God Is Near Us: The Eucharist, the Heart of Life

“The Second Vatican Council says, “We ought to check out to discover a new reverence for the Eucharistic mystery. Something is going on that may be greater than anything we will be able to do. The liturgy is the summit toward which the activity of the Church is directed; it’s the font from which all her power flows.”

This profound commentary about the Eucharist stands at the center of this book by Cardinal Ratzinger. He compellingly shows us the biblical, historical, and theological dimensions of the Eucharist. The cardinal draws far-reaching conclusions, that specialize in the importance of one’s personal devotion to and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, for the personal reception of communion by the individual christian, in addition to for the life of the church. For Ratzinger, any transformation of the world at the social plane grows out of the celebration of the Eucharist. He beautifully illustrates how the omnipotent God comes intimately on the subject of us in the Holy Eucharist, the heart of life.