Tea at Trianon: Reverence for Our Eucharistic Lord

John Wilson Croker on Marie-Antoinette

"We have followed the history of Marie Antoinette with the greatest diligence and scrupulosity. We have lived in those times. We have talked with some of her friends and some of her enemies; we have read, certainly not all, but hundreds of the libels written against her; and we have, in short, examined her life with– if we may be allowed to say so of ourselves– something of the accuracy of contemporaries, the diligence of inquirers, and the impartiality of historians, all combined; and we feel it our duty to declare, in as a solemn a manner as literature admits of, our well-matured opinion that every reproach against the morals of the queen was a gross calumny– that she was, as we have said, one of the purest of human beings."

~from History of the Guillotine by John Wilson Croker, 1844

Edmund Burke on Marie-Antoinette

"It is now sixteen or seventeen years since I saw the queen of France, then dauphiness, at Versailles; and surely there never lighted on this orb, which she hardly seemed to touch, a more delightful vision. I saw her just above the horizon, decorating and cheering the elevated sphere she had just begun to move in, glittering like a morning star full of life and splendor and joy. Oh, what a revolution....Little did I dream that I should have lived to see such disasters fall upon her, in a nation of gallant men, in a nation of men of honor and of cavaliers! I thought ten thousand swords must have leaped from their scabbards, to avenge even a look which threatened her with insult. But the age of chivalry is gone; that of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded...."

~Edmund Burke, October 1790

Saturday, February 24, 2024

Reverence for Our Eucharistic Lord

From Controversiam:

The blasé attitude about the Eucharist, for instance, is abundantly clear when you witness a communion line marching up with their casual clothes and their hands stretched out in front of them, or when watching a huge number of people receive Our Lord and walk right out of the church without a second thought. If for some reason you are not convinced this is a major issue, I commend to you this study showing that two thirds of Catholics in the United States do not believe in the True Presence, down from nearly 90% in 1950.

What should be done about this problem? The answer that is often put forth is that we need more catechesis. However, though learning the Church’s teaching on the Eucharist through catechesis is a worthy and necessary goal, it is not enough to learn it in a classroom or religious education program.

I often wonder if an atheist walked into a Catholic Church, would he witness what is happening and think “these people believe something special is going on”? Or is the way we handle the Eucharist more akin to handling a dinner roll at a restaurant? After all, Catechesis by liturgy is more potent and formative than learning in a classroom or lecture hall—a “catechesis by doing”, if you will.

If you truly believe something, it should be reflected in your outward actions. Catholicism is imbued with this principle, where a small symbol or gesture calls to mind a greater truth of the faith. No one disagrees with this principle when it comes to saluting superiors in the military, proposing down on your knee with a diamond ring, or dressing in your best suit for an important meeting. The outward signs clearly matter.

This is why genuflecting before the Eucharist is so important: first, it gives to God the reverence and honor which is due Him. Second, the outward action of bending your knee before what seems to be a piece of bread informs your interior disposition and belief that there is more there than meets the eye. This exemplifies the timeless Catholic principle of lex orandi lex credendi.

For these reasons, and as an effort to combat the irreverence which is the impetus for my letter, I humbly offer three simple suggestions on how to encourage your parishioners (and fellow priests) to approach Our Lord and form their interior disposition through their exterior posture and actions. (Read more.)