Eucharist/Holy Mass
WHAT IS THE HOLY MASS?
The Eucharist and the Holy Mass are the source and summit of life in the Church, for in it, Christ unites his Church and all her members in and through his sacrifice on the cross to the heavenly Father; through this sacrifice, he abundantly pours out the graces of salvation to the world. In the Holy Mass, the bread and wine becomes the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus in the Eucharist. In the Eucharistic celebration of the Holy Mass here on Earth, we unite ourselves with the heavenly liturgy of the angels and of the saints to eternal life.
Why is it called the Mass?
The English word “Mass” comes from the Latin word missa, which means to be “sent.” This Latin word has been used since the 6th century to describe the celebration of the Eucharist. The word is used during the conclusion of the celebration, when the priest or deacon says in Latin, Ite, missa est.
In antiquity, missa simply meant "dismissal." In Christian usage, however, it took on a deeper meaning. The word "dismissal" has come to imply "mission." Instead of seeing the words as a conclusion to the celebration, it was seen as a beginning.
When viewed in this framework, the “Mass” is not just a single celebration on a Sunday or weekday or feast day, but a starting-point for a lifelong journey of Christian witness. The priest, in the place of Christ, sends forth his parishioners into the world so that they may be beacons of light, set on a hill for all to see.
WHAT IS THE EUCHARIST?
What does the Bible say?
John 6:53 - "Truly, Truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you."
1 Corinthians 11:24-26 - "After he had given thanks, he broke it and said, 'This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.' In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.' For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes."
The Eucharist is Jesus
The transformed bread and wine are truly the Body and Blood of Christ and are not symbols. When Christ said “This is my body” and “This is my blood,” the bread and wine are transubstantiated. Though the bread and wine appear the same to our human faculties, they are actually the real body and blood of Jesus.
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