CATECHISM – Corpus Christi A

Why is Eucharist the high point of Christian life? 

The Eucharist is the high point of Christian life because 1) Eucharist remembers and celebrates the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, and 2) in the Communion, Jesus unites his followers with himself. (1407)

What are the two parts of Eucharist?

The two parts of Eucharist are 1) the Liturgy of the Word where the Bible is read and taught, and 2) the Liturgy of the Eucharist where God is thanked for all his gifts, the bread and wine are consecrated (changed into the Body and Blood of Jesus), and Jesus’ followers share in his Body and Blood at Communion. (1408)

How is the risen Jesus active in the Eucharist?

Since the Eucharist celebrates the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, the Jesus acts as high priest (by offering himself to God the Father) and victim (who died in our place). The ordained priest represents Christ as priest in the Mass; the consecrated bread and wine is Christ sharing himself with us. (1411)

What are the sacramental signs of Eucharist?

The sacramental signs of Eucharist are 1) the bread and wine, 2) the prayer asking for the blessing of the Holy Spirit and 3) the word of Consecration (“This is my body…this is my blood of the new covenant…”). (1412)

Is only part of Jesus present in Eucharist or all of Jesus?

All of Jesus is present in the consecrated bread and wine, not merely his Spirit. Jesus is present “Body, Blood, soul and divinity.” (1413)

What is necessary in order to receive Eucharist?

In order to receive Eucharist, one must be forgiven of serious (or “mortal”) sins. Someone with a serious sin must receive the sacrament of Reconciliation before they receive Eucharist. (1415) Eucharist does forgive less serious (or “venial” sins) and strengthens one against serious sin. (1416)

How many times a year must a Catholic receive Eucharist?

A Catholic must receive Eucharist at least once a year, but all Catholics are encouraged to go every time they attend Mass. (1417)

Why does one genuflect in front of the tabernacle?

Since the tabernacle contains the consecrated bread (which is really Jesus), one shows honor to the consecrated hosts (known as the “Blessed Sacrament”) by genuflecting. (1418)

Some remain not at all happy with the changes that have taken place in the Church since the reforms of the Second Vatican Council. Perhaps next to the changes in the Liturgy of the Eucharist, nothing gets these people more upset than the decline in knowledge of facts concerning religion and concerning the Catholic faith in particular. We see quoted time and time again some of the results of polls that show a surprising lack of disparity between knowledge of traditional Catholic doctrines and a willingness to continue calling themselves Catholics. Many people still consider themselves Catholics although they may not be able to articulate the articles of faith in the traditional way. When asked whether they thought Jesus Christ was truly present in the sacrament of the Eucharist, nearly half of the Catholics said, “No.” No wonder some of us are concerned when we hear such reports.

I once held a discussion with some older people who had been formed in the methods of religious education in use before the Vatican Council. I asked them some of the same questions that younger people, educated more recently, apparently have difficulty with. “Is Jesus Christ God?” “Can the priest forgive sins in confession?” “Did Jesus physically rise from the dead after three days?” “Is marriage binding until the death of one of the spouses?” “Do Catholics worship the Blessed Virgin Mary?” “Was Mary still a virgin after the birth of Jesus?” When I allowed only a simple “Yes” or “No” answer, I got much the same results as the national surveys allegedly get! But, they wanted to explain that their beliefs are much more complex than can be conveyed with a one- word answer.

On the question of the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, those who answered “No” wanted to explain that Jesus was not present in a way that would lead to the host bleeding if you chewed it or broke it into pieces. They wanted to avoid saying that Jesus was “physically” present. They did not have the sophisticated language of theology to distinguish between physical and sacramental presence. One person was quite well-informed and had the words to express the faith of the Church concerning the sacramental presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist. She said, “It is the risen and glorified Lord Jesus Christ who is present in the sacrament. He has passed beyond the physical dimension.”

I suspect that Catholics have a much more accurate perception of what they believe.
They may lack the traditional language for expressing their faith, but there is probably not much wrong with the faith itself. “My flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me and I in them. “