John Paul writes:
"The Church draws her life from the Eucharist. This truth does not simply express a daily experience of faith, but recapitulates the heart of the mystery of the Church."
From the time of the first Christians, the Church has recognized the real presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist. In our celebration of the Eucharist, we give thanks to God that through the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we are united in the Body of Christ, and we are nourished with the spiritual food that gives us strength to continue God's saving work on earth. We believe that the Eucharist is a cosmic event, that it "unites heaven and earth" and "permeates all creation."
The Institution of the Eucharist
Jesus instituted the Eucharist the night before he died while celebrating the Passover meal with his disciples. He took bread, broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying: "Take this, all of you, and eat it: This is my body, which will be given up for you." (Mk 14:22; Lk 22:19, 1 Cor 11:24) Then he took the cup of wine and said to them: "Take this, all of you, and drink from it: This is the cup of my blood, the blood of the new and everlasting covenant. It will be shed for you and for all, so that sins may be forgiven." (Mt 14:24; Lk 22:20; 1Cor 11:25)
"Jesus did not simply state that what he was giving them to eat and drink was his body and his blood; he also expressed it sacrificial meaning and made sacramentally present his sacrifice, which would soon be offered on the cross for the salvation of all."
The celebration of the Eucharist is not a symbolic remembrance of the Last Supper, as some Christians believe. It is not an attempt to re-crucify Jesus. We do not offer a new sacrifice to the Father. The passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus happened only once. When the Church celebrates the Eucharist, we enter into that "one, definitive, redemptive sacrifice." We return spiritually to the Last Supper and the events that followed, in a "mysterious oneness in time." It allows people throughout the centuries to share in the grace of redemption.
The Real Presence
During the celebration of the Eucharist, Jesus becomes present in the fullest sense when the bread and wine are consecrated, when they become his body and blood. St Cyril of Jerusalem writes, "Do not see in the bread and wine merely natural elements, because the Lord has expressly said that they are his body and blood; faith assures you of this, though your senses suggest otherwise."
"The Eucharist, as Christ's saving presence in the community of the faithful and its spiritual food, is the most precious possession which the Church can have in her journey through history."
The Eucharist and the Church
Our baptism, which united us with Christ, is renewed by sharing in the Eucharistic sacrifice. When we receive the body of Christ, we become one body in Christ. The Eucharist fulfills our deepest longings for unity with God and other people.
"The seeds of disunity, which daily experience shows to be so deeply rooted in humanity as a result of sin, are countered by the unifying power of the body of Christ. The Eucharist, precisely by building up the Church, creates human community."
"The Eucharist's particular effectiveness in promoting communion is one of the reasons for the importance of Sunday Mass..... The faithful have the obligation to attend Mass... Pastors have the corresponding duty to see that it is practical and possible for all to fulfill this precept."
Who can Receive Communion?
Because the Eucharist holds a place of such importance, the Church takes special precautions regarding the reception of the sacrament.
Communion cannot be given to a person who has not been baptized or to a person who does not believe in the eucharistic mystery.Catholics should never consider ecumenical services replacement for Mass. Because of differing beliefs, Catholics should not receive communion in other churches except in cases of genuine spiritual urgency, as described in Church Law.
Anyone who has committed a serious sin must receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation before receiving communion.
The School of Mary
Our Lady is the model for deepening our appreciation of the Eucharist. "If the Eucharist is a mystery of faith which so greatly transcends our understanding as to call for sheer abandonment to the word of God, then there can be no one like Mary to act as our support and guide in acquiring this disposition."
Mary's "yes" to the angel at the Annunciation (Lk 1:30-38) parallels our "Amen" when we receive the Eucharist because we, too, are inviting Jesus to come into our bodies.
Mary's Magnificat (Lk 1:46-55), her joyful prayer upon telling Elizabeth that she would be the Mother of God, leads us to a deeper understanding of the Eucharist as a prayer of praise and thanksgiving.
When we see Mary at the foot of the cross (Jn 19:25-27), we can incorporate our own suffering into the pain of Christ crucified and enter more deeply into "the sacrificial dimension of the Eucharist."
Ways to Increase Your Devotion to the Eucharist
The pope encourages us "to cultivate in our hearts a constant desire for the Sacrament of the Eucharist." The practice of "Spiritual communion," in which you ask the Lord to enter your heart, is an opportunity for union with God at times when you cannot receive the sacrament. It is not a substitute, however.Adoration of the Blessed Sacraments is "a priceless treasure" and a "wellspring of grace." It prolongs and increases the fruits of our communion. It provides an opportunity to express our gratitude and love.
Observation of the one-hour fast before receiving communion is a preparation for reception of the sacrament. Before Mass, contemplate with awe and wonder the mystery that will unfold in the Eucharist.
Participate in the Mass by listening carefully to the words during the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist, by responding enthusiastically, and by singing with the congregation.
Carry the Eucharist in your heart when you leave the church as an instrument of Christ's love. Share with others the many ways in which the Eucharist touches your life.