The Sacrament of the Eucharist
In the Church’s Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick, through the ministry of the priest, it is Jesus who touches the sick to heal them from sin – and sometimes even from physical ailment. His cures were signs of the arrival of the Kingdom of God. The core message of his healing tells us of his plan to conquer sin and death by his dying and rising.
Requirements for this Sacrament
- When serious illness is apparent.
- The person must have fasted for at least one hour before receiving the Eucharist.
- Believe that the Bread and Wine become the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.
- A Christian that has completed Eucharistic Preparation.
Scriptures:
Is anyone among you sick? He should summon the presbyters [priests] of the church, and they should pray over him and anoint [him] with oil in the name of the Lord, (James 5:14)
While the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and laying His hands on each one of them, He was healing them. (Luke 4:40)
While the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and laying His hands on each one of them, He was healing them. (Luke 4:40)
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean to be in a state of grace?
That’s the way Jesus set it up on Easter Sunday evening. He told his apostles that just as God the Father had sent him — and God the Father sent him to save us from our sins — so he was sending them. He breathed on them the power of the Holy Spirit, giving them God’s power to forgive sins, since no one can forgive sins but God alone. He told them that whatever sins they forgive are forgiven and whatever sins they retain are retained (Jn 20:21-23;Mk 2:7). Since the apostles were unable to read minds, the only way that they would know which to forgive and which to retain is if people told them their sins. Jesus thus established the essential structure of the sacrament of confession. Just as he uses priests to give us his Body and Blood at Mass so he uses them to give us His mercy in Penance.
What does the word “Eucharist” mean?
This term comes from the Greek word for “thanksgiving”. At Mass the priest invites us to join in the Sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving when he says, “Lift up your hearts . . . Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.” These words introduce the great “eucharistic prayer”. “Eucharist”, often accompanied by “holy” or “blessed”, is a reverent way of referring to the Body and Blood of Christ, the Blessed Sacrament. When we offer and celebrate the Eucharist we praise and thank the Father for his gift to us. We are grateful because God has created us, redeemed us and opened to us the way to eternal life in heaven. We are grateful because God gives us his beloved Son as our food for this journey of life.
What does the word “Host” mean?
After the bread has been consecrated, it is called the “Host”, derived from the Latin word “hostia”, meaning a “victim”. Jesus Christ is victim and priest in the Mass because his eternal Sacrifice is made present whenever the Eucharist is celebrated.
Why doe we use the word “celebration”?
We call the Mass a “celebration”, the Eucharistic Celebration, and we refer to the priest as the “celebrant”. But this is not the usual English meaning of “celebration”. It does not mean that the Mass is a party or a social-get-together. The original Latin word “celebratio” referred to a solemn occasion, the proclaiming of good news, a festival, a great public assembly of people. All these different meanings come together in our celebration of the Liturgy. Therefore our celebration of the Eucharist can have different textures. It does not always have to be joyful. It may also be sorrowful or peaceful and reflective. It may be festive and elaborate, or quite simple, and it may even be celebrated with little emotion.
What we always celebrate is the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the most “celebrated” Person in human history. Therefore, his saving work is the only element common to all forms of the celebration of the Eucharist on all occasions. We celebrate the events which save us, as St Paul puts it, “. . . as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” (1 Corinthians 11:26).
What we always celebrate is the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the most “celebrated” Person in human history. Therefore, his saving work is the only element common to all forms of the celebration of the Eucharist on all occasions. We celebrate the events which save us, as St Paul puts it, “. . . as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” (1 Corinthians 11:26).
How do we know Christ chose this way to bring us his Sacrifice?
The New Testament accounts of the Last Supper all use the Jewish words associated with sacrifices. See 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, Mark 14:22-24, Matthew 26:26-28, Luke 22:17-19. Jesus Christ speaks of “my body” and “my blood”, the separation of body and blood indicating a sacrificed victim. He says that his body is “given up” (offered up) for us, and that “this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many”. He says that this is a “new covenant”, a new agreement or mutual pact between God and his people. A sacrifice was the way Jews sealed a covenant. This is the new and complete sacrifice for his new covenant. He commands hi apostles to re-enact his actions using bread and wine, “do this in remembrance of me”, thus instituting the Sacrifice of the Church.
In St John’s Gospel we do not find an account of the eucharistic words of the Lord, but he offers himself, and consecrates himself in the beautiful “high priestly prayer” (cf. John 17). He anticipates his self-sacrifice on the following day, Good Friday. In John 6:25-29 he promises his “flesh” and “blood”, sacrificial food “which I shall give for the life of the world”. In Jewish thought the blood was the life-force, offered to God in sacrifices and used for purification from sins. This reminds us that we need to read the Christian Scriptures with the Hebrew Scriptures.
St Paul regarded the Eucharist as a true sacrifice because he compared the Christian Sacrifice to pagan sacrifices. (1 Corinthians 10:14-22). By offering and eating, the Eucharist, Christians join in the Lord’s Sacrifice.
In St John’s Gospel we do not find an account of the eucharistic words of the Lord, but he offers himself, and consecrates himself in the beautiful “high priestly prayer” (cf. John 17). He anticipates his self-sacrifice on the following day, Good Friday. In John 6:25-29 he promises his “flesh” and “blood”, sacrificial food “which I shall give for the life of the world”. In Jewish thought the blood was the life-force, offered to God in sacrifices and used for purification from sins. This reminds us that we need to read the Christian Scriptures with the Hebrew Scriptures.
St Paul regarded the Eucharist as a true sacrifice because he compared the Christian Sacrifice to pagan sacrifices. (1 Corinthians 10:14-22). By offering and eating, the Eucharist, Christians join in the Lord’s Sacrifice.
What is the purpose of receiving the Eucharist or Holy Communion?
The first purpose of receiving the Eucharist is to unite each of us to God. Christ comes to us, and we come to Christ. We receive Christ but at the same time Christ receives us. “He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives in me, and I live in him.” (John 6:56) This gift of himself nourishes us spiritually, so that we depend on Jesus for the life of our souls, “. . . whoever eats me will live because of me.” (John 6:57) This supreme gift nourishes Christians for eternal life in heaven, “. . .whoever who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” (John 6:54) Our frequent faithful Holy Communion, received worthily, helps us to grow in grace, to reflect Christ in the world, to bring him to those we meet day by day, to make us more Christ-like. We are called to become Who we receive.
The second purpose of receiving the Eucharist is to create Christian community. St Paul teaches that our receiving of the Body and Blood of Christ unites us to one another. “Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.” (1 Corinthians 10:17) This is echoed in the Fourth Eucharistic Prayer: “Lord, look upon this sacrifice which you have given to your Church; and by your Holy Spirit, gather all who share this one bread and one cup into the one body of Christ, a living sacrifice of praise.” Therefore, the Second Vatican Council describes the Eucharist as a supper of family fellowship and a foretaste of the heavenly banquet. Cf. The Church Today 38. The unity of the Church is celebrated and deepened in the Eucharist.
The Eucharist is our Food as individuals and as community, for the journey of life in this world and in anticipation of the glorious life of eternity with God.
The second purpose of receiving the Eucharist is to create Christian community. St Paul teaches that our receiving of the Body and Blood of Christ unites us to one another. “Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.” (1 Corinthians 10:17) This is echoed in the Fourth Eucharistic Prayer: “Lord, look upon this sacrifice which you have given to your Church; and by your Holy Spirit, gather all who share this one bread and one cup into the one body of Christ, a living sacrifice of praise.” Therefore, the Second Vatican Council describes the Eucharist as a supper of family fellowship and a foretaste of the heavenly banquet. Cf. The Church Today 38. The unity of the Church is celebrated and deepened in the Eucharist.
The Eucharist is our Food as individuals and as community, for the journey of life in this world and in anticipation of the glorious life of eternity with God.
Do I have to go to confession every time I come to Communion?
No. But the Catholic who comes frequently to the Lord’s table is also meant to be regular and frequent at the sacrament of Reconciliation. What “frequent confession” means will vary from person to person.
The Liturgy provides us with a penitential rite at the beginning of the Mass, which prepares us to take part in hearing the Word, offering the Sacrifice and sharing in the banquet of Christ’s Body and Blood. This rite is meant to move us to a spirit of personal contrition, and certainly takes away venial sins. But it is not a substitute for the sacrament of reconciliation, that is, personal confession to a priest, especially in times of grave sin.
How should I receive the Eucharist?
Above all else we should show welcome to Our Lord by (a) the body language of outward reverence and respect, (b) private personal prayers of thanksgiving. After we return to our places, we usually kneel in prayer, for it shows a lack of respect and gratitude for the Gift merely to return to one’s seat and sit there gazing around. There is also meant to be a time for silence after everyone has received the Eucharist. During this time we may sense that tremendous unity of the whole community, caused by sharing the One Bread and One Cup of the Eucharist, our intimacy with God, our solidarity with one another. A hymn, psalm, prayerful reflection, meditative music may be provided after Holy Communion. If there is singing, we should take this opportunity to praise and thank the Lord as one people, with one voice of faith and love.
How should I prepare to receive the Eucharist?
The best preparation is to be reconciled with God our Father and with the community of the Church through the sacrament of Penance or Reconciliation. Good confession is the best way towards a good Communion. Our Lord’s own advice is found in Matthew 5:23, 24, that we are to be at peace with one another before coming to the altar. This is why we exchange the “sign of peace” just before Communion in the Roman Rite of Mass. St Paul warns of unworthy Holy Communion, and its effects, in 1 Corinthians 11:27-34. Before Communion we should pray, seek God’s help and make a sincere act of contrition.
I am not Catholic, can I still receive the Eucharist?
Yes, if you are a Christian and believe that the Eucharist is the Body and Blood of Christ.
The response to this question is where the Independent Old Catholic Church differs from the Roman Catholic Church. We proudly open the table to all believers in the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ and believing in the real presences of our savior in this celebration. We do not believe that we should turn away those that believe, but are not Catholic.
The response to this question is where the Independent Old Catholic Church differs from the Roman Catholic Church. We proudly open the table to all believers in the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ and believing in the real presences of our savior in this celebration. We do not believe that we should turn away those that believe, but are not Catholic.
I am divorced, may I still receive communion?
Yes, if all other conditions of the Eucharist are met. This is another point that the Independant Old Catholic Church differs from the Roman Catholic Church. There are restrictions and conditions within the Roman Catholic Church; however, IOCC understand and recognizes that God forgives. The IOCC recognizes the sanctity of Marriage; but we understand that sometimes divorce maybe necessary and happens.