The Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist

“He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats me will live because of me” (John 6:56-57).

Christ’s Words of Institution of the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist:

Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.”  And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matt 26:26-28).

And as they were eating, he took bread, and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body.”  And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it.  And he said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many” (Mark 14:22-24).

And he took 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.”  And likewise the cup after supper, saying, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood” (Luke 22:19-20):

“The Eucharist is the source and summit of our Christian lives” (CCC 1324).  All graces flow to us from the Eucharist. The Eucharist, the risen and glorified Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, is the perpetuation of Calvary, the sacrificial banquet. Throughout history, God relates with us in a covenant manner; He made covenant with His people though Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, etc. This sacrament is the fullness and the fulfillment of all covenants. Jesus Christ instituted it as the “New Way” to worship God in the covenant manner: “the New Covenant in my Blood.”

From the beginning of the Church, the celebration of the Eucharist is what chiefly brings us together, especially on Sundays, for the worship of God in a new covenant manner Christ commanded and required of us.  Hence St. Luke related,   

On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the morrow; and he prolonged his speech [his homily, his preaching] until midnight…. And when Paul had gone up and had broken bread and eaten, he conversed with them a long while, until daybreak, and so departed (Acts 20:7, 11).

From time to time, Catholic Christians are invited to non-Catholic celebrations on Sundays.  It’s is important to understand it does not fulfil the obligation to attend Mass at the Weekend, especially on Sundays.  Unsuspectingly, a Catholic attending such a gathering may receive something that looks like what we call “Holy Communion” or “Holy Eucharist” in the Catholic faith.  It is important to understand it is NOT the Body and Blood of Christ and certainly many Protestants and all Evangelicals do not regard what they do as the Body and Blood of Christ.  They CORRECTLY call what they have “SYMBOL.”  Precisely!  Because it is not consecrated by an ordained priest with Apostolic Succession, they simply call their celebration “Agape Meal” which doesn’t require an Ordained Ministerial Priest to preside over it.  So theirs is only a symbolic representation, without any salvific significance or redemptive dimension.  That it may look the same as what obtains in the Catholic Church does not make it the same.  What happens in the Catholic Church is different: hence, we speak of the Real Presence and the true Body and Blood of Jesus Christ.

The Eucharist is NOT symbol. It is the true Body and Blood of Jesus. Emphasizing the real presence of Jesus, body and blood, soul and divinity, in the Eucharist, the Author to the Hebrews declares:

For Christ has entered, not into a sanctuary made with hands, a copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf (Hebrews 9:24).

How gracious and loving is our God who has gone beyond changing water into wine at Cana, to changing wine and bread into His very self.  No words can express gratitude for such an awesome gift, such unconditional love. Only a deep, silent presence at the core of our being cries out, “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of heaven and earth, Hosanna in the highest, blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.”

Furthermore, many Protestant and Evangelical groups do not understand the Sacrifice aspect of the Eucharist or the Mass.  Please, never become confused by their lack of understanding.  Always remember the Sacrifice of the Mass is about the Lamb that was slain.  And Christ spoke about the Eucharist as Himself, the Lamb Who was slain (“My body given up for you…. My blood poured out for you….”).  That is what we see in the Book of Revelation about the Heavenly Liturgy (the Worship of God and of the Lamb who was slain) which our Earthly Liturgy – the Holy Mass – foreshadows:  

And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and with golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints; and they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy art thou to take the scroll and to open its seals, for thou wast slain and by thy blood didst ransom men for God from every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and hast made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on earth." Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” (Rev 5:8-12).

Indeed, as the Word of God says, in Revelation 19:9, "Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb".

Please, contact the Parish Office (407-932-5004) to learn more about how you, your spouse or your children can make their First Holy Communion.

Biblical Reference:

I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh. The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" So Jesus said to them, "Truly, 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; he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day (John 6:51-54).

And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers…. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they partook of food with glad and generous hearts (Acts 2:42, 46).

For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”  In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood.  Do this, as often as you drink it in remembrance of me.”  For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes (1Cor 11:23-26).

Teaching of the Church:

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, sign of unity, bond of charity, Pascal banquet in which Christ is consumed, the mind is filled with grace, and a pledge of future glory is given to us (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1323)

Conclusion: 

Please, be proud of your Catholic faith, the faith of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Apostles of Jesus Christ and all Christians from the First Century!  

“And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it” (Matt 16:18).

“And lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age” (Matt 28:20).