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• 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.
• It is administered by the Bishops or Priests
 The Eucharist is "the source
and summit of the Christian
life.“
 The blessed Eucharist is

contained the whole

spiritual good of the Church,
namely Christ himself, our
Pasch."
 by the Eucharistic celebration we
already unite ourselves with the
heavenly liturgy and anticipate
eternal life, when God will be all in
all.
 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."
EUCHARIST, because it is an
action of thanksgiving to God.
The Greek words eucharistein
and eulogein recall the Jewish
blessings that proclaim -
especially during a meal -
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, above all at the Last
Supper.
• It is by this action that his disciples will
recognize him after his Resurrection,
• It is this expression that the first Christians
will use to designate their Eucharistic
assemblies;1 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 memorial of the Lord's

Passion and Resurrection.

 The Holy Sacrifice, because it makes
present the one sacrifice of Christ the
Savior and includes the Church's
offering.
 The terms holy sacrifice of the Mass,

"sacrifice of praise," spiritual sacrifice,

pure and holy sacrifice are also used,
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.
 Holy Communion, because by this
sacrament we unite ourselves to Christ,
who makes us sharers in his Body and
Blood to form a single body. We also call
it: the holy things (ta hagia; sancta) - the
first meaning of the phrase "communion
of saints" in the Apostles' Creed - the
bread of angels, bread from heaven,
medicine of immortality,153 viaticum. . . .
 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.
• 22. While they were eating, he took a loaf of
bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave
it to them, and said, "Take; this is my body.“
• 23. Then he took a cup, and after giving
thanks he gave it to them, and all of them
drank from it.
• 24. He said to them, "This is my blood of
the covenant, which is poured out for many.
• 25. Truly I tell you, I will never again drink
of the fruit of the vine until that day when I
drink it new in the kingdom of God."
• 26 While they were eating, Jesus took a loaf of
bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to
the disciples, and said, "Take, eat; this is my
body."
• 27 Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks
he gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of
you;
• 28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is
poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
• 29 I tell you, I will never again drink of this fruit
of the vine until that day when I drink it new with
you in my Father's kingdom."
• 30 When they had sung the hymn, they went out
to the Mount of Olives.
 14 When the hour came, he took his place at
the table, and the apostles with him.
 15 He said to them, "I have eagerly desired
to eat this Passover with you before I suffer;
 16 for I tell you, I will not eat it until it is
fulfilled in the kingdom of God."
 17 Then he took a cup, and after giving
thanks he said, "Take this and divide it
among yourselves;
 18 for I tell you that from now on I will not
drink of the fruit of the vine until the
kingdom of God comes."
19 Then he took a loaf of bread, and when he had
given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them,
saying, "This is my body, which is given for you. Do
this in remembrance of me."
20 And he did the same with the cup after supper,
saying, "This cup that is poured out for you is the
new covenant in my blood.
21 But see, the one who betrays me is with me, and
his hand is on the table.
22 For the Son of Man is going as it has been
determined, but woe to that one by whom he is
betrayed!"
23 Then they began to ask one another which one
of them it could be who would do this.
• 23 For I received from the Lord what I also
handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the
night when he was betrayed took a loaf of
bread,
• 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it
and said, "This is my body that is for you. Do
this in remembrance of me."
• 25 In the same way he took the cup also,
after supper, saying, "This cup is the new
covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as
you drink it, in remembrance of me."
 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your ancestors ate the manna
in the wilderness, and they died. 50 This is the bread that
comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not
die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven.
Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread
that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh." 52 The
Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, "How can
this man give us his flesh to eat?" 53 So Jesus said to them,
"Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of
Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you
. 54 Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood
have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the
last day; 55 for my flesh is true food and my
blood is true drink. 56 Those who eat my flesh
and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them.
57 Just as the living Father sent me, and I live
because of the Father, so whoever eats me will
live because of me. 58 This is the bread that
came down from heaven, not like that which your
ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who
eats this bread will live forever."
35Thenthe two told what
had happened on the way,
and how Jesus was
recognized by them when
he broke the bread.
42Theydevoted themselves
to the apostles' teaching
and to the fellowship, to the
breaking of bread and to
prayer.
"This is my body...
This is my blood..."
(the "Words of
Institution" from
the Last Supper)
Thebread and wine are
blessed/consecrated by
the minister and
received/shared by the
communicants
• Holy Communion preserves the supernatural
life of the soul by giving the communicant
supernatural strength to resist temptation, and
by weakening the power of concupiscence. It
reinforces the ability of our free will to
withstand the assaults of the devil. In a formal
definition, the Church calls Holy Communion
"an antidote by which we are preserved from
grievous sins" (Council of Trent, October 11,
1551).
 Holy Communion increases the life
of grace already present by
vitalizing our supernatural life and
strengthening the virtues and gifts
of the Holy Spirit we possess. To be
emphasized, however, is that the
main effect of Communion is not to
remit sin. In fact, a person in
conscious mortal sin commits a
sacrilege by going to Communion.
• Holy Communion cures the spiritual diseases
of the soul by cleansing it of venial sins and
the temporal punishment due to sin. No less
than serving as an antidote to protect the
soul from mortal sins, Communion is "an
antidote by which we are freed from our daily
venial sins" (Council of Trent, October 11,
1551). The remission of venial sins and of the
temporal sufferings due to sin takes place
immediately by reason of the acts of perfect
love of God, which are awakened by the
reception of the Eucharist. The extent of this
remission depends on the intensity of our
charity when receiving Communion.
 Holy Communion gives us a
spiritual joy in the service of
Christ, in defending His cause,
in performing the duties of our
state of life, and in making the
sacrifices required of us in
imitating the life of our Savior.
 http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p2s2c1a3.ht
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