Catholic Dads

The Eucharist as the Way to Change the Culture of Death

January 22nd, 2010

Over the past several months, I have been planning a Respect Life Youth Rally for the youth of the Diocese of St. Petersburg. It has been a labor of love. Tonight, at the rally, as a part of the prayer service which includes Eucharistic Adoration, I will be giving a reflection. Below is that reflection the I will be giving:

Most of us here tonight are survivors. If you were born after January 22, 1973, then you are a survivor. I am a survivor. All of us born after the legalization of abortion in the United States are missing friends. We are all missing classmates. Some of you may even be missing siblings.

It is unfortunate, but we are living in a culture of death. We are living in a culture that places a higher value on polar bears and turtles than it does human life. We have elected officials that believe that it is more important to give a woman the “right to choose” than it is to protect innocent babies. We live in a culture that believes that the choice for a woman to have a baby begins after she is pregnant and not before she has sex.

For 37 years now babies have been killed. For 37 years the culture of death has been allowed to grow and permeate everything in our society. It seems as though the battle is futile—that there is so much resistance to changing the laws.

Think for a moment. How many of you think you can change the culture of death? How many of you think you can actually have an impact, that you can influence the leaders of our country to protect life from the moment of conception?

Angela talked to you tonight about how to defend a pro-life stance. She shared with you some answers you can give your friends, your teachers, to refute their arguments. She shared with you the truth. I also shared with you earlier something you can do. You can start a pro-life club in your churches and schools. I want to encourage you to do so. But still…do you think having the knowledge Angela gave you and starting a pro-life club will change anything? Do you believe that you can have an impact…even armed with the information given you tonight?

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus says: “Amen, I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

Let me repeat: “IF YOU HAVE FAITH THE SIZE OF A MUSTARD SEED, YOU WILL SAY TO THIS MOUNTAIN, ‘MOVE FROM HERE TO THERE,’ AND IT WILL MOVE.”

Nothing is impossible with faith in God. The gospels are rich with examples of this. You may say, “I can’t have that kind of faith.” or “Only saints have that kind of faith, and I’m not a saint.” Let me tell you something…you are called to be a saint. We all are. You and I are called to have that kind of faith. I won’t lie to you…I don’t have that kind of faith. But it is something I am striving for. It is something we should all strive for.

Let me tell you something else…We are not asking you to move mountains tonight. All we are asking you to do is to have enough faith to change the culture of death in this country. And trust me, having the faith to change the culture of death in this country is far easier than having the faith to move mountains.

So, how do you have that kind of faith? How do you have the kind of faith required to change the culture of death, to move mountains?

In a few moments, Father John is going to bring Jesus out of the tabernacle and put Him on the altar. He is going to expose the Eucharist. You see, we as Catholics believe that Christ is truly present in the Eucharist. We receive His Body and Blood each Sunday at Mass.

If you truly want to change the culture of death we live in, the first thing you must do is to believe that Christ is truly present in the Eucharist. You must then allow the Eucharist to transform you when you receive it. Only Christ can transform us from unbelief to belief. Only Christ can transform us to have the faith to move mountains.

Does this mean that receiving the Eucharist this Sunday will allow you to move mountains? No. Transformation is a process. It is a journey. We must allow Christ to transform us each week at Mass. If we allow Christ into our bodies, into our souls, then the transformation will begin. Our faith will continue to grow at each time we allow the transforming power of the Eucharist to work in us.

So, if you want to change the culture of death, you must stand up for life to your friends, your classmates, your teachers. And you must pray. Pray tonight that God may give you the grace to open your hearts to the transforming graces in the Eucharist. Pray at Mass this Sunday and each Sunday that the Eucharist will transform you. If you do so, your faith will grow. If you allow Christ to transform you, you will have stronger convictions. You will have more passion. You will have the faith necessary to change the culture of death. You will be able to move mountains.
Originally posted at Salvation Is an Adventure.

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