Last night I had the privilege of witnessing about the truth of the Eucharist to parishioners at Sacred Heart Church in Waianae. I call the presentation I did "The Eucharist: Heart of the Church" and I was eager and excited to do it for good reason. Let me explain why...
A few weeks ago I read an article somewhere that stated there was a large percentage of Catholics who did not believe in the true presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. If I recall correctly, the percentage mentioned was greater than 50%, which left me deeply disturbed and wondering how could this happen? After all, our teaching on the Eucharist is one of the Church's most important; a foundation of our Holy Faith. One cannot profess him/herself a Roman Catholic and not believe in the True Presence. It just doesn't work that way.
Relics on display for the presentation.
So when the RCIA Group at Sacred Heart Church invited me to share about the Eucharist, I jumped on it as an opportunity to make a dent in the percentage, no matter how small a dent. I was determined to end the night ensuring the majority, if not all of my audience, left the presentation with a deeper faith and appreciation in the Eucharist. I cited scriptural references; writings of the early Church Fathers; writings and sayings of popular Saints; and shared numerous stories and photos of several Eucharistic wonders in the lives of our Saints and of approved miracles from around the world.
... and, of course, a Guadalupe House presentation would not be a Guadalupe House presentation without relics, which always have the effect of impressing people with the message better than any way I can... so I brought relics of the following Saints and Blesseds who I had referenced in my talk: Bl. Alexandrina of Balasar, St. Anthony of Padua, Bl. Imelda Lambertini, St. Padre Pio, St. Rose of Lima, St. Teresa of Calcutta, and St. Therese the Little Flower.
Photos with my Sacred Heart Parish Ohana.
All in all, it was a successful presentation thanks largely to the wide open hearts of this small, but faith-filled, community. Feedback and comments received were immensely positive, which filled me with hope and encouragement that there are people in the Church who love our Eucharistic Lord; people who will be light for those in the dark.
* * * TESTIMONIES * * *
"Good Afternoon Peter,
Last night was such a great
experience for me to learn more
about the Eucharist and all the
Saints. Thank you for sharing
your relics and giving us
the [Holy Face] medals."
- Dee Dee
"We were talking and sharing
"We were talking and sharing
about your presentation long after
it was over! Both of our candidates
were inspired and excited by what
they had learned. Our younger
candidate is only 18-years-old,
and he was so moved by your
testimony that he couldn't wait
to go home and share what he had
learned with his parents."
‐ Lilia
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