I am here with you

By Archbishop Emeritus Robert Rivas OP of Castries

On May 10, in our Jubilee Year of Hope, the Queen’s Park Oval paused from cricket for a day and became a sanctuary of worship, praise, adoration and eucharistic celebration. A sporting facility became holy ground on which the Catholic community walked in faith.

On arrival they were Pilgrims of Hope. Upon their departure, nine hours later, they streamed out of their Assembly renewed, revitalised, united, joyful, and Spirit-filled; a truly Eucharistic people, ready to become bread for others. The experience was transformative. Pilgrims of Hope were sent to be Bearers of Hope.

A Eucharistic Congress gives a Catholic community a taste of its identity as a Eucharistic people. For Catholics, the Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life. Without the Eucharist we are spiritually undernourished. We labour for food that cannot last.

The Eucharist, the Bread of Life, is food that lasts: “…Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever; and the bread that I shall give is my flesh, for the life of the world” (John 6:51). When we are nourished on the bread of the Word and the bread of the Eucharist, we are nourished for eternal life of which no one can rob us (cf. John 10:27-28).

The Eucharistic Congress was a powerful witness by Catholics to their faith in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. This has clearly been a high point of the Jubilee Year in the Archdiocese of Port of Spain, our local Church. The abiding presence of Jesus with us is the joy of our faith. Archbishop Fulton J Sheen once said: “The greatest love story ever is contained in a small host.”

The spiritual benefits for those who participated in the Congress, whether physically or through viewing it on TV, do not end with the day’s event. The fruits of the Congress will continue for a long time.

I recommend that all participants read John 15 and make it a spiritual oasis for abiding in Jesus’ love and for bearing fruit–fruit that will last. Through the Congress Jesus was saying to us: “I am here with you. Abide in my love.”

The day brought together people, from all walks of life and of all ages, from all the vicariates identified by colours that brightened up the Oval. But unlike a Caribbean Premier League or an India Premier League, we were all on the same team, united, cheering with one hope, one faith and happy to be together as sisters and brothers.  Indeed, bold to be Catholic! This was the Synodal Church alive! Called to accompany each other, walking the road side by side and building Church together. The day was infused with pageantry, creativity, faith, and excitement. I am sure there is an ocean of blessings for all those who gave their time, talent, and treasure to make the Congress such a dynamic experience of faith and fellowship and a special day for all.

The choir was superb, energetic, Spirit-filled, and life-giving. The anointed music ministry was a channel of grace that flowed like a river for the entire day. It’s impossible to point out all that happened on that spectacular day, however, the fiddler with his violin is still filling my soul with a desire for all that is good, holy, noble, and beautiful. Our God is a beautiful and wonderful God!

Archbishop Charles Jason Gordon did not suppress his emotions or joy. This was a day of favour from the Lord and as the spiritual leader of the flock he set the tone for the day.

He was happy and the Church was of one mind and heart with him. His God, he said was a ‘big God! ‘A big God has a big heart and in that big heart there is room for everyone. No one is excluded. He let the Spirit blow and blow, indeed, it did!

I haven’t heard the word “indigenisation” used for a long time, but all the elements were there, reflected in the structure of the day.

We celebrated our faith and culture as a happy people of God. The musical rhythms and sounds reminded us of the multi-cultural nation that we are and the genius of our local composers in integrating our diversity in music for worship that is second to none. What great progress we have made with our liturgical music!

It was good to see large numbers of men at the Congress and actively participating. It was also good to see many young people actively involved. It was great that mothers were given special recognition in anticipation of Mother’s Day the next day.

It was wonderful to see the role Mary played in the Days of Glory, travelling as a pilgrim with her Son in the Blessed Sacrament from one sacred site to another. She is the Mother of the Church and of all of us. We cannot go wrong when we follow her instruction: “Do whatever he tells you.”

Those who gave testimony and witnessed to the movement of the Spirit in their lives, and the power of grace that saved them, were examples to encourage us. God is, indeed, a big God and grace is amazing!

The clip that was showed of the Days of Glory leading up to the Congress illustrated the quality of preparation and catechesis that took place in the build-up to the day of the Congress.

To plan a Eucharistic Congress requires imagination, commitment, endurance, faith, collaboration, organisation and great generosity of time, talent, and treasure. It requires detailed planning and prayer back up.

When the Archbishop gave Fr Jesse Maingot OP the task of promoting Eucharistic Adoration throughout the Archdiocese, the idea of a Eucharistic Congress may not have been on the immediate horizon, but the Jubilee Year of hope changed that. It opened the door to new possibilities.

Through his specialised ministry in the Archdiocese, Fr Jesse is emerging as a priest of mercy and a champion of Eucharistic Adoration leading by example. In one of her mystical experiences St Catherine of Siena, a Dominican, heard Jesus say to her: “I am the Fire, and you are the spark”. It really takes a spark to get the fire going. To inspire others and facilitate gifts and charisms at all levels of the Church is a gift of good leadership.

Eucharistic Adoration renews parishes

In my three years of retirement back home, I have seen the impact that Eucharistic Adoration and availability of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, Confession, is having on the parish of St Finbar’s in Diego Martin.

This can be a model for other parishes. I am also hoping that the experiences of intimacy in Eucharistic Adoration and healing in the Sacrament of Reconciliation will help our youth to listen to God more attentively in discerning a vocation to the priesthood, diaconate, consecrated life, the single life, and the sacrament of marriage.

The remarkable presence and participation of the clergy at the Congress was a sign that they had put their hearts into the event and were supportive of their Archbishop, which is a powerful witness of unity in charity.

The concelebrated Mass was the eucharistic moment when we all, priests, deacons, religious and laity, bore united witness to our deep faith in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. The Eucharist is Jesus’ gift of Himself to us: “This is my body; This is my blood.”

It was good to have three bishops from the Antilles Episcopal Conference present, which added to the solemnity of the occasion but also helped us see the bigger picture of collegiality and fraternity in the Church in the region.

Trinity TV transmitted the Eucharistic Congress to all our islands and other parts of the world, and so the blessings spread far and wide, strengthening and building up the Body of Christ.

The Blessed Sacrament made its lap of the Oval sanctifying and blessing all along the way. The large-size monstrance enhanced the visibility and awesomeness of the mystery of Christ present in the Blessed Sacrament.

Heads bowed as Jesus passed by bringing healing and eliciting reverence along the way.

With all the altar servers, deacons, and concelebrants, I too made my lap of faith, passing close to the wicket at one end of the pitch and skirting the periphery in the recessional at the other end of the ground.

I saw the Sir Learie Constantine Stand and I remembered that his was the first funeral I did as a young priest, just a few weeks ordained, in 1971. He was from my hometown, Arouca, and was given a state funeral.

I remembered the quote: “He walked with kings but never lost the common touch.”  Instantaneously I realised that we were the Church walking humbly together, spiritually invigorated, and nourished daily in the Eucharist as we listen to the voice of the Good Shepherd who gives us eternal life.

At the Eucharistic Congress we expressed our gratitude to God in a magnanimous way. Walking, accompanied by the recessional hymn, our hearts were full of joy and hope in our forward march.

The Church was not stagnant. The Church was alive, and we were confident that Jesus was with us, His Eucharistic people, whispering gently in our hearts: I am here with you.