The third of the three sacraments of initiation, the Sacrament of Holy Communion, is the reception of Christ's Body and Blood. This sacrament is the source of great graces that sanctify us and help us grow in the likeness of Jesus Christ. Catholics believe the Eucharist, or Communion, is both a sacrifice and a meal. We believe in the real presence of Jesus, who died for our sins. As we receive Christ's Body and Blood, we also are nourished spiritually and brought closer to God.
The sacrament of Eucharist brings to completion the Christian process of initiation. In this sacrament we remember what Jesus did for us in his life, death and resurrection. We remember particularly the Last Supper, that final meal Jesus shared with his disciples. At that meal Jesus gave us the Eucharist so that we could remember him in a special way. When we receive Communion, we believe that we receive the person of Jesus into our very beings. We become one with him, and we become one with each other. As a community we become 'the body of Christ'.
The Sunday Eucharist (Sunday Mass) is the highpoint of our worship as a parish. Communion is taken to the sick and homebound after each Sunday Mass by Ministers of Communion. Because the Eucharist is our great sign of unity as a community, one must be a Catholic to receive the Eucharist. Catholic children usually make their first Eucharist (First Communion) at age 7. When an adult is baptised, he or she normally makes their First Communion in the same ceremony as their baptism. Their preparation for this is usually through the Rite of Christian of Adults, or a similar process.