There is a profound logic to the Eucharist. It gives us the courage to encounter others, to go out of ourselves, and to open ourselves to others with love. That’s the message of Pope Francis in his recent video “For a Eucharistic Life”. In his prayer intention for the month of July, he calls us to see the Eucharist not as an obligatory ritual, but rather, as an encounter with the Risen Christ. “If you are the same at the end of Mass as you were at the beginning,” he reminds us, “something is wrong.”
There are several ways that Catholics in the pew can take that message to heart. Of course, we can attend Mass more frequently or with greater attention. We can reflect prayerfully on Jesus’ Real Presence and can ask God–as we receive him Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity–to change our hearts, to expand our love for our Creator and for all those he has sent into our lives.
We can also read about it, taking inspiration from others who may have reflected in a different way on Jesus’ overwhelming love for us. Here are seven recently published books written to help us deepen our faith and grow in the love of Christ in the Eucharist.
This Is My Body: A Call to Eucharistic Revival by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire, 2023). Originally published in 2008 by Orbis Books, this title was updated and released anew in 2023 by Word on Fire to bolster devotion during the U.S. Bishops’ three-year National Eucharistic Revival. This Is My Body reflects upon the Eucharist as a sacred meal, and as a sacrifice. It relates the backstory of Flannery O’Connor’s famous quote, “If it’s a symbol, to hell with it!” Then it delves into the witness of the early Church fathers – Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Origen, Ambrose, Augustine, and on to St. Thomas Aquinas. This slim volume slips easily into purse or pocket.
Eucharistic Gems: Daily Wisdom on the Blessed Sacrament by Fr. Donald H. Calloway, MIC (Marian Press, 2023). Father Calloway has delved into Scripture and into the Catechism of the Catholic Church, as well as the writings of popes, saints, blesseds, venerables and servants of God. He has assembled 366 timeless quotes, one for each day of the year, on the important topic of the Eucharist. Readers can meditate each day on these poignant quotes. “Jesus loves you,” Father Calloway reminds the reader, “and He is always waiting for a visit from you in the Blessed Sacrament. Every church has a tabernacle! Visit him!”
The Eucharist Is Really Jesus: How Christ’s Body and Blood Are the Key to Everything We Believe by Joe Heschmeyer (Catholic Answers Press, 2023). Perhaps it seems that when you have the Eucharist, you have it all. Not so! Joe Heschmeyer shows us how the Eucharist is really the beginning – the point at which our eyes of faith are opened, and the mysteries of the Christian life are unlocked. Heschmeyer explains how Jesus’ Body, reserved for us in the Eucharist, reminds us that our bodies, too, are sacred and possess an immortal destiny, to be united with Christ in heaven. He shares stories of saints whose lives of devotion should be an inspiration to every reader. Then he finishes up with eucharistic prayers – prayers to be offered before communion, prayers after Mass, and prayers to offer during eucharistic adoration.
Carlo Acutis: A Saint in Sneakers, by Courtney Mares (Ignatius Press, 2023). Blessed Carlo Acutis, the first Millenial to be beatified by the Catholic Church, combined two passions to achieve great things for God. First, he loved the Eucharist; even as a small child, he loved attending Mass and he loved sitting before the Blessed Sacrament in prayer. And secondly, Carlo loved technology! As a small child, he walked around his house saying “I am a computer scientist.” He received his first computer in 2000, and Carlo eventually demonstrated his mastery of technology by creating a spreadsheet of 136 Eucharistic miracles from around the world.
Do I Have to Go? 101 Questions About the Mass, the Eucharist, and Your Spiritual Life, by Matthew Pinto and Chris Stefanick (Ascension Press, 2008). This one’s for the teenager in your family who might prefer sleeping in or playing video games, rather than attending Mass on Sunday morning. Pinto and Stefanick confess that they once had the “Do I have to go?” attitude, but they’ve grown up and grown into the “I really want to go” conviction. The authors want your teens to make the same leap, and they begin with the basics in “Worship 101” – explaining why we need to worship God, and why the holy Mass is the best way to do that. From there they offer a clear yet witty Q & A, going from the redemptive work of Christ, to the Mass, the Real Presence, and topical issues like prayers and gestures, terminology, ministers of the Mass, and the liturgical seasons.
Real Presence: What Does It Mean and Why Does It Matter? by Timothy P. O’Malley (Ave Maria Press, 2021). Are you confused about the Eucharist, and what it means in our lives? O’Malley, a theologian and director of McGrath Theology Online at the University of Notre Dame, shows how the doctrine of the Real Presence is rooted in divine revelation, and how the Church’s teaching on transubstantiation is spiritually fruitful. He goes on to show the reader how to worship Christ in the Eucharist, and explains the relationship between Eucharistic communion and adoration. He recognizes the Eucharistic vision in the short stories of Flannery O’Connor, the philosophical reflection of Simone Weil, and the theological memoir of Dorothy Day. O’Malley encourages the reader to desire God, to long for a eucharistic union with our creator, just as God longs for us.
7 Secrets of the Eucharist, by Vinny Flynn (MercySong/Ignatius Press, 2006). The Eucharist, Vinny Flynn teaches, is not just about receiving Communion; it’s about transforming your daily life. Through the Scriptures, the writings of the Saints, and the teachings of recent popes, Flynn leads readers to a personal “Emmaus” experience and rekindles the “Eucharistic amazement” called for by Pope Saint John Paul II. Seven Secrets of the Eucharist—described as a “must read” by the late Cardinal Pell—is full of insights that are both profound and accessible.
If you value the news and views Catholic World Report provides, please consider donating to support our efforts. Your contribution will help us continue to make CWR available to all readers worldwide for free, without a subscription. Thank you for your generosity!
Click here for more information on donating to CWR. Click here to sign up for our newsletter.
I am sure that all of these books emphasize the Real Presence and are well intentioned. I hope that I don’t seem too pessimistic in saying that I don’t believe they will have a significant impact on the lack of belief in the Real Presence by so many Catholics.
I have probably made these comments before, but even if so, I will repeat myself. We are a Church of signs and symbols – sacraments, genuflecting, holy water, etc.
When I was an altar boy in the early and mid 1950’s we would go to the altar rail before communion and flip a linen cloth over the rail, then follow along with the priest holding a paten under the recipient’s chin. Never saw a host fall, but it was the symbolism – this is the Real Presence. Only the priest’s consecrated hands touched the Eucharist – it was received on the tongue kneeling. Standing is a sign of respect, kneeling is a sign of adoration. We fasted from midnight and had other signs and symbols.
What we have now is what one online priest commentator described as “grab and go.” Which of these two practices is more likely to lead to belief in the Real Presence?
These good books can be written, and we can have Eucharistic Congresses, but then people go back to their parishes, and experience “grab and go.”
No one, and that includes bishops, like to admit that maybe we made a mistake. So, unfortunately, I don’t anticipate any change in the current practice.
I was an altar boy about a decade later, and I agree with your observations.
When I was a child, I was taught the doctrine of the Real Presence from the Baltimore Catechism, in preparation for our First Communion. I doubt sure that the terminology “Real Presence” was used, because doubt was not an issue at the time. We did not need a book, even one written at our level of understanding, to encourage belief in the Real Presence, because every gesture we saw at mass reinforced it. There were never any dissenting gestures.
In my experience, today’s newly-ordained priests are thoroughly familiar with the issues, and are quietly and silently biding their time, when they can restore uncompromised reverence to the mass.
There is a crisis in catechesis besides what the U.S. Bishops see in the majority of Catholics not believing in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. This other crisis is in our singular focus on the real presence of Christ in the Eucharistic species alone and the neglect in fully receiving the Vatican II teaching about the other “no less real presence” of Christ in the Eucharist: 1) in the celebrating and praying assembly of the people of God; 2) in the proclamation of the Word; and 3) the presiding presbyter’s action in the person of Christ. The Council fathers not only treated and taught about Christ’s real presence in the Eucharist but also in the variety of modes of real presence. This conciliar teaching which the coming National Eucharistic Revival and Congress hopefully should emphasize more can be found in Sacrosanctum Concilium no. 7 and is presented in the General Instruction of the Roman Missal, no. 27. Pope Paul VI in Mysterium Fidei nos. 35-39 doubled down and elaborated on this. While referring to the unique and substantial presence of Christ in the Eucharistic elements, the Pope pointed out that “This presence is called ‘real’ – by which is not intended to exclude the other types of presence as if they could not be ‘real’ too.” (MF 39). This papal reception of the council is reflected in the Catechism of the Catholic Church nos. 1373-1374, and in the 2021 teaching of the U.S. Bishops, The Mystery of the Eucharist in the Life of the Church no. 21. If we want the Eucharist be the center of our life, we surely need to see with the eyes of faith all, not just one, of the various modes of the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist.
I highly recommend Susanne James’ book, “Luisa Piccarretta and the Divine Will- Teachings of Jesus”, published 2020
According to Catholic Mystic Luisa Piccarreta, Adam and Eve were Created as ‘Living Hosts’, who lived in the ‘Divine Will’, united with the Holy Trinity. When sin entered into the world, this ‘Living Host’ bond between God and mankind was broken. Only four people in human history have ever lived in the ‘Divine Will’, and they are Adam, Eve, Mary and Jesus. Jesus enters His ‘Divine Will’ into Catholic Mystic Luisa Piccarreta, making her the first of His ‘Third Fiat of Sanctification’, through which Jesus greatly desires to reunite His whole, State of Grace, Catholic Church Bride, into His ‘Divine Will’, Restoration.
Here are quotes from ‘Luisa Piccarretta and the Divine Will- Teachings of Jesus” by Susanne James, published 2020. Catholic Mystic Luisa lived on nothing but the Eucharist for 60 years and had the hidden stigmata. Wow! What a book! Quotes below.
Jesus tells Luisa Piccarreta, ““I wish to emit the Third Fiat, since I cannot contain my Love any longer”
“Jesus told Luisa,
“My daughter it is true: in my Will resides the Creative Power. From within a single FIAT billions of stars emerged. From the Fiat mihi of my Mother, from which my Redemption originated, emerged billions and billions of acts of Grace which are communicated to souls.” (1921)
“Jesus explains how he wishes to release the third Fiat – The Decree of Sanctification: “My child, the first Fiat was uttered in Creation, without the participation of any person. I chose my Mother for the accomplishment of the Second Fiat. This Fiat will complete the glory and the honor of the Fiat of Creation, and it represents the full fruition of the Fiat of Redemption. (1921)”
The Third Fiat, the Decree of Sanctification was to commence with the YES, the Fiat of Luisa. She was the first person to be invited to live in the Divine Will. This was a momentous occasion in history. Luisa said Yes, and this was the Fiat – Let it be done! (Like Mary’s Let it be done to me)
“We cannot say that we have finished the work of Creation, if our Will as it was decreed by us, does not act in people and exist with the same freedom, holiness, and power that exists in us. Moreover, this is the most beautiful, brightest and supreme movement. It is the seal of fulfillment of the work of Creation and Redemption. These are Divine Decrees and must have their complete fulfillment. And in order to accomplish this Decree, we want to utilize another woman, who is you..”(1923)
“Now the Lord’s Prayer was heading for fulfillment: God’s Will done on earth as it is in Heaven.” “Jesus explained. These three Fiats will reflect the Sacrosanct Trinity on earth, and then I will have the Fiat voluntas tua (Thy Will be done) on earth as it is in Heaven. These three Fiats will be inseparable. One shall be the life of the other, they shall be One and Three, yet different from each other. My Love so desires it, and my glory demands it. Having sent forth from the bosom of my Creative Power the first two Fiats, I wish to emit the Third Fiat, since I cannot contain my Love any longer. This will complete the work that poured forth from Me. Otherwise the work of Creation as well as Redemption would remain incomplete”
“Jesus told Luisa: “That is why I want to purify the earth, because as it is now – the earth is unworthy of such a wonder of sanctity.
(end quotes from Susanne James book)
St. Faustina seemes to have lived in the “Divine Will”, as a ‘living Host”, as well.
Divine Mercy in My Soul, 955:
Today I heard these words in my soul: Host pleasing to My Father, know, My daughter, that the entire Holy Trinity finds Its special delight in you, because you live exclusively by the will of God. No sacrifice can compare with this.
Divine Mercy in My Soul, 923
I delight in you as in a living host; let nothing terrify you; I am with you.
I believe the book “Holy Bread of Eternal Life” by Dr. Peter Kwasniewski is worth its weight in gold. Especially the subtitle: “Restoring Eucharistic Reverence in an Age of Impiety”.
https://www.amazon.com/Holy-Bread-Eternal-Life-Eucharistic/dp/1644134330
Excellent book by an excellent author and theologian. 😀