For Jesus Youth, the Eucharist is very special (BJRE070)

For Jesus Youth, the Eucharist is very special.  

Eucharist is the heart of Jesus Youth life, community, and mission.

(By Dr. Edward Edezhath. Published in Kairos Magazine in 2023) 

Our youth outreach begins like this: Someone from a parish might call, saying, “We want to organize a one-day gathering for youth. This will be a mixed group.” The main challenge with youth such programs is that each group is different, which makes the program unique. In advance, I would gather a handful of active Jesus Youth to plan the day together. However, I know these events will have an underlying dynamic and progression, regardless of all our plans. 

What are the essential elements? First, we connect with youth; then, we build friendships, help them reflect on life, guide them to Jesus in the Eucharist, and challenge them toward fruitfulness. The key to all this is the Eucharistic moments, with everything else leading to and flowing from them.

In evaluations of these programs, I often hear participants say that the time spent in the Eucharist is the highlight of the day. This can occur during Holy Mass or Eucharistic adoration. At the Eucharist, something special happens in their lives, and each person is touched profoundly. There, they experience a transformation. The miracle of the Eucharist continues to live on.

The Eucharist holds a unique place in JY’s life and mission.

In the early days of our local Wednesday gatherings, at one point, we regularly received messages indicating a need to move forward. We came together to find out what we had to do in practical terms. Three distinct steps emerged: the Tuesday committed group, Saturday Eucharistic adoration, and Sunday slum outreach.

On Tuesdays, we gathered in a house. It was a time of youthful intimacy, laughter, and open reflection. Everyone there felt supported and had the freedom to share deeply. It was also a space where individuals expressed their dreams and the promptings of the Spirit. Young hearts yearn for love, coming alive when challenged to reach out to the poor. Gradually, from this group, plans emerged to serve the poor and hold weekly Eucharistic adoration.

At Infant Jesus Church, Saturday evenings were peaceful, so we decided to meet there weekly. Those times became vibrant with Eucharistic adoration, listening to the Lord’s guidance and intercession. Some appealing aspects included the warm, friendly atmosphere, mutual support, and post-adoration teatime. There is something captivating about gathering in the presence of the Eucharistic Lord, where people experience complete transparency and intimacy. Although Eucharistic adoration began as a prayer for our Sunday Slum Visits, everything that unfolded in the Wednesday group, our Tuesday interactions, and the various personal joys and sorrows emerged there. Gradually, the whole life of our community became rooted in that most beautiful Eucharistic presence. Naturally, this evolved into a powerful source of strength for each of our lives, our entire fellowship, and all our exciting initiatives to reach the poor. For Jesus Youth, the Eucharist and mission go hand in hand.

The Eucharist sets in a rhythm of life.

One Jesus Youth student leader recently shared the survey results they conducted among active JYs in their early 20s. One question focused on their participation in the Eucharist. Almost half of these active young JYs attend Holy Mass daily. This is no small achievement! We know these college students lead hectic lives. Amid all that, finding time for daily Eucharistic participation is challenging. Yet surprisingly, a significant portion of these and other Jesus Youth leaders attend Holy Mass daily! 

For a growing Jesus Youth, a life focused on the Eucharist offers a vital source of strength and guidance. Upon reflection, we can identify several ways this Eucharistic-centered life operates.

1. At the Eucharistic Table, one becomes attuned to the mysteries of salvation by reliving the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. You are also visibly connected to the living body of Christ today as you meet and converse with fellow believers. For many Jesus Youth, the first practical step in starting their mission is to engage with a Eucharistic community. 

2. Journeying through the Church’s yearly cycle of reading God's word, observing our Lord's feasts, memorials of saints, and actively participating in other liturgical events provides a balanced path for wholesome formation for an active JY.

3. Partaking of the Body of Christ is the highest form of nourishment, healing, and strengthening for one's body, mind, and soul, assisting a JY in building an ever-deepening personal relationship with the Lord.

4. In the Eucharistic presence, we are with Emmanuel, God with us. The joyful spirituality of Jesus Youth is made possible through purification in the radiance of the Eucharist. There, past hurts transform into thanksgiving, and future fears reshape into abundant hope, guiding the individual to celebrate the present moment.

5. Living in the power of the Eucharist is a genuine path to holiness, communion, and fruitfulness for Jesus Youth. We bring to the Eucharistic table “the fruit of the earth and the work of human hands.” From there, we are sent forth to live our lives, diligently working to transform our communities and the earth through the empowerment received. Thus, the Eucharist acts as a daily school of formation for holiness and mission for Jesus Youth.

In 1988, we held the first significant Jesus Youth gathering of college students, Campus Meet ’88. A large group from my college also attended the conference, although most of them were there for fun. However, they returned transformed and changed the faith atmosphere of the entire college. When some previously notorious youths approached the authorities asking for weekly Holy Mass, the priests and professors were skeptical but did not want to turn down such a request. The first instance completely surprised everyone. Those ‘upstarts’ in the Catholic faith organized a beautiful Holy Mass with unexpectedly large participation. One major reason for this was that these youngsters, during the Campus Meet for the first time, experienced the beauty and transformative power of the Eucharist. This regular Holy Mass became the first of many innovative Jesus Youth initiatives that radically transformed the entire college. 


Topics

    Eucharist and JY
    Mission and Eucharist
    Importance of Eucharist
    Eucharistic Adoration

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