The Bishop of Donkorkrom, Most Rev. John Alphonse Asiedu, SVD, has called on Sacred Heart of Jesus devotees and Tarcisians to deepen their love for the Eucharist and allow that love to shape their service to the Church, humanity and creation.
He made the call in a homily delivered on Saturday, 22 August 2026, at St Alphonse Catholic Church, Kpong, at the ongoing 4th Accra Provincial Sacred Heart Jesus Rally.
Preaching on the topic, “Defending the Eucharistic Devotion (like St. Tarcisius), leading with love to serve the Synodal Church,” Bishop Asiedu said devotion to the Eucharist must go beyond religious practice and become a source of Christian love, courage and service.
The three-day rally, which runs from Friday, 21 to Sunday, 23 August, is being held under the theme, “A Synodal Church at the Service of Justice and Peace in Ghana: The Role of the Sacred Heart Devotees.”
Bishop Asiedu began his reflection with the biblical vision of the dry bones in the Book of Ezekiel, describing the hopelessness of the Israelites during their exile in Babylon.
He said the dry bones represented a people who appeared to have lost everything, but God’s message through Ezekiel was ultimately a message of hope, restoration and new life.
According to the Bishop, the vision also points to the Christian hope in the resurrection.
“We know that we will die, but we also believe that though we be as dead as dry bones, God will raise us to the fullness of new life,” he said.
He linked this hope directly to the Eucharist, recalling Christ’s promise that whoever eats his flesh and drinks his blood will have eternal life and will be raised on the last day.
Bishop Asiedu then drew attention to the example of St Tarcisius, the young Christian traditionally remembered for protecting the Eucharist during the persecution of the early Church.
He explained that during the persecution of Christians under the Roman authorities, priests needed trusted messengers to carry Holy Communion secretly to Christians imprisoned or awaiting execution.
St Tarcisius volunteered for this dangerous mission. On his way, he was attacked by a hostile mob and beaten to death while protecting the Eucharist from desecration.
For Bishop Asiedu, the sacrifice of St Tarcisius offers a lesson to today’s Eucharistic devotees.
The persecuted Christians awaiting execution needed the Eucharist as spiritual nourishment to remain firm and courageous in their faith. St Tarcisius, he said, became a trusted messenger who was prepared to sacrifice his life to protect the presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament.
Turning to the purpose of the rally, Bishop Asiedu said devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus must ultimately lead believers to discover and share God’s immense love for humanity.
“The Sacred Heart of Jesus points us to God’s love for humanity,” he said, stressing that the heart is a symbol of Christ’s great love rather than simply an object of devotion.
He said the Church invites people through the devotion to encounter the source of God’s love and, having received that love, to share it with others.
The Bishop therefore challenged devotees to make their Eucharistic devotion visible in their daily lives.
“Our Eucharistic devotion must serve to open up ourselves in love and service to one another,” he said, extending that responsibility to Church groups and societies, the wider Church, humanity and creation.
He also called on the faithful to care for creation as part of their Christian responsibility.
The Bishop outlined several ways in which Eucharistic devotion should be lived.
He encouraged the devotees to participate actively and attentively in the celebration of Mass and to receive Holy Communion worthily, recognising that Christ comes to dwell in them and they in him.
He also urged the faithful to spend quality time before the Blessed Sacrament through silent prayer, reflection, contemplation, Eucharistic adoration and Benediction.
Frequent celebration of the Sacrament of Penance, he added, should form part of their preparation for encountering Christ in the Eucharist.
But above all, the Bishop said, Eucharistic devotion must transform those who receive Christ.
“All in all, what is most important is we become what we celebrate and receive in the Eucharist,” he said.
He challenged the devotees to reflect the image of Jesus in their relationships with others, remaining close to Christ while showing affection and love towards their fellow human beings.
Bishop Asiedu connected this transformation with the Synodal Church, saying that closeness to Jesus and genuine love for others provide the foundation for walking together as a Church.
He urged the faithful to embody the values of unity, shared learning and common action in the service of God and humanity.
Among its objectives are deepening faith in the Sacred Heart devotion, renewing the consecration of devotees, Ghana and the Church to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, promoting the enthronement of the Sacred Heart in family homes, and strengthening the domestic Church.
The rally also seeks to rekindle the love of Jesus among Christians and inspire the faithful to win more souls for Christ.
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