Holy Eucharist
The Catechism of the Catholic Church on the EucharistThe 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." "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." Finally, by the Eucharistic celebration we already unite ourselves with the heavenly liturgy and anticipate eternal life, when God will be all in all. 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." (CCC 1324-1327)
USCCB Sacrament Handouts
Videos on the Eucharist
Early Church Fathers on the Eucharist
St. Gregory of Nyssa
Since it has been shown that in no other way was it possible for our body to become immortal, but by participating in incorruption through its fellowship with that immortal Body, it will be necessary to consider how it was possible that that one Body¸ being for ever portioned to so many myriads of the faithful throughout the whole world, enters, through that portion, whole into each individual, and yet remains whole in itself…, which Body also by the indwelling of God the Word was transmuted to the dignity of Godhead. Rightly, then, do we believe that now also the bread which is consecrated by the Word of God is changed into the Body of God the Word. For that Body was once, by implication, bread, but has been consecrated by the inhabitation of the Word that tabernacle in the flesh. Therefore, form the same cause as that by which the bread that was transformed in that Body was changed to a Divine potency, a similar result takes place now. For as in that case, too, the grace of the Word used to make holy the Body, the substance of which came of the bread, and in a manner was itself bread, so also in this case the bread, as says the Apostle, ‘is sanctified by the Word of God and prayer’; not that it advances by the process of eating to the stage of passing into the body of the Word, but it is at once changed into the body by means of the Word, as the Word itself said, ‘This is my Body.’ …By dispensation of His grace, He disseminates Himself in every believer through that flesh¸ whose substance comes from bread and wine, blending Himself with the bodies of believers, to secure that, by this union with the immortal, man, too, may be a sharer in incorruption. He gives these gifts by virtue of the benediction through which He trans-elements the natural quality of these visible things to that immortal thing. The Great Catechism, Chapter 17
St. Justin Martyr
‘And the offering of fine flour, sirs,’ I said, ‘which was prescribed to be presented on behalf of those purified from leprosy, was a type of the bread of the Eucharist, the celebration of which our Lord Jesus prescribed, in remembrance of the suffering which He endured on behalf of those who are purified in soul from all iniquity…Hence God speaks by the mouth of Malachi, one of the twelve [prophets] as I said before, about the sacrifices at the time presented to you: “I have no pleasure in you, says the Lord; and I will not accept your sacrifices at your hands: for, from the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same, My name has been glorified among the Gentiles, and in every place incense is offered to My name, and a pure offering: for My name is great among the Gentiles, says the Lord: but you profane it.”’ Dialogue with Trypho, Chapter 41 Scripture - Eucharist
The Eucharist must be worthily received
The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass - Prefigured
Genesis 14:18
Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought out bread and wine, and being a priest of God Most High, he blessed Abram with these words: The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass - what was required foretold
The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass - attested to
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CATECHISMSECTION TWO THE SEVEN SACRAMENTS OF THE CHURCH
CHAPTER ONE THE SACRAMENTS OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION Article 3 THE SACRAMENT OF THE EUCHARIST I. The Eucharist - Source and Summit of Ecclesial Life II. What is This Sacrament Called? III. The Eucharist in the Economy of Salvation IV. The Liturgical Celebration of the Eucharist V. The Sacramental Sacrifice Thanksgiving, Memorial, Presence VI. The Paschal Banquet VII. The Eucharist - "Pledge of the Glory To Come" IN BRIEF CANON LAWPART I. THE SACRAMENTS
TITLE III. THE MOST HOLY EUCHARIST (Cann. 897 - 958) CHAPTER I. THE EUCHARISTIC CELEBRATION Art. 1. THE MINISTER OF THE MOST HOLY EUCHARIST Art. 2. PARTICIPATION IN THE MOST HOLY EUCHARIST Art. 3. THE RITES AND CEREMONIES OF THE EUCHARISTIC CELEBRATION Art. 4. THE TIME AND PLACE OF THE CELEBRATION OF THE EUCHARIST CHAPTER II. THE RESERVATION AND VENERATION OF THE MOST HOLY EUCHARIST CHAPTER III. THE OFFERING GIVEN FOR THE CELEBRATION OF MASS | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
