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This Is My Body: A Call to Eucharistic Revival
A recent Pew Forum survey revealed the startling statistic that 69% of Catholics do not believe in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. For the majority of Catholics today, the Eucharist is merely a symbol of Christ, and the Mass is merely a collectivity of like-minded individuals gathering to remember his life.
This indicates a spiritual disaster, for the Eucharist is “the source and summit of the Christian life.” In response to this crisis, Bishop Robert Barron, then the Chair of the Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, began working with his brother bishops on a solution. From these conversations, the National Eucharistic Revival was born.
This Is My A Call to Eucharistic Revival is designed to accompany that revival. In this brief but illuminating text, Bishop Barron offers a threefold analysis of the Eucharist as sacred meal, sacrifice, and Real Presence, helping readers to understand the sacrament of Jesus’ Body and Blood more thoroughly so that they might fall in love with him more completely.
Discover the profound truth flowing out of Jesus’ words at the Last “Take, eat; this is my body. . . . Drink from it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant.”
This indicates a spiritual disaster, for the Eucharist is “the source and summit of the Christian life.” In response to this crisis, Bishop Robert Barron, then the Chair of the Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, began working with his brother bishops on a solution. From these conversations, the National Eucharistic Revival was born.
This Is My A Call to Eucharistic Revival is designed to accompany that revival. In this brief but illuminating text, Bishop Barron offers a threefold analysis of the Eucharist as sacred meal, sacrifice, and Real Presence, helping readers to understand the sacrament of Jesus’ Body and Blood more thoroughly so that they might fall in love with him more completely.
Discover the profound truth flowing out of Jesus’ words at the Last “Take, eat; this is my body. . . . Drink from it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant.”
120 pages, Paperback
Published April 16, 2023
1123 people are currently reading
1290 people want to read
About the author
Robert Barron
218 books873 followersBishop Robert Emmet Barron is an acclaimed author, speaker, and theologian. He is the former Francis Cardinal George Professor of Faith and Culture at Mundelein Seminary near Chicago and also is the founder of Word On Fire (www.WordOnFire.org).
Bishop Barron is the creator and host of CATHOLICISM, a groundbreaking ten-part documentary series and study program about the Catholic faith. He is a passionate student of art, architecture, music and history, which he calls upon throughout his global travels in the making of the documentary.
Word On Fire programs are broadcast regularly on WGN America, Relevant Radio, CatholicTV, EWTN, the popular Word on Fire YouTube Channel, and the Word on Fire website, which offers daily blogs, articles, commentaries, and over ten years of weekly sermon podcasts. In 2010, Father Barron was the first priest to have a national show on a secular television network since the 1950s.
Fr. Barron received his Masters Degree in Philosophy from the Catholic University of America in Washington DC in 1982 and his doctorate in Sacred Theology from the Institut Catholique in 1992. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1986 and has been a professor of systematic theology at the nation's largest Catholic seminary, the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary since 1992. He was visiting professor at the University of Notre Dame in 2002 and at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in 2007. He was also twice scholar in residence at the Pontifical North American College at the Vatican.
In addition, Fr. Barron lectures extensively in the United States and abroad. Cardinal Francis George calls Fr. Barron “one of the Church’s best messengers.
Fr. Barron was baptized at Queen of All Saints Basilica in Chicago and grew up at St. John of the Cross parish in Western Springs, Illinois.
WordOnFire.org - Fr. Barron's website launched in 1999 and currently draws over 1 million visitors a year from every continent. Fr. Barron posts weekly video clips, commentaries and radio sermons and offers an audio archive of over 500 homilies. Podcasts of his sermons are widely used by tens of thousands of visitors each month.
TV - EWTN (The Eternal Word Television Network) and CatholicTV broadcasts Fr. Barron's DVDs to a worldwide audience of over 150 million people.
Radio - Since 1999, Fr. Barron's weekly Word on Fire program has been broadcast in Chicago (WGN) and throughout the country (Relevant Radio - 950 AM Chicago) to 28 million listeners in 17 states. Fr. Barron also is a regular commentator on the "Busted Halo Show" on the Sirius satellite radio network based in New York.
DVDs - Fr. Barron's DVDs are used as powerful faith formation tools in universities, schools, churches and homes around the country. The series includes Seven Deadly Sins, Seven Lively Virtues; Faith Clips; Conversion: Following the Call of Christ; and Untold Blessing: Three Paths to Holiness.
YouTube - With over 180 online video commentaries by Fr. Barron, over 1 million viewers worldwide have made him the most popular of any evangelist on YouTube. These frequent, high-quality productions include brief and lively theological reviews of contemporary culture, including movies such as No Country for Old Men, Apocalypto, and The Departed, a three-part critical review of Christopher Hitchen's book God is Not Great, The Discovery Channel's The Jesus Tomb, the HBO series "The Sopranos", "Rome" and more.
Missions - MISSION CHICAGO features evangelization lectures by Fr. Barron at the behest of Cardinal George. These special missions and presentations throughout the Archdiocese are centered in downtown Chicago and attract business, civic, and cultural leaders.
Books - His numerous books and essays serve as critical educational and inspirational tools for seminarians, priests, parishioners and young people worldwide. His published works are also central to the numerous retreats, workshop and talks that h
Bishop Barron is the creator and host of CATHOLICISM, a groundbreaking ten-part documentary series and study program about the Catholic faith. He is a passionate student of art, architecture, music and history, which he calls upon throughout his global travels in the making of the documentary.
Word On Fire programs are broadcast regularly on WGN America, Relevant Radio, CatholicTV, EWTN, the popular Word on Fire YouTube Channel, and the Word on Fire website, which offers daily blogs, articles, commentaries, and over ten years of weekly sermon podcasts. In 2010, Father Barron was the first priest to have a national show on a secular television network since the 1950s.
Fr. Barron received his Masters Degree in Philosophy from the Catholic University of America in Washington DC in 1982 and his doctorate in Sacred Theology from the Institut Catholique in 1992. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1986 and has been a professor of systematic theology at the nation's largest Catholic seminary, the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary since 1992. He was visiting professor at the University of Notre Dame in 2002 and at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in 2007. He was also twice scholar in residence at the Pontifical North American College at the Vatican.
In addition, Fr. Barron lectures extensively in the United States and abroad. Cardinal Francis George calls Fr. Barron “one of the Church’s best messengers.
Fr. Barron was baptized at Queen of All Saints Basilica in Chicago and grew up at St. John of the Cross parish in Western Springs, Illinois.
WordOnFire.org - Fr. Barron's website launched in 1999 and currently draws over 1 million visitors a year from every continent. Fr. Barron posts weekly video clips, commentaries and radio sermons and offers an audio archive of over 500 homilies. Podcasts of his sermons are widely used by tens of thousands of visitors each month.
TV - EWTN (The Eternal Word Television Network) and CatholicTV broadcasts Fr. Barron's DVDs to a worldwide audience of over 150 million people.
Radio - Since 1999, Fr. Barron's weekly Word on Fire program has been broadcast in Chicago (WGN) and throughout the country (Relevant Radio - 950 AM Chicago) to 28 million listeners in 17 states. Fr. Barron also is a regular commentator on the "Busted Halo Show" on the Sirius satellite radio network based in New York.
DVDs - Fr. Barron's DVDs are used as powerful faith formation tools in universities, schools, churches and homes around the country. The series includes Seven Deadly Sins, Seven Lively Virtues; Faith Clips; Conversion: Following the Call of Christ; and Untold Blessing: Three Paths to Holiness.
YouTube - With over 180 online video commentaries by Fr. Barron, over 1 million viewers worldwide have made him the most popular of any evangelist on YouTube. These frequent, high-quality productions include brief and lively theological reviews of contemporary culture, including movies such as No Country for Old Men, Apocalypto, and The Departed, a three-part critical review of Christopher Hitchen's book God is Not Great, The Discovery Channel's The Jesus Tomb, the HBO series "The Sopranos", "Rome" and more.
Missions - MISSION CHICAGO features evangelization lectures by Fr. Barron at the behest of Cardinal George. These special missions and presentations throughout the Archdiocese are centered in downtown Chicago and attract business, civic, and cultural leaders.
Books - His numerous books and essays serve as critical educational and inspirational tools for seminarians, priests, parishioners and young people worldwide. His published works are also central to the numerous retreats, workshop and talks that h
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July 24, 2023
I finally read Bishop Barron's new book, "This Is My Body: A Call To Eucharistic Revival."
Firstly, I believe in giving credit where credit is due - theologically this book dives deep into the True Presence and the Reality of Jesus in the Eucharist. Barron quotes the Church Fathers, the Bible, St. Thomas Aquinas etc. He is very adamant about the truth that Christ is truly Present in the Holy Eucharist and that the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ. He goes deeply into how it is NOT just a "mere symbol," and one can see that the author had the best of intentions with this book.
But I do have a few thoughts...
I will write my concerns and then finish this review with some quotes from the book that I have found are very edifying to try to keep a balanced, but honest review.
Let's start with the three big issues I had with this book.
1. I EXPECTED "JESUS OUR EUCHARISTIC LOVE"
"69% of Catholics do not believe the Eucharist is the Real Presence of Jesus Christ... This book can help."
Considering that this book is being sold by the thousands, specifically to fix the problem of crisis of belief in the True Presence among Mass-attending Catholics today, I expected more clear warnings and instructions on how to receive Christ worthily in the Blessed Sacrament. I expected more information on how to show Him proper reverence in the Blessed Sacrament. Yes, we can hardly revere what we do not know, but the Church has always believed "Lex Orandi, Lex Credendi" (As we Worship, So we Believe). Let us not only learn about the God who comes down to the Altar at the call of the priest to be eaten by His people. But let us also learn how we can truly show reverence to Him!
Writing this book is an honorable, and essential assignment that the Bishop has taken on. However, this book, in my opinion, is not for us "regular-Joe-in-the-pew" Catholics. Theologically it is somewhat dense and wordy (not in a grammatical sense but in a "Catholic Intellectual-ish" sort of sense.) I have found most Catholics (yes, even those who regularly attend Mass) are clueless about even the basic Catechism let alone the depth that the Bishop is diving into in this book. If, perhaps, this book was truly written for the "regular-Joe-in-the-pew" Catholics perhaps it would have been better if it was written more simply and to the point (like the Baltimore Catechism, Msgr. Ronald Knox's "The Mass in Slow Motion," or "Jesus Our Eucharistic Love" by Stefano M. Manelli) I would have liked to have seen mention of various Eucharistic miracles that have occurred over time, perhaps snippets of stories of different Saints who gave their lives for the Eucharist (such as the young boy St. Tarcisius, or little Imelda Lambertini or Nellie of God.) Then perhaps some a clear, short study / explanation of how we act at parts of the Mass; Many Catholic's do not know that we are not supposed to talk loudly or laugh in Church, out of respect for God in the Tabernacle. Many do not even know to make a proper genuflection while passing the Tabernacle or to check their palms after receiving Jesus on the hand for any particles left over (or better yet, to receive God on the tongue as is still the widely forgotten liturgical norm in the Church today.) There is so much the good Bishop could have covered in a short while that I personally found was lacking.
I believe the author is indeed, probably only writing for the 69% of MASS GOING Catholics who do not believe in the Real Presence, which is probably why he delved so deeply into the biblical history, the themes of the "Sacred Meal," and so on. However, I still do not think that this book is something that the majority of us lay Catholics would feel interested in picking up never mind finishing. And I don't really mean all of this as a criticism, because the book is obviously great for those who are into deep reading and diving into the beautiful details of Aquinas and Aristotle, biblical themes, etc... but I felt I needed to point this out.
2. WHY SO LITTLE TALK OF SACRILEGIOUS COMMUNIONS?
Another, pretty serious concern that I have is, since so many Catholics do not understand (or do not want to understand) the basic truths of our Faith and, when they attend Mass, whether weekly, sporadically or only on Easter and Christmas, many are still receiving the Eucharist. Which is fine, unless they are in a state of mortal sin. Then they need to go to Confession, confess their mortal sins and then "come to the table." No one is exempt either. No one. Regardless, it is rare for lay Catholics to hear of this from the pulpit, rather, they are hearing the opposite from clergy who have removed themselves from the Teachings of the Faith. This is so dangerous and cannot be excused.
Considering that the Church has always taught that this grave sin of sacrilege is one of the worst sins that a soul can commit (receiving Jesus while in the state of Mortal Sin) I believe this should be tackled head on when re-catechizing the masses on the Mass and the Eucharist! The Catechism of the Council of Trent (De Euch., v.i) declares: “As of all the sacred mysteries… none can compare with the … Eucharist, so likewise for no crime is there heavier punishment to be feared from God than for the unholy or irreligious use by the faithful of that which … contains the very Author and Source of holiness.”
Unfortunately, in Bishop Barron's book, the Church's teaching on "eating and drinking" our own "judgment" as St. Paul writes, is spoken of in one large paragraph on page 99. That's pretty much it. Barron reiterates St. Thomas Aquinas on how a soul that is dead (in mortal sin) wouldn't be "helped" by receiving the Eucharist because its "like giving medicine to a dead body" (page 99) and then the Bishop adds St. Pauls letter to the Corinthians, (1 Cor. 11:29). Great! But he does not go into more detail.
On page 15 I was hoping for more clarification concerning the need to be in the state of grace (and an explanation on what this is exactly) when Barron wrote, "...we can see that the inclusion of sinners is the very heart and raison d'être of the meal he (Jesus) hosts." When we start talking about the Eucharist as a "sacred meal as medicine for the sin-sick soul," (page 15) we should explain the whole "mortal sin = no Communion" thing very clearly so that no mistake (or excuse, rather) is made on the part of the reader.
On page 28 Bishop Barron again writes, "And so we sinners (once we accept that we are indeed sinners) are forgiven and welcomed into easy intimacy with Christ at the liturgy." Beautiful! But still not clear enough as to the state of the soul and the sacrament of Confession. Page 68 is a bit clearer, "Only in the measure that we are transformed through sacrifice, only when our sin and suffering have been dealt with, can we sit down in the fellowship of the sacred banquet." There are a few more sprinkled throughout the book but, to my knowledge, page 99 is the only place that really speaks about mortal sin and the state of the soul. Again, considering the massive number of Catholics who are unaware of what a mortal sin is, this needs to be very, very clear. It should have been earlier in the book and way more fleshed out.
3. QUOTING PROBLEMATIC MEN
The author quotes Teilhard, Karl Rahner and Feuerbach. Teilhard and Rahner are controversial in their approach to aspects of Catholicism, they are wrong on many issues. And Feuerbach advocated atheism and anthropological materialism and, apparently was often recognized as a bridge between Hegel and Marx.
I know that the "modern church today" doesn't seem to believe that it is necessary to mention if someone they are quoting is actually a Catholic in good standing or not. Yes, there have been saints that have quoted from secular sources, however, it is important, especially today with all the confusion and mish-mashing of religions and beliefs to clarify whether the source they are using is totally on the same page as the Church or not.
Perhaps I am being too stingy here but, I think it would have been better to write something like, "as the atheist Feuerbach said..." and then make a note of how Feuerbach's point make sense in light of the Catholic Faith. I know this sounds like splitting hairs but the age we are living in (as I mentioned above) is so wrought with smushing religions and ideologies together and calling it "Catholicism," it is just better to explain things in light of the One True Faith.
Concerning Rahner and Teilhard, I highly recommend Peter Kwasniewski's article on Karl Rahner, "Karl Rahner and the Unspoken Framework of (Much of) Modern Theology" published on One Peter Five.com. He charitably explains the issues in Rahner's theology.
For excellent information on Teilhard and his dangerous theology and views, I recommend reading Teilhardism And The New Religion, and the short article "What's the Story on Pierre Tielhard de Chardin?" by Susan Brinkmann on Woman of Grace.com.
I am aware of how popular and almost sacrosanct Teilhard has become these last 60 years, but it is important to look at his writings WITHIN the lenses of Catholicism to judge whether it is in line with the Faith. For example, did you know that for many years, Teilhard's writings were consistently condemned by the Catholic Church?? Reading some of his writings you can see why; "Rome does not want me to return to my professorship. They do not seem to have taken a dislike to me, far from it; but they want to save Religion ... I would take enormous delight in breaking all ties." (Letter, Feb. 14, 1927) "Christ saves. But must we not hasten to add that Christ, too, is saved by Evolution?" (Le Christique, 1955) "According to my own principles, I cannot fight against Christianity; I can only work inside it by trying to transform and convert it. A revolutionary attitude would be much easier, and much more pleasant, but it would be suicidal. So I must go step by step, tenaciously." (Letter, Mar. 21, 1941)
Moving on.
Here are a few other issues I have with "This is My Body: A Call To Eucharistic Revival" that are more personal than theological.
4. RESPECTING CHRIST IN GRAMMAR?
The author does not capitalize when he is speaking of Jesus. For example, "Jesus was not a prophet among many, he was the incarnate Word of God." A beautiful, true statement, but should we not continue the Tradition that the Church always had in place to give God more respect grammatically?
5. WHERE DID YOU GET THAT QUOTE?
There are no footnotes. This isn't the end of the world. This isn't even an issue at all, but a mere personal preference.
6. I HAD HOPED FOR A SIMPLE PRIMER
I had some hopes for this book when I read in the preface, "...under the prescript of the beautiful, we would draw attention to the liturgical and devotional practices that surround the Eucharist." I was hoping this meant that he was going to touch on *actual*, boots-on-the-ground ways we can begin to show more reverence to the Eucharist. But I didn't really see any of that in the book. As mentioned above, I would have liked to have seen short, clear and traditional explanations of what, why, and how when it comes to the Eucharist and the Mass.
7. A LITTLE CONFUSING AND BLAND
The quote "It is in this mission to feed a hungry world that we see the real point and purpose of the sacred meal," (page 33) confused me. The Four Ends of the Holy Mass are, "Adoration," "Thanksgiving," "Atonement," and "Petition." Perhaps that can be boiled down to "feeding a hungry world" spiritually but... its not quite as clear or beautiful is it?
The entire book is hardly without merit. I have many highlighted quotes that I hope to return to later and remember. Here are a few.
"The Battle of Hastings cannot be re-presented, except in the most superficial sense, since it belongs irretrievably to the past, but the sacrifice of Jesus can." (page 63)
"(H)ere and now, at the Eucharistic assembly, Christ makes present both the past and the future." (page 64)
"Suffering, once joined to the cross of Jesus, can become a vehicle for the reformation of the sinful self, the turning of the soul in the direction of love." (page 67)
"(T)he Eucharist is the Body and Blood of Jesus, and any attempt to say otherwise, no matter how cleverly formulated or deftly articulated, is insufficient." (page 70)
"(T)he dense reality of Christ's Eucharistic presence is fitting due to the intensity of Jesus' love." (page 92)
"Jesus was not one prophet among many; he was the incarnate Word of God." (page 105)
"This is why I tell people to be very careful when they approach the Eucharist. Were the elements simply symbols - inventions of our own spiritual creativity and desire - they would pose no particular threat. But since they are the power and presence of God, they will change the one who consumes them. When the communicant says "Amen" and receives the proffered host and chalice, he'd better be prepared to live an eternal life." (page 110)
Finally, in conclusion.
While I was hoping for a book that was more like "The Mass in Slow Motion" for the Ordinary Form of the Mass, or a "Jesus Our Eucharistic Love" sort of Primer on the Eucharist, what we have instead is a sort of heavy, albeit short, book that feels sort of unaware, or unconscious to just how spiritually ignorant and starving we "regular-Joe-in-the-pew" Catholics really are.
While I do appreciate Bishop Barron's hard work and energy in trying to reach the masses, I am obliged to recommend other various works (as well as Bishop Barron's book of course) on the same subject that, I find, are excellent and do fantastic work in the area of "Eucharistic Revival."
MY RECOMMENDATIONS:
Any video by Gabriel Castillo on the Eucharist. Seriously, his talks and videos are out of this world! He is very clear, down-to-earth, yet spot on theologically and at the same time reaches deep into the aching heart of everyone, young and old, and calls us to a greater love and devotion to the Holy Eucharist.
"The Eucharist is REALLY Jesus"
"The Power of the Eucharist"
"Emphasize the Eucharist: 5 Ways!"
"The Eucharist: A Clear and Complete Teaching"
"The Eucharist: A Reverence Revolution"
Blessed Carlo Acutis' website on Eucharistic Miracles, http://www.miracolieucaristici.org/
Jesus Our Eucharistic Love (You can read this free online. I cannot recommend it enough!)
The Mass in Slow Motion, while this was written about the Latin Mass before the Ordinary Form was created, it is an excellent, short book that stirs the soul. It is a compilation of sermons that Knox gave to young school girls, so it is straightforward, yet profound. Poetic and childlike.
Coram Sanctissimo: Before the Most Holy
Patron Saint of First Communicants: The Story of Blessed Imelda Lambertini
Manners in God's House: First Prayers and First Missal
Little Nellie of Holy God
"The Purity of Soul Necessary for Holy Communion" Father Stefano Manelli
Firstly, I believe in giving credit where credit is due - theologically this book dives deep into the True Presence and the Reality of Jesus in the Eucharist. Barron quotes the Church Fathers, the Bible, St. Thomas Aquinas etc. He is very adamant about the truth that Christ is truly Present in the Holy Eucharist and that the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ. He goes deeply into how it is NOT just a "mere symbol," and one can see that the author had the best of intentions with this book.
But I do have a few thoughts...
I will write my concerns and then finish this review with some quotes from the book that I have found are very edifying to try to keep a balanced, but honest review.
Let's start with the three big issues I had with this book.
1. I EXPECTED "JESUS OUR EUCHARISTIC LOVE"
"69% of Catholics do not believe the Eucharist is the Real Presence of Jesus Christ... This book can help."
Considering that this book is being sold by the thousands, specifically to fix the problem of crisis of belief in the True Presence among Mass-attending Catholics today, I expected more clear warnings and instructions on how to receive Christ worthily in the Blessed Sacrament. I expected more information on how to show Him proper reverence in the Blessed Sacrament. Yes, we can hardly revere what we do not know, but the Church has always believed "Lex Orandi, Lex Credendi" (As we Worship, So we Believe). Let us not only learn about the God who comes down to the Altar at the call of the priest to be eaten by His people. But let us also learn how we can truly show reverence to Him!
Writing this book is an honorable, and essential assignment that the Bishop has taken on. However, this book, in my opinion, is not for us "regular-Joe-in-the-pew" Catholics. Theologically it is somewhat dense and wordy (not in a grammatical sense but in a "Catholic Intellectual-ish" sort of sense.) I have found most Catholics (yes, even those who regularly attend Mass) are clueless about even the basic Catechism let alone the depth that the Bishop is diving into in this book. If, perhaps, this book was truly written for the "regular-Joe-in-the-pew" Catholics perhaps it would have been better if it was written more simply and to the point (like the Baltimore Catechism, Msgr. Ronald Knox's "The Mass in Slow Motion," or "Jesus Our Eucharistic Love" by Stefano M. Manelli) I would have liked to have seen mention of various Eucharistic miracles that have occurred over time, perhaps snippets of stories of different Saints who gave their lives for the Eucharist (such as the young boy St. Tarcisius, or little Imelda Lambertini or Nellie of God.) Then perhaps some a clear, short study / explanation of how we act at parts of the Mass; Many Catholic's do not know that we are not supposed to talk loudly or laugh in Church, out of respect for God in the Tabernacle. Many do not even know to make a proper genuflection while passing the Tabernacle or to check their palms after receiving Jesus on the hand for any particles left over (or better yet, to receive God on the tongue as is still the widely forgotten liturgical norm in the Church today.) There is so much the good Bishop could have covered in a short while that I personally found was lacking.
I believe the author is indeed, probably only writing for the 69% of MASS GOING Catholics who do not believe in the Real Presence, which is probably why he delved so deeply into the biblical history, the themes of the "Sacred Meal," and so on. However, I still do not think that this book is something that the majority of us lay Catholics would feel interested in picking up never mind finishing. And I don't really mean all of this as a criticism, because the book is obviously great for those who are into deep reading and diving into the beautiful details of Aquinas and Aristotle, biblical themes, etc... but I felt I needed to point this out.
2. WHY SO LITTLE TALK OF SACRILEGIOUS COMMUNIONS?
Another, pretty serious concern that I have is, since so many Catholics do not understand (or do not want to understand) the basic truths of our Faith and, when they attend Mass, whether weekly, sporadically or only on Easter and Christmas, many are still receiving the Eucharist. Which is fine, unless they are in a state of mortal sin. Then they need to go to Confession, confess their mortal sins and then "come to the table." No one is exempt either. No one. Regardless, it is rare for lay Catholics to hear of this from the pulpit, rather, they are hearing the opposite from clergy who have removed themselves from the Teachings of the Faith. This is so dangerous and cannot be excused.
Considering that the Church has always taught that this grave sin of sacrilege is one of the worst sins that a soul can commit (receiving Jesus while in the state of Mortal Sin) I believe this should be tackled head on when re-catechizing the masses on the Mass and the Eucharist! The Catechism of the Council of Trent (De Euch., v.i) declares: “As of all the sacred mysteries… none can compare with the … Eucharist, so likewise for no crime is there heavier punishment to be feared from God than for the unholy or irreligious use by the faithful of that which … contains the very Author and Source of holiness.”
Unfortunately, in Bishop Barron's book, the Church's teaching on "eating and drinking" our own "judgment" as St. Paul writes, is spoken of in one large paragraph on page 99. That's pretty much it. Barron reiterates St. Thomas Aquinas on how a soul that is dead (in mortal sin) wouldn't be "helped" by receiving the Eucharist because its "like giving medicine to a dead body" (page 99) and then the Bishop adds St. Pauls letter to the Corinthians, (1 Cor. 11:29). Great! But he does not go into more detail.
On page 15 I was hoping for more clarification concerning the need to be in the state of grace (and an explanation on what this is exactly) when Barron wrote, "...we can see that the inclusion of sinners is the very heart and raison d'être of the meal he (Jesus) hosts." When we start talking about the Eucharist as a "sacred meal as medicine for the sin-sick soul," (page 15) we should explain the whole "mortal sin = no Communion" thing very clearly so that no mistake (or excuse, rather) is made on the part of the reader.
On page 28 Bishop Barron again writes, "And so we sinners (once we accept that we are indeed sinners) are forgiven and welcomed into easy intimacy with Christ at the liturgy." Beautiful! But still not clear enough as to the state of the soul and the sacrament of Confession. Page 68 is a bit clearer, "Only in the measure that we are transformed through sacrifice, only when our sin and suffering have been dealt with, can we sit down in the fellowship of the sacred banquet." There are a few more sprinkled throughout the book but, to my knowledge, page 99 is the only place that really speaks about mortal sin and the state of the soul. Again, considering the massive number of Catholics who are unaware of what a mortal sin is, this needs to be very, very clear. It should have been earlier in the book and way more fleshed out.
3. QUOTING PROBLEMATIC MEN
The author quotes Teilhard, Karl Rahner and Feuerbach. Teilhard and Rahner are controversial in their approach to aspects of Catholicism, they are wrong on many issues. And Feuerbach advocated atheism and anthropological materialism and, apparently was often recognized as a bridge between Hegel and Marx.
I know that the "modern church today" doesn't seem to believe that it is necessary to mention if someone they are quoting is actually a Catholic in good standing or not. Yes, there have been saints that have quoted from secular sources, however, it is important, especially today with all the confusion and mish-mashing of religions and beliefs to clarify whether the source they are using is totally on the same page as the Church or not.
Perhaps I am being too stingy here but, I think it would have been better to write something like, "as the atheist Feuerbach said..." and then make a note of how Feuerbach's point make sense in light of the Catholic Faith. I know this sounds like splitting hairs but the age we are living in (as I mentioned above) is so wrought with smushing religions and ideologies together and calling it "Catholicism," it is just better to explain things in light of the One True Faith.
Concerning Rahner and Teilhard, I highly recommend Peter Kwasniewski's article on Karl Rahner, "Karl Rahner and the Unspoken Framework of (Much of) Modern Theology" published on One Peter Five.com. He charitably explains the issues in Rahner's theology.
For excellent information on Teilhard and his dangerous theology and views, I recommend reading Teilhardism And The New Religion, and the short article "What's the Story on Pierre Tielhard de Chardin?" by Susan Brinkmann on Woman of Grace.com.
I am aware of how popular and almost sacrosanct Teilhard has become these last 60 years, but it is important to look at his writings WITHIN the lenses of Catholicism to judge whether it is in line with the Faith. For example, did you know that for many years, Teilhard's writings were consistently condemned by the Catholic Church?? Reading some of his writings you can see why; "Rome does not want me to return to my professorship. They do not seem to have taken a dislike to me, far from it; but they want to save Religion ... I would take enormous delight in breaking all ties." (Letter, Feb. 14, 1927) "Christ saves. But must we not hasten to add that Christ, too, is saved by Evolution?" (Le Christique, 1955) "According to my own principles, I cannot fight against Christianity; I can only work inside it by trying to transform and convert it. A revolutionary attitude would be much easier, and much more pleasant, but it would be suicidal. So I must go step by step, tenaciously." (Letter, Mar. 21, 1941)
Moving on.
Here are a few other issues I have with "This is My Body: A Call To Eucharistic Revival" that are more personal than theological.
4. RESPECTING CHRIST IN GRAMMAR?
The author does not capitalize when he is speaking of Jesus. For example, "Jesus was not a prophet among many, he was the incarnate Word of God." A beautiful, true statement, but should we not continue the Tradition that the Church always had in place to give God more respect grammatically?
5. WHERE DID YOU GET THAT QUOTE?
There are no footnotes. This isn't the end of the world. This isn't even an issue at all, but a mere personal preference.
6. I HAD HOPED FOR A SIMPLE PRIMER
I had some hopes for this book when I read in the preface, "...under the prescript of the beautiful, we would draw attention to the liturgical and devotional practices that surround the Eucharist." I was hoping this meant that he was going to touch on *actual*, boots-on-the-ground ways we can begin to show more reverence to the Eucharist. But I didn't really see any of that in the book. As mentioned above, I would have liked to have seen short, clear and traditional explanations of what, why, and how when it comes to the Eucharist and the Mass.
7. A LITTLE CONFUSING AND BLAND
The quote "It is in this mission to feed a hungry world that we see the real point and purpose of the sacred meal," (page 33) confused me. The Four Ends of the Holy Mass are, "Adoration," "Thanksgiving," "Atonement," and "Petition." Perhaps that can be boiled down to "feeding a hungry world" spiritually but... its not quite as clear or beautiful is it?
The entire book is hardly without merit. I have many highlighted quotes that I hope to return to later and remember. Here are a few.
"The Battle of Hastings cannot be re-presented, except in the most superficial sense, since it belongs irretrievably to the past, but the sacrifice of Jesus can." (page 63)
"(H)ere and now, at the Eucharistic assembly, Christ makes present both the past and the future." (page 64)
"Suffering, once joined to the cross of Jesus, can become a vehicle for the reformation of the sinful self, the turning of the soul in the direction of love." (page 67)
"(T)he Eucharist is the Body and Blood of Jesus, and any attempt to say otherwise, no matter how cleverly formulated or deftly articulated, is insufficient." (page 70)
"(T)he dense reality of Christ's Eucharistic presence is fitting due to the intensity of Jesus' love." (page 92)
"Jesus was not one prophet among many; he was the incarnate Word of God." (page 105)
"This is why I tell people to be very careful when they approach the Eucharist. Were the elements simply symbols - inventions of our own spiritual creativity and desire - they would pose no particular threat. But since they are the power and presence of God, they will change the one who consumes them. When the communicant says "Amen" and receives the proffered host and chalice, he'd better be prepared to live an eternal life." (page 110)
Finally, in conclusion.
While I was hoping for a book that was more like "The Mass in Slow Motion" for the Ordinary Form of the Mass, or a "Jesus Our Eucharistic Love" sort of Primer on the Eucharist, what we have instead is a sort of heavy, albeit short, book that feels sort of unaware, or unconscious to just how spiritually ignorant and starving we "regular-Joe-in-the-pew" Catholics really are.
While I do appreciate Bishop Barron's hard work and energy in trying to reach the masses, I am obliged to recommend other various works (as well as Bishop Barron's book of course) on the same subject that, I find, are excellent and do fantastic work in the area of "Eucharistic Revival."
MY RECOMMENDATIONS:
Any video by Gabriel Castillo on the Eucharist. Seriously, his talks and videos are out of this world! He is very clear, down-to-earth, yet spot on theologically and at the same time reaches deep into the aching heart of everyone, young and old, and calls us to a greater love and devotion to the Holy Eucharist.
"The Eucharist is REALLY Jesus"
"The Power of the Eucharist"
"Emphasize the Eucharist: 5 Ways!"
"The Eucharist: A Clear and Complete Teaching"
"The Eucharist: A Reverence Revolution"
Blessed Carlo Acutis' website on Eucharistic Miracles, http://www.miracolieucaristici.org/
Jesus Our Eucharistic Love (You can read this free online. I cannot recommend it enough!)
The Mass in Slow Motion, while this was written about the Latin Mass before the Ordinary Form was created, it is an excellent, short book that stirs the soul. It is a compilation of sermons that Knox gave to young school girls, so it is straightforward, yet profound. Poetic and childlike.
Coram Sanctissimo: Before the Most Holy
Patron Saint of First Communicants: The Story of Blessed Imelda Lambertini
Manners in God's House: First Prayers and First Missal
Little Nellie of Holy God
"The Purity of Soul Necessary for Holy Communion" Father Stefano Manelli
November 1, 2023
I (a Protestant) was gifted this book by a dear friend who is faithfully Catholic & whose relationship with the Lord I do trust. I appreciated this book so very much.
Bishop Robert Barron is a gifted author & as someone without any Catholic background, I felt warmly welcomed by his writing into a space to contemplate the doctrines of the Eucharist.
It’s obvious that Bishop Barron has an extremely high view of the Scriptures & his recounting of Jesus’ earthly ministry that revolved around sharing meals ministered to me deeply & stirred up my affections for the person of Christ. That being said, as I had anticipated, my agreements with the interpretation of Scripture & doctrines surrounding the Eucharist departed in Chapter 3 of this book.
I enjoyed this book SO much & would gladly recommend it to any Protestants who want to have a better (& rather holistic) understanding of the Catholic beliefs of the Eucharist.
Bishop Robert Barron is a gifted author & as someone without any Catholic background, I felt warmly welcomed by his writing into a space to contemplate the doctrines of the Eucharist.
It’s obvious that Bishop Barron has an extremely high view of the Scriptures & his recounting of Jesus’ earthly ministry that revolved around sharing meals ministered to me deeply & stirred up my affections for the person of Christ. That being said, as I had anticipated, my agreements with the interpretation of Scripture & doctrines surrounding the Eucharist departed in Chapter 3 of this book.
I enjoyed this book SO much & would gladly recommend it to any Protestants who want to have a better (& rather holistic) understanding of the Catholic beliefs of the Eucharist.
June 30, 2023
I know my opinion will be unpopular but I think this book is a total failure. If it was supposed to be an academic treatise for those inclined to such things, it would be worth consideration. But this is supposed to be an explanation, and possibly a defense, of the real presence in Eucharist for the regular person in the pew who doesn't believe it and was probably never taught. Read in that light, this book is a complete failure. The average person will not be able to read this book. I would estimate less than 10% of parishioners will be able to read this, and most of those won't need to. Worse, when you are trying to approach something like this with people, you often only get one shot. So in that sense this is a double failure because a great many who pick up this book and can't grasp it will not pick up another in the future.
January 17, 2025
This book is eloquent and concise, and was helpful for understanding the Catholic view of the Eucharist. While I did not a agree with the Bishop Baron on the subject of transubstantiation, there are many inspiring insights into the significance of the sacred meal and the meaning of Christ’s incarnation and sacrifice. And he does a wonderful job of exegetically portraying the redemptive story arc of the Bible through communion and meal.
June 29, 2025
God bless Bishop Barron. This book is so so good. There is so much to unpack and wade through in the future; I will be reading it again. Highly recommend. As a majority fiction-reader, I was still very engaged by his writing and ended up reading all of it this afternoon.
AVE CHRISTUS REX!!
AVE CHRISTUS REX!!
September 4, 2023
Such a good commentary on the importance of the Eucharist.
September 5, 2023
Bishop Barron is such a blessing. This is an excellent book.
April 18, 2025
I thought this was a good primer on the Eucharist strictly from a Catholic perspective. It was certainly not written to be a knock-down defense or even general survey of ideas about the Eucharist, but is instead a nudge for Catholics for the return to receiving the meal as Real Presence over merely viewing it symbolically. I have several thoughts to explore with regards to the realism of substantial transformations in general and the seemingly narrow balance between symbol and substance. Now, prior to this book I had come around to accepting a real change of substance, but without any kind of salvific transfer. This helped to clarify in a way that seems reasonable to me, namely that the salve is more akin to nourishment. My current thinking is that the Eucharist is still not strictly necessary for salvation in the same way baptism is not strictly necessary. However, those are privileged routes of salvation that God has chosen to normally act through and therefore need to be treated as such. To the sole castaway on some pacific island, the Real Presence is there in his coconut milk and mango despite there being no priest, bread, wine, bells, or whistles. But to the suburban man living in the shadow of his local steeple, he will find the Presence there in the communion of his heavenly brothers and sisters partaking of the blessed sacrament following the Divine Liturgy (or similar). There’s nuance, of course, but that is a general sketch. We’ll see how my thinking develops…
April 28, 2024
Written with intellect, reason and faith. Difficult for me to read as I had to stop to figure out the meaning of several words. I re-read and highlighted a lot. "Jesus is a power in whom we participate, a field of force in which we live and move and have our being." "The elements in the Eucharist are the power and presence of God, they will change the one who consumes them." The bread and wine does become the body and blood of Christ for me.
February 20, 2026
I am a Protestant, but I've become interested in what is happening spiritually when we take communion. This book was recommended to me by a Catholic family member, and I thought that the author did a good job at laying out an argument for Jesus' real presence being in the communion elements.
This short book is split into three parts:
1. The Eucharist as Sacred Meal
2. The Eucharist as Sacrifice
3. "If It's a Symbol, to Hell with It"
The first chapter set the stage for Bishop Barron's deeper arguments in Chapters #2 and #3. Based on the notes that I took, it seems like the final chapter had what I found to be the most compelling arguments for transubstantiation.
This short book is split into three parts:
1. The Eucharist as Sacred Meal
2. The Eucharist as Sacrifice
3. "If It's a Symbol, to Hell with It"
The first chapter set the stage for Bishop Barron's deeper arguments in Chapters #2 and #3. Based on the notes that I took, it seems like the final chapter had what I found to be the most compelling arguments for transubstantiation.
April 4, 2024
Beautifully written! Very focused around scripture
July 4, 2023
Bishop Barron does it again. He gives perhaps the most understandable summary of the history and real meaning of the Eucharist that I have ever read. It is short and sweet, but if you don't want to read it all, just read the last ten pages.
May 17, 2024
Objective Rating: 5 ⭐
Personal Rating: 3.5 ⭐
"...I tell people to be very careful when they approach the Eucharist....(it) will change the one who consumes them. When the communicant says "Amen" and receives the proffered host and chalice, (they'd) better be prepared to live an eternal life" (110).
Bishop Robert Barron presents an extremely extensive in depth dive into the theological and logistical understanding of the Eucharist through such a detailed understanding in both present and past context. I appreciate Barron's highly researched writing and in reference to not only the spiritual but the logical, this book very much comes off as a scientific spiritual understating of the Eucharist, which for many is the solid facts they need when understating the practices of the Catholic Church. While you cant have belief without faith, Barron quite literally significantly interprets most if not all questions and historical bias when translating the truth and utmost value of the Eucharist. Very much this book reads like an extensive dissertation of collected findings and historical assessment. Objectively this book is quite honestly a huge undertaking that is phenomenal in crossing every T and dotting every I within the framework of the topic - being the true presence of Jesus in the Eucharist (which it is truly unfortunate that so many don't believe whole hardheadedly in the presence). Robert Barron is an incredible spiritual investigator, and after doing some outside research on him, he seems like a pretty cool and for the most part unbiased guy when it comes to his writings; what he's done for the Church in igniting this entire Eucharistic Revival has been nothing short of extraordinary.
It is not my goal in sharing my own personal thoughts on the book (hence the two different ratings) to undermine the absolute weight this book holds in success to its research endeavor. That being said, this book unfortunately was extremely tedious to read. Listen, I like to think I'm a pretty smart person academically, but wow did many parts of this book just go over my head - not because I didn't agree with what was being said, or didn't grasp the significance of it all - but just because I simply just didn't comprehend. The book was extremely wordy and often repetitive in ways it didn't need to be. Also just a couple pet peeves, don't ever start a sentence with 'And,' dont do it please, ever; also when referring to people as a whole group or of all of Gods children in general its not polite to just the 'he' pronoun. This book that I know of was written for common church communities and given out for free (as it was in my church) and understanding that, this book did not take into consideration its audience. Hardly anybody is going to be able to make it through this entire book - short as it is - without either giving up or just becoming bored. I'm not saying it needed to be dumbed down, not at all, but it needed a lot of editing to clarify and make simple what was being said. The author talks as if his audience is all knowing and researched on the many many people and writings he quotes. To fully get everything from this book it would have to be studied; no one is going to take the time to do that; which would also be particularly difficult because there were no footnotes or endnotes with the resources that were being quoted/referenced.
With all of that being said objectively and subjectively, what is not subjective is the truth of the true presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist that has the power to save us all.
Personal Rating: 3.5 ⭐
"...I tell people to be very careful when they approach the Eucharist....(it) will change the one who consumes them. When the communicant says "Amen" and receives the proffered host and chalice, (they'd) better be prepared to live an eternal life" (110).
Bishop Robert Barron presents an extremely extensive in depth dive into the theological and logistical understanding of the Eucharist through such a detailed understanding in both present and past context. I appreciate Barron's highly researched writing and in reference to not only the spiritual but the logical, this book very much comes off as a scientific spiritual understating of the Eucharist, which for many is the solid facts they need when understating the practices of the Catholic Church. While you cant have belief without faith, Barron quite literally significantly interprets most if not all questions and historical bias when translating the truth and utmost value of the Eucharist. Very much this book reads like an extensive dissertation of collected findings and historical assessment. Objectively this book is quite honestly a huge undertaking that is phenomenal in crossing every T and dotting every I within the framework of the topic - being the true presence of Jesus in the Eucharist (which it is truly unfortunate that so many don't believe whole hardheadedly in the presence). Robert Barron is an incredible spiritual investigator, and after doing some outside research on him, he seems like a pretty cool and for the most part unbiased guy when it comes to his writings; what he's done for the Church in igniting this entire Eucharistic Revival has been nothing short of extraordinary.
It is not my goal in sharing my own personal thoughts on the book (hence the two different ratings) to undermine the absolute weight this book holds in success to its research endeavor. That being said, this book unfortunately was extremely tedious to read. Listen, I like to think I'm a pretty smart person academically, but wow did many parts of this book just go over my head - not because I didn't agree with what was being said, or didn't grasp the significance of it all - but just because I simply just didn't comprehend. The book was extremely wordy and often repetitive in ways it didn't need to be. Also just a couple pet peeves, don't ever start a sentence with 'And,' dont do it please, ever; also when referring to people as a whole group or of all of Gods children in general its not polite to just the 'he' pronoun. This book that I know of was written for common church communities and given out for free (as it was in my church) and understanding that, this book did not take into consideration its audience. Hardly anybody is going to be able to make it through this entire book - short as it is - without either giving up or just becoming bored. I'm not saying it needed to be dumbed down, not at all, but it needed a lot of editing to clarify and make simple what was being said. The author talks as if his audience is all knowing and researched on the many many people and writings he quotes. To fully get everything from this book it would have to be studied; no one is going to take the time to do that; which would also be particularly difficult because there were no footnotes or endnotes with the resources that were being quoted/referenced.
With all of that being said objectively and subjectively, what is not subjective is the truth of the true presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist that has the power to save us all.
November 8, 2025
An interesting exposure to the catholic theology of the Eucharist and the idea of “real presence”.
From the outset Barron describes the doctrine of real presence as “the beginning and the end of Christianity”, a worrisome statement that (at best) obscures the sufficiency and validity of the gospel. It is also clear that the intent is to have a system of philosophical beliefs interpret scripture rather than allowing scripture to stand alone and interpret itself. Overall, I felt like it was a well intended argument that ultimately fell short because of what I saw to be an incoherent argument.
From the outset Barron describes the doctrine of real presence as “the beginning and the end of Christianity”, a worrisome statement that (at best) obscures the sufficiency and validity of the gospel. It is also clear that the intent is to have a system of philosophical beliefs interpret scripture rather than allowing scripture to stand alone and interpret itself. Overall, I felt like it was a well intended argument that ultimately fell short because of what I saw to be an incoherent argument.
November 1, 2023
Deceptively dense, so even though its 110 pages, you won't be flying through it (and that's for the best). The last 10 pages really drive home the point that is built up around the rest of the book. Jesus Christ is Lord!
March 15, 2026
A pretty strong overview of Eucharistic theology and perspectives, integrating different aspects of Eucharistic thought well - especially the oft-opposed perspectives of meal and sacrifice. Barron also goes into history well, illuminating the Berengarius-Lanfranc debate.
March 3, 2024
Excellent read. Bishop Barron is truly gifted. I found out numerous things which I never knew without expecting to. Highly recommend to strengthen one’s faith.
February 5, 2025
This book was wonderful! Bishop Barron beautifully articulated the Real Presence of the Eucharist and explained the Catholic viewpoint in a concise way.
April 14, 2024
Rating: 2.5/5
Overall, not the stand-out book about the Eucharist that I was hoping for. I found some of the arguments unapproachable/over-complicated at times and am not left with an overwhelming change in my view of the Eucharist. There were some stand-out sentences or notes that I did appreciate, however.
Overall, not the stand-out book about the Eucharist that I was hoping for. I found some of the arguments unapproachable/over-complicated at times and am not left with an overwhelming change in my view of the Eucharist. There were some stand-out sentences or notes that I did appreciate, however.
August 24, 2023
Great short read that taught me a lot about the Eucharist. I zoned out a few times but the Eucharist as meal and as sacrifice and the balance between those has really stuck with me.
September 11, 2023
Generally, I found this book to be a thoughtful exploration of how to understand Holy Eucharist through primarily a biblical lens. The book concentrates on scriptural applications and typological connections between the Old and New Testaments. Its third chapter dives into the witnesses of the early Church Fathers and subsequently into St. Thomas Aquinas’ philosophical framework. Each of these sections is fantastic.
I hate being critical of a spiritual work with such an important and good focus, for I recognize docility allows for great learning. Yet I must acknowledge that this book needs a few more things to better accomplish its core mission of revitalizing belief in the Real Presence: footnotes and strong advice on approaching Holy Communion.
Footnotes enhance trust and allow the reader greater exploration into the Church Fathers, saints, and other writers. I know it’s a short, simple book meant for printing en masse, but Holy Eucharist is the breaking point for our Faith and as such deserves all the credibility possible to bring people to it. I would also like to add that grammatical consistency would be nice. Why say “Gospel of St. John” and then elsewhere “Luke’s Gospel”? Or sometimes saying “St. Thomas Aquinas” yet more often just “Thomas Aquinas”? Omitting the Saint prefix adds confusion to the work. Origen is not canonized and thus isn’t called a saint here; Cyril of Alexandria is canonized, yet Bishop Barren omits the saintly title. Stylistically it adds nothing, in my view, other than distracting inconsistency. Another commenter named Jacinta pointed to how Bishop Barren does not refer to Christ with reverent grammar — I can understand different points to this claim, but the criticism may be valid.
To also restate Jacinta’s point, this book should have included, preferably early in its text, stern and clear teaching on approaching Holy Eucharist. The last paragraph of the work is the only place that implies a need to be “very careful when [approaching] the Eucharist.” I think most people who need to read this book also need a stronger practical teaching on the Eucharist — particularly how the Sacrament of Reconciliation brings us to a worthy state for the sacred meal of the Blessed Sacrament, and how the Mass does not require communing. We must be adequately ready for Holy Communion if we wish to participate in it. This is not emphasized enough, and it is of grave importance. Simply starting off with some basic teaching in the preface and restating it at the end gives the reader a stronger sense of understanding not just Who the Eucharist is but also where he or she stands in relation to Him.
I should also mention that the structure of this work, though good, may be too ambitious for a book meant to be printed en masse and handed to parishioners. It honestly fits better as a brief yet dense explanation to non-Catholics, or to Catholics like me who love the Eucharist and want to learn more. A better book for getting the average Catholic to believe in the real presence might be 7 Secrets of the Eucharist by Vinny Flynn, since the printing and writing is straightforward and easy to flip through.
In any case, this book still does a great job of inspiring the reader to the beauty of Holy Eucharist. I found great fruit and growth in love for the Blessed Sacrament from this book. It does a lot of good; I hope more people read it to come to a better appreciation of the core of our Faith. Though I hope other readers do not stop there.
I hate being critical of a spiritual work with such an important and good focus, for I recognize docility allows for great learning. Yet I must acknowledge that this book needs a few more things to better accomplish its core mission of revitalizing belief in the Real Presence: footnotes and strong advice on approaching Holy Communion.
Footnotes enhance trust and allow the reader greater exploration into the Church Fathers, saints, and other writers. I know it’s a short, simple book meant for printing en masse, but Holy Eucharist is the breaking point for our Faith and as such deserves all the credibility possible to bring people to it. I would also like to add that grammatical consistency would be nice. Why say “Gospel of St. John” and then elsewhere “Luke’s Gospel”? Or sometimes saying “St. Thomas Aquinas” yet more often just “Thomas Aquinas”? Omitting the Saint prefix adds confusion to the work. Origen is not canonized and thus isn’t called a saint here; Cyril of Alexandria is canonized, yet Bishop Barren omits the saintly title. Stylistically it adds nothing, in my view, other than distracting inconsistency. Another commenter named Jacinta pointed to how Bishop Barren does not refer to Christ with reverent grammar — I can understand different points to this claim, but the criticism may be valid.
To also restate Jacinta’s point, this book should have included, preferably early in its text, stern and clear teaching on approaching Holy Eucharist. The last paragraph of the work is the only place that implies a need to be “very careful when [approaching] the Eucharist.” I think most people who need to read this book also need a stronger practical teaching on the Eucharist — particularly how the Sacrament of Reconciliation brings us to a worthy state for the sacred meal of the Blessed Sacrament, and how the Mass does not require communing. We must be adequately ready for Holy Communion if we wish to participate in it. This is not emphasized enough, and it is of grave importance. Simply starting off with some basic teaching in the preface and restating it at the end gives the reader a stronger sense of understanding not just Who the Eucharist is but also where he or she stands in relation to Him.
I should also mention that the structure of this work, though good, may be too ambitious for a book meant to be printed en masse and handed to parishioners. It honestly fits better as a brief yet dense explanation to non-Catholics, or to Catholics like me who love the Eucharist and want to learn more. A better book for getting the average Catholic to believe in the real presence might be 7 Secrets of the Eucharist by Vinny Flynn, since the printing and writing is straightforward and easy to flip through.
In any case, this book still does a great job of inspiring the reader to the beauty of Holy Eucharist. I found great fruit and growth in love for the Blessed Sacrament from this book. It does a lot of good; I hope more people read it to come to a better appreciation of the core of our Faith. Though I hope other readers do not stop there.
November 30, 2023
As much as I wanted to " enjoy " this book .... I could not. This book was written with so many difficult words that I spent most of the time with a dictionary in my hands trying to decipher it. We did this book with a group .. all college educated and we all had the same issue. This book was written to help us understand our faith but it is not written for the average person to read and understand what we believe and why we believe it. There were some gems in the book that helped me but I really had to dig and reread and decipher what I was actually reading. I have not read any papal papers and did not have them in my book pocket to help me understand what the author was referring to.
December 5, 2023
I enjoy listening to Bishop Barron immensely. Reading him is difficult for me. I focused on reading this during adoration in hopes of improving meditation and reflection. There were many parts of the book that made me perk up, but even though this is a small publication, it is theologically dense. I may try to go back to it later.
July 1, 2024
3.5 ⭐️
I really enjoy Bishop Barron’s work. He is very knowledgeable and he exudes the “Romantic Rationalist” spirit that I value so much.
This book was an attempt at Eucharist Revival amongst the Catholic Church. I’m not sure if it accomplished that goal, but as a Protestant I found a lot to glean from this small treatise.
The first half of the book is essentially a Biblical Theology of sacred meals. I really enjoyed contemplating the centrality of “the meal” throughout redemptive history.
The last section of the book was the weakest. And yes, it was the Transubstantiation part. While it wasn’t convincing, it was an absolute page-turner. The metaphysical hoops that have to be jumped through in order to defend a change in the Bread and Wine’s substance read like a fast-paced Sci Fi novel. It was thrilling!
I will continue to learn from Barron and hope to apply many of the good things from this book to my view on The Lord’s Supper.
I really enjoy Bishop Barron’s work. He is very knowledgeable and he exudes the “Romantic Rationalist” spirit that I value so much.
This book was an attempt at Eucharist Revival amongst the Catholic Church. I’m not sure if it accomplished that goal, but as a Protestant I found a lot to glean from this small treatise.
The first half of the book is essentially a Biblical Theology of sacred meals. I really enjoyed contemplating the centrality of “the meal” throughout redemptive history.
The last section of the book was the weakest. And yes, it was the Transubstantiation part. While it wasn’t convincing, it was an absolute page-turner. The metaphysical hoops that have to be jumped through in order to defend a change in the Bread and Wine’s substance read like a fast-paced Sci Fi novel. It was thrilling!
I will continue to learn from Barron and hope to apply many of the good things from this book to my view on The Lord’s Supper.
December 13, 2023
Reading from a Protestant lens, but with an open mind
I don’t fully believe one thing or the other in terms of eucharistic theology, but what I will say is that I’ve never been forced to ponder the significance of it in respect to so many different layers.
My Protestant upbringing never challenged me to truly meditate on Holy Communion beyond treating it as a ritual in remembrance of Christ and a time for reflection. There is so much further richness to be found in the eucharist and it simply is delegated to an action we do “just because,” it would seem, as the status quo of current Protestant trends at least in America. Not to say that we aren’t sincere when partaking in Communion, however like most biblical topics, the depth of meaningful study is limitless, and for some reason this is a topic that I’ve never seen truly explored from the pulpit.
I can’t really unsee how treating the eucharist as merely symbolic is essentially gnostic
I don’t fully believe one thing or the other in terms of eucharistic theology, but what I will say is that I’ve never been forced to ponder the significance of it in respect to so many different layers.
My Protestant upbringing never challenged me to truly meditate on Holy Communion beyond treating it as a ritual in remembrance of Christ and a time for reflection. There is so much further richness to be found in the eucharist and it simply is delegated to an action we do “just because,” it would seem, as the status quo of current Protestant trends at least in America. Not to say that we aren’t sincere when partaking in Communion, however like most biblical topics, the depth of meaningful study is limitless, and for some reason this is a topic that I’ve never seen truly explored from the pulpit.
I can’t really unsee how treating the eucharist as merely symbolic is essentially gnostic
September 14, 2023
This book is a great foundation for understanding the theology and history of the Eucharist. It uses more technical terms than I think it should for those not familiar with the Eucharist, but it does a decent enough job explaining them. It’s only $2, so I think it’s a really good resource if you want to understand a core part of Catholic doctrine!
July 24, 2023
Imprescindible.
August 11, 2023
Excellent, short, but somewhat dense, read on the sacrament of the Eucharist.
May 26, 2024
A very effective and erudite explanation of the significance and meaning of the Eucharist. It definitely has a more rational slant than the rich prose of say an author like Fulton Sheen, who weaves mysticism and rationalism naturally.
I also object, not on a theological level, but on a subjective level, his uneasiness with a certain physicalism toward Christ in the Eucharist. I think there is a value for the lay faithful to cultivate a certain physicalism toward Jesus in the Eucharist, whether it be pointing out the host to a child and saying that is Jesus (as opposed to that is the glorified body and blood of Jesus in sacramental form), or whether it be a devotion to the Divine Prisoner, common enough among certain saints.
I genuinely appreciate his exegesis of John 21 and his characterization thereof of John the Apostle as mystic. I also find myself fond of the idea that the Eucharist is a prefigurement of all creation being brought together in Christ, or said in another, Christ being all in all.
I also object, not on a theological level, but on a subjective level, his uneasiness with a certain physicalism toward Christ in the Eucharist. I think there is a value for the lay faithful to cultivate a certain physicalism toward Jesus in the Eucharist, whether it be pointing out the host to a child and saying that is Jesus (as opposed to that is the glorified body and blood of Jesus in sacramental form), or whether it be a devotion to the Divine Prisoner, common enough among certain saints.
I genuinely appreciate his exegesis of John 21 and his characterization thereof of John the Apostle as mystic. I also find myself fond of the idea that the Eucharist is a prefigurement of all creation being brought together in Christ, or said in another, Christ being all in all.
July 25, 2024
Um livro esclarecedor e muito profundo sobre a Sagrada Eucaristia!
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