Old Made New
Anne McClure
“Finding the Source and Summit”
I don’t remember the day I knew that the Eucharist was the precious body and blood of Jesus. On an intellectual level I accepted this to be the Catholic position, having attended all of the appropriate religion classes. On a spiritual level, not so much.
And then suddenly, one day, it was true. Like Saint Paul, something like scales fell from my eyes (although I certainly wouldn’t go any further in comparing myself to a saint). Without a doubt, Jesus was really present. He loved me, and he longed for me to draw near to Him.
What was missing from my reception of Communion for all those years? The relationship. Our faith is about a relationship with Jesus. The Eucharist — what Vatican II document Lumen Gentium called the “source and summit of the Christian life” — is the most tangible way we experience Jesus’ relational presence. Simply put: Through the Eucharist, we experience and deepen a relationship with Jesus.
Monsignor Stuart Swetland leads the President’s Council for Catholic Identity at Mount Saint Mary’s University — a position he accepted after doing wonders for Catholic identity at the University of Illinois.
Monsignor Swetland identifies relationship as the purpose of all our Catholic traditions; with the Eucharist first and foremost. Because presence and communication are “the foundational realities of human relationship,” we must also seek them in our relationship with God. Monsignor points out that God communicates through Christ and His teachings, but, because we are bodily beings, “God becomes present to us through the sacramental life.” The Eucharist allows us to really draw near to our God.
If, as Monsignor suggests and I experienced, “the real presence is a meaningless fact unless you have a relationship with Christ,” how do you get that relationship? Monsignor’s advice: “Turn. Quit running. Turn and say, ‘Ok, I want to be your friend.’”
When I turned and quit running, my entire understanding of my life and my faith changed. If you do the same, your family will notice — whether it’s a sudden change or a renewed effort. But how to explain? Maybe you don’t have the words to share this mysterious relationship with your kids. You’re not alone. At some stages, words seem futile. (This coming from a woman whose toddler frequently asks, “Me cracker?” in the Communion line).
If words aren’t there yet, remember that actions usually speak louder anyway. This week, bring the family to church on a day you normally wouldn’t. Sit down in front of the Blessed Sacrament. Pray. Next week? Repeat.
You’ll want to pre-teach this experience if it’s new to your kids. Explain what they will see, smell, hear, and do: “Jesus will be in the tabernacle. We will sit or kneel and quietly say ‘I love you Jesus’” — that sort of thing. Establishing expectations for church behavior will eliminate (or at least minimize!) mad dashes for the altar or attempts to bathe in the baptismal font; and these quick visits to Jesus’ house will help you all to open the doors of your hearts and let Him in.
Saint Augustine heard God tell him, “I am the food of the fully grown; grow and you will feed on me.” If we want our children to feed on God as they grow, we have to make the Eucharist the source and summit of our own lives and embrace Jesus’ surprising offer to draw near to Him.
Anne McClure is a mom, educator, and freelance writer. Visit her blog at http://aemwriting.com.