Hey there friends- Before I dive in to the topic of today's podcast I want you to think back to when you were preparing for First Communion. Remember how we all learned that Eucharist comes for the Greek word meaning Thanksgiving? I distinctly remember learning that and, in that moment, thinking, "Well, that's sort of strange."But then I quickly dismissed the strangeness telling myself only that Eucharist must be Thanksgiving simply because we are SO thankful that God is truly present in the Eucharist. And so I moved on and didn't really think about this connection until, well, yesterday when I sat down to research this podcast. You see, today we are continuing on with our series on the virtues of the rosary. We are wrapping up the Luminous Mysteries by discussing Thankfulness as the virtue to meditate on while praying the 5th Luminous Mystery, the Institution of the Eucharist. Turns out that there are some beautiful and deep theological reasons for naming Christ's true presence in the Mass the 'Eucharist,' or thanksgiving. The first thing to note is that in scripture Christ thanks God for allowing him to sacrifice himself--he thanks him! Therefore he sets as an example that when we acknowledge where we came from, who created us, the only way we can respond is with thanksgiving, and, as Christ demonstrated, thanksgiving demands a giving of self. The mass is the highest form of thanksgiving that we can offer God--and in the mass we hear the words of Jesus from the last supper, words that remind us that he THANKED God for the opportunity to sacrifice himself for us. Therefore, when we attend Holy Mass we are called to join in this thanksgiving AND this sacrifice, because the two are connected. Powerful stuff. I mentioned a few links in this episode, and here they are: All of these virtues, along with beautiful paintings, reflections and prayers can be found in my Rosary Book. If you are looking for a beautiful academic planner, check out my Marian Themed Planner. It is on sale now. Make sure to download the free coloring pagesthat will help you remember and engage with the virtues of the Rosary. Thanks, as always, for being here! Your sister in the small things. Nancy