By Susan Ciancio
Education about the truths of Catholicism are crucial today if we want to know more about our faith and to encourage our children know and love it as well. Exposing them to the beauty of Catholicism, to good books and educational lessons, and to faithful priests help create the foundation that will hopefully guide them into adulthood and inspire them to follow the faith as adults.
A recent video caught my attention, as it features two well-known priests—Father Leo Patalinghug and Father David Michael Moses. Father Leo is not only an amazing priest, but he’s an award-winning chef and an author and speaker. Father David Michael is a young priest known for his Instagram videos and for his gift in communicating Catholic truths.
In a brief Facebook reel, Father Leo discusses excerpts of a sermon that Father David Michael gave about the Eucharist. This is a great video for several reasons, as each priest offers sage advice and wisdom about the Mass and the Eucharist, and I encourage everyone to watch.
To help you think more deeply about the Mass and the Eucharist after watching the video, we want to explore five significant quotes from it that will not only help us strengthen our love for and understanding of Christ in the Eucharist but that will help us foster this love in our children.
1. “The reason to be Catholic is Jesus in the Eucharist.”
The Eucharist is the “source and summit” of our Christian lives because Jesus IS truly present in the Eucharist. How do we know this? He said so Himself—many times. In John 6, Jesus told His disciples that He is the “bread of life.” He continued, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.”
Many of His disciples walked away from Him that day because they did not understand, or like, His teaching. Jesus could have called them back, saying He was speaking metaphorically, but He did not because He was not speaking metaphorically. He let them walk away because this teaching—this truth—was that important.
Then at the Last Supper, Jesus blessed and broke the bread and said, “This is my body, which will be given for you; do this in memory of me.” And now at every Mass, if we are free of mortal sin, we get to receive Him in the Eucharist. What an incredible gift!
So yes, the reason to be Catholic is Jesus in the Eucharist.
2. “A priest will never be so great that he’s better than the Eucharist. And priest can never be so bad that it makes any sense to go to a non-Catholic church and lose the Eucharist.”
A good priest is important, but the reason we go to Mass is not to be entertained; it is to be in the presence of Christ and to receive Him. Priests are only human, and they have both good and bad qualities, just like the rest of us. We should not let a human being dictate how we feel about Christ and the Church He founded.
3. “We have to be able to pay attention to the word of God.”
During the Liturgy of the Word, we actually hear the word of God. It’s easy to become distracted by the people around us, by the choir, or by church décor, but Father Leo encourages us to block out those distractions and to listen with our hearts. Here’s a great tip: Listening with our hearts becomes much easier when we read the readings before Mass and are sufficiently prepared to hear the word of God. Try making it a point to take 5-10 minutes in the day or two prior to Mass to sit down with your family and read that day’s verses. Then discuss it together. You will get so much more out of this part of the Mass!
4. “We get to go to Mass.”
Have you ever found yourself saying “We have to go to Mass Sunday”? Yes, it’s a commandment, so in that respect, we do have to go to Mass. But it’s also a privilege. We get to go to Mass. We get to hear the word of God. We get to receive Christ in the Eucharist. What an immense blessing that is! Try rephrasing this statement this way and watch your attitude change.
5. “Stay hungry for God in the Eucharist.”
Fr. Leo encourages us to stay hungry for the Eucharist. How do we do that? We not only take time to reflect on the fact that Christ is truly present, but we live our lives so that we are free of moral sin so that we can receive Him. If and when we do find ourselves in the state of mortal sin, we must go to confession. We know that Christ’s mercy is unending, and He wants us to be able to receive Him. He desires that closeness with us. And He wants us to desire it as well.
The Eucharist is our foretaste of heaven, and anytime we go to Mass, we can receive Christ, if we are free of mortal sin. Understanding this should inspire us to grow in love, in excitement, and in awe. As Fr. David Michael said, “Mass isn’t about the person standing up front; it’s about the person in the tabernacle.” Mass is all about Jesus, and He IS truly present in the Eucharist. When we come to understand this, we will find ourselves offending Him less and less.