The Significance of Eucharist for Catholics
Receiving the Eucharist is the highlight of a Catholic's faith. In receiving Jesus in this form, Catholics acknowledge the new covenant that Jesus instilled at the Last Supper. The Eucharist gives strength and draws people closer to God.
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Sum of our Faith
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The Eucharist is the "sum and summary" of the Catholic faith, according to paragraph 1327 in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Thoughts, meditation and all other sacraments such as baptism "are bound up with the Eucharist and are oriented toward it," according to paragraph 1324.
Transubstantiation
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Transubstantiation is the change of one substance to another. This is what the Catholic Church teaches occurs in the sacrament of the Eucharist. The bread and wine literally become Jesus' body and blood. John Young, a seminary instructor, stresses in "Transubstantiation and Reason" that the whole Christ becomes present in the Eucharist and his divinity becomes present in the same act.
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Communion of Saints
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All followers of Christ, past and present, make up the communion of saints. Hebrews 12:1 includes saints who have died. The church teaches unity under Christ through the Eucharist.
Strength and Sustenance
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Jesus prayed in John 17:16 for God to keep his followers safe since they were not of this world. It follows that he would provide them with divine strength. In receiving the Eucharist, the Catechism that in paragraph 1436 that his followers are fed and strengthened.
Separation from Sin
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When Catholics receive the Eucharist, they are receiving Jesus. Paragraph 1393 of the Catechism states that in uniting with a sinless Christ they are cleansed from past sins and preserved from future sins.
Thanks and Praise
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In the name of the sacrament, God's people give thanks to him. The Catechism points to the basis of the Greek word "eucharistein" in the Jewish meal blessing that exemplifies God's deeds.
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References
- Photo Credit sanctus image by Mélissa Bradette from Fotolia.com
