Our Own Eucharistic Revival
I am the bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in the desert, and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven; that if any man eat of it, he may not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever; and the bread that I will give, is my flesh, for the life of the world. The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying: How can this man give us his flesh to eat? Then Jesus said to them: Amen, amen I say unto you: Except you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, you shall not have life in you. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath everlasting life: and I will raise him up in the last day.--John 6:48-55
On the Feast of Corpus Christi in 2022, the USCCB launched a three year Eucharistic Revival in response to the appalling dwindling belief in the Real Presence famously exposed by an independent 2019 PEW research poll. The National Eucharistic Revival consists of three stages of action: A year of diocesan revival, a year of parish revival, and a year of going out on mission to share the gift of the Eucharist with the world. Reversing the trend of decline is a huge and daunting task. God bless our bishops for taking it on.
From the outset, a slew of articles have been written in response to this initiative by the USCCB. Many making recommendations to priests and bishops about how they should go about increasing belief among the faithful. Writing for Crisis Magazine, Father John A. Perricone called on bishops to make concrete changes to how the Eucharist is distributed at Mass in his excellent article entitled, A Radical Proposal for the USCCB's Eucharistic Revival. His proposals are simple and easily implemented. They just take a little bit of fortitude and boldness on the part of bishops, who have the authority to mandate how communion is to be distributed and received in their individual diocese.
Without completely rehashing his article, which you can read here, he suggests the following:
Restore tabernacles to the center of every Catholic church
Abolish communion in the hand
Eliminate extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist
Renew the practice of receiving Communion while kneeling
His recommendations are bold and will take bold men to implement but I agree they will strengthen conviction in the Real Presence by reestablishing greater awareness and veneration for the source and summit of our faith.
OnePeterFive recently published a very revealing chart comparing practices of Eucharistic reverence between the Traditional Latin Mass and the Novus Ordo Mass. The chart accompanies a letter someone might personalize and send to their bishop explaining how a return to the Traditional Latin Mass might be a key to restoring devotion and faith in the Real Presence. Unfortunately, as wonderful as this sounds to me, most Catholics do not attend or even have access to the Traditional Latin Mass. I would also caution in sending such a letter, depending on the bishop and how much attention one might want or not want to have suddenly focused on a Latin Mass community in a particular diocese. Hopefully one day access and acceptance of the Usus Antiquor will be more widespread, until then it is beneficial for the laity to realize how much of the natural reverence for the Holy Eucharist within Mass was suppressed.
While calling on our bishops to make these pretty resolute adjustments, we laity might also consider how we can individually influence greater belief and reverence in our own lives and as examples to those around us. As laity, I propose we adopt the following as witness to our own devotion to the Eucharist.
Kneel and receive communion on the tongue exclusively. If we truly consider who we are receiving, how can we do anything less than kneel in his presence and receive him in the manner of a child being fed?
At the very least, right here and right now, every layman and every laywoman can make a firm commitment, for the Glory of God and the sanctification of their souls, always to receive our Lord kneeling and on the tongue, at every Mass they attend, anywhere, at any time.--p.110 The Holy Bread of Eternal Life: Restoring Eucharistic Reverence in an Age of Impiety by Peter Kwasniewski
Do not become a Lay Eucharistic Minister. I do not intend for this to be judgemental or mean. I’m sure most laity who enter into acting as Eucharistic ministers do it out of love and devotion to the Eucharist, but we have got to stop blurring the lines between a sacramental priesthood and the laity. Priests are ordained, have consecrated hands, and act in persona Christi. When a priest distributes communion these realities actually mean something. Lay folk haven’t a rightful claim to touch the sacred host with their unconsecrated hands and they cannot act in persona Christi when distributing Holy Communion. A companion practice to this would be to avoid as much as possible receiving communion from a layperson for the exact same reasons stated above.
Fast for a longer period of time before receiving communion. In ages past, the Eucharistic fast extended from midnight to the reception of communion at Mass. The fast was relaxed to 3 hours before reception and then again reduced to 1 hour before reception. Mass times are not nearly as convenient for many people these days (our Mass is at 3 pm) which makes the midnight fast much more difficult. 3 hours, on the other hand, is quite possible for many of us. The fast prepares our hearts, minds, and bodies to receive our Lord. It takes greater discipline and increases our anticipation of the Eucharist in a more deliberate and focused way.
Frequent confession. Receiving communion is a tremendous privilege. Not one of us is truly worthy of the gift of the Precious Body and Blood of our Lord. Availing oneself of confession frequently is a way of constantly reminding one of one’s imperfection and need for the healing and reconciliation to Christ and His Church one receives in confession.
Make a weekly Holy Hour before the Blessed Sacrament. Many parishes have Eucharistic Adoration on a regular basis. Take advantage of it. The benefits to your own spiritual life in making a consistent Holy Hour are innumerable and will serve in strengthening your love for Christ in the Blessed Sacrament.
If you are a female, consider wearing a veil at Mass or anytime you are inside the sanctuary of your parish or before the Blessed Sacrament. Veiling is a particularly visible way in which women can profess the gravity of being in the presence of Christ. I love the significance of veiling--we veil things which are sacred and mysterious out of deep piety and love (think of the Holy of Holies, the chalice which holds the Precious Blood, or the Tabernacle). When a woman wears a veil, not only is she acknowledging the Sacred Mystery of the Blessed Sacrament, she is a model of the relationship between Christ, the Bridegroom, and the Church, his bride. The Blessed Sacrament itself is veiled--the actual Body and Blood of Christ hidden(veiled) under the appearances of bread and wine.
It is imperative that understanding and acceptance of the Real Presence be revived among the faithful. The weight of this restoration falls upon our priests, bishops, and hierarchy, but the laity also bear a grave responsibility to live out and boldly declare the reality: Christ is really and truly present in the Blessed Sacrament in every Mass and in every Tabernacle of every Catholic Church in the world. Come let us adore.
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