Today the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Precious Body and Blood of
Jesus Christ, the Eucharist. Why do we set a special day for something that we do every week or, for some of you, every single day? It’s because the Eucharist is the single thing that makes us a living church, everything else is just consequential of it. Without the
Eucharist, the Catholic Church would not exist and would have no meaning. That’s why the Catechism refers to “The Eucharist as the source and summit of Christian life .. for in the blessed Eucharist is contained all the spiritual wealth of the Church, namely Christ himself.” I want to emphasize the last part of the statement: “in the blessed Eucharist is contained ALL the spiritual wealth of the Church, namely Christ himself.” It contains ALL, everything about the faith is in there, everything. Nothing less, nothing more. That piece of bread and simple wine contain what defines our very identity. It is Jesus himself! After a
funeral one time, a family member asked me politely, “Father, why are non-Catholics not able to receive communion? That’s not very welcoming or hospitable.” I explained to her that for us the bread and wine after consecration aren’t just symbols for Jesus, they do not stand for Jesus .. but it is Jesus himself! I explained, “And in that simple piece of bread and wine contain every single thing that we believe in faith, so when the minister says “the body of Christ”, he/she is basically saying “receive everything that our faith contains” and when you say “amen”, you say “yes” to everything that our faith teaches. So, if one doesn’t believe in some of the teachings of the church, then what are you saying “yes” to? And, by not inviting you to receive communion, we are showing you our deepest respect for your faith by not imposing on you what we believe. Because we don’t want you to say “yes” or “amen” to something that your heart doesn’t believe.
Is Jesus really present in the bread and wine after consecration? Do you believe in that? Our answer to this question is very important. This is what makes us Catholic at the core. Our answer to this question forms our attitude and disposition towards the Eucharist. If the Eucharist is just a symbol of Jesus, then I can just miss Mass and be okay with it. If the Eucharist is just a representation of Jesus, then the way I receive Jesus doesn’t really matter; it won’t be a big deal if I am in a state of sin or not, it’s just a symbol. If the Eucharist is just a symbol, then if I don’t like the music or if the homily is boring, then I don’t have to go back. Well, it’s not a symbol, not because there are hundreds of Eucharistic miracles around the world where the actual host and wine turned into real flesh and blood, but because Jesus said so! If it’s just a symbol, I would be the very first person to leave the church. Why would I spend my whole life with something that is only symbolic? I can help other people in their needs even if I am not a priest. But, I became a priest because of the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.
One of the most telling and ironic evidences for me of the real presence in the Eucharist in recent memory were spurred by reports on Satanic Masses, or what they call Black Mass. In one of the planned Satanic Masses in Oklahoma, it was reported that a consecrated host was taken from a Catholic Mass. Why was that? If the Eucharist is just a symbol, why couldn’t they just use a host that wasn’t yet consecrated? They can buy a unconsecrated host in religious stores. Why does it have to be a host consecrated in a
Catholic Church? Because, even Satan believes in the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist — that’s why it has to be a consecrated host in a Catholic church that needs to be desecrated in such a horrifying ritual like that!
So, what does this have to do with our life? Huge! If I truly believe that I receive Jesus himself in the Eucharist and it’s not just a symbol, then my attitude towards Mass will change. I would also be more respectful of my body, because now I become a living tabernacle after I receive Jesus. I would refrain from things that dishonor my body or objectify other people; I would also take seriously my new identity in Christ because every time I receive Jesus in the Eucharist, I become what I receive. That’s on the personal level. How about on the social level? If Jesus is willing to be transformed into the piece of bread and wine in order to be accessible to us, then how can I be more accessible to people who are in need of nourishment, whether it be physical, emotional or spiritual? If Christ is in me after I receive him in the Eucharist, do I allow myself to be a living nourishment for people who are in the margins of the society? May we become what we eat! – (Note: This is a bulletin article that I wrote a year ago on the Solemnity of the Corpus Christi)– Fr. Cary