Eucharistic presence of Christ in the Church focus of Bishop Lucker Lecture

by Deacon Mike McKeown

REDWOOD FALLS – With a focus on the Holy Eucharist as the heart of the Church, the 2023 Bishop Lucker Lecture, sponsored by the Diocese of New Ulm, was held on Monday, March 13 at the Church of St. Catherine in Redwood Falls. Attendees and those viewing via live stream were treated by a most informative and inspiring presentation by National Eucharistic Revival preacher Fr. Michael Monshau O.P.

Fr. Monshau, who is currently serving as professor and formator at the St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul, Minn., is one of a handful of national preachers selected by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) to assist with enkindling the flame of Eucharistic faith for the current nationwide Eucharistic Revival.

After a brief opening prayer, Fr. Joshua Bot, associate pastor of the Holy Cross Area Faith Community (New Ulm, Searles, West Newton Township), and former student of Fr. Monshau, offered an introduction and welcome to his former professor and formator.

“Fr. Michael was one of the greatest blessings I received as I was preparing for the priesthood,” Fr. Bot said. “He was my formator and mentor for three years when I was in seminary. Any problem that I experienced, I could come and share it with him.”

In his presentation, “The Mystery We Believe, Celebrate, and Live,” Fr. Monshau offered a balanced overview of the development of Eucharistic thought and practice from history, theology, and scripture. His talk focused on the theme of, “How do we live the Eucharist?” both as individuals and as a community.

Fr. Monshau stressed the need to “reclaim the balance” as we approach God in Eucharistic worship while, at the same time, seeking to recognize the Eucharistic presence of Christ in the Church community. “We need to balance the vertical (directed toward God) and the horizontal (directed toward others) aspects of the Eucharist,” he explained. “Let’s not forget that we’re with each other at worship, that’s a rich part of it, but that’s not why we’re here. We’re here to adore Almighty God first and foremost.”

Emphasizing the importance of regular Eucharistic adoration in our particular vocation, Fr. Monshau urged his listeners: “The most important place for your parish priest to be during the course of a week is on the floor in front of the tabernacle. The best way to be a loving husband or wife or parent – you learn it in front of the tabernacle enjoying the Sacred Presence.”

Fr. Monsau’s presentation is available online on the Diocese of New Ulm website, www.dnu.org/ bishop-lucker-lecture.

Editor’s note: Deacon Mike McKeown is director of Religious Ed. & Adult Faith Formation, mmkeown@dnu.org.