Review: Your Eucharistic Identity

 

Often when I write a book review, I point to key sections or striking sentences, or I can summarize how my faith grew through new facts or translations of Scripture.  But although I have many underlined words, there is a wholeness I perceived in my reading of this book that is hard to put into words.  Perhaps that is why it is titled: Your Eucharistic Identity, a Sacramental Guide to the Fullness of Life.  And, as we know, life is a mystery.  This book, written by Fr. Gregory Pine, not only presents “that bread” or “that wine” or “that Bible” quotes but presents descriptions in such a way that you are part of it --- YOUR Eucharistic Identity is the Fullness of (YOUR) Life.

 I’m reminded of something I read about the fullness of the mass.  Many grains of wheat ground together are the bread host.  Many grapes are mashed and matured together for the wine.  And as the bread and wine are consecrated at mass, we are all present, together as the bread and wine becomes the Body and Blood of Jesus.  We are together part of that sacrifice, that offering, even as Mary was together with Jesus on the Cross.  And then we consume the Body and Blood of Jesus to become one with Him.  It is awesome to perceive, and that mystery came through, for me, through the words of this book.

I strongly recommend this book, although I don’t believe most readers will perceive the words as I did.  It’s through God’s grace that I perceived, not my intelligence.  God’s grace, His love, is there for everyone and always will be, but not all are able to accept it.   Life, love and God are mysteries that no mere words can adequately describe.  We pray for the gift of grace, to believe.

It’s like attending Eucharistic Adoration at a chapel, or during a holy hour in the Catholic Church.  For some people it is a discomforting time, the quiet, the total peace.  They can’t stay long, as some men in my Bible Study group said at a recent meeting: “It’s not who I am.”  They see and understand a ritual, a way of praising Jesus, but they don’t feel part of it, kind of like everyone else laughs at a joke spoken in Greek.  “But I don’t understand Greek.” 

But, what is, still is, even if it is a mystery to us. I believe that some readers of this book will better accept the Eucharistic mystery.