IV.
CONCEPT NOTES
THE SACRAMENT OF THE HOLY EUCHARIST
What is the Holy Communion or Eucharist?
- Eucharist, in Greek, means thanksgiving or to give thanks. The sacrament is so-called
because when Christ instituted it, He gave thanks. Today, it is the chief means by which we give thanks
to God, through the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
- The Holy Eucharist is a sacrament and a sacrifice in which Our Savior Jesus Christ, body and
blood, soul and divinity, is contained, offered, and received under the appearance of bread and wine.
- Christ instituted the Eucharist at the last Supper, the night before He died.
-The Eucharist holds first place among all the other Sacraments in dignity, because through it
the soul not only receives grace but the Author of grace, Christ Himself.
NAMES GIVEN TO THE EUCHARIST (1330)
1. Holy Eucharist – it s an action of thanksgiving to God.
2. The Lord’s Supper – it’s connection with the Last Supper
3. The Breaking of Bread – because Jesus used this rite when He institute the Eucharist, ‘he
broke bread’
4. Eucharistic Assembly – because the Eucharist is celebrated amid the assembly of the faithful
5. Memorial – of the Lord’s Passion and Resurrection
6. Holy Sacrifice – because it makes present the one sacrifice of Christ the Savior
7. Holy and Divine Liturgy – because the Church’s whole liturgy finds its center and most
intense expression in the celebration of this sacrament
8. Most Blessed Sacrament – because it is the sacrament of sacraments
9. Holy Communion – because by this sacrament we unite ourselves to Christ who makes us
sharers in His Body and Blood to form a single body
10. Holy Mass – because the liturgy in which the mystery of salvation is accomplished concludes
with the sending forth (mission) of the faithful, so that they may fulfill God’s will in their lives.
How did Christ institute the Holy Eucharist?
-Christ instituted the Eucharist in this way: He took bread, blessed and broke it, and giving it to
His Apostles, said: “Take and eat; this is My Body”, then He took a cup of wine, blessed it, and giving
it to them, said: “All of you drink this; for this is My Blood of the new covenant which is being
shed for many unto the forgiveness of sins”, finally, He gave His Apostles the commission: “Do this
in memory of Me.” (Mt. 26:26-28)
In the Holy Eucharist, we find the three essentials of a sacrament. The institution was at the
Last Supper. The matter is bread and wine; the form consists of Our Lord’s words. The grace is a
nourishing grace coming from the very body and blood of Christ, helping us to be more closely united to
God and our fellowmen in supernatural charity. The minister is the priest, who represents Christ.
-What are the effects of the sacrament:
1. The Eucharist preserves and increases sanctifying grace.
2. it deepens charity in the soul, thus uniting it more closely to Christ and to the members of the mystical
body.
3. It heals the soul of venial sins, remits temporal punishment, and curbs evil tendencies.
4. it strengthens the soul to live virtuously.
5. It is a pledge (guarantee) of future glory.
Why do we believe that Christ changed bread and wine into His own Body and Blood?
-because His words clearly say so. At the last Supper He said: “This is my Body,” not “This is
the symbol of My Body,” or “This represents My Body.”
-Prior to the Last Supper, Jesus promised to give His flesh to eat and His blood to drink. (Jn
6:48-57)
-The Apostles understood that Christ meant His words at the last Supper to be literal. St. Paul
writes: (1 Cor. 10:16;11:27).
-It has been the continuous belief of Christians from the beginning of Christianity. St.
Augustine said, “Our Lord held Himself in His own hands, when He gave His body to the disciples.” It
was only in the 16th Century that some Protestants, breaking away from the Church, denied it and
introduced a different doctrine.
How was Our Lord able to change bread and wine into His Body and Blood?
-Our Lord was able to change bread and wine into His Body and Blood by His almighty power.
How do Priests Exercise their power to change bread and wine into the body and blood of
Christ?
-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 my Blood.”
Why does Christ give us His own Body and blood in the Holy Eucharist?
-To be offered as a sacrifice commemorating and renewing the sacrifice of the cross.
-To be received in Holy Communion – The Holy Eucharist is food to nourish the soul. By this
food, we are also united to Christ.
- The Mass is the chief and central act of Catholic worship, the greatest act of worship that can
be offered to God.
Why is the Mass the same sacrifice as the sacrifice of the Cross?
-The Mass is the same sacrifice as the sacrifice on the cross, because in the Mass the Victim
is the same, and the principal Priest is the same, Jesus Christ.
-The Mass is the very same sacrifice which was offered up at the Last Supper and on Calvary;
it is the living presence of the sacrifice of the Cross.
-The priest offering the mass is Christ’s minister and representative. He utters the words of
consecration in the name and person of Christ, saying: “This is My Body, This is My Blood;” not, “This is
Christ’s Body, etc.”
What are the purposes of the Mass?
1. To adore God as our Creator (Adoration)
2. To thank God for His many favors (Thanksgiving)
3. To ask God to bestow His blessings on all men (Petition)
4. To satisfy the justice of God for the sins committed against Him (Atonement)
We can best unite with the priest in offering the Mass conscious, active and intelligent
participation in the great corporate action.
Matter and Form of the Mass
-Bread and wine are used for consecration at Mass; wine is mixed with a small amount of
water – Christ did so.
-The bread for consecration is made from pure wheat flour mixed with water and baked. No
other flour may be used.
Where is the sacrifice of the Mass offered?
-The sacrifice of the Mass is offered on a consecrated altar.
Parts of the Mass
1. Entrance Procession
-help the celebrant and faithful to prepare themselves for the worthy celebration of the Mass
2. Sign of the Cross
3. Greetings
4. Penitential Rite
5. Kyrie
6. Gloria
7. Collect or Opening Prayer
I. Liturgy of the Word
8. First Reading
9. Responsorial Psalm
10. Second Reading
11. Alleluia
12. Gospel
13. Homily
14. Profession of Faith or Creed
15. Prayers of the Faithful
-by this prayer, in which the people are to take part, intercession are made for the Holy Church,
for the civil authorities, for those oppressed by various needs, for all mankind and for the
salvation of the whole world.
II. Liturgy of the Eucharist
16. Offertory
17. Prayer over the gifts
18. Preface – solemn recall of God’s gifts to us, which breaks into a hymn of thanksgiving through
Christ our Lord.
19. Sanctus
20. Consecration
21. Doxology
22. The Great Amen
23. The Lord’s Prayer
24. Greeting of Peace
25. The Lamb of God
26. Communion
27. Post Communion Prayer
28. Dismissal
29. Recessional
Holy Communion
-the receiving of Jesus Christ in the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist
-communion means a uniting or sharing together. In Holy Communion Christ and our soul are
intimately united, and we share the banquet of spiritual nourishment at the Lord’s table.
-We are obliged to receive communion during Easter time of the year. This is called the
Paschal Communion, part of our Easter duty.
Established by Christ
-Jesus was able to change bread and wine into His Body and Blood by His almighty power.
-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 my Blood.”
What is necessary to receive communion worthily?
-to receive communion worthily, it is necessary to be free from mortal sin, and to keep the
Eucharistic fast.
-One who knowingly receives Holy Communion in mortal sin receives the body and blood of
Christ, but does not receive His graces, and commits a grave sin of sacrilege.
-Venial sins do not and should not prevent our going to Holy Communion.
- The Mass is the chief and central act of Catholic worship, the greatest act of worship that can
be offered to God.
The essential effect of Holy Communion is union with Christ.
The efficacy of the Mass does not depend on the worthiness or unworthiness of the priest; he is only the
minister of Christ, who is both priest and victim. The value of the Mass is of itself, quite apart from the
worthiness of the priest. For this reason, we do not lose the merits of the Mass if it is offered for us by a
priest who is not worthy, since Mass has its intrinsic value.
-Mass is celebrated every day of the year except Good Friday and Holy Saturday.
SUPPLEMENTARY READINGS / MATERIALS
Want to find out more? For further readings, seethe Catechism of the Catholic Church
(CCC), The Seven Sacraments of the Church, No. 1406–1419 ff.
REFERENCES
Catechism of the Catholic Church. Manila: ECCE/Word and Life Publications, 1994.
INTERNET SOURCES
Watch commentary through YouTube channel: Bishop Robert Baron, The Holy Eucharist
