The sacrament in which we receive the true Body and Blood of Jesus Christ under the appearances of bread and wine.
The Source and Summit of the Christian Life
The Eucharist is the spiritual nourishment that sustains us on our earthly pilgrimage. At every Mass, we participate in the memorial of Christ’s sacrifice, receiving his real presence under the forms of bread and wine. This sacrament transforms us from within, deepening our union with Christ and with one another as members of his Mystical Body. It strengthens us against sin and fills us with the grace to love God and neighbor more perfectly, preparing us for the heavenly banquet to come.
Scripture: “I am the living bread which has come down from heaven… Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life” (John 6:51, 54)
Catechism Reference: CCC 1323-1324: 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...