Around the Table of the Lord
A space for reflection on the sacred mystery of the Eucharist, where we are gathered, nourished, and sent forth as one body in Christ.
Voices from the Tradition
“The Eucharist is the Church’s act of worship in which the risen Lord gathers us around His table and gives Himself to us, so that together we may become one body and one spirit in Him. Commentary: The Council places Scripture and Eucharist side by side as two “tables” — both essential for nourishing Christian life.
Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI)
God Is Near Us
“The Eucharist is the action of the whole community gathered around the table of the Lord, where Christ himself presides and offers his saving gift.”
Edward J. Kilmartin, S.J.
The Eucharist in the West
“The Eucharist is at once sacrifice and sacred banquet: in it the Church is gathered around the Lord’s table to give thanks, to share in Christ’s self-offering, and to anticipate the heavenly banquet.”
Kevin W. Irwin
Models of the Eucharist
“At God’s table we all become guests, welcomed and nourished by God’s own self. Around the table of the Lord there are no divisions — only the recognition that we belong to one body, the Body of Christ.”
Henri Nouwen
With Burning Hearts
“The Eucharist is not simply something we ‘attend,’ but the action of God’s people assembled, the Church gathered around the table of the Lord, where Christ is host and food, priest and sacrifice.”
Aidan Kavanagh
O.S.B., On Liturgical Theology
