OPINION: Reverence For The Eucharist Missing From Ongoing Synod Commentary

(CHRISM NEWS/ SUZANNE CARL) As I sat in Mass this morning at St. Peter's in Omaha, the reports coming out of Rome weighed heavily on my mind. I'm no theologian, just an aging revert to the faith, trying and failing most days to remain in a state of Grace.

That is the fundamental question that is at the basis of the current controversies regarding the Synod on the Family. What is a state of Grace? Is it possible to maintain this state while living as an active homosexual or while, married or not, having sexual relationships that are not part of a Catholic marriage?

Our Lady of Fatima said, "More souls go to Hell because of sins of the flesh than for any other reason." There are other sins that can cause us to be out of a state of grace. Pride, gluttony, envy, sloth, wrath, greed, and lust are all sins that that can cause us to be unable to receive the Eucharist. And that's the thing we really need to discuss. We can welcome sinners, but receiving the Eucharist requires a higher standard for our lives.

If we really think about it, most of us are never really worthy to receive the Eucharist. I know I'm not. I was thinking this morning about the fact that I went to confession just 3 days ago, and could already be unworthy to receive the Body of Christ. That is why we pray, "Lord I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word, and my soul shall be healed." Presuming that is enough is kind of like the Protestants who have a one-and-done attitude about declaring Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Catholics have always had a higher standard.

What I'm not hearing are many people talking about when and how to receive the Eucharist. My wonderful pastor, Father Damien Cook, gave a homily a few weeks ago about the sin of receiving the Eucharist when we are not spiritually ready. We have to go to confession regularly.

Most people I know have regular salon appointments, a day or time when they do laundry, clean the house, take a piano lesson, go to the grocery store, play soccer, or whatever else is on their plate. Is going to confession a part of the schedule? Without it, we can rapidly compound the sins that make us unworthy to receive the Eucharist with the sin of receiving unworthily. That was the message from my pastor. In 51 years as a Catholic, I had never heard that before.

Is it harsh to expect people to live in such a way as to stay in a state of grace? 21st century American culture leads us to believe that self-control is an impossible ideal. We are told that we can't stop kids from having sex, so we need to give them vaccines against sexually transmitted diseases, birth control, and education on how to have sex 'safely.'

Of course, the safety of the soul is the most important safety lesson that we should be teaching. That requires us to live counter-culturally and practice restraint. Sex doesn't "just happen." Choices are made each step of the way. One doesn't just accidentally wind up living with a lover, gay, straight, or otherwise. These situations are the result of free will at work.

The Catholic Church has always taught that God wants us to choose Him. In the heat of a moment, we may choose to reject Him. That is the time for recognition of the sin, remorse, confession, repentance and change. Those who choose to live in a situation where the sin is repetitive are not repenting and changing. And that is the crux of the problem with the Synod on the Family.

Repentance and change are necessary to live in a state of grace. We show no mercy if we give people false hope. No one has a right to receive God. God offers himself freely to those who strive to do his will. We choose. God accepts or rejects.