Son Rise Morning Show 11/20/2024: Fr. Frank Donio, S.A.C. on The Eucharist and the Second Coming

Catholic Apostolate Center Resources

In this segment from the Son Rise Morning Show on Sacred Heart Radio, Fr. Frank Donio, S.A.C. continues the series connecting Advent to the Eucharist and focuses on the connection between the Eucharist and Christ’s Second Coming at the end of time.

"The Eucharist is also “A pledge of future glory.” A beautiful ejaculatory prayer, composed by the great St. Thomas Aquinas, and soon adopted by the Church, provides a catechetical summary of the Eucharist. It reads as follows: “O Sacred Banquet, in which Christ is received, the memory of his passion is renewed, the soul is filled with grace, and a pledge of future glory is given to us.” It would behoove us to commit this prayerful ejaculation to memory, as it wonderfully, and simply, sums up the most salient catechetical tenets concerning the Eucharistic doctrine. We are, however, chiefly concerned here with the final thought contained in this prayer. For, Christ pledges to “raise up on the last day” those who “eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood.” The Sacred Liturgy is an earthly foretaste of the heavenly Banquet, the wedding feast of the Lamb, spoken of in the book of Revelation. Thus, the coming of Christ in the Eucharist takes on an eschatological significance, as each Eucharistic celebration pre-figures the second coming of Christ—that eschatological reality for which the human heart ardently longs, as we pray with the Church: Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus!" - https://www.hprweb.com/2012/06/the-holy-eucharist-central-sacrament-pre-figured-in-the-first-passover/

Christmas is the "most wonderful time of the year”: trees are trimmed, presents wrapped, and the chilly air signals the coming season of festive warmth. But did you know we're not really ready for Christmas without first observing a "little Lent?" Advent is one of the highlights of our liturgical year. Every year, at the end of the summer, I begin to yearn for colder days. Then autumn rolls around with the beautiful changing leaves, pumpkin pies, and the days seem to go by quicker and quicker (no thanks to Daylight Saving Time!). Then, just after Thanksgiving, we run right into Advent. Each year, it feels like we are sprinting to get to the holiday season and run right through Christmas and New Years. This year, though, I want to be more intentional about celebrating the joy of Advent and run an Advent Marathon, instead of my usual sprint.

Notes:

Learn more about Advent here

View Eucharistic Revival Resources

Read Ad Infinitum blog posts on Advent

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Fr. Frank Donio, S.A.C. also appears on the podcast, On Mission, which is produced by the Catholic Apostolate Center and you can also listen to his weekly Sunday Gospel reflections. Follow the Center on Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), and YouTube to remain up-to-date on the latest Center resources.