"I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever. ... Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life and…remains in me and I in him." (John 6:51, 54, 56)
The true Body and Blood of Christ
The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us that all of the Church's other sacraments and its ministries and works "are bound up with the Eucharist and are oriented toward it. (CCC 1324) Eucharist is also called Communion.
We believe that the Risen Jesus is truly and substantially present in the Eucharist -- the bread and wine are not just signs or symbols. The priest, through the power of his ordination and the action of the Holy Spirit, consecrates the bread and wine, transforming them into the living Body and Blood of Jesus, soul and divinity. This is called transubstantiation.
The Eucharistic Celebration
The central act of worship in the Catholic Church is the Mass. It is in the liturgy that the saving death and resurrection of Jesus once for all is made present again in all its fullness and promise – and we are privileged to share in His Body and Blood, fulfilling his command as we proclaim his death and resurrection until He comes again. It is in the liturgy that our communal prayers unite us into the Body of Christ. It is in the liturgy that we most fully live out our Christian faith.
The liturgical celebration is divided into two parts: the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist. First we hear the Word of God proclaimed in the Scriptures and respond with God’s Word in the Psalm response. Next that Word is broken open in the homily. We respond by professing our faith publicly. Our beliefs are stated and communal prayers are offered for all the living and the dead in the Creed. Along with the Presider, we offer in our own way, the gifts of bread and wine and are given a share in the Body and Blood of the Lord, broken and poured out for us. We receive the Eucharist, Christ’s real and true presence, and we renew our commitment to Jesus. Finally, we are sent forth to proclaim the Good News!
The Eucharist is the new covenant
In the gospels, we read that the Eucharist was instituted at the Last Supper -- the fulfillment of the covenants in the Hebrew Scriptures. In the Last Supper narratives, Jesus took, broke and gave bread and wine to his disciples. In the blessing of the cup of wine, Jesus calls it “the blood of the covenant” (Matthew and Mark) and the “new covenant in my blood” (Luke).
This reminds us of the blood ritual with which the covenant was ratified at Sinai (Exodus 24). The sprinkled the blood of sacrificed animals united God and Israel in one relationship; now the blood Jesus shed on the Cross is the bond of union between new covenant partners -- God the Father, Jesus and the Christian Church. Through Jesus’ sacrifice, all the baptized are in relationship with God.
Receiving the Eucharist signifies and effects the unity of the community and serves to strengthen the Body of Christ.
Who can receive the Eucharist?
The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that all Catholics who have received their first Communion can receive the Eucharist at Mass unless they are in a state of mortal sin. Anyone aware of a mortal sin must received absolution in the Sacrament of Reconciliation before receiving Communion. (CCC 1415)
The Church warmly recommends that the faithful receive Holy Communion when they participate in the celebration of the Eucharist; she obliges them to do so at least once a year. (CCC 1417)
Those who are not practicing Catholics or not in a state of grace should not receive the Eucharist, but are invited to join the Communion procession to receive a blessing.