Admiration

What would you think if I told you about a friend that I had, and said that he is wise, humble, kind, faithful, brave, and a host of other virtuous traits? You would likely be impressed that this was a good guy. Then, imagine if I brought you with me to meet him, and when we came together, I was disrepsectful to him. I spoke rudely to him, and showed no real care that I had done so. Would that change your perspective? It likely would.

Now, let us think of the same kind of scenario in regard to the Holy Eucharist. What if I spoke highly of how wonderful this Sacrament is, and told you all about Eucharistic miracles, and explained how many lives have been changed by participating in it. Then when we came into the presence of the Eucharist, I was disrespectful to it; I genuflected, but did so sloppily, and acted not much differently than when I was at home kicking back in the living room. Would you believe much about what I said when my actions did not accord with my words?

Many Catholics are seeing the need to deepen their devotion to the Eucharist. They attempt to do this with adoration, extra Masses, and various means of spreading information. Yet, if we have not actually increased our reverence toward the Eucharist, in the end we will not actually deepen our devotion. Talk it up all you want, but your actions while in the presence of the Sacramental Jesus will show where your heart is at in truth. In all of these efforts, if we do not require communion on the tongue, altar rails, priests saying Mass ad orientem, and absolutely forbid all the shenanigans in the Mass, then we will do no more than get people hyped for a brief period and then go back to normal afterwards.