All tagged Eucharist

Tolkien and the Eucharist: “The One Great Thing to Love on Earth"

“Out of the darkness of my life, so much frustrated, I put before you the one great thing to love on earth: the Blessed Sacrament. . . . There you will find romance, glory, honour, fidelity, and the true way of all your loves on earth, and more than that: Death: by the divine paradox, that which ends life, and demands the surrender of all, and yet by the taste—or foretaste—of which alone can what you seek in your earthly relationships (love, faithfulness, joy) be maintained, or take on that complexion of reality, of eternal endurance, which every man’s heart desires…”

Book Review: “Symbol or Substance?: A Dialogue on the Eucharist”

Peter Kreeft’s The Philosophy of J.R.R. Tolkien has been one of my favorite resources in understanding the role Tolkien’s Catholic faith played in the shaping of Middle-earth, so I was incredibly pumped to learn of Kreeft’s latest book, Symbol or Substance?: A Dialogue on the Eucharist with C.S. Lewis, Billy Graham, and J.R.R. Tolkien. And it was incredible. 10/10 recommend.

On This Holy Thursday: The Eucharist and Lembas (Triduum Series)

On this Holy Thursday, Catholics celebrate Christ’s institution of the Eucharist, or the Last Supper as it is commonly referred to. Tolkien himself held a strong devotion to the Blessed Sacrament, which Catholics believe to be the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Tolkien spoke of the Eucharist many times throughout his Letters. 

In honor of this blessed Holy Thursday, I wanted spend a bit of time today in reflection on the Eucharist. And as this is a community inspired by the life and works of Tolkien, it felt appropriate to look at the influence of the Eucharist on Tolkien's life, his letters, and his fictional works.