Project description:
Ave Maria Press has a number of outstanding books and companion guides that will strengthen your love of Christ through his Real Presence. Books also are available in Spanish.
We can’t just talk about Christ’s presence in the Eucharist; we have to believe it, celebrate it, and live it both individually and as a community of the faithful. And we must cultivate a culture in our parishes that treats Real Presence not only as an important Catholic doctrine, but also as the most important part of parish identity.
In Becoming Eucharistic People, theologian Timothy P. O’Malley outlines four essential dimensions of a Eucharistic culture in a parish—one that fosters
reverence and unity among the faithful, includes every dimension of human life in the mystery of Christ’s Body and Blood, and invites people back to parish life or to become Catholic for the first time.
O’Malley—director of education at the McGrath Institute of Church Life at the University of Notre Dame, academic director of the Notre Dame Center for Liturgy, and a member of the executive planning team for the US Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Eucharistic Revival—shows what it means to foster a parish culture where the Eucharist infuses the worldview, priorities, and practices of its members. O’Malley leads you through discovery and discernment about how to create a parish culture where each person is called to holiness and receives the spiritual, theological, and pastoral help they need to meet Christ fully present in the Eucharist and to become a witness to him in the world.
O’Malley will help you reflect on four essential facets of a Eucharistic parish culture:
• liturgies of joyful reverence that celebrate the gifts of diversity;
• formation that engages the mind, imagination, understanding, and will;
• a rich life of popular piety and the vibrancy of the domestic Church; and
• a commitment to solidarity with your neighbor.
This book is available in Spanish
Becoming Eucharistic People also is available in both English and Spanish as a special bulk edition for parishes and groups. The cost is $2.99 each for 100 or more copies. A free, downloadable small-group discussion guide is available on avemariapress.com, also in both English and Spanish.
Many Catholics don’t believe that Jesus is really present in the Eucharist. Rather, they see the bread and wine of Holy Communion as mere symbols of Christ’s body and blood. Is that disbelief just a misunderstanding or is it a blatant rejection of one of the central beliefs of the faith?
In Real Presence, O’Malley clears up the confusion and shows you how to learn to love God and neighbor through a deeper understanding of the doctrine of real presence.
A 2019 study by the Pew Research Center found that almost seventy percent of Catholics don’t believe that Jesus is really present in the Eucharist.
O’Malley offers a concise introduction to Catholic teaching on real presence and transubstantiation through a biblical, theological, and spiritual account of these doctrines from the early Church to today. He also explores how real presence enables us to see the vulnerability of human life and the dignity of all flesh and blood.
O’Malley leads you to a deeper understanding and renewed faith in Catholic teaching about transubstantiation and real presence by helping you learn:
• how the doctrine of real presence is rooted in divine revelation and how the Church’s teaching regarding transubstantiation is spiritually fruitful for the believer today;
• how to make your own the doctrine of real presence by worshipping Christ in the Eucharist and therefore making a real assent to real presence;
• how the Eucharist, although not the exclusive presence of Christ in the Church’s liturgy and mission, is crucial in growing our capacity for recognizing those other presences; and
• the important relationship between Eucharistic communion and adoration.
Real Presence is available in both English and Spanish as a bulk-rate book for parishes, schools, and other organizations and groups. A free, downloadable leader’s guide is available on avemariapress.com, also in both English and Spanish.
All of the books are part of the Engaging Catholicism series from the McGrath Institute of Church Life. Books in the series help readers discover the beauty and truth of the Catholic faith through a concise exploration of the Church’s most important but often difficult-to-grasp doctrines as well as crucial pastoral and spiritual practices. Perfect for seekers and new Catholics; clergy and catechetical leaders; and everyone in between, the series expands the McGrath Institute’s mission to connect the Catholic intellectual life at Notre Dame to the pastoral life of the Church and the spiritual needs of her people.
Project state:
Indiana
Project website: