We all know the age-old debate: “Science and faith don’t mix.” But in 2013, NASA astronaut Mike Hopkins refused to separate his faith from his pioneering scientific work. For him, the Eucharist was the source of his hope and courage in his work, as well as the crowning glory of his scientific achievements.
Colonel Mike was received into the Church less than a year before his launch into space. After his reception into the Church, he understood the importance of receiving the Eucharist regularly and knew that in just one year, he would be in space, where attending Mass would be impossible. So, he began planning a way to bring Jesus in the Eucharist with him into space. After persistent efforts, Mike obtained permission from the Archdiocese to take the Eucharist with him on his mission.
“One of the most dangerous activities for astronauts is spacewalks. I had gone out the door of the International Space Station five times, spending 32 hours outside in the vacuum of space,” Mike shared.
“And each morning of those spacewalks, before starting to get suited up, in the quiet of my crew quarters, I received Communion. The knowledge that no matter what happened over the next 15 hours, Jesus was with me,”. This helped keep his faith strong and allowed him to overcome his nervousness and fear. Hopkins declares, Eucharist is the most powerful reminder that God was with me.
If there is one teaching that most defines what we believe as Catholics, it is that Jesus Christ is really present in the Blessed Sacrament.
It is no mere symbol of His presence. It is not merely a commemoration of the Last Supper. Rather, we believe that, during the Mass, ordinary bread and wine become the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ. Jesus is truly present in the Blessed Sacrament. It is a teaching that we, as Catholics, take quite literally.
This teaching goes all the way back to Jesus Christ Himself, and the words He speaks in today’s gospel – “…the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh” (Jn 6: 51b RSV).
There are many times in the gospels that Jesus uses figurative language. There are many times that Jesus uses symbols. But this is not one of those times. When Jesus says, “…the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh”, He is speaking quite literally.
How do we know that? Just listen to the reaction of the crowd. They protested by saying each other “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” (Jn 6:52b RSV). We can just imagine the look of disapproval on their faces.
What does Jesus do? Instead of lightening up, He goes even further. Not only does He tell them that He will give them His flesh to eat but also His blood to drink. If they were not disgusted enough at the thought of eating His flesh, the thought of drinking His blood would have been too much
Jesus is not talking in symbols here. He is not using metaphorical language. No. He is speaking quite literally, and He wants us to take seriously what He is saying, and to believe it with all our hearts.
In today’s world, there are many people who find Jesus’ teaching about the Eucharist hard to accept and believe. Even many Catholics admit to having trouble believing that Jesus is really present in the Blessed Sacrament.
It is not always a sin to have doubts or to have trouble believing. It is a sin, however, if we refuse to believe. It is a sin if we think we understand Jesus and what He meant better than millions of other Catholics down through the centuries, especially those who gave their lives for it.
If you are one of those struggling to believe, simply ask Jesus to open your mind and heart to the truth of His teaching. Jesus will be happy to answer that prayer.
There is a beautiful tradition of saying the words, “My Lord, and my God” when the priest holds up the host and the chalice during Mass. Those are the words of Saint Thomas who doubted that Jesus had really risen from the dead. If we make those words our words, Jesus will help us to overcome our doubts just as He helped Saint Thomas overcome his.
The Eucharist is a beautiful gift that Jesus has given us. It is truly His Body and Blood that we receive in Holy Communion. Why would anyone not want to believe that? Jesus tells us it very clearly in the gospels. Many Christians down through the ages have given their lives for it. Let’s receive Jesus with a lively and certain faith, and not be afraid to share that faith with others.