In the Gospels, we learn that Jesus is the New Moses. Just as Moses transformed the water of the Nile into blood, Jesus changed water into wine at the wedding at Cana and wine into his Precious Blood at the Last Supper.

What role did Mary play in the wedding feast at Cana? In an encyclical from Pope St. John Paul II, we learn about Mary's crucial role in leading us to the Eucharist, the sacrament where we are transformed by her Son and learn to abandon ourselves to him.

Jesus feeds large crowds twice in the Gospels. First, he feeds 5,000 people with 5 loaves and 12 baskets left over. Later, he feeds 4,000 with 7 loaves and 4 baskets left over. Begin to learn the significance of these numbers for the Eucharist and the Church.

Dive into the significance of the numbers in Jesus' feeding of the 5,000 and 4,000 in the Gospels. By exploring the meaning of these numbers and their Old Testament connections, we learn that Jesus is not just going to feed the twelve tribes of Israel—he will provide a banquet for all nations.

Over the past 2,000 years, how much bread and wine has been transformed into Christ's Body and Blood? The number is impossible to calculate. From the accounts of Jesus feeding the crowds, we come to know that he will provide a superabundance of his Body and Blood for us in the Eucharist.

In John 6, we see Jesus unite the Old Testament themes of manna and the Tree of Life to reveal the gift of the Eucharist. Jesus tells us that whoever eats the bread that he will give will live forever.

Imagine being present when Jesus gave the Bread of Life discourse: eating his flesh and drinking his blood seemed absurd and scandalous. How do we make sense of his words?

What does Jesus mean by "It is the spirit that gives life, the flesh is of no avail" (John 6:63)? Many people use this verse as a rebuttal against the Eucharist being Christ's actual Body and Blood, but here we can begin to see what he truly means.

In context, Christ's words in John 6 tell us that the flesh and blood he instructs us to eat will be his resurrected, glorified Body. Through this passage, Jesus gives his disciples the key to understanding the Eucharist.

When they heard Christ's words in the Bread of Life discourse, many people turned away from following Jesus. To have faith in the Cross and Eucharist can be difficult, but God gives us the grace to believe so that we may have life.

Discover more about the Passover meal in which Jesus and the apostles celebrated the Last Supper. By closely reading Luke 22 within its Jewish context, we begin to see how Christ's Paschal Mystery fulfills God's plan for salvation.

For the Last Supper, Jesus made an arrangement secretly to secure a room to celebrate the Passover meal with his disciples. Learn why this prior arrangement was necessary for any visitor to Jerusalem, but especially for Jesus in light of his quickly approaching arrest.

The Last Supper was not like any other Passover meal; Jesus transformed and elevated the Passover. In the Words of Institution at the Last Supper, Jesus both fulfills the Law and reconfigures it around his own sacrifice.

What is Jesus doing when he says the Words of Institution? He is establishing a New Covenant through the Eucharist. Dive in to discover the meaning behind these same words we hear at Mass.

What connects the stories of the Passover and the road to Emmaus? In the meal he shares en route to Emmaus, Jesus uses the same language as the Last Supper, showing that this is the first Mass.

Why don't the disciples on the road to Emmaus know that they are traveling with Jesus? And why does Jesus disappear? Learn how Jesus is turning their eyes to see his Presence not in the appearance of his resurrected Body, but in the Eucharist.

At Emmaus, Christ does not disappear: his Presence remains in a new, visible way in the Eucharist. To this day, Christ is visibly present to us, though veiled in the forms of bread and wine.

Just as food nourishes us and gives us bodily strength, the Eucharist nourishes us spiritually and strengthens our charity. Learn about this powerful reality and more incredible effects of receiving the Eucharist.

In the Book of Revelation, we see that the eucharistic feast is not just something that happens here on earth. Scripture speaks of "the marriage supper of the Lamb", a phrase we hear at every Mass in the Liturgy of the Eucharist.

How is the Mass preparing us for Heaven? Imagine the kind of joy and intimacy experienced at a wedding. The Mass points forward to the joy of a marriage celebration that is infinitely multiplied beyond our comprehension.

We, the Church, are the Bride of Christ. Just as a bride must get ready for her wedding, we must prepare ourselves for the heavenly marriage supper of the Lamb.

Revelation describes "a new heaven and a new earth" that will come at the end of time. Learn how Christ came into the world not simply to judge, but to redeem and renew his glorious Bride: the Church.

The Tree of Life in Genesis reappears in the Book of Revelation, showing us the ultimate end and fulfillment of the Eucharist: our admission into the life of the Blessed Trinity. In eternity, God's Presence will no longer be veiled, but we shall see him as he is, face to face.