Today, on this solemnity of Corpus Christi, we first praise God for the gift of the Eucharist!  Second, we praise Him that our parish family is really quite reverent when it comes to receiving the Eucharist.  In most churches, almost everyone receives Communion, but, as Pope Benedict XVI once pointed out, it’s a social custom (Salt of the Earth, 205); people receive, not because they believe, but because everyone does it.  The lineup for Communion is long, but the lineup for Confession is short, meaning that it’s likely that many people aren’t spiritually prepared to receive.

Yet here, many of us, at various times, don’t receive—what does that mean? As we talked about years ago, it could mean we’ve just eaten or drunk within the past hour; it could mean we’re not spiritually ready; or it could mean our hearts are distracted and so we don’t feel ready.  We never know exactly why someone is not taking Communion because we can’t read hearts, but one thing we do know: They take Communion seriously, because they’re not just doing what everyone else does.  That’s what we want to celebrate!  As a community, we know that this is Jesus’ body.  And, as your priest, I want to thank you for loving Jesus.

Our example has positively affected our children: At our school Masses, our young people are more reverent!  In addition, even at Christmas and Easter, I noticed how many of our guests don’t take Communion, which means they’re taking Communion seriously!

In 2019, the Pew Research Center found that 31% of American Catholics believe in the Church’s teaching about transubstantiation while 69% believe that the Eucharist is a mere symbol.  Transubstantiation is a philosophical explanation meaning that the substance, that is, the underlying identity, of bread is changed into the body of Jesus—more on that later.  Within the 69%, 43% of Catholics mistakenly think the Church teaches that the Eucharist is merely a symbol.  And sadly, 22% know the Church’s teaching and reject it.

So, let’s go to our Lord’s words in the Gospel.  What did He say about the Eucharist?  “‘I am the living bread that came down from heaven.  [This can be interpreted in a symbolic sense: Jesus is our spiritual nourishment.]  Whoever eats of this bread will live forever [This could mean that, if we believe in Jesus, we’ll have eternal life, which is true, because faith is necessary!]; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.’  [Hmm… is this a metaphor?]  The people then disputed among themselves, saying, ‘How can this man give us his flesh to eat?’  [It’s interesting to note that they never asked a similar question when Jesus says, ‘I am the vine’ (Jn 15:5), because they knew He was using a metaphor.  But, in His words about giving His flesh to eat, they think He’s speaking literally.  And they’re right.  This is why, later on, they’ll leave Jesus over this teaching.]

So Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.  [Notice that He doesn’t use more symbolic language to help them understand, but more literal language.]  Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day  [At this point, in the original Greek, Jesus now uses the verb to chew, not eat, thus emphasizing more physical language]; for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink  [Is this more symbolic language or realistic language?].  Whoever eats [chews] my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in them.  Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me.  This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died.  But the one who eats this bread will live forever’” (Jn 6:51-58).

For the first 1,000 years of Christianity, everyone believed Jesus was speaking literally.  The Pew Research Center, in the year 1046, found that 100% of Catholics believed in the Eucharist really being Jesus’ body.  The following year, there was a famous denial of this by Berengarius of Tours.

Eventually, the Church gave this clear teaching: “In the most blessed sacrament of the Eucharist ‘the body and blood, together with the soul and divinity, of our Lord Jesus Christ… is truly, really, and substantially contained’” (CCC 1374).  ‘Truly’ means it’s not a symbol, as if it’s pointing to Jesus somewhere else.  ‘Really’ means it doesn’t depend on if someone perceives it.  You know the philosophical question, ‘If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?’  Well, if the Eucharist is in the tabernacle and no one is adoring it, is Jesus still there?  Yes.  ‘Substantially’ refers to a thing’s identity.  If I dress like Deacon Andrew and have a great haircut, am I still Fr. Justin?  Yes.  And then if I get horribly burned and lose my memory, am I still Fr. Justin?  Yes.  There’s a difference between a thing’s identity and a thing’s properties.  In the Eucharist, Jesus changes the identity of the bread into Himself while leaving the properties the same—this is the Church’s best philosophical explanation of Jesus’ words.  Admittedly, this is the mystery of God’s wanting to be so close to us that He takes the appearance of food, and we accept it because we believe Jesus to be God.  Is this consistent with a God Who loves us so much that He would go to this extent to be with us?

This is why, even though church vandalisms are wrong, the desecration of the Eucharist hurts us the most.  To offend our Lord causes us the greatest pain.

Terry Telenko, one of our parishioners, gave me permission to share: He waited for two years until he could receive Holy Communion.  Following Jesus’ teaching on marriage and divorce, he asked the local Catholic marriage tribunal to investigate whether his first marriage was valid or not, and, during that time, while he was in a second civil marriage, he couldn’t receive Jesus.  But he, like many of us, waited until the time was right.  His first marriage was recognized as invalid, we blessed his marriage to Sandra, and he was so happy to receive Jesus last June 18.  During those two years, Terry went to the chapel every two weeks to adore Jesus, and was faithful to Him.  Just as desecrations of the Eucharist hurt us the most, so sacrifices for Jesus console us the most!

The foundational part of receiving Communion is being in a state of grace.  If we’re aware of a mortal sin, like missing Sunday Mass through our own fault, then we have to go to Confession before receiving Communion.

However, our love has to go from the state of grace to a state of adoration. A simple but effective way to do this is to use the Hallow App.  Right now, there are lots of suggested prayers and meditations for Corpus Christi.  If you use the Hallow App during Mass, that’s perfectly fine.  But, if you use your phone for a non-spiritual, you’re going down.  It goes without saying that it’s a sin of disrespect to be checking messages and feeds while at Mass.

In terms of practical reminders, if we receive on the hand, be careful that there are no particles left on your hand.  If we see particles on our hands, we absolutely must eat them.  This is why we use the Communion paten, and regularly, there’s one or two particles that are caught and which I have to put into the chalice and then eat.

The Church has all these practical measures to ensure that no particles fall to the ground: We have the corporal that’s folded up so that particles are contained, and we have the purificators that absorb the Precious Blood.  Then, when these sacred linens are washed, the first wash can never be in a sink or in the laundry but must go directly into the ground or in bushes, which is considered a reverent and natural way of purifying any fragments that remain.

Please also, if we receive on the hand, we must use both hands, making a throne for Jesus, and be very gentle with the Host.

Finally, every year I advocate for receiving Communion on the tongue, not because it’s better or holier, but because of the sign value.  We don’t eat food this way, so it stands out as a sign that this is something special.  This is critical to teach our children that this is no ordinary bread.  Children pay attention to actions, so this action lets them know that this is our most sacred moment.

Today, the second time of the year, we have a very special treat: We’ll receive Communion under both kinds, the Body and the Blood.  Since the Body is dipped into the Blood, we have to receive on the tongue.

In 1959, Paul Comtois was selected lieutenant governor of Quebec.  He was so devout that he asked the cardinal of Quebec to reserve the Eucharist in his home, which is exceedingly rare.  The cardinal was reluctant but eventually granted permission, provided that Comtois personally assured its care and protection.  On Feb. 21, 1966, a fire broke out in the middle of the night, and he instructed those he saw to exit in the winter cold.  As his daughter Mireille was exiting, she saw him in the chapel.  When she went to him, he ordered her to jump from the window, which she did.  The house burned down, and the firefighters found his completely-burned body near the collapsed staircase with the pyx which contained the Eucharist under his body.  This is the faith of someone who believed Jesus’ words.

If Pew Research Center did their survey here, the goal is that all of us who have come to love Jesus would say we believe in the Church’s teaching on transubstantiation.  Jesus wants to be with us every day, which is why He makes Himself really present in the Eucharist.