As Catholics, we believe the Eucharist to be (CCC 1324) "the source and summit of the Christian life."136 "The other sacraments, and indeed all ecclesiastical ministries and works of the apostolate, are bound up with the Eucharist and are oriented toward it. For in the blessed Eucharist is contained the whole spiritual good of the Church, namely Christ himself, our Pasch."137 Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC)
Again, from the CCC 1323, “at the Last Supper, on the night he was betrayed, our Savior instituted the Eucharistic sacrifice of his Body and Blood. This he did in order to perpetuate the sacrifice of the cross throughout the ages until he should come again, and so to entrust to his beloved Spouse, the Church, a memorial of his death and resurrection: a sacrament of love, a sign of unity, a bond of charity, a Paschal banquet in which Christ is consumed, the mind is filled with grace, and a pledge of future glory is given to us.”
The past year has been a very challenging time for all, especially for those who are rightly concerned about the Covid pandemic and public participation in crowds-for good reasons, have limited our opportunities to celebrate the Mass together in person and to receive the vital Sacrament of the Eucharist. This has been very sad for us as a Church.
As we begin to return to some normalcy in everyday life through the efforts to vaccinate our population and with better understanding of the transmission of the virus and the severity of its side effects, it is hoped that our desire as Catholics to receive Christ’s Sacred Body and Blood will also return, and even increase, as a necessary part of our spiritual and religious lives. We cannot become comfortable with a Eucha-rist-free” faith, but must be committed to the reception of all the Sacraments and particularly the Eucha-rist, so that we may grow in Christ and seek His Will in this world—by fully acting as His disciples—so that we shall share with Him Eternal Glory in the Kingdom of heaven. After all, that is what we are cele-brating this weekend with the Easter Resurrection.
“A recent Pew Research study found that only 26% of U.S. Catholics under the age of 40 believe that Jesus Christ is truly present in the most Holy Eucharist. Clearly there has been a breakdown in forming young people in the Faith. But if we are looking for hope for the future, we need look no further than America’s most faithful Catholic colleges.” The Cardinal Newman Society Blog by Kelly Salomon, 16 August 2019. The Pew Research study found that “most Catholics who attend Mass weekly do believe that the Eucharist is the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. Catholic families should know, then, that students at faithful Catholic colleges are more likely to attend Mass regularly. The colleges recommended in The Newman Guide provide strong faith communities that support daily Masses and well-attended weekly Masses, and most have plentiful opportunities for Eucharistic Adoration — some even offer it perpetually.”
But this faith formation does not begin in the college setting. Rather, it begins in the family with such practices as saying Grace before meals so to acknowledge our belief in God and His blessings upon us. This family faith is formed with conversations about God in the home—do we discuss Him as we do the movie of the week or the news of the day, is God part of our everyday life and do we bring Him into our marriages and families? This familiar teaching method is also supported by a well-formed and executed faith formation program in the parish. This is what provides support to the parents in the role as the “first of teachers and the best of teachers in the ways of faith” as noted in the baptismal ceremony of every child.
Here at St. Catherine of Siena Parish I am very proud of our Faith Formation program—its curriculum and the standards to which all are held; that we take it seriously and believe that what we are passing on is the Truth of Christ and His Church, which has a great impact on the kind of disciples we become and the Eternal home we shall enter into. I am also very pleased with the many and talented parishioners who volunteer in all of our faith formation programs. Dedicated and devoted men and women—and young adults. We are blessed.
As the trend in many parishes over the course of this pandemic has been a reduction in activities and participation, I am pleased to see our parish carried on and even increased its outreach to those in need as well as to our own parishioners. Our Mass attendance has been steadily increasing as the State imposed restrictions are being eased and lifted. God willing, we shall return to “normal” and be once again fed, nourished and strengthened in the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Christ. We are the only Church to have this gift, an apostolic tradition from Christ to Francis and “to infinity and beyond”–or until He returns. Amen! Happy Easter and may the real “force” be with you!