I AM. WE ARE.
A Eucharistic Reflection
By Fr. Jack Tierney, O.S.A.
In the Summer of 2024, the United States celebrates the Eucharistic Revival; an opportunity for all of us to grow in faith, understanding, and devotion of the Eucharist. The liturgy that makes Christ truly present is central to Catholic worship and our very identity as Church. Saint Augustine affirms the importance of the Eucharist in our life of faith, especially in the personal experience of personally receiving the Body and Blood of Christ.
When I was a Brother in religious formation, I attended an All-School Mass at one of our Augustinian high schools. I was asked to help distribute Communion. And a teenager comes up …. And I present him with the host by saying “The Body of Christ”.
And he responds …. I AM.
I had never heard that before – never in ministry, and not even in a graduate course on Eucharistic theology. He believed that Christ was present in the Eucharist, present in the Church, and that the Lord was present in his heart.
There were probably 200 people in line behind this young man, so this was not the time for a theological lesson. He accepts the host, and I continue with Communion. I never talked to the student, but I sure wish that I had.
It’s clear that this young man understood Saint Augustine’s theology of the Eucharist. Not only as he fully participating in the liturgy, but he was appropriating its meaning for his own life.
Saint Augustine would affirm this young man’s response.
If you, therefore, are Christ's body and members, it is your own mystery that is placed on the Lord's table! It is your own mystery that you are receiving! You say "Amen" to what you are: the response is a personal signature, affirming your faith. (Sermon 272)
The Eucharist is a gift – one that is intended to be internalized – literally.
In the Mass, we are told “Behold the Lamb of God”. The priest invites the congregation to marvel in awe and wonder at the sacrifice of Christ. As a Bishop, Saint Augustine preached to his Church asking them to gaze upon the Eucharist. He invited them, “Be what you see; receive what you are” (Sermon 272).
We remember friendship at the Last Supper, a tender moment of a family around the table, where Jesus provides the Word of Institution. Through that act of love, the Church celebrates Communion with one another through the perfect reconciliation of Christ. The Eucharist is the Sacrament of Love that draws us ever closer to the heart of the Sacred Mysteries. During the Eucharistic revival, we pray that we may grow in devotion and understanding of this great gift – poured out for you and for many.