“The presence of Christ’s true body and blood in this sacrament cannot be detected by sense, nor understanding, but by faith alone, which rests upon Divine authority. Hence, on Luke 22:19: ‘This is My body which shall be delivered up for you,’ (St.) Cyril says: ‘Doubt not whether this be true; but take rather the Saviour’s words with faith; for since He is the Truth, He lieth not.’” – St. Thomas in the Summa Theologiae

“He (Jesus) meant what he said, and he said what he meant.” – Dr. Scott Hahn commenting on John Chapter 6 in what is known as the Bread of Life Discourse.

In the next several columns, I will be writing about the Eucharist.

As the Catechism of the Catholic Church says in 1324, “The Eucharist is ‘the source and summit of the Christian life.’ “The other sacraments, and indeed all ecclesiastical ministries and works of the apostolate, are bound up with the Eucharist and are oriented toward it. For in the blessed Eucharist is contained the whole spiritual good of the Church, namely Christ himself, our Pasch.”

Numerous surveys have been conducted by various organizations asking the question of those who identify as Catholic what they believe about the Eucharist. The one that gets most attention is the Pew Research Center poll results published on Aug. 3, 2019. The headline reads, “Just one-third of U.S. Catholics agree with their church that Eucharist is body, blood of Christ.”

This in my mind is perplexing as to why and what to do about it, but it shouldn’t be surprising.  Belief and/or faith seem to be missing when it comes to the Eucharist.

Scripture gives us numerous examples of belief and faith, highlighting what appears to be great fluidity of faith among individuals, especially the Apostles.

We read in John 2:11 at the wedding of Cana, after Jesus changed water into wine, “This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory; and his disciples believed in him.”

A year later and after many more signs (miracles), we read in John 6 where Jesus speaks of people eating his flesh. Then we read in verse 66, “After this many of his disciples drew back and no longer walked with him.” (I don’t know if the labeling 6:66 has any particular relevance,  but it is ominous).

This is the only occasion where Jesus lost disciples. When asked about leaving, Peter responds, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life; and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God (verse 68),” so at least the core 12 stayed.

On his final journey to Jerusalem, the Apostles ask Jesus in Luke 17:5, “Increase our faith.”

We then come to the infamous scene where Peter, the “rock,” denies Jesus three times, even after being warned about it (John 13:38; 18:17, 25, 26).

After the resurrection, we have the famous “doubting” Thomas episode in John 20. John concludes the scene (verse 29), “Blessed are those who have not seen yet believe.”

Finally, we have Matthew 28:16-17, “And when they saw him (Jesus) they worshipped him; but some doubted.”  

So, despite all of Christ’s predictions and appearances, the disciples still called the Resurrection into doubt. This after three years of being with “the God-Man.” John (21:24) closes his book with, “This is the disciple who is bearing witness to these things, and who has written these things; and we know that his testimony is true.”

“I believe; help my unbelief!” – A father pleading for himself on behalf of his son before Jesus in Mark 9:24

So, whether you call them “concerns,” “doubts,” “difficulties,” the 12 had them (at least in pre-Pentecost times). The fact that we have polling data concerning lack of belief in the Eucharist by some Catholics should not be surprising.  

Why? St. Thomas writes in his commentary on the Gospel of John, “Now sin, for example, original sin, and in some persons actual sin, is the cause why we are not enlightened by God through faith. This cause is in everyone.”

It appears St. Thomas has shed some light on this polling data.