One morning the mother of a two-year-old boy was horrified to find him playing with an empty bottle of her husband’s heart medicine. She couldn’t get her son to tell her what had happened to the pills in the bottle, so she rushed him to the hospital, where the medical team pumped his stomach. Fortunately, the child hadn’t taken any of the pills, which likely would have killed him. This close call prompted the mother to begin going out and speaking to parent groups, warning them how easily children can swallow dangerous things. As it happens, accidental poisonings of this sort occur over a million times a year. After all, how can little children tell the difference between Sweet Tarts and Tums, Tic Tacs and Motrin, or apple juice and Pine Sol? Even adults can be fooled— usually not by dangerous things, but by artificial products in the store appearing to be natural or genuine, such as fruit-flavored juices not actually made with any fruit at all (Fr. Joe Robinson, Guiding Light: Focusing on the Word, Year B, pp. 125-126).
One important lesson we learn as we grow up is that things aren’t always as they appear. For instance, if we planted some seeds in our garden and then covered them with soil, it would appear the seeds and dead and buried—but we know better. Sooner or later the plants that have taken root will appear above the ground and become something valuable. If a high school graduate goes to college instead of immediately getting a job and earning a living, it would appear he or she is not a productive member of society—yet we know that this young person will likely become even more productive and successful because of the education he or she is receiving. Of course, sometimes highly-educated experts don’t have as much common sense and practical wisdom as normal, everyday people. Abraham Lincoln is a prime example of this; most people were unimpressed with his appearance and his simple, backcountry ways; moreover, he was a failure in almost everything he tried—until he went on to become one of our greatest presidents. A more contemporary example involves football. True fans know that high school, college, and pro athletes aren’t playing real or official games right now, but are instead drilling and practicing, again and again; these things aren’t a waste of time, but will help them be better players in actual games once the season begins. Things aren’t always as they appear; sometimes it takes wisdom, patience, and trust to discover the truth. This is the case with many of the teachings of our Catholic Faith—most especially in regard to the Eucharist. Our eyes try to tell us that Holy Communion is simply a matter of bread and wine, but if we’re willing to see with eyes of faith, we discover the truth: in this Sacrament we truly receive the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ Himself.
Because of original sin, we have a harder time recognizing and understanding the truth than God had intended, and we can easily be misled by the devil and the false values of the world. That’s why St. Paul (Ephesians 4:17, 20-24) tells us “do not continue in ignorance, but try to understand what is the will of the Lord.” This approach to life calls for wisdom—and the Book of Exodus (16:2-4, 12-15) assures us that those who genuinely seek this great spiritual gift will receive it. Wisdom, of course, means trying to see and understand everything from God’s point of view. We see in the Gospel of John (6:24-35) that this was a problem for many of the people who had benefited from Jesus’ miraculous multiplication of the loaves and fish. Jesus worked this miracle so that the people would listen to His teaching that He was the true bread come down from Heaven. This claim makes no sense from a worldly perspective—but our Savior is not of this world. Jesus offers us Himself so that we might have eternal life in His Kingdom—a life this world cannot understand, let alone offer. We are truly alive only if Jesus lives in us, and He will be with us only if we’re willing to walk by faith, not by sight.
Over sixty years ago a very popular song was named “Lemon Tree,” and its lyrics began, “When I was just a little boy, my father said to me: ‘Come here and learn a lesson from the lovely Lemon Tree.’ ‘My son, it’s most important,’ my father said to me, ‘to put your faith in what you feel and not in what you see.’” This song wasn’t a religious hymn, but it does reinforce an important lesson: we can’t always make important judgments based only on appearance. This is true of life in general, and of spiritual truths in particular. What the world considers beautiful and important will not last, and worldly people will not recognize or appreciate that which is spiritually valuable and essential.
Such persons see the Mass as an empty and unnecessary ceremony, and look upon the Eucharist as a meaningless ritual; even most Protestants—and, sadly, many Catholics—consider Holy Communion little more than a symbolic gesture. They are judging only by what they see, and thus their so-called human wisdom leads them astray. We know better, and so we must live in a way consistent with Our Lord’s words in the Gospel. He teaches that we are spiritually dead if we do not eat His very flesh in Holy Communion; however, if we do believe His promise and worthily receive Him in the Eucharist, He truly lives in us, and He will raise us to the joy of eternal life on the last day. In practical terms, this means going to Confession, if necessary, so as to receive Holy Communion only in a state of grace; acting reverently in church and fully participating in the Mass; and prayerfully expressing our gratitude after receiving the Eucharist—either by joining in the Communion hymn or by silently thanking the Lord in our hearts. Furthermore, when we leave church we must remember that we are carrying Jesus Himself within us, and we should let His Sacred Presence guide and direct us in all our words and deeds. Even the people who don’t recognize Christ’s Presence in the Eucharist should be able to sense something holy or different about us once we’ve left Mass; our attitudes and behavior must bear witness to a greater truth that cannot be seen with human eyes.
So many things in this world are deceptive or even dangerous, despite their pleasing appearance—and so we must discern or judge with more than just our eyes, especially in matters of faith. Jesus is the Living Bread come down from Heaven—and if we believe this, and live accordingly, we will discover and rejoice in the truth that sets us free.
