Understanding the Mystery of the Eucharist

In these summer months in this liturgical year of St Mark, we will find ourselves immersed in his narrative of the feeding of the five thousand. Now because Mark’s gospel is short and there aren’t really enough segments to cover the weeks of Ordinary Time, the Church offers us the same narrative told by St John, also. That unfolds that beautiful teaching of Jesus on the ‘bread of life’.Leading us up to that sequence of readings and in preparation for this September’s Eucharist Congress, Adoremus, our parishes are offered a series of reflections to help us unfold the mystery of the Eucharist and to help us deepen our understanding and appreciation of such a great gift and Sacrament.

It’s easy to use! Invite your parish to come together – that may be your pastoral council, your extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, your catechists, those involved in adoration in your parish… or open up the invitation to the parish and allow them to grow in faith and love for the mystery we celebrate in liturgy and in prayer. There’s chance to pray together, to ponder the word of God together, to listen to our speakers reflect upon aspects of our understanding of the Eucharist, questions to provoke conversation, and a real sending out to live this mystery through the way we live our lives. Our Year of Mission allows us to make real connections between what we celebrate and how we live. As the Eucharist gathers us, so Christ also sends us out with ‘something to eat’, something to nourish and something to sustain.

The resources are easy to use; in fact, all you need is to download the participants’ sheets and the video and make sure there’s someone to lead each week’s session. How you spread them out is up to you. It is, though, a great way to reflect upon being that people of mission because of the gift of love that changes and transforms us… and them sends us forth to be that gift for our world.

You can use the resources as a group or you can use the resources whilst working at your desk or using your mobile devices. Just allow yourself to encounter Christ and to be drawn into deeper love and appreciation for the gift of the Eucharist and for the Christ who offers himself for us and for the life of the world.

You can listen to Fr Christopher introduce the series and you can download the introductory material. See how it might work in your parish and in your community.