What I Found at the National Eucharistic Congress

I never expected to find solace in a football stadium packed with 60,000 people.

I arrived at the National Eucharistic Congress hopeful but feeling distant from God. Life’s busyness—moving, settling into a new community, and constant digital distractions—had left me feeling alone. Though I prayed regularly, I gave God only brief moments, often concluding I was alone in darkness.

This frantic pace was evident as I rushed to navigate the congress’s registration, although I had nowhere specific to be. The venue, Lucas Oil Stadium, with its banners of success, mirrored my life’s focus on achievement.

As the congress began, my mind wandered to turning hobbies into side hustles. Mentally, I was everywhere but present. The habit of comparing myself to others continued. I asked Jesus to meet me but doubted He would.

The first hour included a procession, talks, and adoration. While others were moved by the attendees and pilgrimages, I noticed the urgency with which we all documented the event. As a social media team member for FOCUS, I understood the importance of sharing the Gospel online. Yet, it felt restless to record the presence of God without truly acknowledging Him.

Realizing I had captured a perfect video of the Eucharist without truly seeing Jesus was a turning point. I felt the weight of my distracted life and recognized the lack of presence in my relationship with God. I was always dwelling on the past or future, missing the present moment.

During adoration, the silence of tens of thousands captivated by God was sobering. We realized no camera could capture God’s transformative power. We stopped grasping for control and let ourselves be grasped by Love.

I saw my desire to capture as a symptom of self-reliance, neglecting God’s sovereignty. Putting my phone down, I released my grip on self-sufficiency and focused on Him. I could finally be present, remembering I am defined by God’s love, not my successes or failures.

We often live preoccupied with the past and obsessed with the future, forgetting God is the Eternal Present. 

Before the NEC, I invited God into future hopes but forgot to expect Him now, in mundane moments. Living in the past and future is a life of scarcity, driving us away from the Father. Embracing the present is a life of trust in God.

Did you miss the NEC, but want to experience something similar? Sign up for SEEK25, FOCUS’s yearly conference. Connect with peers, come together with the greater Church, and journey together with FOCUS.

Jesus changed everything for me that first night at the National Eucharistic Congress because I gave Him my heart in the present moment. So, here’s my prayer: Jesus, everything I have is Yours, here and now. My dreams, worries, joys, and sorrows are Yours, here and now. I am Yours, here and now.

Additional Resources

Find out more about the National Eucharistic Congress here. 

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