This Sunday we welcome 7 young souls to the Table of Our Lord for the first time. They have been preparing for the past school year by learning about Confession and Holy Communion. Now being ready they will receive our Lord Jesus Christ, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity in the Blessed Sacrament. This is a good time for all of us to review our understanding of what we believe. Surveys have frequently revealed that a majority of Catholics do not believe that Jesus is present in the Blessed Sacrament. This isn’t just held among laity, there are also many priests who do not believe this either. It shows in the manner they treat the Sacrament at the altar. I find this very peculiar. When I was Protestant and among those who believed the bread and wine were just symbols, I saw individuals treat the “symbols” with far more reverence. I will concede that it can indeed be difficult. If you are looking for concrete proof, you probably will not find any short of some exceptional miracle. You see it is not a matter of proof but faith. He is indeed present but for you and I to experience the gift of His presence we must have faith, we must believe. Belief is a choice. Personally, I always go back to a simple statement of faith expressed by a second grader preparing for first communion. When asked by a priest friend of mine how they knew Christ was fully present in the consecrated bread and wine, they said, “Because Jesus said so.” That’s it folks, expressed in the simplest way I have ever heard, “He said so.” We either believe Him or we don’t. Yours in Christ our Lord. Fr. Sid.