Those who know this famous saint will probably ask, “what can a moral theology nerd teach us about the Eucharist?” Well, yes St. Alphonsus is the patron saint of Moral Theology and moral theologians because he was himself a moralist, and those who are good at teaching the moral life have deep DEEP roots in the Most Blessed Sacrament. Remember, Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. To know anything that is true (morality deals with objective truths), then we must know Truth Himself, Jesus Christ.

St. Alphonsus was a scholarly man and wrote many books, one of them titled Visits to the Blessed Sacrament. In this book he writes, “Pause for a while each day, at least a half or quarter of an hour, before Jesus Christ in the [Blessed] Sacrament in some church. If you do this, you will see the great benefit you will derive from it. Know that the time you spend in devotion before this most divine Sacrament will be the time in your life most fruitful to you; it will be of comfort when you die and in eternity.” Now, it is important to note that St. Alphonsus took his own advice to visit the Blessed Sacrament daily at both Holy Mass and private adoration, but he was the first to admit he did so imperfectly and as a sinner attached to the world. It was in noticing his deep attachments to the world that led him to a life of poverty, obedience, and celibacy eventually starting his own religious community: The Redemptorists, a religious order that focuses on preaching the Word and serving the poor and most abandoned.

St. Alphonsus, being a priest himself, was very critical of how priests celebrated the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. When we attend the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, we see and participate in Jesus Christ’s self-offering of Himself on the Cross to God the Father. The celebration of Holy Mass is the best form of devotion we can offer God and St. Alphonsus reminded priests and the faithful of this truth as often as he could. Friends, the most perfect prayer of the Church is Holy Mass. This is why we never need to add anything to the simple celebration because you can’t add to what is perfect! We also shouldn’t take anything away for the same reason. The Second Vatican Council made this clear in the document Sacrosanctum Concilium (on the Sacred Liturgy) when they stated boldly that the Eucharist is “the source and summit of our Christian life.”  

Among my favorite quotes of St. Alphonsus on the Eucharist is the following: “Friends that love one another dearly long to be united so as to be as one. God’s immense love for men and women ensured not only that He gave Himself wholly to them in the eternal kingdom, but that also on this earth He let Himself be possessed by human beings in the most intimate union, giving all of Himself to them under the appearance of bread [and wine] in the Sacrament…My Lord, it could have been enough for you to remain in this Sacrament only by day, when you could have adorers of your presence to keep you company; but what use was it for you to remain also throughout the night, when people close churches and go home, leaving you all alone? Yet, I already understand you: love has made you our prisoner; it is love that has bound you and that, night and day, never lets you leave us.”

How many of us are tired of seeing beloved friends and family on our screens or just hearing their voices on the phone? How sad is it that many of us haven’t hugged our parents, seen the inside of grandma’s house, and haven’t returned home to see old friends? Just as our hearts are drawing us into personal (not virtual) union with the people we love, that same love (who is God) should draw us into personal union with Him [God]. When we’re able to see people in person and hug each other and go to the bar together and have house parties we will all jump at that chance immediately. Will we also jump at the chance to worship God in person and receiving God in the Eucharist? Are we equally excited to be in the physical presence of almighty God as we are to be in the physical presence of our friends and family?

For St. Alphonsus, a visit to the Blessed Sacrament and attending the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass was the “practice of loving Jesus Christ,” since friends who love each other visit regularly. If you’re making virtual gatherings a priority with friends and family, then I pray our virtual Masses are also a priority. When seeing those same people you love in person becomes the priority, then I hope receiving and adoring our Lord in the Eucharist is also a priority. We need Jesus to get into heaven. We need Jesus to transform us from sinners to saints.