Eucharist
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). 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.
Catechism of the Catholic Church, §1406, 1407, 1419
The Eucharist is not a ‘thing’, but rather an action. When we celebrate Mass, another word for Eucharist, the incarnation, life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is made present in our place and time. In our great thanksgiving offered to God both the sacrifice of Jesus at the Last Supper and on the cross, and the heavenly banquet to come at the end of time are made present for us. The Mass is both a meal and a sacrifice. Jesus, our High Priest in heaven, eternally offers the one sacrifice, his crucifixion, for our redemption. When we celebrate Mass we are united to this one heavenly offering and are fed with Jesus’ body and blood under the form of bread and wine, Holy Communion.
Receiving Holy Communion (1) brings us into closer union with Jesus, (2) forgives us our venial sins, (3) gives us grace to avoid future sin, (4) unites us more closely to other Catholics, (5) commits us to serving Christ in the poor and needy, and (6) gives us a longing for all Christians to be united in the one Church.
Holy Communion is a pledge from God that we will one day be with him in heaven. We eat the flesh and drink the blood of Jesus, a personal and intimate moment with the Lord where he enters into our lives both physically and spiritually, and by doing so we share in his eternal life. It is a foretaste of our future reality.
At the age of 8, or thereabouts, children receive Holy Communion for the first time. Preparation for receiving Holy Communion, and as a part of that making first Confession, is organised through our catholic schools. If your child is not at St Philip Neri’s or St Joseph’s primary schools then please keep an eye on the latest newsletter for information about first Holy Communion, or contact the Parish Office.
If you are unable to attend Mass through serious illness, or are housebound, we will bring Holy Communion to you. Please contact the Parish Office to make arrangements for an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion to bring you Holy Communion at home, and thus be united to Christ, his Church, and our church communities which pray for you.
