The Eucharist and sinners

I am told that I have finally “arrived” on the St. Paul scene, albeit not in any way that I would have anticipated. My name was brought up in a recent conversation between Joe Soucheray and Patrick Reusse on their Monday Night Sports Talk. No, it was not because of my high school tennis forehand. Rather, it had to do with my weight. With what some might consider uncharacteristic restraint, Joe commented on my “stoutness,” speculating that my girth may have mercifully abbreviated a recent funeral in a church without air conditioning as St. Paul temperatures hovered around 100.

For most of my life, I’ve struggled with my weight. Were it not for the sacramental seal, five decades of confessors could attest that it would be a rare confession when I didn’t recognize the sinfulness of my overeating or my failure to be more attentive to health. It’s never lost on me while I am celebrating the Eucharist that it’s painfully obvious to others that I’m a sinner. If there is any silver lining in my girth, it’s that it may serve as a reminder for me and those gathered for Mass that the Eucharist isn’t only for the perfect. As Pope Francis has said on more than one occasion, “the Eucharist is not the reward of saints, but the bread of sinners.”

How blessed we are that the Lord gives us not only the Eucharist but also the sacrament of reconciliation. I love how confession gives us countless chances. I know that we should never presume God’s mercy, but the Church teaches that there is always the hope of forgiveness as long as we humbly confess our sins, have sincere sorrow for them, and truly desire to amend our lives.

For nearly 2,000 years, the Church has been offering guidance about the reception of the Eucharist by us sinners. Writing in the second century, St. Justin Martyr documented that the celebration of the Eucharist in his time was amazingly similar to our celebration of the Mass today (see the Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 1345). He also gave eloquent witness to the early Church’s understanding of the Real Presence, teaching that what we receive in holy Communion is truly the Lord’s body and blood and noting that the Eucharist would only be shared with those who were baptized, “living as Christ has enjoined,” and believing that “the things which we teach are true.”

Last week, the bishops of the United States, gathered as the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), showed nearly unanimous support for a proposal presented by our very own Bishop Cozzens and the Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis that he leads for a Eucharistic Revival. The bishops also, however, entered into a vigorous debate about the need to offer additional teaching on the Eucharist at this point in history and in the context of modern American life. While the bishops echoed St. Justin in their great love for the Eucharist and appreciation of its singular importance, it was also clear that there were, at times, differences of opinions with respect to the pastoral response called for by the unique circumstances of our day.

It is precisely to address pastoral matters that episcopal conferences were mandated and strengthened in the wake of the Second Vatican Council. The Conference of Bishops is intended to be a permanent institution with which the bishops of a given country or territory can “jointly exercise certain pastoral functions on behalf of the Christian faithful of their territory in view of promoting that greater good which the Church offers humankind, especially through forums and programs of the apostolate which are fittingly adapted to the circumstances of the time and place” (can. 447 of the Code of Canon Law). Up to this point in its history, its fundamental purpose has not been to propose new teachings, but rather to practically assist individual bishops in exercising their role as pastors. Given the breadth and diversity of the Church in the USA, it shouldn’t be surprising that there could be different senses of what precisely the pastoral needs might be, and how they might be best addressed.

Each episcopal conference has statutes that set out the procedures for how the bishops are to work together. For 13 years, I worked in the office at the Vatican that assisted episcopal conferences in writing or modifying those statutes, taking into consideration the particularities of each country or region. I may be biased, but I would consider the USCCB’s protocols to be among the very best for promoting collaboration. According to those protocols, the conference’s Committee on Doctrine, working with expert theological consultants, will now be tasked to produce a draft of a document reflective of the bishops’ discussions about the Eucharist last week. The topic is slated to be discussed further at the regional level this August, and then again by the USCCB’s Administrative Committee next September, to determine if the draft is ready to be submitted for consideration by the whole body of bishops next November. It would then be published only if it would be supported by more than two-thirds of the active bishops in our country. While some media have already speculated about the eventual content of the document, my experience would suggest that the content of the eventual document could be surprising, given the extensive process for development and refinement.

In light of the extensive media attention that the project is receiving, I would ask for your prayers for the bishops of our country and for all those involved in the drafting process. May this work be one that furthers the deep unity that is characteristic of Christ’s Church. As we pray in one of the options for our Eucharistic Prayer: “Lord, renew your Church by the light of the Gospel. Strengthen the bond of unity between the faithful and the pastors of your people, together with Francis our Pope and the whole order of bishops, that in a world torn by strife, your people may shine forth as a prophetic sign of unity and concord.”

Eucaristía y pecadores