By Susan Ciancio
The description reads: “Jesus Thirsts: The Miracle of the Eucharist takes viewers on a global journey to uncover the transformative power of the Eucharist.”
And that it does! Last week, for just three days, this film about the Eucharist was shown in select theatres across the country. It did so well that it’s coming back to theatres next week—June 18 and 19. We urge you and your family to see this important documentary.
Because we feel so strongly that every Catholic should see and support this film, we want to highlight five great reasons to see it and to learn more about the beauty of the Eucharist.
1. The Eucharist is the source and summit of our Christian life.
As author Mark Brumley explains, “Christian spirituality flows the Eucharist as its source, the way light streams forth from the sun. And second, that Christian spirituality is supremely the Eucharist as its summit or high-point—that to which all of our actions should ultimately be directed.” Jesus gave Himself to us in the Eucharist. At every Mass, a miracle occurs. Jesus comes to us, and we are privileged to receive Him to strengthen and nourish us! What a gift!
2. Christ is truly present—body, blood, soul, and divinity—in the Eucharist.
The Eucharist is not a symbol of Jesus. It IS Jesus! At the Last Supper, He broke the bread and told His apostles, “This is My body.” He then instructed them to “do this in remembrance of Me.” Now, at every Mass, the priest does as Jesus instructed.
3. Eucharistic miracles have occurred.
Yes! There have been approximately 100 Church-approved miracles regarding the Eucharist. Blessed Carlo Acutis, who will become a saint soon, created a list of these miracles. We link to them in this blog post.
4. Jesus left clear instructions about the Eucharist.
Jesus told His disciples, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day.”
Those who don’t understand will try to explain that Jesus was speaking metaphorically, but Church scholars know the truth. When Jesus said those words, many of His disciples walked away. They didn’t understand the teaching. It was too hard. And Jesus let them walk away. Had He meant His words metaphorically, He would have called them back and explained. He knew this was a difficult teaching, and He wants us to believe it on faith and because we trust in His words.
5. We must receive Him worthily.
Because the Eucharist truly is Jesus, only Catholics in full community with the Church and free of mortal sin can receive Him. (This is a great excuse to get to confession!) In addition, we must fast for an hour beforehand. And then when we receive Him, if we don’t receive Him on our tongue, we must cup one hand under the other and use the bottom hand to reverently place the Eucharist in our mouths. It’s crucial to treat Christ respectfully and to teach our children to be respectful when it comes to the body of Christ.
Many people have asked: Why must only Catholics in full communion with the Church receive the Eucharist? As Catholics, we know that the Eucharist IS Jesus. Other denominations believe their communion is merely a symbol. And it is, as only Catholic priests are the conduits through which Jesus works the miracle of Transubstantiation. When the priest holds up the Eucharist to us, he says, “The body of Christ.” He is proclaiming this as a truth: This IS the body of Christ. To this, we respond, “Amen.” Amen means “so be it.” In other words, we are saying, “Yes, I believe this.”
Those who don’t believe this or who come with the stain of mortal sin on their souls must not receive Him and are welcome to ask for a blessing instead.
The Eucharist is an incredible gift. It is Christ Himself. As Catholics, we are so blessed to be able to receive Him.
Jesus Thirsts: The Miracle of the Eucharist allows us to listen to the word of God, to witness the beauty, and to truly understand the gift He has given us. Let us be thankful for this gift and always receive Him reverently.
