“If it’s just a symbol, to hell with it.” The quote is from Flannery O’Connor whose Catholic faith suffused her fiction. The quote comes from a letter in which Flannery describes a conversation about the Eucharist at a dinner party in 1950 among some “Big Intellectuals.” One of them – out of deference to Flannery? – had just paid the Almighty a compliment about his gift: “It’s a symbol, and a pretty good one at that.” Flannery’s words stopped the conversation. What to say when a believer speaks the truth and has the life to back it up?  Washington Cardinal Wilton D. Gregory baptizes Andre Gouyet during the Easter Vigil April 8, 2023, at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington. (OSV News photo/Mihoko Owada, Catholic Standard) |
Catholics don’t believe in symbols. We believe that God became incarnate in the person of Jesus; that Jesus lived, died, and resurrected; that he is alive now - Alleluia! - and present to us through the Holy Spirit. We believe that we participate in Jesus’ life by heeding his words and eating his body and blood. All of this, in fact, is what Easter reveals to us. Plenty of mystery here, but no metaphors. Easter is the central mystery of our faith, when we recall all the truths that give us hope and all the gifts that were poured out upon the world when Jesus triumphed over sin and death. We are in the Easter season now. We have left behind the austerities of Lent, and we celebrate our faith with intense purpose and in a grander style, similar to the way people celebrate significant anniversaries or birthdays. It is also a time when we remember to bring our faith to bear on every moment of our lives throughout the year. We make the effort to understand the faith passed on to us from Jesus and his apostles. We do not re-write the faith to make it palatable to our personal opinions and prejudices, but we try to yield to the model of Jesus. Ultimately, understanding comes by putting Christ’s faith into practice, trusting in Jesus’ words. Faith is to be lived. Flannery O’Connor ended her letter most humbly, remarking that her comment at the dinner party “was all the defense I was capable of,” but she added that, for her, the Eucharist “is the center of existence for me; all the rest of life is expendable.” May we practice the same Easter faith as Flannery as we strive to bring Jesus to every encounter and every moment of service. |
