Understanding the Eucharist
Posted on 07. Nov, 2019, in Christian Values, Church Teachings, Community, Gospel Values, VocationComments Off on Understanding the Eucharist
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Australian Jesuit Richard Leonard takes a look at the meaning of the Eucharist. He says it is the ultimate meal of sacrificial love. Drawing from his latest book, Hatch, Match & Dispatch: A Catholic Guide to Sacraments, with Paulist Press, he says that the Eucharist is more encompassing than people imagine, involving all aspects of faith including ritual and even the mass itself. However he goes on to say that not many people know or understand the full meaning of the Eucharist and its role in reconnecting and proclaiming our faith, in particular the missionary element of Mass.
He signs an African-America song, whose lyrics ask that we “Break Bread Together on our Knees” which was sung by those who were enslaved, showing how even the most down trodden people felt inspired to want to partake in a sacrificial meal.
He says that as a priest, it is an “enormous honour” being with people at crucial moments, as represented by the sacraments and that he is there “as a message of hope”.