Eucharistic series offered at Spirit of Life

A new monthly series at Spirit of Life Church in Mandan aims to spark a renewed faith formation in the Eucharist.

The Spirit of Life Eucharistic series opened Sept. 19 with a talk on the topic of “The Eucharist Throughout History.” The presentations continue every third Tuesday of the month through May 21, 2024. Talks begin at 7 p.m. All are welcome to attend.

The next topic, on Nov. 21, is “The Eucharist Makes the Church.”

Father Keith Streifel, pastor of Spirit of Life, said the first installment was well received using a speaker-audience format with around 30 people attending. “A number of people came and said, ‘I’ll come back again,’” he noted. “They enjoyed it. The first presentation was an overview—the history of the Eucharist from the Old Testament until now.” 

Father Streifel and Karen Eggers, director of faith formation for Spirit of Life parish, are the primary speakers.

Inspired by National Revival

The series of presentations was inspired by the National Eucharistic Revival called for by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Church leaders pointed toward a lapse in both belief and comprehension of the Real Presence in the Eucharist to prompt the revival. The revival launched nationally on the Feast of Corpus Christi in June 2022 and focused on the diocesan level for the first year. Then, on that same feast in 2023, the revival shifted locally to the parish phase.

“There was a survey done of Catholics in America which told us that many people didn’t understand or hold the basic belief of the Church that the Eucharist is Jesus. Many would incorrectly say it’s a symbol or they would say that Jesus is present with the bread and wine,” Fr. Streifel explained.

He added there is clearly a need for greater practice of worship in the Church. “Only a certain percentage of Catholics show up for Mass. If we understood what we were receiving, if we understood the gift of the Eucharist, the gift of Christ Himself, then we’d be fighting to get into the pew.”

Yet, he said, that isn’t happening.

Purpose of the revival

Father Streifel explained that there are four main purposes for the national revival. They are: reinvigorating worship, growing personal encounter with Jesus through the Eucharist, sparking a robust faith formation and sending forth on mission. It is intended that more people would worship as we should with our whole heart and whole mind.

“The purpose to engage in deeper formation is that we form our minds, our understanding and, from that, our lives and our actions more deeply reflect what the Eucharist is. We turn our focus to Jesus being present in the sacraments, to Jesus giving us Himself.”

The series of presentations at Spirit of Life will also focus upon the practice of the Mass and its meaning for Christians as human beings. All of this goes together for a complete understanding of who we are in our Catholic faith and who the Church is. 

“Those who attend can use what we are talking about to understand that the Eucharist is the source, the font, the place where we get who we are and the summit. The Eucharist being Jesus is Who we have been aiming for all along and Who we will be aiming for in eternity. We become who we receive in the Eucharist,” Fr. Streifel said.

Risk of complacency

October’s presentation explored Bishop Kagan’s latest pastoral letter titled “It is the Lord!” The letter explains, in simple detail, the sacraments of the Eucharist and reconciliation.
Father Streifel said that there is a risk of Catholics “going through the motions” when they do not understand the Eucharist and that Jesus is fully present within it.

“If we can see and understand what is really going on; if we can see how great it is for us to participate in the Mass, then it becomes less tempting to be distracted by all of the other things in our life. And rather to let us bring Christ’s presence that we receive in the Eucharist to all those other things,” he said.

The Eucharist is a movement. From the Mass, we see Jesus’ presence, receive Him in the Eucharist, in turn, then take that out into the world and share it with others in all that we say and do.

Go out on mission

The third and final phase of the National Eucharistic Revival is that Catholics are sent out on mission. It’s a way to challenge Catholics to rekindle their missionary hearts to go out and share the gift of our Eucharistic Lord with the world. By Lent, Fr. Streifel has plans in the works to lead the parishioners on a mission, although he isn’t revealing those details yet.

“One aspect within our faith is that we send people as missionaries. On one hand, it is sending people to other places. On the other hand, it is recognizing that the Eucharist makes us missionaries right where we are. The challenge isn’t just to send some people somewhere, but rather we are equipped to bring Christ wherever we are,” he said.

It is impossible for the clergy to reach everywhere, noted Fr. Streifel. The faithful are being
asked to do their part to bring Christ to others in big and small ways.

“If we are to live out what Jesus wants the Church to be, we have to all be sent,” he added.
The National Eucharistic Revival is aimed at helping the faithful realize receiving the Eucharist, not as a thing, but as the person of Jesus Christ Who came and comes to save us. The series at Spirit of Life looks to rekindle the spirit within Catholics to recognize Christ in the Eucharist, be strengthened by Him and share Him with others.

Details on future series topics of the Spirit of Life Eucharistic series will be posted in the church bulletins and online through May 21, 2024. All are welcome to attend every third Tuesday of the month beginning at 7 p.m. The planned topics are: Nov 21 - The Eucharist Makes the Church; Dec. 19 - Christ’s Mass; Jan. 16 - The Eucharist and the Dignity of the Human Person; Feb. 20 - Lenten Parish Mission; March 19 - Preparing to Receive; April 16 - Eucharistic Miracles/The Miracle of the Eucharist; and May 21 - The Eucharist and the Holy Spirit.

Please note that several parishes throughout the diocese are planning special events surrounding the parish phase of the National Eucharistic Revival. This article presents the details on just one of our parish’s events. Please check with your pastor to see what might be being planned within your parish to commemorate the revival.