We say that the Eucharist is the source and summit of our Catholic faith so why is it so important and how does it make the Church?

Answer 1

John 6:53-56

Jesus said to them "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him."

Answer 2

Catholics believe that when we receive Holy Communion we are actually receiving the very Body and Blood of Jesus Christ Himself. Think about it - the God of the Universe humbling Himself to become bread - right in front of our very eyes. Of course it still tastes, looks, smells, and feels like normal bread and wine, but with the words of the consecration it becomes Jesus' Body and Blood. We receive the God of the Universe - the God who we pray to - the God who walked on water and healed the sick - the God who created us - into our very being. It is unfathomable to think about.

The Eucharist was instituted at the Last Supper when Jesus "took bread, and when he had given thanks he broke it and gave it to them, saying 'This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.' And likewise the chalice after supper, saying, 'This chalice which is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood'" (Luke 22:19-20). We believe that the Holy Spirit works through the priest to transform the bread and wine into the Body and Blood. We believe this because first of all, Jesus said "This IS my body" and "This IS my blood," not "This bread symbolizes my body" and "This wine is an analogy for my blood." He also told us to remember Him by doing as He did. Also, in John 6, Jesus said, "I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh. The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, 'How can this man give us his flesh to eat?' So Jesus said to them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you; he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him" (John 6:51-56).

In the Greek language, there are two different words for body - soma and sarx. If you go back to the Greek text of The Bible, the word used for body in the Last Supper accounts is soma. Soma simply means body or flesh. However, in John 6, the term used is not soma, but sarx. The most accurate definition of sarx is flesh, or meat. Also, the word for "eat" in the Greek text is trogon, which means to gnaw or chew. So what Jesus is saying in John 6, is that if we don't gnaw or chew on His physical flesh or the meat of his body, we will not have eternal life. Those are strong words.

Many people have another objection to the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist because they think that we are re-crucifying Christ when it was meant to be one sacrifice. However, Christ is not re-crucified at Mass. It is impossible for Christ to be sacrificed more than once. Therefore, Christ offers Himself as a perpetual sacrifice to the Father. In Hebrews 9, "Moses is described as taking the blood of calves and goats and using it in the purification of the tabernacle (Heb. 9:19--21; see Ex. 24:6--8 for the origins of this). Under the Old Law, a repeated blood sacrifice was necessary for the remission of sins. Under the Christian dispensation, blood (Christ's) is shed only once, but it is continually offered to the Father.

"'But how can that be?' ask Fundamentalists. They have to keep in mind that 'Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and for ever' (Heb. 13:8). What Jesus did in the past is present to God now, and God can make the sacrifice of Calvary present to us at Mass. 'For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes' (1 Cor. 11:26).

"Jesus does not offer himself to God as a bloody, dying sacrifice in the Mass, but as we offer ourselves, a 'living sacrifice' (Rom. 12:1). As this passage indicates, the offering of sacrifice does not require death or the shedding of blood. If it did, we could not offer ourselves as living sacrifices to God. Jesus, having shed his blood once for all on the cross, now offers himself to God in a continual, unbloody manner as a holy, living sacrifice on our behalf. "

St. Justin Martyr, an early disciple, wrote "We all gather on the day of the sun, for it is the first day [after the Jewish sabbath, but also the first day] when God, separating matter from darkness, made the world; and on this same day Jesus Christ our Savior rose from the dead," showing that there is evidence of gathering for Mass in writings outside of the Bible. He also goes on to write about what they do during these gatherings:

"The memoirs of the apostles and the writings of the prophets are read, as much as time permits. When the reader has finished, he who presides over those gathered admonishes and challenges them to imitate these beautiful things. Then we all rise together and offer prayers for ourselves . . .and for all others, wherever they may be, so that we may be found righteous by our life and actions, and faithful to the commandments, so as to obtain eternal salvation. When the prayers are concluded we exchange the kiss. Then someone brings bread and a cup of water and wine mixed together to him who presides over the brethren. He takes them and offers praise and glory to the Father of the universe, through the name of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and for a considerable time he gives thanks (in Greek: eucharistian) that we have been judged worthy of these gifts. When he has concluded the prayers and thanksgivings, all present give voice to an acclamation by saying: 'Amen.' When he who presides has given thanks and the people have responded, those whom we call deacons give to those present the "eucharisted" bread, wine and water and take them to those who are absent." St. Justin, Apol. 1, 65-67: PG 6, 428-429

This perfectly describes what Catholics do during the celebration of the Mass and shows that even the early Christians understood the meaning and importance of the Mass and the Eucharist. As we try to imitate the early Christians in everything that they teach and do, we also gather for Mass and the celebration of the Eucharist every Sunday as they did to remember Jesus Christ and His sacrifice for us.

Answer 3

Eucharist is remniscent of the Last Supper, when Jesus broke the bread and said, "This is my body given up for you" he then presented his disciples with a chalice filled with wine, and said, "This is my blood given up for you." The consecration of the bread (known as the host) and wine represents the separation of Jesus's body from his bloodwhen he was crucified. It is a constant reminder of how Jesus gave his life to save us from our sins.