ARTICLE 2 - THE SACRAMENT OF
CONFIRMATION
1285 Baptism, the Eucharist, and the sacrament of Confirmation together constitute the
"sacraments of Christian initiation," whose unity must be safeguarded. It must be
explained to the faithful that the reception of the sacrament of Confirmation is
necessary for the completion of baptismal grace.[88] For "by the sacrament of
Confirmation, [the baptized] are more perfectly bound to the Church and are enriched
with a special strength of the Holy Spirit. Hence they are, as true witnesses of Christ,
more strictly obliged to spread and defend the faith by word and deed."[89]
I. CONFIRMATION IN THE ECONOMY OF
SALVATION
1286 In the Old Testament the prophets announced that the Spirit of the Lord would
rest on the hoped-for Messiah for his saving mission.[90] The descent of the Holy Spirit
on Jesus at his baptism by John was the sign that this was he who was to come, the
Messiah, the Son of God.[91] He was conceived of the Holy Spirit; his whole life and his
whole mission are carried out in total communion with the Holy Spirit whom the Father
gives him "without measure."[92]
1287 This fullness of the Spirit was not to remain uniquely the Messiah's, but was to be
communicated to the whole messianic people.[93] On several occasions Christ promised
this outpouring of the Spirit,[94] a promise which he fulfilled first on Easter Sunday and
then more strikingly at Pentecost.[95] Filled with the Holy Spirit the apostles began to
proclaim "the mighty works of God," and Peter declared this outpouring of the Spirit to
be the sign of the messianic age.[96] Those who believed in the apostolic preaching and
were baptized received the gift of the Holy Spirit in their turn.[97]
1288 "From that time on the apostles, in fulfillment of Christ's will, imparted to the
newly baptized by the laying on of hands the gift of the Spirit that completes the grace of
Baptism. For this reason in the Letter to the Hebrews the doctrine concerning Baptism
and the laying on of hands is listed among the first elements of Christian instruction.
The imposition of hands is rightly recognized by the Catholic tradition as the origin of
the sacrament of Confirmation, which in a certain way perpetuates the grace of
Pentecost in the Church."[98]
1289 Very early, the better to signify the gift of the Holy Spirit, an anointing with
perfumed oil (chrism) was added to the laying on of hands. This anointing highlights the
name "Christian," which means "anointed" and derives from that of Christ himself
whom God "anointed with the Holy Spirit."[99] This rite of anointing has continued
ever since, in both East and West. For this reason the Eastern Churches call this
sacrament Chrismation, anointing with chrism, or myron which means "chrism." In the
West, the term Confirmation suggests that this sacrament both confirms Baptism and
strengthens baptismal grace.
Two traditions: East and West
1290 In the first centuries Confirmation generally comprised one single celebration with
Baptism, forming with it a "double sacrament," according to the expression of St.
Cyprian. Among other reasons, the multiplication of infant baptisms all through the
year, the increase of rural parishes, and the growth of dioceses often prevented the
bishop from being present at all baptismal celebrations. In the West the desire to reserve
the completion of Baptism to the bishop caused the temporal separation of the two
sacraments. The East has kept them united, so that Confirmation is conferred by the
priest who baptizes. But he can do so only with the "myron" consecrated by a
bishop.[100]
1291 A custom of the Roman Church facilitated the development of the Western
practice: a double anointing with sacred chrism after Baptism. The first anointing of the
neophyte on coming out of the baptismal bath was performed by the priest; it was
completed by a second anointing on the forehead of the newly baptized by the
bishop.[101] The first anointing with sacred chrism, by the priest, has remained attached
to the baptismal rite; it signifies the participation of the one baptized in the prophetic,
priestly, and kingly offices of Christ. If Baptism is conferred on an adult, there is only
one post-baptismal anointing, that of Confirmation.
1292 The practice of the Eastern Churches gives greater emphasis to the unity of
Christian initiation. That of the Latin Church more clearly expresses the communion of
the new Christian with the bishop as guarantor and servant of the unity, catholicity and
apostolicity of his Church, and hence the connection with the apostolic origins of
Christ's Church.
II. THE SIGNS AND THE RITE OF
CONFIRMATION
1293 In treating the rite of Confirmation, it is fitting to consider the sign of anointing
and what it signifies and imprints: a spiritual seal.
Anointing, in Biblical and other ancient symbolism, is rich in meaning: oil is a sign of
abundance and joy;[102] it cleanses (anointing before and after a bath) and limbers (the
anointing of athletes and wrestlers); oil is a sign of healing, since it is soothing to bruises
and wounds;[103] and it makes radiant with beauty, health, and strength.
1294 Anointing with oil has all these meanings in the sacramental life. The prebaptismal
anointing with the oil of catechumens signifies cleansing and strengthening;
the anointing of the sick expresses healing and comfort. The post- baptismal anointing
with sacred chrism in Confirmation and ordination is the sign of consecration. By
Confirmation Christians, that is, those who are anointed, share more completely in the
mission of Jesus Christ and the fullness of the Holy Spirit with which he is filled, so that
their lives may give off "the aroma of Christ."[104]
1295 By this anointing the confirmand receives the "mark," the seal of the Holy Spirit. A
seal is a symbol of a person, a sign of personal authority, or ownership of an oblect.[105]
Hence soldiers were marked with their leader's seal and slaves with their master's. A seal
authenticates a juridical act or document and occasionally makes it secret.[106]
1296 Christ himself declared that he was marked with his Father's seal.[107] Christians
are also marked with a seal: "It is God who establishes us with you in Christ and has
commissioned us; he has put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a
guarantee."[108] This seal of the Holy Spirit marks our total belonging to Christ, our
enrollment in his service for ever, as well as the promise of divine protection in the great
eschatological trial.[109]
The celebration of Confirmation
1297 The consecration of the sacred chrism is an important action that precedes the
celebration of Confirmation, but is in a certain way a part of it. It is the bishop who, in
the course of the Chrism Mass of Holy Thursday, consecrates the sacred chrism for his
whole diocese. In some Eastern Churches this consecration is even reserved to the
patriarch:
The liturgy of Antioch expresses the epiclesis for the consecration of the sacred chrism
(myron) in this way: "[Father . . . send your Holy Spirit] on us and on this oil which is
before us and consecrate it, so that it may be for all who are anointed and marked with
it holy myron, priestly myron, royal myron, anointing with gladness, clothing with light,
a cloak of salvation, a spiritual gift, the sanctification of souls and bodies, imperishable
happiness, the indelible seal, a buckler of faith, and a fearsome helmet against all the
works of the adversary."
1298 When Confirmation is celebrated separately from Baptism, as is the case in the
Roman Rite, the Liturgy of Confirmation begins with the renewal of baptismal promises
and the profession of faith by the confirmands. This clearly shows that Confirmation
follows Baptism.[110] When adults are baptized, they immediately receive Confirmation
and participate in the Eucharist.[111]
1299 In the Roman Rite the bishop extends his hands over the whole group of the
confirmands. Since the time of the apostles this gesture has signified the gift of the
Spirit. The bishop invokes the outpouring of the Spirit in these words:
All-powerful God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, by water and the Holy Spirit you
freed your sons and daughters from sin and gave them new life. Send your Holy Spirit
upon them to be their helper and guide. Give them the spirit of wisdom and
understanding, the spirit of right judgment and courage, the spirit of knowledge and
reverence. Fill them with the spirit of wonder and awe in your presence. We ask this
through Christ our Lord.[112]
1300 The essential rite of the sacrament follows. In the Latin rite, "the sacrament of
Confirmation is conferred through the anointing with chrism on the forehead, which is
done by the laying on of the hand, and through the words: 'Accipe signaculum doni
Spiritus Sancti' [Be sealed with the Gift of the Holy Spirit.]."[113] In the Eastern
Churches of Byzantine rite, after a prayer of epiclesis, the more significant parts of the
body are anointed with myron: forehead, eyes, nose, ears, lips, chest, back, hands, and
feet. Each anointing is accompanied by the formula (Signaculum doni Spiritus Sancti): "The
seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit." [NT]
1301 The sign of peace that concludes the rite of the sacrament signifies and
demonstrates ecclesial communion with the bishop and with all the faithful.[114]
III. THE EFFECTS OF CONFIRMATION
1302 It is evident from its celebration that the effect of the sacrament of Confirmation is
the special outpouring of the Holy Spirit as once granted to the apostles on the day of
Pentecost.
1303 From this fact, Confirmation brings an increase and deepening of baptismal grace:
- it roots us more deeply in the divine filiation which makes us cry, "Abba!
Father!";[115]
- it unites us more firmly to Christ;
- it increases the gifts of the Holy Spirit in us;
- it renders our bond with the Church more perfect;[116]
- it gives us a special strength of the Holy Spirit to spread and defend the faith by word
and action as true witnesses of Christ, to confess the name of Christ boldly, and never
to be ashamed of the Cross:[117]
Recall then that you have received the spiritual seal, the spirit of wisdom and
understanding, the spirit of right judgment and courage, the spirit of knowledge and
reverence, the spirit of holy fear in God's presence. Guard what you have received.
God the Father has marked you with his sign; Christ the Lord has confirmed you and
has placed his pledge, the Spirit, in your hearts.[118]
1304 Like Baptism which it completes, Confirmation is given only once, for it too
imprints on the soul an indelible spiritual mark, the "character," which is the sign that
Jesus Christ has marked a Christian with the seal of his Spirit by clothing him with
power from on high so that he may be his witness.[119]
1305 This "character" perfects the common priesthood of the faithful, received in
Baptism, and "the confirmed person receives the power to profess faith in Christ
publicly and as it were officially (quasi ex officio)."[120]
IV. WHO CAN RECEIVE THIS SACRAMENT?
1306 Every baptized person not yet confirmed can and should receive the sacrament of
Confirmation.[121] Since Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist form a unity, it follows
that "the faithful are obliged to receive this sacrament at the appropriate time,"[122] for
without Confirmation and Eucharist, Baptism is certainly valid and efficacious, but
Christian initiation remains incomplete.
1307 For centuries, Latin custom has indicated "the age of discretion" as the reference
point for receiving Confirmation. But in danger of death children should be confirmed
even if they have not yet attained the age of discretion.[123]
1308 Although Confirmation is sometimes called the "sacrament of Christian maturity,"
we must not confuse adult faith with the adult age of natural growth, nor forget that the
baptismal grace is a grace of free, unmerited election and does not need "ratification" to
become effective. St. Thomas reminds us of this:
Age of body does not determine age of soul. Even in childhood man can attain spiritual
maturity: as the book of Wisdom says: "For old age is not honored for length of time,
or measured by number of years. "Many children, through the strength of the Holy
Spirit they have received, have bravely fought for Christ even to the shedding of their
blood.[124]
1309 Preparation for Confirmation should aim at leading the Christian toward a more
intimate union with Christ and a more lively familiarity with the Holy Spirit - his actions,
his gifts, and his biddings - in order to be more capable of assuming the apostolic
responsibilities of Christian life. To this end catechesis for Confirmation should strive to
awaken a sense of belonging to the Church of Jesus Christ, the universal Church as well
as the parish community. The latter bears special responsibility for the preparation of
confirmands.[125]
1310 To receive Confirmation one must be in a state of grace. One should receive the
sacrament of Penance in order to be cleansed for the gift of the Holy Spirit. More
intense prayer should prepare one to receive the strength and graces of the Holy Spirit
with docility and readiness to act.[126]
1311 Candidates for Confirmation, as for Baptism, fittingly seek the spiritual help of a
sponsor. To emphasize the unity of the two sacraments, it is appropriate that this be one
of the baptismal godparents.[127]
V. THE MINISTER OF CONFIRMATION
1312 The original minister of Confirmation is the bishop.[128] In the East, ordinarily the
priest who baptizes also immediately confers Confirmation in one and the same
celebration. But he does so with sacred chrism consecrated by the patriarch or the
bishop, thus expressing the apostolic unity of the Church whose bonds are strengthened
by the sacrament of Confirmation. In the Latin Church, the same discipline applies to
the Baptism of adults or to the reception into full communion with the Church of a
person baptized in another Christian community that does not have valid
Confirmation.[129]
1313 In the Latin Rite, the ordinary minister of Confirmation is the bishop.[130] If the
need arises, the bishop may grant the faculty of administering Confirmation to
priests,[131] although it is fitting that he confer it himself, mindful that the celebration of
Confirmation has been temporally separated from Baptism for this reason. Bishops are
the successors of the apostles. They have received the fullness of the sacrament of Holy
Orders. The administration of this sacrament by them demonstrates clearly that its effect
is to unite those who receive it more closely to the Church, to her apostolic origins, and
to her mission of bearing witness to Christ.
1314 If a Christian is in danger of death, any priest can give him Confirmation.[132]
Indeed the Church desires that none of her children, even the youngest, should depart
this world without having been perfected by the Holy Spirit with the gift of Christ's
fullness.
IN BRIEF
1315 "Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent
to them Peter and John, who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit; for
it had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit" (Acts 8:14-17).
1316 Confirmation perfects Baptismal grace; it is the sacrament which gives the Holy Spirit in order to
root us more deeply in the divine filiation, incorporate us more firmly into Christ, strengthen our bond
with the Church, associate us more closely with her mission, and help us bear witness to the Christian
faith in words accompanied by deeds.
1317 Confirmation, like Baptism, imprints a spiritual mark or indelible character on the Christian's
soul; for this reason one can receive this sacrament only once in one's life.
1318 In the East this sacrament is administered immediately after Baptism and is followed by
participation in the Eucharist; this tradition highlights the unity of the three sacraments of Christian
initiation. In the Latin Church this sacrament is administered when the age of reason has been reached,
and its celebration is ordinarily reserved to the bishop, thus signifying that this sacrament strengthens the
ecclesial bond.
1319 A candidate for Confirmation who has attained the age of reason must profess the faith, be in the
state of grace, have the intention of receiving the sacrament, and be prepared to assume the role of disciple
and witness to Christ, both within the ecclesial community and in temporal affairs.
1320 The essential rite of Confirmation is anointing the forehead of the baptized with sacred chrism (in
the East other sense-organs as well), together with the laying on of the minister's hand and the words:
"Accipe signaculum doni Spiritus Sancti" (Be sealed with the Gift of the Holy Spirit.) in the Roman
Rite, or : Signaculum doni Spiritus Sancti [The seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit] in the Byzantine
rite.
1321 When Confirmation is celebrated separately from Baptism, its connection with Baptism is
expressed, among other ways, by the renewal of baptismal promises. The celebration of Confirmation
during the Eucharist helps underline the unity of the sacraments of Christian initiation.
ARTICLE 3 - THE SACRAMENT OF THE
EUCHARIST
1322 The holy Eucharist completes Christian initiation. Those who have been raised to
the dignity of the royal priesthood by Baptism and configured more deeply to Christ by
Confirmation participate with the whole community in the Lord's own sacrifice by
means of the Eucharist.
1323 "At the Last Supper, on the night he was betrayed, our Savior instituted the
Eucharistic sacrifice of his Body and Blood. This he did in order to perpetuate the
sacrifice of the cross throughout the ages until he should come again, and so to entrust
to his beloved Spouse, the Church, a memorial of his death and resurrection: a
sacrament of love, a sign of unity, a bond of charity, a Paschal banquet 'in which Christ
is consumed, the mind is filled with grace, and a pledge of future glory is given to
us.'"[133]
I. THE EUCHARIST - SOURCE AND SUMMIT
OF ECCLESIAL LIFE
1324 The Eucharist is "the source and summit of the Christian life."[134] "The other
sacraments, and indeed all ecclesiastical ministries and works of the apostolate, are
bound up with the Eucharist and are oriented toward it. For in the blessed Eucharist is
contained the whole spiritual good of the Church, namely Christ himself, our
Pasch."[135]
1325 "The Eucharist is the efficacious sign and sublime cause of that communion in the
divine life and that unity of the People of God by which the Church is kept in being. It is
the culmination both of God's action sanctifying the world in Christ and of the worship
men offer to Christ and through him to the Father in the Holy Spirit."[136]
1326 Finally, by the Eucharistic celebration we already unite ourselves with the heavenly
liturgy and anticipate eternal life, when God will be all in all.[137]
1327 In brief, the Eucharist is the sum and summary of our faith: "Our way of thinking
is attuned to the Eucharist, and the Eucharist in turn confirms our way of
thinking."[138]
II. WHAT IS THIS SACRAMENT CALLED?
1328 The inexhaustible richness of this sacrament is expressed in the different names we
give it. Each name evokes certain aspects of it. It is called: Eucharist, because it is an
action of thanksgiving to God. The Greek words eucharistein[139] and eulogein[140]
recall the Jewish blessings that proclaim - especially during a meal - God's works:
creation, redemption, and sanctification.
1329 The Lord's Supper, because of its connection with the supper which the Lord took
with his disciples on the eve of his Passion and because it anticipates the wedding feast
of the Lamb in the heavenly Jerusalem.[141]
The Breaking of Bread, because Jesus used this rite, part of a Jewish meat when as
master of the table he blessed and distributed the bread,l[42] above all at the Last
Supper.[143] It is by this action that his disciples will recognize him after his
Resurrection,[144] and it is this expression that the first Christians will use to designate
their Eucharistic assemblies;[145] by doing so they signified that all who eat the one
broken bread, Christ, enter into communion with him and form but one body in
him.[146]
The Eucharistic assembly (synaxis), because the Eucharist is celebrated amid the
assembly of the faithful, the visible expression of the Church.[147]
1330 The memorial of the Lord's Passion and Resurrection.
The Holy Sacrifice, because it makes present the one sacrifice of Christ the Savior and
includes the Church's offering. The terms holy sacrifice of the Mass, "sacrifice of
praise," spiritual sacrifice, pure and holy sacrifice are also used,[148] since it completes
and surpasses all the sacrifices of the Old Covenant.
The Holy and Divine Liturgy, because the Church's whole liturgy finds its center and
most intense expression in the celebration of this sacrament; in the same sense we also
call its celebration the Sacred Mysteries. We speak of the Most Blessed Sacrament
because it is the Sacrament of sacraments. The Eucharistic species reserved in the
tabernacle are designated by this same name.
1331 Holy Communion, because by this sacrament we unite ourselves to Christ, who
makes us sharers in his Body and Blood to form a single body.[149] We also call it: the
holy things (ta hagia; sancta)[150] - the first meaning of the phrase "communion of
saints" in the Apostles' Creed - the bread of angels, bread from heaven, medicine of
immortality,[151] viaticum....
1332 Holy Mass (Missa), because the liturgy in which the mystery of salvation is
accomplished concludes with the sending forth (missio) of the faithful, so that they may
fulfill God's will in their daily lives.
III. THE EUCHARIST IN THE ECONOMY OF
SALVATION
The signs of bread and wine
1333 At the heart of the Eucharistic celebration are the bread and wine that, by the
words of Christ and the invocation of the Holy Spirit, become Christ's Body and Blood.
Faithful to the Lord's command the Church continues to do, in his memory and until his
glorious return, what he did on the eve of his Passion: "He took bread...." "He took the
cup filled with wine...." The signs of bread and wine become, in a way surpassing
understanding, the Body and Blood of Christ; they continue also to signify the goodness
of creation. Thus in the Offertory we give thanks to the Creator for bread and
wine,[152] fruit of the "work of human hands," but above all as "fruit of the earth" and
"of the vine" - gifts of the Creator. The Church sees in the gesture of the king-priest
Melchizedek, who "brought out bread and wine," a prefiguring of her own offering.[153]
1334 In the Old Covenant bread and wine were offered in sacrifice among the first fruits
of the earth as a sign of grateful acknowledgment to the Creator. But they also received a
new significance in the context of the Exodus: the unleavened bread that Israel eats
every year at Passover commemorates the haste of the departure that liberated them
from Egypt; the remembrance of the manna in the desert will always recall to Israel that
it lives by the bread of the Word of God;[154] their daily bread is the fruit of the
promised land, the pledge of God's faithfulness to his promises.
The "cup of blessing"[155] at the end of the Jewish Passover meal adds to the festive
joy of wine an eschatological dimension: the messianic expectation of the rebuilding of
Jerusalem. When Jesus instituted the Eucharist, he gave a new and definitive meaning
to the blessing of the bread and the cup.
1335 The miracles of the multiplication of the loaves, when the Lord says the blessing,
breaks and distributes the loaves through his disciples to feed the multitude, prefigure
the superabundance of this unique bread of his Eucharist.[156] The sign of water turned
into wine at Cana already announces the Hour of Jesus' glorification. It makes manifest
the fulfillment of the wedding feast in the Father's kingdom, where the faithful will drink
the new wine that has become the Blood of Christ.[157]
1336 The first announcement of the Eucharist divided the disciples, just as the
announcement of the Passion scandalized them: "This is a hard saying; who can listen to
it?"[158] The Eucharist and the Cross are stumbling blocks. It is the same mystery and it
never ceases to be an occasion of division. "Will you also go away?":[159] the Lord's
question echoes through the ages, as a loving invitation to discover that only he has "the
words of eternal life"[160] and that to receive in faith the gift of his Eucharist is to
receive the Lord himself.
The institution of the Eucharist
1337 The Lord, having loved those who were his own, loved them to the end. Knowing
that the hour had come to leave this world and return to the Father, in the course of a
meal he washed their feet and gave them the commandment of love.[161] In order to
leave them a pledge of this love, in order never to depart from his own and to make
them sharers in his Passover, he instituted the Eucharist as the memorial of his death
and Resurrection, and commanded his apostles to celebrate it until his return; "thereby
he constituted them priests of the New Testament."[162]
1338 The three synoptic Gospels and St. Paul have handed on to us the account of the
institution of the Eucharist; St. John, for his part, reports the words of Jesus in the
synagogue of Capernaum that prepare for the institution of the Eucharist: Christ calls
himself the bread of life, come down from heaven.[163]
1339 Jesus chose the time of Passover to fulfill what he had announced at Capernaum:
giving his disciples his Body and his Blood:
Then came the day of Unleavened Bread, on which the passover lamb had to be
sacrificed. So Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, "Go and prepare the passover meal for
us, that we may eat it...." They went ... and prepared the passover. And when the hour
came, he sat at table, and the apostles with him. And he said to them, "I have earnestly
desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer; for I tell you I shall not eat it again
until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.".... And he took bread, and when he had
given thanks he broke it and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body which is given for
you. Do this in remembrance of me." And likewise the cup after supper, saying, "This
cup which is poured out for you is the New Covenant in my blood."[164]
1340 By celebrating the Last Supper with his apostles in the course of the Passover meal,
Jesus gave the Jewish Passover its definitive meaning. Jesus' passing over to his father by
his death and Resurrection, the new Passover, is anticipated in the Supper and celebrated
in the Eucharist, which fulfills the Jewish Passover and anticipates the final Passover of
the Church in the glory of the kingdom.
"Do this in memory of me"
1341 The command of Jesus to repeat his actions and words "until he comes" does not
only ask us to remember Jesus and what he did. It is directed at the liturgical celebration,
by the apostles and their successors, of the memorial of Christ, of his life, of his death,
of his Resurrection, and of his intercession in the presence of the Father.[165]
1342 From the beginning the Church has been faithful to the Lord's command. Of the
Church of Jerusalem it is written:
They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of
bread and the prayers.... Day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread
in their homes, they partook of food with glad and generous hearts.[166]
1343 It was above all on "the first day of the week," Sunday, the day of Jesus'
resurrection, that the Christians met "to break bread."[167] From that time on down to
our own day the celebration of the Eucharist has been continued so that today we
encounter it everywhere in the Church with the same fundamental structure. It remains
the center of the Church's life.
1344 Thus from celebration to celebration, as they proclaim the Paschal mystery of Jesus
"until he comes," the pilgrim People of God advances, "following the narrow way of the
cross,"[168] toward the heavenly banquet, when all the elect will be seated at the table of
the kingdom.
IV. THE LITURGICAL CELEBRATION OF THE
EUCHARIST
The Mass of all ages
1345 As early as the second century we have the witness of St. Justin Martyr for the
basic lines of the order of the Eucharistic celebration. They have stayed the same until
our own day for all the great liturgical families. St. Justin wrote to the pagan emperor
Antoninus Pius (138-161) around the year 155, explaining what Christians did:
On the day we call the day of the sun, all who dwell in the city or country gather in the
same place.
The memoirs of the apostles and the writings of the prophets are read, as much as time
permits.
When the reader has finished, he who presides over those gathered admonishes and
challenges them to imitate these beautiful things.
Then we all rise together and offer prayers* for ourselves . . .and for all others,
wherever they may be, so that we may be found righteous by our life and actions, and
faithful to the commandments, so as to obtain eternal salvation.
When the prayers are concluded we exchange the kiss.
Then someone brings bread and a cup of water and wine mixed together to him who
presides over the brethren.
He takes them and offers praise and glory to the Father of the universe, through the
name of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and for a considerable time he gives thanks (in
Greek: eucharistian) that we have been judged worthy of these gifts.
When he has concluded the prayers and thanksgivings, all present give voice to an
acclamation by saying: 'Amen.'
When he who presides has given thanks and the people have responded, those whom
we call deacons give to those present the "eucharisted" bread, wine and water and take
them to those who are absent.[169]
1346 The liturgy of the Eucharist unfolds according to a fundamental structure which
has been preserved throughout the centuries down to our own day. It displays two great
parts that form a fundamental unity:
- the gathering, the liturgy of the Word, with readings, homily and general intercessions;
- the liturgy of the Eucharist, with the presentation of the bread and wine, the
consecratory thanksgiving, and communion.
The liturgy of the Word and liturgy of the Eucharist together form "one single act of
worship";[170] the Eucharistic table set for us is the table both of the Word of God and
of the Body of the Lord.[171]
1347 Is this not the same movement as the Paschal meal of the risen Jesus with his
disciples? Walking with them he explained the Scriptures to them; sitting with them at
table "he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them."[172]
The movement of the celebration
1348 All gather together. Christians come together in one place for the Eucharistic
assembly. At its head is Christ himself, the principal agent of the Eucharist. He is high
priest of the New Covenant; it is he himself who presides invisibly over every
Eucharistic celebration. It is in representing him that the bishop or priest acting in the
person of Christ the head (in persona Christi capitis) presides over the assembly, speaks
after the readings, receives the offerings, and says the Eucharistic Prayer. All have their
own active parts to play in the celebration, each in his own way: readers, those who bring
up the offerings, those who give communion, and the whole people whose "Amen"
manifests their participation.
1349 The Liturgy of the Word includes "the writings of the prophets," that is, the Old
Testament, and "the memoirs of the apostles" (their letters and the Gospels). After the
homily, which is an exhortation to accept this Word as what it truly is, the Word of
God,[173] and to put it into practice, come the intercessions for all men, according to
the Apostle's words: "I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings
be made for all men, for kings, and all who are in high positions."[174]
1350 The presentation of the offerings (the Offertory). Then, sometimes in procession,
the bread and wine are brought to the altar; they will be offered by the priest in the name
of Christ in the Eucharistic sacrifice in which they will become his body and blood. It is
the very action of Christ at the Last Supper - "taking the bread and a cup." "The Church
alone offers this pure oblation to the Creator, when she offers what comes forth from
his creation with thanksgiving."[175] The presentation of the offerings at the altar takes
up the gesture of Melchizedek and commits the Creator's gifts into the hands of Christ
who, in his sacrifice, brings to perfection all human attempts to offer sacrifices.
1351 From the very beginning Christians have brought, along with the bread and wine
for the Eucharist, gifts to share with those in need. This custom of the collection, ever
appropriate, is inspired by the example of Christ who became poor to make us rich:[176]
Those who are well off, and who are also willing, give as each chooses. What is
gathered is given to him who presides to assist orphans and widows, those whom
illness or any other cause has deprived of resources, prisoners, immigrants and, in a
word, all who are in need.[177]
1352 The anaphora: with the Eucharistic Prayer - the prayer of thanksgiving and
consecration - we come to the heart and summit of the celebration:
In the preface, the Church gives thanks to the Father, through Christ, in the Holy
Spirit, for all his works: creation, redemption, and sanctification. The whole community
thus joins in the unending praise that the Church in heaven, the angels and all the
saints, sing to the thrice-holy God.
1353 In the epiclesis, the Church asks the Father to send his Holy Spirit (or the power of
his blessing[178]) on the bread and wine, so that by his power they may become the
body and blood of Jesus Christ and so that those who take part in the Eucharist may be
one body and one spirit (some liturgical traditions put the epiclesis after the anamnesis).
In the institution narrative, the power of the words and the action of Christ, and the
power of the Holy Spirit, make sacramentally present under the species of bread and
wine Christ's body and blood, his sacrifice offered on the cross once for all.
1354 In the anamnesis that follows, the Church calls to mind the Passion, resurrection,
and glorious return of Christ Jesus; she presents to the Father the offering of his Son
which reconciles us with him.
In the intercessions, the Church indicates that the Eucharist is celebrated in
communion with the whole Church in heaven and on earth, the living and the dead,
and in communion with the pastors of the Church, the Pope, the diocesan bishop, his
presbyterium and his deacons, and all the bishops of the whole world together with
their Churches.
1355 In the communion, preceded by the Lord's prayer and the breaking of the bread,
the faithful receive "the bread of heaven" and "the cup of salvation," the body and blood
of Christ who offered himself "for the life of the world":[179]
Because this bread and wine have been made Eucharist ("eucharisted," according to an
ancient expression), "we call this food Eucharist, and no one may take part in it unless
he believes that what we teach is true, has received baptism for the forgiveness of sins
and new birth, and lives in keeping with what Christ taught."[180]
V. THE SACRAMENTAL SACRIFICE
THANKSGIVING, MEMORIAL, PRESENCE
1356 If from the beginning Christians have celebrated the Eucharist and in a form
whose substance has not changed despite the great diversity of times and liturgies, it is
because we know ourselves to be bound by the command the Lord gave on the eve of
his Passion: "Do this in remembrance of me."[181]
1357 We carry out this command of the Lord by celebrating the memorial of his
sacrifice. In so doing, we offer to the Father what he has himself given us: the gifts of his
creation, bread and wine which, by the power of the Holy Spirit and by the words of
Christ, have become the body and blood of Christ. Christ is thus really and mysteriously
made present.
1358 We must therefore consider the Eucharist as: - thanksgiving and praise to the
Father;
- the sacrificial memorial of Christ and his Body;
- the presence of Christ by the power of his word and of his Spirit.
Thanksgiving and praise to the Father
1359 The Eucharist, the sacrament of our salvation accomplished by Christ on the cross,
is also a sacrifice of praise in thanksgiving for the work of creation. In the Eucharistic
sacrifice the whole of creation loved by God is presented to the Father through the
death and the Resurrection of Christ. Through Christ the Church can offer the sacrifice
of praise in thanksgiving for all that God has made good, beautiful, and just in creation
and in humanity.
1360 The Eucharist is a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the Father, a blessing by which the
Church expresses her gratitude to God for all his benefits, for all that he has
accomplished through creation, redemption, and sanctification. Eucharist means first of
all "thanksgiving."
1361 The Eucharist is also the sacrifice of praise by which the Church sings the glory of
God in the name of all creation. This sacrifice of praise is possible only through Christ:
he unites the faithful to his person, to his praise, and to his intercession, so that the
sacrifice of praise to the Father is offered through Christ and with him, to be accepted in
him.
The sacrificial memorial of Christ and of his Body, the Church
1362 The Eucharist is the memorial of Christ's Passover, the making present and the
sacramental offering of his unique sacrifice, in the liturgy of the Church which is his
Body. In all the Eucharistic Prayers we find after the words of institution a prayer called
the anamnesis or memorial.
1363 In the sense of Sacred Scripture the memorial is not merely the recollection of past
events but the proclamation of the mighty works wrought by God for men.[182] In the
liturgical celebration of these events, they become in a certain way present and real. This
is how Israel understands its liberation from Egypt: every time Passover is celebrated,
the Exodus events are made present to the memory of believers so that they may
conform their lives to them.
1364 In the New Testament, the memorial takes on new meaning. When the Church
celebrates the Eucharist, she commemorates Christ's Passover, and it is made present
the sacrifice Christ offered once for all on the cross remains ever present.[183] "As often
as the sacrifice of the Cross by which 'Christ our Pasch has been sacrificed' is celebrated
on the altar, the work of our redemption is carried out."[184]
1365 Because it is the memorial of Christ's Passover, the Eucharist is also a sacrifice.
The sacrificial character of the Eucharist is manifested in the very words of institution:
"This is my body which is given for you" and "This cup which is poured out for you is
the New Covenant in my blood."[185] In the Eucharist Christ gives us the very body
which he gave up for us on the cross, the very blood which he "poured out for many for
the forgiveness of sins."[186]
1366 The Eucharist is thus a sacrifice because it re-presents (makes present) the sacrifice
of the cross, because it is its memorial and because it applies its fruit:
[Christ], our Lord and God, was once and for all to offer himself to God the Father by
his death on the altar of the cross, to accomplish there an everlasting redemption. But
because his priesthood was not to end with his death, at the Last Supper "on the night
when he was betrayed," [he wanted] to leave to his beloved spouse the Church a visible
sacrifice (as the nature of man demands) by which the bloody sacrifice which he was to
accomplish once for all on the cross would be re-presented, its memory perpetuated
until the end of the world, and its salutary power be applied to the forgiveness of the
sins we daily commit.[187]
1367 The sacrifice of Christ and the sacrifice of the Eucharist are one single sacrifice:
‘The victim is one and the same: the same now offers through the ministry of priests,
who then offered himself on the cross; only the manner of offering is different.’ ‘And
since in this divine sacrifice which is celebrated in the Mass, the same Christ who offered
himself once in a bloody manner on the altar of the cross is contained and offered in an
unbloody manner... this sacrifice is truly propitiatory.’ [188]
1368 The Eucharist is also the sacrifice of the Church. The Church which is the Body of
Christ participates in the offering of her Head. With him, she herself is offered whole
and entire. She unites herself to his intercession with the Father for all men. In the
Eucharist the sacrifice of Christ becomes also the sacrifice of the members of his Body.
The lives of the faithful, their praise, sufferings, prayer, and work, are united with those
of Christ and with his total offering, and so acquire a new value. Christ's sacrifice present
on the altar makes it possible for all generations of Christians to be united with his
offering.
In the catacombs the Church is often represented as a woman in prayer, arms
outstretched in the praying position. Like Christ who stretched out his arms on the
cross, through him, with him, and in him, she offers herself and intercedes for all men.
1369 The whole Church is united with the offering and intercession of Christ. Since he
has the ministry of Peter in the Church, the Pope is associated with every celebration of
the Eucharist, wherein he is named as the sign and servant of the unity of the universal
Church. The bishop of the place is always responsible for the Eucharist, even when a
priest presides; the bishop's name is mentioned to signify his presidency over the
particular Church, in the midst of his presbyterium and with the assistance of deacons.
The community intercedes also for all ministers who, for it and with it, offer the
Eucharistic sacrifice:
Let only that Eucharist be regarded as legitimate, which is celebrated under [the
presidency of] the bishop or him to whom he has entrusted it.[189]
Through the ministry of priests the spiritual sacrifice of the faithful is completed in
union with the sacrifice of Christ the only Mediator, which in the Eucharist is offered
through the priests' hands in the name of the whole Church in an unbloody and
sacramental manner until the Lord himself comes.[190]
1370 To the offering of Christ are united not only the members still here on earth, but
also those already in the glory of heaven. In communion with and commemorating the
Blessed Virgin Mary and all the saints, the Church offers the Eucharistic sacrifice. In the
Eucharist the Church is as it were at the foot of the cross with Mary, united with the
offering and intercession of Christ.
1371 The Eucharistic sacrifice is also offered for the faithful departed who "have died in
Christ but are not yet wholly purified,"[191] so that they may be able to enter into the
light and peace of Christ:
Put this body anywhere! Don't trouble yourselves about it! I simply ask you to
remember me at the Lord's altar wherever you are.[192]
Then, we pray [in the anaphora] for the holy fathers and bishops who have fallen
asleep, and in general for all who have fallen asleep before us, in the belief that it is a
great benefit to the souls on whose behalf the supplication is offered, while the holy
and tremendous Victim is present.... By offering to God our supplications for those
who have fallen asleep, if they have sinned, we . . . offer Christ sacrificed for the sins of
all, and so render favorable, for them and for us, the God who loves man.[193]
1372 St. Augustine admirably summed up this doctrine that moves us to an ever more
complete participation in our Redeemer's sacrifice which we celebrate in the Eucharist:
This wholly redeemed city, the assembly and society of the saints, is offered to God as a
universal sacrifice by the high priest who in the form of a slave went so far as to offer
himself for us in his Passion, to make us the Body of so great a head.... Such is the
sacrifice of Christians: "we who are many are one Body in Christ" The Church
continues to reproduce this sacrifice in the sacrament of the altar so well-known to
believers wherein it is evident to them that in what she offers she herself is
offered.[194]
The presence of Christ by the power of his word and the Holy Spirit
1373 "Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised from the dead, who is at the right
hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us," is present in many ways to his Church:[195]
in his word, in his Church's prayer, "where two or three are gathered in my name,"[196]
in the poor, the sick, and the imprisoned,[197] in the sacraments of which he is the
author, in the sacrifice of the Mass, and in the person of the minister. But "he is present .
. . most especially in the Eucharistic species."[198]
1374 The mode of Christ's presence under the Eucharistic species is unique. It raises the
Eucharist above all the sacraments as "the perfection of the spiritual life and the end to
which all the sacraments tend."[199] In the most blessed sacrament of the Eucharist "the
body and blood, together with the soul and divinity, of our Lord Jesus Christ and,
therefore, the whole Christ is truly, really, and substantially contained."[200] "This
presence is called 'real' - by which is not intended to exclude the other types of presence
as if they could not be 'real' too, but because it is presence in the fullest sense: that is to
say, it is a substantial presence by which Christ, God and man, makes himself wholly and
entirely present."[201]
1375 It is by the conversion of the bread and wine into Christ's body and blood that
Christ becomes present in this sacrament. The Church Fathers strongly affirmed the
faith of the Church in the efficacy of the Word of Christ and of the action of the Holy
Spirit to bring about this conversion. Thus St. John Chrysostom declares:
It is not man that causes the things offered to become the Body and Blood of Christ,
but he who was crucified for us, Christ himself. The priest, in the role of Christ,
pronounces these words, but their power and grace are God's. This is my body, he says.
This word transforms the things offered.[202]
And St. Ambrose says about this conversion:
Be convinced that this is not what nature has formed, but what the blessing has
consecrated. The power of the blessing prevails over that of nature, because by the
blessing nature itself is changed.... Could not Christ's word, which can make from
nothing what did not exist, change existing things into what they were not before? It is
no less a feat to give things their original nature than to change their nature.[203]
1376 The Council of Trent summarizes the Catholic faith by declaring: "Because Christ
our Redeemer said that it was truly his body that he was offering under the species of
bread, it has always been the conviction of the Church of God, and this holy Council
now declares again, that by the consecration of the bread and wine there takes place a
change of the whole substance of the bread into the substance of the body of Christ our
Lord and of the whole substance of the wine into the substance of his blood. This
change the holy Catholic Church has fittingly and properly called
transubstantiation."[204]
1377 The Eucharistic presence of Christ begins at the moment of the consecration and
endures as long as the Eucharistic species subsist. Christ is present whole and entire in
each of the species and whole and entire in each of their parts, in such a way that the
breaking of the bread does not divide Christ.[205]
1378 Worship of the Eucharist. In the liturgy of the Mass we express our faith in the real
presence of Christ under the species of bread and wine by, among other ways,
genuflecting or bowing deeply as a sign of adoration of the Lord. "The Catholic Church
has always offered and still offers to the sacrament of the Eucharist the cult of
adoration, not only during Mass, but also outside of it, reserving the consecrated hosts
with the utmost care, exposing them to the solemn veneration of the faithful, and
carrying them in procession."[206]
1379 The tabernacle was first intended for the reservation of the Eucharist in a worthy
place so that it could be brought to the sick and those absent outside of Mass. As faith in
the real presence of Christ in his Eucharist deepened, the Church became conscious of
the meaning of silent adoration of the Lord present under the Eucharistic species. It is
for this reason that the tabernacle should be located in an especially worthy place in the
church and should be constructed in such a way that it emphasizes and manifests the
truth of the real presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament.
1380 It is highly fitting that Christ should have wanted to remain present to his Church
in this unique way. Since Christ was about to take his departure from his own in his
visible form, he wanted to give us his sacramental presence; since he was about to offer
himself on the cross to save us, he wanted us to have the memorial of the love with
which he loved us "to the end,"[207] even to the giving of his life. In his Eucharistic
presence he remains mysteriously in our midst as the one who loved us and gave himself
up for us,[208] and he remains under signs that express and communicate this love:
The Church and the world have a great need for Eucharistic worship. Jesus awaits us in
this sacrament of love. Let us not refuse the time to go to meet him in adoration, in
contemplation full of faith, and open to making amends for the serious offenses and
crimes of the world. Let our adoration never cease.[209]
1381 "That in this sacrament are the true Body of Christ and his true Blood is something
that 'cannot be apprehended by the senses,' says St. Thomas, 'but only by faith, which
relies on divine authority.' For this reason, in a commentary on Luke 22:19 ('This is my
body which is given for you.'), St. Cyril says: 'Do not doubt whether this is true, but
rather receive the words of the Savior in faith, for since he is the truth, he cannot
lie.'"[210]
Godhead here in hiding, whom I do adore Masked by these bare shadows, shape and
nothing more, See, Lord, at thy service low lies here a heart Lost, all lost in wonder at
the God thou art.
Seeing, touching, tasting are in thee deceived;
How says trusty hearing? that shall be believed;
What God's Son has told me, take for truth I do;
Truth himself speaks truly or there's nothing true.[211]
VI. THE PASCHAL BANQUET
1382 The Mass is at the same time, and inseparably, the sacrificial memorial in which the
sacrifice of the cross is perpetuated and the sacred banquet of communion with the
Lord's body and blood. But the celebration of the Eucharistic sacrifice is wholly directed
toward the intimate union of the faithful with Christ through communion. To receive
communion is to receive Christ himself who has offered himself for us.
1383 The altar, around which the Church is gathered in the celebration of the Eucharist,
represents the two aspects of the same mystery: the altar of the sacrifice and the table of
the Lord. This is all the more so since the Christian altar is the symbol of Christ himself,
present in the midst of the assembly of his faithful, both as the victim offered for our
reconciliation and as food from heaven who is giving himself to us. "For what is the altar
of Christ if not the image of the Body of Christ?"[212] asks St. Ambrose. He says
elsewhere, "The altar represents the body [of Christ] and the Body of Christ is on the
altar."[213] The liturgy expresses this unity of sacrifice and communion in many prayers.
Thus the Roman Church prays in its anaphora:
We entreat you, almighty God, that by the hands of your holy Angel this offering may
be borne to your altar in heaven in the sight of your divine majesty, so that as we
receive in communion at this altar the most holy Body and Blood of your Son, we may
be filled with every heavenly blessing and grace.[214]
"Take this and eat it, all of you": communion
1384 The Lord addresses an invitation to us, urging us to receive him in the sacrament
of the Eucharist: "Truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and
drink his blood, you have no life in you."[215]
1385 To respond to this invitation we must prepare ourselves for so great and so holy a
moment. St. Paul urges us to examine our conscience: "Whoever, therefore, eats the
bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning
the body and blood of the Lord. Let a man examine himself, and so eat of the bread and
drink of the cup. For any one who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and
drinks judgment upon himself."[216] Anyone conscious of a grave sin must receive the
sacrament of Reconciliation before coming to communion.
1386 Before so great a sacrament, the faithful can only echo humbly and with ardent
faith the words of the Centurion: "Domine, non sum dignus ut intres sub tectum meum,
sed tantum dic verbo, et sanabitur anima mea" ("Lord, I am not worthy that you should
enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul will be healed.").[217] And in
the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom the faithful pray in the same spirit:
O Son of God, bring me into communion today with your mystical supper. I shall not
tell your enemies the secret, nor kiss you with Judas' kiss. But like the good thief I cry,
"Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."
1387 To prepare for worthy reception of this sacrament, the faithful should observe the
fast required in their Church.[218] Bodily demeanor (gestures, clothing) ought to convey
the respect, solemnity, and joy of this moment when Christ becomes our guest.
1388 It is in keeping with the very meaning of the Eucharist that the faithful, if they have
the required dispositions, [NT] receive communion when they participate in the Mass.[219]
As the Second Vatican Council says: "That more perfect form of participation in the
Mass whereby the faithful, after the priest's communion, receive the Lord's Body from
the same sacrifice, is warmly recommended."[220]
1389 The Church obliges the faithful to take part in the Divine Liturgy on Sundays and
feast days and, prepared by the sacrament of Reconciliation, to receive the Eucharist at
least once a year, if possible during the Easter season.[221] But the Church strongly
encourages the faithful to receive the holy Eucharist on Sundays and feast days, or more
often still, even daily.
1390 Since Christ is sacramentally present under each of the species, communion under
the species of bread alone makes it possible to receive all the fruit of Eucharistic grace.
For pastoral reasons this manner of receiving communion has been legitimately
established as the most common form in the Latin rite. But "the sign of communion is
more complete when given under both kinds, since in that form the sign of the
Eucharistic meal appears more clearly."[222] This is the usual form of receiving
communion in the Eastern rites.
The fruits of Holy Communion
1391 Holy Communion augments our union with Christ. The principal fruit of receiving
the Eucharist in Holy Communion is an intimate union with Christ Jesus. Indeed, the
Lord said: "He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him."[223]
Life in Christ has its foundation in the Eucharistic banquet: "As the living Father sent
me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats me will live because of me."[224]
On the feasts of the Lord, when the faithful receive the Body of the Son, they proclaim
to one another the Good News that the first fruits of life have been given, as when the
angel said to Mary Magdalene, "Christ is risen!" Now too are life and resurrection
conferred on whoever receives Christ.[225]
1392 What material food produces in our bodily life, Holy Communion wonderfully
achieves in our spiritual life. Communion with the flesh of the risen Christ, a flesh
"given life and giving life through the Holy Spirit,"[226] preserves, increases, and renews
the life of grace received at Baptism. This growth in Christian life needs the nourishment
of Eucharistic Communion, the bread for our pilgrimage until the moment of death,
when it will be given to us as viaticum.
1393 Holy Communion separates us from sin. The body of Christ we receive in Holy
Communion is "given up for us," and the blood we drink "shed for the many for the
forgiveness of sins." For this reason the Eucharist cannot unite us to Christ without at
the same time cleansing us from past sins and preserving us from future sins: For as
often as we eat this bread and drink the cup, we proclaim the death of the Lord. If we
proclaim the Lord's death, we proclaim the forgiveness of sins. If, as often as his blood
is poured out, it is poured for the forgiveness of sins, I should always receive it, so that it
may always forgive my sins. Because I always sin, I should always have a remedy.[227]
1394 As bodily nourishment restores lost strength, so the Eucharist strengthens our
charity, which tends to be weakened in daily life; and this living charity wipes away venial
sins.[228] By giving himself to us Christ revives our love and enables us to break our
disordered attachments to creatures and root ourselves in him:
Since Christ died for us out of love, when we celebrate the memorial of his death at the
moment of sacrifice we ask that love may be granted to us by the coming of the Holy
Spirit. We humbly pray that in the strength of this love by which Christ willed to die for
us, we, by receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit, may be able to consider the world as
crucified for us, and to be ourselves as crucified to the world.... Having received the gift
of love, let us die to sin and live for God.[229]
1395 By the same charity that it enkindles in us, the Eucharist preserves us from future
mortal sins. The more we share the life of Christ and progress in his friendship, the
more difficult it is to break away from him by mortal sin. The Eucharist is not ordered
to the forgiveness of mortal sins - that is proper to the sacrament of Reconciliation. The
Eucharist is properly the sacrament of those who are in full communion with the
Church.
1396 The unity of the Mystical Body: the Eucharist makes the Church. Those who
receive the Eucharist are united more closely to Christ. Through it Christ unites them to
all the faithful in one body - the Church. Communion renews, strengthens, and deepens
this incorporation into the Church, already achieved by Baptism. In Baptism we have
been called to form but one body.[230] The Eucharist fulfills this call: "The cup of
blessing which we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread which
we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we
who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread:"[231]
If you are the body and members of Christ, then it is your sacrament that is placed on
the table of the Lord; it is your sacrament that you receive. To that which you are you
respond "Amen" ("yes, it is true!") and by responding to it you assent to it. For you hear
the words, "the Body of Christ" and respond "Amen." Be then a member of the Body
of Christ that your Amen may be true.[232]
1397 The Eucharist commits us to the poor. To receive in truth the Body and Blood of
Christ given up for us, we must recognize Christ in the poorest, his brethren:
You have tasted the Blood of the Lord, yet you do not recognize your brother,.... You
dishonor this table when you do not judge worthy of sharing your food someone
judged worthy to take part in this meal.... God freed you from all your sins and invited
you here, but you have not become more merciful.[233]
1398 The Eucharist and the unity of Christians. Before the greatness of this mystery St.
Augustine exclaims, "O sacrament of devotion! O sign of unity! O bond of
charity!"[234] The more painful the experience of the divisions in the Church which
break the common participation in the table of the Lord, the more urgent are our
prayers to the Lord that the time of complete unity among all who believe in him may
return.
1399 The Eastern churches that are not in full communion with the Catholic Church
celebrate the Eucharist with great love. "These Churches, although separated from us,
yet possess true sacraments, above all - by apostolic succession - the priesthood and the
Eucharist, whereby they are still joined to us in closest intimacy." A certain communion
in sacris, and so in the Eucharist, "given suitable circumstances and the approval of
Church authority, is not merely possible but is encouraged."[235]
1400 Ecclesial communities derived from the Reformation and separated from the
Catholic Church, "have not preserved the proper reality of the Eucharistic mystery in its
fullness, especially because of the absence of the sacrament of Holy Orders."[236] It is
for this reason that, for the Catholic Church, Eucharistic intercommunion with these
communities is not possible. However these ecclesial communities, "when they
commemorate the Lord's death and resurrection in the Holy Supper . . . profess that it
signifies life in communion with Christ and await his coming in glory."[237]
1401 When, in the Ordinary's judgment, a grave necessity arises, Catholic ministers may
give the sacraments of Eucharist, Penance, and Anointing of the Sick to other Christians
not in full communion with the Catholic Church, who ask for them of their own will,
provided they give evidence of holding the Catholic faith regarding these sacraments and
possess the required dispositions.[238]
VII. THE EUCHARIST - "PLEDGE OF THE
GLORY TO COME"
1402 In an ancient prayer the Church acclaims the mystery of the Eucharist: "O sacred
banquet in which Christ is received as food, the memory of his Passion is renewed, the
soul is filled with grace and a pledge of the life to come is given to us." If the Eucharist is
the memorial of the Passover of the Lord Jesus, if by our communion at the altar we are
filled "with every heavenly blessing and grace,"[239] then the Eucharist is also an
anticipation of the heavenly glory.
1403 At the Last Supper the Lord himself directed his disciples' attention toward the
fulfillment of the Passover in the kingdom of God: "I tell you I shall not drink again of
this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's
kingdom."[240] Whenever the Church celebrates the Eucharist she remembers this
promise and turns her gaze "to him who is to come." In her prayer she calls for his
coming: "Marana tha!" "Come, Lord Jesus!"[241] "May your grace come and this world
pass away!"[242]
1404 The Church knows that the Lord comes even now in his Eucharist and that he is
there in our midst. However, his presence is veiled. Therefore we celebrate the Eucharist
"awaiting the blessed hope and the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ,"[243] asking "to
share in your glory when every tear will be wiped away. On that day we shall see you, our
God, as you are. We shall become like you and praise you for ever through Christ our
Lord."[244]
1405 There is no surer pledge or dearer sign of this great hope in the new heavens and
new earth "in which righteousness dwells,"[245] than the Eucharist. Every time this
mystery is celebrated, "the work of our redemption is carried on" and we "break the one
bread that provides the medicine of immortality, the antidote for death, and the food
that makes us live for ever in Jesus Christ."[246]
IN BRIEF
1406 Jesus said: "I am the living bread that came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he
will live for ever; . . . he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life and . . . abides in me,
and I in him" (Jn 6:51, 54, 56).
1407 The Eucharist is the heart and the summit of the Church's life, for in it Christ associates his
Church and all her members with his sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving offered once for all on the cross
to his Father; by this sacrifice he pours out the graces of salvation on his Body which is the Church.
1408 The Eucharistic celebration always includes: the proclamation of the Word of God; thanksgiving
to God the Father for all his benefits, above all the gift of his Son; the consecration of bread and wine;
and participation in the liturgical banquet by receiving the Lord's body and blood. These elements
constitute one single act of worship.
1409 The Eucharist is the memorial of Christ's Passover, that is, of the work of salvation accomplished
by the life, death, and resurrection of Christ, a work made present by the liturgical action.
1410 It is Christ himself, the eternal high priest of the New Covenant who, acting through the ministry
of the priests, offers the Eucharistic sacrifice. And it is the same Christ, really present under the species
of bread and wine, who is the offering of the Eucharistic sacrifice.
1411 Only validly ordained priests can preside at the Eucharist and consecrate the bread and the wine
so that they become the Body and Blood of the Lord.
1412 The essential signs of the Eucharistic sacrament are wheat bread and grape wine, on which the
blessing of the Holy Spirit is invoked and the priest pronounces the words of consecration spoken by Jesus
during the Last Supper: "This is my body which will be given up for you.... This is the cup of my
blood...."
1413 By the consecration the transubstantiation of the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of
Christ is brought about. Under the consecrated species of bread and wine Christ himself, living and
glorious, is present in a true, real, and substantial manner: his Body and his Blood, with his soul and
his divinity (cf. Council of Trent: DS 1640; 1651).
1414 As sacrifice, the Eucharist is also offered in reparation for the sins of the living and the dead and
to obtain spiritual or temporal benefits from God.
1415 Anyone who desires to receive Christ in Eucharistic communion must be in the state of grace.
Anyone aware of having sinned mortally must not receive communion without having received absolution
in the sacrament of penance.
1416 Communion with the Body and Blood of Christ increases the communicant's union with the
Lord, forgives his venial sins, and preserves him from grave sins. Since receiving this sacrament
strengthens the bonds of charity between the communicant and Christ, it also reinforces the unity of the
Church as the Mystical Body of Christ.
1417 The Church warmly recommends that the faithful receive Holy Communion when they participate
in the celebration of the Eucharist; she obliges them to do so at least once a year.
1418 Because Christ himself is present in the sacrament of the altar, he is to be honored with the
worship of adoration. "To visit the Blessed Sacrament is . . . a proof of gratitude, an expression of love,
and a duty of adoration toward Christ our Lord" (Paul VI, MF 66).
1419 Having passed from this world to the Father, Christ gives us in the Eucharist the pledge of glory
with him. Participation in the Holy Sacrifice identifies us with his Heart, sustains our strength along the
pilgrimage of this life, makes us long for eternal life, and unites us even now to the Church in heaven, the
Blessed Virgin Mary, and all the saints.
No comments:
Post a Comment