By Very Rev. Fr. Benedict Nwachukwu-Udaku, VF
Dear Friends, the invitation to go back to the basics of our Christian faith is at the core of the U.S. Bishops’ recommendation for a Eucharistic revival. This call is well-timed because of the results of the 2019 Pew Forum study, which reveals that only 31 percent of Catholics in the United States believe in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. This means that about 69 percent of those who attend Mass on Sundays and participate in Catholic rites and rituals do not understand the true meaning of the Eucharist. It is sad to know that some Catholics who sit in our pews Sunday after Sunday see the Eucharist as only a symbolic representation of the sacrifice that Jesus made for the life of the world (John 6:51).
This frightening statistic is an indication that something must be done. It is a call for the Church to review her catechesis, revisit her way of preaching and teaching, update her method of evangelization and revitalize her apologetics. Like Peter’s audience on the day of Pentecost, the Church in the U.S. is asking herself, “what shall we do?” (Acts 2: 37).
To adequately respond to the question of what can be done, the bishops, as teachers of the faith and chief shepherds of God’s people have offered a beautiful catechesis on the Eucharist through their 2021 Pastoral Letter “The Mystery of the Eucharist in the Life of the Church.” This catechetical tool is divided into two parts. The first part talks about the gift (what Jesus did for us), and the second part articulates what we need to do (our response). The bishops’ goal is to help us understand what the Eucharist is all about, how we can fall in love with the Eucharist, and how we can create a Eucharistic culture in our homes, parishes, communities and relationships.
As a pastor entrusted with the care of souls (cura animarum), I feel challenged by the statistics mentioned at the beginning of this article. I have responded to this challenge by praying and analyzing the issue through the lens of my faith and my personal walk with the Blessed Lord Jesus Christ. I have sincerely resolved to continue providing reflections and catechesis on the Most Blessed Sacrament as a way to invite our people to rediscover the basics of our Catholic faith, beliefs and practices.
To begin this spiritual undertaking, it is important to highlight some basic truths and affirmations concerning the Eucharist. First, to talk about the Eucharist is to talk about the Catholic Church and the source of her spirituality. The Eucharist is “the fount and apex” of the whole Christian life (Lumen Gentium, 11). It is both the fountain from which life in Christ flows and the goal towards which it tends. The Eucharist is the Alpha and Omega of our Christian discipleship. It is the spiritual energy without which our faith becomes lackluster. It is the terminus a quo (starting point) and terminus ad quem (end point) of what it means to be in the company of Jesus. Without the Eucharist, the entire Christian people may come to be seen as those who tell the story of Jesus and not those who make Jesus tangibly present in their lives.
St. Pope John Paul II clearly stated that the Church comes from the Eucharist –Ecclesia de Eucharistia. Thus, the Eucharist, which is the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Jesus, is not simply the sacred object at the center of the Church’s concerns, it is the lifeblood of the Church. Without the Eucharist, there is no Church.
Second, the celebration of the Eucharist is one of the practices that has endured in the Church from the time of the apostles till now. We recall that in Acts 2: 44-47, the breaking of bread constituted an important aspect of the life and ministry of the early Church: “All who believed were together and had all things in common; and they sold their possessions and goods and distributed them to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they partook of food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.” The command of the Lord Jesus during the last Supper, “Do this in remembrance of me” has been and continues to be obeyed.
St. Padre Pio Pietrelcina said, “It would be easier for the world to survive without the sun than to do without the Holy Mass.” St. Francis of Assisi wrote that “In this world, I cannot see the Most High Son of God with my own eyes, except for his most Holy Body and Blood.” The Church truly lives and depends upon the Eucharist, the Sacrament of our Altars, in the same way that physical life depends upon food, oxygen, and water. Without the Eucharist, a true believer will suffer from spiritual malnutrition, interior dysfunctionality, and diminished inner peace.
Third, the Eucharist is the sacrament of our Emmanuel – God with us. In it, we celebrate and adore the real presence of Jesus. The Holy Eucharist is Jesus, born anew on the altar as in Bethlehem (the house of Bread). The Eucharist is our food for the journey on earth, sustaining the divine life in us and offering a foretaste, here and now, of the heavenly banquet. The Eucharist is Jesus, the Food for our soul.
It is on this note that Jesus declared, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you” (John 6:53). One of the most compelling images portraying the nature of the Eucharist is that of the mother pelican feeding her chicks. As the story goes, in times of drought, when there is no food or water, the mother pelican, loving and sacrificing for her chicks at all costs, pecks at her own breast to draw blood that will feed her young. Her profound gift is their gain. In like manner, we are nourished by the Body and Blood offered from the self-sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
Fourth, the context of the institution of the Holy Eucharist is the Last Supper that Jesus shared with his apostles. Sharing a meal was a way to give thanks to God. Throughout scripture, we see God desiring to feed His people. In the garden of Eden (Genesis 2:15), God desired to feed mankind with his life. The tree of life in the garden symbolized all the goodness, truth and beauty that God made. God’s desire to feed His people is seen again later in the Passover meal and in the provision of manna in the desert, as described in the book of Exodus. This idea of God feeding His people, is better understood when we consider the fact that Jesus was born in a manger (Luke 2:7), which reveals that he would become food for the world (John 6:51). The French word for manger is manjer, which means “to eat.” Through an allegorical interpretation of scripture, we conclude that he was born in a manger because he came into this world to become food so that others may live. Jesus became food for the hungry soul.
Fifth, every parish ought to be a Eucharistic community. For example, here at Sacred Heart, Rancho Cucamonga, we celebrate the truth that the Heart of Jesus is truly present in the Most Blessed Sacrament. Our “Eucharistic Anthem” is seen in the lyrics of this beautiful song: “Most Sacred Heart of Jesus truly present in the Holy Eucharist, I place all my trust in You.” In this song of adoration, we articulate who we are as a parish and where we come from. We come from the merciful Heart of Jesus. The Heart of Jesus was pierced for our salvation and wellbeing (John 19:34).
Our Thursday Holy Hour (6:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m.) celebrates and acknowledges what Jesus did for us and for the whole world. Every Thursday, we gather as a Church family to pray, adore, give thanks, and make reparations for the sins we and others have committed against the love of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. Also, we pray for vocations to the priestly and religious life and for the sanctification of our families. Our deep appreciation of the Holy Eucharist is also seen at our first Friday 24-hour Eucharistic adoration, the Fridays exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, the yearly Eucharistic procession, and our daily celebration of the Holy Mass.
The installation of a new Tabernacle at the center of the sanctuary is an eloquent testimony of lex creendi (what we believe), lex celebrandi (what we celebrate), lex viviendi (how we live our lives and bear witness to the gospel), and lex orandi (how we pray). Also, we established a ministry titled Custodians of the Most Holy Eucharist, an outreach devoted to promoting devotions to the Blessed Sacrament and committed to praying for the conversion of sinners through penance, reparation and works of mercy.
O Sacrament Most Holy! O Sacrament Divine! All praise and all thanksgiving be every moment thine!
Father Benedict Nwachukwu-Udaku, VF, is Pastor of Sacred Heart Church, Rancho Cucamonga and the Vicar Forane of the Diocese’s West End Vicariate.