‘Live the Eucharist’ Bishop tells retreatants at Mendham parish

MENDHAM  We must “live the Eucharist” that we receive at Mass by “becoming more aware of Jesus’ presence in our daily lives so that he can help us to be instruments of his healing and peace for others,” Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney told parishioners of St. Joseph here during a Lenten retreat focused on the Eucharist, March 7–9.

“Mother Teresa said, ‘If we want to recognize the presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, we must recognize Jesus in one another, especially in those in need,’ ” Bishop Sweeney told retreatants March 9, the final night of “Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread: Lenten Retreat in the Year of the Eucharist.” It was held over three nights in St. Joseph Church. “The Eucharist is the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus. It is how we respond to his invitation to recognize what it means to be his presence and to God’s call to conversion. Each of us, by our baptism, is called in some way to be a leader, as St. Francis of Assisi teaches us to ‘Preach. When necessary, use words.’ We should not be afraid to witness to the world in our circumstances,” he said.

The retreat started on Monday, March 7, with a Holy Hour and reflection by Bishop Sweeney and continued on Tuesday, March 8, with a penance service, an opportunity for the faithful to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and a reflection by the Bishop. Msgr. Joseph Anginoli, St. Joseph’s pastor and adjutant judicial vicar of the diocesan Tribunal, concelebrated the retreat’s closing Mass. The Bishop also celebrated Masses at St. Joseph on the weekend of March 5–6.

Bishop Sweeney delivered the Lenten retreat at St. Joseph’s during the Year of the Eucharist, which he declared in the Diocese for 2022 on Jan. 9, the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. The yearlong celebration is designed to encourage local Catholics to deepen “their appreciation of Jesus — body, blood, soul, and divinity — in the Eucharist: the “source and summit” of our faith. Catholics are urged to deepen their understanding of and devotion to the Eucha­rist and strengthen their relationship with Jesus through various activities on the diocesan and parish levels. They include Adora­tion of the Blessed Sacrament and Bene­diction, Eucharistic processions, and faith formation, the Bishop said.

On that final night at St. Joseph’s, Bishop Sweeney asked retreatants to consider the “Eucharistic life” of Blessed Carlo Acutis, a young man who was born in London in 2001 and moved to Milan, Italy, with his family shortly afterward.

From an early age, Blessed Carlo showed a special love for God and empathy for people, especially children, who were bullied or were disabled. Skilled at video games and computer programming, he also grew in his fascination with Eucharistic miracles, researching them and visiting some sites where they occurred.

At age 15, Blessed Carlo was diagnosed with untreatable leukemia, bringing him suffering that he offered up to the Lord, the Pope, and the Church. He died on Oct. 12, 2006, and was beatified in 2020 in the Italian city of Assisi. Last year, Blessed Carlos’ exhibition that reveals the stories of dozens of Eucharistic miracles visited Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish in Boonton.

“Blessed Carlo might become the first saint of the internet. He may be a particular blessing that God gave to the Church in our time,” Bishop Sweeney said. “Early on, he had a great love of the Eucharist. He believed in the Real Presence,” said Bishop Sweeney, who added that Blessed Carlo had a simple spiritual roadmap for us to follow: “To live with Jesus, for Jesus, and in Jesus,” according to “Blessed Carlo Acutis: 5 Steps to Being a Saint,” by Msgr. Anthony Figueiredo. Like this young man, “we are all called to be saints,” the Bishop said.

Bishop Sweeney made available to the St. Joseph’s retreatants copies of the “Blessed Carlo” book, which outlines his following five ways to become a saint:

• Receiving the Eucharist frequently,

• Attending Eucharistic Adoration,

• Seeking out a spiritual guide and receiving regular confession,

• Cultivating a devotion to the Blessed Mother and the saints, and

• Practicing charity.

On the first night of the retreat, March 7, Bishop Sweeney declared, “We believe that we are in the Presence of Jesus, here and now.”

“We are close to him and we want to be closer to him — to know him better, learn from him, and ask for his help for ourselves and others,” said Bishop Sweeney. He also noted that we are able experience God’s presence in the world around us through things and experiences, such as a newborn child, nature, and human love.

On the second night, the Bishop urged retreatants to “forgive those who trespass against us,” just as God forgives us. He also encouraged Catholics to strengthen their spiritual lives by regularly receiving “the powerful experience of God’s mercy, forgiveness, and healing” in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. For the first two nights, the Bishop illuminated his reflections with personal stories and clips from videos, for example by Bishop Robert Barron, an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and founder of Word on Fire Catholic Ministries.

Msgr. Anginoli thanked Bishop Sweeney for spending five days at St. Joseph.

“You really set the tone as we begin Lent and look forward to Easter,” said Msgr. Anginoli. The pastor told those retreatants, “Hopefully you got something out of this retreat that will help you on your spiritual journey not only at Lent but beyond that as well.”

Afterward, Bishop Sweeney and Msgr. Anginoli joined parishioners in the gym of the former St. Joseph School to meet retreatants at a small reception. Susan Pedalino, who attended all three nights, told The Beacon, “The Bishop gave me food for thought for Lent. The Bishop said the ‘Our Father’ begins with the words ‘Our Father,’ which implies that ‘we are all brothers and sisters,’ ” she said.

“I thought that it was such a beautiful and enlightening image to have every time that I say this prayer,” said Pedalino, a daily communicant at St. Joseph’s, who also reflected on the Year of the Eucharist. “The Eucharist is central to my life. I relate to it and appreciate it. This year, I want to get closer to God, so I can share his love with the world,” she said.