Bread from Heaven

"Masterfully weaves together Scripture, Patristic texts, liturgical sources, magisterial teaching, and theological insights rooted in Thomas Aquinas to craft a work on the Eucharist that can serve as a textbook on the 'source and summit of the Church's life.' Bread from Heaven highlights the sacrificial dimension of the Eucharist, the Christological foundations of the Eucharistic sacrifice in the paschal mystery, the mystery of the Real Presence, and the effects of Holy Communion. Contemporary problems and concerns are addressed in the light of the solid foundations that he ably provides."—Lawrence Feingold, Kenrick-Glennon Seminary

"Represents a valuable introduction to the theology of the Most Blessed Sacrament. This book is faithful to the Church's doctrine; it is intelligently presented in its faithfulness. It is biblical, patristic. and Thomistic in its approach without overlooking contemporary themes and authors. Fr. Blankenhorn cites a vast array of specialized literature without falling into unnecessarily multiplying the number or enlarging the size of the footnotes. The treatment is bibliographically well grounded without being pedantic. It is also a very useful handbook for undergraduate-level courses on the Eucharist even if some of the speculative sections may be a little obscure to some students. . . . This is one of those books one can totally agree with, even if one might have a different opinion on a few, nonessential details. I strongly recommend Fr. Blankenhorn's book to students of theology and to everyone who desires to understand better the Eucharistic Mystery."—Fr. Mauro Gagliardi, author of Truth Is a Synthesis: Catholic Dogmatic Theology

"Teachers and students of Catholic theology have needed this book for a long time. Until now, English-speaking Catholics have lacked an introduction to Eucharistic theology that integrated the developments of Vatican II and modern biblical and liturgical studies with the spiritual riches and doctrinal imperatives of traditional Catholic teaching on the Eucharist. Consistently guided by the theology of Thomas Aquinas, Fr. Blankenhorn focuses on the two matters at the heart of the Church's faith in the Eucharist—the sacrifice of the Mass and Christ's substantial presence—in a way that brings out their biblical basis, historical development, practical consequences, and ecumenical fruitfulness."—Bruce D. Marshall, Southern Methodist University