REV. JOSÉ MARIO O. MANDÍA
The Holy Eucharist is not only a sacrifice. It is also a banquet – “the paschal banquet in as much as Christ sacramentally makes present his Passover and gives us his Body and Blood, offered as food and drink, uniting us to himself and to one another in his sacrifice” (CCCC 287).
The altar represents Christ, who plays two other roles (aside from being the Offerer or Priest): He is both (1) sacrificial victim offered to God on behalf of man; and (2) food given to men on behalf of God.
The altar has a dual purpose. It is both (1) the altar of sacrifice; and (2) the table for the banquet (cf CCCC 288).
This banquet is quite different from our earthly meals. When we eat, we ingest and assimilate and transform the food: the food becomes part of us. But in the Eucharist, it is Christ who assimilates us. He transforms us into Himself. He unites us to Himself and thus unites us to one another (cf CCCC 287).
Because the Eucharist transforms us, we are obliged to receive it at least once a year during the Easter Season (cf CCCC 290).
What benefits do we get from receiving Jesus Christ? When we receive Christ worthily (cf BST 131), the Holy Eucharist “[1] increases our union with Christ and with his Church. It [2] preserves and renews the life of grace received at Baptism and Confirmation and makes us grow in love for our neighbour. It [3] strengthens us in charity, [4] wipes away venial sins and [5] preserves us from mortal sin in the future” CCCC (292).
Venial sin is a cooling down of charity. When Jesus Christ comes to our soul, He brings love. Thus, the fire of charity grows and venial sin is wiped away. Growth in charity – love of God and love of neighbour – helps us avoid the occasions of sin, including grave or mortal sin.
In Holy Communion, Jesus Christ fulfills what he promised through the prophet Ezekiel (36:25-28): “I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will take out of your flesh the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to observe my ordinances. You shall dwell in the land which I gave to your fathers; and you shall be my people, and I will be your God.”
We have also seen in BST 131 that one must be a baptized Catholic and be in full communion with the Church in order to receive Communion. But can non-Catholic Christians receive Communion?
The CCCC (293) gives two cases in which this is possible: “[1] Catholic ministers may give Holy Communion licitly to members of the Oriental Churches which are not in full communion with the Catholic Church whenever they ask for it of their own will and possess the required dispositions. [2] Catholic ministers may licitly give Holy Communion to members of other ecclesial communities only if, in grave necessity, they ask for it of their own will, possess the required dispositions, and give evidence of holding the Catholic faith regarding the sacrament.”
And why do we say that the Eucharist is a “pledge of future glory”? “The Eucharist is a pledge of future glory because it fills us with every grace and heavenly blessing. It fortifies us for our pilgrimage in this life and makes us long for eternal life. It unites us already to Christ seated at the right hand of the Father, to the Church in heaven and to the Blessed Virgin and all the saints” (CCCC 294).
This pledge was made by Jesus Christ Himself. “He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.… He who eats this bread will live for ever” (John 6:54, 58).
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