HOLY EUCHARIST
Holy Eucharist
The other sacraments, and indeed all ecclesiastical ministries and works of the apostolate, are bound up with the Eucharist and are oriented toward it. (CCC 1324)
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.
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, a sign of unity, a bond of charity, a Paschal banquet 'in which Christ is consumed, the mind is filled with grace, and a pledge of future glory is given to us.
Adults Catholics who were baptized, but never completed their sacraments of initiation such as First Communion are invited to take part in the adult instruction classes along with those who are making inquiry into the Faith with a view to initiation into the Church or to be received into full communion (if they are members of another Christian community other than the Catholic Church).
Young Catholics who are proceeding with their further initiation into the Catholic way of life receive instructions usually on Sundays at the usual time of catechesis for those in the elementary level of education.
The Director for Religious Education can further explain the program and the requirements necessary for completing the formation program that prepares the young Catholic for this sacramental moment. If children are older than the usual time when First Communion is traditionally celebrated, their parents are invited to contact the Director of Religious Education who usually tries to make available special hours of catechesis to prepare these children and youth for the sacraments of First Reconciliation and First Communion. The Director may be reached at 361-244-2138.
The liturgical life of the Church revolves around the sacraments, with the Eucharist at the center (National Directory for Catechesis, #35). At Mass, we are fed by the Word and nourished by the Body and Blood of Christ. We believe that the Risen Jesus is truly and substantially present in the Eucharist. The Eucharist is not a sign or symbol of Jesus; rather we receive Jesus himself in and through the Eucharistic species. The priest, through the power of his ordination and the action of the Holy Spirit, transforms the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Jesus. This is call transubstantiation.
By the consecration the transubstantiation of the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ is brought about. Under the consecrated species of bread and wine Christ himself, living and glorious, is present in a true, real, and substantial manner: his Body and his Blood, with his soul and his divinity. (CCC 1413)
The New Covenant
I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever;…Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life and…remains in me and I in him. (John 6:51, 54, 56)
In the gospels we read that the Eucharist was instituted at the Last Supper. This is the fulfillment of the covenants in the Hebrew Scriptures. In the Last Supper narratives, Jesus took, broke and gave bread and wine to his disciples. In the blessing of the cup of wine, Jesus calls it “the blood of the covenant” (Matthew and Mark) and the “new covenant in my blood” (Luke).
This reminds us of the blood ritual with which the covenant was ratified at Sinai (Ex 24) -- the sprinkled the blood of sacrificed animals united God and Israel in one relationship, so now the shed blood of Jesus on the cross is the bond of union between new covenant partners -- God the Father, Jesus and the Christian Church. Through Jesus’ sacrifice, all the baptized are in relationship with God.
The Catechism teaches that all Catholics who have received their First Holy Communion are welcome to receive Eucharist at Mass unless sin a state of mortal sin.
Anyone who desires to receive Christ in Eucharistic communion must be in the state of grace. Anyone aware of having sinned mortally must not receive communion without having received absolution in the sacrament of penance. (CCC 1415)
The Church warmly recommends that the faithful receive Holy Communion when they participate in the celebration of the Eucharist; she obliges them to do so at least once a year. (CCC 1417)
Receiving the Eucharist changes us. It signifies and effects the unity of the community and serves to strengthen the Body of Christ.
Understanding the Mass
The central act of worship in the Catholic Church is the Mass. It is in the liturgy that the saving death and resurrection of Jesus once for all is made present again in all its fullness and promise – and we are privileged to share in His Body and Blood, fulfilling his command as we proclaim his death and resurrection until He comes again. It is in the liturgy that our communal prayers unite us into the Body of Christ. It is in the liturgy that we most fully live out our Christian faith.
The liturgical celebration is divided into two parts: the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist. First we hear the Word of God proclaimed in the scriptures and respond by singing God’s own Word in the Psalm. Next that Word is broken open in the homily. We respond by professing our faith publicly. Our communal prayers are offered for all the living and the dead in the Creed. Along with the Presider, we offer in our own way, the gifts of bread and wine and are given a share in the Body and Blood of the Lord, broken and poured out for us. We receive the Eucharist, Christ’s real and true presence, and we renew our commitment to Jesus. Finally, we are sent forth to proclaim the Good News!
Great Catholic families make mistakes: As Catholics, we believe that we are created in the image and likeness of God ... but this doesn’t mean that we are gods. The older we get, the more we realize how human we all are. We let each other down. We fail. We sin. And yet, to thrive as individuals and as a family, we have learned that there is a fine line between making a mistake and believing that you are a mistake. God does not make mistakes. We are each created with dignity, and we are all special in God’s eyes. Great Catholic families know that shame is hard to undo once it’s done. Even the biggest mistakes require a healthy dose of patience and love in order to ensure that they don’t become weak spots in an otherwise strong family. Faith Builder: Does your family keep alive old wounds? Take some time together to bury old mistakes and genuinely move on from them. Great Catholic families fight fair: As much as we wish family life were perfect, the reality is that all families experience conflict. We’re going to fight. Not selling siblings into slavery like Joseph’s brothers did is a good start, but even fighting has rules. Families that fight fair carry with them an application of the Ten Commandments, even when they are in the middle of a family crisis. Some examples: Steering clear of using the Lord’s name in vain in a heated debate. Honoring mothers and fathers (and daughters and sons and sisters and brothers and so on). Telling the truth, gently, even though it may hurt. Family members who fight for personal victory miss out on how great it feels to work through a struggle together, and win as a team. Great Catholic families check tempers, are respectful of one anothers’ strengths and weaknesses, and always remember that obstacles make us stronger Faith Builder: Create and display your family’s rules for conflict: “No sulking, no lying, no grudges, etc.” This content comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.
Gracious God, your ways are greater than our hearts can comprehend; Your love is immense; your mercy and forgiveness stretch beyond the limits of our understanding. Teach us to know your ways, and give us the grace to focus always on your love, so that we may share that love in the world through our stewardship of all we are and have and will be. We ask this in the name of the One whose way is our way, Jesus Christ our Lord, who is one with you and the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen. This article comes to you from Grace In Action ( Our Sunday Visitor ) courtesy of your parish or diocese.
Lk 14:1, 7-11 Jesus tells the guests at the home of the Pharisee that self-exaltation must not be sought as in a guest seeking the place of honor at the dinner table. Jesus then addresses the host by saying that invitations must never be given with the expectation of some reciprocal act. To be humble and to serve generously and freely is the better way. May we always be humble and generous as God wills. St. Charles, pray for us. This content comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.
“Each time we bend down to the needs of our brothers and sisters, we give Jesus something to eat and drink; we clothe, we help, and we visit the Son of God (cf. Mt 25:40). In a word, we touch the flesh of Christ.” — Pope Francis Reflection : How do you to contribute to efforts that ensure others have their basic needs met? How do these actions of touching the flesh of Christ connect to your touching the flesh of Christ in the Eucharist? This content comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.
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