Eucharist
Eucharist
The Lord Jesus, on the night before he suffered on the cross, shared one last meal with his disciples. During this meal our Savior instituted the sacrament of his Body and Blood, the Eucharist. He did this in order to perpetuate the sacrifice of the Cross throughout the ages and to entrust to the Church a memorial of his death and resurrection. The Gospel of Matthew tells us:
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." (Mt 26:26-28; cf. Mk 14:22-24, Lk 22:17-20, 1 Cor 11:23-25)
Recalling these words of Jesus, the Catholic Church professes that, in the celebration of the Eucharist, bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. The whole Christ is truly present, body, blood, soul, and divinity, under the appearances of bread and wine. This is what the Church means when she speaks of the "Real Presence" of Christ in the Eucharist.
The children of St. Damian Parish receive instruction and the Sacrament of Eucharist in the second grade. Adults who were baptized and never received the Sacrament are encouraged to contact our Coordinator of Religious Education, Mrs. Cheryl Plesha, at 687-7778 to join the RCIA process (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults).
When researching the Catholic teaching on the Eucharist, it is important to seek Catholic sources. For those who like to read, Dr. Scott Hahn's Supper of the Lamb and Dr. Brandt Pitre's The Jewish Roots of the Eucharist are very good resources.
For further research on the Catholic teaching of the Eucharist:
The USCCB (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops) website
Catholics Come Home: The Eucharist and the Mass
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