“This the truth each Christian learns, bread into His flesh He turns, to His precious blood the wine…”
Several years ago, having experienced a spiritual reawakening of my Catholic faith and desiring to learn more about the treasures of Church teaching, I enrolled in a distance program in Christian Tradition with a Catholic college. Most of my classes were taught by wonderful, faithful professors. Then, for a required on-campus session, I chose an Ethics class, hoping to explore the rich ethical teachings of the Catholic Church in depth.
It turned out that the class was taught by a secular, non-Catholic professor. I was disappointed to discover our assigned textbook was The Elements of Moral Philosophy by James Rachels, an ethicist known for his decidedly utilitarian viewpoint, a promoter of euthanasia and animal rights. Hardly a hopeful sign…
The first day of class, the professor presented us with a short film. The filmmaker focused on the tabernacle in a quiet Catholic Church, while the slightly mocking voice of the narrator questioned why, if Catholics really believe that Jesus is present in the Eucharist, were there not adoring crowds in every Catholic Church?
I was troubled that this professor seemed to have chosen this film to plant doubt in the minds of his students, but also by the fact that there is some truth to that question. If we really believe Jesus Christ is truly present, Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity, in all the tabernacles in the world and at every sacred celebration of the Mass, we should give bold witness to this miraculous truth in the sight of an unbelieving world.
In the Tri-Cities, we are blessed with two Perpetual Adoration Chapels, at St. Joseph’s in Kennewick and St. Patrick’s in Pasco. Christ the King has Adoration every Friday, along with an hour of Adoration on Sunday afternoons, and Holy Spirit offers Adoration on Fridays also. If you haven’t already done so, sign up to spend an hour with the Lord - it will change your life!
For the Solemnity of Corpus Christi today, there are also public Eucharistic processions scheduled. Check your parish bulletin and join one of these celebrations! Be a witness to the miraculous presence of Christ among us, in every word you speak, every action you take, and every time you pass by the tabernacle!
Photo credit: CBCP Monito
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