Eucharist is the third Sacrament of Initiation.

Through Holy Communion, we unite ourselves to Christ. We speak of the Most Blessed Sacrament because it is the "Sacrament of all Sacraments" through which we receive the Body and Blood of our Savior, Jesus Christ each time we receive Communion.

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.

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.

The church recommends that the faithful receive Holy Communion each time they participate in the celebration of the Eucharist.

The Eucharist as Thanksgiving: The word itself means "thanksgiving." The Eucharist praises God for Jesus’ death, resurrection, and glorification, for our gifts of baptism and above all for the bread of life who is Jesus.

The Eucharist as Sacred Meal: The Eucharist is a ritual meal which commemorates Jesus’ last supper with his apostles. New Testament accounts of the last supper describe the first Eucharist as a meal within a meal. Several of Jesus’ resurrection appearances were connected to eating of a meal. Meals are intimate, a symbol of companionship, of unity.  Sharing a meal helps create and celebrate life. Jesus transformed the unleavened bread of the Passover into his body.

The Eucharist as the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass: Jesus gave us the bread - his body, and the wine - his blood. In religious ritual a sacrifice meant offering a victim by a priest to God. As Catholics, we believe that Jesus himself instituted the Eucharistic sacrifice at the last supper. It celebrates Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. His death and resurrection not only define the very meaning of love, but they also have won for us salvation and a share in God’s life. To commemorate this sacrifice we participate in the ritual which makes us holy at which Jesus is both priest and victim, offering himself through the priest and the assembled community.

The Eucharist is often called “Mass": We traditionally call the celebration of the Eucharist “Mass.” This term comes from the words of the Latin mass meaning “sent” which reminds us that our mission is to bring others to Christ. We are sent forth to love and serve the Lord.

The Eucharist as Holy Communion: Just as we don’t go to dinner without eating, we should not celebrate the Eucharistic liturgy without receiving communion. To do this, we should be free from serious sin, fast for one hour from food and drink (except for water and medication), understand what we are doing and intend to invite the Lord to touch our lives in a very intimate and powerful manner. When we receive communion we are in union not only with Christ, but also with one another, fed by the same spiritual food and called by Christ to share in his life. This is why we now stand as everyone receives Communion.

The Eucharist as Real Presence: The most excellent summary of the teaching of the Eucharist is found in the General Instruction on the Roman Missal. It teaches that the Lord is present in the community, in the priest who presides over the Eucharist, in the proclamation of the word, and in a special way in the sacred species of bread and wine. The direct quote follows: At Mass or the Lord’s Supper, the people of God are called together, with a priest presiding and acting in the person of Christ, to celebrate the memorial of the Lord or Eucharistic sacrifice. For this reason Christ’s promise applies supremely to such a local gathering together of the church, “where two or three come together in my name, there am I in their midst” (Mt. 18:20). For at the celebration of Mass, which perpetuates the sacrifice of the cross, Christ is really present to the assembly gathered in his name; he is present in the person of the minister, in his own word, and indeed substantially and permanently under the Eucharistic elements. (no. 7) We use the word transubstantiation to express that at the consecration of the mass the reality or substance of bread and wine changes into the reality of Jesus—his risen, glorified body. We also believe that his presence endures in the sacred species and so we put it into a receptacle called the tabernacle. The main reason for reserving the sacred species is for those who are sick to have communion brought to them.

The Eucharist as Liturgy: “liturgy” means people’s work. The Christian life requires that we work hard at it. Jesus is there for us in his word to challenge us and in his Eucharist to transform us. We find both in the liturgy. We are an Easter People: we have special regard for Sunday when we celebrate our Lord’s victory over sin and death. Changes in the liturgy since Vatican II include:

• We celebrate the mass in the vernacular
• The liturgy of the word has greater emphasis
• The Altar faces the people
• Prayers of the faithful are included
• Active congregational participation is an important feature – we don’t attend mass, we celebrate the Eucharist and we participate.
• The revised ritual permits communion in the hand and under both species.
• The laity assume many ministerial roles as readers, Eucharistic ministers, choir members, greeters and gift bearers.

The Eucharist is a celebration of our entire community.