THE EUCHARIST SOURCE AND SUMMIT OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE
-Origin of the word Eucharist, from the Greek word eucharistein - thanksgiving
-Origin of Communion from the Latin Co-with and unio-union, union with Christ by sharing in his body and blood.
- In the Old Testament bread and wine seen as gifts from God
Praise and thanksgiving given to God in return for those gifts, blessing and other signs of his care and grace.
Melchizedek's offering of bread and wine as a sacrifice and thanksgiving for Abraham' s assistance in a return of a family member (Gn 14:18)
-Other sacrifices offered for thanksgiving to God included sacrifice of a lamb from the new flock.
-Ancient rituals united into the Passover Meal to give historical meaning to the Exodus delivery God's people from the slavery in Egypt.
-Institution of the Eucharist gave a new and final meaning to the blessing of bread and and the sacrifice of the lamb
-Some of Jesus' miracles, recorded in the Gospels, are precursors and hints leading to the institution of the Eucharist.
Multiplication of loaves and fishesabundance of the Eucharist Wedding Feast at Cana-divine glory of Jesus and divine feast that is shared when we receive the Eucharist
-Jewish Passover feast chosen by Jesus to institute the Eucharist, a new covenant, a new relationship between the Creator and his creatures.
-In the celebration of the Last Supper, we find the origins of the Eucharist -Shared the celebration with his Apostles -Left them with a pledge of his love
-Made them sharers in his Passover the Paschal Mystery -The Eucharist is a memorial and reenactment of his death and resurrection -Commanded the Apostles to celebrate this memorial until his return
-Constituted the priesthood of the New Testament -The Holy Eucharist refers to Christ's body and blood present in the consecrated host -Present on the altar and in the tabernacle
The term Eucharist refers to one of three aspects of Christ's body and blood as a sacrifice during the consecration part of the Mass as Holy Communion that we receive under both species of bread and wine as the Blessed Sacrament- giving sanctifying grace-a spiritual strengthening for the soul.
-Most central and important of the Sacraments to Catholicism -all four Gospels make reference to this new covenant -importance of the bread being Christ's Body and the wine his Blood continued emphasis by Apostles in New Testament writings and into this age
-When does the bread and wine become Christ's Body and Blood? at Mass, during the Liturgy of the Eucharist, - Epiclesis (Invocation) with hands over the bread and wine, the priest implores the Holy Spirit to change the bread and wine into Christ's Body and Blood
-Consecration the priest lifts first the bread and then the wine and proclaims Jesus' words at the Last Supper at this time the Holy Spirit makes sacramentally present the Body and Blood of Christ under the species of bread and wine
-This change is substance is called transubstantiation where the bread and wine are transformed into Christ himself, living and glorious. He is present in a true, real and substantial manner; His Body and Blood with his soul and divinity
-Effects of Holy Communion increases our union with the Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit forgiveness of venial sins helps the recipient avoid the temptation to commit a grave sin reinforces the unity of the Church as the Mystical Body of Christ
-Pope Francis, during his daily homily on September 24, 2013 made the following statement about the Sacrament of the Eucharist:
We go with joy because He accompanies us, He is with us and the Lord Jesus, even in our personal lives, accompanies us with the Sacraments. The Sacrament is not a magic rite:
it is an encounter with Jesus Christ; we encounter the Lord it is He who is beside us and accompanies us.
-Saint John Paul II tells us: The Eucharist is a great mystery Jesus is really present, body and blood, soul and divinity, in the consecrated Host
but it is also God's greatest gift to mankind, since in it, Christ becomes intimately united to us, by becoming the Bread of Life.