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Growing up, my parents (and probably yours) had a way of verbally highlighting what was most important to them; they would repeat something many times so we knew it was important. You might be able to plead ignorance of what they had said once, possibly twice, but by the time they said it a third time, you’d better pay attention and do it. Starting today, the Church does the same thing regarding the Eucharist. For the next five weeks, the Church will invite us to explore chapter 6 of St. John's Gospel. This section of John’s writing is often called the “bread of life discourse”, and it gives us an opportunity to reflect repeatedly on the greatest gift Christ has given us, the gift of himself in the Eucharist. These precious verses have been prayed with and studied for 2000 years and still we have not exhausted their richness. In order that we don’t get overwhelmed by the theological feast in front of us, the clergy of Incarnate Word will focus on a single topic each week while we reflect on the Eucharist. The theme for this first Sunday of the Bread of Life Discourse is reverence.
We humans have a sense of reverence hard-wired into our brains whenever we are around something precious and beautiful. If you’ve ever visited a museum, you notice the demeanor of others change as they pass through the galleries looking at masterpieces. There is a hush, an atmosphere of quiet reflection, a slower pace, and a careful distance as a sign of respect for the painting or sculpture. Only a careless fool would run around, yell, or try and touch the piece.
Nowhere is basic human reverence on display than when you hold a baby. Even before you cradle the child in your arms, you make sure to stand or sit somewhere safe. You also make sure your hands are clean and that you’re are not sick. As the baby is placed in your arms, you make sure the baby’s head and neck are supported and the infant is held close to you so that there is no way it can wiggle out of your arms. You are also mindful of any soft spots on their delicate head and even after you become comfortable with laying down or handing over this precious cargo, you never rush or become careless. Getting to hold a baby is an honor; it is something that should be done carefully and with attention to every detail. Imagine how horrifying it would be to see someone handling a newborn baby roughly or carelessly. It would take your breath away, it would probably anger you, and I hope all of us would do something about it immediately.
In the Eucharist, we are given a similar but even greater privilege. Every time we come to Mass and receive Holy Communion, God says to us: “here is my precious Child, my only begotten Son, I am going to let you hold him, touch him, receive him so you can become my child too and have the strength to follow me and love your neighbor.” In the Eucharist, God becomes vulnerable for us. How do we respond? Do we have the same care and concern for the Body and Blood of Christ as we do for a newborn infant? Can people see in us that same tenderness, awe, and attention to detail?
From my vantage point as a priest, distributing communion to so many of you over the past four years, I see an incredible love and devotion for the Eucharist present in this parish. For so many Incarnate Word parishioners, the Eucharist is indeed what the catechism says it should be, "the source and summit of your lives." It is very encouraging as a priest to see so many present at daily Mass, signing up for an hour of adoration during the week, spending quiet time in prayer before and after Mass, and also genuflecting or bowing before you enter your pew.
But like anything else we do many times, over and over, we have to be careful not to lose our sense of reverence and let the Eucharist become a mindless habit. Unless we are constantly vigilant and growing in our appreciation of God’s gift, some bad habits can enter into our personal practice of receiving communion and participating at Mass. This is not unique to Incarnate Word; it is a human tendency.
Fortunately for us, the Catholic Church gives us many traditions and procedures to help us maintain our reverence and love for Jesus in Eucharist. For example, that is why we are asked to fast from all food or drink, except water or medicine, one hour before we take holy Communion. The Eucharist is not just one more thing we eat; it is Bread from Heaven and that small fast makes us mindful of how special it really is! Our respect for the Eucharist is why we genuflect or bow towards the tabernacle when we come into church. The same is true when we come forward to receive the Body and Blood of Jesus; we should bow as the person before us is receiving: when it is our turn we raise our hands before us, one on top of the other as a throne for the King of Kings. We should also feel comfortable receiving the Eucharist on our tongue, as this is still the preferred way to receive Holy Communion in the Catholic Church. If we receive the Host in the hand, do we carefully make sure to consume any particles remaining on our hands or fingers?
If we are aware of some serious sin that we have committed since our last confession, we should not receive the Eucharist until we have gone to confession. We should also pay attention to other details, like taking some time to prepare to receive the Lord as we are driving here to church, turning off the radio, putting away the phone and just centering our mind on God. It is also a great practice to get to Mass a few minutes early so that we can set aside any distractions or worries we brought with us. Finally, we should make sure that we never do things that appear disrespectful or careless when it comes to the Body and Blood of Jesus. We should never be chewing gum in church, playing on our phone, or taking Holy Communion without consuming it immediately. Our demeanor, our behavior, and even the way we dress for Mass can affect other people in either positive or negative ways. The way we participate at church and receive the Eucharist can help point others to God but it can also distract and call attention to ourselves. That’s why these habits of reverence are so important. They build up the entire congregation and help us all to be more attuned to the heavenly gift of the Eucharist!
In just a few minutes, you and I will be entrusted with God’s Son in Holy Communion. Let us be mindful, let us be filled with awe, let our reverence radiate as we receive this precious gift. May the Body and Blood of Jesus transform our lives and help us to grow even more in love with him!
