Catechism of the Catholic Church
§1373-1374, 1378, 1380
"I am the bread of life; those who come to me will never hunger" (Jn 6:35)
"Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us," (Rm 8:34) is present in many ways to his Church:195 in his word, in his Church's prayer, "where two or three are gathered in my name," (Mt 18:20) in the poor, the sick, and the imprisoned,197 in the sacraments of which he is the author, in the sacrifice of the Mass, and in the person of the minister. But "he is present . . . most especially in the Eucharistic species." (Vatican II SC 7).
The mode of Christ's presence under the Eucharistic species is unique… In the most blessed sacrament of the Eucharist "the body and blood, together with the soul and divinity, of our Lord Jesus Christ and, therefore, the whole Christ is truly, really, and substantially contained…" (Council of Trent) "This presence is called 'real' - by which is not intended to exclude the other types of presence as if they could not be 'real' too, but because it is presence in the fullest sense: that is to say, it is a substantial presence by which Christ, God and man, makes himself wholly and entirely present." (Saint Paul VI)…
Worship of the Eucharist… "The Catholic Church has always offered and still offers to the sacrament of the Eucharist the cult of adoration, not only during Mass, but also outside of it, reserving the consecrated hosts with the utmost care, exposing them to the solemn veneration of the faithful, and carrying them in procession." (Saint Paul VI) It is highly fitting that Christ should have wanted to remain present to his Church in this unique way. Since Christ was about to take his departure from his own in his visible form… he wanted us to have the memorial of the love with which he loved us "to the end," (Jn 13:1) even to the giving of his life. In his Eucharistic presence he remains mysteriously in our midst as the one who loved us and gave himself up for us, (Gal 2:20)…under signs that express and communicate this love.
Daily Marriage Tip for January 8, 2019:
“Fatherhood and motherhood represent a responsibility which is not simply physical but spiritual in nature.” – St. John Paul II, Letter to Families, 10. Parents, take seriously your task in nurturing your children’s faith. Godparents are a great help here.