Tuesday, February 04, 2025

Jesus Thirsts: The Miracle of the Eucharist, a Documentary

Out of the seven Catholic Sacraments, it is one of two that worshippers can experience on a regular basis (along with Confession). Yet, a fairly recent poll showed nearly 70% of American Catholics do not believe in the transubstantiation part. This was alarming news for the Church, but not just for doctrinal reasons (if you know your history, you know this has been an issue worth fighting for in centuries past). Indeed, for many Catholic clergy and theologians, it is more than just Church teaching. As the word “Communion” suggests, it is a way to directly and tangibly connect with Jesus Christ. Obviously, this is a very Catholic topic, but the underlying discussion of faith and tradition eroded by materialism parallels other wider social dynamics. Regardless, both the ordained and Catholic laity explain the true significance of the sacrament in Tim Moriarty’s Jesus Thirsts: The Miracle of the Eucharist, which releases today on VOD.

Admittedly, the title is terrible, but the documentary itself is much more accessible, even for non-Catholics, than a brief logline might suggest. Yes, the film’s experts ardently argue skeptical worshippers are missing out if they dismiss the Eucharist as a mere “symbolic” act. However, they also provide a fascinating history of the sacrament, including Biblical incidents that prefigured and influenced the Eucharist, including the first Passover, breaking bread on the Road to Emmaus, and the Manna from Heaven, the literal “Daily Bread.”

Moriarty and his battery of commentators also discuss cases in which taking the Eucharist has helped truly sustain worshippers, such as those served by the prison ministry producer James Wahlberg visits. He would indeed be the brother of Mark and Donnie, but the film never plays the Wahlberg Brother card for attention.

Perhaps even more extraordinary is the case of Vietnamese Cardinal Van Thuan, who spent 13 years imprisoned in solitary confinement, after the fall of Saigon. Yet, he maintained his connection to his savior by regularly performing the Eucharist with hosts and holy water his family managed to smuggle to him. The film does not mention his relatively recent venerable decree, as part of his beatification process towards sainthood, but it certainly makes a compelling case that the Eucharist meant more to him than a simple metaphor.

As is often the case, the closing statements could have been more tightly pruned, but Moriarty’s documentary is hardly alone in that respect. Essentially, it concludes with an extended pitch for a “great revival”-ish campaign to celebrate the Sacrament, which is nice, but it starts to take on a PSA tone. Nevertheless, viewers of all faiths can learn a lot of theological history from
Jesus Thirsts. Recommended for both its faith and learnedness, Jesus Thirsts: The Miracle of the Eucharist releases today (2/4) on VOD.