All sacraments are visible signs instituted by Christ to give us grace. Each sacraments grace is specific to the sacrament. The outward sign of Holy Communion is the appearance of bread and wine which helps us to “see” that the grace we receive is nourishment—spiritual food. When we consume physical food, it becomes a part of us. In Holy Communion, we are united with the food. We become one with Christ in a mystical and spiritual union.
The Archdiocese of Baltimore requires that a student be in a Catholic Religious Education program or Catholic school for one year before beginning Sacrament preparation. For more information on having your child receive their First Eucharist at St. Jane’s, please see our Sacrament Prep page.
Adults who want to prepare to receive the Eucharist should call the office for information. 410-255-4646
Jn 6:51-58
“I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh.” The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you; he who eats (phago) my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He who eats (trogos) my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats (trogos) me will live because of me. This is the bread which came down from heaven, not such as the fathers ate (phago) and died; he who eats (phago) this bread will live for ever.”
Mt 26:26-30
Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you I shall not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”
1 Corinthians 11:27-29
St. Paul said, “…whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily sins against the body and blood of the Lord… He who eats and drinks without recognizing the body eats and drinks a judgement on himself.”
Malachi 1:11
“From the rising of the sun to its setting, my name is great among the nations; Incense offerings are made to my name everywhere, and a pure offering; For my name is great among the nations, says the LORD of hosts.”
Mk 14:22-24
While they were eating, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, and said, “Take it; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, and they all drank from it. He said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed for many.
Lk 22:19-20
Then he took the bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which will be given for you; do this in memory of me.” And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which will be shed for you.”
1 Cor 10:16
The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?
1 Cor 11:23-29
For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over, took bread, and, after he had given thanks, broke it and said, “This is my body that 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.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes. Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will have to answer for the body and blood of the Lord. A person should examine himself, and so eat the bread and drink the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body, eats and drinks judgment on himself.
Writings of the Church Fathers (those taught directly by Christ or the Apostles)
St. Ignatius of Antioch, 80-110 A.D.
Consider how contrary to the mind of God are the heterodox in regard to the grace of God which has come to us… They abstain from the Eucharist and from prayer, because they do not admit that the Eucharist is the flesh of our Savior Jesus Christ, the flesh which suffered for our sins and which the Father, in His graciousness, raised from the dead.” (Letter to the Smyrnaeans, paragraph 6)
St. Justin Martyr, 155 A.D.
This food we call the Eucharist, of which no one is allowed to partake except one who believes that the things we teach are true, and has received the washing for forgiveness of sins and for rebirth, and who lives as Christ handed down to us. For we do not receive these things as common bread or common drink; but as Jesus Christ our Savior being incarnate by God’s Word took flesh and blood for our salvation, so also we have been taught that the food consecrated by the Word of prayer which comes from him, from which our flesh and blood are nourished by transformation, is the flesh and blood of that incarnate Jesus.” – (First Apology, chapter 66)
