This weekend we celebrate the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of the Lord. The Eucharist, as the Second Vatican Council reiterates, is the "source and summit of the Christian life." This weekend also begins the parish phase of the National Eucharistic Revival. If you've been around the Church for any period of time you know things are not like they used to be. Participation in the life of the Church and attendance at Sunday Mass is not what it was even ten or twenty years ago, let alone fifty. The sacraments are no longer priorities for many Catholics and as I have shared with you before, 69% of Catholics believe that the bread and wine used in Communion are "symbols of the body and blood of Christ." We need a Eucharistic revival very desperately! 

Once confronted with someone who referred to the Eucharist as a pretty good symbol, the great American novelist Flannery O'Connor rose up and stated, "If it's just a symbol, to hell with it." Just because it is difficult for our minds to grasp, does not mean the reality is not present. As O'Connor also stated, "the truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it." It is difficult for us to understand how or why our God would transform mere bread and wine into his Body and Blood yet at every Mass that is exactly what happens. We need to grow in our understanding, reverence and devotion to the Eucharist. Over the course of the next year we will have various opportunities in the parish to go deeper into the mystery of the Eucharist. I plan to offer some adult faith formation on the sacraments, especially the Eucharist. We will also continue to foster reverence during Mass and true worship as well as opportunities for adoration, Holy Hours, and other opportunities to celebrate the Eucharist in the life of the Church. It is my goal to culminate this parish phase of National Eucharistic Revival with a Eucharistic procession next year on the Solemnity of Corpus Christi and to make that an annual tradition. 

You may have read that beginning this weekend in Diocese of Sioux City, the Bishop, under certain circumstances, is allowing communion under both forms, that is with the Sacred Host and Precious Blood. COVID provided us an opportunity to examine our practice of the distribution of Holy Communion under both forms. As Catholics we firmly believe in the theology of concomitance, that the Body and Blood of Christ are present fully in both the species of the bread and the wine. One does not receive less of the Eucharist if you only receive the sacred host. The General Instruction of the Roman Missal does state, "Holy Communion has a fuller form as a sign when it takes place under both kinds." However, the liturgical documents are clear that the Precious Blood was never intended to be distributed at every Mass. Solemnities and Holy Days of Obligation, Special Masses such as Confirmations, Ordinations, First Communions, and Nuptial Masses for the bride and groom are examples. This is the approach we will take as a parish. We will not be reintroducing the Precious Blood at this time until we can host some retraining and overall catechesis, not only to the Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion but to everyone. Summer is also a difficult time to reintroduce this practice since it is difficult to even fill the 2 spots we need for EMHC's at each Mass. That's also a reminder, just because things slow down for the summer doesn't mean our obligation to attend Mass does! Stay tuned for more catechesis and I will let you know when we will have communion under both forms in the future. Below I provide you with some reminders about the reception of Holy Communion. 

As we celebrate the great gift of the Eucharist in our lives let us never cease to give thanks to God for such a great gift! 

Father Lingle