The Sacraments – Holy Eucharist

This sacrament is also called Holy Communion, the Blessed Sacrament, and the Lord’s Supper. It is a commemoration of the Last Supper, the final meal that Jesus Christ shared with his disciples before his arrest and eventual crucifixion (the picture opposite is Leonardo da Vinci’s 1498 painting The Last Supper).

The consecration of bread and wine within the rite recalls the moment at the Last Supper when Jesus gave his disciples bread and wine. It is called a sacrament of initiation because, like Baptism and Confirmation, it brings us into the fullness of our life in Christ.

St. Paul had this to say in his letter to the people of Corinth:
“For the tradition I received from the Lord and also handed on to you is that, on the night he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread and, after he had given thanks, he broke it and he said, ‘This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.’ And in the same way, with the cup after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Whenever you drink it, do this as a memorial of me.‘”
[ 1 Corinthians, 11:23-25 ]

Catholics believe that the consecrated bread and wine that they receive in the Eucharist, usually during Mass, is the true Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, who is really and substantially present under the appearances of bread and wine. In this parish, children and parents are prepared together for the ceremony of First Holy Communion by means of the Do This in Memory programme.