DRAPER — Hundreds of Catholic Hispanic families gathered at the Skaggs Catholic Center July 27-28 to celebrate the annual Charismatic Family Congress. People from all over the diocese were in attendance.
With the theme “Jesus in the Eucharist in the heart of families,” presenters captured the attention of adults, young people and children alike.
The presenters were Father Jorge Roldan, spiritual advisor of the diocesan Charismatic Renovation and pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Salt Lake City; Fr. Diego Buritica from the Diocese of Worcester, Mass.; Janeth Carreno from the Diocese of Orange, Calif.; Jose Fuentes, a youth preacher from Washington D.C.; and Principe de Paz, a music ministry from Las Vegas, Nev. With the support and help of the diocesan Catholic Charismatic Renovation volunteers and the diocesan Office of Hispanic Ministry, they offered presentations, worship, meditations, reflections, community and, overall, a recognition of the importance and meaning of the Eucharist.
The congress concluded with Mass. Bishop Oscar A. Solis presided; concelebrants were Fr. Jose Barrera, administrator of San Felipe Parish in Wendover, Fr. Roldan and Fr. Buritica.
Bishop Solis began his homily by sharing his experience at the 10th National Eucharistic Congress, held July 17-21 in Indianapolis, Ind.
“It was a beautiful gathering of thousands of people focused on the real and living presence of Christ in the Holy Eucharist,” the bishop said. “It reminds us of the greatest gift God has given us in Christ, which the Church teaches us is the source and summit of our life.”
At the Family Congress, “we reflect on this great sacrament of love and unity,” he added.
Referring to the day’s readings, Kings 4:42-44; Ephes 4:1-6 and Jn 6:1-15, which talked about the two stories of the miraculous multiplication of loaves, Bishop Solis said that the prophet Elisha received a generous offering of 20 barley loaves of bread. “He invoked the power of God, who miraculously multiplied these and was able to feed a hundred men.”
The story teaches a couple of important lessons about God, the bishop said. “Firstly, God could have done a miracle to provide from nothing all the food the people can eat with his power. Yet, he asked his disciples to get food for them. With the little resources they offered him, Jesus multiplied and transformed it into something extraordinary. He proved that nothing is impossible and everything is possible with God,” Bishop Solis said. “My dear friends, the story of the multiplication of the loaves teaches us that God works marvels through ordinary people like us, especially if we are willing to share our food with others.”
Concluding his homily, Bishop Solis said, “Miracles are still a reality in our world today. But the miracle that the world needs now is the conversion of the hearts of people – to have full trust in God’s providence so we can learn to let go of our possessions and share them with others. Let us live in a manner worthy of the call we have received, [and] like Christ, be the Eucharist to others – broken and shared for one another.”
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