Reverence

“The Holy Eucharist is the perfect expression of the love of Jesus Christ for man.” St. Maria Goretti

Recently, in my diocese, directives were laid out for parishioners with instructions as to how to receive the Eucharist. Apparently, after Covid lockdowns and lackadaisical attitudes towards mass, the faithful needed a reminder. I found it very strange that people needed to be reminded about how to receive Our Lord. Notices in the bulletin, announcements at mass and quasi reprimands had become commonplace. The problem for me was not the reminders of how to receive the Eucharist, but the fact that we needed to be reminded in the first place. Unfortunately, there is a lack of respect for the Eucharist and for mass but that extends to the sacraments.  A priest told me after mass about how exhausted he was after a wedding because he had to shush the attendees because they did not take it seriously. They interrupted him during mass. Incredible but true.

“There is nothing so great as the Eucharist. If God had something more precious, He would have given it to us.” St. Jean Vianney

Often, I go to mass, and it seems like a social hour. Having reverence at mass is very important to me. It makes me sad when it becomes a social hour. Once, a colleague told me that her favourite part of mass was the sign of peace. Popes have constantly reminded us to continue to serve our Lord and gracefully go to Holy Communion. However, it seems that mass has become a chore for us, and this is something that makes me sad. This past Saturday morning at mass, the reading was the one about sending labourers into the harvest. One would ask what evangelizing needs to be done to increase fidelity to the Eucharist. How do we send labourers into the harvest? The discussion is long, but the work remains great in front of all of us. I follow the movement, Communion and Liberation, and I have always been intrigued at how it all began in the 1950s in Italy. Father Luigi Giussani recognized our desire to know Christ as fundamental to our humanity. Many young people followed him though his religion classes in Milan. People still follow that charism around the world today. I wonder what would have happened to me if I had not met the movement all those years ago.

“In the Blessed Sacrament… You will find romance, glory, honour, fidelity, and the true way of all your loves upon earth.” JRR Tolkien

The story of Christianity begins all over again during Advent and Christmas. It is important for me not to reduce the message to some sentimental Christmas carol. Where I live, Christmas celebrations begin at the end of October; however, the churches are flush in purple of what is to come. This waiting is part of the reverence. This reverence needs to come back to the original question. How can we be ready for Communion on a regular basis. I think often of Cardinal Van Thuan and how he used crumbs from bread for Holy Communion while he was in prison in Vietnam. Two saints struck me today on their memorials. Blessed Liborius Wagner suffered at the hands of the Swedish invaders during the Thirty Years war and died for his faith in Christ after days of torture. Blessed Clara Isabella Fornari suffered such horrific pain from the stigmata that she was driven to depression and despair. However, her joy in God returned and she went happily into the next life. These are incredible witnesses to joy. I feel so inadequate in front of such determination to serve our Lord. The least I can do is serve Him where I am and in fidelity to the Eucharist.

Juan Diego was told Guadalupe, “Do not grieve or be disturbed by anything!”