Some events come and go — and some events change you forever. 

Earlier this year, our oldest son was soldiering through his first year of college as one of just a few practicing Catholics on campus. Then, in January, he went to SEEK, a Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS) conference in St. Louis attended by 25,000 college students.  

It wasn’t a keynote speaker or a moment in worship that touched his heart. It was a 30-second elevator ride.

Jammed into the elevator with him were Catholic students from across the country. Their joy, unity and purpose were palpable. He thought, “I’m not the only one. Here are my brothers and sisters.” He returned to his spiritually sterile campus with renewed faith and a fresh sense of purpose. 

Right now, as 50,000 fellow Catholics participate in the first National Eucharistic Congress in 83 years, including us, the 52 million who can’t make it to Indianapolis might wonder, “What does the Eucharistic Congress mean for my family?” Far from Indianapolis, is it even possible that your family can have your own “elevator moment” in the coming days?  

While it is ultimately up to the Holy Spirit, the answer can be “Yes!”

Here are seven  ideas — just choose one or two that speak to you — for your family to invite the Holy Spirit to move in your family and home.

1. In place of family movie night, watch one of the “Revival Sessions” (watch on EWTN, including the network YouTube page) together. Open with a prayer, hit play, enjoy the keynotes and music, then ask your family what touched their hearts. 

2. Pray the “Revival Prayer” together. Ask your family to share about what “revival” might look like in your family. 

3. Head over to your parish for Eucharistic adoration. Afterwards, take the kids out for ice cream and share with them the specific ways the Eucharist is central to your own faith. 

4. Take your family to confession in the coming week, and tie it to the National Eucharistic Congress. Dad or Mom, for example, can say, “History is being made this week in Indianapolis. We can’t be there, but we’re going to put our hearts in the right place so that we can look back on this moment, knowing that we invited Jesus to begin something new in our family.” 

5. Prepare for Sunday Mass in a new way. Wear something more formal than usual, or pray the “Revival Prayer” as a family before heading out the door. These seemingly small gestures of reverence to our Eucharistic Lord will speak volumes to your family. 

6. Share your testimony with your kids over a meal or dessert. Let’s not let the years slip by and never tell our kids about the ways Jesus has transformed our lives. Close by saying, “I’m sharing this with you because my deepest desire for you is that you have a personal relationship with Christ and his Church.” 

7. Stage your family’s own “great commissioning” alongside the National Eucharistic Congress commissioning on Sunday, July 21. Whether you tune in live to EWTN (streaming or on TV), or watch it later on YouTube, gather together. Pray the  “Revival Prayer.” Then watch the commissioning and lead your family in a time of prayer. Finally, talk about what it means for you to participate in the commission, and then ask your children what it means for them. 

There is no formula to “force” God to give us an elevator moment — whether for ourselves or for our children. But we can surrender to him. We can give God more of our time, our attention. This National Eucharistic Congress does not need to come and go, scarcely touching the life of our families. Instead, it can be the moment when our Eucharistic Lord leads us anew.

 

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created, and you shall renew the face of the earth!

 

Soren & Ever Johnson direct Trinity House Community and a growing network of parish-based Trinity House Community Groups for the entire family. Their newly published book is Heaven in Your Home Letters & Guide: Inspiration & Tools for Building a Trinity House.