Word to the Wise
Saturday, April 20, 2024 - 3rd Week of Easter - Sat
[Acts 9:31-42 and John 6:60-69]Many of the disciples of Jesus who were listening said, "This saying is hard; who can accept it?".....As a result of this, many of his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer walked with him. 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." [John]
I have mentioned before, when reflecting on the Bread of Life discourse, the story of a young woman whom I instructed for admission to the church at the Easter Vigil. After we had covered the materials about Catholic faith and she had indicated that she wanted to go forward, I asked her what had been the most difficult part of the teachings for her. She responded right away and said, "The Eucharist. If you can accept that, the rest is easy." Her experience seems to have had precedent in the early Christian community. Some were willing to be disciples until they learned about the Eucharist. The Catholic church has a lot of devotions and practices and doctrines, but what is truly unique about us is our belief in the Eucharist. It seems to some that this is "impossible for God."
The Pew survey in 2019 purported to show that nearly 60% of Catholics in varying degrees did not believe that the bread and wine offered at Mass are transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ. The traditional term for this transformation - transubstantiation - simply did not have any meaning for many of those surveyed. This survey galvanized the American bishops to initiate a nationwide program of "Eucharistic revival" to help recover and renew faith in the Eucharist as taught from the beginning of the church. This program is in progress now. I'm sure there will be another survey after the program is concluded to see if there has been any change! What we may need is to find a new way of conveying this truth of our faith that speaks to the modern age. I doubt the majority of Catholics are acquainted with the Aristotelian Greek philosophy that underlies the term "transubstantiation." Ultimately it is a matter of faith, as Simon Peter proclaimed. If Jesus has the "words of eternal life," it behooves us to take him at his word! AMEN