I enjoy Matthew Kelly's books. They are easy reads and really feed the soul. "Beautiful Eucharist" focuses on Jesus in the Eucharist, and the book consists of short chapters, with each chapter voiced by a different person -- author, priest, etc. For the most part, the different chapters really spoke to me as a person who became a Catholic in adulthood. Some chapters spoke to me more than others, but overall I enjoyed this book. ( )

Nothing will transform your life quite like a personal encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist. When we encounter Jesus, he changes us in powerful and unexpected ways. He heals us, brings us peace and clarity, models how to relate with others, and teaches us the lessons we need to learn to navigate the everyday situations of our lives. In the Eucharist we meet with the same Jesus who healed the blind, forgave sins, and rose from the dead. Are you ready to discover how he can transform your life too?

Beautiful Eucharist is a stunning collection of life-changing reflections about Jesus truly present in the Eucharist and wonderfully present in our lives.

The world needs the healing and hope only Jesus can provide. He is waiting in the Eucharist to transform families, Churches, communities, and the culture as a whole. And all of that begins with your own life-changing encounter with him today.

Beautiful Eucharist is an invitation to encounter the life-giving presence of Jesus in the Eucharist so you can be a life-giving presence in the world.

Beautiful Eucharist contains twelve reflections on the Holy Eucharist by different persons. Two are by priests, one by a nun, one by a bishop, and the rest are lay persons -- or so one might think given that the piece by Archbishop Fulton Sheen doesn't include his title. I guess readers were expected to know that. Matthew Kelly is the author of the introduction and the conclusion.

The format is simple: After each reflection comes a: quotation, point to ponder, verse to live [by], prayer, a paragraph about the author, and a 'want to grow spiritually' that suggests a couple of books.

'Mass Was Boring...Until This Happened' Jackie Francois Angel wrote about the retreat she attended when she was 18 that changed the Mass from something that bored her to something she wanted to experience daily and learn more about.

'Why Do You Do That?' Father Mike Schmitz recounts how a fellow college student ate the Eucharistic crumbs left on the floor after the actual bread was shared. When he asked why, the student told a moving story about China when the Communists took over.

'Do You Know Where You're Going?' Lisa M. Hendey was blessed in her parents, her childhood priest, the sisters who taught her, her high school and college, and when she married a man who was not, at that time, Catholic. She tells us about those blessings and how much she loves the love of God.

'What I Learned From a Muslim About the Eucharist' Peter Kreeft tells us about a man named John who discussed the Holy Eucharist with a Muslim named Isa. What Isa said was very stirring. It's easy to take belief in the Eucharist for granted as one takes the sunshine and the air we breathe. Mr. Kreeft writes about what we need to do to make the Presence of God central to our Faith.

'Come Away to a Quiet Place' Jenna Greiwe writes about the benefit of participating in the Adoration of the Eucharist since she was a high school freshman.

'Right Here, Right Now, No Other Place I'd Rather Be!' Bishop Andrew Cozzens discusses the heart of Catholic teachings.

'Your Most Urgent Need' [Archbishop] Fulton Sheen explains the importance of nourishment for life: plant, animal, and humankind. He reminds us that we have a soul as well as a body and that the Holy Eucharist is what nourishes our soul.

'The Eucharist: God's Hiding and Our Seeking' Bobby Angel tells us about his thoughts the first time he participated in the Adoration when he was 17. He discusses why God is hidden from our sight. He compares children's delight in playing Hide and Seek with our pursuit of God, who is there in the bread of the Eucharist, the food for our journey to Him.

'The Ultimate Proof of God's Love' Father Eric Boelscher writes about how God has shown us that he loves us, using examples from Scripture, ending with the greatest sign of all, the Eucharist.

'Thirty Words That Revolutionized My Life' Allen Hunt starts with those 30 words before telling us about being a Methodist preacher in graduate school when he met Father Steven and they became friends. Father Steven invited him to give a retreat to some cloistered Dominican nuns. There he was given those 30 words to read to explain the Catholic belief in the Eucharist. He writes about the struggle that led him to become a Catholic.

'Why I lied to My Pastor About First Communion' Sister Helena Burns, FSP confesses that she didn't really believe that the Host was the body of Christ when she was seven years old, but she wanted that First Communion party, etc. She was a Deist while she was growing up. Her need to know the purpose of human life was driving her to despair by the time she was 15. She tells us how she prayed, how her prayer was answered, and what led her to truly believe in the Eucharist.

'Why Didn't Anyone Tell Me This?' Matt Warner writes about a book he was reading that made his Catholic faith more real and true to him (so he wasn't tempted by the booze cruise on offer). Then he discusses what he has learned about trying to pass the Eucharistic message on to those who do not believe it, and the role of imagination in belief.

Matthew Kelly's conclusion includes another moving story about secret Catholics in Communist China.

My copy is a promotional edition that was a Christmas gift from my church. I don't know if anything but the cover differs from the regular edition. ( )

This is a collection of articles about the Eucharist. Good, spiritual reading. ( )