The Marvels of the Eucharist: ‘Behold, God’s love for you!’

From The Virgin Adoring the Host, by Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres (1780–1867)

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Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, peace, and may God bless us abundantly!

What God has done through the Eucharist is absolutely stunning, and this knowledge is critical to know because it reveals God’s profound love for us. The Eucharist is a sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins, and as Dr. Brant Pitre so comprehensively describes in his book Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist: Unlocking the Secrets of the Last Supper, the New Passover, the Lamb sacrificed to shelter us from Divine Justice, and the new Bread of Presence, the presence of God among men, which the priests used to show to the Israelites saying, “Behold, God’s love for you!” (Pitre 121-122)

God has accepted Altar sacrifice since the beginning of Salvation History, including with Noah and Abraham. After the flood, Noah performed offerings, which appeased God:

“Then Noah built an altar to the LORD, and choosing from every clean animal and every clean bird, he offered burnt offerings on the altar. When the LORD smelled the sweet odor, the LORD said to himself: …I [will never] again strike down every living being, as I have done.” (Genesis chapter 8)

With the Israelites, this sacrifice became more elaborate, but it still atoned for sins. For the “Day of Atonement” God describes to Moses about how Aaron is to make atonement:

“From the Israelite community he shall receive two male goats for a purification offering and one ram for a burnt offering. Aaron shall offer the bull, his purification offering, to make atonement for himself and for his household.” (Leviticus chapter 16)

In the Old Testament book of Leviticus, different offerings are described: burnt, grain, communion, purification, reparation (Chapters 1-7).

We must consider that when we go to Mass, we still use an altar. And we also know that the Eucharist is Jesus; so this means that what’s being sacrificed on the altar for sins, for our sins, is the Eucharist – Jesus! We are told that the Lord “re-presents,” makes present, His crucifixion on Calvary during every Mass, so that His Passion and Death are offered to God for the forgiveness of sins (Catechism of the Catholic… 1366). This is incredible – so Jesus institutes the Eucharist, leaves Himself in the Eucharist, and at every Mass offers Himself for the forgiveness of sins!

From The Last Supper by Juan de Juanes (1507-1579)

These are some of the words the priest uses during the Mass for this sacrifice, in the Eucharistic Prayer (#2):

“Therefore, as we celebrate the memorial of his Death and Resurrection, we offer you, Lord, the Bread of life and the Chalice of salvation, giving thanks that you have held us worthy to be in your presence and minister to you.”

When the priest raises the Body and Blood of Christ, he says:

“Through him, and with him, and in him, O God, almighty Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is yours, for ever and ever.”

Mass during the Eucharistic Prayer, St Peter’s Basilica, Rome from Sky News Youtube channel

Something incredibly moving that Dr. Pitre talked about in His book as well, is that Jesus is the New Passover; we’ve likely heard about Jesus’ link to the Passover before because during the Mass, we refer to Jesus as the “Lamb of God.” The Passover ritual God commended to the Israelites while they were in Egypt was to preserve the Israelites from punishment from God– the Angel of the Lord would inflict a certain punishment on Egypt, but houses marked with blood of a lamb sacrificed and eaten during the Passover ritual would be “passed over,” or not punished in this way (Exodus chapter 12).

The Last Supper, a Passover meal, by Juan de Juanes (1507-1579)

What is most striking is how the Israelites prepared for their annual Passover, and what it reveals about Jesus. In his book, Dr. Pitre mentions that in Jewish practice, in preparation for the Passover, lambs’ bodies were treated in a manner resembling crucifixion: they would drive wood between the shoulders of the lamb in order to hang it, and would use another piece of wood from its head down its body (Pitre 63). Of course, as part of the sacrifice, the blood of the lambs would also be poured out (Pitre 72). So Jesus, as the new Passover, was also treated in this way with wood, and His blood too poured out (Gospel of John chapter 19). And again, we know that the reason why Jesus did this was for the same reason the Israelites did the Passover – to preserve the participants from punishment from God. So out of love for us, Jesus allows His blood to be poured out.

Last, Dr. Pitre discussed the Bread of Presence – the Israelites were to a few times a year go to Jerusalem before the Lord God (Pitre 130). The Bread of Presence, along with wine, was kept in the Tabernacle on a golden table (as described in Exodus 25) and always kept before God, as a sign of the covenant between God and men, and an offering before God (Pitre 123-124). Dr. Pitre and other scholars have translated the scripture passage in Exodus chapter 25 describing this bread to be bread that is a “visible sign of the face of God” (Pitre 121). The Jewish ritual performed each of the three times the Israelites would visit Jerusalem, as per Jewish scripture, is most moving: the priests would bring out the golden table with the Bread of Presence to show to the pilgrims and declare, “Behold, God’s love for you!” So, as Jesus is the new Bread of Presence, the presence of God among us, God’s face among men, we too are told in the Eucharist, “Behold, God’s love for you!”

Friends, the Eucharist is a marvel – God has done so much in the Eucharist – offers Himself silently and often with us not knowing what He’s doing for the forgiveness of our sins; instituted a New Passover where His blood is poured out to shelter us from Divine justice; and instituted the New Bread of Presence, the presence of God among men, reflecting the tender love God has for humans, the last, and crown, of His creation.

Praised be Jesus Christ, and Blessed be Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.

Abundant blessings,

Juan B

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Link to purchase Dr. Brant Pitre’s book Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist: Unlocking the Secrets of the Last Supper

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Citations

Pitre, Dr. Brant, Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist: Unlocking the Secrets of the Last Supper. New York, Image, 2011, 2016.

Image credits

1 – Sky News, Mass during the Eucharistic Prayer, “Pope Francis presides over Christmas Eve Mass at the Vatican,” Sky News youtube channel, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PsIb6stbuE/. Accessed 1 Mar 2025. Screenshot.