The Eucharist—not a cookie

While celebrating the solemnity of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, popularly also called the Feast of Corpus Christi, we are reminded of one of the basic truths we believe as Catholics. Namely, that Jesus is truly present with us in the species of bread and wine. We are reminded that The Eucharist (also known as the Holy Sacrifice of Mass) is not a merely human action, nor it is a nice “fellowship,” but a truly sacred action during which people are united with God in the most intimate way. It especially expressed in the reception of the Body and Blood of Christ which we call a holy communion, which we can translate as “a-union-with.”

We, Catholics, believe that when we go to Mass it is Jesus Christ Himself whom we receive and are united to through the species of bread and wine. It is not a symbol! It is an awesome reality of God’s presence. The Eucharist is the central sacrament by which the whole Church lives.

Many people have problems with accepting this doctrine of the Real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. I think it is due to our very superficial understanding while dealing with the mysteries of faith. In order to understand it we cannot treat it as a material object, although we still see the bread and wine even after the words of the consecration. Rather, we must see it in a spiritual way.

The Eucharist is primarily God’s action; it is Jesus’ sacrifice made present again in a purely spiritual way but expressed in a bodily form of bread and wine transformed (consecrated) into Christ’s Body and Blood. The fact that it is spiritual, however, does not mean that it is not real. It is real as it can be. God is mysteriously present in the sacramental signs of bread and wine in such a way as He became present in Jesus the Man who lived and walked on this earth. And He is present differently. In a way, He is present “more” in the consecrated bread and wine than in the nature, the trees, the animals or even the people. He is present humbly so that all who believe might have an easy access to Him without fear. It is another way of seeing Jesus “Who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:6-8). The Eucharist is a simple expression of this belief and prolongation of that event till the end of time. 

There are moments when physical reality is assumed into spiritual realm. The clearest example is the incarnation of the Son of God, “the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (John 1:14). The Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity became man, yet remained the Divine Person. He was truly human and truly God. The two natures united in the person Jesus Christ forever. It means that while still walking on earth Jesus the Man was permeated with His divine nature. He was the presence of God among the people. That is why St. John the Baptist and Jesus Himself cried out: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:2; 4:17; 10:7). Similarly, we must prepare ourselves in order to receive the Eucharist worthily, for it is not a cookie we receive.  It is mysterium tremendum, an awesome and terrible mystery beyond human comprehension—an encounter with The Living God. Thus we cannot receive Holy Communion with a light heart, we must be prepared, otherwise it becomes sacrilegious or a mockery of our faith. No one can truly appreciate the Eucharist if he/she does not want to repent. Thus those who live in a state of mortal sin (free unions, premarital sex, adultery, abortion—active and passive participation, homosexual acts, black magic or fortune-telling practices, contraception, suicidal attempts,  blasphemy, deliberately missing mass on holy days of obligation etc.) should not receive Holy Communion until they are reconciled with the Church in the sacrament of penance. If they do receive, it is not real communion for they have already separated themselves from the Church and Christ by the fact of committing a grave sin. Moreover, they offend God gravely by an insolent approach toward the sacred mysteries. In other words, they commit the sin of pride, which lies at the basis of all the sins.

Of course one may say that Jesus came to everybody so everybody should have “a right” to receive. It is true, Jesus came to everybody but not everybody was ready to accept Him and then to receive Him even when He was still walking on earth. Only those who repented, that is accepted all His teaching, were able to enjoy the graces He bestowed upon them. Notice, that after His resurrection Christ did neither appear to His adversaries nor to anyone who did not believe Him, but only to His disciples. He appeared only to those who believed His word and followed Him in everything.

  
Peace,
Fr. Janusz