A Stumbling Block to Faith

Mary Lou Rosien was grieved to realize that she may be a stumbling block to the faith of another.

A young mom I know is one of the devout Catholic moms I have ever met! She faithfully takes her children to Mass, teaches Faith Formation with her husband, and makes sure all of her kids receive their sacraments. The only thing is … she’s not Catholic at all.

I have often wondered why she didn’t join the Catholic Church. She and her husband married in the Church and live their lives as a faith-filled couple. I decided to ask her point-blank, and her answer surprised me.

Do we act like Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist?

She told me that she struggled to accept that Jesus is really present in the Eucharist. She didn’t struggle at all with the fact that it could be true; neither did she argue that it wasn’t Biblical. No, she told me, “If the Eucharist is real, how could any Catholic not want to be with Jesus all the time?”

She did not witness the reverence in Mass that would be expected if Catholics really believed Jesus was there. She didn’t see people flocking to Adoration. Her stumbling block to Catholicism is Catholics. Yikes.

Interestingly, the day we had this conversation I had just come from daily Mass. I turned the conversation around a little. I pointed out to her, if Catholics did not believe in the True Presence, why would we bother with daily Mass? We can pray anywhere. We know God is in Sacred Scripture, so why would we want to spend part of any day at Mass? I mentioned other Catholics she knows who spend time in Adoration. We chatted about the peace she recognized in those people and how loving they are.

This conversation caused me to look closer at myself and my own behavior. Have I been a stumbling block to anyone? Do I always show Jesus complete reverence in the Blessed Sacrament? Am I distracted during Mass? Do I glance around, whisper to someone next to me, or have a posture of apathy? How do I approach the altar? Do I rush out of Mass after it’s over or spend a few minutes with Jesus as He is reposed in the tabernacle?

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How can we walk past the Creator of beauty?

Mother Angelica wrote,

It is sad to realize that as so many believe Jesus is present in the Blessed Sacrament, they so seldom visit him. Men travel across the oceans to see ancient ruins, paintings, landscapes, celebrities, and mountains, but they do not think of going into a simple church around the corner to visit the Creator of all beauty. (Mother Angelica’s Quick Guide to the Sacraments)

We will have more conversations, my young friend and me. I hope to show her why Catholics do in fact believe that Jesus is there, Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. However, I shall carry her words in my heart and contemplate her concerns. If Jesus is there, why would I ever want to be anywhere else? Perhaps this is why Jesus explains to Martha, “Mary has chosen the better part” (Luke 10:42). Mary was content to spend time with Jesus. I should be content with that as well. God Bless.

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