The Sacrament The Sacrament of the Eucharist of the Eucharist

By:Steve Flores, Dave Cea, By:Steve Flores, Dave Cea, Kyle Kyle Merrill, Salvador Merrill, Salvador

Meza, & Michael HanMeza, & Michael Han

What does the Eucharist What does the Eucharist Celebrate?Celebrate?

The Eucharist serves The Eucharist serves as a reminder that as a reminder that God nourishes us and God nourishes us and loves us loves us unconditionally.unconditionally.

It also signifies the It also signifies the love poured out to us love poured out to us giving us new life.giving us new life.

The Eucharist got its The Eucharist got its origin from a sacred origin from a sacred Jewish meal called Jewish meal called ““Passover SederPassover Seder”” Passover Seder Meal

The Passover Seder was a ritual meal that Jews The Passover Seder was a ritual meal that Jews celebrated when Moses was leading them out of celebrated when Moses was leading them out of Egypt. It is a meal in which they give thanks to Egypt. It is a meal in which they give thanks to God for freeing them from slavery.God for freeing them from slavery.

Jesus used this meal and put new meaning into, Jesus used this meal and put new meaning into, he identified the bread and wine. He made them he identified the bread and wine. He made them symbolic symbols of his own body and blood. symbolic symbols of his own body and blood.

The bread symbolizes that Jesus’ body that is The bread symbolizes that Jesus’ body that is given to us for nourishment and his blood that given to us for nourishment and his blood that gives us new life.gives us new life.

The word Eucharist is derived from the Greek The word Eucharist is derived from the Greek word of “thanksgiving”word of “thanksgiving”

The Eucharist symbolizes how human The Eucharist symbolizes how human relationship should be, which is that we relationship should be, which is that we should all be reconcile, we need to should all be reconcile, we need to make peace, support one another, and if make peace, support one another, and if needed give our life for another person.needed give our life for another person.

Jesus Christ although now in heaven is Jesus Christ although now in heaven is still present with us when we receive still present with us when we receive the Eucharist this is known as the Eucharist this is known as Real Real PresencePresence..

How is he present with us? How is he present with us? Catholics says that Jesus is present in Catholics says that Jesus is present in

four ways:four ways: The presiding priest who offers us The presiding priest who offers us

JesusJesus In the scriptures that are being readIn the scriptures that are being read The people surrounding usThe people surrounding us The eucharistic species that is the The eucharistic species that is the

bread and wine that is consecrated to bread and wine that is consecrated to be Jesus’ body and blood.be Jesus’ body and blood.

The consecration of the bread and wine is the The consecration of the bread and wine is the most sacred moment throughout mass. most sacred moment throughout mass.

In Catholic theology this is known as In Catholic theology this is known as transubstantiation.transubstantiation.

For Jesus to be truly present in the Eucharist For Jesus to be truly present in the Eucharist so must be the participants they have to be so must be the participants they have to be “truly present” otherwise it is a meaningless “truly present” otherwise it is a meaningless ritual.ritual.

Not only do we have to receive the body and Not only do we have to receive the body and blood of Christ we have to be like Christ in blood of Christ we have to be like Christ in our lives and its possible because Jesus is our lives and its possible because Jesus is with us.with us.

The Ritual of the The Ritual of the Eucharist: Symbolic Eucharist: Symbolic actions and wordsactions and words Eucharist is a term Eucharist is a term

Catholics use in a variety Catholics use in a variety of waysof ways The whole The whole MassMass is also is also

called Eucharist called Eucharist The second part of mass The second part of mass

that is known as liturgy of that is known as liturgy of the Eucharistthe Eucharist

Communion which is the Communion which is the consumption of the bread consumption of the bread and wineand wine

The The Blessed Blessed SacramentSacrament(the consecrated (the consecrated bread that is kept in the bread that is kept in the Tabernacle) is also called Tabernacle) is also called the Eucharistthe Eucharist

Tabernacle in church

In Mass or The Eucharist is composed of 4 partsIn Mass or The Eucharist is composed of 4 parts The The gathering ritegathering rite this is the beginning of this is the beginning of

MassMass The The liturgy of the wordliturgy of the word is next it is the is next it is the

proclaiming of the word of God through proclaiming of the word of God through ScripturesScriptures

The The liturgy of the Eucharistliturgy of the Eucharist is after it is after it includes the consecration and communion of includes the consecration and communion of the bread and winethe bread and wine

The The dismissal ritedismissal rite is the conclusion of Mass is the conclusion of Mass and is when the celebration endsand is when the celebration ends

There are 4 essential actions in Mass There are 4 essential actions in Mass isis Liturgy of the Word: the scripturesLiturgy of the Word: the scriptures Thanksgiving: thanking God for Thanksgiving: thanking God for

everything in creationeverything in creation Concentration: changing the bread and Concentration: changing the bread and

wine into Jesus’ body and bloodwine into Jesus’ body and blood Communion: is receiving Jesus’ body Communion: is receiving Jesus’ body

and bloodand blood

Only ordain priest can preside over Only ordain priest can preside over the Eucharistthe Eucharist

Communion Services are similar to Communion Services are similar to mass because they have liturgy of mass because they have liturgy of the word and the rite of communion the word and the rite of communion but it lacks a ordain priest so it lacks but it lacks a ordain priest so it lacks the full participation of the Eucharistthe full participation of the Eucharist

Liturgy of the WordLiturgy of the Word In the Liturgy of the Word it is

an opportunity to encounter God There the Lectionary the

book that is raised high in the air during procession and kissed by the priest

There is usually 3 reading One from the Old

Testament The second from a epistle

from St. Paul The third is a reading

from the Gospel The last part of the

liturgy is the prayer of the faithful or general intercessions Lectionary used

in church

Symbolism of the BreadSymbolism of the Bread The bread often represents

life so it is an appropriate symbol for Eucharist

The bread is both a gift of God and a work of human hands

In the ritual of Eucharist the bread is transformed.

It becomes Christ offered up, broken, and given up to his people

The gathered people are reminded that they too are Christ- meant to be bread that is offered up, broken and given to others.

Symbolism of the WineSymbolism of the Wine The wine is also a gift from The wine is also a gift from

God and the works of human God and the works of human handshands

It is also considered a symbol It is also considered a symbol life because humans can’t live life because humans can’t live long without water to drink it long without water to drink it is a “staff of life”is a “staff of life”

It is a symbol that Christ It is a symbol that Christ willingly shed his blood to free willingly shed his blood to free humanity from sin and deathhumanity from sin and death

For many centuries before the For many centuries before the II Vatican Council, the priest II Vatican Council, the priest was the only one who could was the only one who could drink from the cupdrink from the cup

The cup like the bread is The cup like the bread is meant to be shared by all meant to be shared by all believers.believers.

The Eucharist HistoryThe Eucharist History In the beginning of the history of the church In the beginning of the history of the church

the Eucharist was celebrated as a the Eucharist was celebrated as a fellowship meal or “love feast” known as fellowship meal or “love feast” known as agapeagape

The Christians shared the food that each of The Christians shared the food that each of them brought it was eventually broken them brought it was eventually broken down to just the bread and winedown to just the bread and wine

The feast came to be the same in all The feast came to be the same in all different communities it consisted of an different communities it consisted of an offering , a thanksgiving, breaking of the offering , a thanksgiving, breaking of the bread, and people receiving the bread and bread, and people receiving the bread and wine.wine.

After religion was legalized in the fourth After religion was legalized in the fourth century the practices went public.century the practices went public.

The place of worship moved from homes The place of worship moved from homes to church buildingsto church buildings

The priest would start saying the mass The priest would start saying the mass while people watched in silencewhile people watched in silence

The Eucharist became less of a part of the The Eucharist became less of a part of the communitycommunity

Less and less people received the Less and less people received the communion, the church required that the communion, the church required that the faithful receive communion once a yearfaithful receive communion once a year

During that time the Masses were During that time the Masses were being said in Latin, it eventually being said in Latin, it eventually changed to the vernacular of the changed to the vernacular of the area after II Vatican Councilarea after II Vatican Council

Also the altar and the priest now Also the altar and the priest now faced the peoplefaced the people

These changes help bring people These changes help bring people together, which is the purpose of the together, which is the purpose of the EucharistEucharist