"That Jesus blood?"
"Yes honey."
"You drink him blood?"
"Yes honey."
"That 'sgusting! Ew!!"
...
...
When's the last time that was your reaction to the Eucharist?
When is the last time you were disgusted by the Eucharist? Let's take away the liturgical and theological terminology.
Cannibalism.
When is the last time you were disgusted by the thought of eating the flesh and drinking the blood of another human person? When is the last time you were disgusted by the thought of eating the flesh and drinking the blood of God?
This is, I think, a large part of why multiple Gospel writers record the disciples shooing children away, and Our Lord reprimanding them. As adults, we like to sanitize uncomfortable things (like "Eat my body, drink my blood").
I believe. I mean it when the Priest proclaims, "Body of Christ," "Blood of Christ," and I reply, "Amen."
And yet the Eucharist does not shock me.
No part of me is disgusted.
Both Eve and Michael have had this reaction. Other friends with children have experienced the same. Our children accept that with which we struggle.
Amen, I say to you, whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it. (Luke 18:17)
For Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles... (1 Corinthians 1:22-23)
Of course, disgust is not, ultimately, the proper reaction to receiving our Lord. Our Church was founded upon the man who said, "Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life." (John 6:68) when others left Him over this very revelation. We must come to accept both the very messy reality of the real presence in the Eucharist, and the spiritual, theological beauty of it all.
Let us learn to see the signs of the times and to seek the patronage of Our Lady, Seat of Wisdom, but even more so let us learn the simple faith of children, to be shocked by the "God of Surprises."
