Read the Catechism in a Year
Catechism in a Year: Day 187
Part Two: How We Celebrate the Christian Mysteries
- Section Two: The Seven Sacraments of the Church
-- Chapter One: The Sacraments of Initiation -- THE EUCHARIST
Question 221: How does Holy Communion change me?- Section Two: The Seven Sacraments of the Church
-- Chapter One: The Sacraments of Initiation -- THE EUCHARIST
Every Holy Communion unites me more deeply with Christ, makes me a living member of the Body of Christ, renews the graces that I received in Baptism and Confirmation, and fortifies me for the battle against sin.
Question 222: May the Eucharist be administered to non-Catholic Christians also?
Holy Communion is the expression of the unity of the Body of Christ. To belong to the Catholic Church, one must be baptized in her, share her faith, and live in union with her. It would be a contradiction if the Church were to invite to Communion people who do not (yet) share the faith and life of the Church. It would damage the credibility of the sign of the Eucharist.
Individual Orthodox Christians may ask to receive Holy Communion at a Catholic liturgy, because they share the Eucharistic faith of the Catholic Church, although their Church is not yet in full communion with the Catholic Church. In the case of members of other Christian “ecclesial communities” or denominations, Holy Communion may be administered to an individual if there is a grave necessity and evidence of faith in the Real Presence in the Eucharist. Joint celebrations of the Eucharist / Lord’s Supper by Catholics and Protestants are the goal and the wish of all ecumenical efforts; to anticipate them, however, without having established the reality of the Body of Christ in one faith and in the one Church is dishonest and therefore not allowed. Other ecumenical liturgies, in which Christians of various denominations pray together, are good and are also desired by the Catholic Church.
Question 223: In what way is the Holy Eucharist an anticipation of eternal life?
Jesus promised his disciples, and us with them, that we will one day sit at table with him. Therefore every Holy Mass is a “memorial of the blessed Passion” (Eucharistic Prayer I, called the Roman Canon), the fullness of grace, and a pledge of future glory. [1402–1405]
Jesus promised his disciples, and us with them, that we will one day sit at table with him. Therefore every Holy Mass is a “memorial of the blessed Passion” (Eucharistic Prayer I, called the Roman Canon), the fullness of grace, and a pledge of future glory. [1402–1405]
Dig Deeper: Corresponding CCC section (1390-1419) and other references here.
Recommended Reading: Because God is Real by Dr. Peter Kreeft
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