MEMBER GROUP: ACUB, NOR-AIN ; ROMERO, STACIE ; BERZA, ANGELIE

HOLY EUCHARIST

Also known as: Sacrament of Holy Communion Sacrament of Thanksgiving The Lords Supper The Mysterious Supper Sacrament of Community

WHAT IS SACRAMENT OF HOLY

EUCHARIST?

The Sacrament of Holy Eucharist is a Holy Sacrament by which the believer eats the Holy Body and Precious Blood of Jesus Christ, presented by the Bread and Wine. Holy Eucharist is the third of the Sacraments of Initiation. Because like baptism and confirmation, it brings us into the fullness of our life in Christ. The Holy Eucharist is a sacrament and a sacrifice. In the Holy Eucharist, under the appearances of bread and wine, the Lord Christ is contained, offered, and received.

ITS INSTITUTION

Christ instituted the Holy Eucharist at the Last Supper, the night before He died. About a year before the Last Supper Our Lord promised to give us the Holy Eucharist. This promise is related in the sixth chapter of the Gospel according to Saint John. The fulfillment of this promise took place at the Last Supper.

THE BENEFITS OF HOLY EUCHARIST

It gives us the promise of eternal life : Whoever eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood has eternal life and I will raise him up at the last day. He who eats this Bread will live forever (John 6:54,58). It provides growth in the Spirit and spiritual perfection and life in Jesus Christ, for He said: For My Flesh is food indeed and My Blood is drink indeed .... As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me (John 6:55,57). As food develops the body and keeps it healthy, so too the spiritual food, which is the Holy Body and Blood of Christ, strengthens the soul so that it may grow continually in grace. It provides remedy to the soul, body and spirit, as we say in the Offertory Mystery : That they (Holy Body and Precious Blood) may become to us all for participation and healing and salvation for our souls, bodies and our spirits.

Our holy church fathers called Communion the remedy for the death of sin. Communion results in our salvation and remission of sins; as mentioned in the final Confession in the liturgy : Given for our salvation, remission of sins and eternal life to those who partake of Him.

BODY AND BLOOD

Our Lord said, "This is My body," the entire substance of the bread was changed into His body; and when He said, "This is My blood," the entire substance of the wine was changed into His blood. Christ could not have used clearer, more explicit words than "This is My body." He did not say, "This is a sign of My body," or "This represents My body," but, "This is My body." Catholics take Christ at His word because He is the omnipotent God. On His word they know that the Holy Eucharist is the body and blood of Christ. The change of the entire substance of the bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ is called Transubstantiation.

Christ gave His priests the power to change bread and wine into His body and blood when He made the apostles priests at the Last Supper by saying to them: "Do this in remembrance of Me. Priests exercise their power to change bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ by repeating at the Consecration of the Mass the words of Christ: "This is My body . . . this is the Cup of My blood."

MATTER AND FORM

The matter of the Holy Eucharist is bread and wine. The bread which is requisite as matter for the Holy Eucharist is bread made of wheaten flour. True wine of the grape is necessary as matter for the Holy Eucharist. At the institution of the sacrament, our Lord said(Matt. 26:29): "I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine . . . The form of a sacrament is the authentic, authoritative, and effective set of words which constitute the matter (or sign) as a sacrament. The form of the Holy Eucharist is the consecrating formula of words used in Holy Mass: This is my body . . . This is my blood."

THE MINISTER OF HOLY EUCHARIST

The Sacrament of Holy Eucharist is of such dignity that it is confected only in the Person and by the authority of Christ himself. Hence, a priest is one ordained and appointed to act as Christ's instrument, and to use Christ's own voice and authority in confecting the Holy Eucharist at Mass. Only a duly ordained priest can consecrate the elements of bread and wine and so confect the sacrament of Holy Eucharist. Only the priest can offer this sacrament as sacrifice, and he does this when he celebrates Holy Mass.