“Without the Eucharist, the Church simply does not exist.” ~ Pope-Emeritus Benedict XVI
When Jesus ate the Last Supper with His apostles, He gave to us all a very unique and wonderful gift: His very own Body and Blood. That gift is given to us again and again each time a priest confects the Eucharist at the altar. At the moment of consecration, the bread and wine are changed into the Body and Blood of Christ. We call that transubstantiation.
While we might have a name for it, it is not a real belief for many. We know that there are those who believe that the Eucharist is nothing more than a symbol. Or, some believe that His Body and Blood are present along with bread and wine. But, the Church believes that the bread and wine are changed and are a new substance, Christ’s Body and Blood. That is what makes us who we are. That is what makes us the Church.
The Eucharist has been called the Source and Summit of our lives. The Eucharist is far more than a mere symbol. It is a reality.
There have been miracles associated with the Eucharist throughout the years. Some hosts have been found to bleed. Others have been sent away for blind testing and results have come back as human flesh. This is serious stuff. The Eucharist is real.
For those of us who believe, we often wonder how others cannot believe. For those who do not believe, they wonder why we are so foolish as to believe.
Don’t let doubt or the unbelief of others rob you of one of the most important aspects of your Catholic life. For, without the Eucharist, we would have no Church. Without the Eucharist, we would have no sustenance. Without the Eucharist, we would starve to death spiritually.
FAITH ACTION: Spend some time in the presence of the Eucharist. Perhaps find a place that has Eucharist Adoration and sit with the Lord.