I have read many volumes by Mathew Kelly over I have also listened to a number of audio talks and attended 2 virtual conferences. Last years I read 33 Days to Eucharistic Glory, and thought it was amazing. This year I read this as part of Father Mark Goring’s Saint Mark’s School of Reading. There are many things I love about this edition. First it is not dumbed down. Some of the examples are changed to be geared to be for kids. Second it is easy to engage with. And third it is great to work through with family. I challenged my youngest two children both teenagers to work through it with me.
The description of this volume states:
“History and literature are full of epic journeys. Christopher Columbus sailed across the Atlantic Ocean and discovered America. Marco Polo bridged the cultures of East and West as he traveled along the Silk Road. Odysseus took a legendary journey home in the Odyssey. Frodo and Sam persevered on their quest to destroy the Ring in The Lord of the Rings.
Now it’s your turn.
You are about to embark on an incredible journey. This isn’t just another book. It is an invitation to participate in a sacred journey―a spiritual pilgrimage. It’s a guide that will lead you to encounter Jesus in the Eucharist like never before . . . and it will change your life in the most marvelous of ways.
Prepare for an explosion of grace in your life. Grace is the assistance God gives us to do what is good, true, noble, and right. And there is no better way to receive God's grace than through the Eucharist.
Are you ready for the journey of a lifetime?.”
The chapters in this book are:
Introduction
How To Use This Book
Week One: The Eucharist And The Pilgrim
Day 1 Just Passing Through
Day 2 Pilgrim Or Tourist?
Day 3 The Four Last Things
Day 4 The Purposeful Pilgrim
Day 5 Fear Of Missing Out
Day 6 Six Defining Spiritual Moments
Day 7 The Pilgrim’s Virtue
Week Two: The Eucharist And The Saints
Day 8 Mother Teresa: Spiritual Habits
Day 9 John Paul Ii: Prayer After Communion
Day 10 Thérèse Of Lisieux: Jesus In Every Tabernacle
Day 11 Maximilian Kolbe: No Love Without Sacrifice
Day 12 Thomas Aquinas: There Is A Difference
Day 13 Sister Faustina: Don’t Delay
Day 14 Mary: The Power Of Yes
Week Three: The Eucharist And You
Day 15 All You Who Need Rest
Day 16 Healer Of My Soul
Day 17 Is Sacrifice The Answer?
Day 18 The Fruits Of The Eucharist
Day 19 First, Last And Only
Day 20 Love Rearranges Our Priorities
Day 21 Our Daily Bread
Week Four: The Eucharist And History
Day 22 A Difficult Teaching
Day 23 The Last Supper
Day 24 The Early Christians
Day 25 Eucharistic Miracles
Day 26 Your First Communion
Day 27 Our Lady Of Fatima
Day 28 Until The End Of The World
The Final Days: The Moment Of Surrender
Day 29 Called To Holiness
Day 30 Holy Moments
Day 31 The Way Of Virtue
Day 32 The Presentation Of Jesus
Day 33 Totally Yours
Prayer Of Eucharistic Consecration
This edition does not have the appendix, challenge to become a Eucharistic Missionary, or the feast days table at the end. I highlighted a few passages while reading this volume some of them are:
“Jesus waits for you in the Eucharist, in our tabernacles and monstrances, and on the altar at every Mass. His message to you is unmistakable. In a world where so many people feel unseen, unheard, and unworthy, Jesus generously proclaims: I see you. I hear you. I know you. You are worthy. I am with you. I care. I am yours. You are Mine.”
“This preparation will only take about fifteen minutes each day. Here is a step-by-step guide to each day: 1. Find a quiet place. 2. Read the reflection. 3. Ponder the one idea that struck you most from the reading for a few minutes. 4. Pray the Spiritual Communion. 5. Look for opportunities to adopt the virtue of the day in your daily activities. 6. Use the conversation starter to spark discussion with classmates, family or friends. 7. Have a great day! The journey will last thirty-three days. Four weeks and five days. Each week is arranged around a theme and designed to prepare you for your consecration on day thirty-three, but also to educate and inspire you about the extraordinary power of the Eucharist.”
“Just like every other person who has ever lived, your heart longs to answer five questions: 1. Who am I? 2. Where did I come from? 3. What am I here for? 4. How do I do it? 5. Where am I going? Our journey together will help you answer these questions. Over the next thirty-three days you will get clear about what matters most and what doesn’t matter much at all. This will help you live the life God wants you to live.”
“Patience: The virtue of patience is the ability to accept trouble, delay, or suffering without getting angry or upset. Patience makes you better at meeting life’s challenges. The wisest and happiest people practice patience.”
“Whenever you are confused about what you should do next, remember that Jesus has all the answers. So, spend a few minutes before Jesus in the tabernacle or go to Mass and receive Jesus in the Eucharist and ask Him to show you clearly that next step.”
“For hundreds of years, if you attended a retreat or a parish mission, you didn’t have to wonder what the opening topic might be. You would have known. It would have been the Four Last Things. This was always the opening topic. The Four Last Things were also traditionally the topic of homilies preached on the four Sundays of Advent.”
“Reflecting regularly on the Four Last Things—Death, Judgment, Heaven, and Hell—helps us to focus on what matters most and live life to the fullest.”
“Jesus set off toward Jerusalem with determined resolve. It is time to bring that focus and clarity to your life.”
“Eucharistic clarity leads us to focus on the right things. We all get to choose who and what we care about, and who and what we choose to care about determines everything. For whatever we focus on will increase in our lives.”
“Determination: The virtue of determination allows us to focus on a task and see it through to completion. Just keep moving in the direction of your goal or destination. Determination is taking the next step, no matter how small that step may be.”
“The truth is this: you have to settle. You don’t have a choice. It is unavoidable. Our lives are finite. You do not have infinite time on this earth to pursue all possibilities. Your time is limited.”
“Every decision is a decision to miss out. Every choice for something is a choice to miss out on everything else.”
“Doing the will of God transforms FOMO into JOMO—the Joy of Missing Out.”
“How would your life improve if you could make the transition from FOMO to JOMO?”
“The First Shift: Just Begin the Conversation. Prayer is a conversation with God. Once the conversation has begun, it can lead anywhere. Most important, it will lead to the places it needs to lead to. Never underestimate how important it is to just begin the conversation.”
“The Second Shift: Ask God What He Wants. When we stop asking God for what we want and start asking what He wants, we begin to open ourselves to much more than His will. We open ourselves to His wisdom.”
“The Third Shift: Give Yourself to Prayer. The third seismic shift occurs when we stop doing our prayer and start giving ourselves to prayer. Giving yourself to prayer means showing up and letting God do what He wants to do with you during that time of prayer.”
“The Fourth Shift: Transform Everything into Prayer. The fourth seismic shift occurs when we discover that every activity can be transformed into prayer by offering it to God. You can try this right away.”
“The Fifth Shift: Make Yourself Available. Do you wish to know the secret to supreme happiness? Strip away everything in your heart that makes you less available to God.”
“The Sixth Shift: Just Keep Showing Up. No matter what, just keep showing up to prayer. Keep showing up to Mass. Keep showing up for your spiritual routines.”
“The spiritual life is not about what we are doing. It’s about what God is doing in us, through us, and with us—when we surrender and make ourselves available to Him.”
“Prayer should never be judged by how it makes us feel, and we often aren’t doing anything wrong. Prayer isn’t about feelings.”
“It occurs when showing up for our daily prayer is no longer a daily decision. It becomes a commitment, a decision that no matter what you are going to show up and be with God for that time each day.”
“What is possible? One hour a week? One hour each month? Ten minutes each day? Because whatever is possible, you should grasp it and allow the power of the Eucharist to pour into your soul.”
“Each time we receive the Eucharist, we become living tabernacles holding Jesus too.”
“Humility: The virtue of humility is the starting point of the spiritual life. It means recognizing our limitations and letting God work through us. Small deeds done with humility are infinitely more pleasing to God than great deeds done out of pride. The more you know yourself, the more humility will take root in your life and soul. The life of humility is astoundingly attractive.”
“God rested on the seventh day to set a boundary between the busyness of everyday life and our very human needs. God rested on the seventh day because He was teaching us that rest is essential for us to thrive.”
“The Eucharist is the ultimate form of restoration, and it is best experienced when we honor the Sabbath by resting. It is time we accepted this gift that God has been trying to give to humanity since the beginning of time.”
“What would happen if you went to Church next Sunday looking for healing in the same way that this woman sought Jesus out to be healed? Do you believe that Jesus can heal you? Don’t worry about whether He will or not for now. Just focus on believing that He can.”
“While the whole world is doing everything it can to avoid and drown out their pain and suffering, we are reminded each Sunday at Mass that our pain and suffering have tremendous value when united to the pain and suffering of Jesus on the Cross.”
“If you have a friendship or family relationship that needs more love, follow Jesus’ model. Make sacrifices for the people in your life, and the fruits of Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross will grow love in your relationships.”
“Many people lose friends as they grow spiritually. I don’t say that to upset you, but rather to make you aware of a situation you may encounter, so you can make sense of it when it arrives. Our priorities change as we grow spiritually, and so we become less interested in doing things that don’t help us to keep growing. This may include things we loved doing in the past.”
“What is the one thing that would change everything? This consecration is your one thing now, but I would like to encourage you to be constantly thinking about this question in relation to your spiritual life: What is the one thing that would change everything?”
“Living the Gospel is difficult; it always has been, and it always will be. This is what today’s Catholics have in common with the first Christians, and with Christians of every place and time.”
“Here’s the good news: In every place and in every time since the Last Supper, Jesus has been present to guide you, me, and the whole Church through the Eucharist.”
“Whether you receive the Eucharist for the first time at seven or seventy, that first time is just the beginning of the rest of your life. Every time you receive the Eucharist from that point forward, you have the opportunity to have a powerful encounter with Jesus.”
“One of the greatest temptations around the Eucharist is to treat it like a regular part of our routine instead of the most significant moment of our week.”
“Mary will always lead us to her Son. Mary will teach you to dedicate yourself to Jesus, she will lead you to consecrate your life to the Eucharist. She will lead you to Eucharistic Glory.”
“Why have Catholics built so many beautiful churches all over the world? I can tell you this: it’s not about the art or the architecture, though they are often stunning. It’s because we believe that Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist.”
“Sincerity: The virtue of sincerity involves being free from lies and never pretending to be someone we are not. It is achieved by controlling our words and actions with truth and justice. Keep your promises. If you say you will do something, do it.”
“A Holy Moment is a single moment in which you open yourself to God. You make yourself available to Him. You set aside personal preference and self-interest, and for one moment you do what you prayerfully believe God is calling you to do.”
“Simplicity: The virtue of simplicity leads to happiness. It allows us to see clearly the difference between our deep needs and our shallow wants. Embrace simplicity by choosing the few things that matter most over the many things that hardly matter at all. Simplicity will free your heart to pursue holiness.”
“Virtue leads to better people, better living, better relationships, and a better world. If you want your life, your relationships and the world to improve, embrace virtue.”
“People tend to emulate the five people they spend the most time with. Are the five people you spend the most time with virtuous? Is Jesus one of those five people?”
A sample day is:
“DAY 13
Sister Faustina: Don’t Delay
“Set your minds on the things that are above, not on earthly things.” Colossians 3:2
Helena Kowalska was a nineteen-year-old Polish girl with a broken heart. She had recently given up her dream of becoming a nun and joining the convent. Her family was against it, and she did not have the financial means to enter on her own.
A few months later, on a warm summer night, something mysterious happened. Helena was at a dance with her sister. Suddenly, the music seemed to stop. The dance faded away. Helena found herself face to face with Jesus. “How long will you keep putting me off?” He said to her. Then, just as quickly as the vision had appeared, it faded away. Helena was understandably shaken.
She believed that God had closed the door on her dream of entering the convent. But now, with this direct message from Jesus, her assumption was proven wrong.
Even though every possible obstacle seemed to be in her way, she left home and found a convent willing to open its doors to her. It was there that Helena became known as Sister Maria Faustina.
Before too long, Jesus appeared to Faustina again . . . and again . . . to share just one message: Mercy. That message of mercy extended, in a particular way, to the Eucharist.
During one of her visions, Jesus told Sister Faustina, “When I come to a human heart in Holy Communion, my hands are full of all kinds of graces which I want to give to the soul. But souls do not even pay any attention to me; they leave me to myself and busy themselves with other things. Oh, how sad I am that souls do not recognize love! They treat me as a dead object.”
A dead object. A piece of bread. A cup of wine. Dead.
When Jesus walked the earth, He made it clear that reception of His Body and Blood was not a symbolic ritual, but that in the Eucharist we indeed receive the real and True Presence of God. He reasserted this truth to Sister Faustina. He is alive, not dead. The bread is not bread, but the very life of God, sent to you out of love and mercy.
In her epic writings about Divine Mercy, Sister Faustina wrote, “You wanted to stay with us, and so you left us yourself in the Sacrament of the Altar, and you opened wide your mercy to us.”
Jesus wanted to stay with us. Think about that. He wanted to stay with us. He wanted to be here with you. By consecrating yourself to the Eucharist you are becoming an agent of mercy. Beautiful, courageous, loving, transformative, never-ending—mercy.
Trust. Surrender. Believe. Receive.
Lesson
Pray and listen to what God is calling you to do. Then do it completely and without delay.
VIRTUE OF THE DAY
Mercy: Thomas Aquinas defined the virtue of mercy as “compassion in our hearts for another person’s misery, a compassion which drives us to do what we can to help him.” (ST II-II.30.1)
Spiritual Communion
Jesus,
I believe that You are truly present in the Eucharist.
I love You above all things and I want to receive
You into my soul.
Since I cannot receive You in the Eucharist at this moment,
I invite You to come and dwell in my heart.
You are the healer of my soul.
Open my eyes, my ears, my mind and my heart.
Fill me with the grace, wisdom, and courage to do Your will in all things.
Amen.
CONVERSATION STARTER
How quickly do you respond when you feel like God is calling you to do something? Why do you resist God’s call?”
My son and I worked though eBook editions and my youngest daughter the print edition of this book. I hope those quotes and sample reflection give you a feel for this excellent volume. It was awesome working through this along with Father Mark Goring’s Saint Mark’s School of Reading, One week we had a guest speaker in Father Isaac Longworth took us through highlights each day of the week.
This is another book masterfully written by Mathew Kelly. It is a volume that will transform lives. It will challenge readers. And help us appreciate and grow in our love for the Eucharist. I believe this is the first consecration to the Eucharist. It was an amazing read. This would be a great addition to any church, home, or school library. This is an excellent volume I can easily recommend. I challenge you to pick it up and read it.
