Just Teach Sheets – Adult November Week 4 2025

Adult Track

November Week 4 (2025)
Theme: The Mass & the Eucharist
Focus: The Eucharist as Thanksgiving and Sending Forth
Audience: Adults — Practising, Returning, or Deepening Faith

Weekly Goal

To understand more deeply that the Mass is the Church’s great act of thanksgiving, and that every Eucharist both gathers us in and sends us out.
We are drawn into Christ’s self-offering to the Father, receive His Real Presence, and are commissioned to bring that love into the world.

What You’ll Need

This sheet

A Bible

Notebook or journal for reflection

Time to sit quietly after Sunday Mass

Opening Prayer (Daily)

Lord Jesus Christ,
You give Yourself to us in every Eucharist.
Teach us to live with thankful hearts,
to recognise Your gifts in all things,
and to serve You by loving others.
May our whole life become a hymn of thanksgiving.
Amen.

Day 1 – “Eucharist” Means Thanksgiving

Teaching:
The very word Eucharist comes from the Greek eucharistia — thanksgiving.
At the Last Supper, Jesus took bread and wine, gave thanks to His Father, and offered His life for the salvation of the world.

Luke 22:19 – “He took bread, gave thanks, and broke it, saying, ‘This is My Body, which is given for you.’”
CCC 1328: “It is called Eucharist because it is an action of thanksgiving to God.”

Reflection:
When we gather for Mass, we are caught up into Christ’s own thanksgiving. The Son eternally gives thanks to the Father — and through the Eucharist, we join that divine exchange.

Consider:

Do I approach Mass as an act of gratitude or as an obligation?

What blessings in my life should I consciously bring to the altar this week?

Practice:
Before Mass, take a few moments to name three things you are thankful for and silently place them on the altar during the offertory.

Day 2 – Gratitude Opens the Heart

Teaching:
Gratitude changes how we see everything. It keeps faith from becoming routine and transforms duty into love.
The Mass trains the heart to recognise that all is gift.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 – “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
CCC 2637: “Every event and need can become an offering of thanksgiving.”

Reflection:
Even our sufferings can be joined to Christ’s thanksgiving — because He offered everything, even pain, in love.

Consider:

Do I thank God in difficult times, or only when life goes well?

How might gratitude change my relationships, my work, my faith?

Practice:
Each night, write down one “hidden grace” — something difficult that God used to bring good.

Day 3 – Our Lives as an Offering

Teaching:
At Mass, bread and wine are placed on the altar — symbols of our work, time, and hearts.
When the priest says, “Pray, brothers and sisters, that my sacrifice and yours may be acceptable,” we offer ourselves with Christ.

Romans 12:1 – “Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God.”
CCC 1368: “The Church participates in the offering of her Head.”

Reflection:
The Eucharist is not passive. It calls for participation — not just standing, sitting, and kneeling, but inward self-giving.

Consider:

What area of my life needs to be placed on the altar?

How might I live more sacrificially in my daily routine?

Practice:
During the offertory this Sunday, consciously say:

“Lord, I offer You my week — my joys, struggles, and work — as my gift of thanksgiving.”

Day 4 – The Mass Sends Us Out

Teaching:
The dismissal of the Mass — “Go forth, the Mass is ended” — doesn’t mean “finished,” but “sent.”
The word Mass comes from missa, meaning “sending.”
We receive Christ to bring His light into our families, workplaces, and communities.

John 20:21 – “As the Father has sent Me, so I send you.”
CCC 1332: “The Mass concludes with the sending forth of the faithful, so that they may fulfil God’s will.”

Reflection:
Every Eucharist is both gift and mission. We are fed with Christ’s love so that we can feed others.

Consider:

Do I leave Mass with a missionary heart or just relief that it’s over?

Who most needs to experience Christ’s love through me this week?

Practice:
After Sunday Mass, choose one act of charity — a call, visit, or kind word — done because you have received Jesus.

Day 5 – Living a Eucharistic Life

Teaching:
To “live Eucharistically” means to make thanksgiving the rhythm of daily life.
Each prayer, act of love, and service becomes part of our lifelong Mass.

Colossians 3:17 – “Whatever you do, in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God.”
CCC 1397: “The Eucharist commits us to the poor.”

Reflection:
The Eucharist doesn’t end with the final blessing. It begins there.
We become Christ’s presence in the world — His living tabernacles of mercy.

Consider:

How can I turn ordinary tasks into thanksgiving?

How can my family live more Eucharistically — in gratitude, prayer, and service?

Practice:
Before bed, make a short “Eucharistic examen”:

What did I receive from God today?

How did I respond in love and gratitude?

Weekend Wrap-Up – What We Learned

“Eucharist” means thanksgiving — our response to God’s love.

The Mass joins our gratitude to Christ’s eternal thanksgiving to the Father.

Our lives are to be offered with the bread and wine.

The Mass sends us out as missionaries of mercy and hope.

Living Eucharistically means seeing every moment as gift and grace.

Reflection prompts:

“The Eucharist changes my life by…”

“Gratitude is the soul of my faith when…”

Journal Prompts

“One person who helped me see Christ’s generosity is…”

“The part of Mass that speaks most to me is…”

“To live Eucharistically, I will…”

Apologetics for Adults

“Why call the Eucharist thanksgiving?” → Because Christ’s supreme act — His death and resurrection — was offered in thanksgiving to the Father. The Church joins in that same act at every Mass.

“Why does the priest say ‘my sacrifice and yours’?” → Because all the baptised share in the priesthood of Christ. Our work, struggles, and joys become part of His offering.

“Why must we attend Mass?” → Because love desires communion. We come not out of fear, but to receive the One who gives Himself fully.

“Why does the Mass end with sending?” → Because faith must bear fruit. The Eucharist gives grace so we can bring Christ into daily life.

Catechism Extension

CCC 1322–1332 – The Eucharist as thanksgiving and sending.

CCC 1368–1372 – The Church’s participation in Christ’s offering.

CCC 1397 – The Eucharist commits us to love the poor.

CCC 2637–2638 – The prayer of thanksgiving.

Further Reading

Sacramentum Caritatis – Pope Benedict XVI.

Ecclesia de Eucharistia – St John Paul II.

The Lamb’s Supper – Scott Hahn.

Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week – Pope Benedict XVI (on the Last Supper).

Closing Prayer

Lord Jesus,
You are the living Bread from heaven.
Fill me with gratitude for Your gifts,
strengthen me with Your Body and Blood,
and send me forth to live Your Gospel with joy.
May my life become a thanksgiving poured out for others.
Amen.