Learn about a Jewish Rabbinic tradition in which the Bread of the Presence was brought out of the Temple and presented to pilgrims at Passover. This same kind of presentation happens in the Mass when we behold Christ's Body and Blood in the Eucharist, the greatest sign of his love for us.

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.