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Capilla La Divina Providencia

Confirmation Week 10

The Eucharist

Eucharist is one of the Sacraments of initiation. It is the Sacrament where we get to partake in the Body and Blood of Christ.

The Eucharist is the “source and summit” of our faith (CCC 1324). This means that everything in our faith is rooted in the Eucharist and is oriented towards it.

The word Eucharisteo means “thanksgiving” in Latin. It the greatest prayer of thanksgiving that helps us recall God’s great blessings: Creation, our redemption through Christ and our sanctification.

The Eucharist is often called “Communion”. It is the sign, as well as a source, of our communion with Christ and our communion with all those in the Catholic faith. 


The Institution of the Eucharist

Read Matthew 26: 26-29: Jesus instituted the Eucharist during the Last Supper

"While they were eating, Jesus took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and giving it to his disciples said, 'Take and eat; this is my body.' Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, 'Drink from it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, from now on I shall not drink this fruit of the vine until the day when I drink it with you new in the kingdom of my Father.' "

Now read 1Corinthians 11:23-26:  We see that the early Church followed Jesus’ command to continue to celebrate the Eucharist in remembrance of Him.

"For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over, took bread, and, after he had given thanks, broke it and said, “This is my body that 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 death of the Lord until he comes. "
 
We continue to celebrate the Eucharist today at Mass. We use Jesus’ same words that He used when He instituted the Eucharist.

The Eucharist is visibly bread and wine, but is in reality the Body and Blood of Christ

It is the substance that becomes the divine nature of Jesus Himself. This is understood as Transubstantiation, that through the consecration of the bread and wine it truly becomes the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, even though it still appears as bread and wine.

The Eucharist is not a symbol, but truly is Jesus Christ Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity.

Who can receive the Eucharist?

Baptized Catholics who have reached the age of reason are allowed to receive the Eucharist

The age of reason is 7 years or older.

Those who are not Catholic cannot receive the Eucharist because they do not acknowledge Christ’s true presence in the Eucharist. We pray for the day that the Church will be one again and that all will be in communion and able to participate in the Eucharist.

We need to be in a state of grace to receive the Eucharist at Mass. This means if we know that we are in a state of mortal sin then we need to go to Confession before receiving the Eucharist.


Read John 6:35
"Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst"
  • The Eucharist is how God feeds us. Our Spiritual lives are sustained by it. The more we partake in the Eucharist, the more we are transformed by it. And because it is Christ himself, we become more like Him.
  • This is why it is important to go to Mass every week.

Read John 6:60-69

"Then many of his disciples who were listening said, “This saying is hard; who can accept it?” Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this, he said to them, “Does this shock you? What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe.” Jesus knew from the beginning the ones who would not believe and the one who would betray him. And he said, “For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by my Father.” As a result of this, many [of] his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him. Jesus then said to the Twelve, “Do you also want to leave?” Simon Peter answered him, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God."
  • All the Sacraments are mysteries of our faith, meaning we can’t fully understand them, except through faith. But the Eucharist can be a difficult teaching to comprehend because it still looks like bread and wine and we don’t always “feel” different after we receive Communion. But, we are called to be like Simon Peter and stay close to the Lord Himself.