Why I’m Catholic
By Tom Quiner
Bread and wine consecrated by a Catholic priest becomes Christ, not in a symbolic sense but in reality.
The Church teaches that Christ’s Body, Soul, and Divinity are fully present in the Eucharist and provides our soul with the spiritual nourishment that draws us toward sainthood and salvation.
I accept this reality on the faith of the Church that infallibly teaches us on spiritual matters.
The Roman Catholic Church recognizes 35 “Doctors of the Faith,” men and women who made particularly important contributions to Church doctrine and theology.
One of the most influential and beloved was St. Augustine.
This spiritual giant spoke boldly about Eucharist:
“That Bread which you see on the altar, having been sanctified by the word of God IS THE BODY OF CHRIST. That chalice, or rather, what is in that chalice, having been sanctified by the word of God, IS THE BLOOD OF CHRIST. Through that bread and wine the Lord Christ willed to commend HIS BODY AND BLOOD, WHICH HE POURED OUT FOR US UNTO THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS.”
I’ve got to admit, I’m a sinful man.
I need this sanctifying food, and praise God for sending His Son to die for my sins.
Every single Catholic Mass puts us at the foot of the cross to relive and remember Christ’s Eucharistic sacrifice and celebrate his resurrection.
Whether a priest utters the Eucharistic prayers by rote or with fire in his belly, man’s humble gifts of bread and wine are transformed into the divine.
All of the creative power of the universe and all of God’s love is there, right before our very eyes, in the guise of bread and wine.
A single crumb or drop of this sacred food fills our soul with His glory.
A guy like St. Augustine carries a lot of clout. It’s not just that he was so much smarter than you or I. It’s that he fought against the Church so ferociously before succumbing to Her sheer beauty. St. Augustine, a prolifically lustful man, fell in love with the Bride of Christ, the Church, and gave up all of his earthly lovers in praise and honor to his true love.
This enemy of the Church became one of her intellectual and spiritual giants.
So when St. Augustine says something like this …
“What you see is the bread and the chalice; that is what your own eyes report to you. But what your faith obliges you to accept is that THE BREAD IS THE BODY OF CHRIST AND THE CHALICE [WINE] THE BLOOD OF CHRIST.”
… well, you should pay attention.
When I take communion, I am doing the most important thing I shall ever do in my life.
My only regret is that since Vatican II, the Church fails to show the reverence, or respect, that this incredible transformation deserves. Laymen rudely traipsing around the sanctuary; the priest turning his back on the tabernacle during Mass; the parishioners boldly standing, with blatant pride (rather than kneeling), to receive the Eucharist; priests center stage; using our grubby hands to receive Christ’s body and blood and receiving the Eucharist from some lay person rather than God’s priests. I have never felt the same awe about the consecration that I did before Vatican II, and with our membership continuing to fall, even in super Catholic South America, I can’t believe that I am the only one who feels robbed.
As a post Vatican II convert, I can’t totally relate to what you’re saying. I do know that many, many Catholics DO feel the same as you. I have to admit, I am saddened by the attire rank and file Catholics wear to Mass each week. I thank-you for taking the time to write. I always appreciate your insights.
Yes, that’s another sign of disrespect the Church fails to see as important anymore either. We always wore our “Sunday Best” to church before Vatican II too. If you can find a church near you that still says the Latin Mass, it is worth attending. It reflects what Mass was like before Vatican II but with so many fewer priests, and altar BOYS, on the altar and MUCH older priests too.