This time last month, many of us were adoring our Lord Jesus, truly present in the Most Holy Eucharist and deepening our faith in Him – in person and via social media, at the Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis. I am sure this thrilling spiritual experience continues to fill your heart, as it does mine, with joyful hope and abiding faith in the power of the Holy Spirit to grant us the graces we need to be vessels of God’s love and mercy to all, especially those who have wandered away from the Lord.
The National Eucharistic Revival is NOT OVER! At the closing Mass of the Eucharistic Congress, Cardinal Antonio Tagle summoned all Catholics to be Eucharistic Missionaries, right in our own surroundings. Through our Baptism, we are all called to evangelize. Thanks to the gift of the Holy Spirit, we are all well-equipped for this mission. There is someone in your life right now whom Jesus longs to call to Himself. He wants to spark a relationship with them and bless them with the sacraments. This is your opportunity to be God’s instrument in the life of another person.
Just as Jesus called His followers one-by-one, say “YES” to a special form of one-to-one accompaniment entitled the WALK WITH ONE initiative. The Bishops of the United States, in conjunction with the NEC team have developed a simple four stage process of accompaniment that focuses on this heart-to-heart approach.
Step 1: Identify someone in a spirit of humility:
Prayerfully begin to discern whom God is calling you to accompany. Before you begin the process of inviting someone into a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ and the Catholic Church, spend time in prayer, inviting the Holy Spirit to guide you in this process.
Step 2: Intercede for that person in communion with the Holy Spirit:
Pray for the grace to be able to accompany the person whom the Lord has laid on your heart. Now that the Lord has identified a person whom you know, commit to pray for them for a specific period of time, asking God to open the opportunity for a conversation.
Step 3: Connect in Eucharistic Friendship
Look for ways to accompany the person you have prayed for, to build a deeper relationship, and to practice the art of empathetic listening. Take the time needed to develop a real friendship and get to know your friend’s joys and struggles and share your own.
Step 4: Invite that person on a path most suitable for him or her:
Follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit to invite him or her to a concrete next step in fostering a personal relationship with Jesus and the Church. Perhaps the first step is to invite the person to a parish social gathering, a service opportunity or a small group experience. The invitation to accompany you to Mass may come at a later time, depending on the person.
Throughout each stage of your Walk with One journey you are encouraged to pray the Eucharistic Examen, to help you discern the path the Lord is calling you to follow (see website below). If you can open your heart to speak about how Jesus has touched your life, your heart will touch the heart of whomever Jesus leads you to accompany. Imagine how our families, parishes, neighborhoods and country will be transformed if every Catholic answers this call to WALK WITH ONE!
For more in-depth information on this Walk With One initiative, please go to: www.eucharisticrevival.org/walk-with-one.
