One of the most important ceremonies in the life of the Catholic faithful is the Eucharist, a sacred act where Christians take the body and blood of Christ. Stay informed of all the details about this act consecrated in the name of God.
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What is the Eucharist?
La Eucharist It is a sacred act instituted by Jesus Christ at the Last Supper, where the parishioners take his body and his blood, through bread and wine, which are consecrated for this purpose, to achieve forgiveness for their sins and thus be granted eternal life.
In the New Testament, it is established by the apostles Matthew and John that the Eucharist It is a sacred act carried out on Holy Thursday, when, accompanied by the apostles, Jesus began the rite:
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Mattheww 7:7-8. “Jesus took bread and, after pronouncing the blessing, broke it, gave it to the disciples and said to them: 'Take, eat; this is my body. ' Then he took the cup, said thanksgiving and said: 'Drink, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is shed for many for the forgiveness of sins. '
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John 6: 54-56. «He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. My flesh is real food, and my blood is real drink. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives in me and I in him ».
In the Catholic faith, the faithful who receive the bread and wine, granted by a consecrated minister, faithfully believe that these elements are, indeed, the body and blood of Christ, not in a symbolic but in a real way, thanks to transubstantiation. They also retain their physical form (their appearance) as bread and wine.
Species: Bread and Wine
In the eucharistic ceremony, the minister performs the offering of bread, which represents the body of Christ, which consists of a type of wheat bread with a circular shape known as a host.
Because many people suffer from celiac disease, the Church has made it a rule that hosts are made with as little gluten as possible. Likewise, in the event that the parishioner cannot take the host with the minimum amount of gluten, the Church allows them to receive communion only under the species of wine.
On the other hand, the species of wine is the other element of matter of the rite of Eucharist, which represents the blood of Christ, which refers to the blood that Jesus shed on the cross, in order to grant forgiveness of sins committed by humanity.
El came from the eucharistic ceremony It must not have any impurities and must be a direct product of the vine, without the addition of foreign substances that alter its purity. Also, in the ceremony it is customary to add a little water to the wine; this as an ancient custom.
Consecration
At this fundamental stage of the ceremony, the minister emulates the scene in which Jesus Christ instituted the sacrament at the Last Supper, reciting the following prayer:
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«This is my body, eat of it; this is my blood, drink of it, and do this in commemoration of me ».
It is through this sacred act that, according to the Catholic Church, bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ, respectively. This is a solemn act of mass called consecration.
If you found this post interesting, we invite you to read our article on: Prayer of the blood of Christ.
Development of the eucharistic ceremony
The rite of the eucharist consists of several steps and parts, which must be fully understood. In this section we will divide the parts of the celebration of the Eucharist into three successive categories or blocks.
1.- Initial rites
- Home: is the initial part of the celebration. When the minister enters, he performs a song that begins the ceremony.
- I greet the congregation and the altar: the priest, once he has reached the altar, kisses it, and when the songs are finished, the congregation prepares to make the sign of the cross, and later the priest proceeds to manifest the presence of the Lord.
- Penitential act: at this stage, the crowd, through prayer, asks forgiveness for sins committed. Later, they proceed to sing or recite the "Lord, have mercy", culminating the penitential act.
- Glorification: this stage consists of praising the Creator, recognizing his power, his holiness and the need of those gathered for him; it consists in glorifying God the Father and the Lamb. This stage can be done singing, or just reciting.
- Prayer: for a moment, the congregation is silent, after the priest invites to pray. Subsequently, the priest makes a prayer where he collects the wishes and intentions of the congregation; Upon completion, the parishioners end by saying "Amen."
2.- Liturgy of the Word
It is the stage where the Word is heard, through readings from the Holy Bible, which bring the congregation closer to the eternal sacrament of the Eucharist. This stage can be done by praying, singing and meditating.
- First reading: it is taken from the Old Testament, and consists of reading about the history of the people of Israel and the works of Jesus.
- Psalm: the congregation proceeds to meditate on a psalm.
- Second lecture: stage of the ceremony in which a reading of the New Testament is made, understanding the history of the first Christians, through the letters of the apostles. Likewise, the second reading aims to know the teachings and works of Jesus.
- The gospel: It is the stage where you can meet Jesus: what did you feel? How did you think? What message did you want to convey? At this stage, the priest makes a reading of one of the 4 Gospels, and explains the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth; The Hallelujah is also sung, ending the song with the acclamation "Glory to you, Lord Jesus."
- Homily: at this stage of the rite, the priest proceeds to preach the word of the Lord.
- Confession of faithThis stage, also called "Creed", consists of the assembled crowd confessing their faith, after the priest has preached the Word of God.
- Universal prayer of the faithful: both the parishioners and the priest pray for the needs of men.
3.- Liturgy of the Eucharistic rite
- Presentation of the gifts: the gifts, the bread and the wine, are brought to the altar. Likewise, at this stage the collections that favor the Church are collected and prayers are made over the offerings.
- Preface: the congregation performs a prayer of praise to God and thanksgiving.
- Epiclesis: at this stage of the liturgy, prior to the consecration, the priest proceeds to spread his hands over the bread and wine, invoking the Holy Spirit to ask him to convert them into the body and blood of Jesus, respectively.
- Consecration: the priest emulates the words of Jesus at the Last Supper, and thus turns the bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ.
- Acclamation: At this point, the congregation proceeds to acclaim the central mystery of their faith.
- The intercession: the congregation offers the sacrifice of Jesus, and proceeds to pray for the men, the Pope, the bishops and the deceased.
- Doxology: point where the priest proceeds to offer the body and blood of Christ to God.
- Padre nuestro: the congregation proceeds to pray the Our Father.
- Communion: the congregation proceeds to take the body of Christ, the host.
- Prayer: parishioners thank Christ for communion.
When the parishioners take the body of Christ, the farewell acts begin, where the faithful are blessed by the priest and proceed to leave the Church.
To expand the information that was read in this article, it will be very nice if you watch the following video, where other details about the Eucharist: