What Is the Eucharist and Why Does It Matter? | Catholicism for Catholics with Blessed is She
The Gathering Place, a Podcast from Blessed is She
Blessed is She
4.9 • 833 Ratings
🗓️ 1 February 2026
⏱️ 15 minutes
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Summary
Are we truly hungry for God?
In Luke 6, Jesus tells us: “Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied.” But what kind of hunger is He talking about?
In this episode of Catholicism for Catholics, Alison Oertle invites us to reflect on our deepest longings and the gift of the Eucharist, where God makes Himself bread to feed His people.
Together, we explore what Scripture says about hunger and thirst for God, from the Psalms to the Prophets, and how those longings are ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ, the Bread of Life.
This teaching walks through:
- Biblical hunger and thirst as signs of desire for God
- Jesus’ Bread of Life discourse in John 6
- Why the Eucharist is not symbolic, but truly Jesus Himself
- The vulnerability of admitting our need for God
- How “false food” can dull our spiritual appetite
- An invitation to be healed, renewed, and made hungry again
If you’ve ever felt spiritually numb, distracted, or unsure of your desire for God, this reflection offers hope, clarity, and a gentle call back to the Lord who alone satisfies.
🙏🏽 “Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.” (Psalm 81:10)
We’re so grateful to be walking with you in faith! Want to learn more? Watch the Catholicism for Catholics series on our YouTube channel. 💜
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | The Gospel of Luke chapter 6 says, |
| 0:09.5 | Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. |
| 0:15.7 | We have a God who has made himself bread to feed his people. |
| 0:21.6 | And he wants to know if we're hungry. |
| 0:25.6 | And that's the question we're starting with today. |
| 0:28.6 | Are we hungry to receive the Lord? |
| 0:32.6 | I don't mean just like a little bit hungry. |
| 0:34.6 | Maybe I could have something, you need a a snack do we crave him as much as |
| 0:40.5 | we crave breath do we long for the Lord because those who hunger and thirst for righteousness |
| 0:49.1 | will be filled I'm Allison Eirtley and that is what we're unpacking in our time together today. |
| 0:56.1 | This gift of the Eucharist of God made bread to feed his people. This hunger is one of the main |
| 1:05.9 | definitions of beatitude given us in the scripture, in and in Mark if we are hungry we'll be filled |
| 1:13.3 | that he will satisfy those who long for him Luke goes on to say that he has filled the hungry with |
| 1:21.5 | good things and so we look and we think about what this actually means. |
| 1:28.3 | The scripture has a lot to say about hunger. |
| 1:30.3 | The Psalms and the prophets are filled with references to hunger and thirst. |
| 1:36.3 | And I want to share just a few of them as we unpack the significance of the Eucharist in our lives. |
| 1:43.3 | Psalm 63 talks about this hunger for God, saying, |
| 1:48.3 | oh God, you are my God, I seek you. My soul thirsts for you. My flesh faints for you. As a dry, |
| 1:58.8 | weary land where there is no water. The psalmist goes on a few verses later to say, |
| 2:07.2 | so I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and your glory, because your steadfast love is better than life. My soul is satisfied as with a rich feast. |
| 2:25.1 | Psalm 42 compares our longing as a deer who longs for flowing streams. My soul longs for you, |
... |
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