Roman Catholic Answer
.It isn't really a process, it is more a miracle, and it is called transubstantiation when God changes the entire substance of bread and wine and replaces them with the substance of Our Blessed Lord. After the consecration, what appears to be Bread and Wine are now referred to as the Eucharist.
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from The Catechism of the Catholic Church, second edition, English translation 1994
1376 The Council of Trent summarizes the Catholic faith by declaring: "Because Christ our Redeemer said that it was truly his body that he was offering under the species of bread, it has always been the conviction of the Church of God, and this holy Council now declares again, that by the consecration of the bread and wine there takes place a change of the whole substance of the bread into the substance of the body of Christ the Lord and of the whole substance of the wine into the substance of his blood. This change the holy Catholic Church has fittingly and properly called transubstantiation.
Note: perhaps this might be easier to understand. Saint Thomas Aquinas described everything that exists as having two parts, the substance, and the accidents. For instance, water has the substance of water, but its accidents vary depending on its state: ice, liquid water, steam. Likewise, wood has different accidents if it is burned (ashes) or used to build something, etc. In all of these examples, the substance (wood) remains the same, while the accidents (wet, hard, soft, brown, clear, etc.) change. The word "transubstantiation" refers to this same set of substance and accidents, but in this case, the reverse is true, the accidents of the bread (the color, texture, taste, etc.) remain the same while the substance changes from bread to Jesus Christ through a miracle of God.
AnswerThe idea that Christ is truly present in the Eucharist is called the Real Presence. "Transubstantiation" is a specifically Catholic explanation of HOW Christ is present under the appearance of bread and wine.
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Catholic Answer
The belief is called Transubstantiation. After transubstantiation, NO bread or wine remains, only the accidents or outward appearance.
from Modern Catholic Dictionary by John A. Hardon, S.J. Doubleday & Co., Inc. Garden City, NY 1980
Transubstantiation. The complete change of the substance of bread and wine into the substance of Christ’s body and blood by a validly ordained priest during the consecration at Mass, so that only the accidents of bread and wine remain. While the faith behind the term was already believed in apostolic times, the term itself was a later development. With the Eastern Fathers before the sixth century, the favored expression was meta-ousiosis, “the change of beingâ€; the Latin tradition coined the word transubstantiatio, “change of substanceâ€, which was incorporated into the creed of the Fourth Lateran Council in 1215. The Council of Trent, in defining the “wonderful and singular conversion of the whole substance of the bread into the body, and the whole substance of the wine into the blood†of Christ, added “which conversion the Catholic Church calls transubstantiation†(Denzinger 1652). After transubstantiation, the accidents of bread and wine do not inhere in any subject or substance whatever. Yet they are not make-believe; they are sustained in existence by divine power. (Etym. Latin trans-, so as to change + substantia, substance: transubstantiatio, change of substance.)
The Eucharist.
It is during the offering up in the Catholic Mass by the priest that the bread and wine are consecrated with the repeated words of Jesus Christ at the Last Supper,"This is My Body;This is My Blood" thereby making Jesus Christ present on the altar Body,Blood Soul and Divinity in the consecrated hosts and the Chalice filled with now consecrated wine which is the Blood of Christ. The "reserved Eucharist" you speak of is the consecrated species from other Masses offered by the priest. The Church always has extra consecrated host (not wine) in the Tabernacle saved for the sick and in the event there are more in attendance at the specific Mass then the priest has consecrated. Because the species in the tabernacle is already the Body and Blood of Christ and in respect to what already" is" and what is "about to be" consecrated, the Eucharist (Blessed Sacrament) is covered and held in a secure place called the Tabernacle.
Transubstantiation
transubstantiation
A monstrance is a receptacle used for holding a Consecrated Host (as Catholics be believe that when the bread [hosts] and wine are Consecrated during Mass they truly become the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ) for Adoration by the faithful.
Holy Communion. It is partaking in the body and blood of Christ to confirm your belief in Jesus as your Holy savior.
blood of christ, body of christ, bible
(in Christian belief) The doctrine that when bread and wine of the Eucharist have been consecrated they become the blood and body of Christ. Answer Some mysterious act that changes the form, character or substance of something other than what it really is. Similar to what has been sugested in the first answer.
In the Mass after the host of bread has been consecrated and has become the Body of Christ, it is elevated, it is held up by the priest so that all can see it and adore it, this is also done with the Blood of Christ. The elevation of the Body can be seen in this video at 0:40, the elevation of the Blood at 1:40 http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=jTHE1-IFbpA
The word concomitance has been derived from the Latin word concomitari meaning with a companion. Concomitance means existence or occurrence together or in connection with another. In simple words, a thing that exists in connection with another is referred to as concomitance
The bread and wine consecrated by a Catholic priest is transubstantiated to the body and blood of Christ. Although the catholic church respects the EPISCOPAL church which is very close in its teachings, there are subtle differences in the meaning of Eucharist and therefore transubstantiation is a prime doctrine of the Catholic church ( and some orthodox churches) only.
Answer: Some Lutherans believe that Christ remains present in the Eucharist so long as the assembly is gathered. In other words, once the congregation has left, Christ is no longer present in the consecrated bread and wine. Other (more traditional, Catholic-leaning) Lutherans believe that Christ remains present after the congregation leaves and even reserve the Eucharist (as do Catholics and Orthodox) to be taken to those who are homebound. Catholics believe that Christ is present when the congregation leaves, and the Eucharist is treated with great reverence. The Catholic Church teaches that the presence of Christ remains so long as the consecrated bread remains bread; once it has deteriorated Christ is no longer present.
The altar represents the eating place of the last supper. Mass is said at the altar and the Holy Eucharist (Christ's body and blood) is consecrated there from wine and bread just as Jesus did at the last supper. He said to his apostles: "Do this in memory of me." and so it is done.