CECILIA ENGBERT
STAFF WRITER
Catholics should be cultivating an amazement for the Eucharist and sharing it with the world, Scott Hahn told students, faculty and visitors of Franciscan University of Steubenville in a crowded Gentile Gallery Wednesday evening.
Entitled “Courageous Faith in the Face of Crisis,” Hahn’s presentation addressed the need to cultivate Eucharistic awe in a world where there is an overwhelming disbelief in the true presence of Jesus in the sacrament.
“What we all confess to be true,” said Hahn, “is something that should amaze us. In fact, I think that it is somewhat amazing how unamazed we are.”
Hahn spoke of how easy it is to become discouraged when faced with failures within the Catholic Church. He brought up the recent Pew Research Center survey which revealed that only about 30 percent of Catholics believe that God is truly present in the Eucharist.
Instead of allowing this news to bring on despair or anger, Hahn called upon his audience to take a stand for its faith instead.
“This is our moment,” he said, “a call to action, a call to mission. … What we’ve got to do is rally around the mercy of God, the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Hahn said one of the most effective ways of keeping the faith for Catholics is to share it with others.
“The best way to learn the faith is to teach it,” he said. “When you teach, that’s when you really own it. That’s when you learn it; that’s when you love it. … This world is waiting for people like us to take the word out to them.”
In order to share the Eucharist with others, Hahn said that Catholics must know it themselves. Senior Anne Marie DiProperzio said that this struck her by showing her how important it is to build a relationship with the Eucharist.
“Something I’ve been struggling with lately is going to Eucharistic adoration but not feeling disposed or prepared enough,” she said. “What Dr. Hahn offered is rediscovering Scripture and letting that help us to encounter the Eucharist in a deeper way.”
Clara Ramirez, a freshman, said Hahn gave her a new hope for the future.
“Dr. Hahn gave me a scare at first when he talked about the percentage of Catholics who believe in the real presence of Jesus within the Eucharist,” she said. “But after his talk, I lost most of that feeling, and I am hopeful for the future of Catholicism.”