Holy Eucharist

As we mentioned above, Catholics believe in the True Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, meaning that what appears to be simple bread and wine is really Jesus’ Body and Blood - not just a symbol of His body and blood. Therefore, only those who believe in the True Presence may participate in this sacrament of unity with Christ and His Church. What’s the bottom line? We cannot celebrate the unity of the Eucharist with other Christians while there are dogmatic disagreements about the Eucharist itself. Of course, we pray for the day when we can reconcile with other Christians and share in the unity of God’s people through the Holy Eucharist.

In the Gospels, Jesus says “This is my body,” and “This is my blood,” when referencing the bread and wine that is to be shared with the disciples. He doesn’t say “this is a symbol of” or “this represents.” He even repeats Himself to emphasize the fact that He fully expects us to eat His flesh and drink His blood, that His flesh is real food and His blood is real drink. In the case of protestant interpretation of the words of Christ, Protestant denominations often point to other instances in the Gospel where Jesus is using symbolic language (e.g. “I am the door,” “I am the vine,” “you are my sheep”) in order to justify Eucharistic symbolism. Protestants will also point to Jesus stating “Do this in remembrance of me,”; as in: “use this symbol to remember my sacrifice.” Catholics differ because, while we recognize the symbolic and hyperbolic language that Jesus does use in the Gospels, we also recognize that His repetition of His words and His insistence upon the true presence of His body and His blood provides us with literal meaning.

Since you were raised Catholic, we will assume that you have received all of your Sacraments of Initiation (that would be: Baptism, First Holy Communion, and Confirmation). If you haven’t received those Sacraments, click the “Adult Sacraments” button below this FAQ section! If you have left the Church for any number of reasons and are now interested in returning to the faith, let us first say: welcome home, brother or sister in Christ. We have missed you!

It takes a few simple steps to return home! First, recognize that our heavenly Father has missed your presence in his house and deeply yearns for you to come home to His Church. Second, attend to the Sacrament of Reconciliation! We offer Confessions on Wednesdays at 12pm, Fridays at 5pm, and Saturdays at 2:30pm. You’re always welcome to call and make an appointment for a private confession, too! We know it may seem daunting to go to confession (“It’s been 20 years since I went to confession! What do I even say?” “I can’t possibly tell a priest all the things I’ve done. I’m too embarrassed.”) but this is the perfect time and place to discuss any concerns or questions you have about returning home. Remember: your confession is confidential and there is no judgment, only love and mercy. After confession, begin going to Mass again and experience Christ’s presence in the liturgy! There are print resources (The Catechism of the Catholic Church, the Bible), digital resources (Formed.org, Hallow, Catholics Come Home), and in-person classes (OCIA, Cor Dialogue, Adult Bible Study) to help you on your journey home. You are not alone and we are here to accompany you on your journey!

We remember that, at the Last Supper before He died, Jesus commanded His disciples to “Do this in remembrance of me.” The celebration of the Mass became the main form of worship in the early Church, as a re-enactment of the Last Supper, just like Jesus commanded the first disciples. Each and every Mass since the Last Supper commemorates Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross through the Holy Eucharist. Space and time rend apart into one perfect moment, that moment of consecration into True Flesh and True Blood, to “re-present” (or make present right here on earth) the sacrifice on Calvary. In that perfect moment, we are celebrating the same Mass that was instituted by Christ, practiced by the early Church, is being practiced around the world with the global community of Catholics, and is being attended by all the angels and saints in heaven. That makes the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass a perfect sacrifice and the Eucharist the source and summit of our faith!