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| See also EUCHARIST AS SACRIFICE, EUCHARIST AS SACRAMENT, and REAL PRESENCE.The name given to the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar in its twofold aspect of sacrament and Sacrifice of Mass, and in which Jesus Christ is truly present under the bread and wine.This extensive nomenclature, describing the great mystery from such different points of view, is in itself sufficient proof of the central position the Eucharist has occupied from the earliest ages, both in the Divine worship and services of the Church and in the life of faith and devotion which animates her members.The Church honors the Eucharist as one of her most exalted mysteries, since for sublimity and incomprehensibility it yields in nothing to the allied mysteries of the Trinity and Incarnation.The organic connection of this mysterious triad is clearly discerned, if we consider Divine grace under the aspect of a personal communication of God.Eucharistic Species, He might deliver Himself to His Church, who, as a tender mother, mystically cares for and nurtures in her own bosom this, her greatest treasure, and daily places it before her children as the spiritual food of their souls.Thus the Trinity, Incarnation, and Eucharist are really welded together like a precious chain, which in a wonderful manner links heaven with earth, God with man, uniting them most intimately and keeping them thus united.By the very fact that the Eucharistic mystery does transcend reason, no rationalistic explanation of it, based on a merely natural hypothesis and seeking to comprehend one of the sublimest truths of the Christian religion as the spontaneous conclusion of logical processes, may be attempted by a Catholic theologian.What we do particularly discover is a new proof of the reasonableness of the Catholic religion, from the circumstance that Jesus Christ in a wonderfully condescending manner responds to the natural craving of the human heart after a food which nourishes unto immortality, a craving expressed in many pagan religions, by dispensing to mankind His own Flesh and Blood.All that is beautiful, all that is true in the religions of nature, Christianity has appropriated to itself, and like a concave mirror has collected the dispersed and not infrequently distorted rays of truth into their common focus and again sent them forth resplendently in perfect beams of light.Consequently, it is the first duty of Catholics to adhere to what the Church proposes as the "proximate norm of faith" (regula fidei proxima), which, in reference to the Eucharist, is set forth in a particularly clear and detailed manner in Sessions XIII, XXI, and XXII of the Council of Trent.Publication information Written by J.Hosted by Trinity Consulting.Since Christ is present under the appearances of bread and wine in a sacramental way, the Blessed Eucharist is unquestionably a sacrament of the Church.Indeed, in the Eucharist the definition of a Christian sacrament as "an outward sign of an inward grace instituted by Christ" is verified.The question may eventually be reduced to this whether or not the sacramentality is to be sought for in the Eucharistic species or in the Body and Blood of Christ hidden beneath them.The species undoubtedly belong to the essence of the sacrament, since it is by means of them, and not by means of the invisible Body of Christ, that the Eucharist possesses the outward sign of the sacrament.Equally certain is it, that the Body and the Blood of Christ belong to the concept of the essence, because it is not the mere unsubstantial appearances which are given for the food of our souls but Christ concealed beneath the appearances.The twofold number of the Eucharistic elements of bread and wine does not interfere with the unity of the sacrament; for the idea of refection embraces both eating and drinking, nor do our meals in consequence double their number.In the doctrine of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, there is a question of even higher relation, in that the separated species of bread and wine also represent the mystical separation of Christ's Body and Blood or the unbloody Sacrifice of the Eucharistic Lamb.The Sacrament of the Altar may be regarded under the same aspects as the other sacraments, provided only it be ever kept in view that the Eucharist is a permanent sacrament.In regard to the persons concerned, we distinguish between the minister of the Eucharist and its recipient or subject.The Matter or Eucharistic Elements
There are two Eucharistic elements, bread and wine, which constitute the remote matter of the Sacrament of the Altar, while the proximate matter can be none other than the Eucharistic appearances under which the Body and Blood of Christ are truly present.The first element is wheaten bread (panis triticeus), without which the "confection of the Sacrament does not take place" (Missale Romanum: De defectibus, sect.By leavened bread (fermentum, zymos) is meant such wheaten bread as requires leaven or yeast in its preparation and baking, while unleavened bread (azyma, azymon) is formed from a mixture of wheaten flour and water, which has been kneaded to dough and then baked.East "sometimes", therefore not as a rule, made use of leavened bread in their Liturgy.Besides, there is considerable force in the theological argument that the fermenting process with yeast and other leaven, does not affect the substance of the bread, but merely its quality.Paul (1 Corinthians 5:8) to keep the Pasch not with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth".The second Eucharistic element required is wine of the grape (vinum de vite).The necessity of wine of the grape is not so much the result of the authoritative decision of the Church, as it is presupposed by her (Council of Trent, Sess."Texte und Untersuchungen", new series, VII, 2 (1891), 115 sqq."Do this for a commemoration of me", He commanded the Apostles to follow His example.It is true, that Pope Innocent III (De Sacro altaris myst.Not many theologians, however, followed him in this regard, among the few being Ambrose Catharinus, Cheffontaines, and Hoppe, by far the greater number preferring to stand by the unanimous testimony of the Fathers.Were the Greeks justified in maintaining this position, the immediate result would be, that the Latins who have no such thing as the Epiklesis in their present Liturgy, would possess neither the true Sacrifice of the Mass nor the Holy Eucharist.V, ii, 3), Gregory of Nyssa (Or.Institution have been pronounced, supreme homage and adoration are due to the Holy Eucharist, even though the famous Epiklesis follows some time after.We may in fact go a step farther and assert, that the words of Institution constitute the only and wholly adequate form of the Eucharist and that, consequently, the words of the Epiklesis possess no inherent consecratory value.Though this opinion cannot be condemned as erroneous in faith, since it allows to the words of Institution their essential, though partial, consecratory value, appears nevertheless to be intrinsically repugnant.Take, for instance, the Epiklesis of the Ethiopian Liturgy: "We implore and beseech Thee, O Lord, to send forth the Holy Spirit and His Power upon this Bread and Chalice and convert them into the Body and Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ."Two explanations have been suggested which, however, can be merged in one.Consecrator as in the allied mystery of the Incarnation.Since, however, because of the brevity of the actual instant of conversion, the part taken by the Holy Spirit could not be expressed, the Epiklesis takes us back in imagination to the precious moment and regards the Consecration as just about to occur.Yet since much more is contained in the plain words than this true and deep mysticism, it is desirable to combine both explanations into one, and so we regard the Epiklesis, both in point of liturgy and of time, as the significant connecting link, placed midway between the Consecration and the Communion in order to emphasize the part taken by the Holy Spirit in the Consecration of bread and wine, and, on the other hand, with the help of the same Holy Spirit to obtain the realization of the true Presence of the Body and Blood of Christ by their fruitful effects on both priest and people.The Effects of the Holy Eucharist
The doctrine of the Church regarding the effects or the fruits of Holy Communion centres around two ideas: (a) the union with Christ by love and (b) the spiritual repast of the soul.The union with Christ by love
The first and principal effect of the Holy Eucharist is union with Christ by love (Decr.He alone can properly estimate the precious boon which Catholics possess in the Holy Eucharist, who knows how to ponder these ideas of Holy Communion to their utmost depth.And so the Communion of Saints is not merely an ideal union by faith and grace, but an eminently real union, mysteriously constituted, maintained, and guaranteed by partaking in common of one and the same Christ.The spiritual repast of the soul
A second fruit of this union with Christ by love is an increase of sanctifying grace in the soul of the worthy communicant.Here let it be remarked at the outset, that the Holy Eucharist does not per se constitute a person in the state of grace as do the sacraments of the dead (baptism and penance), but presupposes such a state.It is as impossible for the soul in the state of mortal sin to receive this Heavenly Bread with profit, as it is for a corpse to assimilate food and drink.Hence the Council of Trent (Sess.Luther and Calvin, purposely defined, that the "chief fruit of the Eucharist does not consist in the forgiveness of sins".For though Christ said of the Chalice: "This is my blood of the new testament, which shall be shed for many unto remission of sins" (Matthew 26:28), He had in view an effect of the sacrifice, not of the sacrament; for He did not say that His Blood would be drunk unto remission of sins, but shed for that purpose.It is for this very reason that St.Communion nor a lack of imperfect contrition (attritio), which would altogether hinder the justifying effect of the sacrament, theologians incline to the opinion, that in such exceptional cases the Eucharist can restore the soul to the state of grace, but all without exception deny the possibility of the reviviscence of a sacrilegious or unfruitful Communion after the restoration of the soul's proper moral condition has been effected, the Eucharist being different in this respect from the sacraments which imprint a character upon the soul (baptism, confirmation, and Holy orders).Although both may occur as the result of a special grace, its true nature is manifested in a certain cheerful and willing fervor in all that regards Christ and His Church, and in the conscious fulfillment of the duties of one's state of life, a disposition of soul which is perfectly compatible with interior desolation and spiritual dryness.Forgiveness of venial sin and preservation from mortal sin
Though Holy Communion does not per se remit mortal sin, it has nevertheless the third effect of "blotting out venial sin and preserving the soul from mortal sin" (Council of Trent, Sess.The Holy Eucharist is not merely a food, but a medicine as well.The destruction of venial sin and of all affection to it, is readily understood on the basis of the two central ideas mentioned above.As a union based upon love, the Holy Eucharist cleanses with its purifying flame the smallest stains which adhere to the soul, and at the same time serves as an effective prophylactic against grievous sin.It only remains for us to ascertain with clearness the manner in which this preservative influence against relapse into mortal sin is exerted.Therefore it is that spiritual writers recommend frequent Communion as the most effective remedy against impurity, since its powerful influence is felt even after other means have proved unavailing (cf.Whether or not the Holy Eucharist is directly conducive to the remission of the temporal punishment due to sin, is disputed by St.Thomas (III:79:5), since the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar was not instituted as a means of satisfaction; it does, however, produce an indirect effect in this regard, which is proportioned to the communicant's love and devotion.The pledge of our resurrection
As a last effect we may mention that the Eucharist is the "pledge of our glorious resurrection and eternal happiness" (Council of Trent, Sess.Christ: "He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood, hath everlasting life: and I will raise him up on the last day."Hence the chief reason why the ancient Fathers, as Ignatius (Ephes.IV, xviii, 4), and Tertullian (De resurr.There can be nothing incongruous or improper in the fact that the body also shares in this effect of Communion, since by its physical contact with the Eucharist species, and hence (indirectly) with the living Flesh of Christ, it acquires a moral right to its future resurrection, even as the Blessed Mother of God, inasmuch as she was the former abode of the Word made flesh, acquired a moral claim to her own bodily assumption into heaven.Now the Council of Trent under pain of anathema, solemnly rejects such a necessity (Sess.Church of giving Holy Communion to children was not based upon the erroneous belief of its necessity to salvation, but upon the circumstances of the times (Sess.Paul's teaching (Romans 8:1) there is "no condemnation" for those who have been baptized, every child that dies in its baptismal innocence, even without Communion, must go straight to heaven.Augustine, who from the universal custom of the Communion of children drew the conclusion of its necessity for salvation (see COMMUNION OF CHILDREN).Neither supposition is correct.Not the first, for the simple reason that the Blessed Eucharist, being a sacrament of the living, presupposes the state of sanctifying grace; not the second, because in case of necessity, such as might arise, e.Eucharistic graces may be supplied by actual graces.It is only when viewed in this light that we can understand how the primitive Church, without going counter to the Divine command, withheld the Eucharist from certain sinners even on their deathbeds.Eucharist, if not absolutely necessary, is at least a relatively and morally necessary means to salvation, in the sense that no adult can long sustain his spiritual, supernatural life who neglects on principle to approach Holy Communion.This view is supported, not only by the solemn and earnest words of Christ, when He Promised the Eucharist, and by the very nature of the sacrament as the spiritual food and medicine of our souls, but also by the fact of the helplessness and perversity of human nature and by the daily experience of confessors and directors of souls.Communion is noticeable since the fourth century."So live that you may receive every day."Thomas (III:80:10) ascribed this ordinance chiefly to the "reign of impiety and the growing cold of charity".The precept of the yearly paschal Communion was solemnly reiterated by the Council of Trent (Sess.Francis de Sales and St.This rigorism was condemned by Pope Alexander VIII (7 Dec.The Minister of the Eucharist
The Eucharist being a permanent sacrament, and the confection (confectio) and the reception (susceptio) thereof being separated from each other by an interval of time, the minister may be and in fact is twofold: (a) the minister of consecration and (b) the minister of administration.Church, has the power of consecrating this sacrament".Rejecting the hierarchical distinction between the priesthood and the laity, Luther later on declared, in accord with his idea of a "universal priesthood" (cf.Peter 2:5), that every layman was qualified, as the appointed representative of the faithful, to consecrate the Sacrament of the Eucharist.The Council of Trent opposed this teaching of Luther, and not only confirmed anew the existence of a "special priesthood" (Sess.We learn from the writings of Justin, Origen, Cyprian, Augustine, and others, as well as from the most ancient Liturgies, that it was always the bishops and priests, and they alone, who appeared as the property constituted celebrants of the Eucharistic Mysteries, and that the deacons merely acted as assistants in these functions, while the faithful participated passively therein.Holy Sacrifice shall not receive the Body of the Lord from the hands of those who have no such power of offering", because such a practice is contrary to "rule and custom".The minster of administration
The dogmatic interest which attaches to the minister of administration or distribution is not so great, for the reason that the Eucharist being a permanent sacrament, any communicant having the proper dispositions could receive it validly, whether he did so from the hand of a priest, or layman, or woman.In this matter the Church alone has the right to decide, and her regulations regarding the Communion rite may vary according to the circumstances of the times.In ancient Christian times it was customary for the faithful to take the Blessed Sacrament to their homes and Communicate privately, a practice (Tertullian, Ad uxor.Up to the ninth century, it was usual for the priest to place the Sacred Host in the right hand of the recipient, who kissed it and then transferred it to his own mouth; women, from the fourth century onward, were required in this ceremony to have a cloth wrapped about their right hand.According to a decision of the Sacred Congregation of Rites (25 Feb.Holy Communion only in case of necessity and with the approval of his bishop or his pastor.Abhandlungen und Untersuchungen", Paderborn, 1897, I, pp.Quartalschrift", Linz, 1906, LIX, 95 sqq.The Recipient of the Eucharist
The two conditions of objective capacity (capacitas, aptitudo) and subjective worthiness (dignitas) must be carefully distinguished.The first requisite of aptitude or capacity is that the recipient be a "human being", since it was for mankind only that Christ instituted this Eucharistic food of souls and commanded its reception.Exaggerating the Eucharist's necessity as a means to salvation, Rosmini advanced the untenable opinion that at the moment of death this heavenly food is supplied in the next world to children who had just departed this life, and that Christ could have given Himself in Holy Communion to the holy souls in Limbo, in order to "render them apt for the vision of God".Later synods, as those of Auxerre (578) and the Trullan (692), took very energetic measures to put a stop to a custom so difficult to eradicate.Jew or Mohammedan might, indeed, materially receive the Sacred Host, but there could be no question in this case of a sacramental reception, even though by a perfect act of contrition or of the pure love of God he had put himself in the state of sanctifying grace.Hence in the Early Church the catechumens were strictly excluded from the Eucharist.Transcribed by Charles Sweeney, SJ.Catholics believe the Eucharist, or Communion, is both a sacrifice
and a meal.We believe in the real presence of Jesus, who died for our sins.Christ's Body and Blood, we also are nourished spiritually and brought closer
to God.What does the Eucharist mean to you?Click here to share your
reflection with us!We'll post selected responses in this feature.As the Year of the Eucharist came to an end, 10 of our readers revealed how their lives
were changed by the Body of Christ.Home Meal Prayer CardCelebrate the Year of the Eucharist with a Home Meal Prayer card, including opening and closing prayers as well as intentions for every day of the week.Inspirational Stories of the Eucharist
by Sister Patricia Proctor, O.The Sacrament of the Eucharist:
What Has Happened to My Devotion?How does the Eucharist
help us become the Body of Christ?Is Jesus really present
in the Eucharist?Web Site from the Franciscans and St.For other uses, see Eucharist.Eucharist in the Catholic Church refers to both the celebration of the Mass, that is the Eucharistic Liturgy, and the consecrated bread and wine which according to the faith become the body and blood of Christ.Blessed Sacrament is a devotional term used in the Roman Catholic Church to refer to the Eucharistic species (the Body and Blood of Christ).Sacrament
In the teaching of the Catholic Church, the Eucharist is one of the seven sacraments, and is commonly referred to as "the Blessed Sacrament".The Institution of the Eucharist is one of the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary.Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Christ (called the Paschal Mystery), understood in the fullest sense that it has in Biblical tradition.The Eucharist is therefore understood to be not simply a representation of Christ's presence, or a remembrance of his Passion and Death, but an actual participation in the Sacrifice of Christ, the manifestation in the present, of an event that occurred once for all in time.The Eucharist makes present that one sacrifice, not a different sacrifice.But all the ancient Churches of the East (the Eastern Orthodox Church, Oriental Orthodoxy, and the Assyrian Church of the East) believe, as the Catholic Church does, that in the Eucharist the bread and wine do become the body and blood of Christ.According to John, Jesus did not tone down these sayings, even when many of his disciples abandoned him (6:66), shocked at the idea.Saint Paul implied an identity between the apparent bread and wine of the Eucharist and the body and blood of Christ, when he wrote: "Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord" (1 Corinthians 11:27).Early Christianity observed a ritual meal known as the "agape feast" held on Sundays which became known as the Day of the Lord, to recall the resurrection, the appearance of Christ to the disciples on the road to Emmaus, the appearance to Thomas and the Pentecost which all took place on Sundays after the Passion.Agape is one of the Greek words for love, and refers to the "divine" type of love, rather than mere human forms of love.Justin the Martyr records that, in his time, the rituals already were closely described.These meals and subsequent Eucharistic rituals evolved into more formal worship services, which became known as the Mass in the West and as the Divine Liturgy in the East.The word Eucharist is from the Greek word eucharistia, which means thanksgiving.Catholics typically restrict the term 'communion' to the reception of the Body and Blood of Christ by the communicants during the celebration of the Mass and to the communion of saints in which receiving the Eucharist comes fully present.Ambrose of Milan countered objections to the doctrine, writing "You may perhaps say: 'My bread is ordinary.The earliest known use, in about 1079, of the term "transubstantiation" to describe the change from bread and wine to body and blood of Christ was by Hildebert de Savardin, Archbishop of Tours (died 1133).In 1215, the Fourth Lateran Council used the word transubstantiated in its profession of faith, when speaking of the change that takes place in the Eucharist.Session XIII, chapter IV; cf.Catholic theologians to present the Eucharistic change as an alteration of significance (transignification rather than transubstantiation) was rejected by Pope Paul VI in his 1965 encyclical letter Mysterium fidei In his 1968 Credo of the People of God, he reiterated that any theological explanation of the doctrine must hold to the twofold claim that, after the consecration, 1) Christ's body and blood are really present; and 2) bread and wine are really absent; and this presence and absence is real and not merely something in the mind of the believer.Eucharistic Liturgy
Eucharistic liturgy and Mass are the terms used to describe celebration of the Eucharist in the Western or Latin liturgical rite of the Catholic Church.Rite Mass after the Second Vatican Council, see Mass of Paul VI
For the structure of the Mass before the Second Vatican Council, see Tridentine Mass.The chalice is displayed to the people immediately after the consecration of the wine.According to the Catholic Church, when the bread and wine are consecrated in the Eucharist, they cease to be bread and wine, and become instead the Most Precious Body and Blood of Christ.However, since he has risen, the Church teaches that his body and blood can no longer be truly separated.Where one is, the other must be.Therefore, although the priest (or minister) says, "The body of Christ", when administering the host, and, "The blood of Christ", when presenting the chalice, the communicant who receives either one receives Christ, whole and entire.Transubstantiation (from Latin transsubstantiatio) is the change of the substance of bread and wine into that of the body and blood of Christ, the change that according to the belief of the Catholic Church occurs in the Eucharist.For more on the philosophical concept, see Substance theory.When at his Last Supper Jesus said: "This is my body", what he held in his hands had all the appearances of bread.The Church believes that the same change of the substance of the bread and of the wine occurs at every celebration of the Eucharist.The bread is changed in the Eucharist into Jesus' body, but, because Jesus, risen from the dead, is living, not only his body is present, but Jesus as a whole, body and blood, soul and divinity.For this reason the consecrated elements are preserved, generally in a church tabernacle, for giving holy communion to the sick and dying, and also for the secondary, but still highly prized, purpose of adoring Christ present in the Eucharist.In the judgement of the Catholic Church, the concept of transubstantiation, with its accompanying unambiguous distinction between "substance" or underlying reality, and "accidents" or humanly perceptible appearances, safeguards against what it sees as the mutually opposed errors of, on the one hand, a merely figurative understanding of the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist (the change of the substance is real), and, on the other hand, an interpretation that would amount to cannibalistic (a charge which pagans leveled at early Christians who did not understand the rites of the Catholic Church in that it was considered an unbloody sacrifice) eating of the flesh and corporal drinking of the blood of Christ (the accidents that remain are real, not an illusion).Several priests may concelebrate the same offering of the Eucharist.Others, who are not priests, may act as extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, distributing the sacrament to others, but not as ministers of the Eucharist, ordinary or extraordinary.In addition to the ordinary ministers there is the formally instituted acolyte, who by virtue of his institution is an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion even outside the celebration of Mass.Finally, in special cases of an unforeseen nature, permission can be given for a single occasion by the Priest who presides at the celebration of the Eucharist."Body and Blood of Christ."Extraordinary ministers may distribute Holy Communion at eucharistic celebrations only when there are no ordained ministers present or when those ordained ministers present at a liturgical celebration are truly unable to distribute Holy Communion.They may also exercise this function at eucharistic celebrations where there are particularly large numbers of the faithful and which would be excessively prolonged because of an insufficient number of ordained ministers to distribute Holy Communion."In the Western Church, the administration of the Most Holy Eucharist to children requires that they have sufficient knowledge and careful preparation so that they understand the mystery of Christ according to their capacity and are able to receive the body of Christ with faith and devotion.Most Holy Eucharist is to abstain for at least one hour before holy communion from any food and drink, except for only water and medicine."Catholics may receive Communion during Mass or outside of Mass, but "a person who has already received the Most Holy Eucharist can receive it a second time on the same day only within the eucharistic celebration in which the person participates", except as Viaticum (Code of Canon Law, canon 917).In the Western Church, "the administration of the Most Holy Eucharist to children requires that they have sufficient knowledge and careful preparation so that they understand the mystery of Christ according to their capacity and are able to receive the body of Christ with faith and devotion.The Most Holy Eucharist, however, can be administered to children in danger of death if they can distinguish the body of Christ from ordinary food and receive communion reverently" (Code of Canon Law, canon 913).In the Eastern Catholic Churches, the Eucharist is administered to infants immediately after Baptism and Confirmation (Chrismation).Holy Communion may be received under one kind (the Sacred Host alone), or under both kinds (both the Sacred Host and the Precious Blood).For in this form the sign of the eucharistic banquet is more clearly evident and clear expression is given to the divine will by which the new and eternal Covenant is ratified in the Blood of the Lord, as also the relationship between the Eucharistic banquet and the eschatological banquet in the Father's Kingdom..."The Diocesan Bishop is given the faculty to permit Communion under both kinds whenever it may seem appropriate to the priest to whom, as its own shepherd, a community has been entrusted, provided that the faithful have been well instructed and there is no danger of profanation of the Sacrament or of the rite's becoming difficult because of the large number of participants or some other reason" (General Instruction of the Roman Missal, 283).In Eastern Catholic Churches the Eucharist is always received under both species (bread and wine), as was done at Mass also in the West until the opposite custom came into use, beginning in about the twelfth century.With the change from receiving the Eucharist under both kinds to receiving under the form of bread alone, it also became customary in the West to receive the Host placed directly on the tongue, rather than on the hand, but this was prescribed neither by the Roman Missal nor by the Code of Canon Law.Almost all Episcopal Conferences have now decided to allow communicants (at their personal discretion) to receive the Host on the hand, except when Communion is distributed by intinction (partly dipping the Host in the Chalice before distributing it).Matter for the Sacrament
The bread used for the Eucharist must be wheaten only, and recently made, and the wine must be natural, made from grapes, and not corrupt.This section has special texts for the celebration, within Mass, of Baptism, Confirmation, Anointing of the Sick, Orders, and Marriage, leaving Confession (Penance or Reconciliation) as the only sacrament not celebrated within a celebration of the Eucharist.There are also texts for celebrating, within Mass, Religious Profession, the Dedication of a Church and several other rites.The Blessed Sacrament is displayed in a procession at the 2005 Diocese of Charlotte Eucharistic Congress.Exposition of the Eucharist is the display of the consecrated host on an altar in a Monstrance.The rites involving exposition of the Blessed Sacrament are the Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament and Eucharistic adoration.This makes possible also the practice of Eucharistic adoration, worship of Christ present in the Eucharist, whether the sacrament remains enclosed in the tabernacle or is exposed to view in a monstrance.Eastern Catholics other than Maronites usually do not practise this devotion.They normally concentrate only on the primary purpose for which the Eucharist exists, namely reception of Christ's Flesh and Blood.Code of Canon Law, canon 924 and 926; cf.Dr Samuel Johnson remarked: "Sir, there is no idolatry in the Mass.Revised, updated, and still unrivaled.The story of the institution of the Eucharist by Jesus on the night before his Crucifixion is reported in four books of the New Testament (Matt.Eucharist , or any Britannica premium article for free, even those readers without a premium membership.Just copy the HTML code fragment provided below to create the link and then paste it within your web content.For more details about this feature, visit our Webmaster and Blogger Tools page.More from Britannica on "Eucharist"...The story of the institution of the Eucharist by Jesus on the night before his Crucifixion is reported in four books of the New Testament (Matt.Together with Baptism the greatest importance has been given to the Eucharist, both of which institutions are singled out in the Gospels as dominical (instituted by Christ) in origin, with a special status and rank.Roman Catholicism articleThe third part of mass, the liturgy of the Eucharist, is the high point of the celebration.Eastern Orthodoxy articleThere never has been, in the East, much speculation about the nature of the eucharistic mystery.Student Encyclopedia Britannica articles, specially written for elementary and high school studentsLord's Supper(or Holy Eucharist, or Communion), Christian rite in which bread and wine (or grape juice) are taken in commemoration of Christ's death; sacrament was instituted by Christ at his supper (Lord's Supper, or Last Supper) with his disciples the night before his death (Bible, Matt.Eastern Orthodox churches articleEastern Orthodoxy considers itself the bearer of an unbroken living tradition of Christian faith and worship inherited from the earliest believers.The breeze has been used for many purposes, including separating chaff from grain, promoting fires, cooling, and keeping insects away.In most early civilizations such as China and Egypt and virtually all primitive societies, the fan has also been used as a ceremonial object as well as a symbol of social and political ...HTTPS is to be used
if (log_location.The holy Eucharist completes Christian initiation.Those who have been raised to the dignity of the royal priesthood by Baptism and configured more deeply to Christ by Confirmation participate with the whole community in the Lord's own sacrifice by means of the Eucharist."At the Last Supper, on the night he was betrayed, our Savior instituted the Eucharistic sacrifice of his Body and Blood.This he did in order to perpetuate the sacrifice of the cross throughout the ages until he should come again, and so to entrust to his beloved Spouse, the Church, a memorial of his death and resurrection: a sacrament of love, a sign of unity, a bond of charity, a Paschal banquet 'in which Christ is consumed, the mind is filled with grace, and a pledge of future glory is given to us.The Eucharist is "the source and summit of the Christian life.""The other sacraments, and indeed all ecclesiastical ministries and works of the apostolate, are bound up with the Eucharist and are oriented toward it.For in the blessed Eucharist is contained the whole spiritual good of the Church, namely Christ himself, our Pasch.""The Eucharist is the efficacious sign and sublime cause of that communion in the divine life and that unity of the People of God by which the Church is kept in being.It is the culmination both of God's action sanctifying the world in Christ and of the worship men offer to Christ and through him to the Father in the Holy Spirit."Finally, by the Eucharistic celebration we already unite ourselves with the heavenly liturgy and anticipate eternal life, when God will be all in all.In brief, the Eucharist is the sum and summary of our faith: "Our way of thinking is attuned to the Eucharist, and the Eucharist in turn confirms our way of thinking."The inexhaustible richness of this sacrament is expressed in the different names we give it.Eucharist, because it is an action of thanksgiving to God.God's works: creation, redemption, and sanctification.The Lord's Supper, because of its connection with the supper which the Lord took with his disciples on the eve of his Passion and because it anticipates the wedding feast of the Lamb in the heavenly Jerusalem.The Breaking of Bread, because Jesus used this rite, part of a Jewish meal, when as master of the table he blessed and distributed the bread,144 above all at the Last Supper.It is by this action that his disciples will recognize him after his Resurrection,146 and it is this expression that the first Christians will use to designate their Eucharistic assemblies;147 by doing so they signified that all who eat the one broken bread, Christ, enter into communion with him and form but one body in him.The Eucharistic assembly (synaxis), because the Eucharist is celebrated amid the assembly of the faithful, the visible expression of the Church.The terms holy sacrifice of the Mass, "sacrifice of praise," spiritual sacrifice, pure and holy sacrifice are also used,150 since it completes and surpasses all the sacrifices of the Old Covenant.The Holy and Divine Liturgy, because the Church's whole liturgy finds its center and most intense expression in the celebration of this sacrament; in the same sense we also call its celebration the Sacred Mysteries.The Eucharistic species reserved in the tabernacle are designated by this same name.Holy Mass (Missa), because the liturgy in which the mystery of salvation is accomplished concludes with the sending forth (missio) of the faithful, so that they may fulfill God's will in their daily lives.At the heart of the Eucharistic celebration are the bread and wine that, by the words of Christ and the invocation of the Holy Spirit, become Christ's Body and Blood.Faithful to the Lord's command the Church continues to do, in his memory and until his glorious return, what he did on the eve of his Passion: "He took bread.In the Old Covenant bread and wine were offered in sacrifice among the first fruits of the earth as a sign of grateful acknowledgment to the Creator.But they also received a new significance in the context of the Exodus: the unleavened bread that Israel eats every year at Passover commemorates the haste of the departure that liberated them from Egypt; the remembrance of the manna in the desert will always recall to Israel that it lives by the bread of the Word of God;156 their daily bread is the fruit of the promised land, the pledge of God's faithfulness to his promises.The "cup of blessing"157 at the end of the Jewish Passover meal adds to the festive joy of wine an eschatological dimension: the messianic expectation of the rebuilding of Jerusalem.When Jesus instituted the Eucharist, he gave a new and definitive meaning to the blessing of the bread and the cup.The miracles of the multiplication of the loaves, when the Lord says the blessing, breaks and distributes the loaves through his disciples to feed the multitude, prefigure the superabundance of this unique bread of his Eucharist.The sign of water turned into wine at Cana already announces the Hour of Jesus' glorification.The first announcement of the Eucharist divided the disciples, just as the announcement of the Passion scandalized them: "This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?"The Eucharist and the Cross are stumbling blocks.It is the same mystery and it never ceases to be an occasion of division."Will you also go away?"Lord's question echoes through the ages, as a loving invitation to discover that only he has "the words of eternal life"162 and that to receive in faith the gift of his Eucharist is to receive the Lord himself.In order to leave them a pledge of this love, in order never to depart from his own and to make them sharers in his Passover, he instituted the Eucharist as the memorial of his death and Resurrection, and commanded his apostles to celebrate it until his return; "thereby he constituted them priests of the New Testament."Paul have handed on to us the account of the institution of the Eucharist; St.John, for his part, reports the words of Jesus in the synagogue of Capernaum that prepare for the institution of the Eucharist: Christ calls himself the bread of life, come down from heaven.And when the hour came, he sat at table, and the apostles with him.Do this in remembrance of me."And likewise the cup after supper, saying, "This cup which is poured out for you is the New Covenant in my blood."Jesus' passing over to his father by his death and Resurrection, the new Passover, is anticipated in the Supper and celebrated in the Eucharist, which fulfills the Jewish Passover and anticipates the final Passover of the Church in the glory of the kingdom.It is directed at the liturgical celebration, by the apostles and their successors, of the memorial of Christ, of his life, of his death, of his Resurrection, and of his intercession in the presence of the Father.From the beginning the Church has been faithful to the Lord's command.Day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they partook of food with glad and generous hearts.It was above all on "the first day of the week," Sunday, the day of Jesus' resurrection, that the Christians met "to break bread."From that time on down to our own day the celebration of the Eucharist has been continued so that today we encounter it everywhere in the Church with the same fundamental structure.Justin Martyr for the basic lines of the order of the Eucharistic celebration.They have stayed the same until our own day for all the great liturgical families.The memoirs of the apostles and the writings of the prophets are read, as much as time permits.When the prayers are concluded we exchange the kiss.He takes them and offers praise and glory to the Father of the universe, through the name of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and for a considerable time he gives thanks (in Greek: eucharistian) that we have been judged worthy of these gifts.When he who presides has given thanks and the people have responded, those whom we call deacons give to those present the "eucharisted" bread, wine and water and take them to those who are absent.The liturgy of the Eucharist unfolds according to a fundamental structure which has been preserved throughout the centuries down to our own day.Eucharist, with the presentation of the bread and wine, the consecratory thanksgiving, and communion.The liturgy of the Word and liturgy of the Eucharist together form "one single act of worship";172 the Eucharistic table set for us is the table both of the Word of God and of the Body of the Lord.Christians come together in one place for the Eucharistic assembly.At its head is Christ himself, the principal agent of the Eucharist.He is high priest of the New Covenant; it is he himself who presides invisibly over every Eucharistic celebration.It is in representing him that the bishop or priest acting in the person of Christ the head (in persona Christi capitis) presides over the assembly, speaks after the readings, receives the offerings, and says the Eucharistic Prayer.After the homily, which is an exhortation to accept this Word as what it truly is, the Word of God,175 and to put it into practice, come the intercessions for all men, according to the Apostle's words: "I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all men, for kings, and all who are in high positions."The presentation of the offerings (the Offertory).Then, sometimes in procession, the bread and wine are brought to the altar; they will be offered by the priest in the name of Christ in the Eucharistic sacrifice in which they will become his body and blood."The Church alone offers this pure oblation to the Creator, when she offers what comes forth from his creation with thanksgiving."From the very beginning Christians have brought, along with the bread and wine for the Eucharist, gifts to share with those in need.In the epiclesis, the Church asks the Father to send his Holy Spirit (or the power of his blessing180) on the bread and wine, so that by his power they may become the body and blood of Jesus Christ and so that those who take part in the Eucharist may be one body and one spirit (some liturgical traditions put the epiclesis after the anamnesis).In the anamnesis that follows, the Church calls to mind the Passion, resurrection, and glorious return of Christ Jesus; she presents to the Father the offering of his Son which reconciles us with him.In the intercessions, the Church indicates that the Eucharist is celebrated in communion with the whole Church in heaven and on earth, the living and the dead, and in communion with the pastors of the Church, the Pope, the diocesan bishop, his presbyterium and his deacons, and all the bishops of the whole world together with their Churches.Because this bread and wine have been made Eucharist ("eucharisted," according to an ancient expression), "we call this food Eucharist, and no one may take part in it unless he believes that what we teach is true, has received baptism for the forgiveness of sins and new birth, and lives in keeping with what Christ taught."If from the beginning Christians have celebrated the Eucharist and in a form whose substance has not changed despite the great diversity of times and liturgies, it is because we know ourselves to be bound by the command the Lord gave on the eve of his Passion: "Do this in remembrance of me."We carry out this command of the Lord by celebrating the memorial of his sacrifice.The Eucharist, the sacrament of our salvation accomplished by Christ on the cross, is also a sacrifice of praise in thanksgiving for the work of creation.In the Eucharistic sacrifice the whole of creation loved by God is presented to the Father through the death and the Resurrection of Christ.The Eucharist is a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the Father, a blessing by which the Church expresses her gratitude to God for all his benefits, for all that he has accomplished through creation, redemption, and sanctification.Eucharist means first of all "thanksgiving."The Eucharist is also the sacrifice of praise by which the Church sings the glory of God in the name of all creation.The Eucharist is the memorial of Christ's Passover, the making present and the sacramental offering of his unique sacrifice, in the liturgy of the Church which is his Body.In all the Eucharistic Prayers we find after the words of institution a prayer called the anamnesis or memorial.In the liturgical celebration of these events, they become in a certain way present and real.In the New Testament, the memorial takes on new meaning.When the Church celebrates the Eucharist, she commemorates Christ's Passover, and it is made present the sacrifice Christ offered once for all on the cross remains ever present."As often as the sacrifice of the Cross by which 'Christ our Pasch has been sacrificed' is celebrated on the altar, the work of our redemption is carried out."Because it is the memorial of Christ's Passover, the Eucharist is also a sacrifice.The sacrificial character of the Eucharist is manifested in the very words of institution: "This is my body which is given for you" and "This cup which is poured out for you is the New Covenant in my blood."In the Eucharist Christ gives us the very body which he gave up for us on the cross, the very blood which he "poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins."The sacrifice of Christ and the sacrifice of the Eucharist are one single sacrifice: "The victim is one and the same: the same now offers through the ministry of priests, who then offered himself on the cross; only the manner of offering is different."The Eucharist is also the sacrifice of the Church.The Church which is the Body of Christ participates in the offering of her Head.With him, she herself is offered whole and entire.In the Eucharist the sacrifice of Christ becomes also the sacrifice of the members of his Body.Since he has the ministry of Peter in the Church, the Pope is associated with every celebration of the Eucharist, wherein he is named as the sign and servant of the unity of the universal Church.The bishop of the place is always responsible for the Eucharist, even when a priest presides; the bishop's name is mentioned to signify his presidency over the particular Church, in the midst of his presbyterium and with the assistance of deacons.Through the ministry of priests the spiritual sacrifice of the faithful is completed in union with the sacrifice of Christ the only Mediator, which in the Eucharist is offered through the priests' hands in the name of the whole Church in an unbloody and sacramental manner until the Lord himself comes.To the offering of Christ are united not only the members still here on earth, but also those already in the glory of heaven.In communion with and commemorating the Blessed Virgin Mary and all the saints, the Church offers the Eucharistic sacrifice.In the Eucharist the Church is as it were at the foot of the cross with Mary, united with the offering and intercession of Christ.By offering to God our supplications for those who have fallen asleep, if they have sinned, we .This wholly redeemed city, the assembly and society of the saints, is offered to God as a universal sacrifice by the high priest who in the form of a slave went so far as to offer himself for us in his Passion, to make us the Body of so great a head."Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us," is present in many ways to his Church:197 in his word, in his Church's prayer, "where two or three are gathered in my name,"199 in the poor, the sick, and the imprisoned,199 in the sacraments of which he is the author, in the sacrifice of the Mass, and in the person of the minister.The mode of Christ's presence under the Eucharistic species is unique.It raises the Eucharist above all the sacraments as "the perfection of the spiritual life and the end to which all the sacraments tend."In the most blessed sacrament of the Eucharist "the body and blood, together with the soul and divinity, of our Lord Jesus Christ and, therefore, the whole Christ is truly, really, and substantially contained."It is by the conversion of the bread and wine into Christ's body and blood that Christ becomes present in this sacrament.The Church Fathers strongly affirmed the faith of the Church in the efficacy of the Word of Christ and of the action of the Holy Spirit to bring about this conversion.It is not man that causes the things offered to become the Body and Blood of Christ, but he who was crucified for us, Christ himself.This is my body, he says.The power of the blessing prevails over that of nature, because by the blessing nature itself is changed.The Eucharistic presence of Christ begins at the moment of the consecration and endures as long as the Eucharistic species subsist.Worship of the Eucharist."The Catholic Church has always offered and still offers to the sacrament of the Eucharist the cult of adoration, not only during Mass, but also outside of it, reserving the consecrated hosts with the utmost care, exposing them to the solemn veneration of the faithful, and carrying them in procession."The tabernacle was first intended for the reservation of the Eucharist in a worthy place so that it could be brought to the sick and those absent outside of Mass.As faith in the real presence of Christ in his Eucharist deepened, the Church became conscious of the meaning of silent adoration of the Lord present under the Eucharistic species.It is highly fitting that Christ should have wanted to remain present to his Church in this unique way.The Church and the world have a great need for Eucharistic worship."That in this sacrament are the true Body of Christ and his true Blood is something that 'cannot be apprehended by the senses,' says St.Godhead here in hiding, whom I do adore Masked by these bare shadows, shape and nothing more, See, Lord, at thy service low lies here a heart Lost, all lost in wonder at the God thou art.But the celebration of the Eucharistic sacrifice is wholly directed toward the intimate union of the faithful with Christ through communion.The altar, around which the Church is gathered in the celebration of the Eucharist, represents the two aspects of the same mystery: the altar of the sacrifice and the table of the Lord.This is all the more so since the Christian altar is the symbol of Christ himself, present in the midst of the assembly of his faithful, both as the victim offered for our reconciliation and as food from heaven who is giving himself to us."For what is the altar of Christ if not the image of the Body of Christ?"Body of Christ is on the altar."The Lord addresses an invitation to us, urging us to receive him in the sacrament of the Eucharist: "Truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you."To respond to this invitation we must prepare ourselves for so great and so holy a moment.Son of God, bring me into communion today with your mystical supper.To prepare for worthy reception of this sacrament, the faithful should observe the fast required in their Church.It is in keeping with the very meaning of the Eucharist that the faithful, if they have the required dispositions,221 receive communion when they participate in the Mass.The Church obliges the faithful to take part in the Divine Liturgy on Sundays and feast days and, prepared by the sacrament of Reconciliation, to receive the Eucharist at least once a year, if possible during the Easter season.But the Church strongly encourages the faithful to receive the holy Eucharist on Sundays and feast days, or more often still, even daily.Since Christ is sacramentally present under each of the species, communion under the species of bread alone makes it possible to receive all the fruit of Eucharistic grace.For pastoral reasons this manner of receiving communion has been legitimately established as the most common form in the Latin rite.But "the sign of communion is more complete when given under both kinds, since in that form the sign of the Eucharistic meal appears more clearly."This is the usual form of receiving communion in the Eastern rites.Holy Communion augments our union with Christ.The principal fruit of receiving the Eucharist in Holy Communion is an intimate union with Christ Jesus.Now too are life and resurrection conferred on whoever receives Christ.This growth in Christian life needs the nourishment of Eucharistic Communion, the bread for our pilgrimage until the moment of death, when it will be given to us as viaticum.The body of Christ we receive in Holy Communion is "given up for us," and the blood we drink "shed for the many for the forgiveness of sins."As bodily nourishment restores lost strength, so the Eucharist strengthens our charity, which tends to be weakened in daily life; and this living charity wipes away venial sins.We humbly pray that in the strength of this love by which Christ willed to die for us, we, by receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit, may be able to consider the world as crucified for us, and to be ourselves as crucified to the world.By the same charity that it enkindles in us, the Eucharist preserves us from future mortal sins.The more we share the life of Christ and progress in his friendship, the more difficult it is to break away from him by mortal sin.The Eucharist is properly the sacrament of those who are in full communion with the Church.The unity of the Mystical Body: the Eucharist makes the Church.Those who receive the Eucharist are united more closely to Christ.The Eucharist fulfills this call: "The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ?If you are the body and members of Christ, then it is your sacrament that is placed on the table of the Lord; it is your sacrament that you receive.The Eucharist commits us to the poor.You have tasted the Blood of the Lord, yet you do not recognize your brother,.The Eucharist and the unity of Christians.The more painful the experience of the divisions in the Church which break the common participation in the table of the Lord, the more urgent are our prayers to the Lord that the time of complete unity among all who believe in him may return.The Eastern churches that are not in full communion with the Catholic Church celebrate the Eucharist with great love.Eucharist, whereby they are still joined to us in closest intimacy."Eucharist, "given suitable circumstances and the approval of Church authority, is not merely possible but is encouraged."Ecclesial communities derived from the Reformation and separated from the Catholic Church, "have not preserved the proper reality of the Eucharistic mystery in its fullness, especially because of the absence of the sacrament of Holy Orders."It is for this reason that, for the Catholic Church, Eucharistic intercommunion with these communities is not possible.When, in the Ordinary's judgment, a grave necessity arises, Catholic ministers may give the sacraments of Eucharist, Penance, and Anointing of the Sick to other Christians not in full communion with the Catholic Church, who ask for them of their own will, provided they give evidence of holding the Catholic faith regarding these sacraments and possess the required dispositions.In an ancient prayer the Church acclaims the mystery of the Eucharist: "O sacred banquet in which Christ is received as food, the memory of his Passion is renewed, the soul is filled with grace and a pledge of the life to come is given to us."If the Eucharist is the memorial of the Passover of the Lord Jesus, if by our communion at the altar we are filled "with every heavenly blessing and grace,"242 then the Eucharist is also an anticipation of the heavenly glory.At the Last Supper the Lord himself directed his disciples' attention toward the fulfillment of the Passover in the kingdom of God: "I tell you I shall not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom."Whenever the Church celebrates the Eucharist she remembers this promise and turns her gaze "to him who is to come."The Church knows that the Lord comes even now in his Eucharist and that he is there in our midst.Therefore we celebrate the Eucharist "awaiting the blessed hope and the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ,"246 asking "to share in your glory when every tear will be wiped away.On that day we shall see you, our God, as you are.We shall become like you and praise you for ever through Christ our Lord."There is no surer pledge or dearer sign of this great hope in the new heavens and new earth "in which righteousness dwells,"248 than the Eucharist.Every time this mystery is celebrated, "the work of our redemption is carried on" and we "break the one bread that provides the medicine of immortality, the antidote for death, and the food that makes us live for ever in Jesus Christ."Jesus said: "I am the living bread that came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; .The Eucharist is the heart and the summit of the Church's life, for in it Christ associates his Church and all her members with his sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving offered once for all on the cross to his Father; by this sacrifice he pours out the graces of salvation on his Body which is the Church.The Eucharistic celebration always includes: the proclamation of the Word of God; thanksgiving to God the Father for all his benefits, above all the gift of his Son; the consecration of bread and wine; and participation in the liturgical banquet by receiving the Lord's body and blood.The Eucharist is the memorial of Christ's Passover, that is, of the work of salvation accomplished by the life, death, and resurrection of Christ, a work made present by the liturgical action.It is Christ himself, the eternal high priest of the New Covenant who, acting through the ministry of the priests, offers the Eucharistic sacrifice.And it is the same Christ, really present under the species of bread and wine, who is the offering of the Eucharistic sacrifice.Only validly ordained priests can preside at the Eucharist and consecrate the bread and the wine so that they become the Body and Blood of the Lord.The essential signs of the Eucharistic sacrament are wheat bread and grape wine, on which the blessing of the Holy Spirit is invoked and the priest pronounces the words of consecration spoken by Jesus during the Last Supper: "This is my body which will be given up for you.This is the cup of my blood.Council of Trent: DS 1640; 1651).As sacrifice, the Eucharist is also offered in reparation for the sins of the living and the dead and to obtain spiritual or temporal benefits from God.Anyone who desires to receive Christ in Eucharistic communion must be in the state of grace.Anyone aware of having sinned mortally must not receive communion without having received absolution in the sacrament of penance.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.Having passed from this world to the Father, Christ gives us in the Eucharist the pledge of glory with him.Congregation of Rites, instruction, Eucharisticum mysterium, 6.Council of Trent (1562) Doctrina de ss.Augustine and his brother; Conf.Cyril of Jerusalem, Catech.Augustine, De civ Dei, 10,6:PL 41,283; cf.Fanqith, Syriac Office of Antioch, Vol.Fulgentius of Ruspe, Contra Fab.Roman Missal 126, embolism after the Our Father: expectantes beatam spem et adventum Salvatoris nostri Jesu Christi; cf.The holy Eucharist completes Christian initiation.Christ by Confirmation participate with the
whole community in the Lord's own sacrifice by means of the Eucharist."At the Last Supper, on the night he was betrayed, our Savior
instituted the Eucharistic sacrifice of his Body and Blood.The Eucharist is "the source and summit of the Christian life."Eucharist and are oriented toward
it.For in the blessed Eucharist is contained the whole spiritual good of
the Church, namely Christ himself, our Pasch."People of God by which
the Church is kept in being.Christ and of the worship men offer to Christ and
through him to the Father in the Holy Spirit."Eucharist, and the Eucharist in turn
confirms our way of thinking."Each name evokes certain aspects of it.Eucharist, because it is an action of thanksgiving to God.The memorial of the Lord's Passion and Resurrection.Most Blessed Sacrament because it is the Sacrament of
sacraments.The Eucharistic species reserved in the tabernacle are
designated by this same name.Christ, who makes us sharers in his Body and Blood to form a single
body.Christ and the invocation of the Holy Spirit, become
Christ's Body and Blood.God's faithfulness to his
promises.Eucharist, he gave a new and definitive meaning to the blessing of the
bread and the cup.The Eucharist and the Cross are
stumbling blocks.It is the same mystery and it never ceases to be an
occasion of division.Eucharist is to receive the Lord himself.The Lord, having loved those who were his own, loved them to the end.Paul have handed on to us the
account of the institution of the Eucharist; St.Eucharist: Christ calls himself the bread of life,
come down from heaven.And when the hour came, he sat at table, and the apostles
with him."This cup which is poured out for
you is the New Covenant in my blood."Martyr for the basic lines of the order of the Eucharistic celebration.They have stayed the same until our own day for all the great liturgical
families.The memoirs of the apostles and the writings of the prophets are read, as
much as time permits.Spirit and for a considerable time he gives thanks (in Greek:
eucharistian) that we have been judged worthy of these gifts.When he has concluded the prayers and thanksgivings, all present give
voice to an acclamation by saying: 'Amen.Eucharist, with the presentation of the bread and
wine, the consecratory thanksgiving, and communion.Eucharistic table set for us is the table
both of the Word of God and of the Body of the Lord.Christians come together in one place for the
Eucharistic assembly.At its head is Christ himself, the principal agent
of the Eucharist.Old Testament, and "the memoirs of the apostles" (their letters
and the Gospels).Christ in the Eucharistic sacrifice
in which they will become his body and blood.From the very beginning Christians have brought, along with the bread
and wine for the Eucharist, gifts to share with those in need.Those who are well off, and who are also willing, give as each chooses.Eucharist may be one body and one spirit (some
liturgical traditions put the epiclesis after the anamnesis).Christ by the power of his word and of his Spirit.God is presented to the Father through the death and the Resurrection of
Christ.God has made good, beautiful, and just in
creation and in humanity.Eucharist means first of all "thanksgiving."The Eucharist is also the sacrifice of praise by which the Church
sings the glory of God in the name of all creation.In the liturgical celebration of these
events, they become in a certain way present and real.Exodus events are made present to the memory of believers so that they
may conform their lives to them.In the New Testament, the memorial takes on new meaning.Christ our Pasch has been sacrificed' is celebrated on the altar,
the work of our redemption is carried out."Because it is the memorial of Christ's Passover, the Eucharist is
also a sacrifice.The Eucharist is also the sacrifice of the Church.In the Eucharist the sacrifice
of Christ becomes also the sacrifice of the members of his Body.In the catacombs the Church is often represented as a woman in prayer,
arms outstretched in the praying position.The whole Church is united with the offering and intercession of
Christ.Eucharist, wherein he is named as
the sign and servant of the unity of the universal Church.Blessed Virgin Mary and all the saints, the Church
offers the Eucharistic sacrifice.Mark Brumley
The Holy Eucharist, Vatican II tells us, is "the source and summit of the Christian life" (Lumen gentium, no.Since the Christian life is essentially a spiritual life, we might say as well that the Eucharist is the "source and summit of Christian spirituality" too.And he knows that Christ Himself is present in the Eucharist in the most sublime manner.It makes sense, then, that the Eucharist should be central to the spiritual life of a Catholic.But what the devout soul knows about the Eucharist intuitively should, where possible, become better known and more deeply experienced through systematic reflection on the Church's Eucharistic doctrine.The better we understand the Eucharist's role in Christian spirituality, the better we will be able to love Christ present in the Eucharist.What follows is a summary of Catholic teaching on the Eucharist as both the "source" and the "summit" of Christian spirituality.What Do We Mean By "Source and Summit"?To say the Eucharist is the "source and summit of Christian spirituality" means at least two things.First, that Christian spirituality flows from the Eucharist as its source, the way light streams forth from the sun.It leads us from the Eucharist as our starting point out into the world of daily life and it takes us back home to the Eucharist after our sojourn in the world.Eucharist, being Christ Himself, brings God and man together in a saving dialogue, a mutually giving and receiving relationship.As the source of Christian spirituality, the Eucharist revealed that our salvation begins with God, not ourselves.God offers Himself to man in Christ first.God through Jesus Christ, our high priest, by the power of the Holy Spirit.Because the sacraments are instruments of grace and means of growth in the theological virtues, we can say that Christian spirituality entails what Pope John Paul II calls a "sacramental style of life."And because the greatest of sacraments is the Eucharist, Christian spirituality is above all Eucharistic: coming from the Eucharist as its source and directed to it as its summit or zenith.The Eucharist As The Source Of Christian Spirituality
But precisely how is the Eucharist the source of Christian spirituality?In other words, how precisely is the Eucharist the source of grace and the way we grow in faith, hope and charity?Church's teaching about the Eucharist provides an answer to this question.The Eucharist as the "Source" of Grace
The Eucharist is the source of grace in a number of ways.First, the Eucharist is Christ Himself, the Author of grace.Other sacraments are actions of Christ, to be sure, but only the Eucharist is Christ Himself, under the "appearances" of bread and wine (CCC, nos.Christ does not die again at Mass.In the Eucharist, however, this same Sacrifice of Christ, made once for all historically, is present here and now sacramentally, and celebrated on the altar.He is also on our earthly altars as the Eucharist.In this way, the "work of our redemption is accomplished" through His Eucharistic offering (Lumen Gentium, no.Eucharist is the source of grace is as the Church's sacrifice.In other words, the Eucharist is the Church's offering by virtue of her "spousal" union with Christ.Expressed differently, we can say that because the Eucharist is, through Christ, the sacrifice of the Church, in a certain sense, the Church, by the promise of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit, "makes" the Eucharist, although it always remains foremost the work of God.But the Eucharist also "makes" the Church (CCC, no.Thus, the Eucharist can be said to be the source of grace and therefore of Christian spirituality, which is the life of grace, because the Church lives and grows in grace through its celebration of the Eucharist.Eucharist is the source of grace is as a source of repentance.First, insofar as the fruitful and reverent reception of the Holy Eucharist requires one to examine himself spiritually before coming to the Eucharistic banquet and, if conscious of grave sin, to receive the sacrament of reconciliation before receiving Holy Communion (CCC, no.The last point is especially important with respect to the spiritual life.Christian life of faith, hope and charity.The Eucharist as the Source of Growth in Faith, Hope and Charity
In addition to being the "source" of Christian spirituality because it is a "source" of grace, the Eucharist also helps us grow in the theological virtues of faith, hope and charity.God, believing what He has revealed because of who He is (CCC, nos.How is the Eucharist the source of faith?Eucharist is a sign which instructs us.But the Eucharist also fosters the virtue of faith insofar as it signifies the one faith of the Catholic Church.This faith is objectively grounded in the official proclamation of the Word of God in the Eucharistic liturgy, and celebrated in the Eucharistic Sacrifice offered by those in Holy Orders who, possessing apostolic succession, in communion with their bishop and the successor of Peter, legitimately exercise apostolic authority.The Source of Hope
The Eucharist is also the source of hope.As an efficacious sign of Christ's salvation, the Eucharist gives us hope in God for the grace to live in His friendship in this life and to inherit eternal life in heaven.The Eucharist nourishes our hope, at once pointing back to God's salvific deeds, especially Jesus' death and resurrection, which provides the firm ground for our hope; and forward to what we hope for, the coming of the kingdom and eternal life of communion with the Triune God.The Source of Charity
Finally, the Eucharist is the source of charity.The Eucharist signifies this charity, and therefore recalls it, makes it present and at the same time brings it about" (Dominicae Cenae, no.We have already considered how the Eucharist sacramentally signifies and makes present the love of God manifested in Christ and in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and how the Eucharist is Christ Himself, love incarnate.But the Eucharist is also the source of charity in that it may lead us to love God and His Son Jesus in the Spirit.Seeing what God has done for us in Christ, who is present with us in the Eucharist, we should love God in return, and in the Spirit pour out our hearts to Him through the Eucharistic Christ.Through the Eucharist, then, we enter into a deeper participation in the life of the Triune God, who is charity itself (1 John 4:16).We love others because Christ first loved us.Furthermore, Christ's Eucharistic offering of Himself "becomes of itself the school of active love for neighbor," as Pope John Paul II has written,4 by revealing to us "what value each person, our brother or sister, has in God's eyes, if Christ offers Himself equally to each one, under the species of bread and wine."Finally, as the source of grace, the Eucharist is the "source" of charity insofar as grace is necessary for genuine obedience to God's commandments, without which we cannot truly love God (cf.Eucharist brings about the Christian way of life in us.We consider now how the Eucharist is the summit or highpoint of Christian spirituality or, as St Thomas Aquinas put it, "the consummation of the whole spiritual life."In other words, how Christian living leads up to and culminates in our participation in the Eucharist.The Eucharist is the summit of the spiritual life in the sense that other aspects of Christian living, including the other sacraments (CCC, no.Church also offers herself in and through her union with Christ in the Spirit:
In the Eucharist the sacrifice of Christ becomes also the sacrifice of the members of his body.The lives of the faithful, their praise, sufferings, prayer and work, are united with those of Christ and with his total offering, and so acquire a new value (CCC, no.Church in the Eucharist is central to the Church's identity as a priestly people.Moreover, the Eucharistic offering of the Church is both corporate and objective, and individual and subjective.The priest represents the Church before God because he represents Christ who is head and bridegroom of the Church.At the same time, members of the Church offer themselves individually and subjectively in the Eucharistic liturgy, insofar as they unite themselves by intention and action, with the Eucharistic offering of Christ's Sacrifice.We have already considered the Eucharist as the source of the spiritual life, which we noted is a life of grace lived through the theological virtues of faith, hope and charity.We look now at these things from the vantage point of the Eucharist as their summit or highpoint, rather than their source.The Need for Repentance
Since all the various ways we give ourselves to God are directed to the Eucharist, this includes repentance from sin.Consequently, if we would offer ourselves to God through the Eucharist and receive from Him the Bread of Life, we must pass through the door of penance.God through the Eucharist, we must, following the general pattern of the spiritual life, undergo purgation.As Pope Pius XII wrote:
"While we stand before the altar ...Not surprisingly, then, there exists a special link between the Sacrament of Penance and the Eucharist.Pope John Paul II has written of this:
The Eucharist and Penance thus become in a sense two closely connected dimensions of authentic life in accordance with the spirit of the gospel, of truly Christian life.The Christ who calls to the Eucharistic banquet is always the same Christ who exhorts us to penance and repeats his "Repent."Without this constant ever renewed endeavor for conversion, partaking of the Eucharist would lack its full redeeming effectiveness and there would be a loss or at least a weakening of the special readiness to offer God the spiritual sacrifice in which our sharing in the priesthood of Christ is expressed in an essential and universal manner (Redemptoris hominis, no.The Eucharist, then, is the high point of repentance because it is the supreme sacrament of Calvary.All other acts of penance prepare for our participation in the Eucharistic Sacrifice, our supreme rejection of sin and turning toward Christ and communion with Him.So, too, our Eucharistic offering, as the summit or highpoint of Christian spirituality, involves the theological virtues.Indeed, acts of faith, hope and charity are specific ways in which we offer ourselves to God in the Eucharist, thereby entering into communion with Him through the highest act of sacrifice possible.In the Eucharist, man submits by faith to the Divine Word by which bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ, and indeed to the whole Catholic Faith of which the Eucharist is the greatest sacramental sign because it is Christ Himself.This is at least one of the ways in which we can speak of the Eucharist as the "Mystery of Faith."Furthermore, in receiving Holy Communion in faith one bows before this mystery which only the person of faith perceives: "Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you shall not have life within you ...For my flesh is true food and my blood true drink" (John 6:53, 55).In this way, a person offers himself to Christ in faith, saying, "Yes, Lord.And God's saving act in Christ is supremely realized in the Eucharist, which makes Calvary present.Again we note that, by the virtue of hope, a believer trusts in God's promised grace in the Eucharist and that "he who has begun a good work ...Indeed, it is only because of Christ, who as priest and victim is present in the Eucharist, that we can hope that any offering of ourselves will be acceptable to God.There remains no greater means by which we hope in God than by the Eucharistic Sacrifice.To unite ourselves to Christ in the Eucharist, then, is to acknowledge our own insufficiency and our reliance on God's goodness to bring us to eternal life with Him.Through the Eucharist, which is "the pledge of future glory" (CCC, nos.Perhaps most importantly, the Eucharist is the summit of Christian spirituality because it is the "sacrament of love."At the same time, there is a sense in which the Eucharist, by God's gracious work in us, is the sacrament of our love for God and for our neighbor.Father's own Son, Jesus.In this way, God's gracious invitation to communion with human beings is answered through communion with the Eucharistic Christ.Through the Eucharist, we join ourselves to Christ and "lay down" our lives in loving union with Jesus' supreme act of obedience to the Father's will.As Christ prayed in Gethsemane that the Father's will be done, so we, in uniting our lives to Christ in the Eucharist, say to the Father, "Thy will be done."As Jesus was obedient "unto death" as an expression of His love for the Father and for us, in the Eucharist we participate in Christ's love of His Father, surrendering ourselves to the Father's will through Jesus, by surrendering our wills "unto death" of ourselves.But charity is not offered to only God in the Eucharist; love for one another is also expressed and realized therein.Our Eucharistic Sacrifice, then, must include the sacrifice of ourselves in love of, and service to, our neighbor because, as we saw earlier, whoever loves God must also love his neighbor (1 John 4:21).The Eucharist, then, is supremely the sacrament in which we as members of Christ's body are united in faith, hope and charity.We are united by faith, hope and charity with Christ in the Eucharist.And we are united by faith, hope and charity in Christ through the Eucharist, with one another.Or to put it another way, the Eucharist is the earthly anticipation of the eschatological Wedding Supper of the Lamb, when Christ and His espoused Church fully experience the "one flesh" reality of their spousal and corporeal union.The Eucharist is both the "source and summit of Christian spirituality."Christ's Sacrifice on the cross, the Eucharist is God's gift of Himself in Christ through the Spirit to us.We, as members of Christ's Church, receive this gift by grace and, through grace, grow in communion with God by turning from sin and increasing in faith, hope and charity, to which the Eucharist, as a sacramental sign, gives rise in us.At the same time, the Eucharist is the summit of Christian spirituality because, as the greatest sacramental sharing in Christ's Sacrifice, it is the greatest gift of ourselves in Christ, corporately and individually, to the Father by the Spirit.God in faith, hope and charity, by which we are united to Christ's Eucharistic Sacrifice.Pondering and making our own these great truths about the Eucharist in the Christian life should illuminate our spiritual path and give us more reasons to love the Eucharist, and in this way, help us to grow closer to God and to each other in Christ.See Redemptoris Hominis, no.See also Inter Insigniores, part 5. |
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![Vicious Crusade : [2001] Messiah... Isn't It Me](/covers/44/445/alb_81616_th.jpg "Vicious Crusade : [2001] Messiah... Isn't It Me")
