By Father Jim Chern
Over the years, you may have seen various headlines from Catholic news sites, or heard them referenced in talks or writings from bishops and priests on the topic of how many of us Catholics actually believe in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. This essential doctrine, the cornerstone of our faith, teaches that during Mass, the communion host becomes the actual Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus. This means that Jesus is as real and present in this seemingly ordinary wafer as He was when He spoke to the crowds in Capernaum over two thousand years ago, as we heard in [this weekend’s] Gospel. These stories cite statistics from polls asking about people’s understanding of this belief and they vary widely. Some reports claim that up to 70% of people who identify as Catholic do not believe in the Real Presence claiming it’s a symbol. Yet, just a few months ago, another study reported the complete opposite, saying that up to 69% of Catholics do believe in it. The discrepancy often arises from the specifics of the surveys: the 70% figure includes all self-identified Catholics, while the 69% figure represented those who attend Mass regularly.
Why the divide? Why do so many struggle with this teaching? Is it a matter of insufficient teaching and religious formation? Have failures within the Church, including misconduct by bishops, priests, and other leaders, eroded trust and faith? Have the distractions and demands of modern life, the relentless pace that so many find themselves on, led to becoming indifferent to this sacred and eternal truth???? (or any focus on our souls and eternal destinies?)
The Church has been grappling with these questions and seeking to address them through renewed teaching and evangelization efforts. One recent effort was the National Eucharistic Congress held in Indianapolis last month. This significant event was preceded by nationwide events the weeks and months prior, which drew tens of thousands of Catholics, into a deeper reflection on and renewal of our belief in Jesus’ Real Presence. It was a powerful display of faith and devotion, featuring prayer vigils and inspiring talks that reached hundreds of thousands both in person and online as well as these four nationwide Eucharistic processions that went from each corner of our nation converging in Indianapolis for the congress. That congress served as a platform for Catholics to come together, share their beliefs, and strengthen their faith in the Real Presence.
One particularly striking moment from this gathering stood out: Jonathan Roumie, the actor known for his incredibly moving and relatable portrayal of Jesus in The Chosen, took to the stage wearing a T-shirt with a striking quote from the American author Flannery O’Connor. The quote read, “If it’s just a symbol, to hell with it,” which was O’Connor’s response to a friend who argued against our belief in the Eucharist.
This quote has resonated deeply with me. It challenges us to confront the fundamental truth of our faith with clarity and conviction. For sure, we must approach these matters with sensitivity, recognizing the struggles and brokenness that each person may carry. So that means we aren’t supposed to bludgeon someone for struggling, as if we can shame them into belief or in any way exclude because there’s a blindness to this reality of our faith. Yet, the starkness of O’Connor’s words underscores a profound reality: If the Eucharist is merely symbolic, it loses its meaning and significance. But if it is truly the Body and Blood of Christ, then it is the most important reality in our lives. Let me say that again – If the Eucharist is merely symbolic, it loses its meaning and significance. But if it is truly the Body and Blood of Christ, then it is the most important reality in our lives.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus delivers one of the most challenging and pivotal teachings of His entire ministry that centers on understanding the Eucharist. Over the past month, we’ve been hearing from chapter 6 of John’s Gospel, and things have dramatically progressed to this crucial moment. You may remember this all began with the miraculous feeding of over 5,000 families with 5 loaves and 2 fish. The next day, the crowds pursued Jesus again. That miracle was not only spectacular but obviously nourishing and fulfilling. They were hungry again (it was breakfast, after all) and eager for another miracle. Jesus takes that opportunity to point to something far more significant – and starts by talking about the Bread of Life. The more He speaks, the deeper He goes, and the more explicit He becomes as He teaches them that He Himself is the bread that came down from heaven and that we must “eat His flesh and drink His blood to have eternal life.”
It’s not just people in our day and time that struggled with this. Even back then with Jesus speaking these words Himself to His first listeners this teaching was radical and shocking. Many of Jesus’ followers struggled to accept it, finding it difficult to comprehend. The disciples had only two options: to believe that Jesus meant what He said or not. Despite His previous teachings and miracles, this invitation to see, to take, to receive His Body and Blood was a stumbling block.
It’s important to remember that for the first 1500 years of Christianity those were the only two options: belief and unbelief. It wasn’t until the Protestant Reformation that individuals began arguing whether it was symbolic or metaphorical. Yet, in this instance, we have Jesus Himself repeating the teaching multiple times and never clarifying it as a parable or explaining it as a symbol. He allows His words to stand as they are, leaving no room for misinterpretation, even as we will see next week, allowing those who first heard these words from Jesus Himself who don’t believe to walk away. Because Jesus is God incarnate, He spoke with the authority of God Himself. And God respects us, His creation, and the gifts of love and gifts of free will He generously offers, taking the amazing risk of even being utterly rejected by us.
He does that here and now. In this Mass, Jesus takes me as a simple, sinful man as His priest to speak His words and take this simple bread and wine to become real and present to us. His Holy Sacrifice on the Cross, His Resurrected Living Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity, all made little and small in that humblest of consecrated hosts.
O’Connor’s words, “If it’s just a symbol, to hell with it,” are a challenge to embrace the radical reality of what we celebrate at every Mass. If the Eucharist were merely a symbol, it would be a mere ritual, lacking the power to transform our lives. But if it is truly the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, then it stands as the very cornerstone of our faith.
Ironically, I recently encountered in a book a testimony to this truth that comes from hell itself. An exorcist – a priest who is entrusted with the responsibility of bringing Jesus’ deliverance to those experiencing this rare but real suffering –shared his experience with a demon who was particularly weakened and at the end of that process was nearing his departure from the soul he had been tormenting. The demon kind of spontaneously said these words:
“I can’t imagine how it occurred to Him to sacrifice Himself for you, filthy rags that you are. . . . How could He have sacrificed Himself for these worthless creatures who are unaware of how much He loved them and continues to love them even though they continually offend Him.” The demon continued, “He gets nothing out of Mass, He already has everything. He invented it for you, to bring you closer to Him, for you to have Him every day. And yet, you idiots spit on it. You don’t accept Him, even though you who could be like Him. He wants you near Him.” And then the exorcist noted that at this last part, the demon struggled to say these final words: “He gives you His body and Blood every day, what is repulsive to us but is everything for you. . . . What is there to not understand? How can you people not get this? He’s right there and says to you: I am here. Take me. To us, he said, ‘Depart from me,’ but to you, he says, ‘I am here.’”
That last part is what really struck me. As the demon referenced Jesus’ times in the Gospel when He experienced temptations after 40 days in the desert, or when Simon Peter had tried to reject the suggestion of the Passion, the demon is recalling those moments as he said almost with anger, envy, and jealousy: “To us, he said, ‘Depart from me,’ but to you, he says, ‘I am here.’”
My brothers and sisters, Jesus doesn’t expect us to have brilliant theological minds to comprehend every intricate detail of this miracle’s significance. He doesn’t even require the absence of any doubts or fears. All He asks for is for us to put our broken but genuine hearts before Him, to put our imperfect but sincere trust in Him. To do our best in being honest with ourselves and Him, meaning to do an examination of conscience and going to confession at least once a year but whenever we’re aware of sins. To be honest about where we are, maybe like that conflicted father Jesus encounters in the Gospels who says to Him “I believe, help my unbelief.”
Finding that when we’re able to come forward to receive Communion, and in response to “The Body of Christ” we say our “Amen” – we express our belief and hope in Jesus’ abiding presence – He is saying to us “I am here.”
This article has been reprinted with permission and can be found at homilyonthespot.com/2024/08/17/even-demons-believe. You can also listen to this homily at soundcloud.com/frjimchernshomilies.
