Set My Feet Upon the Sea & Dance in the Deep

Eucharist: The Real Presence

What you’ll see this week:

A man appear our of thin air (well sort of 🙂 ).
An animal disappear and reappear right before your eyes.
A picture of Jesus’ actual flesh.

A Prank by Magician Michael Carbonaro

(Beware: you will hear a few times: ‘Oh my God’. That is wrong because it is speaking God’s name in vain. We need to be careful to not do that, even when we are surprised.)

Q1: Can you think of any way in which this prank can be related to Christ’s Real Presence in the Eucharist?

The space suit was filled with air, and the next thing they knew, a living body was in the suit.
We know that it is impossible for a live body to appear out of thin air, at least not ordinarily. Yet, with God, all things are possible.
Similar to how the live body seemed to appear in the space suit, at Mass, the bread and wine actually do change and become the live Body and Blood of Jesus.
It was hard to believe that a body could appear in a space suit, even though that is what they thought they saw. For us, it is also hard to believe that the bread and wine can become Jesus. But they actually do!

Cardinal Arinze: What Happens at the Words of Consecration

Q1: What did we learn from Cardinal Arinze?

The bread and wine still have the appearances of bread and wine, yet they actually become Jesus’ Body and Blood.

Q2: Remember in the Bible that Jesus turned water into wine at the wedding feast of Cana. Can you think of any other amazing miracles He did?

He walked on water.
He raised people from the dead.
He multiplied the loaves and fishes.

Since Jesus is God, He has the power to do anything. So, He turns bread and wine into his Body and Blood, even though His Body and Blood still retain all the appearances of bread and wine.

The Wonder of the Octopus

Can you think of something in nature that totally appears to be one thing when it is actually something else? Check out this INCREDIBLE video:

Q1: What can the octopus teach us about Christ’s real presence in the Eucharist?

Some things can be very different than what they appear to be to our senses.
God made the octopus to be able to change its shape, texture and color to appear to be something else.
Science still has difficulty explaining how the octopus does this.
If science can’t explain the octopus’ abilities that we can see, then surely we can’t expect science to explain Jesus presence in the Eucharist, which we can’t see with our eyes.
If God can create a living creature that appears to be one thing, when it is really and truly something else, can’t God also make His living Body and Blood appear to be bread and wine?

One more mind-blowing octopus video:

Eucharistic Miracles

Q1: Why do you think that Jesus gives us Eucharistic miracles?

Jesus wants us to believe that He is truly present in the Eucharist.
To help us believe, there are present day miracles that can be seen right now where Jesus has removed the appearance of bread in a consecrated host in order to show that He is truly giving us His living flesh!

What Christ’s Real Presence Means to Me

In this video, people talk about discovering Christ’s Real Presence in the Eucharist and what it means to them:

Q1: Why do you think that Christ hides his Real Presence under the appearances of bread and wine?

First of all, even though it is hard for us to believe, Jesus is very clear that He gives us His Body to eat and His Blood to drink.
Because God is so good, He gives us His Son under the appearances of bread and wine, so that it is easier for us to receive the gift of the Eucharist and eat it without being shocked or offended.

Actually Meeting Jesus in the Eucharist

Q1: What one word describes best what is happening at Mass?

Sacrifice! The Mass is a re-presentation of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross at Calvary.
Through the Mass, we are truly present with Jesus and his disciples during the last supper, at Calvary, and at His resurrection.
Since God is outside of time, He mysteriously brings us back to these exact moments in time, just like a time machine.
So, the next time you are in Mass, pray: Jesus, I am with you right now at the last supper, on the way of the cross, at your crucifixion, and at your resurrection. Jesus, I love you, I console you, I believe in you, heal my unbelief!

Q2: What does God want us to do after we receive Jesus’ Real Presence in the Eucharist?

He wants us to first thank Him! The word Eucharist means “Thanksgiving”.
He wants us to love Him and worship Him for His unbelievable goodness to us.
He wants to transform us into Him, so that we become great lovers, since He is the greatest self-sacrificing lover ever!
He wants us to go and be His presence in the world for others to get to know Him and love Him too!

Chris Stefanick: People Who Died for the Eucharist

Q1: Why would people risk their lives to go to Mass?

The Eucharist is the source of life. You may risk your life on earth by going to Mass, but you are protecting your life for heaven.
If Jesus can turn bread into His body, He can truly bring your dead body back to life.
To receive Jesus’ life through the Eucharist is worth sacrificing our life on earth so that we gain life forever in heaven.
Revelations 12 reveals the attitude we must have in order to conquer sin and Satan and make it to heaven: “They defeated him (the Devil) by the blood of the Lamb (the Eucharist) and by the word of their testimony; love for life (this life) did not deter them from death (so they could be in heaven).”

Q2: What can we do as a family to grow in our belief in Jesus’ Real Presence in the Eucharist?

Genuflect (kneel) to the Eucharist each time we enter and leave church and cross in front of the tabernacle.
Pay attention during Mass.
Pray more fervently when we are before Jesus in the Eucharist.
Tell Jesus that we love Him in the Eucharist. This makes Him so happy!!

In Conclusion

Summing It Up

Jesus has the power to hide Himself in the Eucharist under the appearances of bread and wine.
Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist and sometimes He shows His presence for us to see through Eucharistic miracles.
The Eucharist is worth dying for since we receive eternal life.
We can and should grow in our respect and appreciation for the Eucharist throughout our lives.

Promises We Can Trust!

“He who feeds on my flesh
and drinks my blood
has eternal life,
and I will raise him up on the last day.
For my flesh is real food
and my blood real drink.”
-John 6:54-55

Concluding Prayer

For example:
An Our Father,
or a Hail Mary,
or the Prayer given by the Angel to the 3 little children at Fatima in 1917:
“I believe, I adore, I trust, and I love you Jesus. And I beg of you Lord, pardon and mercy, for all of those who do not believe, do not adore, do not trust and do not love you.”