Eucharist – celebrating together
Humans need to eat to live: eating and drinking are more than vital actions, they are sources of joy and cordiality. They create a community when shared.
Shortly before His death, Jesus celebrated what is called "The Last Supper", the last meal with His apostles. He gave them bread and wine as His body and blood. To those present, He gave the mission to perpetuate this gesture! "Do this in remembrance of me!"
To remember and honor this Last Supper and His death on the cross, the Church celebrates the Eucharist today. Our faith tells us that, under the species of bread and wine, Jesus is present in the assembled community. The Eucharist establishes the community between Christ and mankind. It is praise and thanksgiving for the gifts of God in our lives.
The Eucharist is, next to the baptism, the most important sacrament of the Church. This sacrament is celebrated in the Catholic Church during a Mass. The celebration at which a Christian receives the Eucharist for the first time is called First Communion.
