As I reflect on the past three years of the National Eucharistic Revival as it comes to a close the same scenario keeps coming to mind. I see folks standing in line waiting to get into heaven being asked by Jesus to complete a one question survey:
1) Why was it that after all the effort my church put forth to convince you of my real presence in the Eucharist, you still did not come to visit me in the tabernacle where I was continuously physically present in every Catholic Church?
a. I still didn’t really believe you were there.
b. I had more important things to do with my time.
c. I thought an hour of my time at Sunday Mass each week was all the time with you I needed.
d. I was doing fine in life and had no problems or difficulties that needed any additional assistance from the God of the Universe.
e. I simply didn’t appreciate the incredible gift it was to have you present in the tabernacle available for me to visit.
Now of course such a survey doesn’t make sense as Jesus knows the answer to such a question, and He would not need to ask it. But I still think it’s a good question for us to reflect on going forward. I am not trying to create good old fashioned Catholic guilt, but I do think how we answer that question, if it applies to us, is a reflection on the success or failure of the Eucharistic Revival initiative. which was to increase the Church’s appreciation for the magnificent truth of Christ being truly present body, blood, soul, and divinity in the Eucharist. It is a reality that if accepted, if truly believed, changes us and draws us closer into the relationship with our Lord and Savior for which we were created. And if we are still struggling to wrap our heads around this reality, perhaps the best way to grow in appreciation for it, is to give Jesus a change by spending some time with his physical presence, just once. Just maybe that will change our answer to the question we will never be asked.
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