Bishop James S. Wall of the Diocese of Gallup, N.M., recently released an online apostolic exhortation titled "Sacra Mysteria Venerari” (“Venerable Sacred Mysteries”), in which he opines on the nature of the Sacrament of the Eucharist.

“'To revere the sacred mysteries of Your Body and Blood,'” he said in the release. “This is what Saint Thomas Aquinas asks of the Lord Jesus in his collect prayer for the great feast of Corpus Christi. This oration summarizes in a few words what should be the great desire of our hearts: to adore Christ in the Eucharist—there through Christ to worship the Father ‘in spirit and in truth,’” a line taken from John 4:23-24.

Wall described the nature of the Sacrament of the Eucharist as "a prelude to heavenly worship itself," the release stated. The true presence of Christ in the Eucharist is at the center of the Church's teaching or, as the Catechism puts it, “source and summit of the Christian life.”

The exhortation takes three parts: the meaning of the Incarnation, understanding the Eucharist as the Body of Christ, and understanding how the Eucharist fits in with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

Wall also commented on the Incarnation and the mystery of John 1:14, which reads: "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only-begotten Son from the Father.” John's Gospel describes the Catholic dogma that God became man for our salvation. Wall noted that "the Father sent the Son to take on our human nature by assuming it unto His Divine Personhood." 

Catholics question the Incarnation for the sole purpose of wondering why God would become man. Walls' answer: "The Creator becomes a creature, so as to show creatures the way back to the Creator." Wall explained the many answers to this question given by scripture. Christ became man not only to save from sin, but to remain with humanity according to Matthew's Gospel: “Behold, I am with you always, to the close of the age” (Matthew 28:20). He remains with humanity through the Blessed Sacrament. 

An understanding of the Eucharist as the body and blood of Christ comes directly from Christ's words in the Gospel: “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you" (John 6:53); Wall said. The fullness of the Christian life is found in receiving the Eucharist while at the same time meditating upon the True Presence.

"The memorial of the Eucharist at Mass represents the sacrifice of Jesus to us, now in an unbloodied way, upon the altar," Wall said in reference to the true presence at Mass. Mass is the "high point" of the Catholic faith; for at Mass, Christ becomes available to His people in the way he promised: through his flesh and blood that was sacrificed for the salvation of humanity. 

Wall emphasized the importance of fully participating in Mass; which includes being prepared to receive Holy Communion (fasting for one hour before and being in the state of grace), offering thanks after receiving, and fulfilling the Sunday obligation every week.

"In this way, our lives become shaped by the Eucharist, and we move from one Mass to another, from one Communion to the next, each time being strengthened and renewed by His Body and Blood,” Wall summed up.