Letter III: The Eucharist

How is it that the source and summit of our faith is the part that we most commonly feel like we don’t get anything out of?

Tree of Life mosaic at the Basilica of Saint Clement, Rome

My Dear Children,

In these first five letters I am trying to lay a strong foundation for you of essential things to know and do, so that I can rest assured that you will continue undeterred on the path to Heaven. Together these letters constitute the five things that I would tell you to make sure to do, if I could only tell you five things. There is much more to say about all of these topics, and many more topics I will write to you about, but I want to begin by telling you what I believe is most essential so that you will have a strong but realistic foundation.

I am sure that if you are careful to observe all I am writing you in these first five letters then you will grow in wisdom and grace before God all the days of your life, and joyfully enter the Kingdom He has prepared for you from all creation. The five foundational letters are these:

• Love One Another

• The Eucharist

• The Rosary & the Scapular

• A List of Good Books

• The Holy Catholic Church

In my previous letter I begged you to love one another as Christ has loved you. I write this letter to point you to the only means to truly do so: the Holy Eucharist.

Only God gives us growth in supernatural love, and the primary means he uses to communicate this grace is the Eucharist. We cannot produce this love no matter what we do. Without me, you can do nothing, Jesus tells us. This may seem obvious to you, but many Christians don’t actually live like this is obvious. In fact, despite what we may say, we often act like it is within our power to make ourselves holy and increase in true charity by simply trying harder or learning more. I myself have also been guilty of this, so let me explain.

As you know, the bread and wine we offer at mass ceases to be bread and wine and truly becomes Jesus’ body and blood. He is so humble and so gentle with us that He continues to wear the disguise of bread and wine, almost like a costume, but it is truly Jesus. This Sacrament is so quiet and gentle that it often does feel quite unremarkable when we receive it, like nothing is happening. Compared to reading spiritual books or making sacrifices or performing certain spiritual exercises, it certainly feels like you make more progress spending your efforts on these practices, rather than receiving the Eucharist. Again, I will be the first to admit that it often feels like that to me! But the truth, which is greater than our feelings, is that this seemingly uneventful act of eating what looks like a piece of bread is the indispensable source and summit of our faith - it is the entire source of our actual spiritual love, strength, and growth in holiness. The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed upon the ground, and should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he knows not how (Mark 4:26-27).

You should receive the Eucharist every day if you can. For every day that you cannot receive the Eucharist sacramentally, you should make a spiritual communion. I would recommend making it first thing you can in the morning, so that you have the spiritual strength you need for the day from your “daily bread” and so that you don’t forget to do so as your day goes on. I will explain more on how to do this later in the letter.

A temptation I expect you to face in this practice is the temptation to gradually forget the importance of this sacrament. The reason I expect this is because it is a sacrament that relies entirely on faith, and our fallen human nature is quick to forget things we cannot see. This natural temptation is compounded by the fact that the devil will try everything he can to stop you from receiving, because he knows all too well the power that comes from the Blessed Sacrament.

“He has given to those who desire Him not only to see Him, but even to touch, and eat Him, and fix their teeth in His flesh, and to embrace Him, and satisfy all their love. Let us then return from that table like lions breathing fire, having become terrible to the devil.”

— Saint John Chrysostom

In many ways, the command to partake of the seemingly ineffective Eucharist (naturally speaking) is the mirror image of the seemingly arbitrary command not to eat the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. In the Garden, faith was required to abstain from something desirable even though there was no apparent reason (naturally speaking) to do so. Adam and Eve had to obey the command purely out of faith in God who warned them that if they eat it, “they shall surely die.” The Devil tempted them against faith saying, “you will not die.” An invisible choice stood before them, in the form of a visible sign. The same choice, and the same temptation, is presented to us. Jesus promises us, “if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever” (Jn. 6:51). Do we have faith that partaking of the Eucharist will give us life, even though all our senses testify to the contrary, and the devil whispers to us, “you will not live”? The Eucharist is the fruit of the Tree of Life, which stands opposite to the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Do not listen to the devil, but trust God and receive the Eucharist as if it were the most important thing you ever did, for it truly is. It is the very source and the summit of our Christian life.

Seeing, touching, tasting are in thee deceived;
How says trusty hearing? that shall be believed;
What God's Son has told me, take for truth I do;
Truth himself speaks truly or there's nothing true.

— Adoro Te Devote, Saint Thomas Aquinas

You may be wondering, ‘If the Eucharist is truly the source and summit of our faith, shouldn’t it be more evident in the lives of those who receive it? Instead, we see numerous people receive the Eucharist and continue living lives of sin — perhaps more often than not!’ Sadly, this is true, but the reason is quite simple, and Jesus Himself gives us the answer: they do not experience the benefits of the Eucharist because they do not receive it well. And while it is not in our power to increase supernatural charity in the slightest, there are certain things we can do, with the help of God, to prepare our souls to receive the Eucharist well.

Remember the parable of the sower (Mark 4:1-9)? Jesus taught us that there are four kinds of “soil:” the hard ground, the rocky ground, the thorny ground, and the good soil. Only the good soil, soft and free from rocks and thorns, can receive the seed and bear fruit.

You see, the Word sown in our hearts by the Sower is the Word of God, Christ Himself. And nowhere is He more truly sown in our hearts than in the Eucharist. We are powerless to grow anything in our hearts without the seed, and even what grows there once the seed is sown is a product of the seed, and distinct from the soil. There is nothing quieter or more uneventful than dropping a small seed onto a soft patch of soil — it seems like nothing should happen. But miraculously, something does happen. All we can do is to help prepare the soil. All our exercises, learning, sacrifices, penances are either preparing the soil or response with the love that has been given us in the Eucharist. It is the Eucharist that does the real work, and Jesus who truly bears the fruit of love.

If the seed does not grow, it is no fault of the seed. The seed remains good, and full of life. But if the soil is not good then nothing will grow there, no matter how good the seed is (just look at our home “garden” for proof of this! Although that may have more do to with the gardeners than the soil… but I digress). This is why we see so many people receive the Eucharist, but relatively so few fruits. So let me give you a few tips for clearing the soil to make room for the Word of God, so that you can remain free from sin and bear the fruit of supernatural charity.

Soften the soil

The hard soil is those who do not understand the value of what they are being given; they do not have the eyes of faith. The pre-requisite for receiving the benefits of the Eucharist is faith. You must trust in Jesus’ promise, and believe that, despite all appearances, this sacrament will give you life. If you receive it with faith, it will bear fruit with patience (Lk. 8:15). If you don’t receive it with faith, you will be like those about whom God says “these people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.”

Additionally, you need a humble heart. You must know that you are often wrong, and never be too afraid to admit it to yourself and to God. Take every criticism and if it’s true, repent or improve. If it’s not, learn from it anyway, and be grateful. Most of all, be docile to the commandments of God, and never deceive yourself by pretending you are in the right, when deep down you know otherwise - I think I will write a whole letter on this later. Even if you don’t understand something, trust that God knows better and then seek understanding. I think that Jesus’ words in Luke 12:1-3 help us to loosen the soil:

“Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.”

God knows everything, and cannot be deceived. And all the secret thoughts of your heart and the secret motivations that are hidden for a time in this life will be brought to light in front of everyone when Jesus returns. Remembering this, save yourself the trouble and be honest with God and yourself - this will loosen the soil of your heart enough to receive the Word with faith.

Remove the rocks

In my experience, the rocks in our hearts are most easily identified by the fears that prevent us from following Jesus, whereas the thorns are known by the desires that lead us away from Jesus. We fear suffering, the loss of comforts, and ridicule. Those fears can make us fall in times of tribulation and persecution and deny Jesus. Peter was afraid when he saw how Jesus was being treated in the High Priest’s house, and that fear caused him to deny Jesus in front of others. There are two ways I know of to remove these rocks.

First, by making voluntary sacrifices (like we do during lent, or advent, or on Fridays, or with your sacrifice beads¹). Practicing denying ourselves in little things makes our wills stronger and gives us good practice for when we are faced with greater challenges. The best sacrifices are ones that we do not choose, but we embrace for love of God rather than letting those opportunities for heavenly crowns turn into stinky boots!² The reason for this is that our will is the most important thing to practice offering to God, and if we choose the sacrifice then we are still getting to pick what we want to do, whereas we have no choice about the ones that God gives us in His loving providence and those are usually more annoying or difficult since they mortify our will.

The second way is to pay attention to your heart, and any time you find yourself afraid or embarrassed to do something for Jesus, do it anyway, and as best you can. Imagine those fears you feel as the root of the Word in your heart hitting a rock. If you do the right thing even when you’re afraid, the rock is plucked out and thrown aside.

Let me give you an example. If someone says something wrong or even mean about Jesus in your presence, you might be afraid to speak up. You may be afraid of getting made fun of, or of losing a friend, or an opportunity, or making things awkward and uncomfortable. Nevertheless, be brave! Speak up and defend Jesus! You will console His heart, which is so often abandoned on the Cross with only His closest friends there, and you will remove the rock. After all, there is no way to remove the rocks without facing the fear, so better to just do it and get it over with instead of having to hit the same rock over and over, and risk losing the Word.

Let us give Jesus the final word on removing these rocks:

“I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I tell you, fear him! Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.

And I tell you, every one who acknowledges me before men, the Son of man also will acknowledge before the angels of God; but he who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God… And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious how or what you are to answer or what you are to say; for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”

-Luke 12:4-12

Remove the thorns

These may be the most difficult to fight. Just like the weeds in real soil, we have to always pull these weeds our whole lives. New ones will always try to grow. There is no easy or quick answer for these. A good start is to remember that you will die, and you do not know when. Think of Heaven often and store up your treasures there. Any worldly treasures we have will be lost and only our heavenly treasures will remain. Jesus, please teach us to number our days, that we may gain wisdom of heart.

“Take heed, and beware of all covetousness; for a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man brought forth plentifully; and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ And he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns, and build larger ones; and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; take your ease, eat, drink, be merry.’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you; and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

And he said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat, nor about your body, what you shall put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! And which of you by being anxious can add a cubit to his span of life? If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass which is alive in the field today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O men of little faith! And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be of anxious mind. For all the nations of the world seek these things; and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things shall be yours as well.

“Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give alms; provide yourselves with purses that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

— Luke 12:15-34

To summarize: receiving the Eucharist is the most important thing you can do to grow in the love of God. Prepare your heart by keeping it soft, free from rocks and thorns. Receive Him as often as you can, trusting that He will do all the real work without any effort on your part, even though it may not feel that way. We walk by faith, not by sight.

Try to receive Jesus at mass every day. If your duties don’t allow you to (my job, for example, only let’s me get to mass on Sundays right now) then make a spiritual communion on the days that you cannot receive sacramentally. Alphonsus Liguori has a good prayer for a spiritual communion:

My Jesus, I believe that Thou art present in the Blessed Sacrament. I love Thee above all things and I desire Thee in my soul. Since I cannot now receive Thee sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart.

(Silently pause for a few moments to receive Jesus in your heart)

As though thou wert already there, I embrace Thee and unite myself wholly to Thee; permit not that I should ever be separated from Thee.

It is best to say it kneeling in front of a cross or sacred image, and to silently give thanks for a few moments afterwards. It can be done in only a few minutes, so there is no reason not to do it every day that you cannot get to mass.

Finally, know that whenever you receive Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament, I am there with you as well, whether I am in Heaven or on earth, because wherever Jesus is, there is His Mystical Body, and all of Heaven with Him. As St. Therese so beautifully summarized on the occasion of her First Communion, after her mother had already gone ahead of her to heaven:

It was beyond them that all the joy of heaven had entered one small, exiled heart, and that it was too weak to bear it without tears. As if the absence of my mother could make me unhappy on the day of my first Communion! As all of Heaven entered my soul when I received Jesus, my mother came to me as well.

— Saint Therese, Story of a Soul

I love you more than I can possibly tell, and I am near to you every time that you receive the Eucharist, whether I am in Heaven or on earth.

With all my love in Christ,

Dad

1. Inspired by Saint Therese, we give the children “sacrifice beads.” They are like little decades of a rosary, but you can slide the beads up and down, so that you have a little reminder to offer little sacrifices throughout the day to God. You move a bead every time you make a sacrifice.

2. A visual we give the kids is that every time they offer a sacrifice or some suffering, it turns into a beautiful heavenly jewel that their Guardian Angel takes up to Heaven to save for them, and that they get to keep forever (this is essentially true, of course, and is commonly understood as the doctrine of “merit.” We just help them to understand it by using their imaginations). However, if they complain, that heavenly crown turns into a stinky boot instead and their Angel has to drop it back down. The Lord loves a cheerful giver, and we lose the merit of our sacrifices if we complain or murmur about them.