“He endured death as a Lamb; he devoured it as a Lion.” – St. Augustine
A Successful Eucharistic Revival Must Address Two Crises
There is a current crisis in the Church when it comes to a lack of faith in the Real presence of the Eucharist. We are currently undergoing a three-year national Eucharistic Revival to address this problem. The other crisis, which is related, is the decline of attendance at Mass by men. During this current year of the revival which focuses on the church parish, I offer suggestions to parish liturgical committees below which I believe will address both crises.
There’s an old saying, Lex Orandi, Lex Credendi. This means how you pray and worship shapes how and what you believe. This suggests that the belief in the Real Presence would be fortified and enhanced if we worship and pray as if it were true. That would mean that we demonstrate reverence and respect for the Eucharist by utilizing one of seven gifts of the Sacrament of Confirmation, Fear of the Lord (reverence and awe before God). Both, the lack of belief in the Real Presence and the decline in men attending Mass stem from this lack of reverence.
To recover a sense of awe and reverence, we first need to restore a balance between the two-fold character of the person of Jesus as Lion and as Lamb. By doing this, The Catholic Faith will appeal more to men and there will be an increase in reverence and respect for the Real Presence at Mass.
On the one hand, Jesus is the untamed Lion of Judah. On the other hand, he is the tender, merciful Lamb of God. To his enemies, he is like Russel Crowe in the Gladiator, to repentant sinners he is like Mother Cabrini. Based on Scripture and Tradition, both personas are accurate.
Whether its religious education, parish catechetics or the liturgy, we Catholics seldom hear about the biblical and masculine Jesus as the Lion of Judah, Just Judge and Commander of angel armies. We would have to overcome a lot of bad catechesis and religious formation which has over-emphasized the mercy and love of Jesus for the last forty years. If I could boil down my whole experience of faith formation in my childhood CCD program it would be that God is Love. This is true, but woefully incomplete.
The Current Imbalance
As a man, sitting in the pews every Sunday, I find myself having to power through this imbalance of Christ in the Liturgy which tends to showcase his love and mercy as the Lamb of God, the suffering servant. Given that the Mass is the sacrifice of Christ, the Lamb of God, for the atonement of our sins the emphasis on his mercy and meekness is expected. But the language of the prayers, the lyrics of the music and sometimes even the mannerisms of the presider, all give the Mass an effeminate vibe. This is a turn-off for men, who by nature, want to worship God out of respect and awe for his power and might as well as his mercy and love. Sometimes at Mass, it feels like I’m stuck in a princess Disney movie especially when the choir, mostly elderly women, sing almost exclusively about the motherly love of God.
Two examples come to mind. There’s a song called, Table of Plenty. Here are the lyrics, ‘Come to the feast of heaven and earth, Come to the table of plenty. God will provide for all that we need here at the table of plenty. O come and sit at my table, where saints and sinners are friends I wait to welcome the lost and lonely to share the cup of my love…’ Sorry, but to the masculine ear that is cringeworthy. Here’s another one, called Canticle of the Sun, ‘Come, dance in the forest, come, play in the field and sing to the glory of the Lord…’. Commence eye-rolling.
No, sorry ladies, in these times when the spiritual war is heating up and the devil is breathing down my neck, I don’t want to dance and play in an imaginary forest nor be a passive guest at the table of plenty. I want to be in awe of the power and ferocity of God, our Lion who slayed his Enemy and ours. I identify with Mr. Beaver who said to Susan, “Aslan is a lion- the Lion, the great Lion.” “Ooh,” said Susan. “I’d thought he was a man. Is he-quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion”…”Safe?” said Mr. Beaver …” Who said anything about safe?’
When we domesticate and declaw the Lion of Judah, we inevitably lose our sense of fear. Fear of the Lord is one of the gifts we received at our Confirmation. It does not mean fearing God as if he were a tyrannical stepfather who will exact punishment on his children. It actually just means having respect for his identity as the Creator while at the same time keeping in mind that we are merely creatures. Fear of the Lord is a reminder of who God is and who we are. We genuflect before the Just Judge, the King out of reverence, wonder and awe. Fear of the Lord isn’t only the beginning of wisdom as scripture says, but it is vital if we want to recover a sense of reverence at Mass. The casual dress, the chatter before Mass, the half-hearted gestures, and the early departure from Mass are all indications that we all could use more Fear of the Lord at Mass. Only until this happens, will see men return and an overall increase in faith in the Real Presence.
The Scriptural Profile of Jesus the Lion
Simeon told Mary that Jesus, in a world full of lies, would be ‘A sign of Contradiction’. Jesus may love the people but he has a problem with their sins. After refusing to condemn her, he tells the sinner woman ‘Go and sin no more’. The Pharisees dropped their stones and walked away in shame.
We know from reason alone that he must have been a self-assured, powerful and confident leader. Jesus earned the respect of 12 rough, rugged men who followed him as disciples and to give up their lives for him. They wouldn’t have done that if Jesus were wimpy. After performing miracles, the crowds, mostly men, responded with Fear of the Lord, “…and they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid” (Mk.10:32).
Jesus commanded both men and angels. “The holy angels are in awe before him; he looms immense and august over everyone around him. God of the Angel Armies, who is like you, powerful and faithful from every angle? You put the arrogant ocean in its place and calm its waves when they turn unruly” (Psalm 89). He taught with authority, ridiculing the Pharisees and rebuking demons. Jesus remained fearless before his accusers and before his executioners during his suffering and death. “And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross” (Col 2:15).
Men Respect The Just Judge
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not denying that Jesus is the source of tender mercy, which I, as a sinner, depend on every day. But let’s also recall that he is the Just Judge who will exact retribution from the wicked, “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Get away from me, you who will receive terrible things. Go into the unending fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels. I was hungry and you didn’t give me food to eat. I was thirsty and you didn’t give me anything to drink. I was a stranger and you didn’t welcome me. I was naked and you didn’t give me clothes to wear. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me “(Mt 25:41-43).
The book of Revelation has him covered in blood and charging on a steed with a sword drawn. “His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS” (Rev 19:12-16). Now that’s awesome and inspiring for men, like something a biker would have tattooed on his arm.
A major reason we developed into a civilization in the West is due to the taming of masculinity. The Church’s historical role in this endeavor cannot be overlooked. It was by highlighting the masculinity of Jesus that we first evangelized the barbarians. This respect for Jesus’ power acted as a bridge between toxic masculinity and toxic femininity. Mercy and love are a part of his story but when evangelizing men they came at the end of the lesson.
If we truly want a eucharistic revival to take hold, we must let the Lion of Judah out of his cage. When we worship with fear and awe our faith will rebound. Faith is caught not taught. Seeing a parish church full of young, rugged, muscular, blue-collar fathers genuflecting before the Eucharist out of respect would be a sure sign that the Eucharistic revival has indeed succeeded. It would build the faith of younger men and boys who almost always follow the father in the area of religion.
The Bud-Light Effect
The worst thing that could happen would be to drive away normal men by attacking their masculinity. I guess you could call this the Bud-Light effect (When Bud Light put Dylan Mulvaney, a transgender influencer, on their cans, sales collapsed due to the backlash in the form of a boycott).
I’m afraid that either the Synod on Synodality or the new Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, Monsignor Manuel Fernandez could do that by approving the blessing of same-sex couples and by making an overall move toward so-called LGBTQ inclusion. If you thought regular men are turned off to a feminine-leaning Novus Ordo now, just wait. It would utterly sabotage the current effort at a eucharistic revival within the Novus Ordo. Those who choose to remain in the Church will have to consider themselves to be counter-cultural and they will plug into the Latin Mass communities. Bishops please remember, Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom but Pride is the beginning of the Fall. To put it in a way that is plain, get woke – go broke.
18 thoughts on “Eucharistic Revival and The Lion of Judah”
In response to Mark, in his text WITNESS TO HOPE, George Weigel’s biography of John Paul II gives insight concerning my point about outward expressions of religion that fail to emphasize the essential inner, spiritual/mystical foundation of Christ’s Church: “But he confessed in his diary that he thought there had been a bit too much stress on the Church discovering itself in the Eucharist, rather than on the Church discovering Christ.” (223). The cup of wine represents Christ’s self-sacrifice of his blood as a Passover seal for the New Covenant with God. We certainly don’t hear much of a discussion concerning that. (See Lk. 22.20; Heb. chapters 8 and 10.) The major prophet Jeremiah concluded his introduction to the New Covenant (Jer. 31.34) with the statement that everyone — “from the least of them to the greatest” — would arrive at the knowledge of God. Perhaps this prophetic declaration is what John Paul had in mind with his remark regarding “the Church discovering Christ.” AtTEMPTing to base the Christian religion on receiving Communion, while marginalizing the careful study of Scripture, is like turning the Body of Christ into a fast-food meal, rather than that which nourishes at a spiritual banquet.
Excellent points being made here. This lack of masculinity is also demonstrated by the huge number of unmarried 40 yr, olds. Unwillingness to initiate and develop a family is having a very negative effect on society.
Dear Gary,
Fine article and obviously your thoughts represent a perspective that deserves further consideration. That said, and I don’t wish to be misconstrued; but, there is a reason why 99% of those that attend the Tridentine Mass believe in the Real Presence of the Eucharist while only 20%, at best, do who attend the Novus Ordo Missae. It is no mistake that my chapel is experiencing a Eucharistic Crusade while the Novus Ordo Church is performing CPR on the Eucharist. A brief study of the Protestant Reformation like that provided by Michael Davies in “Cramner’s Godly Order” will clearly draw the connection that exists between new Mass and the lack of faith in the RP it fosters. It should be kept in mind that the NO Mass was modeled on the “Prayer Service” of the Protestant Reformers who HATED the Catholic (Latin) Mass and strove to eliminate within in any notion that Christ could be made really and substantially present in the consecrated host. WHY, WHY, WHY did the Modernists in the Church base their model of the new Mass on a service derived from a group of malcontents who HATED what the Latin Mass offered and represented? One must wonder. Please, again, don’t misconstrue my comments as being baseless, haughty or “divisive”. Rather, I find it to be no surprise at all that those that attend the Novus Ordo Mass find it difficult to believe in the RP. It is as obvious as putting ones hand on a hot stove. CAUSE-EFFECT. Institute a Mass that calls into question the RP of Jesus on the Altar and sooner or later you must perform CPR on the Eucharist. It’s that simple.
Mark, well said. No argument from me. Great point about Eucharistic Revival as life support. I’m glad you are happy with TLM. Tradition is not the guarding of ashes but the preservation of fire.
Nobody…and I mean NOBODY is at all concerned that GMO wheat was OK’d by the Vatican to use in the Eucharist.
This is mindboggling to me.😳
Abomination in the Holy Place?
Don’t let Catholic pride in the Eucharist blind people to a VERY serious counterfeit possibly taking place.
Was the Eucharist ‘the restrainer?’
Please people, leave the shallows and enter into deep contemplation of the storms gathering around us.
No, Pope Benedict XVI was the restrainer/katechon. When he was removed in 2013, all hell broke loose and Pachamama, sage burning ceremonies, and other terrible abominations entered the Church.
A Church that is founded on ritualism, rather than on the cup of the New Covenant in Christ’s blood (Lk. 22.20) simply alters the Gospel. The Church is the mystical body of Christ. To reduce the Gospel to outward expressions, and to ignore the teaching that God is present when we pray (in private — see Mt. 6.5-8) does not advance the will of God. God is present (omnipresent) and dwells among us, and if we wish to meet with God “face-to-face” (John Paul II) at any time, we have that opportunity. The poor who seek a better life in the United States need to be instructed that a better life is promised (Lev. 26) to those who keep the eternal covenant that involves seeking to know God (Jer. 31.34) and to serve God. So much emphasis is placed on the sacrament of the Eucharist, and yet so little instruction is given that man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that issues forth from the mouth of God. When Christians are taught more intensely to study the Scripture, then the planet will enter into a much needed healing process.
Please . . . Jesus Christ confected a SACRAMENTAL relationship with Catholics and with humanity generally. Those “outward signs” confect real and salvific inward grace. Were you baptized? What was THAT about? A “memorial?” We Catholics have a Jesus made Flesh. Your post smacks of Protestantism, whose “tradition” includes the whole sola scriptura non-sense and the convenience of disregarding everything not fully understood. Jesus did NOT sit down with his disciples to do hard-core hermeneutical studies of the Talmud or Torah. He stated “THIS IS MY BODY”. What part of that is so difficult to understand? Again, “You are Rock and upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it”. In their fullest expression the sacraments are an exercise in HUMILITY, not “authority” and, as such, are the reason why most Protestants can’t understand or appreciate them.
.Abraxas was a pagan God There is only one time that 365 is mentioned in the Bible , and that is when Enoch died at 365 yrs old Just as in Revelation. 666 has deep meaning , so does 365 “Break away from tradition” is the deep meaning of 365 and is an ancient mystical number ..Now it is associated with many products, among which is Microsoft that has now adopted 365 as opposed to Windows Whole Foods brand has 365 around its many stores .
It does mean daily, but much , much more…One would not add 666 to their title, and while 365 means more than daily, we know its association with paganistic deity, Abraxas …It suggests to me that we are entering along with the paganistic technology to a new paganistic age
Pingback: THVRSDAY AFTERNOON EDITION – Big Pulpit
I know when it came time in the readings cycle to use Ephesians 5:22-24, the passage about wives obeying their husbands, my parish took that portion out of the readings, apparently to not offend the feminists in attendance. I’m not sure if the priest knew that beforehand or not but I thought this was an effeminate adjustment of the proper readings.
Also, the popular idea among many Catholics that it is preferable to go to Jesus through His mother may have some bearing on why men may not approach Jesus directly. They are often not encouraged to do so even though Scripture does instruct us to do so (cf. Hebrews 4:14-16). Jesus’ present High Priest mediation and intercessory function at the right hand of the Father cannot be performed by anyone else. The earthly Levitical high priest was the only one who could perform that function.
When I consecrated myself to God many years ago it was directly to the Godhead. I had no idea that there were those who would do otherwise.
Why is 365 used in Catholic365 in which some of your articles appear.
The numbers 365 in Greek notation are the numbers of a pagan god Abraxas, signifying the levels of heaven Abraxas has a mystic meaning found in Gnostic Basilides..Nevertheless is a pagan deity
Hi Mary, I believe the number 365 just means ‘daily’ or every day of the year, since there are 365 days in the year. Here are my articles since you mentioned them…https://www.catholic365.com/author/gary-sullivan/
Today’s article is on the Christian symbol of the Lion! Have blessed day.
Ida, thank you for the feedback. I appreciate you as a woman your affinity for those songs. Even though my church choir is excellent, and the women are great people, I still feel awkward when they tend to always fall back on those two. Maybe its because they are overdoing it with how often they use them and how long they have been around. For me, they are exhibit A in the strongest case for bringing back Gregorian chant or at least praise and worship, Life Teen style.
” Faith is caught not taught. ”
Take it from someone with a dozen years of parochial education – Faith is instilled.
AOP, I get your point. We, of course need sound catechetical instruction. But faith instilled by someone who lacks credibility, zeal and love may be counterproductive and come across as indoctrination. To say Faith is caught means we need to be immersed in sacramental grace and have fellowship with authentic witnesses in order for catechetical instruction to sink in and matter.
A wonderful and insightful article; thank you. And you are so right. I’ve been working on a piece that decries the lack of role models for men in the present-day world. StillI I have to admit, the songs you mentioned below are two of my favorites, but then, I’m a woman. Born as one, will die as one. Nothing changed in between!
“Two examples come to mind. There’s a song called, Table of Plenty. Here are the lyrics, ‘Come to the feast of heaven and earth, Come to the table of plenty. God will provide for all that we need here at the table of plenty. O come and sit at my table, where saints and sinners are friends I wait to welcome the lost and lonely to share the cup of my love…’ Sorry, but to the masculine ear that is cringeworthy. Here’s another one, called Canticle of the Sun, ‘Come, dance in the forest, come, play in the field and sing to the glory of the Lord…’. Commence eye-rolling.”