Evangelization and the Blessed Sacrament

An interview with Curtis Martin by Jayd Henricks

Curtis Martin is the founder of FOCUS, one of the leading global Catholic outreach organizations which exists to spread the good news of Christ.

WWNN: The success of FOCUS is well-documented but, in light of the current efforts towards Eucharistic Revival, I would like to get a sense of one particular dimension of the formation of Catholic university students and others that you work with at parishes: Eucharistic piety. In what way does devotion to the Blessed Sacrament play a part in FOCUS' approach to faith formation?

Martin: First of all, thank you for your kind words about the success of FOCUS. Our testimony is that evangelization is the Church’s program and it just works—everywhere. And it’s so needed, especially in our world today.

The Eucharist is Jesus Christ and Jesus is the key to all effectiveness. We could do nothing without Him. It’s impossible to be an effective missionary disciple without the grace of God. Jesus tells us, “Apart from me you can do nothing” (Jn 15:5). He doesn’t say we can do most things or even a few things on our own; He tells us we can do “nothing” without Him. Therefore, deep, personal intimacy with Jesus Christ is at the very heart of FOCUS. Taking time each day to receive Him in Holy Communion and praying in awe of Him in adoration are regular, even daily habits that we cultivate in our staff and those that we serve. We simply could not do our work without this devotion to the Blessed Sacrament.  

WWNN: We know that far too few Catholics believe in the Real Presence. When students and parishioners come to FOCUS without faith in the Real Presence, how do you bring them to this belief?

Martin: Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist and if a Catholic doesn’t believe that, it raises a problem. A 2019 Pew Research report, which is regularly quoted, claimed that only 34% of practicing Catholics believed in the true presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. A more recent study by Vinea Research used language more consistent with Catholic theology than Pew’s research, and demonstrated that the percentage is actually much higher—that 69% of practicing Catholics believe in Christ’s true presence. Even this most recent study points to the reality that there is obviously still much work to be done. We are finding that through our work and by inviting people into a relationship with Jesus Christ, their love for the Eucharist and their recognition of the true presence grows.

Some students and parishioners that we work with come to FOCUS without faith in the true presence of Christ in the Eucharist. But instead of trying to convince them, we simply invite them to sit before the Blessed Sacrament in adoration and we find that through time in front of Jesus in the Eucharist, these individuals come to recognize the true presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Our mission is truly dedicated to “invitation,” inviting people to relationship with Christ and to spend time with Him in Mass and adoration and, through that, Christ does the rest. 

A couple of other things I’d like to mention as well…. We have incredible witnesses. If someone walks into a chapel, full of their peers praying in adoration, they are forced to ask a couple questions. Either A: These people are all crazy because they are worshiping a piece of bread. Or B: They know something I don’t know, and I need to learn more. And when they realize that not only are these people not crazy, but they are also some of the best people they’ve ever been around, it opens the door to a great conversation.

Additionally, it is essential to study the Scriptures. The written Word and the Word Made Flesh belong together. The road to Emmaus is one of the biblical blueprints for the Mass—and it’s here where the Scriptures are explained and the people meet Jesus. Jesus walked beside two disciples who had given up hope, who were walking away from Jerusalem. He meets them and walks with them. And then before revealing His presence in the Eucharist, what did Jesus do? Scripture tells us, “Beginning with Moses and all the prophets, He interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself” (Lk 24:27). Out of all the things Jesus could have done, He chose to first explain to these disciples how all the Scriptures pointed to Him, and then He walked alongside them on their journey. This is missionary discipleship—and is what each of us is called to do. 

Something similar happens when we study the Scriptures. You don’t have to read very far in John 6 before realizing Jesus is saying something profound about the Eucharist: “My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed” (Jn 6:55). Not only this, but Scripture tells us that many of His followers said, “This is a hard saying” and “drew back and no longer went about with Him” (Jn 6:52, 66). If Jesus wanted to let them know that He only intended the Eucharist to be a symbol, He could have done that. He didn’t. Not only this, but once you begin to read the Old Testament also, and discover how the Eucharist appears typologically on page after page in things like the fruit of the Tree of Life, the offering of Melchizedek, the sacrifice of Isaac, the Passover, the manna in the wilderness and the Temple sacrifices, the Church’s teaching becomes clear: God has been revealing to us, from the very beginning, the mystery of His Real Presence in the Holy Eucharist.

WWNN: We know the Mass is the source and summit of the faith. In what way does participation in the Mass lead university students and parishioners FOCUS is working with to conversion? In what way does participation in the Mass lead young adults to be evangelical in their faith? Do you see a connection between participation in the Mass and acts of public charity for those who go through FOCUS?

Martin: Yes, the teaching that the Mass is the “source and summit” is the heart of the Church. But the source and summit of what? The source and summit of our lives. We are called to come to that realization and then go back out and repeat the process. We are called to go back out, love others, and spread the Good News that the Mass is the source and summit of our lives.

Looking again at the Road to Emmaus, it was in the Eucharist that Christ revealed Himself (see Lk 24:31). Scripture tells us, “He was known to them in the breaking of the bread” (Lk 24:35). Fundamentally, conversion is about turning away from sin and toward Christ. In the Eucharist, God captivates our hearts, and His love is like a magnet that draws us closer to Himself. This conversion leads not only to greater freedom from sin, as amazing as that is, it also transforms us from within. God isn’t merely trying to keep us from doing evil, He wants to totally renew our hearts, to make us like Him. Just as He gave everything for our sake, the Eucharist enables us to give our lives for the sake of others. If our participation in the Mass is what it is supposed to be, it will set us ablaze with love for others—for the materially poor, who go without food and shelter, as well as the spiritually poor, who don’t know that God loves them and gave His life for them. This is true, not just for college students, but anyone who participates in the Mass.

WWNN: If what we need now is a genuine Eucharistic revival, based on your experience on university campuses and in parishes, if you could encourage parishes and Catholic communities to do one thing to encourage true devotion to the Blessed Sacrament, especially during the Mass, what would you recommend?

Martin: Far too many Catholics are apathetic in their relationship with God. They show up to Mass Sunday after Sunday, unaware that the God of the universe is madly in love with them, that He desires to give Himself totally to them—Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. For many of them, however, it’s not all their fault. Too often, no one has taken the time to accompany them, to share with them the Gospel of Jesus Christ. A Eucharistic revival, will, I believe, foster evangelization, and, in turn, evangelization will fuel a deeper Eucharistic revival.

Paradoxically, the greatest way to increase devotion to the Eucharist in Mass, is outside of Mass. Questions we should each ask ourselves, outside of Mass, are: Am I living from a place of conversion? Is God truly the light of my life? Am I living in relationship with God—going to confession regularly, reading Scripture, spending time in prayer, adoration, and contemplation? These things are critical in building our own relationship with God and devotion to the Blessed Sacrament.

Regarding fostering true devotion to the Blessed Sacrament during the Mass, I’ll simply repeat the adage “lex orandi, lex credendi” (the law of prayer is the law of belief). We must pray the liturgy in a manner that reflects what we believe is happening on the altar. Heaven comes to meet earth, and our Masses should reflect that reality.

WWNN: Tell us a little about FOCUS’ plans to move into parishes and how you think missionaries will jive with parish staff.

Martin: FOCUS’ mission statement is: “To know Christ Jesus and fulfill His Great Commission” (Mt 28:18–20). We believe that the college campus is the most leveraged place to fulfill Christ’s command. The college students who give their lives to Christ today will serve the Church for the next 30, 40, 50 years or more. But not everyone in the world is on the college campus. In fact, most people spend most of their lives outside of college. Everyone in the world, however, lives in a parish boundary. If we are going to reach the world for Jesus Christ, then our parishes must be effective in the work of evangelization.

The Church, according to her own words, exists in order to evangelize—it is her deepest devotion (see Pope St. Paul VI’s Evangelii Nuntiandi, number 14). FOCUS’ desire to evangelize flows from our Catholic identity and from the pope’s words. We began evangelizing on college campuses more than 25 years ago, and the fruits have been extraordinary. And now, after discerning that God has called us to work in parishes as well, and after seven years of beta testing, we are working with pastors and within parishes. And these are not isolating groups or missions, there is cross pollination and a flow between our work on college campuses and within parishes, such that we already see similar success as we have seen for 25+ years on the college campus.

Our goal is to assist pastors in transforming the culture of their parish by helping ignite a spirit of evangelization and missionary discipleship capable of reaching their entire parish and the world with the Gospel.

Just like on the college campus, we are blessed to serve and support the staff of the parish. Our desire and daily effort is to do our part to help serve the Church, and ordinarily that happens at the local level—helping chaplains, campus ministers, pastors, and parish staff in their efforts to evangelize and raise up missionary disciples. While we may not be perfect, our staff members are exceptional at what they do and in their relationships with college students, parishioners, and pastors alike. When our missionaries go into a parish, one of their first goals is to build trusting relationships with the parish staff, come to understand their goals, and work to collaborate effectively. While we hope that we can bring the best of ourselves to the parish, we also have plenty to learn from others and are blessed by the opportunity to grow in and through collaboration.

If you would like to learn more about FOCUS in the parish, please contact us. Visit focus.org/parish and consider attending our Making Missionary Disciples track at SEEK25.

WWNN: FOCUS missionaries are serving in a secular culture, which is also increasingly hostile to religion. How do you train them to overcome the barriers inherent in today’s milieu?

Martin: Jesus tells His followers that they are “the light of the world” (Mt 5:14). A secular culture, the secular world that we all live in, lives in darkness. But, light shines in the darkness and we are each called to be beacons of light in the darkness.

Certainly, the challenges are many, but the Gospel speaks to every generation. In the very first paragraph of the Catechism we read, “at every time and in every place, God draws close to man” (CCC 1). This time and place are no different. Yes, we need to learn about the issues facing the world and the Church today. And, yes, we need to equip Catholics to have conversations about important topics. The primary training we give our staff, however, is what we call “Incarnational Evangelization.” This is the model of how God evangelized. God didn’t stay in heaven waiting for us to find Him; He entered our world and sought us out. He came down from heaven, took on human flesh and became like us in all things except sin. He entered our world so that we might one day enter His.

As missionary disciples, we are called to do the same. We need to be willing to go out and meet people in their ordinary, daily lives. We need to be willing to hang out where they hang out, visit their houses, go to their favorite events, enter their worlds. As Pope Francis exhorted, “The word of Christ wants to reach all people, in particular those who live in the peripheries of existence.… [W]e are called to go, to come out from behind our fences and, with zealous hearts, to bring to all the mercy, the tenderness, the friendship of God: this is a job that pertains to everyone.”¹ Jesus didn’t tell His disciples to wait in Jerusalem for people to come to them, join their programs, attend their meetings, or sign up for their Bible studies. He told them to go out into the world. If we do that as generous, loving, faithful witnesses of the Gospel, we will break down many barriers. But we have to be willing to get out of our comfort zones and imitate Christ in His love for those who are lost.

WWNN: What are the most important things lay Catholics can do to evangelize?

Martin: The vast majority of Catholics are lay people (not priests, religious). So, while priests and religious can’t be everywhere, we as lay people are everywhere! And we have a unique ability to reach people everywhere, which is why our mission as lay people and as missionary disciples is so critical, especially in the world today. We have the ability to reach everyone, if we simply say “yes” to the call and strive to do so.

Within FOCUS, we have found that our mission is most fruitful when we are living three key habits. The first habit we call Divine Intimacy. I’ve already mentioned it a little. It is, by far, the most important of the three. Only when we are living a deep, intimate, personal relationship with Christ will we ever bear fruit.

The second habit is Authentic Friendship. St. Paul wrote to one of the communities he served, “Being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us” (1 Thess 2:8). Do you love the people you are evangelizing enough to share your very self with them? To evangelize effectively, we believe that being in true, authentic relationships built on trust is key.

The third habit is what we call Clarity and Conviction about Spiritual Multiplication. First, do we have clarity about the way Jesus evangelized? Jesus set out to bring the Gospel to the entire world by investing deeply in twelve men, forming them in the ways of His kingdom, and training them to do the same for others. Though He preached to the masses on some occasions, He spent most of His time investing in His small group of disciples. Those twelve men went on to evangelize others, and they transformed the world. In imitation of Christ, this “Method Modeled by the Master” enables us to reach the world also. By deeply investing in a few, sharing the Gospel with them, building them up in the faith, and then sending them out on mission themselves, anyone can make a profound impact for the kingdom. St. Paul instructed Timothy, “What you have heard from me before many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also” (2 Tim 2:2). We must have clarity that our responsibility is not only to raise up disciples who are faithful to Christ but that we are called to help form missionary disciples. Those in whom we invest will not only invest in others, but train those in whom they invest to do the same, so that the process of evangelization doesn’t stop, but continues to multiply over and over again. When we imitate Jesus’ model of evangelization, we are more likely to see a kind of “spiritual multiplication,” in which the Gospel touches many more people’s lives, more missionary disciples are likely to be raised up, and many more souls can be rescued from the kingdom of sin and death and brought into the kingdom of God.

We must also ask ourselves: Do we have conviction that Jesus models for us how we ourselves are called to evangelize? Do we have the conviction that if we imitate Jesus’ way of evangelization, we can be most effective in our mission and help transform our own world today with the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Do we have the conviction to prioritize this mission in our lives, making time for this urgent task, and pouring our lives out into it? Do we have the conviction that this mission is not a job or something extra we do but is at the heart of our identity as disciples of Jesus? Conviction keeps disciples steadfast in pursuit of the mission God has entrusted to them.

WWNN: What do you think is the most important reform needed in the Church today? Have you seen any encouraging developments related to it?

Martin: Many great things are happening in the Church today. At the same time, much more needs to be done. At the end of His earthly life, before ascending into heaven, Jesus said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age” (Mt 28:18–20). This is the most authoritative statement in the history of the world. Jesus Christ, God-in-the-flesh, through whom the entire universe was created, cites His own credentials, saying “all authority” has been given to Him. Presidents, CEOs, and all other leaders on the planet do not have any authority comparable to Christ’s. And with this authority, He commands His body, the Church, to “make disciples of all nations.” This is our mission as Christians. Pope St. Paul VI said it beautifully when he wrote, “Evangelizing is in fact the grace and vocation proper to the Church, her deepest identity. She exists in order to evangelize.”² When the Church loses sight of who she is, when she forgets her mission, it leads to all sorts of challenges and difficulties.

If I could suggest one reform, it would simply be that we, as a Church, become more and more of what we are meant to be. It’s important for each of us to recognize that the only person I have control over is me, and I must strive for personal holiness and strive to collaborate with God the Father in the great mission that I alone was created for. St. Catherine of Siena said, “Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.” That is our calling today.

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Jayd Henricks is the president of Catholic Laity and Clergy for Renewal. He served at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops for eleven years and holds a STL in systematic theology from the Dominican House of Studies. He has written extensively on the Church in America.

1. Francis, “Homily of His Holiness, Pope Francis, at the Piazza del Plebiscito, Naples,” March 21, 2015), accessed March 30, 2020.

2. Paul VI, Evangelii Nuntiandi, 14, accessed August 17, 2023.