EUCHARIST
“Very truly, I tell you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
— John 6:47-51
“At the Last Supper, on the night he was betrayed, our Savior instituted the Eucharistic sacrifice of his Body and Blood ... 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...”
— Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1322 & 1323
The Eucharist is the true Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. By the Eucharistic celebration, we unite ourselves with the heavenly liturgy and anticipate eternal life. The Eucharist is the heart and the summit of the Church's life, for in it, our Lord Jesus Christ associates His Church and all Her members with His sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. Receiving the Body and Blood of Christ increases our union with the Lord, forgives venial sins, and preserves us from grave sins. Since receiving this sacrament strengthens the bonds of charity between Christ and us it also reinforces the unity of the Church as the Mystical Body of Christ.
Because we see the Eucharist as the true body of Christ and not a symbol or metaphor, we know our Lord is truly present in this Sacrament, and in the tabernacle in our church. The Eucharist is to be honored and adored.
To receive the Eucharist, one must be in a state of Grace, or free of mortal sin. We are in a state of grace by going to confession. The Church asks the faithful to go to confession at least once a year, and receive the Eucharist at least once a year.
For school-age children, there are a few options. Please email Patty Rosno at prosno@stpeterfl.org for more info. OCIC (Rite of Christian Initiation for Children) information can be found here:
For adults seeking their First Communion, please email Fr. Gregory at gabbott@stpeterfl.org for more info. OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation for Adults) information can be found here: