Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church

 
Trying to take 10 or 15 minutes and preach on the Eucharist is almost an impossible task.  You could speak for days, weeks, and years on this great mystery. 

Just a few questions:
What is the Eucharist?  You know that the word itself means, “To give thanks” and it is a memorial of Jesus’ great act of thanksgiving to the Father, where instead of offering sacrificial animals and their blood, he offered himself, in thanksgiving and for reparation for our sins.  It is a great celebration of thanksgiving for the Father, for his goodness. 

A better question is who is the Eucharist?  Because we believe that the Holy Eucharist, Holy Communion, is the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.  It is not a symbol of his presence.  It is actually His Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity.  That is our belief.  Over the years, one element or another of the Eucharist has been stressed.  Prior to the 20^th century, for many centuries, Eucharist was seen primarily as theophany, the appearance of God among us, which it is.  The people were focused on that part of the Eucharist and would not receive it because of they were unworthy.  Pope Pius X issued a decree that you must receive the Eucharist at least once a year.  He realized that in addition to theophany, the Eucharist is also a sharing in God’s life and a communion with each other.  Probably 20 years ago that element of the Eucharist began to be stressed.  The fact is that Christ is in us and we are in Christ, and the element of theophany, His appearance among us, was undervalued.  Therefore, we need to keep a balance.  We need to both revere and respect and adore Jesus under the appearance of the bread and wine, and at the same time, we need to welcome him into our soul and recognize him in each other.  That is the way it’s intended to be. 
 
Do you believe that Jesus Christ is truly present under the appearance of bread and wine?  Yes.  (Responds the parishioners loudly and clearly.)  That was overwhelming.  It is an amazing question, isn’t it?  I mean, we say yes, but what does that mean?  It means that this is the living God.  This bread that you will eat, the cup that you will drink, is actually Jesus Christ, the 2^nd person of the Blessed Trinity, the creator of all that is.  Do you believe that?  Yes (responds the parishioners loudly and clearly again.)  If we do believe that, and we do believe that, then a few things follow from that belief. 
 
First of all, we must act as if we believe it when we are in the presence of the Holy Sacrament.  This is in no way intended to criticize this faith community for a lack of reverence to the Eucharist.  In fact, the Archbishop was here a couple of years ago and he commented on how well this parish is in their reception of the Holy Eucharist.  However, we should be, for it is the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ. 
 
I’ve told you this story in the past.  Perhaps you remember it of a young Catholic man who had a Moslem friend in university somewhere in the Unites States.  He asked the Moslem to attend church with him.  The Moslem did and he explained to him that we believe that God is present under the appearance of bread and wine. 
The Moslem said, “I don’t believe that.” 
The Catholic said, “Well, I know you follow Islam, but we believe…” 
The friend interrupted, “No, I believe that Allah, if He wished, could become represented by bread and wine, that he could be present, Allah could do anything Allah wants.  I don’t believe that you believe it.” 
He said, “Why?” 
“Because if God was truly present, Oh my!  If I went into a place where Allah was, I would act in a certain way, and I don’t see you Catholics act that way.”
Ouch.  What a good point. 
 
Christ is truly present and we need to show that reverence.  That’s why when we come into the church, we genuflect when we come in, and we genuflect, if we’re able, when we leave.  It is a sign of adoration and respect for Christ’s presence.  Other times when we pass the altar, which is a symbol of Christ, we reverence the altar with a reverential bow. 
 
The second thing follows if we truly believe this is God, and that is that we clean ourselves up before we eat.  We wash ourselves clean before we eat.  Moms always tell kids, "Did you wash your hands?"  The priest should tell people, did you go to confession?"  If you are aware of serious sin, in your heart, if you have committed a serious sin that has not been forgiven by God in the Sacrament, and you receive Holy Communion, then as Paul says, you eat and drink judgment upon yourself, condemnation upon yourself.  We don’t ever want to do that.  We clean ourselves up, for such a great guest to come into our souls. 
 
Finally, another question, how can I better appreciate Jesus presence in the Blessed Sacrament?  Although we believe this, there is the truth that familiarity breed’s contempt.  At least, if not contempt, it breeds something else other than what it should.  We are so used to being in church and so used to being in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, that we can forget this, we can habituate God’s presence and not act in accordance with his presence among us.  How can I better appreciate the presence of Christ in the Sacrament?  By spending time with him.  I know we are busy, but the busier we are, the more you need to spend time with Christ.  I am reading a biography of John Paul II written by Peggy Noonan and she mentions the Holy Father spent 90 minutes in prayer with the Blessed Sacrament before he began his day.  You’ve seen him, you remember the pictures of when he visited a Cathedral, and he would kneel before the Blessed Sacrament.  You knew that he wasn’t acting.  He knew that he was in the presence of the great God that he loved so much.  I remember in his last days, even as he celebrated the Eucharist, he couldn’t stand, and he would hold on to the altar, lift the Host, and look up at it.  He knew Christ well in the Holy Eucharist.  Spend time with Christ.  You know the secret number of our Chapel here and in White Rock, 1-3-4.  Everyone knows that combination except the dummy that broke into the Chapel.  You pass these chapels all the time.  Stop and spend some time.  You will not regret it. 
 
We thank God for this gift and in a few moments, most of us will receive his Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity.  When you Say, “Amen.”  You are saying, I believe.  You are saying that I know this is Jesus Christ, Living and Incarnate in this Holy Sacrament. 

Would you bow your heads, if you would, as we pray?  This is a prayer of St. Ignatius Loyola. 
 
Soul of Christ, Sanctify me.
Body of Christ, save me.
Blood of Christ, flow all through me.
Water from the side of Christ, cleanse me.
Passion of Christ, strengthen me.
O Good Jesus, hear me.
Within your wounds, hide me.
Never let me be separated from you.
Protect me from the evil one.  
In the hour of my death call me
And have me come to you
That with your saints I may praise you forever.
 
We pray this today in confidence, through Christ our Lord.  Amen.

---

---