One of the things that perennially draws people to join the Catholic Church is the Sacrament of the Eucharist. The different Christian denominations have wildly different (& deficient) teachings about the Eucharist. Some say it is a symbol of the Lord's body and blood, some say it is a simple reminder of the friendship meal he shared with his friends. Some say it represents a spiritual ideal. Some of the denominations have shifting views on the Eucharist, hesitant to even grapple this topic.
The Catholic understanding of the Eucharist sets us apart from the different Christian denominations: when the Lord says "this is his body, this is his blood", he really meant it. And when he said, “do this in memory of me” he wanted his Church to perpetuate this ritual, that his body and blood might be truly present in the life of the Church.
We hunger for the Eucharist, we hunger for the life that can only come from God. A mere symbol doesn’t satisfy, an action in the past is not as powerful as that same action in the present, a nice spiritual ideal fails to convict. He truly satisfies our hunger, and truly satisfies our thirst because he is truly present.
Today, the Church honors Saint Anselm, one of the greatest theologians of church history, who received the title, “the father of scholasticism”. Scholasticism is the theological approach that dominated the middle ages out of which comes great thinkers like St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Bonaventure, Blessed Duns Scotus, St. Albert the Great, Peter Abelard, and William of Ockham. Scholasticism sought to utilize the methods of rigorous rational philosophy of the likes of Aristotle to analyze, clarify, and teach the truths of our faith contained in scripture and articulated by the great ancient fathers like Augustine and Athanasius.
St. Anselm’s motto was “fides quarens intellectum” faith seeks understanding. Not only are we to know our faith, but to understand it to the furthest extent of our intellect. Catholicism is attractive because it is true and rational. It doesn’t require that we shut off our brains and simply blindly swallow doctrine. It is intellectually satisfying.
Our hunger for truth and order and consistency and reason can be satisfied here, because Jesus the Bread of Life—the way the truth and the life—can truly be found here. And he wants to be found here. He wants us to see Him and believe—faith and understanding—--he wants us to received his life and his truth and his goodness that we may have eternal life through him, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
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That the Church will deepen in her devotion to the Eucharistic sacrifice which is the source and summit of our Christian life. Let us pray to the Lord.
That the redemptive power of Christ’s Eucharistic sacrifice will extend to the hearts and minds of all those who govern peoples and nations. Let us pray to the Lord.
That the Eucharist will be for priests the source of their joy and their deeper configuration to Jesus Christ. Let us pray to the Lord.
That the goodness of the Lord will be experienced in all marriages, in all business relations, in all daily encounters, and in our friendships. Let us pray to the Lord.
For those who live in want: that Jesus the Bread of Life will be their sustenance, and that Christians will work for justice and mercy for all those in need. Let us pray to the Lord.
For all those who have died, for all of the poor souls in purgatory, for all who have fought and died for our freedom, and for [intention below], for whom this Mass is offered.
Incline your merciful ear to our prayers, we ask, O Lord, and listen in kindness to the supplications of those who call on you. Through Christ our Lord.
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