the sacrament of holy eucharist

UNIT 5, LESSON 4

Connection to the Catechism of the Catholic Church

ӹ CCC 1322-1324

ӹ CCC 1328-1333

ӹ CCC 1337

ӹ CCC 1341

ӹ CCC 1359-1368

ӹ CCC 1374

ӹ CCC 1391-1397

ӹ CCC 1406-1409

ӹ CCC 1412-1413

ӹ CCC 1416

Vocabulary ӹ The Last Supper

ӹ The Eucharist

ӹ Mass

ӹ Transubstantiation

ӹ Breaking of the Bread

ӹ Memorial

ӹ Liturgy

ӹ Mystery

ӹ Communion

Learning Goals ӹ The Eucharist is the Sacrament in

which we receive the Lord’s Body and Blood under the appearances of bread and wine.

ӹ The Eucharist fulfills our Lord’s promise to give us Himself, the Bread of Life.

ӹ The Eucharist was instituted at the Last Supper, the night before Jesus died.

ӹ The Eucharist is spiritual food for the soul.

ӹ The Eucharist is not a symbol but is Jesus Christ’s true flesh and blood.

ӹ The Eucharist is the “source and summit of the Christian life.” (CCC 1324).

ӹ There are many titles for the Eucharist that help us better understand the Sacrament.

The Sacrament of Holy Eucharist

And it happened that, while he was with them at table, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them. With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him, but he vanished from their sight.

LUKE 24:30-31

Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.

JOHN 6:54-55

BIBLICAL TOUCHSTONES

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Lesson Plan

Materials ӹ The Last Supper

ӹ The Eucharist

ӹ Titles for the Eucharist

ӹ The Eucharist Fill-in-the-Blank

DAY ONEWarm-UpA. Project the image from The Last Supper (page

227) by Leonardo da Vinci. Give students several minutes to quietly view the art before you say or ask anything. Allow them to come up and stand closer to the image to examine details.

B. Once several minutes have passed, ask your students the following questions:

ӹ What do you first notice about this work of art?

ӹ What do you like about this work of art?

ӹ How does this work of art make you feel?

ӹ Where do the colors in the work of art draw your eye? Answers will vary.

ӹ What is happening in this picture? It is the Last Supper.

ӹ Who is the person in the middle of the painting? Jesus.

ӹ Who are the other figures? The Apostles.

ӹ Can you name any of the Apostles in this painting? From left to right: Bartholomew, James son of Alphaeus, Andrew, Judas Iscariot, Peter, John, Jesus in the center, Thomas, James the Greater, Philip, Matthew, Jude, Thaddeus, and Simon the Zealot.

ӹ What happened at the Last Supper? It was the last meal shared by Jesus and His disciples and took place the night before He died on the Cross. This was the institution of the Holy Eucharist, where the bread and wine become Jesus’ real Body and Blood as spiritual food and drink for us.

The Last SupperBY LEONARDO DA VINCI (C. 1495-1498)

Convent of Santa Maria della Grazie, Milan, Italy.

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© SOPHIA INSTITUTE FOR TEACHERS536

LESSON PLAN

C. Read aloud to your students John 6:48-57:

“‘I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died; this is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat it and not die. 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.’ The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, ‘How can this man give us [his] flesh to eat?’ Jesus said to them, ‘Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me.’”

D. Ask your students the following questions:

ӹ What did Jesus tell the crowd that He was? The bread of life, the living bread that came down from heaven.

ӹ How did the crowd respond to Jesus’ teaching? They were confused and argued among themselves, asking how Jesus could give them His flesh to eat.

ӹ How did Jesus respond to the confusion of the crowd? He explained further that whoever does not eat His flesh and drink His blood does not have life within them.

ӹ What does Jesus say about His flesh and blood? It is true food and true drink.

ӹ Overall, what do we understand Jesus to be teaching about in this passage? (Hint: We receive it every time we attend Mass.) The Eucharist, Jesus’ Body and Blood.

E. Read aloud to your students Matthew 26:26-29:

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. I tell you, from now on I shall not drink this fruit of the vine until the day when I drink it with you new in the kingdom of my Father.”

F. Ask your students the following questions:

ӹ What is this passage the story of? The Last Supper.

ӹ How does the painting of the Last Supper help illustrate this Gospel story? Accept reasoned answers.

ӹ How are the painting of the Last Supper and the passage from Matthew related to Jesus’ teaching about the Bread of Life in John 6? At the Last Supper, Jesus transformed the bread and wine into His Body and Blood and gave it to His Apostles to eat and drink. Jesus’ teaching in John 6 was fulfilled at the Last Supper, when He made a New Covenant for the forgiveness of sins.

UNIT 5, LESSON 4 537

LESSON PLAN

ActivityA. Explain to your students that the Catechism of

the Catholic Church describes the Eucharist as “the source and summit of the Christian life” (CCC 1324). The source of something is where it begins. Think of the source of a river, where the water begins to flow. The summit of something is its highest point. Think of the summit of a mountain, the very top peak. The Eucharist is the source and summit of our faith. That means that our Christian faith begins with the Eucharist or flows out of it, and the Eucharist is the greatest expression of our faith. In other words, the whole of the Christian life begins with the Eucharist and is directed toward the Eucharist.

B. Have your students turn to The Eucharist (page 228). Ask them to read the information with a partner and answer the focus questions.

Formative Assessment When students have finished, review and discuss the correct answers to The Eucharist.

DAY TWOWarm-UpA. Project Luke 24:30-31, and have a student stand and read it aloud:

And it happened that, while he was with them at table, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them. With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him, but he vanished from their sight.

B. Explain to your students that this passage from Luke’s Gospel comes from a story called the Road to Emmaus. This story takes place on Easter Sunday after Jesus has risen from the dead. Two of Jesus’ disciples are walking to a town outside of Jerusalem called Emmaus. Along the way, they meet a stranger and have a conversation with him about Jesus’ suffering and death three days before. The stranger then begins to teach the disciples about everything in the Scriptures that speaks of Jesus. When they reach their destination, the two disciples and the stranger gather together to break bread.

8. What does increasing charity in our life mean?

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9. What does an increase in charity in our life lead us to?

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10. How often are Catholics required to receive the Eucharist? How often can

we receive it?

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against the Catholic Faith. Catholics

are required to receive Communion

once a year, but the Church warmly

invites us to receive it much more

often: every week, even every day!

1. What is the Eucharist?

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2. What happens to the bread and wine at Mass?

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3. What is transubstantiation?

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4. Why are the bread and wine not just symbols of Jesus’ Body and Blood?

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5. What does receiving the Eucharist help us to do?

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6. What does it mean that the Eucharist is spiritual food?

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7. What desire is placed in our hearts when we receive the Eucharist?

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The Eucharist

Directions: Read the following information about the Eucharist, then answer

the focus questions.

The Eucharist is the Body and

Blood of Jesus Christ. The priest

at Mass, through the Holy Spirit,

transforms bread and wine into

the actual Body and Blood of Jesus

Christ. This transformation is called

transubstantiation. Even though the

bread and wine look and taste the

same as they did before, they have

become Christ’s true Body and true

Blood.

The bread and wine are not just

symbols of Jesus’ Body and Blood.

At the Last Supper, Jesus was very

clear. When He gave His Apostles the

bread, He did not say, “This is a sign

of my body.” Instead, He said, “This

is my body.” Similarly, when He gave

His Apostles the cup of wine, He did

not say, “This is a sign of my blood.”

Instead, He said, “this is my blood.”

We can believe what Jesus said

because He is God. Therefore, we

know that the Holy Eucharist is the

Body and Blood of Christ.

When we receive Holy Communion,

we grow closer to Christ. The

Eucharist helps us avoid sin and

strengthens our charity. It helps

us see the face of Jesus in the

poor. Just as real food nourishes

us and gives us strength, the

Eucharist nourishes us spiritually

and strengthens our souls so that

we can live faithfully as Christians.

A desire for eternal life is placed

within our hearts. When we receive

the Eucharist, we are connected to

Heaven, the Blessed Virgin Mary,

and all the angels and saints.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church

no. 1394 explains that receiving the

Eucharist often increases charity in

our daily life. So what does increasing

charity in our daily life mean? It

means that we grow closer to Christ

and see things in a different way — a

more positive and hopeful way.

Seeing things in this way leads us to

practice the values of the Kingdom

of God and to avoid activities that go

228


LESSON PLAN

C. Ask your students the following questions:

ӹ What did the person in this passage do while “at table” with the disciples? He took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them.

ӹ What do these actions sound like? The Mass. These are similar to the words the priest says during the Consecration.

ӹ What happened after the breaking of the bread? The eyes of the disciples were opened, and they recognized the stranger they had been traveling with to be Jesus. Then He vanished from their sight.

D. Explain to your students that one of the many titles for the Eucharist is the Breaking of the Bread. Just as with the disciples in this story, Jesus is revealed to us in the Breaking of the Bread, the Eucharist. When we participate in the Eucharist at every Mass, Jesus is made known to us. He is literally there with us, Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity. There are other important titles for the Eucharist. In this lesson, we are going to consider some of these titles.

ActivityHave your students turn to Titles for the Eucharist (page 231). Arrange students into pairs and trios. Have each group read Titles for the Eucharist together and then fill in the information on the chart together. Student should complete the graphic organizer by recording what each title means and then drawing a picture to represent each title. Make markers and/or colored pencils available for students to complete the activity.

Formative Assessment When students have finished, review and discuss the correct answers to the chart. For each title of the Eucharist, call on a few students to share and briefly explain their drawings.

Title What does it mean?

1 Eucharist

2 Memorial of the Lord’s

Passion and Resurrection

3 Holy and Divine Liturgy

4 Sacred Mysteries

5 Holy Communion

6 Holy Mass

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“the work of God.” The work of God

is our salvation from sin. Through

the liturgy, Jesus continues the

work of our salvation in His Church.

We take part in this work when we

receive the Eucharist.

Sacred Mysteries

The word mystery does not mean

a problem or puzzle to be solved.

Instead, it refers the great truths

of God and our salvation, which

are greater than our ability to

understand fully. God, however,

invites us to know Him and His plan

for us and makes these mysteries

present to us in the Eucharist in a

real, physical way.

Holy Communion

When we receive the Eucharist we

are united to Jesus Himself. We share

in the one body of Christ. All who

receive the Eucharist participate

in the one bread and one cup.

This makes us one People of God.

We become a common union, or

communion, united to Christ and

each other.

Holy Mass

The word Mass comes from the Latin

phrase “Ite missa est,” which means

“Go, she (the Church) has been sent.”

These are the last words the priest

says at every Mass. This phrase gives

us the mission of Jesus Himself. We

are called to make disciples of all

the nations. Therefore, we are sent

forth to carry out this mission and

announce the Good News.

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Titles for the Eucharist

Directions: First, read about some of the different titles for the Eucharist,

then complete the chart.

Eucharist

When we receive the Eucharist,

we give thanks to God. The word

Eucharist comes from a Greek

word, eucharistein, which means

“thanksgiving.” The original Greek

word described the main form

of worship in the ancient Jewish

Temple. This liturgy was called

Todah in Hebrew, which means

“thanksgiving.” In the Temple, the

Jewish priests would offer a sacred

meal of bread and wine.

Memorial of the Lord’s Passion and Resurrection

A memorial is a way of remembering

the past. The word remember means

“to make present again.” In the

Eucharist, Jesus’ sacrifi ce on the

Cross is made present again to us. At

the Last Supper, Jesus commanded

His Apostles, “Do this in memory

of me.” Jesus was not simply asking

us not to forget Him. Rather, Jesus’

sacrifi ce is made present to us again

at every Mass.

Holy and Divine Liturgy

The word liturgy originally meant

a “public work” or a “service in the

name of, or on behalf of, the people.”

In Christian tradition it means the

participation of the People of God in

The Institution of the Eucharist, by Nicolas Poussin

231


LESSON PLAN

Activity A. Have your students turn to The Eucharist Fill-

in-the-Blank (page 234). Play the video again. This time, have your students complete the worksheet as they watch.

B. Give your students a few minutes after the video to finish writing their answers.

C. When students have finished, review and discuss the correct answers to The Eucharist Fill-in-the-Blank.

AssessmentA. On their own paper, have students write a

paragraph that responds to the following prompt:

ӹ What would you say to someone who said the Eucharist is just a symbol for Jesus’ Body and Blood?

B. When students have finished, collect their paragraphs for your own review.

DAY THREEWarm-UpShow the Sophia SketchPad video on the Eucharist, found at SophiaSketchpad.org. Spend a few minutes discussing students’ reactions to the video. You might ask:

ӹ What stood out to you about this video?

ӹ What was the most memorable part?

ӹ Were you surprised by anything?

9. Disease and __________________________ crept into the world, and we

became inclined toward __________________________.

10. So that people could experience the forgiveness of sin, God asked man to

sacrifi ce __________________________ in their place.

11. When the animal was killed, it suffered the __________________________

meant for men.

12. But animal sacrifi ces weren’t enough. They could never pay for the

ultimate offense man gave to God — an offense that deserves eternal

__________________________ from God.

13. In order to pay man’s debts and to conquer death, God came down

from Heaven, became __________________________, and paid the price

for our sins on the __________________________. Jesus’ life, Death, and

__________________________ are the only reason Heaven is open to us.

14. One reason we must eat Christ’s Body is that we live by

__________________________ and __________________________.

15. If this is true for our natural life, it makes sense that the Lord would

communicate __________________________ life to us in this way.

16. Also, if __________________________ was committed by eating, it

makes sense that the remedy for sin would come to us through

__________________________.

17. Ultimately, Jesus teaches you to eat His fl esh because He wants to be

__________________________ with you, and He wants you to be united with

Him.

18. Through Holy Communion, you and I receive God’s own

__________________________, His own strength and power, called

__________________________.

235

The Eucharist Fill-in-the-Blank

Directions: Fill in the blanks as you watch the video.

1. At every Mass, __________________________ and __________________________

become the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ.

2. In the sixth chapter of the Gospel of St. John, Jesus said: “I am the

__________________________ that came down from heaven; whoever eats this

bread will __________________________; and the bread that I will give is my

__________________________ for the life of the world.”

3. Here Jesus is telling us that He will give His __________________________ for

us to eat.

4. At the __________________________, the fi nal meal Jesus had with

His Apostles before His Crucifi xion, He celebrated the very fi rst

__________________________ and transformed bread and wine into His Body

and Blood.

5. At the Last Supper, Christ made His Apostles the fi rst

__________________________ and commanded them to follow His example

and celebrate __________________________ for all Christians.

6. To understand why Jesus gave us His fl esh to eat, we have to go back to

__________________________ and __________________________.

7. They chose to listen to __________________________ rather than God when

they ate fruit from the one and only tree God had told them not to eat.

8. Adam and Eve used their __________________________ to turn their back on

God, which is called __________________________.

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The Eucharist













Blood.









































228








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Answer Key1. It is the real Body

and Blood of Jesus Christ.

2. By the Holy Spirit, the priest transforms them into the actual Body and Blood of Jesus Christ.

3. The transformation of the bread and wine into Jesus’ Body and Blood.

4. At the Last Supper Jesus took the bread and wine and said, “This is my body” and “This is my blood.” We can believe Jesus because He is God.

5. Grow closer to Christ, avoid sin, strengthen our charity, and see the face of Jesus in the poor.

6. Just as real food nourishes us and gives us strength, the Eucharist nourishes us spiritually and strengthens our souls so that we can live faithfully as Christians.

7. A desire for eternal life with Mary and all the angels and saints in Heaven with God.


Answer Key8. It means we grow

closer to Christ and see things a different way — a more positive and hopeful way.

9. Practicing the values of the Kingdom of God and avoiding values and lifestyles that go against the Catholic faith.

10. Catholics are required to receive the Eucharist once a year, but we can receive it more often, every week or even every day.


___________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________


___________________________________________________________________________________________________

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we receive it?

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

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230





Eucharist

















Eucharist, Jesus’ sacrifi ce on the






sacrifi ce is made present to us again

at every Mass.








231








Sacred Mysteries










real, physical way.

Holy Communion









each other.

Holy Mass











232



1 Eucharist




4 Sacred Mysteries

5 Holy Communion

6 Holy Mass

233

Answer Key1. Thanksgiving

2. Making present again Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross

3. The participation of the People of God in the work of God, which is our salvation from sin

4. The great truths of God and our salvation which are greater than our ability to fully understand

5. When we receive the Eucharist we are united to Christ and to each other

6. Being sent forth to carry out the mission of the Church and announce the Good News




1. At every Mass, __________________________ and __________________________







us to eat.

4. At the __________________________, the fi nal meal Jesus had with

His Apostles before His Crucifi xion, He celebrated the very fi rst


and Blood.

5. At the Last Supper, Christ made His Apostles the fi rst



6. To understand why Jesus gave us His fl esh to eat, we have to go back to

__________________________ and __________________________.





234

Answer Key1. Bread/wine

2. Living bread/live forever/flesh

3. Body

4. Last Supper/Mass

5. Priests/Mass

6. Adam/Eve

7. Satan

8. Free will/Original Sin


Answer Key9. Death/sin

10. Animals

11. Punishment

12. Banishment

13. Man/Cross/Resurrection

14. Eating/drinking

15. Eternal

16. Original Sin/Eating

17. United

18. Life/grace




sacrifi ce __________________________ in their place.


meant for men.

12. But animal sacrifi ces weren’t enough. They could never pay for the


__________________________ from God.






__________________________ and __________________________.





__________________________.

17. Ultimately, Jesus teaches you to eat His fl esh because He wants to be


Him.



__________________________.

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The

Las

t Su

pper

BY

LE

ON

AR

DO

DA

VIN

CI

(C.

14

95

-14

98

)

Con

vent

of S

anta

Mar

ia d

ella

Gra

zie,

Mila

n, It

aly.

UNIt 5, LESSON 4 227

The Eucharist













Blood.









































UNIt 5, LESSON 4228







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we receive it?

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UNIt 5, LESSON 4230




Eucharist

















Eucharist, Jesus’ sacrifice on the






sacrifice is made present to us again

at every Mass.















Sacred Mysteries










real, physical way.

Holy Communion









each other.

Holy Mass











UNIt 5, LESSON 4232


1 Eucharist




4 Sacred Mysteries

5 Holy Communion

6 Holy Mass




1. At every Mass, __________________________ and __________________________







us to eat.

4. At the __________________________, the final meal Jesus had with

His Apostles before His Crucifixion, He celebrated the very first


and Blood.

5. At the Last Supper, Christ made His Apostles the first



6. To understand why Jesus gave us His flesh to eat, we have to go back to

__________________________ and __________________________.





UNIt 5, LESSON 4234




sacrifice __________________________ in their place.


meant for men.

12. But animal sacrifices weren’t enough. They could never pay for the


__________________________ from God.






__________________________ and __________________________.





__________________________.

17. Ultimately, Jesus teaches you to eat His flesh because He wants to be


Him.



__________________________.


the sacrament of holy eucharist

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