June 21, 2006
A Belated Reflection for the Solemnity of Corpus Christi
This past Sunday was the Solemnity of Corpus Christi (i.e. the Body and Blood of Christ). Officially this solemnity falls on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday, but in the U.S. it is celebrated on the following Sunday so that more...
May 4, 2006
Eucharistic Miracles: The Real Deal
So Jesus said to them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you; he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood...
April 24, 2006
Do Catholics recrucify Christ in the “Sacrifice of the Mass”?
But as it is, [Jesus] has appeared once for all at the end of the age to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. - - Hebrews 9:26 When Catholics begin talking about the “Sacrifice of the Mass,”...
April 6, 2006
An Overview of the Eucharist
The Eucharist is the biggest difference in protestant vs. Catholic theology. It is today, as it was for Judas and many of Jesus’ disciples, a stumbling stone for believers. We have written pretty extensively on the Eucharist and the Biblical...
January 21, 2006
The Eucharist in the Age of the Fathers
The following is from a book that I stumbled upon called The Holy Eucharist: From the New Testament to Pope John Paul II, by Aidan Nichols, OP. The book is now out of print but used copies can be found...
May 30, 2005
The Real Presence for Protestants
Catholic teaching regarding communion often provokes opposition, confusion, or outright resentment among protestants. There are many different aspects of the Eucharist that provoke such reactions, but one of the most common is the concept of the “real presence”. As a...
April 11, 2005
Pope John Paul II and Eucharistic Adoration
In reflecting on the life and death of Pope John Paul II, I found myself profounding moved by the deep love he had for our Lord Jesus fully present in the Eucharist. Throughout his pontificate our Holy Father would declare...
December 16, 2004
Why does Jesus call Himself “Bread”?
Jesus called Himself "true bread" and "true wine" in John 6. What does this mean? This post examines Scripture to point out exactly what Christ was talking about.
October 30, 2004
The Year of the Eucharist
Take note of those who hold heterodox opinions on the grace of Jesus Christ which has come to us, and see how contrary their opinions are to the mind of God. . . They abstain from the Eucharist and...
July 28, 2004
The Miraculous points to Truth
Miracles were used by Jesus to prove He was the person He claimed to be. From early times, the Catholic Church has relied on miracles as proof that a person was in heaven (two documented miracles are required before canonization...
July 17, 2004
Hunger for God
I think it’s important to note that there are two kinds of people in this world. There are those who are practical atheists, which means no matter what they profess to believe it really doesn’t affect their lives in any...
June 14, 2004
REFERENCE: The Real Presence (the Eucharist)
There has been some discussion on the blog where non-Catholics claim the Early Church was not convinced of the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. So, I've pulled together the references to the Eucharist from Scripture and the Early...
June 5, 2004
Union through Communion: The Necessity of the Eucharist
Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that...
May 31, 2004
The 2004 Atlanta Eucharistic Congress
Just an FYI for those in or near Atlanta, the 2004 Eucharistic Congress for the Archdiocese of Atlanta is coming up on June 12th. They have a great lineup of folks (Alan Keyes, Raymond Arroyo, Jeff Cavins, Marcellino D'Ambrosio, Deal...
April 24, 2004
Why John Kerry can’t receive Communion
The hot political topic of the day seems to be John Kerry and whether he should receive communion or not. Communion, for those who don’t know, is the reception of the Eucharist – the “source and summit of the Catholic...
April 8, 2004
The Last Supper, but the First Meal
John 6:51. I am the living bread which came down from heaven, that a man may eat of it and not die. Tonight, on Holy Thursday, we know that Jesus celebrated the Last Supper and instituted the Eucharist. Christ...
February 25, 2004
Lent 2004: Pontius Pilate and Jesus
During Lent I’m going to make an attempt to provide some reflections as often as possible that illuminate the purpose of and need for the season. This is the first in that series. When we think back to the Passion,...
February 7, 2004
Why can’t non-Catholics receive Holy Communion?
Often non-Catholics are surprised and even annoyed when they learn that they cannot partake in the Eucharistic celebration during mass. They feel excluded by the Church and offended. So why would the Church stop non-Catholics from reception of communion? First,...
January 11, 2004
THIS IS THE LAMB OF GOD WHO TAKES AWAY THE SINS OF THE WORLD: Understanding the Eucharist
The Eucharist is “the source and summit of the Christian life.” - - Catechism (1324) What is the Eucharist? It is the body and blood of Jesus Christ, which is consumed by the faithful in mass. The Eucharist contains...
December 18, 2003
Meditations on the Birth of Christ I: Swaddling cloths and the Manger
Throughout the next week, I’ll post a few mediations on how the Scriptures treat the Birth of our Savior. Today’s is straight from St. Jerome: Luke 2:6-7. And while they were there, the time came for her to be delivered....
October 2, 2003
Eucharistic People
Upon reading Joe's excellent article on suffering, I began to reflect upon the greatest suffering our Lord endured and still endures today - the cross. Then today as I was reading my book I Believe in Love, the author progressed...
July 30, 2003
The hidden Bible
The Bible is an incredible book containing layers of information, knowledge and spiritual depth. However, because of its comprehensive nature, it contains far too much knowledge to keep in your head at one time. In fact, most of us have...
