There was an article in the news this past week that addressed the familiar complaint that there has been a perceptible decline in public morality over the past several decades.  The news article was occasioned by publication of some research indicating that a majority of people perceive a trend of social decline.  Surprisingly, the research project indicated that a majority of people also report that they enjoy pleasant and rewarding interactions with others.   

The researchers reached the conclusion that, if the majority of people perceive their relationships as happy and stable, it cannot be the case that public morality has declined.  I feel obliged to point out that, if the majority is wrong in their perception of moral decline, then perhaps, they are also wrong in their perception of pleasant interactions with others. 

The premise of the research results is interesting, but I can think of at least two alternative interpretations of the data. 

Perhaps the most obvious cause for the perception of public moral decline is a phenomenon that the social sciences call “projection.”  It could be the case that the majority of people feel that their lives are less than optimally satisfying and, as a consequence, they project this dissatisfaction on the world around them by saying that the world is in decline.  This sort of blame-shifting is common enough.  I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that a majority of people engage in it on a comprehensive basis. 

The second possibility is also an obvious one, but somewhat more benign than the first.  Perhaps, it is the case that the majority of people feel that their lives are less than optimally satisfying and, as a consequence, they seek sincerely something more satisfying than the temporary and limited satisfactions that the created world provides. 

The latter possibility is what the author of the letter to the Ephesians had in mind when he wrote, “Watch carefully how you live, not as foolish persons but as wise, making the most of the opportunity, because the days are evil.” (Eph 5:15-16)  This kind of statement in the Scriptures is not meant as a condemnation of the world.  Rather, it is intended to help believers distinguish between temporary happiness and lasting happiness. 

The distinction between temporary and permanent happiness is necessary for the life of faith because it allows us to see that the temporary happiness this world provides serves to inspire us to look for permanent happiness.  The letter to the Hebrews expresses this same belief in slightly different words: “Here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come.” (Hb 13:14) 

In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus addresses the human longing for permanence and perfection.  He spoke to the unbelieving crowd, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.” (Jn 6: 51)  Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist incorporate us into the life and death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus can lift us up from the limitations put upon us by sin and death.  The new life in Jesus, however, doesn’t happen magically or automatically. 

Eucharist and the other Sacraments are often described as “medicine for immortality.” (cf Ignatius of Antioch. Letter to the Ephesians, 20)  Today, the use of prescription medications might be a good metaphor with which to understand how Sacraments function. 

If your doctor prescribes a medication for you, you will receive the benefit intended by the doctor only if you have the prescription filled and take the medication according to instructions.  If you choose not to fill the prescription, or if you don’t use the medication according to instructions, you cannot expect the promised benefit.  The same is true of Eucharist and the other Sacraments. 

Sacraments aren’t magic, and they don’t function automatically.  The intended effects of the Sacraments occur when one participates in the Sacraments according to the instructions provided by Jesus.  Jesus, the doctor of souls, says that Eucharist lifts us from under the burdens of sin and death when we allow Eucharist to feed our souls, not just our bodies.  Being fed only physically is insufficient; the crowd was fed physically but failed to understand Jesus’ words.  The healing and restoration promised by Eucharist happens when it is received consciously as a participation in Jesus’ death and resurrection. 

Eucharist leads us toward the permanent and perfect satisfaction that God offers when our reception of Eucharist inspires us to be more faithful, temperate, and merciful.  In the absence of our conscious, active cooperation with God’s will, the Sacraments have no effect.   

How, then, does one have assurance that one is following the directions about Eucharist appropriately?  The two alternate interpretations of the research data mentioned above provide an accurate guide.  Those who scapegoat the world on account of their own imperfections remain separated from God because they remain separated (spiritually) from themselves as well as from the world.  Those who live as if God will heal their imperfections, and the imperfections of the world, find solace and strength. 

If you find that your life is less than optimally satisfying, you are already facing in the direction of perfect and lasting happiness; following the path toward lasting happiness occurs when you allow your spirit to be changed and uplifted by imitating Jesus’ death and resurrection.  We gather here every Sunday for precisely this reason: that we might celebrate the Eucharist as true food and drink for the human spirit. (Jn 6:55)