January 27, 2016, 6:04p.m. – CEBU CITY—THE MISSION of Eucharist will be senseless without sharing it through dialogue with the less privileged.
This was the message of Bishop Thomas Menamparampil, apostolic administrator of Jowai, India, to the pilgrims of the 51st International Eucharistic Congress.
According to Menamparampil, the “surprise” of the Eucharist should be utilized to reach out to contemporary society.
“The Eucharist takes Christian hearts by surprise to aid the marginalized groups like migrants, minority communities, and underprivileged,” Menamparampil said in the first of two catechesis on the fourth day of IEC.
Discussing the theme “The Eucharist as mission, mission as dialogue,” the former archbishop of Guwahati, India called on the IEC pilgrims to reach out to the poor and bring healing to “emotionally hurt” individuals, including broken families and fragmented societies.
“It revives faith in unmotivated youth and reveals the face of Christ to persons who never had an encounter with him. It brings industriousness and productivity to factories, creativity and enterprise to management, sincerity and consciousness to admiration,” Menamparampil said.
While largely affected by “market-driven civilization,” the poor can also influence the fortunate on how to embrace generosity.
“When you run short of generosity, come to the poor. They will instill generosity in your hearts,” the Indian prelate said.
Evangelizing through entertainment
The catechism was followed by a testimony by Paul Ponce, a multi-awarded entertainer from Argentina, who displayed his juggling skills.
Ponce narrated how the Eucharist became “witness” in his career while traveling from a country to another.
“I [attended] Mass daily wherever I was in the world and needed to be with the Eucharistic Christ on a daily basis,” Ponce said.
Ponce brought with him his wife Lia and their four children, born in different countries. The Ponce children also showcased their juggling skills. Krystel Nicole A. Sevilla and Lea Mat P. Vicencio
