Thousands attend Mass at Eucharistic Rally
SANDY — The Catholic faithful of Utah filled the Mountain America Exposition Center on July 9, gathering from all corners of the state to attend the Diocesan Eucharistic Rally and Mass. An estimated 10,000 came for the day, with most attending the Mass at which Bishop Oscar A. Solis presided.
The rally was in response to the three-year Eucharistic Revival called for by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops “to restore understanding and devotion to this great mystery here in the United States by helping us renew our worship of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist,” according to eucharisticrevival.org.
The July 9 Mass began with almost an hour of worship music provided by a choir, band and orchestra composed of singers and musicians from throughout the state.
Coming from Utah’s valleys, mountains and canyons, Catholics gathered at the Mass to celebrate “the world’s greatest treasure: the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ and the faith, hope and love that come from him,” said Father Christopher Gray, the diocesan Eucharistic Revival point person, in a video message just prior to the start of Mass.
On behalf of Bishop Solis, Fr. Gray thanked those present “for being a part of this extraordinary celebration, bringing the whole Catholic Church in Utah together for the first time in decades.”
In his own welcoming remarks at the beginning of the Mass, the bishop extended “a very warm welcome, filled with so much joy for the blessings that God has given us.”
Looking across the vast hall filled with faithful, including most of the diocesan clergy, he added, “The only word I can say is ‘wow.’ It’s about time the Catholic community in the state of Utah and the Diocese of Salt Lake comes alive and shows that Catholics are still alive in the state of Utah.”
His words brought cheers and applause from the crowd.
“My brothers and sisters, the Eucharist is the greatest gift God has given to us,” the bishop continued. “It unites us with the whole Church today, with the communion of saints in heaven and with Christ himself. Our love and devotion toward the Eucharist empower and motivate us to come together to adore Christ and worship him in the most blessed sacrament. If we want the world to know and love Jesus, we must first recognize him and present him to the world in the way he reveals himself to us.”
The readings of the Mass were Ex 24:3-8, 1 Cor 11:23-26 and Jn 6:51-58. The Mass was in English and Spanish, with the readings available in the worship aid. The Mass also offered American Sign Language interpretation and large screens with closed captioning. Assisted hearing devices were available, as were low-gluten hosts.
In his homily, given in English and Spanish, Bishop Solis said it was “a great blessing for us to be here in this holy Mass as one faith community to profess and celebrate the greatest mystery of our faith, the Real Presence of Christ our Lord in the Eucharist. This is a grace-filled moment for our diocese, to see unity in diversity around the altar of sacrifice as we express and manifest our identity as a Eucharistic community.”
Noting that, “Unfortunately, many Catholics no longer practice their faith and believe in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist,” the bishop added that “God blesses us in so many surprising and mysterious ways. Amid today’s culture of individualism, materialism and polarization, we come as individual members of our parishes, united as one community of the Diocese of Salt Lake City and of the universal Catholic Church all over the world. God gathers us today and gives us the occasion to express our gratitude for his love and mercy. So we give thanks to our Lord for the precious gift of the Holy Eucharist as we renew our faith, love and devotion in the great sacrament of our salvation.”
Commenting on the second reading, the bishop said that Christ “instituted the Mass not as a private dinner, but as a community celebration. We partake of the Eucharist not only individually but as a family of faith. We become one with him and are united with each other because we share in the One Body of Christ. St. Paul puts it very nicely: though we are many, we are but one body, for we all partake of the one bread, the same flesh of Christ our Lord, who died and gave himself to everyone.”
During the Mass, “through the power of the Holy Spirit and the priest acting in the name of Jesus, the bread and wine are substantially changed into the Body and Blood of Christ, where we encounter the unparalleled life-giving food for our body and for our soul,” the bishop said.
Every celebration of Mass “makes the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross really present, and makes its reconciling and saving power accessible to us all,” he continued. “In the Gospel, Jesus said, ‘I am the bread come down from heaven; the bread I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.’ Christ assures us that we do not receive ordinary bread and wine, but his real flesh and blood, that we may live forever to enjoy the glorious inheritance that can only come from the Lord.”
The Diocesan Eucharistic Rally “reminds us how blessed and fortunate we are to have a loving, generous and compassionate God who gives Christ as our Savior in the holy Eucharist,” the bishop said.
The word “Eucharist” means “thanksgiving,” he pointed out, adding, “It is the highest form of prayer we offer to God, and the source and summit of our Christian life. Yet, too many remain indifferent, do not have faith in Christ’s real presence in the Eucharist, or appreciate this blessing.”
Because of this, the diocese has launched the second stage of the National Eucharistic Revival, which calls for the parishes to have activities that focus on the Eucharist.
“Inspired by the love of God for us, let us renew our efforts to learn more about the importance of the Holy Mass in our lives, renew our faith in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist, and recapture our sense of reverence and devotion for this great mystery,” the bishop urged. “Continue to attend Mass every Sunday and as often as you can; invite others to join our community of faith, to participate actively and meaningfully in our Eucharistic celebration, that we may be able to receive Jesus our Lord in the Eucharist more worthily and meaningfully.”
Closing his homily, the bishop pointed out that at the end of every Mass, Catholics are reminded of their responsibility to become what they receive and to share Christ’s love with others, “especially to the sick and the lonely, with those hungry for justice and peace and those who hunger for God in their lives, that they may experience and taste the goodness of the Lord. In this Mass, let us ask our Lord to strengthen, inspire and empower us to profess and live our faith with conviction, with joy and with enthusiasm. May God, who continues to love us, draw us closer to him and to one another, fill us with joy and peace as we encounter our Lord in the Holy Eucharist.”
Following the prayer after communion was a Eucharistic procession, led by people carrying banners from each Catholic parish and mission in Utah.
The Eucharistic Rally Mass may be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pr9-bm-PP5E.
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