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Catholics believe the Eucharist, or Communion, is both a sacrifice and a meal. We believe in the real presence of Jesus, who died for our sins. As we receive Christ's Body and Blood, we also are nourished spiritually and brought closer to God.

Special Features
The Sacraments: Eucharist

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What does the Eucharist mean to you?
We'll post selected responses in this feature.

What the Eucharist Means to Me: Our Readers Respond
As the Year of the Eucharist came to an end, 10 of our readers revealed how their lives were changed by the Body of Christ.

"Eucharist: Food for Mission"
Pope John Paul II's 2004 Message Eucharist and Mission

201 Inspirational Stories of the Eucharist
by Sister Patricia Proctor, O.S.C.

Newsletter Articles:
 
Catholic Update
"Eucharist: Heart of the Church"
John Paul II's encyclical Ecclesia de Eucharistia in condensed form

"The Liturgy of the Eucharist"
By William H. Shannon

"The Real Presence: Jesus' Gift to the Church"
by John Bookser Feister

"Eucharist: Sign and Source of Christian Unity"
by Thomas Richstatter, O.F.M.

"Mass and Communion Service: What's the Difference?"
by Thomas Richstatter, O.F.M.

"Eucharist: Understanding Christ's Body"
by William H. Shannon

"Participating Fully at Sunday Mass: An Adaptation of Gather Faithfully Together: A Guide for Sunday Mass"
by Cardinal Roger Mahony

"Real Presence in the Eucharist"
by Jeffrey D. VonLehmen

"First Communion: Joining the Family Table"
by Carol Luebering

"The Sacrament of the Eucharist: What Has Happened to My Devotion?"
by Thomas Richstatter, O.F.M.

"A Walk Through the Mass: A Step-By-Step Explanation"
by Thomas Richstatter, O.F.M

"Is the Mass a Meal?"
by Charles Gusmer

Scripture From Scratch
"Jesus, Bread of Life"
by Virginia Smith

"The Eucharist"
by Thomas Bokenkotter

Youth Update

"Making Mass a Real Celebration: Tips on Planning"
by Thomas Richstatter, O.F.M.

"Eucharist: Say Yes!"
by Mary Cummins Wlodarski

Millennium Monthly
"The Eucharist: A Foretaste of Heaven"
by Archbishop Daniel E. Pilarczyk

"Eucharist: The Mystical Body"
by John Gallen, S.J.

"Eucharist: The Real Presence"
by John Gallen, S.J.

Update Your Faith:

Is Jesus really present in the Eucharist?

May I receive Communion during a service in a non-Catholic church?

May Catholics give holy Communion to non-Catholics?

May I take the host to the cup and dip?

How many times may I receive holy Communion in one day?

How should we prepare for Communion in the home?

FAQs on other Sacraments



Click here to return to the main Sacraments page.




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Margaret of Cortona: Margaret was born of farming parents in Laviano, Tuscany. Her mother died when Margaret was seven; life with her stepmother was so difficult that Margaret moved out. For nine years she lived with Arsenio, though they were not married, and she bore him a son. In those years, she had doubts about her situation. Somewhat like St. Augustine she prayed for purity—but not just yet.
<p>One day she was waiting for Arsenio and was instead met by his dog. The animal led Margaret into the forest where she found Arsenio murdered. This crime shocked Margaret into a life of penance. She and her son returned to Laviano, where she was not well received by her stepmother. They then went to Cortona, where her son eventually became a friar.
</p><p>In 1277, three years after her conversion, Margaret became a Franciscan tertiary. Under the direction of her confessor, who sometimes had to order her to moderate her self-denial, she pursued a life of prayer and penance at Cortona. There she established a hospital and founded a congregation of tertiary sisters. The poor and humble Margaret was, like Francis, devoted to the Eucharist and to the passion of Jesus. These devotions fueled her great charity and drew sinners to her for advice and inspiration. She was canonized in 1728.</p> American Catholic Blog All He wants you to do is be kind to one another in every circumstance in life; whether it be in death, feeding the hungry, visiting those in prisons, or whatever. Death is not the end, it’s just the beginning.

 
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CATHOLIC GREETINGS
Graduation
Let a special graduate know how proud you are of their accomplishment.
St. Isidore the Farmer
This deeply religious 12th-century husband and father was known for his love of the poor.
Happy Birthday
Make the most of God’s graces and blessings throughout the coming year.
Mother's Day
Happy Mother's Day from Catholic Greetings and AmericanCatholic.org!
Mother's Day

Happy Mother’s Day from Catholic Greetings and AmericanCatholic.org!




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