When is the last time you sat down to enjoy a meal with your family or close friends—not just to eat food in close proximity to each other, but to bask in each other's presence and grow in love for one another? For most of us, this doesn't happen at a typical meal. But this is the kind of meal God wants to share with us. This is the kind of meal he has prepared for us and invites us to participate in through the Sacrament of the Eucharist.
God is the Master Storyteller. He authors His great love story not only with words, but with deeds. All of God's mighty deeds throughout history make up one beautiful narrative of salvation, which culminates in the Paschal Mystery. Jesus's teachings and actions throughout his ministry prepare for the moment he offers himself for, and to, each of us, fulfilling his promise that "My flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed" (John 6:55).
Food is one of our most basic needs. We can't live for long without it, and when we are in need of it, our bodies let us know with a hunger that can be nearly impossible to ignore. As indispensable as material food is to our physical life, the Eucharist is even more vital to our spiritual life. God saved the Israelites from starvation in the wilderness by providing manna for them. We need the Eucharist even more than the Israelites needed the manna. It sustains and strengthens us for our life's journey. It is, as Monsignor Ronald Knox once said, "the day's food for the day's march."
"How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" These words uttered 2,000 years ago are echoed today. The doctrine of the Real Presence presents a difficulty for many people. When we take the time to understand the difficutlies, we become better equipped to help address them. This can be done especially by showing how the Scriptures really do mean what the Church says they do. This session examines objections to the Church's Eucharistic teaching and provides scriptural answers for them. This apologetic helps us to give a reason for our faith and to gain a deeper insight into our faith.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church states: "The role of parents in education is of such importance that it is almost impossible to provide an adequate substitute" (CCC 2221). Although the parish helps to form our children in the faith, no one can take the place of the parents' role in forming holy individuals. In this Bonus Episode of Presence: Mystery of the Eucharist, catechetical experts and practiced parents give practical advice for preparing children for their first Holy Communion. Parents will be inspired to make the Eucharist the source and summit of their family life.
Every Sunday, we get to witness a miracle. Sometimes it can be difficult to wrap our minds and hearts around this fact. In this Bonus Episode of Presence: Mystery of the Eucharist, Fr. Riley will give us a special, close-up look at the Eucharistic miracle at every Mass.