Reflection on Year of the Eucharist

By one of my sisters at ESM, Michelle, a talented actress from NY.

Our Source of Strength

By Michelle Kafel

This year’s ESM class was blessed to be in Rome during the Synod called for by Pope John Paul II that reflected on The Eucharist as the source and summit of the life and mission of the Church. We attended the closing mass of the Synod, which also closed the Year of the Eucharist, and saw the canonization of five saints, whose lives exemplified the union with Christ in the Eucharist, as their source of strength.
Previous to the closing mass we met with different cardinals participating in the Synod. Cardinal Pell, of Sydney, Australia, came to lunch in our home, and afterwards briefly spoke with us about some key points of the Synod, such as those affirming the long-standing traditions of the church regarding the necessity and profundity of the Eucharist. He also spoke of how important and touching it was to hear of those priests and faithful who were being persecuted for their faith. He testified that it was a witness of strength for him.
Another close friend of the school, Cardinal Ouellet, of Quebec, Canada, celebrated mass at the Centro San Lorenzo for us. Through his homily, and time of reception afterwards, we were able to speak with him about our particular role in the church as youth. He reaffirmed the necessity for us to give ourselves completely to Christ, to abandon ourselves, so as to find true freedom and happiness. The most perfect way to do this is through the Eucharist, which unifies us in mind, body and spirit. He gave us a lot of encouragement, saying that we, as youth, have been entrusted to be the ‘sentinels of the morning’, with the capacity to change the world, and the church behind us in support.
Pope Benedict XVI’s homily at the closing Mass of the Synod and Year of the Eucharist was equally compelling. Much of his homily focused on our responsibility to carry with us a missionary spirit, with the Eucharist as our source of strength. We can do this by following the example of the saints, particularly those canonized that day. In the Eucharist we contemplate the synthesis of love that Jesus gives to us through His sacrifice, and which is given to us when we feed on Him. He went on to say that the saint is someone fascinated by God so that he is progressively transformed. This is why he is willing to give up everything in humble service to others, even without the promise of something in return. He encouraged us to be the bread broken for others, to make the world more just and fraternal, by our witness of Christ’s love.
These first, few, strong witnesses of faith, by our spiritual leaders, strengthened our zeal and dedication to our lives as missionaries. We have been able to carry this knowledge with us, in our daily activities and personal encounters, and especially into our mission work in Lisbon and Rome itself.