Elizabeth Wang images in new Westminster Eucharistic booklet

Posted 6 years ago

We are delighted to announce that 22 of Elizabeth's images have been reproduced in the new Faith Sharing Booklet that is being used across the Diocese of Westminster this Lent. The booklet, written by her son Fr Stephen Wang, is designed to help people deepen their devotion to Christ in the Holy Eucharist.

The booklet is not available to the general public in its present format, but (i) the pdf of the booklet is available online here and (ii) the booklet will be re-printed in a slightly different format by the Catholic Truth Society in March, with the title "Meeting Christ in the Eucharist" - see the publication details here.

This is from the Introduction to the booklet:

In September of this year, a National Eucharistic Pilgrimage and Congress will take place in Liverpool. Thousands of people from all over the country will come together to deepen their faith in the Holy Eucharist and adore Christ in his Eucharistic presence.

The months leading up to September give us a chance to appreciate the gift of the Eucharist in a new way. And this is Cardinal Vincent’s wish for our diocese in a particular way: "We seek to rejuvenate Eucharistic adoration in our parishes as the source of strength for our lives and for our mission, that of making present the love and compassion of Jesus in our society."

This is also Pope Francis’s wish for the whole Church: “Without prolonged moments of adoration, of prayerful encounter with the word, of sincere conversation with the Lord, our work easily becomes meaningless… I want to encourage everyone to visit… the Blessed Sacrament of the infinite love of Christ and His mercy."

This booklet will help you grow in your love for Christ in the Holy Eucharist, and it will help your parish community to deepen its Eucharistic faith. It does not cover every aspect of the Mass, and many important things are left out. Instead, the six sessions focus on the sacramental presence of Jesus Christ, especially his Real Presence in the Blessed Sacrament and its implications for our lives.

The sessions cover six themes: the Christian encounter with the Lord (“I will be with you always”); the Real Presence of Christ in the Holy Eucharist; the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass; the graces given in Holy Communion (“Sacred Banquet, Spiritual Food”); Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament; and the implications of the Mass for service and mission (“Love one another as I have loved you”).

If the materials are being used during Lent, it might be best to begin in the week of Ash Wednesday and finish in the week before Holy Week. Alternatively, you could meet for the six full weeks of Lent including Holy Week, or for the first five weeks of Lent with the sixth session after Easter. The scripture readings are not taken from the Sunday Mass readings so you are not tied to the liturgical weeks in this way, and indeed the sessions can be run at any time during the year.

The images reproduced here are by Catholic artist Elizabeth Wang, and they form a core part of the materials, allowing for personal meditation and group reflection on the mystery of Eucharist. Some of the introductory materials about faith sharing groups are borrowed from previous publications from the Diocese of Westminster.