CHARLOTTE — Bishop Michael Martin on Saturday encouraged thousands of Catholics to go out and be passionate examples of Christ’s missionary love for others in a world that needs it.
“In my life, the question isn't whether or not I have passion. The question is to whom is my passion directed,” Bishop Martin said in his homily for the closing Mass of the 22nd Eucharistic Congress at the Charlotte Convention Center. “I think each of us should regularly ask ourselves that question.”
The bilingual Mass wrapped up a two-day celebration that drew 13,000 people for a joyful mix of music, worship and fellowship, all centered around the Eucharist as the source and summit of the Catholic faith.
The Eucharistic Congress, themed “Called. Formed. Sent,” opened its doors Friday evening with a praise-and-worship concert headlined by the Scally Brothers.
It resumed Saturday morning with one of the largest Eucharistic processions in the nation as thousands of people sang, danced and prayed for more than 40 minutes as they made their way from St. Peter Church through the streets of Uptown. It was followed by a Holy Hour led by Father Kevin Martinez and a variety of speakers who brought a focus on youth.
"I really love the chance for young adults to be here together and that there are activities geared toward us," said Elba Moreno, who travelled from St. Eugene Parish in Asheville, the tenth time she has walked in the procession. "You saw so many young people here alongside older people, all together. It was beautiful."
In his homily message, Bishop Martin drew from the Gospel (Luke 9:11b-17) that recalled the feeding of the multitudes to emphasize the Congress’ theme of service to others.
In that reading, the bishop explained, Jesus is “sending us a very clear message. The disciples come to him with a problem: ‘We have all these people – what are we going to feed them?’, and what is His first response? ‘Go feed them yourselves.’”
“He's trying to empower them,” the bishop said. “He is preparing the ground for the ministry that they're going to be carrying out.”
Likewise, he said, Jesus through the Eucharist “is passionate about empowering us so that we can feed the deepest hungers of the world.”
“The saddest reality of Christianity in our time is not that people have no passion for it, it's that they don't know what they really should be passionate about. They don't see examples of people whose lives have been transformed by the love of Christ, especially in the Eucharist – that's on you and me.”
“My brothers and sisters, we are called, we are formed, and we are sent,” Bishop Martin emphasized. “May we be passionate about each and may we allow the passion of our God on the cross, broken and shared on this altar, to empower us to go feed them yourselves.”
The Mass concluded with a bilingual video invitation for participants to live the theme of the Congress out in their daily lives.
“What's next?” Bishop Martin asked in the video. “I challenge you to keep going – build on what you've started here.”
Five priests from across the diocese then offered suggestions for how to do so, ranging from attending Mass and receiving the sacraments to volunteering in faith formation, campus ministry or works of charity.
Father Marcel Amadi wrapped up the message: “We need to go out to make disciples of all nations as Christ would tell us in Matthew 28. Don't keep all of these graces and blessings to yourself. go share them and bring more people into God's Church.”
— Trish Stukbauer. Photos by Jason Blanco, Liz Chandler, Edward Chaplinsky Jr., Olivia DiaGiovanni, Lisa M. Geraci, Troy C. Hull, Christina Lee Knauss, Patrick Schneider, Brian Segovia and provided
