“ If we think we can grow in Christ apart from the Holy Eucharist, we ignore the means he has chosen to unite with us during our earthly pilgrimage.”
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Reception of the Holy Eucharist
The Second Vatican Council teaches that the Eucharistic sacrifice is“ the source and summit of the entire Christian life”( LG, no. 11). To grow in Christ, we must be Eucharistic.
Some groups claim that the Christian life can be pursued apart from the help of the Sacraments. The Council of Trent, however, anathematized those who maintained“ that the Sacraments of the New Law are not necessary for salvation, but that they are superfluous”( Denz.-H, 1604). Sadly, in the sixteenth century, many Christian communities broke from apostolic succession and deprived their followers of the great gift of Christ’ s Body and Blood in the most Holy Eucharist.
Jesus teaches that“ unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you”( Jn 6:53). We cannot truly grow in Christ if we do not partake of his Body and Blood in the most holy Sacrament of the Eucharist. Spiritual experiences are important, but the most intimate union we can have with Christ in this life is the worthy reception of his Body, Blood, soul, and divinity in Holy Communion.
If we think we can grow in Christ apart from the Holy Eucharist, we ignore the means he has chosen to unite with us during our earthly pilgrimage.
Feeding Upon Sacred Scripture
St. Jerome teaches that“ ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ”( CCC, no. 133). If we wish to grow in Christ, we must receive nourishment from the books of Sacred Scripture. The Second Vatican Council teaches: For in the sacred books, the Father who is in heaven meets His children with great love and speaks with them; and the force and power in the word of God is so great that it stands as the support and energy of the Church, the strength of faith for her sons, the food of the soul, the pure and everlasting source of spiritual life. Consequently these words are perfectly applicable to Sacred Scripture:“ For the word of God is living and active”( Heb. 4:12) and“ it has power to build you up and give you your heritage among all those who are sanctified”( Acts 20:32; see 1 Thess. 2:13).( Dei Verbum, no. 21)
The monastic tradition of the Church has given us the great practice of lectio divina, which refers to the prayerful reading of Scriptures as God’ s Word. Although the Word of God is proclaimed in the scriptural readings at Mass, growing in Christ should also include the devout reading of the Bible, especially the Gospels.
We feed on Christ’ s Body and Blood in the Holy Eucharist, but we should also draw nourishment from God’ s Word found in Sacred Scripture.
Growing in Faith, Hope, and Charity
St. Paul points us to faith, hope, and charity as“ the more excellent way” of the Christian life( 1 Cor 12:31). Whatever gifts we might receive from the Holy Spirit are without benefit if they are not animated by love or charity.
On this St. Paul is quite clear:“ If I speak in human and angelic tongues, but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing symbol. And if I have the gift of prophecy, and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge; if I have faith so as to move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing”( 1 Cor 13:1 – 2). Charity can be defined as“ the theological virtue by which we love God above all things for his own sake, and our neighbor as ourselves for the love of God”( CCC, no. 1822).
Growing in the theological virtues— faith, hope, and charity— is a lifelong task. This growth cannot be done on our own. We must rely on the grace of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit. We must cling to Christ because he is the vine and we are the branches and without him we can do nothing( Jn 15:1-5).
10 Sacred Heart Major Seminary | Mosaic | Spring 2017