Eucharist (Holy Communion)
Eucharist is a word of Greek origin and means "joyful thanksgiving". That word contains the mass sacrifice and communion.
Through the miraculous multiplication of bread, his speech about the bread of life and the parable of the royal wedding dinner, Jesus announced that he would leave the feast to his Church as a new form of worshiping God and the fraternal gathering of believers. He did this at the Last Supper before his passion. He taught his disciples and encouraged them to persevere in unity and love, he prayed for them and for all people his high priest's prayer (John 17) and at the end he took the bread, praised God, broke the bread and gave it to the disciples saying:
"THIS IS MY BODY THAT IS GIVEN UP FOR YOU. DO THIS IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME."
Then he handed them a glass of wine, saying:
"THIS CUP IS THE NEW COVENANT IN MY BLOOD, WHICH IS SHED OUT FOR YOU."
Thus, in the signs of bread and wine, Jesus surrendered himself to the Father and to people. He instituted the Eucharist, the Lord's Supper or Mass as a "memorial act" of his complete surrender, his sacrifice. St. Paul interprets it with the words: " Truly, every time you eat this bread and drink this cup (chalice), you announce the Lord's death until he comes " (1 Cor 11:25).
The Mass is the sacrament of Jesus' sacrificial praise to God. It is significant. it "sacramentally" celebrates and renews Jesus' sacrifice for our salvation, his death and resurrection. Partaking of the consecrated bread and wine, we receive Jesus' body " which is given for us ", and his blood " which is shed for us ".
Eating Christ's body and blood, under the circumstances of consecrated bread and wine, is called communion. Every time we participate in the celebration of the Eucharistic sacrifice (Holy Mass), we are invited to approach the table of the Lord and receive communion. Imagine that you invite a man as guests, and he sits at the table and does not want to taste your dish. This is exactly what we do at mass without receiving communion. God has invited us to the feast and wants us to fully participate in it. We defend ourselves that we are not worthy. Surely, we are not worthy. God does not give himself to us because we are worthy of him, but out of his great love. And if we feel the burden of sin, there is a remedy for that - confession.
Consecrated bread is kept in churches and after mass, in a space called the sanctuary or tabernacle (in front of which the "eternal light" burns).
First Communion
First Communion is a Eucharistic feast of the parish community that is celebrated every year. Young people regularly prepare for their first encounter with Christ through religious education.
Euharistija
Euharistija je riječ grčkog porijekla a znači "radosno zahvaljivanje". Ta riječ u sebi sadrži misnu žrtvu i pričest.
Čudesnim umnažanjem kruha, svojim govorom o kruhu života te prispodobom o kraljevskoj svadbenoj večeri Isus je navijestio da će svojoj Crkvi ostaviti gozbu kao novi oblik štovanja Boga i bratskog okupljanja vjernika. To je učinio na Posljednjoj večeri prije svoje muke. Poučavao je svoje učenike i bodrio da ustraju u jedinstvu i ljubavi, molio je za njih i za sve ljude svoju velikosvećeničku molitvu (Iv 17) i na kraju je uzeo kruh, izrekao hvalu Bogu, razlomio kruh i dao ga učenicima govoreći:
"OVO JE MOJE TIJELO KOJE SE ZA VAS PREDAJE. OVO ČINITE MENI NA SPOMEN."
Zatim im je pružio čašu s vinom govoreći:
"OVA JE ČAŠA NOVI SAVEZ U MOJOJ KRVI, KOJA SE ZA VAS PROLIJEVA."
Tako se Isus u znakovima kruha i vina sav predao Ocu i ljudima. Ustanovio je Euharistiju, Gospodnju večeru ili misu kao "spomen-čin" svoga potpunog predanja, svog žrtvovanja. Sv. Pavao tumači to riječima: "Uistinu, svaki put kad jedete ovaj kruh i pijete ovu čašu (kalež), navješćujete smrt Gospodnju dok on ne dođe"(1 Kor 11:25).
Misa je sakramenat Isusove žrtvene hvale Bogu. U njoj se znakovito. "sakramentalno" slavi i obnavlja Isusova žrtva za naše spasenje, njegova smrt i uskrsnuće. Blagujući posvećeni kruh i vino, primamo Isusovo tijelo "koje se za nas daje", i njegovu krv "koja se za nas prolijeva".
Blagovanje Kristova tijela i krvi, pod prilikama posvećenog kruha i vina, zove se pričest. Svaki put kad sudjelujemo u slavlju euharistijske žrtve (sv. misa), pozvani smo pristupiti stolu Gospodnjem i pričestiti se. Zamislite da čovjeka pozovete u goste, a on sjede za stol i neće da okusi vaše jelo. Upravo to mi radimo na mise ne pričešćujući se. Bog nas je pozvao na gozbu i želi da u njoj u potpunosti sudjelujemo. Branimo se da nismo dostojni. Sigurno, nismo dostojni. Bog nam se ne daje zato što bismo ga bili dostojni, nego iz svoje velike ljubavi. A ako osjećamo teret grijeha, postoji lijek za to - ispovijed.
Posvećeni kruh čuva se u crkvama i poslije mise, u prostoru koji se zove svetohranište ili tabernakul (pred njim gori "vječno svjetlo").
Prva Pričest
Prva pričest je euharistijski blagdan župne zajednice koji se slavi svake godine. Mladi se redovito pripremaju vjeronaukom na svoj prvi susret s Kristom.
Common Questions – Eucharist
Receiving the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Christ under the appearance of bread and wine.
