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.

The eight sessions will be released a week at a time from 27 May until 15 July:

27 May Corpus Christi, the Eucharist, and Adoration

3 June    The Eucharist and Jesus

10 June  The Eucharist, the Mass, and us

17 June  The Eucharist and healing

24 June The Eucharist and community

1 July     The Eucharist and mission

8 July    The Eucharist and justice

15 July   The Eucharist and hope.

Each weekend from the feast of Corpus Christi, a new set of downloads will be available for you to use at your leisure.

Eucharist intro booklet

Eucharist booklet 1

Eucharist booklet 2

Eucharist booklet 3

Eucharist booklet 4

Eucharist booklet 5

Eucharist booklet 6

Eucharist booklet 7

Eucharist booklet 8

Week eight:

The Eucharist and hope – Fr Tom Smith

Booklet: Eucharist booklet 8

Week seven:

The Eucharist and justice – Sue Ingham

Booklet: Eucharist booklet 7

Week six:

The Eucharist and mission – Mandy Baker

Booklet: Eucharist booklet 6

Week five:

The Eucharist and community – Sarah Adams

Booklet: Eucharist booklet 5

Week four:

The Eucharist and healing – Fr Richard McKay

Booklet: Eucharist booklet 4

Week three:

The Eucharist, the Mass and Us – Fr Christopher Whitehead

Booklet: Eucharist booklet 3

Week one:

Corpus Christi, the Eucharist, and Adoration – Fr Tom Dubois:

Eucharist booklet 1

Week two:

The Eucharist and Jesus – Fr James Hanvey

Booklet: Eucharist booklet 2

Introduction:

Fr Christopher Whitehead introduces the series:

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