Real Presence

In short, the Eucharist is the Real Presence of God, Jesus Christ, body and blood, under the appearance of bread and wine. At the Last Supper, before Jesus suffered on the cross, he shared one last meal with his disciples. During this meal, our Savior instituted the sacrament of his Body and Blood.

As the Gospel of Matthew tells us:

While they were eating, Jesus took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and giving it to his disciples said, "Take and eat; this is my body." Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins." (Mt 26:26-28; cf. Mk 14:22-24, Lk 22:17-20, 1 Cor 11:23-25)

With these words of Jesus in mind, the Catholic Church professes that, in the celebration of the Eucharist, bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit and the aid of the priest.

Jesus said: "I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world. . . . For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink" (Jn 6:51-55).

The whole Christ is truly present, body, blood, soul, and divinity, under the appearances of bread and wine. This is what the Church means when she speaks of the "Real Presence" of Christ in the Eucharist. 

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