As we reflect together, the many names for the Eucharist reveal the inexhaustible richness of this sacrament. It is Eucharist, an action of thanksgiving to God for his works of creation, redemption, and sanctification. As the Lord’s Supper, it recalls the supper Jesus shared with his disciples before his Passion and anticipates the wedding feast of the Lamb in the heavenly Jerusalem. In the Breaking of Bread, those who receive the one broken bread, Christ, enter into communion with him and become one body in him. The Eucharist is also the memorial of the Lord’s Passion and Resurrection and the Holy Sacrifice, making present Christ’s one sacrifice and including the Church’s offering. At Holy Mass, the faithful are sent forth to fulfill God’s will in their daily lives.
At the heart of the Eucharistic celebration are bread and wine, which, through the words of Christ and the invocation of the Holy Spirit, become his Body and Blood. As we gather in faith, we remember the Last Supper, Christ’s death and Resurrection, and the new Passover fulfilled in him. In the Offertory, the Church gives thanks to the Creator for the gifts of bread and wine, fruits of the earth, the vine, and human hands. The Eucharist is a pledge of Christ’s love, given so that he may never depart from his own and may make them sharers in his Passover. Though this mystery can be difficult and even a stumbling block, the Lord lovingly invites us to receive in faith the gift of his Eucharist—and so to receive the Lord himself.
In the Catechism, we learn that visible churches are more than gathering places: they signify the Church living in that place, the dwelling of God with people reconciled and united in Christ. They are holy places where the community gathers for worship, hears God’s word, sings his praise, prays, and offers the sacrifice of Christ sacramentally present; they are also places of recollection and personal prayer. The altar recalls the Cross of Christ, and under sacramental signs the sacrifice of the Cross is made present as the People of God are invited to the Lord’s table. In the liturgy, the whole assembly participates according to each person’s role, joined to Christ our high priest and to the heavenly liturgy. Its signs and symbols, drawn from creation, human life, and salvation history, become bearers of Christ’s saving and sanctifying action. Sunday, the Lord’s Day and day of the Christian family, is the principal day for the Eucharist, joy, and rest. As the Church keeps the saints’ memorials, she is united with the liturgy of heaven, while Christians themselves become temples of the Holy Spirit.