Jesus Thirsts: The Miracle of the Eucharist

I really want to like this film. It has all the ideas and concepts of something that is necessary for Catholics around the world. A message that Christ is truly present in the Eucharist and a call to action for all Catholics to take part in this source and summit of the faith. Unfortunately, this film ends up being phoned in in the most spectacular of ways, leaving behind the documentary that it is meant to be and instead becoming a 90 or so minute commercial about the Eucharistic Congress and other Catholic events that are vaguely Eucharistic themed. It's as if they took 10-15 short promotional videos that Spirit Juice and other Catholic production companies create, mashed them together, and called it a documentary. There is very little story and almost no perceivable throughline. I legitimately fell asleep 20 minutes in and had to be shaken so I could watch the rest.

It was not all bad. Many friends of mine (mostly responsible for the visuals) are in the credits working on this movie. I applaud them for their stunning cinematography and video work. There are also some really interesting places they go. The work of the Sisters of Life and the work done at the penitentiary are both fascinating subject matters. I just wish we could have had a deep dive into either one of those subjects rather than a surface level effort among 15 different subjects. Overall, I understand this was probably a rushed effort as the 10th Eucharistic Congress is less than a month away. It seems that the apparent lack of coordination in that event seems to pervade surrounding efforts. I just wish more of these Catholic productions could have more respect for their own work to see the films as more than just a means to an end. I don't regret paying as I support the efforts of the filmmakers, but the film itself was not worth the price of admission.

This movie claims to be a documentary, but not once did they feature actual footage of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Jokes aside, they did show some white actor in a robe pretending to be "Jesus." I wonder, why bother choosing an actor with long brown hair and a beard? Why not a blond, clean-shaven guy with a buzz cut? Is it because somehow the long hair & beard are closer to what we believe Jesus would have looked like? Hmmm. You know what would be a way to make him look even more realistic? No, that would be too difficult, never mind, just go with Mr. Blue Eyes.

It really undercuts your message and credibility to get such a basic thing wrong. How would we trust the meat of your message when you can't even cast the right host? How dare you change the depiction of the LITERAL BODY OF CHRIST in such a fundamental way. You've done a disservice to the faith through this film. You've allowed countless others to doubt the veracity of the Message through your utterly shameful casting of Christ. Shame. Shame. Shame.

Why do you dare shake your fist in the face of God? He was the one who chose as the vessel for Christ a Middle Eastern body. By pretending that instead, He should have chosen a white American, you might as well condone Mormonism. Is that your intent? To know better than God the Father what body Christ should have been placed in? I pray that your errors don't lead too many sheep astray. It would have been such a simple change to avoid messing with the fate of souls in this manner. I hope it was worth it.

From beginning to finish this movie opens up a door for everybody to see what true Catholicism is. So much is put out in the media about Catholics that are false and misunderstood. This will open your heart and mind and refresh your love for Jesus and the Catholic faith. It is too bad. It is only in theaters for a few days. I wish I could bring all of my friends to see it. My favorite part was seeing some of my favorite priests in the movie. You can really see the heart of Jesus through all of these priests in the movie. The stories are so compelling, especially the one about the priest who was put in solitary confinement for years. Such an inspirational film.

A beautifully filmed and powerful movie. The theatre was filled and all enjoyed this walk through our faith. Filmed all over the world in many Catholic communities. The Eucharistic miracles are explained and shown. The making of the Holy hosts by the sisters is shown. The need for this film right now is vital. Our Catholic faith is strong, vibrant and alive. You feel this from this film.

We will watch it again and again.

Perfect timing with the Eucharistic pilgrimages across the US right now. Understanding the Eucharist as the divine presence of our Lord is felt through this film.

Thank you to those who produced and funded this film.