By Vicki Yamasaki
There is much talk of the Eucharistic Congress and we have just had Eucharistic processions take place to celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of the Lord, Corpus Christi. This has had me in deep reflection so this week’s newsletter addresses “How do we help Catholics once again believe in the Real Presence in the Eucharist?” Next week I will discuss: Will the Eucharistic Congress be the most effective way to help us achieve this objective?
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I was a fourth-grade catechist for 22 years and collaborated with over 100 catechists over the years. The materials given to catechists did not have ANY lessons on the Eucharist (or Jesus’ Real Presence).Our daughter attended faith formation through high school and never received any education on the Real Presence. So, I created my own tailored lesson plans on the Real Presence in the Eucharist. The children said it was the first time they had EVER heard it.
Children are not receiving this important catechesis from priests, catechists or at home. They are not learning the important learnings of the Eucharist and why it matters. They certainly do not understand the Biblical foundations or the meaning of transubstantiation. Because of this, they are ignorant in how (or why) to participate reverently in adoration toward the Eucharist (e.g., kneeling, bowing, genuflecting, spending time in prayer at Communion and after Mass, etc.) And very importantly, they do not understand the joy one feels to receive the Eucharist in a state of grace and what it does for one’s soul. Because of this, they are likely not to prepare themselves for Mass properly by fasting, confessing their sins regularly and praying for grace and guidance.
If we are to truly evangelize and reach all Catholics, we must find a way to incorporate these important teachings at every age.It is an important enough topic that it should be covered from second grade all the way through high school.
Children should further understand that receiving the Body, Blood Soul and Divinity of our Lord, Jesus Christ requires that they be in a state of grace … that means no mortal sin. Teaching children to love Jesus is absolutely important and to love Jesus means to come to Him clean of sin because it injures Him greatly when we consume His Body in a state of mortal sin.
You can make a difference! Volunteer to become a catechist and help in the formation of these little innocent ones who need to be led in the right path.
We know from our faith that Catholics must not approach this Sacrament in a state of serious sin. Furthermore, one of the main concerns surrounding Communion is that someone publicly, like Biden or Pelosi, is known to be committing serious sins and yet receives Communion. These cases create scandal, because these politicians (among many) lead others to sin (in this case encouraging others to commit the sin of abortion). Catholic doctrine specifically states that “they are guilty of scandal who establish laws or social structures leading to the decline of morals and the corruption of religious practice.”
Denying Communion for such politicians is not setting a precedent. There is a history of denying this Sacrament to those participating in such egregious behavior. For example, St. Ambrose in Milan denied Communion to the Roman Emperor Theodosius for the massacre of Thessalonica, killing 7000. Pope Innocent III issued an interdict denying all sacraments to Wales and England (except for Baptism and the confession of the dying) because King John had rejected Innocent III’s candidate for the position of archbishop of Canterbury. Further, Irish bishops denied Communion to violent agitators in the 1920’s that were fighting against the legal government. Even recently, the priests of Malta denied Communion to Catholics who supported legalized divorce. You may even recall, John Kerry or Nancy Pelosi being denied Communion in 2004 and 2022, respectively, for their support of abortion rights
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So there is a long history of the Church taking action when scandal is involved.
When bishops and priests continue to administer Jesus in the Eucharist to people who are mortally and brazenly sinning in such a public way, people naturally conclude … “well this must just be a piece of bread because no one would wound Jesus so cruelly if he were really present in the Eucharist.”
In general, we are seeing the faithful weekly receive the Eucharist yet few are seen in the line for Confession. We must insist that priests encourage both politicians and laity in general go to confession regularly so they are in a state of grace when receiving the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Eucharist is treated by many faithful and some religious and clergy as a dead object. They are indifferent, and indeed lukewarm to this great gift. Catholics have lost their sense of awe and wonder to the great Sacrifice that Jesus made and do not reflect on His Last Supper in the Upper Room with His Apostles. They lose in a real sense being united in and with Christ.
In St. Faustina’s Diary (Marian Press, 2005), there are three deeply troubling quotes directly from Jesus to St. Faustina worth reflecting on:
1288 Today the Lord told me, My daughter, write that it pains Me very much when religious souls receive the Sacrament of Love merely out of habit, as if they did not distinguish this food. I find neither faith nor love in their hearts. I go to such souls with great reluctance. It would be better if they did not receive Me. (Diary 1288)
1385 November 19. After Communion today, Jesus told me how much He desires to come to human hearts. I desire to unite Myself with human souls; My great delight is to unite Myself with souls. Know, My daughter, that when I come to a human heart in Holy Communion, My hands are full of all kinds of graces which I want to give to the soul. But souls do not even pay any attention to Me; they leave Me to Myself and busy themselves with other things. Oh, how sad I am that souls do not recognize Love! They treat Me as a dead object. (Diary 1385)
1447 O how painful it is to Me that souls so seldom unite themselves to Me in Holy Communion. I wait for souls, and they are indifferent toward Me. I love them tenderly and sincerely, and they distrust Me. I want to lavish My graces on them, and they do not want to accept them. They treat Me as a dead object, whereas My Heart is full of love and mercy. In order that you may know at least some of My pain, imagine the most tender of mothers who has great love for her children, while those children spurn her love. Consider her pain. No one is in a position to console her. This is but a feeble image and likeness of My love. (Diary 1447)
I am afraid we each have been guilty of indifference of receiving our Lord in Communion. We must at each occasion respond with awe and an overwhelming sense of gratitude for the sacrifice He made and unite with Him in love. We will never be closer to Him as we will be in this moment. I fervently pray the Unity Prayer and Anima Christi Prayer following Communion daily.
We desperately need our priests to deliver homilies on this need for adoration and the miracle of the Eucharist, including Eucharistic miracles that are occurring in our times. We also need priests to reverently kneel before the Tabernacle each and every time they pass and treat the Liturgy of the Eucharist with the same reverence as the Liturgy of the Word. But kneeling before the Tabernacle will be a problem if the Tabernacle is not placed prominently in the center of the Altar where it is elevated for all to see. The placement of the Tabernacle in the center with a priest then genuflecting before signifies reverence and allows for supreme adoration by the laity.
There should be a long period of silence following the Eucharistic singing so that we can unite with Jesus in a tender way. What concerns me most about this is how painful it is to Jesus. As detrimental it is to us that we are not uniting with Christ in the Eucharist, it should make our hearts ache with sorrow that we are wounding the Sacred Heart of Jesus in such a way as this.
The Eucharist is the most sacred gift that God has given us, and we should receive it with the utmost reverence and love. Receiving the Eucharist on the tongue is the most reverent way to show love for Jesus, as is receiving Jesus while kneeling… Receiving the Eucharist on the tongue can help us to:
- Avoid the risk of dropping or losing particles of the host, which are the body of Christ.
- Avoid the risk of profaning the host by touching it with unclean or unworthy hands.
- Avoid the risk of treating the host as a common food or a mere symbol.
- Show our humility and dependence on God, who feeds us with his own flesh and blood.
- Show our adoration and gratitude to God, who gives himself to us completely.
- Show our obedience and fidelity to the Church, which has always taught that the Eucharist is the Real Presence of Christ.
Unfortunately, we can look around and see that Catholics have adopted a materialistic worldview that makes it hard for them to accept the mystery of transubstantiation. TV programs now erase God from their dialogue but speak of the “universe”. We can see in education, entertainment and media that portray the Eucharist as merely a superstition. When I have shared Eucharistic miracles with Catholic friends they are suspect, even after scientific evidence is presented. The hardening of hearts comes from the neglect of their prayer life and relationship with God. It is likely they have not been involved in Bible studies or prayer groups or attended Mass on a regular basis.
It certainly did not help when Church leaders shuddered the churches during the first months of the pandemic. Cutting the faithful off from the Eucharist (even adoration) was a signal to all … “see, you really don’t need Jesus.” This led to a significant fall off in Catholic Mass attendance. I have a 61 year old relative that had never missed Sunday Mass in her entire life that has never returned to the Church since the closing of the doors. She said “see we didn’t really need it.” This was the message sent by Church leaders. Their decision came from what I gloomily refer to as the “Church of Man.” Operating out of a state of worldly fear instead of heavenly trust.
People today value what is material and measurable; it is hedonistic and obsessed with buying the next shiny thing and pleasing thy self. So sadly, the people who fall into this group will oppose the moral teachings of our Catholic faith. In these cases, it is probable they have fallen into sin and lost their sense of awe. Yet faith can be rekindled with a simple yes and a kind Catholic friend’s invitation to help them back on the journey.
If you have been through a conversion (or faith reversion), you know that faith can be reclaimed. There is always hope. We must pray, act, and leave the rest up to the Lord Himself.