Prayer and discernment are key aspects of the first step of Walk with One

Bella Bailey

Multimedia Correspondent

In the March 7 edition of the Messenger, the first step on the Walk with One initiative was introduced. An evangelization effort from the 2024 National Eucharistic Congress, the initiative invites all Catholics to find someone in their life and help bring them closer to God. Symbolically walking with them, to the Lord. The first step, identifying someone in a spirit of humility, invites the participant into prayer with the Holy Spirit so that they might discern with the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Recommended ways of prayer and discernment by the National Eucharistic Congress are Eucharistic Adoration and the praying of a novena.

“Our big encouragement for everyone as they do Walk with One,” said Tanner Kalina, project manager of the National Eucharistic Congress, “is to surround it with prayer and that starts first and foremost at the very beginning as you discern who the Lord might be inviting you to walk with.”

Eucharistic Adoration is the practice of quiet contemplation and prayer before the exposed Eucharist, and silently meditating, adoring and listening for God’s word.

Mr. Kalina explained, “That’s just going to prayer, putting yourself in front of the Eucharist, asking Jesus to stir someone in your heart for who to walk with.”

In addition to, or in conjunction with, Eucharistic Adoration, it is also recommended to pray a novena — a nine-day period of prayer which can be dedicated to a specific saint for their intercession on personal intentions. Rooted in Scripture, it is commonly said that the first novena was prayed by Mary and the apostles in the upper room as they were waiting for the coming of the Holy Spirit.

An important part of identifying someone in a spirit of humility is not to become frustrated. Kris Frank, vice president of Growth and Marketing for the National Eucharistic Congress said, “Evangelization, accompaniment is not for the faint of heart. There’s going to be ups and downs, it’s going to be one step forward, one step backward … We might think we know what needs to happen but God truly is the one that can change hearts and so we want to ensure that we are connected to God.”