by Joe Bollig
joe.bollig@theleaven.org
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Jesus said, “I am the bread of life,” in the Gospel of John, Chapter 6.
Do you know it?
Do you believe it?
Do you want to know more?
Catholics throughout the archdiocese will have an opportunity to delve more deeply into the “Bread of Life Discourse” all through August, thanks to a new, five-week homily series on the Eucharist.
And it couldn’t have come at a better time, just as Catholics across the United States are entering the third year of the National Eucharistic Revival. This series, it is hoped, will help archdiocesan Catholics prepare for the final stage of the revival: Going Out in Mission.
The series will begin on the weekend of July 27-28 with an introduction to the series and will continue through each weekend in August. Providentially, the Gospel readings for that period are from the “Bread of Life Discourse.”
The series is not to be confused with the one developed by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and can be found on the website at: usccb.org by searching “Bread.” The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas already had its in the works when the national one was announced.
“The priests of the archdiocese at our annual convocation last fall listened to Lawrence Feingold, a professor of theology and philosophy at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary in St. Louis,” said Father Brian Schieber, vicar for priests and pastor of St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Leawood. He’s promoting the series to archdiocesan priests.
“He wrote the textbook on the Eucharist: ‘The Eucharist.’ As a fruit of that convocation and a tie-in to the Eucharistic Revival, Archbishop Naumann thought it would be great if we did a homily series on the Eucharist like we did a couple of years ago on the kerygma (the proclamation of the Gospel) during Advent,” he continued. “We’re kind of ahead of the game.”
In his book, Feingold presented a way to understand the Eucharist through four key considerations: the real presence of Jesus, his love expressed by his sacrifice, our love expressed by communion with Jesus and living a eucharistic spirituality by going out on mission.
Pastors will preach their homilies based on the Gospel of John Chapter 6 and Feingold’s key considerations in order: presence, sacrifice, communion and mission. Each pastor has been provided with resources from the archdiocesan office of evangelization as a resource for their own homilies, and online links to USCCB resources.
“Archbishop Naumann is encouraging all the priests of the archdiocese to band together to preach this homily series,” said Father Schieber.
Why have a eucharistic homily series? Father Schieber pointed to three reasons.
First, because it ties in with the National Eucharistic Revival. Second, because there is a power in the Catholics of the archdiocese being united in hearing the same messages about something so important. And third, the Gospel readings providentially focus on the Eucharist.
“I am blessed to go to the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis July 17 to 21,” said Father Schieber. “When I get back, I’ll share the highlights and fruits of the congress.”
The Eucharist is the source and summit of Christian life, he said. He hopes the homily series will inform and reawaken archdiocesan Catholics to what is happening during Mass.
“As Saint Thomas Aquinas said, ‘We cannot love what we do not know,’” said Father Schieber. “If you don’t really know what’s happening at Mass, it’s hard to appreciate and enter into it.
“We want to reawaken an awareness of the Eucharist so people will love the Mass more.”
