Today, both Father Ron and Sister Marie Rene speak about visiting Jesus inside the Church before the tabernacle which houses the Blessed Sacrament. Why is doing this important to a Catholic?

Inside the tabernacle resides the real presence of Christ in the Consecrated Species of the Eucharist, the Blessed Sacrament. It is not a symbol. It is the body, blood, soul and divinity of Jesus. The celebration of the Eucharist was instituted by Jesus Himself at the Last Supper.

The celebration of the Eucharist is the action both of Christ and His Church. For in it Christ perpetuates in an unbloody manner the sacrifice offered on the cross, offering himself to the Father for the world’s salvation through the ministry of priests.

Because of the importance and holiness invested in it by Christ Himself, the Eucharist is the chief act of worship in the Catholic Church, and the Consecrated Species of the Eucharist are to be adored by the faithful with the same worship due to God, because of Christ’s substantial presence (Catholic Encyclopedia, Our Sunday Visitor Publishing, 1991).

Pope Benedict when questioned as Cardinal Ratzinger as to the Eucharist being actually symbolic, replied:

No. The Church believes firmly that the Risen One truly gives himself here, wholly and entirely.

But this is not a statement of physics. It has never been asserted that, so to say, nature in a physical sense is being changed. The transformation reaches down to a more profound level. Tradition has it that this is a metaphysical process. Christ lays hold upon what is, from a purely physical viewpoint, bread and wine, in its inmost being, so that it is changed from within and Christ truly gives himself in them (God and the World, Ignatius Press, 2002).

When we think about that, Christ indeed made that very evident from the beginning. He was born in Bethlehem, which means house of bread, and he was placed in a manger, an eating vessel. In the Gospel of John Chapter 6, He preaches in graphic detail how His body is to be eaten and His blood is to be drank. He never contradicts this later by saying, “oh never mind, my flesh is no good.”

Jesus again makes his real presence known in the “breaking of the bread” in Emmaus with his disciples. Only when He broke the bread did they recognize him whereby He vanished from their site leaving them His Presence in the Eucharist.

The early Christians were sent to their deaths not because they proclaimed Jesus as a lamb or a vine or that they ate pretend, symbolic bread to celebrate this so called Savior, Jesus. The Romans often accused them of being cannibals because they proclaimed Jesus present in the Holy Eucharist. So what better way to kill that thought and the possibility of these people living too long to share the truth, than by dishonoring their bodies and offering them up as food for animals.

To sit before the tabernacle in adoration of the wonder of Jesus and His presence with us and to be able to present your love and prayers is a very pious and self-giving act. It is giving honor to the miraculous and Triune Godhead through whom nothing is impossible. It is drinking of the fount of blessings and grace as you adore the Creator of all things and truly believe in His transforming power!

Why not visit the Lord in your Church this week.

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