My dear brothers and sisters, we thank our God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the God who is love, for gathering us as a family of faith at this closing Mass of the National Eucharistic Congress.
I bring to you the fatherly, the paternal blessings of His Holiness, Pope Francis.
The Holy Father prays, as we all do, that the Congress may bear fruit, much fruit, for the renewal of the Church and of society in the United States of America.
Before coming here, I asked the Holy Father if he had a message for you.
He said, “Conversion to the Eucharist. Conversion to the Eucharist.” Then he turned to me and said, “Behave well.” Since the Eucharistic Congress will be followed by a sending of Eucharistic missionaries, I would like to offer some points for reflection on the connection, the link, between Eucharistic conversion and missionary conversion.
The first point. The theme of our National Eucharistic Congress is taken from the sixth chapter of the Gospel of St. John. In the fullness of time, the Father sent His eternal Word, who became flesh, through the Holy Spirit. He was present among us human beings, as one like us in the flesh, except in sin. The Son sent by the Father came as a life-giving gift, a gift in the human flesh of Jesus, “My flesh for the life of the world,” Jesus Himself declares. We should note that Jesus’ description of His being sent by the Father is always connected to the gift of His flesh for others, being sent and being a gift.
In the Gospel of John, chapter 6, verse 38, Jesus says, “For I came down from heaven, not to do my will, but the will of the One who sent me.” Jesus has a profound consciousness of having been sent, of being on a mission. He also says in John 6, 32, “My Father gives you the true bread from heaven.” But what is this bread? He says in verse 35, “I am the bread of life.” Jesus is sent to be given by the Father to others, sent to be a gift. He is not sent just to wander around and to enjoy Himself. He is sent to be given. The missioner is a gift. Mission is not just about work, but also about the gift of oneself. Jesus fulfills His mission by giving Himself, His flesh, His presence to others as the Father wills it.
The presence of Jesus in the Eucharist is a gift and the fulfillment of His mission. This is my body for you, my blood for you. Always for you, for all. Never for me, for you, for all. In Jesus’ mission and gift of self meet, the Eucharist is a privileged moment to experience Jesus’ mission as a gift of Himself.
Dear friends, it occurred to me that where there is a lack or a weakening of missionary zeal, maybe it is partly due to a weakening in the appreciation of gifts and giftedness. Do we still look at ourselves, at persons, at objects, at our work, at society, at the events of daily life, and at creation within the horizon of gift? Or is this horizon disappearing? If our horizon is only that of achievement, success, and profit, there is no room to see and receive gratuitous gifts.
There is no place for gratitude and self-giving. There will only be a relentless search for self-affirmation that eventually becomes oppressive and tiring, leading to more self-absorption or individualism. And when pessimism takes over, we see only darkness, failures, problems, things to complain about, blah, blah, blah.
We do not see gifts in persons and events. And those who do not see gifts in themselves and in others will not give gifts. They will not go on a mission. In fact, I heard that some people prefer to relate with so-called friends or dates generated by artificial intelligence because they do not see gifts in real flesh and blood persons.
Husbands and wives who are here, may I know who are married here, husbands and wives? Wow.
Husbands and wives, what do you see in each other? A gift or a problem? The answer is not clear.
Then no wonder there is no mission between husband and wife.
If you don’t see them as gifts, then wow.
Children, are there children here? Yeah.
I think all of us are children.
Children, what do you see in your parents? A gift or an ATM card? Parents, parents, what do you see in your children? A gift or a burden? Priests and deacons, what do you see in your bishops? I’m sorry.
Religious men and women, what do you see in your religious superiors? What do you see in your priests and deacons? Oh, they say problem.
Gifts, gifts, gifts.
Friends, what do you see in a poor person, in a homeless person, in a sick person? What do you see in a person, in someone who differs from you? Like Jesus, let us give a gift of presence to each other.
Go to church, go to mass with the gift of your flesh, your singing voice, your sweat, your tears, your smiles.
Jesus gives his flesh.
Why can we not give him and the community the gift of our fleshly presence? My second point.
Is Jesus a gift or a problem? A gift.
Well, Jesus told his listeners in the Gospel of John, chapter 6, that to receive him, to accept him means first to believe in him, and secondly, to eat his flesh and drink his blood.
The disciples who were initially eager to listen to him started doubting.
They said, “This saying is hard, it’s difficult. Who can accept it?” They also questioned whether Jesus had been sent by God since they knew him as the son of Joseph and Mary.
As a result of this, many of his disciples left him, meaning, and I quote, “They returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him.” They returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him.
They returned to a way of life without Jesus.
They chose his absence rather than his presence in their lives.
Instead of accompanying him, they walked alone.
Their rejection of the gift of Jesus’ word, body, and blood meant they would not walk with him.
And neither could he send them on mission.
I invite you, dear brothers and sisters, to pause and ask rather painful questions about this mysterious rejection of Jesus by his disciples.
By his disciples.
Is it possible that we, his disciples, contribute also to the departure of others from Jesus? Why do some people leave Jesus when he is giving the most precious gift of eternal life? Why do some Baptists turn away from the gift of Jesus in the Eucharist? Does our biblical, catechetical, and liturgical formation allow the gift of Jesus’ person to shine forth clearly? Does our Eucharistic celebration manifest Jesus’ presence or does it obscure the presence of Jesus? Do mass goers manifest the presence of Christ through their witness of life, charity, and mission? Do our parish communities provide an experience of Jesus’ closeness and caring? Are our families still the primary teachers and transmitters of the faith? Do the youth feel listened to and heard about their search for Jesus? What cultural mindsets challenge the faith in Jesus’ word and gift of self? Now I shift my line of questioning.
Maybe there are people who desire to be present with the Lord, but they hesitate to come, like the poor, the homeless, the migrants, the refugees, the indigenous people, the hearing-impaired, the elderly, and many other hidden people who might feel they do not belong.
But let us not lose heart.
Jesus will not get tired of coming to us with the gift of himself, even when he is wounded.
This leads me to the third and final point.
You can be happy.
After the departure of some disciples, Jesus asked the twelve apostles, “Do you also want to leave?” Simon Peter answered him, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.
We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.” Jesus is asking each one of us, “Do you also want to leave me like the others?” I hope we can answer like Peter, “We will stay with you, Lord.
We refuse to live far from your presence.” But let these not be empty words.
Like Peter, we should believe with conviction.
Jesus does not impose himself on anyone.
He appeals to our interior freedom.
Faith and conviction are our gifts to Jesus, who gives himself to us.
So I ask you, dear brothers and sisters, will you stay with Jesus? Okay, I’m not finished.
Those who choose to stay with Jesus will be sent by Jesus.
The gift of his presence and love for us will be our gift to people.
We should not keep Jesus to ourselves.
That is not discipleship.
That is selfishness.
The gift we have received, we should give as a gift.
Have you experienced the tenderness of Jesus towards his tired disciples, offering them time to rest and to eat, as recounted in the gospel today? Go and share Jesus’ tender love to
the weary, the hungry, and the suffering.
Have you experienced Jesus’ compassion and guidance when you were like sheep without a shepherd? Go and share Jesus’ shepherds’ caress to the lost, confused, and weak.
Have you experienced Jesus’ wounded heart uniting those who are separated from each other, as St. Paul states in his letter to the Ephesians? Go and share Jesus’ gift of reconciliation and peace to those who are divided.
In his letter to me, Pope Francis expressed the hope, and I quote, “that the participants of the Congress, fully aware of the universal gifts they receive from heavenly food, may impart them to others.” End of quote.
Fully aware of the gifts they have received from the heavenly food, may they impart them to others.
So a Eucharistic people is a missionary and evangelizing people.
Now I’m really closing this now.
Let me close by sharing an experience.
When I was a parish priest, I noticed a woman who was extraordinarily devoted to the church.
On Sundays, she arrived early, early in the morning, to help in all the masses and other activities, and went home only when the church had been cleaned up and the doors closed.
One day, I thanked her for her dedication, and I also thanked her family for allowing her to serve.
Her answer surprised me.
She said, “Father, do not worry about my family.
I stay here in church and attend all masses because I do not want to see my husband and children.” I wish every day were a Sunday so I could avoid my family.
Dear friends, when the priest or deacon says the mass is ended, go in the peace of Christ.
Please go! Go! Go! Do not spend the whole day drinking coffee with Monsignor, or with Father.
Go! Go! Go! And what you have heard, touched, and tasted, you must share with others.
We have received the gift of Jesus.
Let us go to proclaim Jesus zealously and joyfully for the life of the world.
Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Pro-Prefect for the Section of Evangelization of the Dicastery for Evangelization, was sent by Pope Francis as his envoy to the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis.
