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Roman Catholic Diocese of Peterborough

Eucharist

The Sacrament of the Eucharist

Priest distributing Holy Communion to the faithful.

What is the Eucharist?

  • The Eucharist is a Sacrament of Initiation.
  • It completes Christian initiation alongside Baptism and Confirmation.
  • At every Mass, bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ.
  • This change is called transubstantiation. The outward appearance remains bread and wine, but the substance truly changes.

How it Was Instituted

  • Jesus instituted the Eucharist at the Last Supper.
  • He gathered with his Apostles on the night before he died.
  • He took bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.”
  • He then took a cup of wine, gave thanks, and said, “Drink from it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant.”
  • He commanded them to do this in memory of him.
  • On the cross, Jesus offered his life as the ultimate sacrifice. The Mass makes that one sacrifice present to us today in an unbloody manner.

The Source and Summit of the Christian Life

  • The Church calls the Eucharist the “source and summit” of all Christian life.
  • It is the source because all grace, spiritual nourishment, and energy for Christian living flow from Christ in this sacrament.
  • It is the summit because all the activities of the Church and the worship of God aim toward this highest point.
  • Communion with Christ unites the Christian community into one Body.

CCC 1407 The Eucharist is the heart and the summit of the Church’s life, for in it Christ associates his Church and all her members with his sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving offered once for all on the cross to his Father; by this sacrifice he pours out the graces of salvation on his Body which is the Church.

Receiving the Real Presence

  • In the Eucharist, Jesus is truly, really, and substantially present.
  • He is present in his Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity.
  • Catholics prepare their hearts through prayer and by being in a state of grace (free from mortal sin) to receive Holy Communion.
  • Receiving Jesus transforms us, deepens our friendship with God, and sends us out to love and serve our neighbors.