Pope: 'Once we've encountered Christ, we can't keep Him to ourselves'

By Deborah Castellano Lubov

"I encourage this initiative that aims to bring the sons and daughters of your Christian communities back to the essentials, helping them to rediscover the sense of Eucharistic adoration and the desire to spend time with Christ."

In a message sent Friday, Pope Francis expressed these words of support for the Eucharistic Congress taking place in the African island nation of Madagascar on August 23–26.

Embrace act of adoration

In the letter addressed to Bishop Marie Fabien Raharilamboniain, the President of the Episcopal Conference of Madagascar, the Pope said approaching Christ in the Eucharist "contributes to the growth of each one of you as Christians, as you are called to become more and more."

The Pope observed that this National Eucharistic Congress coincides with the celebration of the centenary of the "Eucharistic Youth Movement."

With this in mind, the Pope said he joined them in prayer and extended fraternal greetings to all participating, adding that the gathering takes on particular importance as we prepare for the second session of the Synod on Synodality.

We cannot keep Christ to ourselves

"May this occasion help you rediscover the importance of meeting, praying, and engaging with others and for others in the footsteps of Jesus in the Eucharist," he said.

"Once we have encountered Christ in adoration, once we have touched and received Him in the Eucharistic celebration," Pope Francis marveled, "it is no longer possible to keep Him to ourselves; instead, we become missionaries of His love to others."

Eucharist compels us to love

"The Eucharist," he said, "compels us to a deeply committed love for our neighbor because we cannot truly understand and live its meaning if our hearts remain closed to our brothers and sisters." 

The Holy Father therefore invited them and members of the "Eucharistic Youth Movement," who are celebrating their centenary, to help their brothers and sisters "experience Jesus in the Eucharist."

Making lives offerings to God

"Help them," he urged, "make their own lives an offering to God, united with that of Jesus on the Altar, in order to make Him known, loved, and served ever more."

The Holy Father concluded by wishing the participants a fruitful Congress and entrusting them all to the maternal protection of the Virgin Mary.

"May she intercede for you," he prayed, "so that you may deepen your relationship with Christ each day."