The Divine Embrace: Why Christ Comes to Us in the Eucharist
According to the Catholic Church, Jesus gives Himself to us in the Eucharist—not just spiritually but bodily and sacramentally —because He wants to be as close to us as possible, in the fullest way possible: body, blood, soul, and divinity. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) teaches: “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’” (CCC 1374). Here are a few key reasons why the Eucharist is more than just a spiritual reception: 1. Jesus Commanded It At the Last Supper, Jesus didn’t say, “Remember me in your hearts.” He said: “Take, eat; this is my body… Drink from it, all of you; for this is my blood of the new covenant…” (Matthew 26:26–28) And He followed this by saying: “Do this in memory of me” (Luke 22:19). The Church has always understood this not merely as symbolic but as a real offering and command to receive ...