Sharing the Faith with Dr. Tom Neal

Dr. Tom Neal welcomes Dr. Jordan Wood back to the podcast to discuss St. Maximus the Confessor’s Mystagogy on the divine liturgy, showing how the architecture, actions, and symbols of the Mass reveal Christ as the unifying center of cosmos, Church, and human being.

Dr. Tom Neal continues his series on the Mass by unpacking the Eucharistic Prayer after the consecration, focusing on the “Mystery of Faith,” the anaphora, and the doxology (“Through him, with him, and in him”). He explains how the Eucharist is Christ’s sacrificial self-gift that both offers the Son to the Father and draws the whole Church into that offering, shaping our lives into a total surrender of love and charity.

Dr. Tom Neal continues his teaching series on the Mass by discussing how the Liturgy of the Eucharist unites heaven and Earth. He reflects on the Eucharist as the place where Christ pours the fullness of His personal, sacrificial love into bread and wine so that, when received, it transforms believers into a life of “this is my body, for you” self-giving love.

Dr. Tom Neal continues his teaching series on the Mass by reflecting on the preparation of the gifts, showing how bread, wine, and alms symbolize the culture we create through our daily lives and offer back to God. He describes the Mass as a “transaction” between heaven and earth—where our sacrifices, works, and acts of mercy are united to Christ’s self-offering, transformed for the life of the world, and expressed in the Eucharistic prayer’s call to “lift up your hearts” in thanksgiving.

In his latest teaching episode, Dr. Tom Neal explains the structure and meaning of the Liturgy of the Eucharist, showing how the Mass is rooted in Scripture—especially the Road to Emmaus and the Last Supper—and reveals Christ as the one who orders and sustains the Church’s worship. He also unpacks the symbolism of the offertory, bread and wine, and our personal sacrifices, inviting everyone to see the Mass (and all of life) as a participation in God’s redeeming work and an act of profound thanksgiving.