Exactly two years ago, many Catholics were SHOCKED by the results of a Pew Research Center survey on the BELIEF in the real presence of Jesus, body and blood, in the EUCHARIST. The headlines in the media were: "Just one-third of U.S. Catholics agree with their church that Eucharist is body, blood of Christ", or "Pew Survey shows majority of Catholics don't believe in Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist".
I too was shocked at the headlines...but looking at the details of the survey, I was less shocked. The survey selected people who identify themselves as Catholics, the so-called “self-identified” Catholics. These are not necessarily "practicing Catholics”. As a matter of fact, a large majority of those surveyed did not attend Sunday Mass regularly. Among the so-called "Observant Catholics", those attending Mass at least once a week, it was found that TWO-THIRDS BELIEVED that the offered bread and wine actually become the BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST at CONSECRATION. This is what we call THE BELIEF IN THE REAL PRESENCE OF JESUS IN THE EUCHARIST: Body, Blood Soul and Divinity.
Of course, what people remembered was the headlines about only one-third of "self-identified" Catholics not believing in the Eucharist. For me, I chose to remember the TWO-THIRDS of "practicing" Catholics BELIEVING IN THE EUCHARIST. This could and should be improved, but it gave me HOPE! Another lesson was that all the teachers of the Catholic Faith (Pastors, Priests, Catechists and Parents) could and should do better in passing on the Catholic Faith to the little ones at an early stage of their life, especially in the preparation for their First Communion and First Reconciliation, and then assist them in going to Mass regularly while deepening their understanding of their Catholic Faith and all Sacraments.
There were also two broad lessons for all adult Catholics: 1. the importance to have a better understanding of the entire MASS; the Eucharist can be only appreciated and believed as an integral part of the entire Mass: listening, understanding and believing the WORD OF GOD (The Liturgy of the Word) and in the context of THE PASCHAL MYSTERY: the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ (The Liturgy of the EUCHARIST) and 2. the importance of attending Mass every Sunday, not only because it is an obligation to KEEP HOLY THE SABBATH, but because it is essential to maintain our FAITH, which is a pure GIFT OF GOD, and keep being FED SPIRITUALLY week after week. With such understanding and belief, can one proclaim with the entire Catholic Church that THE EUCHARIST IS THE SOURCE AND SUMMIT OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
This weekend, we complete the reading of Jesus' Bread of Life Discourse: JOHN's CHAPTER 6 (begun last month). Not unlike today's lack of belief in the REAL PRESENCE, MANY OF JESUS' DISCIPLES had a hard time believing in Jesus announcing that "HE WILL GIVE US HIS OWN FLESH TO EAT":
"The Jews (then) disputed among themselves saying: HOW CAN THIS MAN GIVE US HIS FLESH TO EAT? So Jesus said to them: TRULY, TRULY, I SAY TO YOU, UNLESS YOU EAT THE FLESH OF THE SON OF MAN and drink His blood, you have no life in you; HE WHO EATS MY FLESH AND DRINKS MY BLOOD HAS ETERNAL LIFE, AND I WILL RAISE HIM UP AT THE LAST DAY. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood ABIDES IN ME AND I IN HIM " (John 6:52-56).
We can ask ourselves today: DO I BELIEVE THOSE WORDS FROM JESUS? We live in a culture that tends to believe only "what can be proven scientifically". A culture where there is less and less room for the Sacred, the Supernatural, the MIRACLES. Almost the totality of non-Catholic Christians in our country today believe that the above words from Jesus were "symbolic": Jesus did not mean HIS FLESH, he was speaking "symbolically" using his flesh as a metaphor, as a symbol.
There is no doubt that the teachings of the Catholic Church are countercultural today as they were 2,000 years ago. However, Jesus could not be clearer through his words as transmitted to us through the Gospel of his closest disciple , his beloved disciple John (Chapter 6). He was announcing the GREATEST MIRACLE that will take place after His own Passion, Death on the Cross and Resurrection (Paschal Mystery): THE MIRACLE OF THE EUCHARIST THAT OCCURS AT EVERY MASS EVERY DAY!
Heavenly Father, help all of us to believe the Words of Your Son, who died on the Cross to save us ,rose from the dead to lift us up to Eternal Life, and promised us: "HE WHO EATS MY FLESH AND DRINK MY BLOOD HAS ETERNAL LIFE".
Heavenly Father, HELP US TO BELIEVE IN THE EUCHARIST!!!
One in Christ,
Fr. Alain