July 16, 2024 // Bishop
Eucharist is the Source of Our Strength, Bishop Says at Pilgrimage Mass
“The blessed Eucharist is the food of Christians and the strength of martyrs!” As the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage proceeded through Fort Wayne on its way to Indianapolis for the National Eucharistic Congress, Bishop Rhoades addressed the faithful gathered for Mass at St. Vincent de Paul Parish on Tuesday, July 9 – the memorial of the Chinese Martyrs: St. Augustine Zhao Rong and Companions.
“Today, the Church throughout the world celebrates the courageous faith of 120 martyrs in China,” Bishop Rhoades said. “And there is an intimate connection between the holy Eucharist and martyrdom, because it is the holy Eucharist that strengthened the martyrs to give their lives for Christ.”
These men and women included 33 European missionaries and 87 Chinese citizens who were martyred in China from the 17th through the 20th century for their Catholic faith.
Photos by Joe Romie
St. Vincent de Paul, Fort Wayne
One example was a young man, 18 years old, named Chi Zhuzi, who refused to apostatize. “After the torturers cut off his right arm, he cried out fearlessly as they were preparing to flay him alive (to cut off his skin): ‘Every piece of my flesh, every drop of my blood will tell you that I am a Christian.’ In such agony, how was he able to say that?” Bishop Rhoades asked. “Because he had partaken of the flesh and blood of Jesus! It was truly supernatural grace that gave him such strength of spirit.”
Bishop Rhoades continued: “Even today, we see people who are suffering religious persecution in China and throughout the world, and we pray for them in a special way. We come to Mass this morning without worrying about any danger, but how many of our brothers and sisters in Christ, sometimes at the risk of their lives, come to celebrate the Eucharist and receive holy Communion, which is their strength? Certainly, the holy Eucharist was the strength of the martyrs of China, as they faced torture and death, united to Jesus in His sacrifice of love for the salvation of the world. Their blood was poured out like Christ’s, showing forth the power of God’s love and grace, the victory of the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, the victory that we celebrate at every Mass. Offering their lives in martyrdom, they entered into full communion with the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus. What an example of the meaning and power of the holy Eucharist. They offered the supreme witness to God’s love in the greatest Eucharistic worship to Him: the giving of their whole lives.”
Bishop Rhoades also shared a quote from Pope Benedict XVI’s apostolic exhortation Sacramentum Caritatis (“The Sacrament of Charity”) that had powerfully struck him. “Even if the test of martyrdom is not asked of us, we know that worship pleasing to God demands that we should be inwardly prepared for it,” Pope Benedict wrote. “Wow!” Bishop exclaimed. “Am I inwardly prepared to be a martyr? When we face difficulties in our Christian lives, or temptations to sin, or fear to stand up for our faith and the truths of the Gospel, the Eucharist gives us strength. The sacrament of Christ’s love strengthens us to live consistent Christian lives in the face of criticism or rejection and in all the situations in our daily lives in which we are called to be witnesses to Christ. The celebration and worship of the Eucharist enables us to draw near to God’s love and to persevere in that love until we are united with the Lord whom we love.”
Following Mass, Bishop Rhoades led a visible witness of Eucharistic devotion by processing with the Blessed Sacrament throughout the campus of St. Vincent, as those in attendance followed, singing hymns and reciting litanies. The procession culminated at the outdoor altar adjacent to the Oratory of St. Mary Magdalene, where Bishop Rhoades offered Benediction.
Afterward, Father Daniel Scheidt, Pastor of St. Vincent de Paul Parish, remarked on the witness of this event in light of the larger Eucharistic Congress, stating, “Our whole life of faith is a being drawn close by the Lord in a gathering of friends old and new, as well as a procession of following Christ and being formed by Him along the way, all for a commissioning to carry His divine love to new places for new people to meet Him.”
Paul Rivera, a theology major at the University of Saint Francis, commented on Bishop Rhoades’ homily, saying: “In the last couple of years, I have had a desire to do international mission trips to preach the Gospel, especially in the Middle East. Hearing Bishop Rhoades preach that our love for Jesus in the Eucharist urges us to give our life away as the greatest witness to the faith stirred me and convicted me to ask myself the question: am I ready to die a martyr’s death? Will love for my own life and my own desires keep me from giving myself to Jesus completely? For me, his message of martyrdom was a strong reminder that God is calling all of us to give our whole life to Jesus and to be obedient to the great commission of loving those who have never encountered the person of Jesus of Nazareth, and to not stop even if it costs us our lives.”
St. Vincent de Paul parishioner Jordan Roy spoke similarly, telling Today’s Catholic that he was “really struck by Bishop’s comparison between the freedoms we have here and the lack thereof for our brothers and sisters overseas and preparing for martyrdom in our hearts. In the vocation of husband and father, part of our task is to die to ourselves every single day, to lay down our life for our bride. So, if traditional martyrdom is not what we are called to, due to the freedoms we have here, we are nevertheless called to a martyrdom of soul, continuously nourished by the Eucharist.”
Melanie Heiny, a second-grade teacher at St. Charles Borromeo School in Fort Wayne, expressed her appreciation for the experience. “It was uplifting to see so many Catholics gather from across the city and beyond, united in love and devotion for the holy Eucharist. Even at an early morning Mass in summer, the church was packed and full of people of all ages. With so much going on in our nation and world, the procession was a beautiful reminder to follow Christ through all the ups and downs, because the Eucharist is a gift of love, and love always triumphs in the end.”
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