Word to the Wise
Saturday, April 24, 2010 - Saturday in the Third Week of Easter
[Acts 9:31-42 and John 6:60-69]Jesus then said to the Twelve, "Do you also want to leave?" Simon Peter answered him, "Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God."
SATURDAY, APRIL 24, 2010 SATURDAY IN THE THIRD WEEK OF EASTER - Hide quoted text - [Acts 9:31-42 and John 6:60-69] Jesus then said to the Twelve, "Do you also want to leave?" Simon Peter answered him, "Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God." I may have told this story here before, but I think it bears telling again. A young woman whom I prepared for admission into the Catholic community at Easter told me, in answer to my question about what she had found most difficult to accept in Catholic faith, that "once you accept the Eucharist, the rest is easy." This story lends a personal note to what was a turning point for Jesus and the Twelve. He has drawn a line in the theological sand. The celebration of the Eucharist in our time is surrounded by rich sympolism and ritual which are the result of the reflection of the Church over the centuries. We have the basic command of Jesus to do this in his memory. We have his assurance that the bread and wine are truly his body and blood and not just a handy symbol. We have the testimony of centuries of Christians who lived and died in this faith. I am convinced that if we could do a better job of catechesis about the Eucharist, the tiresome complaint about "having to go to Mass" would diminish and people would look forward to it. (Of course, we'll have to improve the preaching to do this!) The Body and Blood of the Lord are not our reward for "making it to Mass." This is the difference between life and death. No one else can promise us that. AMEN
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