What is the Eucharist a sacrament of?

Answer 1

The Eucharist is the Institution established by Jesus Christ on the night of the Last Supper. On that night he takes the unleavened bread and the cup of wine and turns them into his Body and Blood, and gives the command and the power to do so to his Apostles, so that He can remain with them always and develop a closer relationship with us. This is called transubstaniation - the changing of the substance, bread, into the Body of the Lord, while still retaining the properties of bread, such as the look, texture, smell, and taste.

This is preluded by the discourse in John 6, where Jesus invites all to "eat of his body" and "drink of his blood." The Jews to whom he was preaching believed that he meant to literally eat his flesh - which is true. He did mean for us to eat his flesh and drink his blood. Most Protestants and others deny this, saying that Jesus meant this symbolically, that in order for us to have eternal life, we must believe in him. We do need to have faith in Jesus to attain life in Heaven - but there's more to it.

The manna eaten by the Israelites in the desert is a foreshadowing of the Eucharist - which is Jesus, the Heavenly Bread. The manna was literally "bread from Heaven," sent by God to the starving Israelites. But the Israelites again grew hungry and eventually died of old age, sickness, etc. If the manna is a foreshadowing of the Eucharist and is "bread from Heaven," that means the Eucharist must be something more than bread sent from Heaven for the nourishment of the body. If one takes the Protestant view that the Eucharist is merely a symbol, that it is man-made bread symbolizing faith in Jesus, then it is less than the manna, which came directly from Heaven. However, if one accepts that the Eucharist is truly the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ in the form of man-made bread, then the manna signifies something much greater - actually God HIMSELF coming down to nourish our souls.

If you are interested in learning more about the Eucharist - the Body and Blood of our Savior, see your local Catholic Church and ask to talk to the priest.

Answer 2

The Eucharist is one of the Sacraments of Initiation along with Baptism and Confirmation. It is also sacramentally the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and becomes so when the Priest speaks the words of Consecration during Mass: "This is My Body" This is My Blood".

Answer 3

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Catholic AnswerThe classic definition of a sacrament is "a sensible sign, instituted by Jesus Christ, by which invisible grace and inward sanctification are communicated to the soul." Our Blessed Lord instituted all seven sacraments while He was on earth, and the Eucharist fulfills all of these conditions. However, the Eucharist is one or all three aspects of one mystery: namely the Real Presence (of Our Blessed Lord, Jesus Christ, under the sacramental signs of Bread and Wine), the Sacrifice (the Eucharist is the unbloody re-presentation of Our Blessed Lord's bloody sacrifice of Himself upon the Cross), and Holy Communion. It is in the this last aspect that we see clearly how the Eucharist is a Sacrament as in worthily receiving the Most Holy Eucharist (in other words, you are baptized, have made your first Holy Communion, and are in a state of grace - have been to confession recently) you receive invisible grace and inward sanctification in actually receiving the Body and Blood of Our Blessed Lord, worthily. I emphasis the worthily because, as St. Paul says, receiving the Most Holy Eucharist unworthily is extremely dangerous, and instead of nourishing the soul for eternal life results in its death.

Answer 4

Christan Initiation.