unless we believe…
Each Sunday, on our knees, we hear Christ's words: "This is my body which will be given for you; do this in memory of me." Before our eyes, a miracle beyond our comprehension takes place—His Body and Blood are before us, ready to restore us to new life.
Today, on the Feast of Corpus Christi, we must talk about today’s crisis of faith.
Most of us know about the Pew study that found only 30% of Catholics believe in the Real Presence of the Eucharist. Poor catechesis, a raging spiritual battle, spiritual sloth, sin… Some, maybe all of these reasons are to blame; however, we fear there is a direct correlation between a lack of faith in the Eucharist and an overwhelming rejection of the dignity of the human person in today's culture. Why? Because if we are to believe that God gave us the gift of Himself in the Eucharist, then we must believe that the human person is worthy of such a Divine gift and that Christ sacrificed His own life to save ours.
Let's take a closer look…
1. The human person is worthy of such a gift. If we are to believe Christ's words at Mass, "This is My Body…" and that Jesus makes Himself fully present for our communion with Him, then we must also believe that the human person is somehow worthy of such a relationship.
Can we, in our flawed and sinful state, ever be worthy of God? The answer, on our own merit, is absolutely not. Yet, God, in His perfect wisdom and love, has set the human person apart from all other creatures with an invitation to intimately share in His love. This is the source of our inherent dignity - we are worthy simply because God says so.
If we reject the sanctity of human life or the dignity of the human person, we also reject the idea that man is "worthy" of a gift so perfect as the Eucharist.
2. Christ sacrificed His life to save ours. If we are to believe Christ's words at Mass, "This is my Body which will be given for you…" we must believe Christ gave His life to save us because human life is worth saving.
When we agree that human life is disposable according to the whim of man by accepting abortion, euthanasia, or the eugenic culture of IVF, then how can we possibly believe that human life is worthy of Christ's sacrifice on the Cross or the re-presentation of that sacrifice at Mass in the holy Eucharist? The answer is easy, we can't.
Mother Teresa once said, "Unless we believe and see Jesus in the appearance of bread on the altar, we will not be able to see Him in the distressing disguise of the poor." Similarly, we won't be able to see Him in the delicate stages of the preborn or the fragile breaths of those nearing the end of life. We won't see Him in those with an extra chromosome or those with one less; we won't see Him in the imprisoned or sick; and perhaps most devastating, we won't be able to see Him in ourselves.
The truth is that the lack of faith in the real presence of the Eucharist is rooted in evil's lie that we are unworthy and unredeemable. But Christ sits, waiting for us, on altars across the world. He longs for every one of us to approach Him so that He can sing the song of the Eucharist into each of our hearts. His melody reminds us that we are seen, known, and loved by Him. That we are the precise and intentional work of His hands. That we are holy—set apart for a sacred purpose. That we are meant for eternity, we are the desire of His heart, we are chosen, and we are His.
Parents, the most powerful step in reawakening a culture of life is sharing the gift of the Eucharist with your children. We invite you to discuss this week’s Pray, Grow, and Serve with your child and the “Miracle of the Mass” LIFE Focus Guide! For more information about reawakening a culture of life within your domestic church visit www.pelicanprojectministry.org.
