1.    What is the Holy Eucharist? 
ANSWER: The Holy Eucharist is the Sacrament which contains the body and blood, soul and divinity of Our Lord Jesus Christ under the appearances of bread and wine.  When we say "contains," we mean the Sacrament which is the body and blood, etc. The Holy Eucharist is the same living body of Our Lord which He had upon earth; but it is in a new form, under the appearances of bread and wine. Therefore, Our Lord in the tabernacle can see and hear us.

​

2.    When did Christ institute the Holy Eucharist? 
ANSWER: Christ instituted the Holy Eucharist at the Last Supper, the night before He died.

​

3.    Who were present when Our Lord instituted the Holy Eucharist? 
ANSWER: When Our Lord instituted the Holy Eucharist the twelve Apostles were present.

​

4.    How did Our Lord institute the Holy Eucharist? 
ANSWER: Our Lord instituted the Holy Eucharist by taking bread, blessing, breaking, and giving to His Apostles, saying: "Take ye and eat. This is My body"; and then by taking the cup of wine, blessing and giving it, saying to them: "Drink ye all of this. This is My blood which shall be shed for the remission of sins. Do this for a commemoration of Me."  "Eucharist" means thanks. Hence this Sacrament is called Eucharist, because Our Lord gave thanks before changing the bread and wine into His body and blood, and because the offering of it to God is the most solemn act of thanksgiving. "Do this"--that is, the same thing I am doing, namely, changing bread and wine into My body and blood. "Commemoration"--that is, to remind you of Me, that you may continue to do the same till the end of time.

​

5.    What happened when Our Lord said, "This is My body, this is My blood"? 
ANSWER: When Our Lord said, "This is My body," the substance of the bread was changed into the substance of His body. When He said, "This is My blood," the substance of the wine was changed into the substance of His blood.

​

​

​

​

6.    Is Jesus Christ whole and entire both under the form of bread and under the form of wine? 
ANSWER: Jesus Christ is whole and entire both under the form of bread and under the form of wine.

​

7.    Did anything remain of the bread and wine after their substance had been changed into the substance of the body and blood of Our Lord? 
ANSWER: After the substance of the bread and wine had been changed into the substance of the body and blood of Our Lord there remained only the appearances of bread and wine.

​

8.    What do you mean by the appearances of bread and wine? 
ANSWER: By the appearances of bread and wine I mean the figure, the color, the taste, and whatever appears to the senses.

​

​

​

​

9.    What is this change of the bread and wine into the body and blood of Our Lord called? 
ANSWER: This change of the bread and wine into the body and blood of Our Lord is called Transubstantiation.  "Transubstantiation"--that is, the changing of one substance into another substance; for example, the changing of the wood in a seat into stone.

​

10.    How was the substance of the bread and wine changed into the substance of the body and blood of Christ? 
ANSWER: The substance of the bread and wine was changed into the substance of the body and blood of Christ by His almighty power.

​

11.    Does this change of bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ continue to be made in the Church? 
ANSWER: This change of bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ continues to be made in the Church by Jesus Christ through the ministry of His priests.

​

12.    When did Christ give His priests the power to change bread and wine into His body and blood? 
ANSWER: Christ gave His priests the power to change bread and wine into His body and blood when He said to His Apostles, "Do this in commemoration of Me."

13.    How do the priests exercise this power of changing bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ? 
ANSWER: The priests exercise this power of changing bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ through the words of consecration in the Mass, which are the words of Christ: "This is My body; this is My blood."  "Consecration." At what part of the Mass are the words of consecration pronounced? Just before the Elevation; that is, just before the priest holds up the Host and the chalice, while the altar boy rings the bell.

     

14.    Why did Christ institute the Holy Eucharist? 
ANSWER: Christ instituted the Holy Eucharist:

 

 

 

​

​

​

​

​

 

 

 

 

15.    How are we united to Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist? 
ANSWER: We are united to Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist by means of Holy Communion.

​

16.    What is Holy Communion? 
ANSWER: Holy Communion is the receiving of the body and blood of Christ.  Holy Communion is therefore the receiving of the Sacrament of Holy Eucharist.

​

17.    What is necessary to make a good Communion? 
ANSWER: To make a good Communion it is necessary to be in a state of sanctifying grace, to be fasting for one hour, and to have a right intention.  "Fasting"--that is, not having taken any food or drink for one hour before the time of Communion. (Water and true medicine do not break the fast and may be taken at any time.) What, then, are you to do, if, without thinking, you break your fast? Do not go to Communion at that Mass; you can remain in church and receive Communion at the following Mass. Never, never, on any account, go to Holy Communion when you have broken your fast. Never let fear or shame or anything else make you do such a thing. It is no shame to break your fast by mistake; but it is a great sin to knowingly go to Communion after breaking your fast.  "A right intention"--holy and spiritual motive, such as, to obey Our Lord's command, to receive strength to resist temptation, or to be united with Our Lord.

​

18.    Does he who receives Communion in mortal sin receive the body and blood of Christ? 
ANSWER: He who receives Communion in mortal sin receives the body and blood of Christ, but does not receive His grace, and he commits a great sacrilege.  "The body and blood," because the appearance of bread and wine is there after consecration, and he receives it. He who receives the Holy Eucharist in mortal sin receives Our Lord into a filthy soul. If a great and highly-esteemed friend was coming to visit your house, would you not take care to have everything clean and neat, and pleasing to him? And the greater the dignity of the person coming, the more careful you would be. But what are all the persons of dignity in the world--kings or popes--compared with Our Lord, who leaves the beauties of Heaven to come to visit our soul? and the purest we can make it is not pure enough for Him. But He is kind to us, and is satisfied with our poor preparation if He sees we are doing our very best. But oh, what a shame to receive Him into our soul without any preparation! and more horrible still, to fill it with vile sins, that we know are most disgusting to Him! No wonder, therefore, that receiving Holy Communion unworthily is so great a crime, and so deserving of God's punishment. Why should not the heavenly Father punish us for treating His beloved Son with such shameful disrespect and contempt?

​

19.    Is it enough to be free from mortal sin, to receive plentifully the graces of Holy Communion? 
ANSWER: To receive plentifully the graces of Holy Communion it is not enough to be free from mortal sin, but we should be free from all affection to venial sin, and should make acts of lively faith, of firm hope and ardent love.

​

20.    *What is the fast necessary for Holy Communion? 
ANSWER: The fast necessary for Holy Communion is the abstaining for one hour from everything which is taken as food or drink.  {T.N.: The reprint book, upon which this e-text is based, contains the statement, "published . . . with minor revisions to conform with the new regulations on fasting and indulgences, etc."}  "Food or drink." If you swallowed a button, for example, it would not break your fast, because it is not food or drink.

​

21.    Is anyone ever allowed to receive Holy Communion when not fasting? 
ANSWER: Anyone in danger of death is allowed to receive Communion when not fasting.  "Not fasting." But then the Holy Communion is called by another name; it is called the Viaticum, and the priest uses a different prayer in giving it to the sick person. When a person dies, he goes, as it were, on a journey from this world to the next. Now, when persons are going on a journey they must have food to strengthen them. Our Lord wished, therefore, that all His children who had to go on this most important of all journeys--from this world to the next--should be first strengthened by this sacred food, His own body and blood. The Latin word for road or way is via, and Viaticum therefore means food for the way. Not only are persons in danger of death allowed to receive when not fasting, but they are obliged to receive; and the priest is obliged under pain of sin to bring Holy Communion to the dying at any hour of the day or night.  When I speak of a great journey from this world to the next, from earth to Heaven, you must not understand me to mean that it is a great many miles from earth to Heaven, or that it takes a long time to go to the next world. No. We cannot measure the distance, nor does it take time to get there. The instant we die, no matter where that happens, our soul is in the next world, and judged by God.

​

22.    When are we bound to receive Holy Communion? 
ANSWER: We are bound to receive Holy Communion, under pain of mortal sin, during the Easter time and when in danger of death.

​

23.    Is it well to receive Holy Communion often? 
ANSWER: It is well to receive Holy Communion often, as nothing is a greater aid to a holy life than often to receive the Author of all graces and the Source of all good.

​

24.    What should we do after Holy Communion? 
ANSWER: After Holy Communion we should spend some time in adoring Our Lord, in thanking Him for the graces we have received and in asking Him for the blessings we need.