WHY IS THE EUCHARIST WONDERFUL?

Eucharist The Eucharist, a memorial of the death and resurrection of Jesus, re-presents his sacrifice. It is a means of Church unity and holiness as we share the sacred Body and Blood of Jesus.

The Last Supper ◦ Jesus instituted the Eucharist on the night before he died. ◦ Jesus was sharing a meal with his apostles at Passover time. During the meal, he took bread, thanked God for it, broke it, and give it to his apostles. He said, “This is my body. Do this in memory of me.” ◦ Jesus also took a cup of wine, gave thanks for it, and passed it around. He said, “This is my blood, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sin.” ◦ The Eucharist is our most perfect prayer and the center of our Christian lives.

Worship ◦ At Mass, Catholics gather to worship God together. Eucharist means “thanksgiving.” ◦ At every Mass, we thank and praise God for creating us, for redeeming us, and for making us holy. We also offer sacrifice. Under the forms of bread and wine, Jesus, our high priest, offers himself to the Father.

BTW The changing of the bread and wine into the body and blood of Jesus is called transubstantiation (tran-suhb-stan-shee-AY-shuhn). This means that the bread and wine still look very ordinary, but they have truly become the Body and Blood of Jesus.

Did You Know? ◦ The Eucharist is also called the Blessed Sacrament. After Mass, any remaining consecrated hosts are kept in a special place of honor called the tabernacle. From here, Holy Communion can be taken to the sick. We may also adore Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament by visiting him.

Communion ◦ Amazingly, Jesus becomes food for us. ◦ When we eat the sacred bread and drink the sacred wine, Jesus is united with us. ◦ In the Communion, we become more like Jesus. And because everyone who receives Communion receives the same Jesus, we are also united with Church members all over the world. We become ONE BODY. This is why the Church is called the Body of Christ.

BTW ◦ The table the sacrifice is offered on is an altar. The priest wears special clothes called vestments : a white robe ( alb ), a band of cloth over his shoulders ( stole ), and a flowing outer garment ( chasuble ). The container for the hosts is a ciborium, and the cup for the wine is a chalice.

Brainstorm ◦ What are your favorite parts of the Mass? ◦ Do you speak to Jesus in your own words as you prepare to receive Communion? ◦ How do you pray right after Communion? ◦ How would you explain the importance of these moments of personal prayer?

The Mass ◦ The Mass has two main parts: the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist. Here is an overview of the Rite: ◦ We speak to God. We ask for forgiveness for our sins and praise God. ◦ God speaks to us. We listen to Scripture readings. Before the Gospel we pray a psalm. Afterward we listen as a homily is preached. ◦ We offer gifts to God. We bring bread and wine to the altar. With them, we offer ourselves and our works to God. The bread and wine are consecrated and become Jesus. He offers himself to God the Father and we offer him too. ◦ God offers us a gift. Jesus comes to us in Holy Communion. We are filled with grace. We are sent from Mass to live and share the Good News. ◦ BTW: The word Mass comes from the Latin word for “sent.” At the end of Mass we are sent to love and serve God.

Receiving Communion ◦ Any baptized Catholic who has had proper preparation and is free from serious sin may receive Communion. In the Eucharist, lesser sins are forgiven. ◦ How do we receive Communion? ◦ We join our minds and hearts with the prayers of preparation said by the priest. ◦ We process up with our hands folded. ◦ We bow before the sacrament. ◦ When the priest or minister says, “The Body of Christ,” we respond, “Amen.” ◦ We may receive the host on our hand or on our tongue. ◦ To receive in our hand we extend our open hands with the left hand resting on the right one and then step aside and with our right hand, place the Host in our mouth. ◦ When the Precious Blood is offered, we bow. At the words, “Blood of Christ,” we respond, “Amen.” We receive the chalice and take a sip from it. ◦ Even though we receive just part of the consecrated bread or wine, we receive Jesus, our God and Saviour.

Did You Know? ◦ We fast for an hour before receiving Communion. ◦ We eat or drink only water and medicine and don’t chew gum either before or during Mass.

Scripture Link ◦ Multiplication of Loaves ◦ One day more than five thousand people had followed Jesus. He asked Phillip where they could buy bread for them. Philip said, “Even six months’ pay would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.” Andrew pointed our that a boy had five loaves and two fish. Jesus had the apostles make the people sit. Then he took the bread, gave thanks, and passed it out. He did the same with the fish. The leftovers filled twelve baskets! The next day, Jesus spoke about eating his flesh and drinking his blood to have eternal life. Many people couldn’t accept that and stopped following him. The miracle of bread and fish foreshadows the Eucharist, where Jesus feeds millions.

From My Heart O sacrament most holy, O sacrament divine, all praise and all thanksgiving be every moment thine.

Now Act! Write a prayer to say to Jesus after receiving him in Communion.