I became Catholic as a young adult. The amount of catechetical instruction I received was slim. Soon after meeting with a priest and expressing my desire, I was Catholic and overjoyed to be so. Much of what I learned about the Church I learned on my own. Nothing surprised and delighted me more than the Church’s teaching on the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Raised in a denomination where “taking communion” was considered a symbolic gesture, I slowly came to understand—and relish—that something much more important was happening at Mass. This wasn’t a sign; it was a relationship. This wasn’t a story retold; it was a promise of love. This wasn’t a moment of prayer; it was a way to live.
Today, recommit yourself to receiving the Eucharist knowing that it transforms you forever, as no symbol ever can do.