Key to ministry of Pope
This is a year of special grace — a once in a millennium moment. Pope John Paul II has prepared for this Great Jubilee for more than two decades. In fact, the Holy Father has described the Jubilee as the key to understanding his ministry as Pope.

Yet as we near the end of summer vacation time, with seven months of the Jubilee Year already past, I wonder how many of us have really spent time trying to live the spirit of the Jubilee? How many of us have made a pilgrimage to one of our stational churches here in the archdiocese? Or traveled abroad on pilgrimage? How many of us have sought out the Jubilee indulgence in a serious way? Or tried to apply in our daily lives the habits of repentance, forgiveness, a return to frequent confession . . . and above all, a renewed love for the Eucharist?

`Source and Summit'
Vatican II described the Eucharist as the "source and summit" of our life as a Church for a reason. The Eucharist is the embodiment of Christ's final words to us: "I am with you always, to the close of the age" (Mt 28:20). The Eucharist is not just a symbol; not just a metaphor; not just a community meal. Above all, the Eucharist is the real flesh and real blood of Jesus Christ, tangible, alive and dwelling in the Church and in each of us when we receive Him. The Eucharist is the heart of what it means to be a Catholic.

This is why the Holy Father designated the Great Jubilee as the Year of the Eucharist. And this is why dioceses and archdioceses all around the world will gather their people together this year to celebrate a "Eucharistic Congress." Every Eucharistic Congress seeks to deepen people's understanding of the Eucharist; to renew our devotion to the sacrament as the center of Catholic life; and finally to point us outward, confidently pursuing the mission Jesus gave us all — to bring Jesus Christ to the world, and the world to Jesus Christ (see Mt 28:19).

Local Eucharistic Congress
The Archdiocese of Denver's Jubilee Eucharistic Congress will take place Sunday, September 17, from noon to 6 p.m. at the Magness Arena, Ritchie Center, University of Denver. We're tremendously blessed to have Bishop Sean O'Malley, of Fall River, Mass., and Cardinal Darío Castrillón, from Rome, joining us and leading us in reflection that day. Bishops Joseph Hart and David Ricken of Cheyenne, and Bishops Richard Hanifen of Colorado Springs and Arthur Tafoya of Pueblo will also be with us.

Mark September 17 on your calendars. Whether you've been actively living the Great Jubilee all along, or you're just beginning to discover it, this event is the centerpiece of our Jubilee celebrations as an archdiocese. Don't miss it. Come for a day of music, learning, fellowship and worship. Come to encounter Jesus Christ . . . and renew again your love for His Church.

The archbishop will continue his remarks on the archdiocesan Jubilee Eucharistic Congress next week. Tickets are free — but you must have a ticket for entry. Contact your local parish office for information by August 15, or write: Ms. Carrie Sigman, Eucharistic Congress tickets, Archdiocese of Denver, 1300 South Steele Street, Denver CO 80210. Register online by clicking here.