The Supreme Sacrament
To understand the Eucharist, we must begin with a clear understanding of the sacraments in general. A sacrament is a sign of God's action. But unlike other signs that we are familiar with, such as stop signs or billboards, the sacraments do not only represent or symbolize information from God, they actually "contain and bring about the very thing they signify." 1 The sacramental world is neither physical nor spiritual. It is a totally different reality. The sacraments are "tools in the hands of Christ." 2 They are what we call instrumental; they have the power to effect change.

This power has its source in faith, which is contact with God. We know from the gospels that with faith the size of a mustard seed, we can move mountains. But we need help to increase our faith, and we can get that help from the sacraments. They render faith more efficacious, like an amplifier that makes a person's speech more clear and understandable. Without faith, the sacraments are powerless, just as an amplifier does nothing if it is not connected to a speaker's microphone. But together with faith, the sacraments amplify and strengthen our contact with God.

The Difference between signs and symbols
The difference between a sign and a symbol can be explained with a medical example. The stethoscope is a symbol of a doctor or medical care. The stethoscope alone has no power to diagnose or treat. It only symbolizes medical care. But the stethoscope in the hands of a doctor is a sign. Now it not only symbolizes medical care, but can actually help bring it about; the sign is a symbol joined with its principal cause, which in this case is the doctor. The sacraments are joined with their principal cause, God, which gives them the power to bring about the thing they symbolize.

What the Eucharist symbolizes is our sanctification. And it not only symbolizes this, but since as a sacramental sign it is joined with it's principal cause, Christ, it has the power to bring it about. In the Eucharist is the real presence of Christ, not only at the present moment, but also in the past and future. The past suffering and death of Christ on the cross is contained in the Eucharist; His present outpouring of grace into the recipient soul is within the Eucharist; and the future glory of our eternal life with Him is also present in the Eucharist. During adoration, we should remember these three aspects of the real presence. Like Mary and John, we are at the foot of the cross looking upon Christ crucified; like the ailing woman we are touching the hem of His garment to be healed, and like Peter, John and James on Mount Tabor, we are getting a glimpse of our future glory with Him in eternity.

The Eucharist and The Mass
It is this recognition of Christ past, present and future in the Eucharist which makes it easier to fully understand and appreciate the Mass. Futon Sheen described the Mass as having three parts: The offering of ourselves to Christ, our dying with Christ, and our receiving new life through Christ. The bread and wine brought up to the altar as the offering symbolize us. The bread from many grains and the wine from many grapes represent the body of the faithful. We give ourselves to be joined with Christ. At the consecration, the body and blood of Christ are consecrated separately sacramentally representing the death of Christ. The past death of Christ then becomes a real presence in the Eucharist, consecrated from the bread and wine symbolizing our gift of self. We have then joined Christ in his passion and death. We die to self, to sin, to all that is lower, in order to have that which is higher: new life through Christ. We then receive the Eucharist in communion, which contains not only the past death of Christ but also the present healing power of grace given to us so that we have the strength to continue on our pilgrimage; to take up our crosses daily. We can then go out full of the hope contained in the Eucharist of our future life with Christ in eternity.

"All Glory and Honor is Yours"
When we said the Eucharist was a sign of our sanctification, that was only half true. The Eucharist is not only a means of atonement for our sins, but also, and even primarily for the glory of God. It contains the epitome of worship: Christ's offering of Himself to God the Father. And so during the mass, we join ourselves to Christ; we die with Him, and together with Him give perfect glory to God, as the Eucharistic prayer concludes with, "Through Him, with Him, In Him, in the unity of The Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is Yours Almighty Father, forever and ever."

1. Summa, III, 61, a. 4.
2. A Key to the Doctrine of the Eucharist, p 19, Zaccheus Press, 1925

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Evolution
The Stigmata
Extraterrestrials
The Real Presence
The Eucharist
Providence
Theology of the Body
Faith and Reason
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