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Adult Ed, Sessions
on the Sacraments, part 3 – The Holy Eucharist
The Eucharist, As
Sacrament:
Matter: Bread, wheat bread (leavened or unleavened depending
on the Rite) and Wine (pure grape wine)
Form: The words of consecration
Minister: The priest
Recipient: Baptized Catholic in the state of grace
Instituted by Christ at the Last Supper. Taught at the Bread
of Life Discourse. (For an article on why the bread of life discourse cannot be a mere metaphor, please click [here]).
Questions about the
Real Presence:
What is transubstantiation? Not annihilation, not
consubstantiation, but a real change of substance.
“A change of the whole substance of bread into the substance of the body of Christ our Lord and of the whole substance
of the wine into the substance of his blood.” (CCC
1376)
When does transubstantiation occur? The words of
consecration. Proof of this in the rites.
How long does it last? So long as the species remains.
What do we mean by “substance” and “accident”? Substance is
the underlying reality, while accident
is the sensible properties. The substance changes, while the accidents remain.
Is the whole Jesus under both species? Yes, by real
concomitance; not be real conversion.
Is Jesus living in the Eucharist? Yes, because he is living
in heaven.
Questions about
receiving Communion:
Is it better to receive under both species? More grace is
given on account of the greater sign.
Ought the Church to encourage people to regularly receive
under both species? No, for practical reasons.
The grace received is more determined by the disposition of the faithful.
Why must one be in the state of grace to receive Communion?
Because you don’t feed a corpse.
Why can’t non-Catholics receive Communion? The Eucharist is
a sign of communion, those who receive
must be in real communion.
Why should Catholics not receive Protestant “communion”?
Again, we are not in communion.
The Mass as a
Sacrifice
The Host is the Sacrament of Christ’s Body, the Chalice the
Sacrament of his Blood. As these were really and physically separated on the
Cross, they are really and sacramentally separated on the altar at Mass.
The Mass is a sacrifice by the words of consecration, in
which the species are consecrated separately.
The living Body
and Blood of Christ in the Eucharist are a sacrament of the dead Body and Blood of Christ sacrificed
on the Cross. And, as there are not two “Jesuses” by the Real Presence, so
there are not two sacrifices by the Mass.
