Dr. Matthew begins with a personal and humorous reflection on the experience of speaking at a large event, comparing himself to Fr. Mike Schmitz and joking about fatherhood and body image. He transitions into the core of his talk, titled The Healing Heart of Christ, which focuses on how the Eucharist can be a source of healing for anxiety and depression. He shares a poignant story about a young boy in play therapy who, after a violent outburst, calms down only when held gently and safely—highlighting the deep human need for connection and regulation through relationship.
He explains that we are created in the image of a God who is relational—a communion of persons—and therefore, we are wired for relationship. Neuroscience confirms what theology has long proclaimed: human beings thrive in connection. Dr. Matthew outlines five essential elements of healing relationships: safety, being seen and known, soothing, feeling valued, and being supported in becoming one’s unique self. These relational needs, when unmet, often lead to emotional struggles like anxiety and depression, as people seek to numb, avoid, or perform to feel worthy.
Dr. Matthew emphasizes that true healing doesn’t necessarily mean the absence of all pain, but the freedom to love and be loved as God created us to. This is where the Eucharist plays a central role. In it, Christ meets us personally—offering perfect love, safety, presence, and healing. The Eucharist is not static; it is a dynamic, living encounter in which Christ gives himself completely. Dr. Matthew beautifully compares it to the Disney movie Moana, where Christ, like Moana, crosses great distances to find and restore our stolen hearts.
To experience deeper healing in the Eucharist, Dr. Matthew offers four practices: read Scripture to know the One you’re uniting with, use imagination to visualize Christ’s love, be vulnerable with your wounds, and bring this Eucharistic relationship into your daily life. He closes with quotes from Pope Francis and Pope Benedict, reminding us that the Eucharist is the love of the Father healing the orphaned places in us. Christ meets us in our brokenness, offering his heart in exchange for ours—so we may be truly loved, truly healed, and truly free.
Journal and reflect on the following -
Where in your life do you most feel the need to be seen, known, and valued—and how might Christ be gently inviting you to bring that to Him in the Eucharist?
Think about a time you felt truly safe in someone’s presence. How did that experience help you heal or grow? How can you seek that same safety in your relationship with Jesus?
In what ways have you tried to cope with pain or unmet emotional needs through performance, distraction, or self-protection? How might God be calling you to a more honest, healing relationship with Him?
When you receive the Eucharist, do you allow yourself to be vulnerable with Christ—or do you sometimes hold back? What part of your heart is He asking you to open today?
How could you use your imagination more actively in prayer or at Mass to help deepen your awareness of Jesus’ personal love for you?
Are there wounds from your past that still shape how you relate to others or to God? How might bringing those wounds to the Eucharist begin the process of transformation?
How can you bring the presence of Christ from the Eucharist into your everyday life—especially in moments of anxiety, fear, or exhaustion?
Discuss
Song - Rememberance
Final Prayer
Loving Jesus,
You are the Healer of hearts, the One who crosses every distance to find us.
You know our name. You see into the deepest places—the wounds we hide, the fears we carry, the parts of us we’ve learned to protect.And still, You draw near.
In the gift of the Eucharist, You offer not just bread and wine,but Your very self—Your body, Your blood, Your love poured out.You wait for us, not with judgment, but with gentleness.You whisper, “Take My heart,” where the world has torn holes in ours.
Teach us to be vulnerable with You.Help us bring not just our strengths, but our shame, our exhaustion, our sorrow.
In Your presence, may we feel safe, seen, known, and soothed.Let us remember we are not orphans—we are beloved sons and daughters.
Jesus, help us carry Your presence beyond the altar.Let Your healing love go with us into every corner of our day.Speak to us in our loneliness, steady us in our anxiety, revive us in our numbness.
And in every moment, remind us that You are with us—that we are wanted, chosen, and never alone.
