The Sacrament of Holy Eucharist UNIT 5, LESSON 4 Learning Goals Connection to the Catechism ӹ The Eucharist is the Sacrament in of the Catholic Church which we receive the Lord’s Body ӹ CCC 1322-1324 ӹ CCC 1374 and Blood under the appearances of ӹ CCC 1328-1333 ӹ CCC 1391-1397 bread and wine. ӹ CCC 1337 ӹ CCC 1406-1409 ӹ The Eucharist fulfills our Lord’s promise to give us Himself, the ӹ CCC 1341 ӹ CCC 1412-1413 Bread of Life. ӹ CCC 1359-1368 ӹ CCC 1416 ӹ The Eucharist was instituted at the Last Supper, the night before Jesus Vocabulary died. ӹ The Last Supper ӹ The Eucharist is spiritual food for ӹ The Eucharist the soul. ӹ Mass ӹ The Eucharist is not a symbol but is Transubstantiation Jesus Christ’s true flesh and blood. ӹ ӹ Breaking of the Bread ӹ The Eucharist is the “source and summit of the Christian life.” ӹ Memorial ӹ There are many titles for the ӹ Liturgy Eucharist that help us better ӹ Mystery understand the Sacrament. ӹ Communion BIBLICAL TOUCHSTONES And it happened that, while he was with them at Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has table, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. and gave it to them. With that their eyes were For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true opened and they recognized him, but he vanished drink. from their sight. JOHN 6:54-55 LUKE 24:30-31 559 Lesson Plan Materials ӹ The Last Supper ӹ Titles for the Eucharist ӹ The Eucharist ӹ The Eucharist Fill-in-the-Blank DAY ONE The Last Supper BY EONARO A INCI C Warm-Up A. Project the image from The Last Supper (page 287) 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 C S I. 287 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. 560 © SOPHIA INSTITUTE FOR TEACHERS 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 4 561 LESSON PLAN Activity A. 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 e as is its highest point. Think of the summit of a Read the following information about the Eucharist, then answer against eonsthe Catholic Faith. Catholics invites us to receive it much more the focus questions. are required to receive Communion often: every week, even every day once a year, but the Church warmly mountain, the very top peak. The Eucharist 8. What does increasing hecharity Eucharist in our is life the mean Body and When we receive Holy Communion, TBlood of Jesus Christ. The priest we grow closer to Christ. The 1. Whatat is ass, the Eucharist through the Holy Spirit, Eucharist helps us avoid sin and is the source and summit of our faith. That transforms bread and wine into strengthens our charity. It helps the actual Body and Blood of Jesus us see the face of Jesus in the . What does2. an What increase happens in charity to the in bread our life and lead wine us atto ass Christ. This transformation is called poor. Just as real food nourishes means that our Christian faith begins with the transubstantiation. Even though the us and gives us strength, the bread and wine look and taste the Eucharist nourishes us spiritually same as they did before, they have and strengthens our souls so that Eucharist or flows out of it, and the Eucharist 10. How often are Catholics required to receive the Eucharist How often can 3. Whatbecome is transubstantiation Christ’s true Body and true we can live faithfully as Christians. we receive it Blood. A desire for eternal life is placed within our hearts. When we receive is the greatest expression of our faith. In other 4. WhyThe are breadthe bread and andwine wine are not just symbols of Jesus’ Body and Blood the Eucharist, we are connected to symbols of Jesus’ Body and Blood. Heaven, the Blessed Virgin ary, At the Last Supper, Jesus was very words, the whole of the Christian life begins and all the angels and saints. clear. When He gave His Apostles the 5. Whatbread, does Hereceiving did not the say, Eucharist “This is a help sign us toThe do Catechism of the Catholic Church with the Eucharist and is directed toward the of my body.” Instead, He said, “This no. 134 explains that receiving the is my body.” Similarly, when He gave Eucharist often increases charity in His Apostles the cup of wine, He did our daily life. So what does increasing not say, “This is a sign of my blood.” charity in our daily life mean It Eucharist. 6. What does it mean that the Eucharist is spiritual food Instead, He said, “this is my blood.” means that we grow closer to Christ We can believe what Jesus said and see things in a different way — a because He is God.