Sacrament of Eucharist (Holy Communion)

O Sacrament most holy,
O Sacrament divine,
All praise and all thanksgiving
Be every moment thine.

When the bread and wine are consecrated, Jesus becomes really and truly present and they're 
....no longer bread and wine, but really the Body and Blood of Jesus Himself.

eu·cha·rist/ˈyo͞okərist/

Noun:

1.The Christian ceremony commemorating the Last Supper, in which bread and wine are consecrated and consumed.






2.The consecrated elements, esp. the bread.

1 Corinthians 11:23-25

For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body which 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”

John 6:54-57
Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me.

Matthew 8:8
Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 

A priest and a bank teller

As the bank teller is responsible for every dollar going out from the bank’s safe, and must be accountable for every document by which he withdraws any amount from the safe, so too is the priest, Christ’s minister, who is responsible before God to ensure that every one who approaches the Holy Communion is worthy and ready, otherwise he will be condemned by God for his negligence in giving Communion to those who are unworthy : “He who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks Judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s Body” (1 Corinthians 11:29).

What is the meaning of worthiness of Communion from the Holy Body and Blood of the Lord, and when is a person worthy of this great grace and receive it without falling into condemnation?

1. True Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ

Person who approaches the Holy Communion must be a Christian, believer, baptized and strongly believes in the transubstantiation of the Bread to the Body of Christ, and the wine into the Precious Blood of Christ, and that the Communion is the actual Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus. 

2. Repentance

Person coming to Communion must practice repentance and confession regularly with their confession. as St. Paul says: “Let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that Bread and drink of that Cup” (1 Corinthians 11:24). Self-examination is all about being aware of ones sins and mistakes, and confessing them honestly.

True faith and pure repentance are the beginnings of life with Christ, as St. Paul says: “The elementary principles of Christ, the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith towards God” (Hebrews 6:1).

3. Reconciliation with others
Person who approaches the Communion must be first reconciled with others, for the Lord’s advice is clear: “Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift” (Matthew 5:23,24).

He must not deal with Communion as if ordinary food, or partake of it for blessing only, but he must know the greatness of the Holy Body and Blood of the Lord, for Communion is like a live coal which the Seraphim presented to Isaiah the prophet after he confessed his sins: “Then I said, ‘Woe to me, for I am undone, because I am a man of unclean lips’ ... then one of the Seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth with it and said, ‘Behold this has touched your lips, your iniquity is taken away and your sin is purged’” (Isaiah 6:5-7).

The Seraphim denotes the priest who is the Minister of the Sacrifice, and the tongs denotes the fingers of the priest by which he takes the jewel, which is the Holy Body (represented by the live coal) from the paten on the altar and places it into the mouth of those receiving Communion.

Worthiness is feeling unworthy and sinful, and knowing that the holies are for the holy person, and that no person has reached this holiness but struggles to attain it. Even if the person is contrite, repentant and confesses, they must believe in what our teacher St. Paul said: “For I know nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this” (1 Corinthians 4:4).