"In the Eucharist, Jesus is not only giving us His whole self, meaning his whole person, He is also giving us his love—indeed his unconditional love, that is love that cannot be exceeded."
—Fr. Robert Spitzer
In this clip from EWTN's Father Spitzer's Universe, Father Spitzer explains the quote above, namely why the self-sacrificial nature of Eucharistic love makes it the only love that can save and forgive sins. He also explains why Jesus gives His body and blood separately in this ultimate act of love.
What does the Eucharist mean?
The Eucharist is the quintessential doctrine of the Catholic faith. But what does the Eucharist mean? Father Spitzer explains that what makes the Eucharist so special is the fact that through it, God gives us infinite love. This principle stands in stark contrast to many other religions, in which God is portrayed as a benevolent dictator whom we ought to be afraid of. Instead, the Eucharist embodies the perfect act of self-sacrifice, initially taken on by Christ in the Crucifixion. In this way, every time we receive the Eucharist, we are participating in the infinite love of Christ.
The reason why self-sacrifice makes the Eucharist so special is that there is no greater love than self-sacrifice, as it is a complete gift of self. Every time the Eucharist is consecrated, Christ's ultimate sacrifice is represented. When we receive Him, we are receiving the body of the most perfect human in existence, in turn becoming more human by participating in His love.
The Body and Blood of the Holy Eucharist
Additionally, the unconditional love of Christ is confirmed by the gift of His blood. When Jesus offered His blood separately from His body, He showed Himself to be enacted an intentional self-sacrifice.
When Jesus said in the Gospel of Matthew, “This is my blood, God’s new covenant, poured out for many people,” He is ushering in a new atonement act. Previously, the Israelites would offer up animals as sacrifices and pour out the blood from the carcass before offering up the body. Christ, by offering up His body and blood separately, forms a new act of sacrifice, which is represented every day in the Mass, producing unconditional love in the world to save us all.
