20th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Aug. 19, 2012
Fr. Joseph Eddy, O. de M.
(Full sermon text) Over the past several years, I would make a visit once a week to our Catholic grade school. On one occasion I went to the second grade classroom where Sr. Julia was preparing the second grade for their first Holy Communion. Our school, which has since closed, was composed of mostly non-Catholics who attended the school because it was safer and had better academics than the public schools.
Try to watch this video and not chuckleOK, one”s vocation is a serious matter, but sometimes there are things to laugh about. Watch our video, “Hearing God”s Call – Two Mercedarian Friars” on the of the Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mercy. You”ll see Br. Matthew and Fr. Scott share some chuckles as they talk about their vocations as Mercedarian Friars.
Visit the Mercedarians’
That day there may have been only four or five students who were actually preparing to receive the Most Blessed Sacrament. However, this did not deter Sr. Julia from teaching the whole truth about the Eucharist to all the class. I entered the room that day and the whole class stood as they always do for the priests. This day Sr. Julia asked me to explain a little bit to the students about the Blessed Sacrament. I asked the class to tell me what they knew about this great Sacrament. Right away the whole class in unison blurted out the word, “transubstantiation.”
Even pronouncing the word is good
I was shocked to hear these eight-year-old students, many of whom were not Catholic, use this word which many adult Catholics would not know. Now of course, most of these children couldn’t explain the meaning of this word to me, but still to even be able to pronounce it was an accomplishment. They may remember this word years from now and wonder, “What does it mean?” This could lead to a search for a deeper understanding of the great mystery which is the presence of Christ in the Eucharist.
Each one of us as faithful Catholics should at least know this word, which is so important to our understanding of the Eucharist. As we learned in school, we can often discover the meaning of an unknown word by taking it apart. Substance is a term that most of us have heard of and even have used in our years of education. Substance is defined in the dictionary as “the actual matter of a thing, as opposed to shadow; reality.” In science class, we all learned that a variety of substances exist in the world. As we went through school and read our science books this word was used again and again. We even began studying various substances more in depth as we got into high school. We may have also come across this word in English or History class. Arguments or debates should have substance to them or they are just words.
How well do we know this now as we enter into the “homestretch of the Presidential Election season”! Very soon the debates will begin. We may dread this or look forward to it. No doubt much is going to be said by each candidate and their representatives, but how much of it is substantive? What are the essential aspects of the candidates’ speeches and responses that are given to questions? Politicians often use all kinds of tactics to avoid taking any stand on issues that may cost them votes. Yes, we must be ready for all kinds of linguistic gymnastics! It will be important to discern if there is any substance to what is being said.
First use of “transubstantiation”
The Church first began using the term transubstantiation in 1215 at the Fourth Lateran Council to explain the change that took place during the consecration at Mass. Jesus uses clear substantive words in the Gospel today when he tells the crowd that they will eat his flesh and drink his blood. The crowd was left wondering, “What does he mean?” Obviously, some thought he was speaking of a type of cannibalism. Christ was not advocating cannibalism, but He was clearly and unashamedly offering His very self to us as food. He was offering us His substance. Jesus associated the bread or manna that was given to the Israelites in the desert with his own flesh and blood. And so as Christ is ready to make the supreme offering to the Father, He sits down to the Passover meal with his disciples.
At this Last Supper, he takes the bread and the wine saying, “this is my body…this is my blood.” These are the words of institution which the priest says over the bread and wine at Mass. At this moment, there is a trans- or a “change” in the substance of what was formerly bread and wine. Now, although it still looks like normal bread and wine, it is now in substance the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus Christ. This is the meaning of the word those second graders said so loudly, “transubstantiation.” As St. Thomas says in the famous hymn Tantum Ergo — “Faith for all defects supplying, Where the feeble senses fail.” We see bread and wine with our normal senses, but with the eyes of faith we are able to recognize that the substance is now the Body and Blood of Christ. We must believe this because we must take Christ at His word, “for my flesh is true food and my blood true drink.”
An actual change in the substance
It is not always easy being a Catholic. Only the Orthodox and the Catholic Church hold to such a strong belief in the Real Presence of Christ. But for those that believe with faith and courage, Jesus gives a wonderful promise, “whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.” He goes on to say, “whoever eats this bread will live forever.” The Eucharist is the closest we can get to predestination for heaven. Those who partake of the Blessed Sacrament with the proper disposition are promised Eternal Life.
So, along with those second graders we can say, “We believe in transubstantiation!” We believe as Catholic Christians that the bread and the wine are changed in their substance at the words of institution. The whole Risen Christ is given to each of us at each Communion. This is a truly blessed moment, a foretaste of heaven!