Catechism of the Catholic Church

354 Part Two evidence of holding the Catholic faith regarding these sacraments and possess the required dispositions. 241 VII. T he E ucharist — “P ledge of the G lory to C ome ” 1402 In an ancient prayer the Church acclaims the mystery of the Eucharist: “O sacred banquet in which Christ is received as food, the memory of his Passion is renewed, the soul is filled with grace and a pledge of the life to come is given to us.” If the Eucharist is thememorial of thePassoverof theLordJesus, if byour communion at the altarwe arefilled“witheverygrace andheavenlyblessing,” 242 then the Eucharist is also an anticipation of the heavenly glory. 1403 At the Last Supper the Lord himself directed his disciples’ attention toward the fulfillment of the Passover in the kingdom of God: “I tell you I shall not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it newwith you in my Father’s kingdom.” 243 Whenever the Church celebrates the Eucharist she remembers this promise and turns her gaze “to himwho is to come.” In her prayer she calls for his coming: “Marana tha!” “Come, Lord Jesus!” 244 “May your grace come and this world pass away!” 245 1404 The Church knows that the Lord comes even now in his Eucharist and that he is there in our midst. However, his presence is veiled. Therefore we celebrate the Eucharist “as we await the blessed hope and the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ,” 246 asking “to enjoy for ever the fullness of your glory, when you will wipe away every tear from our eyes. For seeing you, our God, as you are, we shall be like you for all the ages and praise you without end, through Christ our Lord.” 247 1405 There is no surer pledge or clearer sign of this great hope in the new heavens and new earth “in which righteousness dwells,” 248 than the Eucharist. Every time this mystery is cele- brated, “the work of our redemption is carried on” and we “break the one bread that provides the medicine of immortality, the anti- dote for death, and the food that makes us live for ever in Jesus Christ.” 249 241 Cf. CIC, can. 844 § 4. 242 Roman Missal, EP I (Roman Canon) 94: Supplices te rogamus. 243 Mt 26:29; cf. Lk 22:18; Mk 14:25. 244 Rev 1:4; 22:20; 1 Cor 16:22. 245 Didache 10, 6: SCh 248, 180. 246 Roman Missal 125, Embolism after the Lord’s Prayer: expectantes beatam spem et adventum Salvatoris nostri Jesu Christi; cf. Titus 2:13. 247 EP III 115: prayer for the dead. 248 2 Pet 3:13. 249 LG 3; St. Ignatius of Antioch, Ad Eph. 20, 2: SCh 10, 76. 1385 1323 1130 671 1041 1028 1042 1000