Holy Eucharist (Holy Communion)

First featured: Mar 15, 2006   Last updated: Mar 15, 2006

"The Body and Blood, together with the Soul and Divinity, of our Lord Jesus Christ, and therefore the whole Christ, is truly, really and substantially contained in the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist."
- The Council of Trent (1545-1563)

The Holy Eucharist is one of the seven sacraments.

The word "eucharist" comes from the Greek word "eucharistia" that means "thanksgiving". Christ gave thanks when He instituted the Eucharist (Mt 26:26-27).

The Eucharist is also called the Holy Communion, the Holy Mass, The Lord's Supper, or the Divine Liturgy.

The Lord Jesus Christ instituted the sacrament of the Eucharist at the Last Supper on the night before He suffered and died on the cross.

The Eucharist is a re-enactment of the Last Supper, the final meal that the Lord Jesus Christ shared with his disciples.

Photograph: "Njangalkkay muriyum appamaanu nee..." – A representation of the Eucharist at St Thomas Forane Church, Dharmaram, Bangalore (on 14th November, 2005)

We, the members of the Church, celebrate the Holy Eucharist together. The priest who leads the Eucharistic celebration is called the celebrant. Other priests who take part in the Eucharist are co-celebrants.

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life. It further teaches: "At the Last Supper, on the night he was betrayed, our Savior instituted the Eucharistic sacrifice of his Body and Blood. This he did in order to perpetuate the sacrifice of the cross throughout the ages until he should come again, and so to entrust to his beloved Spouse, the Church, a memorial of his death and resurrection: a sacrament of love, a sign of unity, a bond of charity, a Paschal banquet 'in which Christ is consumed, the mind is filled with grace, and a pledge of future glory is given to us.' "

The Lumen Gentium (LG) or The Dogmatic Constitution on The Church, which is one of the principal documents of the Second Vatican Council (1962-65), states that “the Eucharist is the source and summit of Christian life.”

Bible references on the institution of the Eucharist

• Matthew 26:26-28
• Mark 14:22-24
• Luke 22:19-20
• 1 Corinthians 11:23-26

Year of the Eucharist: 2004-05

In June 2004, Late Pope John Paul II announced that the liturgical year October 2004 - October 2005 would be celebrated as the Year of the Eucharist by Catholics worldwide. By dedicating an entire year to the Blessed Sacrament, the pope called upon the entire Church to reflect on the Holy Eucharist. The pope also set the theme “The Eucharist - Light and Life of the New Millennium” for the 48th International Eucharistic Congress that was going to take place in Mexico in October 2004.

On Sunday, 30th October 2005, there were special functions in Catholic churches on the occasion of the conclusion of the Year of the Eucharist.

Eucharistic Notes

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