Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
As we continue through the sixth chapter of the Gospel of John in our Sunday Mass readings, it’s a wonderful opportunity to write about and consider in my letters in the bulletin the great gift of the Eucharist in our lives and in our faith. It’s always good to focus on the Blessed Sacrament, but to really hone in on some different aspects of it in a written format makes sense to me. And so, for this week and next, my letters will be quite Eucharistic in nature.
Several years ago, there was a survey conducted that indicated that only 33% of practicing Catholics believed that the Eucharist was the real presence of Jesus Christ. As you might guess, such a small percentage was distressing to many, especially since the Real Presence is an essential tenet and truth of our faith. To be clear, the Catholic Church teaches that the Eucharist is the Real Presence of Jesus Christ and when we consume it or are merely around it, we have direct contact with our Lord and God. While there is also a symbolic element, as there is for all the Sacraments, the Eucharist is the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ. And it’s important to get that correct.
If we don’t hold the concept of the Real Presence as true, then a lot of things in the Catholic faith lose meaning. If Christ isn’t present in the Eucharist, then why do we keep the Blessed Sacrament in such a place of honor in the Tabernacle? If the Eucharist is just a symbol, then why is there an obligation to attend Mass on Sundays? If the Blessed Sacrament isn’t the Body and Blood of Christ, why does something like Eucharistic Adoration even exist? If it just remains bread and wine, how can we fulfill what Christ tells us in the Gospel; to eat His flesh and drink His blood so as to have eternal life? No matter how you might look at it, the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist is an incredibly important aspect to our overall theology and faith.
The good news is that more recent surveys, with less confusing language than that one I previously mentioned, have flipped that statistic. There’s now about 67% of practicing Catholics that believe Christ is truly present in the Eucharist. That both tells us that the previous survey may have been flawed in some ways, and that the majority of people do hold that the Real Presence is the truth. But statistics aren’t perfect, and there’s still roughly one in three people who struggle to believe what the Church teaches about the Eucharist.
And so, it’s important for those of us that do know and believe to encourage others to discover the truth for themselves. The most effective tool in this regard is personal witness. If we treat the Eucharist with reverence, make sure to center our weeks around Mass, and be Eucharistic people; that’s a powerful way to help others discover the Real Presence for themselves.
Peace and Goodness,
Fr. Dan
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