EUCHARIST (Holy Communion)
(Q): What is the Eucharist?
(A): The Eucharist is our Lord Jesus Christ under the appearance of bread and wine. Jesus is present in the sacrament of the Eucharist, body, blood, soul and divinity. Holy Communion unites you with God. The Eucharist helps protect you from mortal sins and cleanses away venial sins. Most importantly, Holy Communion is the life of the world and if you partake in Holy Communion in the state of grace, you are promised eternal life.(Q): When did Christ institute the Eucharist?
(A): The sacrament of the Eucharist was instituted by Christ during the Last Supper (the night before he died). In Matthew 26:26-28, Jesus said to his disciples, "Take, eat; this is my body." And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, "Drink of it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins."(Q): How can bread and wine become the flesh and blood of Jesus?
(A): Let us look at John 6:52-55, the Jews had a hard time believing Jesus' words, as do non-Catholics.(John 6:52-55) - The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you…"
(John 6:58), Jesus explains the importance of this bread, that He states that it is truly Himself. "This is the bread which came down from heaven, not such as the fathers ate and died, he who eats this bread will live for ever." (This bread that Jesus speaks of, is the food that will give life)
In John 6:66 many of Jesus' disciples left Jesus because they could not believe in His words. Then Jesus says to His twelve apostles in John 6:67 "Will you also go away?" It is clear what Jesus is stating, He does not take back His words and He does not say that it is another parable. He gives His apostles the opportunity to leave. Then Peter Simon, speaking for the 12 states in John 6:68, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life."
(Q): Why must we confess grave sins or skipping mass before receiving Jesus in the Eucharist?
(A): When we receive Jesus in the Eucharist, we must have a dwelling place within us that is acceptable to Christ. What is an acceptable dwelling place for Christ? A sinless dwelling place is acceptable to Christ. We all sin, some sins are more devastating than others (see Sins, Ten Commandments). Some of the more devastating sins that must be confessed prior to receiving Jesus are stealing, abortion, murder, adultery, cursing God, fornication, missing mass (other than for being sick or unable to get to a church), etc. There are some sins that are displeasing to God but will not prohibit you from receiving Jesus (see Sins).St. Paul explains to us in 1 Cor. 11:27-30 that we must be clean of sin before receiving: "Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a man examine himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For any one who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself. That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died."
(Q): What is wrong with Protestants partaking in communion in the Catholic Church?
(A): The last thing a Protestant would want to do is to claim that they are in complete unity with the church. This in fact is exactly what a Protestant is proclaiming when he or she receives communion in the Catholic Church. By receiving communion the Protestant is stating that they believe in the dogmas of Catholic Church, are obedient to the Catholic moral system, and that they recognize the authority of the Catholic Bishops and the Pope.(Q): What does the Catechism of the Catholic Church state?
(A):1324 The Eucharist is "the source and summit of the Christian life." "The other sacraments, and indeed all ecclesiastical ministries and works of the apostolate, are bound up with the Eucharist and are oriented toward it. For in the blessed Eucharist is contained the whole spiritual good of the Church, namely Christ himself, our Pasch."
1325 "The Eucharist is the efficacious sign and sublime cause of that communion in the divine life and that unity of the People of God by which the Church is kept in being. It is the culmination both of God's action sanctifying the world in Christ and of the worship men offer to Christ and through him to the Father in the Holy Spirit."
1326 Finally, by the Eucharistic celebration we already unite ourselves with the heavenly liturgy and anticipate eternal life, when God will be all in all.
1327 In brief, the Eucharist is the sum and summary of our faith: "Our way of thinking is attuned to the Eucharist, and the Eucharist in turn confirms our way of thinking."
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