In the sixth chapter of the Gospel of St. John, we find what is known as the Bread of Life Discourse. Speaking in the synagogue at Capernaum, Jesus tells the crowd that His flesh is true food and His blood true drink, and that those who believe must eat His flesh and drink His blood in order to have life. Many disciples walked away because they found this teaching too difficult to accept. 

From the beginning, the Catholic Church has believed in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. While this teaching has been challenged and denied by some throughout history, St. Francis held a profound devotion to the Eucharist at the very center of his spiritual life. He saw it as the primary way Christ humbled Himself to remain with His people. Francis urged the friars and all those to whom he preached to show deep reverence for the Eucharist and to honor it above all else. 

For Francis, the Eucharist was not merely symbolic, but the true and living presence of Christ guiding his life and mission. Unlike many religious leaders of his time, he encouraged frequent reception of Holy Communion and devotion before the Blessed Sacrament whenever possible. Though Francis was never ordained a priest, he held priests in high esteem because of their role in celebrating the Eucharist and making Christ present among the faithful. 

Francis saw in the Eucharist the extraordinary humility of God, who chose to remain hidden under the appearance of bread and wine. In his Letter to All Clerics, he wrote that nothing of the Most High is possessed in this world except His Body and Blood. 

In the end, Francis trusted completely that the words Jesus spoke in the synagogue at Capernaum were true, and through that trust he helped lead many others closer to Christ. 

This week, let us renew our trust in the words of Jesus and deepen our reverence for the Eucharist.