I was in second grade, preparing for my first Communion. I felt excited to receive Jesus in the Eucharist, and I understood, as much as a 7-year-old can, the significance of the sacrament. However, I had one burning question.
“How soon can I eat after I receive the Eucharist?” I asked.
Mrs. Smith didn’t seem to comprehend my question, so I clarified.
“If I have a candy bar in my pocket, can I eat it on the way back to my pew?”
I mean, inquiring minds want to know, right?
“Next question,” Mrs. Smith said.
I’ve since learned the answer to that question and more about the Eucharist. I owe much of what I know to the witness of Mom and Dad. Because of them, the Eucharist has always been extremely important to me. I have never wrestled with whether to attend Mass on Sunday; I have always looked forward to it, making daily Mass part of my life long before I became a priest.
For me, the Eucharist has always been the place where I encounter Jesus most personally. I come before him frustrated, lonely, hungry, frightened, and broken. Before him, my heart is settled. Even in some of the most difficult times of my life, when I return to Jesus in the Eucharist, I find my peace. In moments of profound gratitude and celebration as well, I go to Jesus in the Eucharist, and my “thank you” finally seems to be enough. Jesus’ presence in the Eucharist is my hope, my freedom, my healing, my life.
As a priest, one of the greatest joys of my life is to help people encounter Jesus personally and to watch him move in their lives. The Eucharist is truly the center of our life at Franciscan University, so I am blessed to witness many of these personal encounters.
These happen in the Mass, and I count it a privilege to celebrate the Eucharist often in a Christ the King Chapel filled with students, faculty, staff, and guests. That chapel is where I offered my first Mass; it is where I celebrated the 28th anniversary of my first Mass on May 5.
Holy Hours, Festivals of Praise, round-the-clock eucharistic adoration in the Portiuncula Chapel, and eucharistic chapels in every residence hall also give our Franciscan community countless opportunities for face time with Jesus— and as priest and president, I am awed by how many students take advantage of those opportunities.
The Eucharist also brings healing and renewal to the thousands of conference-goers who attend our Steubenville Conferences for young people and adults each summer. For over 25 years, I have been a part of these conferences, and I am continually awed by the number of people—especially teenagers—transformed by Jesus in eucharistic adoration.
All the miracles I’ve seen here as we reverence the Eucharist have deepened my prayer for a greater love for our Eucharistic Lord throughout the Church. So, it troubled me to learn several years ago just how many Catholics do not understand or do not believe Jesus is fully present in the Eucharist. They miss out on one of the greatest blessings of our faith!
Thus, I didn’t hesitate when Bishop Andrew Cozzens asked Franciscan University to be a primary sponsor for the National Eucharistic Congress this summer.
The Eucharistic Congress will be held in Indianapolis July 17-21—the first congress in over 50 years. As I pray for this event, I reflect on Luke 24:35 and how the disciples on the road to Emmaus recognized Jesus in the breaking of the bread. I envision a stadium full of Catholics, Jesus being raised up, and the eyes of the Church being opened.
Please pray with me that the grace that opened the eyes of the disciples would open our eyes—that all will recognize Jesus “in the breaking of the Bread.”
Come, Lord Jesus.
Father Dave, TOR
