St. Sebastian Parish at 311 Siebert Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15237 US - The Eucharist
|
The Eucharist |
An Introduction As Catholics, we fully participate in the celebration of the Eucharist when we receive Holy Communion. We are encouraged to receive Communion devoutly and frequently. In order to be properly disposed to receive Communion, participants should not be conscious of grave sin and normally should have fasted for one hour. A person who is conscious of grave sin is not to receive the Body and Blood of the Lord without prior sacramental confession except for a grave reason where there is no opportunity for confession. In this case, the person is to be mindful of the obligation to make an act of perfect contrition, including the intention of confessing as soon as possible (canon 916). A frequent reception of the Sacrament of Penance is encouraged for all. We welcome our fellow Christians to this celebration of the Eucharist as our brothers and sisters. We pray that our common baptism and the action of the Holy Spirit in this Eucharist will draw us closer to one another and begin to dispel the sad divisions which separate us. We pray that these will lessen and finally disappear, in keeping with Christ’s prayer for us “that they may all be one” (Jn 17:21). Because Catholics believe that the celebration of the Eucharist is a sign of the reality of the oneness of faith, life, and worship, members of those churches with whom we are not yet fully united are ordinarily not admitted to Holy Communion. Eucharistic sharing in exceptional circumstances by other Christians requires permission according to the directives of the diocesan bishop and the provisions of canon law (canon 844 § 4). Members of the Orthodox Churches, the Assyrian Church of the East, and the Polish National Catholic Church are urged to respect the discipline of their own Churches. According to Roman Catholic discipline, the Code of Canon Law does not object to the reception of communion by Christians of these Churches (canon 844 § 3). All who are not receiving Holy Communion are encouraged to express in their hearts a prayerful desire for unity with the Lord Jesus and with one another. We also welcome to this celebration those who do not share our faith in Jesus Christ. While we cannot admit them to Holy Communion, we ask them to offer their prayers for the peace and the unity of the human family. See this article from the June 20th Pittsburgh Catholic. The commemoration of the institution of the Sacrament of the Eucharist takes place during the Church calendar on Holy Thursday and on the Sunday following Trinity Sunday, which is this Sunday, May 25. The celebration of the Body and Blood goes all the way back to September 8, 1264, when Pope Urban IV established it as a universal feast in the Church. The Pope then asked Saint Thomas Aquinas to compose some special prayers for this feast day. The famous Eucharistic hymns Tantum Ergo
A Primer from Father John Rushofsky
Guidelines for Reception of Communion
Eucharistic Adoration
The Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ
An Introduction - an excerpt from The Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Sacrament of the Eucharist: Basic Questions and Answers. To order a complete copy in its official published format, contact USCCB Publishing Services, 800-235-8722
The Lord Jesus, on the night before he suffered on the cross, shared one last meal with his disciples. During this meal our Savior instituted the sacrament of his Body and Blood. He did this in order to perpetuate the sacrifice of the Cross throughout the ages and to entrust to the Church his Spouse a memorial of his death and resurrection. As the Gospel of Matthew tells us:
While they were eating, Jesus took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and giving it to his disciples said, "Take and eat; this is my body." Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins." (Mt 26:26-28; cf. Mk 14:22-24, Lk 22:17-20, 1 Cor 11:23-25)
Recalling these words of Jesus, the Catholic Church professes that, in the celebration of the Eucharist, bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit and the instrumentality of the priest. Jesus said: "I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world. . . . For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink" (Jn 6:51-55).
(back to the top)
A primer from Father John Rushofsky
The Eucharist is called a sacrament of initiation because, according ot the Catechism of the Catholic Church, it "...completes Christian initiation. Those who have been raised to the dignity of the royal priesthood by Baptism and configured more deeply to Christ by Confimration participate with the whole community in the Lord's own sacrifice by means of the Eucharist. (#1322)
The Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life." (#1324) This means that all the other sacraments, ministries and apostolates point toward the Eucharist, which truly is a foretaste of the Lord's banquet table in the eternal kingdom. All Catholics in good standing and not in the state of serious (or mortal) sin should receive the Eucharist regularly and reverently.
It's important to know that the Eucharist is the whole purpose of the Mass. To go to Mass without receiving Communion would be like attending a dinner party and not eating anything. But of even more concern is the haphazard or disrespectful manner in which some receive Holy Communion. Please take some time to pray quietly after returning to your pew. It is grossly inappropriate to receive the Eucharist and walk out the door. What could possibly be more important than spending a few minutes with the very special presence of our Lord?
(back to the top)
Guidelines for Reception of Communion
On November 14, 1996, the National Conference of Catholic Bishops approved the following guidelines on the reception of communion.
For Catholics
Practical Tips
When receiving in the hand: The Eucharist should be received in the palm, never grabbed by the fingers, because it is a gift. Place the Eucharist in your mouth immediately.
When receiving on the tongue: Open your mouth wide enough and place your tongue out far enough for the Eucharist to be positioned firmly. Hold still and do not lunge, snap or bite.
For our fellow Christians
For those not receiving Holy Communion
For non-Christians
(back to the top)
(Mark 14:35, Jesus to Peter in the Garden)
(back to the top)
The Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ
The Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ was originally named Corpus Christi Sunday. Without the Eucharist, the Church’s vital spiritual life line is dead. The Church’s universal prayer always centers around the Eucharist.
Sacramentum and Pange Lingua Gloriosi come from this set of prayers. They were incorporated into the official daily prayer book of the Church which we know as the Roman Breviary.
(back to the top)