Eucharist and the Lord's Supper
Catholic teaching describes the Eucharist as Christ's Body and Blood, a memorial of his death and resurrection, and the sacramental sacrifice of the Mass. It teaches transubstantiation to explain the change of bread and wine.
Scripture
- Luke 22:19–20 — At the supper, Jesus identifies bread and cup with his body and the new covenant and tells his followers to remember him.
- 1 Corinthians 10:16–17 — Paul calls the cup and bread a participation in Christ and links the one loaf to the community's unity.
- 1 Corinthians 11:23–29 — Paul recounts the supper and warns the Corinthians against eating and drinking without discerning the body.
Primary sources
Catechism §1413 states:
The Catholic Catechism explicitly uses transubstantiation for the consecrated bread and wine.
By the consecration the transubstantiation of the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ is brought about.
Passage context and translation
The same paragraph says Christ is truly, really, and substantially present under the consecrated species. The term transubstantiation is a Catholic doctrinal explanation, not a word from the Last Supper narratives.
After the excerpt
Under the consecrated species of bread and wine Christ himself, living and glorious, is present