St. Anthony the Abbot Catholic Church

During Pope Benedict's visit to the United States, he had a meeting in Washington DC with leaders of different religions. At that meeting, he encouraged everyone present not to be afraid to speak about the real differences between the different religions. He said, "Dear friends, in our attempt to discover points of commonality, perhaps we have shied away from the responsibility to discuss our differences with calmness and clarity." (Papal Address to Interreligious Leaders, April 17, 2008) This applies not only to different religions, but also to different denominations of Christianity.

Unless we clearly and calmly recognize our differences, and then work through them, we will not be able to return to full unity among all Christians.

One of the biggest differences between the Catholic faith and the different Protestant Christian denominations is connected with the great mystery of the Eucharist, which the whole Catholic Church, throughout the world, celebrates in a special way today, the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, "Corpus Christi."

Throughout the history of the Church there have been countless miracles to prove what Jesus declared about himself. One memorable Eucharistic miracle took place in the year 1345, near the city of Krakow, in Poland. Thieves broke into a little church on the outskirts of the city. They broke open the) and stole the Ciborium, which contained consecrated hosts.

They got away, but when they discovered that the monstrance was not made of real gold, they threw it into the swamp where they were hiding. Priests from the church began a search as soon as they discovered the theft, but they found nothing. When darkness fell, however, a mysterious light was seen emanating from the muddy spot in the middle of the swamp. Bright flashes of light that looked like beams from a huge, intense spotlight were visible for several miles around. Villagers became so frightened by the mysterious, inexplicable light that they ran to report it to the bishop.

After two days of fasting and prayer, the bishop led a procession out to the marsh. There, they found the ciborium, and within it were the consecrated hosts, still unbroken, and those hosts were the source of the mysterious light. The crowd was in awe, and immediately began to pray and celebrate the miracle. The King built the church of Corpus Christi in Krakow in honor of the miracle, and every year a special celebration takes place there on the Solemnity of Corpus Christi.        Miracles like these, of which history is full, are just reminders of the main miracle that occurs every day: Christ turning bread and wine into His body and blood in the Eucharist.

The gift of the Eucharist is truly amazing. But in life's hustle and bustle we can sometimes start taking it for granted. Today, let's renew our sense of awe and gratitude in the face of this great gift. It's not complicated; it's just a matter of being more aware of things that we already do.

For example, when we enter and leave the church, we genuflect toward the tabernacle, where the Eucharist is kept. Starting today, let's polish up that gesture, genuflecting with a bit more purpose and care, showing true reverence and gratitude for our Savior.

We decorate our churches with beautiful and valuable art, because here in the church building, in the tabernacle, our Lord is present, accompanying us and interceding for us in the Eucharist 24/7. Starting today, let's renew the care and elegance with which we dress when we come to celebrate the Eucharist, remembering that when we receive Holy Communion, we too are living temples of the Lord. And starting today, let's remember to speak only when we need to and in quiet tone of voice whenever we are inside a Church with the Eucharist, out of respect for Christ's presence and out of courtesy toward those who wish to pray.

We celebrate our Masses with music, vestments, incense, candles, and many other beautiful, tangible expressions of our faith in Christ's presence in the Eucharist. Starting today, let's renew our attention to these details, so that we can live each Mass full of gratitude and wonder, thinking more about his love and grace than about ourselves.

The Eucharist is Christ among us, Christ giving Himself to us completely, just because He loves us. Today, let's open our hearts to that love, like flowers opening themselves to the sun - which is when their real beauty shines through.