SIGNIFICANCE
The Eucharist is widely known as the most significant sacrament within the Catholic Church and is undoubtedly the most renowned celebration in the Church's liturgical processions. It is the central source of life for all affiliated with Catholicism and provides the basic foundation for Catholics to develop their relationship with Christ. It is significant because it encompasses all the substantial events within Jesus' life (such as his life, death and resurrection) into one single celebration. Through the Eucharist, the entire congregations assembles to praise and give thanks to the Almighty Father for not only gifting us his human embodiment in Jesus whom began the development of the Catholic faith, but for also bestowing in us the power of the Holy Spirit, to help us spread the Good News of Christ to those whom we encounter in our lives.
The Eucharist is also incredibly significant as it represents not only a sacrifice from God which allows us to bear witness to the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, but also the sacrifice that Christ made for us when he offered his life to humanity in order to free us of sin. During the Eucharistic celebration, the bread and wine that is made available for the congregation to ingest becomes the metaphorical Body & Blood of Jesus Christ, and through consuming these offerings we not only reminisce the final meal that Jesus had partaken in with his disciples (the Last Supper) in which he proffered the same gifts, but we are also given the opportunity to recognize the spiritual presence of Christ's faith within us. In doing this, we develop the most intimate bond with our spiritual being than can be accessed through any other Catholic sacrament, further emphasising it's significance in our lives. Although we recognize the Last Supper (the original meal that created the ongoing Eucharistic celebrations which many Christian denominations continue to celebrate today) as a distinctive and unique event in the history of Catholicism, the continual sharing of food and drink with people from different cultural and societal backgrounds was actually a stereotypical pastime of Jesus' ministry. Because of this, the significance of the contemporary Eucharist, which is open to be celebrated by all followers of Jesus Christ, can be evidenced once again as it is representative of an activity that was frequently partaken in by Christ and his fellow disciples. |
IMPORTANCE
As was made evident in the aforementioned text, the Eucharist is regarded as the most important sacrament throughout all of Catholicism as it is the fundamental source of Christ that is available to all active Catholics. This is because, during the consecration, the Eucharist essentially becomes Jesus Christ himself, who is the primary figurehead of Catholic life. It was written in the papal encyclical 'Ecclesia De Eucharista' penned by His Holiness Pope John Paul II that 'The Second Vatican Council rightly proclaimed that the Eucharistic sacrifice is “the source and summit of the Christian life”'. This belief was declared due to the incredible meaning behind the Eucharist, which is that the real presence of Jesus Christ is apparent through the Eucharist. Instead of a mere indistinguishable memory, the true body and blood of Our Saviour becomes present through the Eucharist, ready to unify us as one with Christ.
The teaching that Eucharist is the central point of worship for Catholics is also of incredible importance due to the fact that the Eucharist remains the single factor that allows the church to continue spreading its work around the globe. Why is this so? Well, as was just made evident, the Eucharist is the only tangible source on Earth that allows us to bear witness to the corporeal presence of Christ. Without this source, we as Catholics would not be able to wholly fulfill the scriptural teachings that ask us to spread the Good News of the Lord in collaboration with the earthly presence of Christ. A final reason as to why the idea of the Eucharist being the central source of worship for Catholics is of critical importance in Catholicism is that it is an ancient tradition that unifies the entire congregation as one spiritual entity. Through the age-old tradition of breaking the bread and sharing it amongst the eucharistic assembly, we all as Catholics get to experience the spiritual cleansing of Christ within us and receive the same call from the celebrant to go forth into our communities and spread the Good News of Christ to those we encounter in our lives. |