There is a connection between faith in the Eucharist and the strength of our faith in general. Reports abound that many Catholics – church-going Catholics – do not really believe Jesus is present in the Blessed Sacrament. Many think It is a mere symbol; others perhaps just a mode of participating in community and being one of the group; but how many really take Him at His word when He says: “This is my Body…this is my Blood”? How many have really tried to pierce the mystery of those words with the eyes of faith to see the Reality that is present in our midst? From the most prominent clergyman to the most inconspicuous layman, there seems to be a real crisis of belief in the truth of Who this Sacrament truly is, and who He calls us to be and the life He calls us to live. If Catholics truly believed in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Most Holy Eucharist, hearts, homes, parishes, and communities would be transformed. But we are too often content with having a tepid, lethargic, almost unbelieving approach to Him, and therefore so many live our Catholic Faith in a tepid, lethargic, almost unbelieving manner. In the end, how we approach the Eucharist is ultimately how we will approach our whole Christian vocation. If we struggle to really believe that He is present as He says He is present, then we must beg God to “help our unbelief” (cf. Mark 9:24) in this Sacrament. It is also helpful to consider if our Eucharistic practices suggest belief; how we treat the Eucharist, how we behave in His Presence, how we prepare and how we receive – all of this can reveal our Faith in His Real Presence.
God can give us no greater gift than the gift of the Eucharist. Pope St. John Paul II taught that “the Eucharist, as Christ’s saving presence in the community of the faithful and its spiritual food, is the most precious possession which the Church can have in her journey through history” (Ecclesia de Eucharistia, §9). Notice he does not just say the Eucharist is the greatest gift that Christ has given us, but that it is the greatest gift He can give us while on this earth. No matter what else the Lord may give us in life, He could never give us anything better than the Eucharist, because in the Eucharist He gives us Himself, and when it comes to God’s gifts, God can give us no greater gift than Himself. No matter what trials or challenges we may face, we must have the conviction that, if we have Him, we have more than we could ever ask or imagine, and more than we could ever merit or deserve. Our faith in this Sacrament is a source of strength, peace, and reconciliation. Whenever we participate in this Sacrament, It binds us more closely to God and our neighbor by nourishing the charity that first infused our souls in Baptism. When we receive the Eucharist with devotion and in a state of grace (i.e., “without any unconfessed, grave sins on our soul”), this charity is nourished in both its vertical dimension (towards God) and its horizontal dimension (towards neighbor).
This charity is also nourished in a profound way when we spend time in His presence, adoring Him in silence and love. The Blessed Sacrament and the Blessed Mother are the two pillars upon which a strong faith is built, and they are also the pillars upon which a strong parish is built. Jesus and Mary are inseparable, and Mary never ceases to spend her Heaven leading us closer to her Son, because that is how she spent her earth, and the more we love her the more she will teach us to love her Son. It is my dream for our parish family that everyone will grow in devotion to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, and that our devotion to the Blessed Mother may hasten and increase our love for Him as He comes to us in the sacrament of His Body and Blood. Until we receive and look at Jesus – Who is truly present in the Eucharist for us to receive and behold – with the same loving gaze of His mother, our love for Him is not yet deep enough, not yet warm enough, not yet rich enough. We can always love Him more, and spending time with Him in the Eucharist is a primary means of growing our love for Him. St. Alphonsus teaches us:
“The person who loves Jesus lives in his company, and Jesus lives in his. ‘If anyone loves Me...my Father will love him and We will come to him, and will make Our abode with him.’ When Saint Philip Neri saw the Blessed Sacrament, which was being brought to him as Viaticum, enter his room, he cried out: ‘Behold my love! Behold my love!’ And here, where Jesus is present in the Blessed Sacrament, let each one of us say: ‘Behold my love! Here is the object of my entire love, through my whole life and through eternity”.
Take time to visit Him every day if you can, even for just a moment, and let Him grow His love in you and your love for Him and your neighbor. Ask the Blessed Mother to teach you how to love Him better today and always. He is our greatest gift and the source of all consolation and joy. May God bless you in the week ahead, and may Mother Mary lead you more deeply into the Sacred and Merciful Heart of Jesus. I remain,
Affectionately Yours in Christ,
Fr. Hess
