The Source and Summit

A couple of months ago, I was at mass for a funeral when, during communion, I saw someone take the host and discreetly slip it into a coat pocket.  Ever since I witnessed this, it has been floating around in the back of my mind.  Unfortunately, this incident was not the first or second time I noticed this at a mass, but the third time within the last few years.  I think about this often.  I think about how I failed to say or do anything.  It has left me wondering what one should do in this situation.  I may have been unsure of how to react in this situation.  However, one thing I am certain of is that the Eucharist is the source and summit of our faith.  Reflecting on this thought makes me aware of a rather large problem.  If the Eucharist is the central part of our faith, why are there so many Catholics who fail to believe or don’t understand?

If Jesus is who He says He is (and He is), then it changes everything.  Being able to receive the Eucharist, body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus is a gift that blesses us with many graces and transforms us like nothing else can.  Of course, it takes faith to believe Christ is truly present in the Eucharist.  Thankfully, we are not left stranded.  The Church’s teaching on this subject is rooted deeply in scripture.  In addition to scripture, there are stories about saints and their experiences, books and documents we can read, and even documented Eucharistic miracles that can help deepen and strengthen our faith.  Turning to scripture is usually the best place to begin.
    
About five years ago, I was preparing a talk on what the Mass meant to me for the 12th grade confirmation class.  As I was digging deeper into different sources to find points for my talk, I was blown away by just how much evidence for the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist could be found throughout scripture.  While I found a lot of information throughout different books and chapters, the first passage that I went to and that really stood out to me was John Chapter 6, also known as The Bread of Life Discourse.  I had remembered how much that passage had resonated with me in high school, as it had been a significant part of my faith and strengthened my belief in the Real Presence.  I focused much of my talk around this passage to emphasize to the class that the Eucharist was not merely a symbol of Jesus but instead, His body and blood.  This scripture passage is a great one to reflect upon often and a great place to turn to regularly to know and understand the truth.

I often wonder how many Catholics do not know and understand the truth, specifically about the Eucharist.  I fear that many Catholics receive Jesus at Mass, believing that what they are receiving is just a little circular wafer that symbolizes Jesus’ body.  What about all of the Catholics who do not even know what the Church teaches about the Eucharist?  What about those who choose not to attend mass regularly because they do not understand what, or rather Who, is present?  

The Eucharist is the source and summit of our faith, not just for some Catholics but for all Catholics.  This teaching needs to be prioritized and discussions on it should occur frequently .  After second grade, this teaching cannot fall through the cracks.  We must help everyone to understand this teaching so they will believe Jesus is truly present.  It is only Christ who will put this belief in people’s hearts, but we can help open the door.

The Eucharist is spiritual nourishment.  As St. John Paul II once said, “From the Eucharist comes strength to live the Christian life and zeal to share that life with others.”  My prayer today is that we would find strength in the Eucharist, always knowing the love Jesus has for us and sharing it with others so that they too would come to believe.

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