Br. Josemaría Guzmán-Domínguez, O.P. – Word on Fire Blog
Recent studies suggest that many Catholics do not believe that the Eucharist is the Body of Christ. But there is someone who has no doubt about it—Satan.
He knows that what looks like bread on Catholic altars and in tabernacles is really the Body of his Crucified and Risen Vanquisher, Jesus Christ. He knows that in this sacrament, Christ unites his faithful to himself. He knows the Eucharist is food for our journey to heaven. He knows that the Body of Christ binds the Church in love, making her triumph over the gates of hell. And he hates it.
The Enemy usually does battle by spreading lies about the Eucharist—“It’s just a symbol”; “Anyone can receive Communion any which way”; “Missed Mass? No big deal . . . God understands”; “It’s useless to sit and pray an hour before a piece of bread.” The devil is thrilled by our doubts, our disbelief, our irreverence, and our negligence toward the Eucharist. He loves to deprive us of the riches of the sacrament.
But Satan sees Christ patiently waiting for us to worship and receive his Body. He sees Jesus quietly turning hearts back toward him, bringing Catholics back to Confession and Communion, adding believers to the Church. He sees the Church—her saints and her sinners—offering Holy Mass daily, praying by tabernacles, adoring her Eucharistic Lord. He sees that the Real Presence extends the victory of the Cross…
Reflecting on the devil’s hatred for the Body of Christ, we should pray for a deeper faith in it. If Satan hates this sacrament so much, God must work great good through it. We should sorrow, pray, and do penance for those who don’t know Christ’s presence in this Sacrament, who ignore or ridicule or even attack it. Above all, we should let ourselves be drawn to the love of the Crucified and risen Christ present in the Eucharist. For no matter what the devil thinks he can do against Christ’s Body, nothing will separate us from the love of Christ.