The Eucharist: Source and Summit of Our Faith
On Corpus Christi Sunday, June 19, 2022, the Catholic Bishops of the United States launched the National Eucharistic Revival to renew faith in the Eucharist. As a participation in this Revival, we begin a new series of blog posts focusing on the Eucharist, featuring reflections on the Eucharist, Eucharistic prayers and hymns, and Eucharistic theology. We begin this series with a reflection written by one of our Sisters to whom the Eucharist is particularly special - a sister who bears “the Eucharist” in her name.
Way back in 1944, a little seven-year-old girl was learning about the Eucharist in preparation for her First Holy Communion. It was in a boarding school in Chatham, Ontario, Canada. Her teachers were two Ursuline Sisters, Sister Mary Augustine and Sister Mary Ursula. Every few days, for many weeks, they got together and talked about Jesus and the Eucharist. Those lessons formed the basis of the little girl’s love for the Eucharist, through almost 80 years. Now, she is even privileged to have “Eucharist” included in her name: Sister Maureen of the Eucharist.
The Eucharist is, as Saint John Paul and others have reminded us, echoing Vatican II, “the Source and Summit of our Catholic faith.” Daily on altars throughout the world, the Miracle of Miracles takes place — a humble piece of bread, a cup of ordinary wine, become the Body and Blood of our Eucharistic King — Jesus Christ, our Savior and our God! Unbelievable, but true.
In my almost-80 years of receiving Jesus in the Eucharist, He has come to me in tiny chapels, such as the log cabin Church of the Sacred Heart in Yellowstone National Park, or the magnificent Basilica-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart right here in our Newark Archdiocese. I have attended Holy Mass, not only throughout many states, but also in Australia, Canada, Germany, Italy, France, the Caribbean Islands, even Japan. Always, the Mass, although offered in other languages, is the same, with the same Eucharist coming to us through the same words spoken by an ordained Catholic priest. Often I was the only one in attendance at daily Mass offered in my parish church in Plowville, Pennsylvania; but other times, I was one of thousands, gathered together to participate in Mass offered by a Holy Father. I have attended Holy Mass, received Holy Eucharist in private homes (very popular after Vatican II). Once we had a special celebratory Mass at our lovely farm, with the cattle at a “respectable distance”, and the sun setting in the background. Always, no matter where or how humble — a home or farm — or how magnificent — Saint Peter’s in Rome, Notre Dame in Paris — it was the same sacrifice, the same Lord we received, the same joy and the same privilege.
Blessed Carlo Acutis was an ordinary young teen in Italy; he loved soccer and mountain-climbing, and was a computer whiz. But most of all, he loved Jesus Christ and he loved the Eucharist. Carlos died at the too-early age of 15 — a victim of leukemia, but his love of the Eucharist lives on through the display of Eucharistic Miracles of the World that he documented. The display has traveled all over the world, including our own area recently. Think of a young teen putting this program together — amazing!
One Eucharistic Miracle included was one that involved our present Holy Father, Pope Francis, when he was Archbishop of Buenos Aires. You can read about it in Bl. Carlo’s collection here or Google “Eucharistic Miracle - Argentina” and learn about it, and how the doctor who did the research confirmed that the miraculous host, visibly changed into flesh, was found to be of human heart tissue with intact white blood cells. White blood cells disintegrate within 15 minutes outside the body, but this host was being studied 6 years after the miracle had taken place.
Father Walter Ciszek, a Jesuit priest who was imprisoned by the Communists for 23 years as an American spy, wrote movingly about offering Mass in the Gulags of Siberia while imprisoned. The chances taken, the risks, were unbelievable — but the love of the Eucharist was even more impressive. Father Ciszek wrote two wonderful books: With God in Russia, and He Leadeth Me. Reading these accounts of his time in Russia without ordinary means to say Mass and receive the Eucharist would make anyone more appreciative of the joy that is awaiting us at our nearby church or chapel. (His cause for canonization, as well as that of Bl. Carlo, is open. His freedom from Russia was arranged by the U.S. when we agreed to exchange two Russian spies for the Jesuit priest.)
Sister Briege McKenna, O.S.C. is an Irish Sister of St. Claire, with a very well-known healing ministry. Once a young priest called her, in tears, begging for her prayers because he had been diagnosed with throat cancer. Surgery was in three weeks. She assured him of her prayers, but told him that when he offered Mass the next day, when he consumed the consecrated Host, “Beg Jesus to heal you. He is actually present to you right then.” Three weeks later he called again, again in tears — but tears of joy. The surgery showed absolutely no cancer! Jesus, Who has a special love for His priests, had healed him! (from Miracles Do Happen: God Can Do the Impossible)
That so many Catholics take this Miracle of the Eucharist for granted, or just don’t understand, or realize Its wonder, is incredibly sad. Hopefully the recent efforts of our Bishops to educate us on the wonder, the Miracle of Miracles, will help everyone appreciate much more fully the fantastic privilege of receiving the Eucharist.
LEARN — BELIEVE — LOVE
Make Jesus in the Eucharist a part of your life — even daily.
