7 Secrets of the Eucharist

I bought this book based solely on Fr. Benedict Groeschel's praise, and he is absolutely right. This can truly be a life-changing read, and although it can be read very quickly it deserves to be pondered prayerfully and deliberately. It is not a theological treatise on the Eucharist, nor is it a history of Eucharistic devotion or doctrine, so it is not the best place to start for someone who does not already have at least a basic understanding of what the Eucharist is all about. I would not, for example, recommend it to a non-Catholic friend who wants to know why Catholics believe Christ is truly present in the Eucharist or someone who is looking for an introduction to the theology of the Eucharist. But, there are tremendous riches in these pages: Vinny Flynn has, in effect, summarized centuries of the best Eucharistic theology and presented it in a deeply personal and spiritually charged way. If you are looking for a book that will light within your heart a new fire of devotion to Christ in the Eucharist and inspire you to share that love with others, this is the place to start. I expect to return to this book many times in years to come, especially at those times when I feel myself growing spiritually lukewarm.

I have enjoyed this seemingly "small" book more than I ever imagined. It is packed with teaching about The Most Blessed Sacrament, stuff most catholics (even devout ones) haven't heard before. It is written in very simple language, which any person could comprehend. I think it is brilliant how the author ties St. Faustina's Diary with his message. This is a true blessing, because her diary is a bit intimidating just to look at because it is so thick. Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska (Mass market version): Divine Mercy in My Soul. Any person who wants to be inspiired about the catholic faith, or wants to get why anyone would go to Mass daily will be left with knowledge and certainty after reading the first chapter. Father Groeschel was right, you'll want to buy many copies to give away to friends.

Providentially the day I write this review being The Feast of Corpus Christi the next book I turned to in my book queue was 7 Secrets of the Eucharist by Vinny Flynn put out by Ignatius Press. I had read a good review of it in the Catholic blogosphere earlier and ordered it. One of the reasons the Church gives us feasts in the first place is often to emphasize a mystery. It would be wonderful if once are intellects grasped something it was immediately incorporated in our will and daily lives, but the fact is that even with great mystery of the Eucharist of which we can never fully plumb we still become complacent. Feasts such as today's can help remind us and to restore that wonder and so too can good spiritual reading. 7 Secrets of the Eucharist is exactly that type of book. It is not an apologetic book on the Eucharist but a helpful guide on living out this Holy Sacrament. At 107 pages the book is an easy read, but its shortness has nothing to do with its usefulness. The author admits that what he has to say are not secrets in reality, but information that seems to be last to many in however they received their catechesis. I would call them virtual secrets because they are not put much in practice, but are certainly part of the Church's constant teaching. The seven secrets he lays out our immediately useful for application and he says of course the number seven in this case does not limit the actual great number of helpful advice in incorporating the Eucharist fully into our lives, but just seven he has picked out. Prominently he uses the writings of St. Faustina to illustrate his points. Also referenced are Papal documents, the Catechism, Saint Padre Pio, and several other saints. Vinny Flynn's writing style is very good and while at times he uses some of the theological terms that Church uses, he does it in such a way as that you easily know what the terms signify. This is a book that will be pretty much be useful for the majority of Catholics and I know I picked up quite a few solid ways of looking at the Eucharist that once again sparks that wonder and joy of the Blessed Sacrament. Highly recommended and definitely on my re-read list.

This is a great little book that will leave you with a deeper love of the Eucharist. If all Catholics would read this book, it would greatly increase their faith in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. The author has captured the spiritual wisdom of many great saints including St. Faustina, Padre Pio, St. Thomas Aquinas, and St. Francis de Sales, just to mention a few. He sprinkles little spiritual nuggets from these, and many more, throughout the book. It is written in an easy to read style that all will enjoy. In chapter one Flynn writes: "The Eucharist is alive. If a stranger who knew nothing about the Eucharist were to watch the way we receive, would he know this? When you and I approach the Eucharist, does it look like we believe we are about to take into our bodies the living person, Jesus Christ, true God and true man?" We should all think about this.

What Vinnie Flynn does here is to give an exposition of the greatest gift God has given to us--the Presence of His Son, Jesus Christ in the Most Blessed Sacrament. He unpacks the gift and lays out the incredible treasure that the Eucharist can and should be to each of us who are blessed with the ability to receive and adore. Hopefully the search inside feature will soon be enabled on this title so you can take a peak inside--but until then take my word for it--this is a great book!