The publisher and editors of the Pflaum Gospels Weeklies have been working even harder to promote belief in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist since the disturbing Pew Research Center study (August 2019). That study’s results indicated that only 31% of U.S. Catholics believe in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist.
To promote belief in the Real Presence, our editors have been making sure that lessons about the Eucharist are very clear about the important Catholic belief in the Real Presence. In addition, every lesson in the Pflaum Gospel Weeklies Faith Formation Program since the Fall of 2020 has included a quote related to the Eucharist. Catechists and teachers are encouraged to share the quote in class as appropriate to the age of their students. A QR code in the Venture and Visions lessons connects families to these quotes and an accompanying weekly reflection.
The weekly quotes and reflections are formatted so that program directors can “download and drop” them into their social media accounts—they are Facebook- and Instagram-ready. They can be shared in parish bulletins. Reflections and quotes, as well as related videos, articles, and children’s activities are also available on our website here. The Eucharist quotes, reflections, and some of the other resources are also available in Spanish.
We support the Bishops of the United States in initiating the National Eucharistic Revival, which is a three-year effort focused on reviving devotion and belief in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. It began on June 19, 2022, the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Jesus Christ (Corpus Christi), will culminate with a National Eucharistic Congress in July 2024, and will be followed by a year of Eucharist-based missions.
Image credit: Alessia GIULIANI/CPP/CIRIC (#248496)
