Lesson 22
ON THE HOLY EUCHARIST

238 Q. What is the Holy Eucharist?
A. The Holy Eucharist is the Sacrament which contains the body and
blood, soul and divinity of Our Lord Jesus Christ under the appearances
of bread and wine.

When we say "contains," we mean the Sacrament which is the body and
blood, etc. The Holy Eucharist is the same living body of Our Lord which
He had upon earth; but it is in a new form, under the appearances of
bread and wine. Therefore Our Lord in the tabernacle can see and hear
us.

*239 Q. When did Christ institute the Holy Eucharist?
A. Christ instituted the Holy Eucharist at the Last Supper, the night
before He died.

"Last Supper," on Holy Thursday night. (See Explanation of the Passion,
Lesson 8, Question 78.)

*240 Q. Who were present when Our Lord instituted the Holy Eucharist?
A. When Our Lord instituted the Holy Eucharist the twelve Apostles were
present.

*241 Q. How did Our Lord institute the Holy Eucharist?
A. Our Lord instituted the Holy Eucharist by taking bread, blessing,
breaking, and giving to His Apostles, saying: "Take ye and eat. This is
My body"; and then by taking the cup of wine, blessing and giving it,
saying to them: "Drink ye all of this. This is My blood which shall be
shed for the remission of sins. Do this for a commemoration of Me."

"Eucharist" means thanks. Hence this Sacrament is called Eucharist,
because Our Lord gave thanks before changing the bread and wine into His
body and blood, and because the offering of it to God is the most solemn
act of thanksgiving. "Do this"--that is, the same thing I am doing,
namely, changing bread and wine into My body and blood.
"Commemoration"--that is, to remind you of Me, that you may continue to
do the same till the end of time.

*242 Q. What happened when Our Lord said, "This is My body, this is My
blood"?
A. When Our Lord said, "This is My body," the substance of the bread was
changed into the substance of His body. When He said, "This is My
blood," the substance of the wine was changed into the substance of His
blood.

"Substance" literally means that which stands underneath. Underneath
what? Underneath the outward appearances or qualities--such as color,
taste, figure, smell, etc.--that are perceptible to our senses.
Therefore we never see the substance of anything. Of this seat, for
instance, I see the color, size, and shape; I feel the hardness, etc.;
but I do not see the substance, namely, the wood of which it is made.
When the substance of anything is changed, the outward appearances
change with it. But not so in the Holy Eucharist; for by a miracle the
appearances of bread and wine remain the same after the substance has
been changed as they were before. As the substance alone is changed in
the Holy Eucharist, and as I cannot see the substance, I cannot see the
change. I am absolutely certain, however, that the change takes place,
because Our Lord said so; and I believe Him, because He could not
deceive me. He is God, and God could not tell a lie, because He is
infinite truth. This change is a great miracle, and that is the reason
we cannot understand it, though we believe it. Once at a marriage in
Cana of Galilee (John 2) Our Lord changed water into wine. The people
were poor, and Our Lord, His Blessed Mother, and the Apostles were
present at the wedding when the wine ran short; and our Blessed Lady,
always so kind to everyone, wishing to spare these poor people from
being shamed before their friends, asked Our Lord to perform the
miracle, and at her request He did so, and changed many vessels of water
into the best of wine. In that miracle Our Lord changed the substance of
the water into the substance of the wine. Why, then, could He not change
in the same way and by the same power the substance of bread and wine
into the substance of His own body and blood? When He changed the water
into wine, besides changing the substance, He changed everything else
about it; so that it had no longer the appearance of water, but everyone
could see that it was wine. But in changing the bread and wine into His
body and blood He changes only the substance, and leaves everything else
unchanged so that it still looks and tastes like bread and wine; even
after the change has taken place and you could not tell by looking at it
that it was changed. You know it only from your faith in the words of
our divine Lord, when He tells you it is changed.

Again, it is much easier to change one thing into another than to make
it entirely out of nothing. Anyone who can create out of nothing can
surely change one thing into another. Now Our Lord, being God, created
the world out of nothing; and He could therefore easily change the
substance of bread into the substance of flesh. I have said Our Lord's
body in the Holy Eucharist is a living body, and every living body
contains blood; and that is why we receive both the body and the blood
of Our Lord under the appearance of the bread alone. The priest receives
the body and blood of Our Lord under the appearance of both bread and
wine, while the people receive it only under the appearance of bread.
The early Christians used to receive it as the priest does--under the
appearance of bread and under the appearance of wine; but the Church had
to make a change on account of circumstances. First, all the people had
to drink from the same chalice or cup, and some would not like that, and
show disrespect for the Blessed Sacrament by refusing it. Then there was
great danger of spilling the precious blood, passing it from one to
another; and finally, some said that Christ's blood was not in His body
under the appearance of bread. This was false; and to show that it was
false, and for the other reasons, the Church after that gave Holy
Communion to the people under the appearance of bread alone. The Church
always believes and teaches the same truths. It always believed that the
Holy Eucharist under the appearance of bread contained also Our Lord's
blood; but it taught it more clearly when it was denied.

*243 Q. Is Jesus Christ whole and entire both under the form of bread
and under the form of wine?
A. Jesus Christ is whole and entire both under the form of bread and
under the form of wine.

*244 Q. Did anything remain of the bread and wine after their substance
had been changed into the substance of the body and blood of Our Lord?
A. After the substance of the bread and wine had been changed into the
substance of the body and blood of Our Lord there remained only the
appearances of bread and wine.

245 Q. What do you mean by the appearances of bread and wine?
A. By the appearances of bread and wine I mean the figure, the color,
the taste, and whatever appears to the senses.

"Senses"--that is, eyes, ears, etc. Thus we have the sense of seeing,
the sense of hearing, the sense of tasting, the sense of smelling, the
sense of feeling.

The Holy Eucharist is the body of Our Lord just as long as the
appearances of bread and wine remain, and when they go away Our Lord's
body goes also. For example, if a church, tabernacle and all, was buried
by a great earthquake, and after many years the people succeeded in
getting at the tabernacle and opening it, and then found in the
ciborium--that is, the vessel in which the Blessed Sacrament is kept in
the tabernacle--only black dust, Our Lord would not be there, although
He was there when the church was buried. He would not be there, because
there was no longer the appearance of bread there: it had all been
changed into ashes by time, and Our Lord left it when the change took
place. But if the appearance of bread had remained unchanged, He would
be there even after so many years.

When we receive Holy Communion, the appearance of bread remains for
about fifteen or twenty minutes after we receive, and then it changes or
disappears. Therefore during these fifteen or twenty minutes that the
appearance remains Our Lord Himself is really with us; and for that
reason we should remain about twenty minutes after Mass on the day we
receive, making a thanksgiving, speaking to Our Lord, and listening to
Him speaking to our conscience. What disrespect some people show Our
Lord by rushing out of the church immediately after Mass and Holy
Communion, sometimes beginning to talk or look around before making any
thanksgiving! When you receive Holy Communion, after returning to your
seat you need not immediately begin to read your prayerbook, but may bow
your head and speak to Our Lord while He is present with you. After the
appearances of bread vanish, Our Lord's bodily presence goes also, but
He remains with us by His grace as long as we do not fall into mortal
sin.

*246 Q. What is this change of the bread and wine into the body and
blood of Our Lord called?
A. This change of the bread and wine into the body and blood of Our Lord
is called Transubstantiation.

"Transubstantiation"--that is, the changing of one substance into
another substance; for example, the changing of the wood in a seat into
stone.

*247 Q. How was the substance of the bread and wine changed into the
substance of the body and blood of Christ?
A. The substance of the bread and wine was changed into the substance of
the body and blood of Christ by His almighty power.

*248 Q. Does this change of bread and wine into the body and blood of
Christ continue to be made in the Church?
A. This change of bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ
continues to be made in the Church by Jesus Christ through the ministry
of His priests.

249 Q. When did Christ give His priests the power to change bread and
wine into His body and blood?
A. Christ gave His priests the power to change bread and wine into His
body and blood when He said to His Apostles, "Do this in commemoration
of Me."

250 Q. How do the priests exercise this power of changing bread and wine
into the body and blood of Christ?
A. The priests exercise this power of changing bread and wine into the
body and blood of Christ through the words of consecration in the Mass,
which are the words of Christ: "This is My body; this is My blood."

"Consecration." At what part of the Mass are the words of consecration
pronounced? Just before the Elevation; that is, just before the priest
holds up the Host and the chalice, while the altar boy rings the bell.

When the priest is going to say Mass he prepares everything necessary in
the sacristy--the place or room near the altar where the sacred vessels
and vestments are kept, and where the priest vests. He takes the
chalice--that is, the long silver or gold goblet--out of its case; then
he covers it with a long, narrow, white linen cloth called a
purificator. Over this he places a small silver or gold plate called the
paten, on which he places a host--that is, a thin piece of white bread
prepared for Mass, perfectly round, and about the size of the bottom of
a small drinking glass. He then covers this host with a white card,
called a pall, after which he covers the chalice and all with a square
cloth or veil that matches the vestments. Then he puts on his own
vestments as follows: Over his shoulders the amice, a square, white
cloth. Next the alb, a long white garment reaching down to his feet. He
draws it about his waist with the cincture, or white cord. He places on
his left arm the maniple, a short, narrow vestment. Around his neck he
places the stole, a long, narrow vestment with a cross on each end. Over
all he places the chasuble, or large vestment with the cross on the
back. Lastly, he puts on his cap or biretta. Before going further I must
say something about the color and signification of the vestments. There
are five colors used, namely, white, red, green, violet, and black.
White signifies innocence, and is used on the feasts of Our Lord, of the
Blessed Virgin, and of some saints. Red signifies love, and is used on
the feasts of the Holy Ghost and of the martyrs. Green signifies hope,
and is used on Sundays from the Epiphany to Pentecost, unless some feast
requiring another color falls on Sunday. Violet signifies penance, and
is used in Advent and Lent. Black signifies sorrow, and is used on Good
Friday and in Masses for the dead. As regards the vestments themselves:
the amice signifies preparation to resist the attacks of the devil; the
alb is the symbol of innocence; the cincture of charity; the maniple of
penance; the stole of immortality; and the chasuble of love, by which we
are enabled to bear the light burden Our Lord is pleased to lay upon us.

Vested as described, when the candles have been lighted on the altar,
the priest takes the covered chalice in his hand and goes to the altar,
where, after arranging everything, he begins Mass. After saying many
prayers, he uncovers the chalice, and the acolyte or altar boy brings up
wine and water, and the priest puts some into the chalice. Then he says
a prayer, and offers to God the bread and wine to be consecrated. This
is called the offertory of the Mass, and takes place after the boy
presents the wine and water. Immediately after the Sanctus the priest
begins what is called the Canon of the Mass, and soon after comes to the
time of consecration, and has before him on the paten the white bread,
or host, and in the chalice wine. Remember, it is only bread and wine as
yet. After saying some prayers the priest bends down over the altar and
pronounces the words of consecration, namely, "This is My body," over
the bread; and "This is My blood," over the wine. Then there is no
longer the bread the priest brought out and the wine the boy gave, upon
the altar, but instead of both the body and blood of Our Lord. After the
words of consecration, the priest genuflects or kneels before the altar
to adore Our Lord, who just came there at the words of consecration; he
next holds up the body of Our Lord--the Host--for the people also to see
and adore it; he then replaces it on the altar and again genuflects. He
does just the same with the chalice. This is called the Elevation. The
altar boy then rings the bell to call the people's attention to it, for
it is the most solemn part of the Mass. After more prayers the priest
takes and consumes, that is, swallows, the sacred Host and drinks the
precious blood from the chalice. Then the people come up to the altar to
receive Holy Communion. But where does the priest get Holy Communion for
them if he himself took all he consecrated? He opens the tabernacle, and
there, in a large, beautiful vessel he has small Hosts. He consecrates a
large number of these small hosts sometimes while he is consecrating the
larger one for himself. When they are consecrated, he places them in the
tabernacle, where they are kept with the sanctuary lamp burning before
them, till at the different Masses they have all been given out to the
people. Then he consecrates others at the next Mass, and does as before.
The size of the Host does not make the slightest difference, as Our Lord
is present whole and entire in the smallest particle of the Host. A
little piece that you could scarcely see would be the body of Our Lord.
However, the particle that is given to the people is about the size of a
twenty-five-cent piece, so that they can swallow it before it melts. In
receiving Holy Communion you must never let it entirely dissolve in your
mouth, for if you do not swallow it you will not receive Holy Communion
at all.

Here I might tell you what Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament is. The
priest sometimes consecrates at the Mass two large hosts, one he
consumes himself, as I have told you, and the other he places in the
tabernacle in a little gold case. When it is time for Benediction, he
places this little case--made of glass and gold, about the size of a
watch--in the gold or silver monstrance which you see on the altar at
Benediction. It is made to represent rays of light coming from the
Blessed Sacrament. After the choir sings, the priest says the prayer and
goes up and blesses the people with the Blessed Sacrament; that is, when
he holds up the monstrance over the people Our Lord Himself blesses
them. Should we not be very anxious, therefore, to go to Benediction? If
the bishop came to the church, we would all be anxious to receive his
blessing; and if our Holy Father the Pope came, everybody would rush to
the church. But what are they compared to Our Lord Himself? And yet when
He comes to give His blessing, many seem to care little about it.
Because Our Lord in His goodness is pleased to give us His blessing
often, we are indifferent about it. The holy teachers and fathers of the
Church tell us that if we could see the sanctuary at Mass and
Benediction as it really is, we would see it filled with angels all
bowed down, adoring Our Lord. These good angels must be very much
displeased at those who are so indifferent at Mass or Benediction as not
to pay any attention; and above all, at those who stay away. The large
silk cloak the priest wears at Benediction is called the cope, and the
long scarf that is placed over his shoulders the humeral, or Benediction
veil. At the words of consecration, you must know, the priest does not
say "This is Christ's body," but "This is My body"; for at the altar the
priest is there in the place of Our Lord Himself. It is Our Lord who
offers up the sacrifice, and the priest is His instrument. That is why
the priest wears vestments while saying Mass or performing his sacred
duties, to remind him that he is, as it were, another person; that he is
not acting in his own name or right, but in the name and place of our
Blessed Lord.

I have given you in a general way a description of the Mass: let me now
mention its particular parts by their proper names, and tell you what
they are. At the foot of the altar the priest says the Confiteor, a
psalm, and other prayers as a preparation. Then he ascends the altar
steps--praying as he goes--and says the Introit, which is some portion
of the Holy Scripture suitable to the feast of the day. He next says the
Kyrie Eleison, which means: Lord, have mercy on us. He then says the
Gloria, or hymn of praise, though not in all Masses. After the Gloria he
says the Collect, which is a collection of prayers in which the priest
prays for the needs of the Church and of its children. This is followed
by the Epistle, which is a part of the Holy Scripture. Then the
Mass-book is removed to the other side of the altar, and the priest
reads the Gospel--that is, some portion of the Gospel written by the
evangelists. After the Gospel the priest, except in some Masses, says
the Creed, which is a profession of his faith in the mysteries of our
religion. After this the priest uncovers the chalice, and offers up the
bread and wine which is to be consecrated. This is called the Offertory
of the Mass. The offertory is followed by the Lavabo, or washing of the
priest's hands: first, that the priest's hands may be purified to touch
the Sacred Host; and, second, to signify the purity of soul he must have
to offer the Holy Sacrifice. After saying some prayers in secret he says
the Preface, which is a solemn hymn of praise and thanksgiving. The
Preface ends with the Sanctus. The Sanctus is followed by the Canon of
the Mass. Canon means a rule; so this part of the Mass is called the
Canon, because it never changes. The Epistle, Gospel, prayers, etc., are
different on the different feasts, but the Canon of the Mass is always
the same. The Canon is the part of the Mass from the Sanctus down to the
time the priest again covers the chalice. After the Canon the priest
says the Post-Communion, or prayer after Communion; then he gives the
blessing and goes to the other side of the altar, and ends Mass by
saying the last Gospel.

During the Mass the priest frequently makes the Sign of the Cross,
genuflects or bends the knee before the altar, strikes his breast, etc.
What do all these ceremonies mean? By the cross the priest is reminded
of the death of Our Lord; he genuflects as an act of humility, and he
strikes his breast to show his own unworthiness. You will understand all
the ceremonies of the altar if you remember that Our Lord--the King of
kings--is present on it, and the priest acts in His presence as the
servants in a king's palace would act when approaching their king or in
his presence, showing their respect by bowing, kneeling, etc. You will
see this more clearly if you watch the movements of the priest at the
altar while the Blessed Sacrament is exposed.