Friars Corner: The joy of receiving Jesus
Fr. Bob Hilz, TOR
Sirach 3:17-18, 20, 28-29, Psalm 68:4-7, 10-11, Hebrews 12:18-19, 22-24a; Luke 14:1, 7-14
Happy Labor Day weekend to all of you.
Christian humility is obviously the main theme of the readings this Sunday. That is certainly a mark of a good follower of Jesus in our daily lives. Yet, the other day I was reading a statistic that 70% of Catholics do not understand or believe in the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, the consecrated host and wine. As a priest, teacher, evangelist and ambassador of Jesus, I am very saddened by this fact.
People are leaving Sunday Mass and the church Jesus founded in great numbers. Indeed, there have been some major missteps of some clergy. The lack of adequate formation and training of clergy over these 2,000 years is a fact. The formation in seminaries is much better now. Seminary formation builds on the faith and training from their parental home. With the breakdown of marriages and families and thus the absence of a loving and guiding father, there is much of the problem.
The Eucharistic Prayer
The main part of the second half of the Mass is what we call the Eucharistic Prayer. It is consecratory and thanksgiving prayer of praise. At Sunday Mass when the priest asks what that word consecration means, most expressions are blank. Only a few people know what that means. The consecration is the core of the second part of the service. The priest, ordained with certain powers from the apostles, is able to say over the bread and wine what Jesus said at the Last Supper in our own language. He says, “This is my body,” “This is the chalice of my blood, the blood of the new and eternal covenant, which will be poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins.” Then there is a line of instruction, “Do this in memory of me.” That line is not part of the consecration.
God is offering this great gift of Jesus himself, every day at some moment all over the world. Jesus taught us to pray the “Lord’s Prayer” which we say, in Matthew 6:11, “Give us this day our daily bread.” The Eucharistic Prayer is the heart of the Mass, and the consecration or Institution Narrative is the heart of the Eucharistic Prayer. Without that there is no Mass. It is also a sacred meal and Jesus is the food.
The Eucharistic Jesus
St. John’s gospel gives us some amazing things about Jesus in the Eucharist. Jesus said to those at the Last Supper, John 6:32-33,
Amen, amen, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you bread from the heave; my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.
In John 6:48: “I am the bread of Life.” Again Jesus said, “I am the Living Bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world,” John 6:51. Finally Jesus said, “For my flesh is true food, and my blood true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him,” John 6:55. These statements of Jesus are truly amazing to think about over and over. Their meaning gets clearer as the Holy Spirit fixes them deep in our mind and heart.
We do not have to go back to the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. He comes to us even daily if we go to receive him. Amazing grace! Then there are three sentences that St. Paul gives us in 1 Corinthians 11:23-26.
I received from the Lord what I handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and after he had given thanks, (to his heavenly Father), broke it and said, ‘This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.’
An ongoing miracle
How much clearer can we make this ongoing miracle? Yes, this miracle is not exactly clear in our current English translation and some clerics have made serious mistakes due to their own lack of understanding their life and this miracle we offer to others. Why and how could we run away from Jesus and this great miracle?
Most of my priestly life I have celebrated Mass every day and on weekends in some places 4 Masses. Bread and wine, though still looking, smelling and tasting the same, change as I say those words of consecration. I am holding Jesus in my hands. I received him into my body. Then I give him away to those who come for communion with Jesus. I beg you on my knees not to leave Eucharist and this great miracle gift. This is our greatest gift and power offered to us on earth from heaven.
May the great gift and love of Jesus so fill your mind and heart that their joy will greatly increase in you and help you share this great miracle with others, so they don’t leave the church. Don’t we want to help Jesus fill our church up rather than empty it out? Have a special, safe and grace filled Labor Day weekend.
Blessings,
+ Father Bob Hilz
fbhilz@gmail.com
(© 2019 Father Bob Hilz, TOR)
