Mass Readings Audio
https://bible.usccb.org/podcasts/audio/2021-06-06-usccb-daily-mass-readings
Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ – June 6, 2021
Welcome to the one hundred and sixty-seventh episode of By Your Life. I’m Lisa Huetteman and I know that you have a hundred different things you could be doing right now, so I thank you for choosing By Your Life.
My goal is to inspire, empower, support, challenge, and encourage you to connect Sunday, with Monday-Friday, in a secular business world. It’s my desire to help you live our Catholic faith in the marketplace. I hope to offer you practical ways to go forth and glorify the Lord by your life.
In this edition, we’ll reflect on the readings for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. Our readings speak of the covenant between God and his people, both in the Old Testament and the New Covenant established by Christ. This Sunday we celebrate the living sign of this Covenant—the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ.
So, how do we relate what happens at every Mass to our daily work lives? In no way do I want to trivialize the significance of the Eucharist by making comparisons to our work. But I do think that knowing our human nature, Christ instituted the Eucharist for our benefit and some of those same benefits can be extended to how we work, especially as employers and employees are considering what workplaces will be like post-Covid.
In Sunday’s Gospel account of the Last Supper, Christ’s words in the institution narrative cannot be taken in merely a symbolic fashion. The Church has always taught that following the words of Consecration, the bread and wine are changed into the Body and Blood of Christ. Christ’s presence in the Eucharist is referred to as the Real Presence. The sacrifice Christ offered once for all on the cross remains ever-present. (CCC 1364) With the real presence, the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ is present in the Eucharistic celebration. So, as people are vaccinated and returning to many pre-Covid activities, why aren’t our churches returning to pre-Covid capacity?
Don’t Know What You’re Missing
Transubstantiation – the belief that during Mass, the bread and wine used for Communion become the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ – is central to the Catholic faith. The Eucharist is the “source and summit of Christian life.” (CCC 1324) Yet, a Pew Research Center survey conducted in February of 2019 and released later that summer found “that most self-described Catholics don’t believe this core teaching. In fact, nearly seven-in-ten Catholics (69%) say they personally believe that during Catholic Mass, the bread and wine used in Communion ‘are symbols of the body and blood of Jesus Christ.’ Just one-third of U.S. Catholics (31%) say they believe that ‘during Catholic Mass, the bread and wine actually become the body and blood of Jesus.’” It’s no wonder people are staying away; they don’t know what they are missing.
This is a problem for the Church, a big problem. CEOs are facing a similar problem as they consider whether and how workers should return to the office. Many, who were considered “essential” workers, have reported to their workplaces throughout the pandemic. But for many others, reporting to work meant finding a suitable place in their homes to conduct their business remotely. People did what they had to do, and according to a PWC survey, remote work has been an overwhelming success for both employees and employers. In fact, 83% of employers say the shift to remote work has been successful for their company.
If it is so successful, why are so many companies considering calling their employees back? I think it is the same reason the Church is calling her people back; we are made for community and there are benefits to being together physically.
Community Builds Culture
Companies who are requesting employees return to the office, at least on a hybrid basis, recognize the importance of their company culture to their success. Goldman Sachs CEO, David Solomon, wrote to employees in the US and UK that the bank wants them ready to return to the office by mid-June. He said, “We know from experience that our culture of collaboration, innovation and apprenticeship thrives when our people come together, and we look forward to having more of our colleagues back in the office so that they can experience that once again on a regular basis,”
In an article in the Wall Street Journal, other bankers seem to agree. Jane Fraser, chief executive officer, of Citigroup Inc. said, “I certainly imagine everyone back in [the office]. I do think from a cultural point of view—apprenticeship, the sense of belonging—you are better together.”
Her thoughts were echoed by JPMorgan Chase & Co. CEO Jamie Dimon. “There are huge weaknesses to the Zoom world. I mean most of us learn by an apprenticeship system, by seeing mistakes, going [on] trips, how to handle a client, how do you handle the problem. It’s hard to inculcate culture and character and all those things. It’s very hard to build and develop a deeper relationship on Zoom.”
Reprioritizing Benefits
Employers aren’t the only ones who see benefits in returning to the office, although they view the benefits differently than their employees. According to the PWC survey, 87% of employees say the office is important for collaborating with team members and building relationships which are their top-rated needs for being in the office. Yet, according to the same survey, over half of employees want to work remotely three days a week or more. Although they see the benefits of returning to the office, they aren’t willing to give up the benefits of remote work. They desire their personal flexibility more.
And this may be why people aren’t returning to Mass. They view the benefit of participating in online Mass in their pajamas exceeds the benefit of sacramentally receiving the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus in the Eucharist. Sure, as Vinny Flynn points out in his book, 7 Secrets of the Eucharist, St. Thomas Aquinas “explains that [a] complete spiritual Communion can take place when we are unable to receive sacramentally, because ‘the effect of a sacrament can be secured if it is received by desire.’” So, we can receive the graces of the Eucharist by participating in the online celebration of the Mass if we are spiritually disposed to receive these graces.
St. Maximilian Kolbe said, “At times spiritual Communion brings the same graces as sacramental.” But as Vinny Flynn points out, “Kolbe isn’t talking about ‘instead of,’ but ‘in addition to.’ True spiritual Communion is always an anticipation or an extension of sacramental Communion. Ideally, it is both.”
What is missing when we participate in the celebration of the Eucharist online is Christ’s presence in the community of those who believe in him who are gathered for the Eucharistic celebration. As Christians come together in one place as the Eucharistic assembly, at its head is Christ himself. (CCC 1348)
Something is missing when people celebrate the Mass remotely. CEOs sense that something is missing when people collaborate remotely too. During the pandemic, they could rely on office cultures, their shared values, established practices, and unspoken rules formed over years of people interacting in person. When people don’t have the opportunity to work together physically, to have in-person interactions and serendipitous encounters, it will be difficult to maintain a distinct culture over the long term.
The Value of a Shared Meal
There is also great value in a shared meal in the workplace. When working remotely, employees miss out on the benefits of sharing a meal with their co-workers. According to a 2015 study published in the journal Human Performance and featured in the Harvard Business Review, when co-workers share a meal, it helps build camaraderie, fosters deeper work relationships, and boosts productivity.
An article in U.S. News and World Report points out the benefits can extend beyond workgroups because when they eat with someone from another department – or grab coffee or tea – it is an important way to break down the silos that exist in an office. It can be a way to share different perspectives on companywide goals or brainstorm solutions to challenges with someone from a different background who brings a different perspective.
The act of physically sharing a table and eating with others creates a sense of community amongst coworkers while creating a collaborative environment with employees. It’s the sign of a healthy home and can also be equally indicative of a healthy workplace and a healthy Church.
A Healthy Church
When we come together in church, we are not just sharing a meal. The Catechism says, “The Church, which is the Body of Christ, participates in the offering of her Head. In the Eucharist, the sacrifice of Christ also becomes the sacrifice of the members of his Body. The lives of the faithful, their praise, sufferings, prayer, and work are united with those of Christ and with his total offering and so acquire new value.” (CCC 1368)
It is the unity of the Mystical Body, the Eucharist that makes the Church. “Those who receive the Eucharist are united more closely to Christ. Through it, Christ unites them to all the faithful in one body, the Church. Communion renews, strengthens, and deepens this incorporation into the Church, [that was] already achieved by Baptism.” (CCC 1396)
Come Together
CEOs and our pastors are right to want us to come back. We are strengthened as community to fulfill our purposes when we come together physically. The technical capabilities that made remote work and virtual Mass possible during a pandemic was a success. But the crisis is over, and it is time to return. It is time to rebuild relationships that when workers are absent, can weaken over time. And “as bodily nourishment restores lost strength, so the Eucharist strengthens our charity, which tends to be weakened in daily life.” (CCC 1394)
As Bishop Barron said, “In the Mass, God comes to meet us, to gather us, to speak his Word and to feed us. At every Mass we gather from different places, backgrounds, and points of view, but all in peace. We sing together in the harmonious raising of voices in common praise.” We lose this sense of community when we celebrate Mass online. It is time to come home.
Let’s ask God to help strengthen our communities, at home, work, and at church.
Heavenly Father, you made us in your image and likeness and as such, we yearn for community. Help us to return to and build community where it has been weakened by this pandemic. Remove all obstacles that prevent us from fully participating with others at work and at church. Help us to adjust our habits and priorities to put your Son and his sacraments first so that we may be fruitful in our parish and at work and we may glorify you by our lives.
May God bless you abundantly this week and may you glorify the Lord by your life.
If you liked this episode, spread the word. You know what to do, forward, share, or click to post. Also, check out the Resources page where you can find a link to the books and other resources mentioned in this and other episodes of By Your Life. I’m always interested in what you think, so give me some feedback by leaving a comment.
