A Pastoral Letter on the Eucharist as the Sacrament of Unity
Most Reverend Robert G. Casey
Archbishop of Cincinnati
A Pastoral Letter on the Eucharist as the Sacrament of Unity
Most Reverend Robert G. Casey
Archbishop of Cincinnati
September 17, 2026
Memorial of Saint Robert Bellarmine
The Eucharist is not an end unto itself, but a commissioning to live Christ’s self-giving love in the world. Having heard God’s Word and received Christ’s Body and Blood, believers are sent forth to serve others, to forgive as they have been forgiven, to care for the poor and vulnerable, to promote justice and peace, and to witness to the Gospel through concrete acts of charity and sacrifice.
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Once the Mass has ended and we have been sent forth, the real work of living as a Eucharistic people begins. Having been privileged to share in the fellowship of worship and the saving sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ, we are challenged to share the grace we have received with those less privileged. We go forth from the Eucharist with our eyes open, ears attentive, and hearts ready to encounter those who hunger and thirst for the grace of Communion and long to experience the blessing of God’s salvific love.
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I recently experienced this myself. While leaving the barbershop, the bells of the church across the street began to ring. This was not a coincidence. God had been seeking me out all week, but I was reluctant in my response. My attention was given to the great amount of work waiting to be done, and to the amount of struggle and strife I witnessed in the world around me. I should have known that God would not stop at simply ringing bells to get my attention. Steps from my office building, a man approached and asked for a minute of my time. I wrongly assumed he wanted more than a minute—he would want money, or food, or gas for his car. Instead, he asked for my prayers. He and his family were in the midst of crisis. Seeing me walking down the street, he felt God throwing him a lifeline in the midst of the stormy seas that were consuming him. My fifty-year experience of Eucharist suddenly stirred my heart. Standing before me was the Body of Christ, weak and wounded under the weight of the cross. My response was “Amen! Yes, Lord, I see you and I serve you.” The man and I prayed together on the sidewalk. The grace of Communion could be felt in the air around us. I breathed deep, and surrendered myself anew to the Lord, moving from reluctance to conviction, and the man and I became an answer to Christ’s prayer that all may be one.
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Jesus brilliantly teaches us the importance of our embrace of missionary discipleship, a discipleship that puts love into action, through the parable of the servant who was forgiven his enormous debt yet chose not to forgive his own servant of a smaller debt (Mt 18:23-35). We must follow our Master’s example by repaying in love to others the very love with which we were graced in the Eucharistic celebration. Having been granted mercy, blessed by prayer, and nourished in Communion, how can we not offer those same gifts to others? Pope Benedict XVI said it plainly, “’Worship’ itself, Eucharistic communion, includes the reality both of being loved and of loving others in turn. A Eucharist which does not pass over into the concrete practice of love is intrinsically fragmented.” 7 Deus Caritas Est, 14.
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Following Christ’s perfect sacrifice of having been broken for us, we are called to sacrifice in turn for others—to be a people blessed, broken, and shared. The selfless love of Christ paves the way of our discipleship. Along the Way, God provides the strength we need through the grace of the Eucharist that soaks deep into our roots and allows us to grow out of good soil, so that the Sower can count on us to produce fruit a hundredfold (Lk 8:4-8). Through our selfless service to others, particularly the poor, the vulnerable, and those most in need of our love and care, we demonstrate fidelity to the God we claim to be in communion with.
“Having been granted mercy, blessed by prayers, and nourished in Communion, how can we not offer those same gifts to others?”
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Two saints of our time have spoken clearly of selfless love for others. Pope St. John Paul II asserted, “We cannot delude ourselves. By our mutual love and, in particular, by our concern for those in need we will be recognized as true followers of Christ (Jn 13:35; Mt 25:31-46). This will be the criterion by which the authenticity of our Eucharistic celebrations is judged.” 8 Mane Nobiscum Domine, 28. St. Teresa of Calcutta’s life and wisdom also exemplified this dynamic for us. “We cannot say that we love Jesus only in the Eucharist—naturally, we want to put that love into action. We cannot separate the Eucharist and the poor.” 9 https://www.franciscanmedia.org/franciscan-spirit-blog/holy-quotes-from-mother-teresa/
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Each time we gather for Mass, we must consider how the Eucharist will impact us and our community. The transition from Eucharistic reception into Eucharistic expression, as the Body of Christ offered up for the life of the world, will continually be different. It may be very personal, as we attempt to build a new bridge of communication with an estranged family member or seek healing and reconciliation after suffering an abusive relationship. It may be more communal, as we care for the homeless and those who hunger in our community or advocate for the lost and forgotten among us. It may even be prophetic, as we defend the dignity of life and accompany brothers and sisters in our human family who are threatened by the scapegoating or apathy of our society, such as the unborn, immigrants, and the victims of unjust violence and war. Whether the charity we exercise is close to home or not, we put love into action like Simon of Cyrene, who helped carry the cross of Jesus. We unite ourselves with Christ crucified and allow ourselves to be stretched beyond our limits in love for the salvation of all. Like Christ, who on the cross stretched out his arms in an embrace of all humanity, we must strive to extend the gift of God’s love and salvation to all, particularly those who have been made to believe they are not worthy of it. As Pope Leo XIV recognized, “The Eucharist opens us to justice and sharing, with a preferential concern for those who are burdened by poverty or marginalization.” 10 Magnifica Humanitas, 235.
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At every Mass, we are given the grace to be renewed, to be reminded of our purpose, and to be loved once more through the sacrifice that Christ made for us. That grace must compel us to action and assist us to renew, remind and love the world. Especially when we encounter in the world fear, sin, and sadness, we must become messengers of faith, grace, and joy. We must allow our reception of Holy Communion to transform us into a people of joy sent on mission to share God’s love wherever it is most needed.
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Joy fuels our discipleship. Joy is not determined by our current state, whether we find ourselves burdened by the weight of the cross or raised up in a moment of resurrection. Joy is found when we unite ourselves to Christ. Those who choose to follow Jesus Christ, build up his Church, and carry out her mission of charity in the world do so not out of a sense of arduous obligation, but through an experience of God’s love and an abiding awareness of the joy that is ours in Christ our Savior. Why do more and more people find their way to the Eucharist each year? Because the love and joy revealed through our works of charity are infectious. “It is not by proselytizing that the Church grows,” Pope Francis recognized, “but by attraction.” 11 Evangelii Gaudium, 14. Jesus models this for us in the Gospel of John, when he gets down on his hands and knees and washes his disciples’ feet as an example of servant leadership, saying, “I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do” (Jn 13:15).
“We must allow our reception of Holy Communion to transform us into a people of joy sent on mission to share God’s love wherever it is most needed.”
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Our world confronts suffering, violence, division, and existential anxiety every day; this has been true since before the time of Jesus and his first followers. The particular challenges the world faces may be different for each generation, but the path of discipleship remains the same. Every generation must respond with charity and love to the present day’s challenges. The Eucharist serves as the starting point for that response. The mandatum, Jesus Christ’s command to his disciples during the Last Supper to love one another, compels us to love and serve with the same humility and selfless love Jesus has offered to every generation. May we, through our personal lives, our parish outreach and social justice ministries, our Catholic charities and other initiatives that celebrate life and promote dignity of all, fulfill our Eucharistic obligation by going forth from the altar to do what Jesus commands of those who sit with him at table.