A Letter from Bishop Barron
Friends,
In 2019, the Pew Forum released the results of a survey of Catholics that revealed that only one-third of those questioned subscribed to the Church’s official teaching that Jesus is really, truly, and substantially present in the Eucharist under the signs or appearances of bread and wine. Fully two-thirds held that the Eucharistic elements are merely symbolic of Jesus’ presence. Mind you, this was not a survey of the general population or of all Christians, but of Catholics. Whether you saw it as a failure in catechesis, preaching, theology, liturgy, or evangelization, it was an indication of a spiritual disaster.
Soon after I read these dispiriting statistics, I attended a meeting of the Administrative Committee of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, at which I said to the bishops around the table, “Brothers, I think we have a serious problem.” At the end of the meeting, seven or eight of the other bishops came up to me and said, “What can we do to help?” From our conversations, the Eucharistic Revival, presently underway, was born. We resolved that there should be a concerted effort to restore a vibrant belief in the Eucharist and that this should take place at the local, regional, and national levels.
This Is My Body is designed to accompany the Eucharistic Revival. In this short book, I analyze the source and summit of the Christian life according to the categories of meal, sacrifice, and Real Presence. My sincere prayer is that it might help Catholics understand the sacrament of Jesus’ Body and Blood more thoroughly, precisely so that they might fall in love with the Lord more completely.
But I need your help. My Word on Fire team has made this book as inexpensive as possible, pricing it at only $2 per copy in the hopes of getting it into the hands of one million Catholics. I humbly ask that you do three things to help support the Eucharistic Revival: (1) spread the word about this book and about the revival; (2) consider giving a copy of this book to your Catholic friends and family members, and approach your pastor about placing a bulk order for your whole parish; and, most importantly, (3) pray for the Eucharistic Revival and for an increase of faith in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.
Thank you, and may God bless you,
Bishop Robert Barron
Bishop of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester
What People are Saying
“Robert Barron is a great teacher of the Church and a gifted biblical commentator who breaks open the Word of God for our day as Ambrose and Augustine did for theirs."
—George Weigel, Ethics and Public Policy Center
“One element of Bishop Barron's appeal is that he's so reasonable. He probably incarnates the classic Catholic synthesis between faith and reason more thoroughly and overtly than virtually any other living figure."
—John Allen Jr., bestselling author and Vatican journalist
“Bishop Robert Barron is arguably the greatest Catholic communicator of our times."
—Arthur Brooks, Professor of the Practice of Public Leadership, Harvard University
“Once again, Bishop Barron has produced a masterclass in catechetical instruction! Deftly weaving Scripture, theology, philosophy, poetry, and art into a cohesive presentation of the “source and summit” of our faith, This Is My Body is a beautiful gift to the Church. Absent in our understanding in recent decades has been a true synthesis of the Eucharist as both meal and sacrifice; Bishop Barron once again succeeds in drawing both identities into a unified whole. Albeit aided by his nuanced grasp of theological concepts and philosophical principles, what is most clearly communicated is his own deep, personal relationship with our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. For either the church pew or the university classroom, this book is a timely addition to the work of the Eucharistic Revival!"
—Rev. John LoCoco