The Sacrament of the Eucharist

Initiation (annual), and Thereafter Celebrated at Every Mass
The essential signs of the sacrament of the Eucharist are bread and wine, on which the blessing of the Holy Spirit is invoked when the priest pronounces the words of consecration spoken by Jesus during the Last Supper: "This is my body which will be given up for you ... This is the cup of my blood ..." Under the consecrated species of bread and wine, Christ himself is present in a true, real and substantial manner; his Body and his blood, with his soul and his divinity. Receiving the Eucharist, the Holy Communion sustains our strength for life and unites us with the Church. The Eucharist, along with Baptism and Confirmation complete the Rite of Initiation.

Preparation for the Eucharist is specialized for a child or adult. Before age seven, children are encouraged during the Eucharist to advance to the priest or Eucharistic Minister with their arms crossed at their breast to receive a benediction rather than the Eucharist. The Eucharist is given to children raised in the Catholic faith usually at age seven, when they have undergone careful preparation and have sufficient knowledge to understand the mystery of Christ according to their capacity. For adults, the Eucharist is one of the three sacraments of the Rite of Christian Initiation that define our Christianity. Adults baptized as Catholics may receive the Eucharist.

How To

FOR CHILDREN: For children, instruction in the Eucharist occurs during the first two years of Catholic Religious Education. A child must be registered in the OLM Religious Education (aka Sunday School).
contact
Katherine Hernandez
or call 310.456.8813

FOR ADULTS: Those who wish to partake of the Eucharist for the first time as adults must be enrolled in Our Lady of Malibu's Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA).
contact
Sr. Brigid McGuigan
or call 310.456.2361