Twentieth Sunday of Ordinary Time-B
As we continue our reflections on the Eucharist, we are reminded of its profound significance in the Christian faith. We start with Jesus’ words in the Gospel of St. John. Jesus says, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you.” These words, often misunderstood or dismissed, are at the heart of our faith and the Eucharist.
From the moment these words were uttered by Jesus, many questioned and disbelieved them. The Protestant movement splitting from the Catholic Church did not understand Jesus as the literal bread of life and interpreted his teaching as symbolic. Those who are not Christian at all summarily dismissed the claim as nonsense. Two-thirds of those who identify themselves as Catholics believe the Eucharist is not the real presence but merely a symbol.
Does the majority notion that the Eucharist is only a symbol or plain wrong render Jesus’ teaching fanciful? Of course not! What leads many to take their stance is their own experiences, which are subjective and not an indicator of reality. Many will feel that those who receive the Eucharist show no signs of change. The pejorative notion is that those Catholics receive the Eucharist during Mass, and once they exit the church, they swear at the first person who cuts them off in the parking lot or much worse. Empirically, they claim that the reception of the Eucharist hasn’t changed the Catholic one bit, and they are as nasty as those who don’t receive. They conclude that there is no observable change in Catholics as opposed to those who do not receive.
Although this common refrain is often heard and may have some validity due to human weakness, those detractors are shortsighted in their analysis. When the faultfinders claim anecdotal observations are enough to submerge any belief in the real presence, they are the ones who fail to see the benefits of those faithful to Jesus’s teaching and their contribution to society.
Jesus assures us that we partake in his life when we receive his body and blood. His life destroyed death, was resurrected into eternity, and shared divinity with the Holy Trinity. When we partake in the Eucharist, we share his divine life. By sharing his life, we are promised eternity, but even now, we receive a characteristic of that life, which is the truth. Historically, this can be shown as evidence.
When the Roman Empire fell, the Dark Ages ensued. Between the fifth and thirteenth centuries, advancements in mathematics, science, and other human endeavors were stunted due to gangs’ conquering of Western Europe and summarily dismantling the culture and societies. The world then was upside down, and the usual means by which knowledge was transferred from one generation to another was severely hampered. However, during that time in human history, the monks in monasteries transmitted progression and the expression of the truth.
One example (and numerous others) comes from the history of the Christian monks. The religious in these monasteries frequently received the Eucharist as part of their daily lives, and by being imbued with Jesus’ life, they could decipher the truth and advance human knowledge even in an environment of utter illiteracy. The monks cultivated and perfected medical gardens for the treatment of illness. Another monk in the fifth century invented what we have come to know as the hourglass used to measure time. There are numerous other examples, but the point is those men who received the Eucharist in faith were given Jesus’ life and his truth to be able to make those advancements.
We are now in the second iteration of the Dark Ages. The new Dark Age is not the invasion of pagan gangs but rather the invasion of Marxist ideologies, the antithesis of Christian principles. A good proportion of the New Dark Ages believed that the killing of a baby in the womb was acceptable under the rubric of healthcare. Those in darkness contemplate that gender is nothing more than a construct, changed upon the will of the person. Some will even sacrifice their freedom for the continued power of the state.
Fighting back against ignorance of the New Dark Ages, the truth is the only remedy, and the truth comes from God himself. The Catholic Church preaches against abortions, gender mutilation, and other falsehoods. Many in the trenches fighting for life are regular recipients of the Eucharist, who, by the gift, can discern the falsehoods of the devil from the truth of God.
The one-third of Catholics who still believe in the real presence do not have a monopoly on the truth, but they have opened themselves up to it by willingly receiving God’s life. If you receive God’s life, then you receive his truth.
Today’s problem is the fight between good and evil, manifested by the fight between truth and lies. Knowing the truth is essential for those who revere good over evil. God helps by giving us a share of his life, which is the truth in the Eucharist we partake in.