blossom.
~ Pope Saint John Paul II

What is the Year of Mission?

Jesus in the Eucharist is the answer to every restless longing of the human heart. That living faith compels us to share this joy with our brothers and sisters! That’s what the third year of the Revival—the Year of Mission—is all about.

The Year of Mission calls all of us to become disciples of Christ!

This is an exciting new season of the Revival movement. The Holy Spirit has enkindled a missionary fire in the heart of our nation, and now he is sending out every member of the Church to spread the Good News—sharing the gift of our Eucharistic Lord with those on the margins. And YOU are invited to be a part of it! Become a Eucharistic Missionary!

What is a Eucharistic Missionary?

A Eucharistic Missionary is any Catholic who—inspired by an encounter with Christ in the Eucharist and fueled by the Bread of Life—allows God to use them as an instrument of his grace “for the life of the world.” Eucharistic missionaries embrace their deepest identity as a member of the Body of Christ and commit to living a Eucharistic life with a heart for those who are most in need, those who are lost, and those who are the “least.” They follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit to spread the Gospel by word and deed.

See below for more information and resources for the faithful of all ages to engage with the National Eucharistic Revival Year of Mission by delving into the treasures of the Catholic faith. Visit the National Eucharistic Revival Year of Mission webpage for additional information and resources, and watch this space for more ways to get involved!

 

The Four Pillars of Mission

 

Pillar 1: Eucharistic Encounter

A Eucharistic Missionary engages in regular encounters with Jesus in the Eucharist through a weekly holy hour and, where possible, one weekday Mass in addition to their Sunday obligation. They offer up this additional Mass for ongoing Eucharistic Revival in the United States.

Pillar 2: Eucharistic Identity

A Eucharistic Missionary continually forms their identity in Jesus Christ through ongoing spiritual formation, education, and service to their parish and community, especially those on the peripheries. The National Eucharistic Congress provides resources and formation materials for Eucharistic Missionaries. This formation includes an annual period prior to the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Jesus Christ.

 

Pillar 3: Eucharistic Life

A Eucharistic Missionary is grounded in their family, neighborhood, and parish and is both nourished by this community and a contributor to this community. They form intentional relationships with those closest to them, stepping out of themselves to truly love their neighbors.

Pillar 4: Eucharistic Mission

A Eucharistic Missionary desires to give what they have been given by Jesus. This Eucharistic Mission is sustained by periods of fasting and almsgiving and is lived out explicitly by a Eucharistic Missionary walking with one person in his or her journey of faith.

 

 

 

Make It Official! 

Why not formally commit to becoming a Eucharistic Missionary? The National Eucharistic Revival is inviting individuals and parish groups to begin formation to officially become Eucharistic Missionaries and be commissioned on the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Jesus Christ.

This 5-part training will equip you to become the Eucharistic Missionary our Lord is inviting you to be. Each training module is informative and inspiring — complete with Eucharistic Missionary formation, testimonies, discussion questions, and a weekly practice. The time has come for us to go forth. Will you answer the call?

Begin on Pentecost and be commissioned on the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. Sign up on the National Eucharistic Revival Year of Mission page, here!  Scroll down to “What is a Eucharistic Missionary” and submit your information! Don’t miss this exciting opportunity!

New Mission Resources!

The National Eucharistic Revival has various resources available, including a new webinar series to help form you in your faith and equip you to share it with others.

The next webinar will be on April 15 at 8 p.m. and will focus on a pastoral approach to same sex attraction; this episode aims to equip participants with compassionate and authentically Catholic guidance. The webinar will be led by Kim Zember and Manny Gonzalez. Kim will share her struggles of living a double life while pursuing earthly desires such as sexuality, money, and comfort. Manny will share his personal experiences with same sex attraction and invite others to seek fulfillment within the Catholic Church.

Register: https://dioceseofveniceinflorida.org/webinarApril15.

 

 

Resources for the Year of Mission

National Eucharistic Revival – Year 3: The Year of Mission (National Eucharistic Revival website)

Resources for Children, Parents of Children, and for Those Teaching Children

  1. Great Missionaries Throughout the Ages: 15 Portraits of Faith and Courage – (Book)
  2. Junipero Serra: Founder of the California Missions by Linda Gondosch – (Book)
  3. King Arthur’s Knights by Henry Gilbert – (Book)
  4. Saint Philip of the Joyous Heart – (Book)
  5. Mary, Mother of All by Scott Hahn and Emily Stimpson Chapman – (Book)
  6. Seven Clues: A Catholic Treasure Hunt by Scott Hahn and Roan McKeegan – (Book)

Resources for Teenagers, Parents of Teenagers, and Those Teaching Them

  1. Your Greatest Mission – Radical & Relevant – Matthew Kelly – (Video)
  2. God Has a Mission for You – (Video)
  3. Clare of Assisi – Runaway Rich Girl – (Comic Book)
  4. A Man of the Beatitudes: Pier Giorgio Frassati – (Book)
  5. The Smile of a Ragpicker: The Life of Satoko Kitahara, Convert and Servant of the Slums of Tokyo – (Book)

Resources for Young Adults and Not So Young Adults

  1. Redemptoris Missio: On the Permanent Validity of the Church’s Missionary Mandate by St. John Paul II – (Encyclical)
  2. Bishop Barron on St. Paul and the Mission of the Church – (Video)
  3. Bishop Robert Barron’s Full Speech at the National Eucharistic Congress – (Video)
  4. Mike Schmitz’s full speech at the National Eucharistic Congress – (Video)
  5. New Testament Basics for Catholics by John Bergsma – (Book)
  6. Eucharistic Adoration by Charles M. Murphey – (Book)
  7. I Love Being Catholic. Here’s Why. Fr. Mike Schmitz – (Video)
  8. I Go to Mass, but it Feels Like Nothing Changes. Fr. Mike Schmitz – (Video)
  9. How to Become a Person of Love. Bishop Robert Barron – (Video)

Recursos en Español

  1. Carta Enciclica Ecclesia de Eucharistia de Sumo Potifece, Juan Pablo II – (Encyclica)
  2. Carta Enciclica Redemptoris Missio: Sobre la Permanente Validez del Mandato Misionero, Juan Pablo II – (Encyclica)
  3. Carlo Acutis El Cibernauta De Dios – (Libro)
  4. La Biblia en un Año: Un encuentro diario con Dios – (Libro)
  5. Madre Angelica sobre la Vida de Cristo y Nuestra Senora – (Libro)

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For more information contact Jim Gontis, gontis@dioceseofvenice.org, 941-486-4754