You may have heard that the Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life. That's very true, but what does it mean? And how does it help us on the spiritual battlefield? Though it may seem simple—bread and wine become Christ's Body and Blood—the Eucharist is an inexhaustible mystery. Here, we'll cover just three aspects of the Blessed Sacrament.
First, the Eucharist is our point of contact with Christ's victory on the Cross. (We'll focus on the Cross more intently during Holy Week.) When he offered himself as a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving to the Father, he defeated sin, death, and the Devil once and for all. Whenever the Eucharist is celebrated, we are mystically present at Calvary. We may not be able to see our Savior hanging on the Cross, but it is happening right in front of us. Of course, Jesus died only once, but his eternal sacrifice is made present to us in the Mass, allowing us to participate directly in Christ's victory over our spiritual enemies.
