The Eucharist

"At the Last Supper, on the night he was betrayed, our Savior instituted the Eucharistic sacrifice of his Body and Blood. This he did in order to perpetuate the sacrifice of the cross throughout the ages until he should come again, and so to entrust to his beloved Spouse, the Church, a memorial of his death and resurrection: a sacrament of love, a sign of unity, a bond of charity, a Paschal banquet 'in which Christ is consumed, the mind is filled with grace, and a pledge of future glory is given to us.'"
Catechism of the Catholic Church, para. 1323

The Eucharist is the source and summit of the Chirstian life. The term "Eucharist" orginates from the Greek word eucharistia, meaning "thanksgiving." In the celebration of the Eucharist, bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit and the instrumentality of the priest. This is not symbolic; The whole Christ is truly present - body, blood, soul, and divinity - under the appearances of bread and wine, the glorified Christ who rose from the dead. This is what the Church means when she speaks of the "Real Presence" of Christ in the Eucharist.

Because the Eucharist is the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus Christ, we must be properly prepared to receive it (1 Cor. 11:26-29). A non-Catholic who does not believe in the Real Presence would not be properly prepared to receive the Eucharist, also known as Holy Communion. Additionally, the word "communion" implies a unity and a oneness. Because Catholics believe that the celebration of the Eucharist is a sign of the reality of the oneness of faith, life, and worship, members of faith communities with whom we are not yet fully united are not admitted to Holy Communion within the Catholic Church. 

Is your child ready to make their first Holy Communion? The policy of The Diocese of St. Petersburg is that children have at least two years of Faith Formation before they receive a sacrament, in order to properly prepare them to recieve that sacrament. At St. Catherine of Siena, students typically make First Communion in the 2nd grade. For more information on how to begin this process, please visit our Sacramental Preparation by clicking the link below!

Sacramental Preparation