Eucharist: the Sacrifice of the Mass

Fr Stephen McGuckin MC is a priest with the Missionaries of Charity Fathers, of the Congregation of Mother Teresa. Originally from Perth, now serving in Calcutta, India.

He came to Sydney for WYD08 to participate on behalf of the MC Fathers helping out at the Vocations Expo and with confessions at the Adoration Chapel of the MC Sisters at the Sydney Opera House.

Who's idea was the Eucharist, who intended it, when did it begin and why do we believe in it? The answer to these questions is very simple, and the answer to them all, in one Word, is ... Jesus.

The night before He died, (wanting to leave us the Gift of His own Presence), "Jesus took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and giving it to His disciples said, 'Take and eat, this is my Body'. Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them saying, 'Drink from this, all of you, for this is my Blood ... which will be poured out for many..." (Mt 26:26ff) "Do this in remembrance of Me... Do this as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me" (1 Cor 11:25).

Now Jesus is the Truth and the truth can not lie or deceive or cheat us. If He Himself says, "This is my body," then it must be His Body, and likewise His Blood. We believe in the Eucharist, the changing of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ, not beginning from any human reflection or meditation but simply because Jesus told us so, and the power of His Word makes what He says a reality. He Who said "'Let there by light', and there was light" (Gn 1:3), now says "This is my Body" and the bread becomes His Body.

For the Jews the memorial or remembrance mysteriously made past events present. Jesus speaks as a Jew and mysteriously and lovingly leaves us the Living Memorial of His death and Resurrection truly present in the Holy Eucharist today.

The first Christians heard and believed in this Sacrament right from the beginning since "they devoted themselves to the breaking of the bread [another name for Eucharist at that time] and to the prayers" (Acts 2:42). From that time Jesus' disciples have believed in and celebrated the Eucharist as we do today. 

This Sacrament of the tender Love of Jesus is His greatest gift to us and is the centre of our Catholic faith. This is our spiritual food, our Bread from Heaven, which feeds our souls and unites us with a most precious intimacy with Jesus Christ our Lord. 

It is our great joy to believe, to celebrate, and to receive our Jesus - Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity - in this most Holy Sacrament of Love. 

"Doubt no longer but believe!" "To whom else shall we go? You, O Lord, have the Words of Eternal Life!"

Image courtesy of Justin Lynch