By Fr. Peter Stryker, C.P.M.
In 1947 American novelist Walker Percy was asked by a magazine reporter why he joined the Catholic Church! Percy paused, reflected for a few moments, and then replied, “What else is there?”
And in Chapter 6 of the Gospel of John Jesus is in Capernaum teaching over and over again that His “flesh is real food” and His “blood is real drink”! Many of his followers leave him, saying, “This is intolerable language. How could anyone accept it?” Jesus turns to the Twelve and says to them, “What about you? Do you want to go away, too?”
Simon Peter—sounding something like Walker Percy—says to Jesus, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the message of eternal life, and we believe; we have come to know that you are the Holy One of God.”
The teaching of Jesus in Capernaum almost 2000 years ago is exactly what his Catholic Church celebrates today. The same faith! We trust that the words of Jesus are the words of the Eternal Son of God and that the Son of God does indeed have the power to use His priests for an awesome task: the task of transforming bread and wine into himself—His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity! The transformation of bread and wine into a most pleasing sacrifice which we offer to our Heavenly Father! The transformation of bread and wine into a marvelous and powerful sign which makes us one in charity as members of the Body of Christ!
Toward the end of his pontificate, Blessed John Paul II encouraged all of the faithful to rekindle their Eucharistic faith—to rekindle what he called “Eucharistic amazement”!
At every Mass we offer up Jesus to His heavenly Father—just as Jesus offered Himself up to His Heavenly Father on that first Good Friday! It’s no wonder that the Church obliges us to gather together as God’s family every Sunday and Holy Day of Obligation!
Over the centuries, kings and queens have stood beside beggars—and sinners (in the state of grace) beside saints in the company of little children and all sorts of people—all of them in awe before the Holy Eucharist!
A member of the Fathers of Mercy. Fr. Peter, a good friend of the Knights, is the rector of the Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help in Champion, Wisconsin. For more information, visit the Shrine’s web site: www.shrineofourladyofgoodhelp.com.
