“Ask a Priest: Am I Too Sensitive About Indifference to the Eucharist?”

Q: I am very sensitive about indifference to the Eucharist. My parish priest, though he spends time in prayer in front of the Blessed Sacrament especially in Eucharistic adoration, recently told me that indifference by Catholics to the Eucharist does not bother him as this indifference is expected. I was very saddened by his response because it seemed he was dismissive about indifference to the Eucharist. Am I being overly sensitive? – J.

Answered by Fr. Edward McIlmail, LC

A: It is good to hear of your love for the Eucharist. My guess is that your parish priest also loves the Eucharist. So you have a lot to be thankful for.

It would be good not to read too much into his comment about indifference to the Eucharist. He himself doesn’t appear indifferent since he spends so much time praying in front of the Blessed Sacrament.

He might be simply recognizing a fact of life: that many people don’t give the Eucharist the devotion it deserves. They simply don’t grasp what it means for Jesus to be truly present in the Sacrament.

While this indifference is lamentable, there is only so much the rest of us can do about it.

The fact that your parish has Eucharistic adoration might be a sign that your priest is trying to do his part to promote devotion to the Blessed Sacrament. That’s another reason why not to assign any bad motives to your priest.

A better channel for your energies might be to promote Eucharistic adoration on your own. Let family and friends know how much it helps you. And then pray for them when you go before the Blessed Sacrament. Pray for vocations, too.

We are living in a post-Christian age in many places. The best we can do is try to live our faith as fully as possible, to share it with others when the opportunity arises, and to leave things in God’s hands. For he doesn’t call us to success but to fidelity.

You might find our Retreat Guide “Food for the Journey” helpful.

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