Catholics, friends of Catholics: What did Flannery O'Connor mean?

Question

The date: about 1957. The place, NYC, at a party full of sophisticated atheists and artsy NY bohemians.

The antagonist: Flannery O'Connor. A wisp of a young woman, Roman Catholic from the US deep south (Georgia), who would go on to write some of the most interesting and stirring fiction of the 20th century.

The scene: Knowing she was a fiercely Catholic believer, the other members of the party started discussing the Eucharist. They all agreed that it was a pretty good symbol of sacrafice and love.

Sweet-looking, demure little Flannery answers them with 10 words: If it's a symbol, then to hell with it.

What do you think she meant?

Answer 1

thats pretty straight forward. She meant that symbols are pretty flimsly things compared to the real body and blood of Jesus that itreally becomes.

Answer 2

"If it's a symbol, then to hell with it."

maybe she meant if it isn't real then to hell with it
Catholics believe the Eucharist is more than just a 'symbol'

atheists and bohemians agreeing on what something means to another person, is like thinking you know how to do surgery because you stuffed a Turkey at Thanksgiving.

And the same goes for a Catholic doing the thinking for an atheist

Answer 3

She knew that the Eucharist was much more than a symbol.

At the Last Supper, Jesus said, “Take this bread. It is my body.” Then he said, “Take this and drink. This is my blood. Do this in memory of me.”

Catholics believe this was the First Eucharist, that through a miracle the bread and wine actually became the body and blood of Jesus Christ.

Catholics reenact the Last Supper during every Mass, where God, acting through the priest, changes the bread and wine into the body and blood of Jesus Christ.

This is a great sacrament of thanksgiving and unity of Catholics.

By the way, the Orthodox, Lutheran and many Anglican Churches also believe in the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist.

For more information, see the Catechism of the Catholic Church, sections 1322 and following: http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/pt2sect2chpt1art3.htm

With love in Christ.

Answer 4

She knew the holiness of communion. She knew that symbols are worthless toward obtaining any real salvation for us.

If you ever read her stuff, she knew how to use symbols and respected the power they have in our lives. But no simple symbol has the power to nourish our spirits the way the Holy Eucharist does.

Answer 5

The answers above me are right of course, but something else she was doing was calling out those artsyfartsy condescending types and their "such cute symbolism" snobbery. Good for her!

Answer 6

I can't add anything to what they've said about communion, but what else she was saying is, that she wasn't as demure a Southern Belle as those yankees thought.