Mass is the sacrifice of sacrifices because it is the sacrifice of God for us. There is NO better activity that anyone in the entire world can do than to attend a Mass in the state of grace, and receive Jesus in the Eucharist. Like the Blessed Virgin Mary, we become living tabernacles of God after Communion. Through time and space, we connect with the original Last Supper (the Church does not re-sacrifice Jesus at each Mass; rather, each Mass is a re-creation of the original Mass.)

The third of the three Sacraments of initiation, the Sacrament of Holy Communion is the reception of Christ's Body and Blood. That true bread from heaven which nourishes and sustains our souls to eternal life, according to these words of the Saviour: My flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.

This Sacrament is the source of great graces that sanctify us and help us grow in the likeness of Jesus Christ. Catholics believe the Eucharist, or Holy Communion, is both a Sacrifice and a meal. We believe in the real presence of Jesus, who died for our sins. As we receive Christ's Body and Blood, we also are nourished spiritually and brought closer to God.

The doctrine of the Holy Eucharist consist of that of the Eucharist sacrifice, the sacrificial meal, and the sacrificial food, or to express it otherwise, it consists of the doctrine of the Mass, of Communion, and of the Real Presence. There is no presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament that is not meant first and foremost as food for the faithful people, and there is no Sacramental union with Christ in Holy Communion that is not to be thought of as a sacrificial meal: 'For as often as you shall eat this bread, and drink the chalice, you shall show the death of the Lord, until he comes' (1 Cor. 11:26). The Eucharistic meal can only be prepared in the sacrifice of the Mass.

First Holy Communion

The Sacrament of Eucharist brings to completion the Christian process of initiation. In this Sacrament we remember what Jesus did for us in his life, Death and Resurrection. We remember particularly the Last Supper, that final meal Jesus shared with his disciples. At that meal Jesus gave us the Eucharist so that we could remember him in a special way. When we receive Holy Communion, we believe that we receive the person of Jesus into our very beings. We become one with him, and we become one with each other. As a community we become 'the body of Christ'.

The Sunday Eucharist (Sunday Mass) is the highpoint of our worship as a parish. Holy Communion is taken to the sick and housebound after each Sunday Mass by Ministers of Communion.

Because the Eucharist is our great sign of unity as a community, one must be a Catholic to receive the Eucharist.

Catholic children usually make their first Eucharist (First Communion) at age 8.

If you want to know and understand further about the Roman Catholic faith, please feel free to contact your local parish for more details. 

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