The Blessed Sacrament, or the Body and Blood of Christ, is a devotional name used in the Roman Catholic Church, Old Catholic and Anglican Churches, to refer to the Host and wine after they have been consecrated in the sacrament of the Eucharist. This article is primarily about devotions in the Latin Rite. For devotions in the Eastern Catholic Churches, refer to the articles on the individual Churches The Old Catholic Church is a Christian denomination originating with churches (many of them German -speaking that split from the Roman Catholic Church in Anglicanism is a tradition of Christian faith Churches in this tradition either have historical connections to the Church of England or have similar beliefs Sacramental bread, sometimes called Lamb or Host is the bread which is used in the Christian ritual of the Eucharist. The Precious Blood is another term for the Blood of Christ. The ancient Christian churches ( Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Roman A sacrament, as defined in Hexam's Concise Dictionary of Religion is "a Rite in which God is uniquely active The Eucharist, also called Holy Communion or Lord's Supper and other names is a Christian Sacrament by which in a common interpretation those Christians in these traditions believe in the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharistic elements of the bread and wine and hence practice Eucharistic reservation and Eucharistic adoration. A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth The Real Presence is the term various Christian traditions use to express their belief that in the Eucharist, Jesus Christ is really present in what was Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) In Christian practice during the Liturgy of the Eucharist the elements of Bread and Wine become the Body and Blood Eucharistic adoration is a practice in the Roman Catholic Church and in some Anglican churches in which the Blessed Sacrament is exposed to and adored This belief is based on interpretations of biblical scripture and tradition. In the Roman Catholic tradition, Christ's presence is believed to be corporeal, while in the Old Catholic and Anglican traditions, his presence is more usually seen as spiritual. The Roman Catholic understanding is defined by numerous church councils including the Fourth Lateran Council and the Council of Trent and is quoted in paragraph 1376 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (which explains the meaning of Transubstantiation). The Fourth Council of the Lateran was summoned by Pope Innocent III with his Papal bull of April 19, 1213. The Council of Trent was the 19th Ecumenical Council of the Roman Catholic Church. The Catechism of the Catholic Church, or CCC, is an official exposition of the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church and the twenty-two See also Eucharist (Catholic Church On the related belief that Christ is present in the Eucharist in body blood soul and divinity see Real Presence.
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Roman Catholic Church
The Blessed Sacrament may be received by Catholics who have undergone the First Holy Communion (ie. Eucharist in the Catholic Church refers to both the celebration of the Mass that is the Eucharistic Liturgy, and the consecrated bread and wine which , given by a priest or other Minister of the Eucharist to a Catholic and consumed by the communicant) as part of the Liturgy of the Eucharist during Mass. See also Priesthood (Catholic Church Catholic minister redirects here The person receiving the Eucharist should be in a "state of grace," i. e. , have no mortal sin on their conscience at the time of communion (Matt 5:23-24). Mortal sin, according to the beliefs of Roman Catholicism, and some Protestant denominations is a Sin that unless confessed and absolved (or at least
The Blessed Sacrament can also be exposed (displayed) on an altar in a Monstrance. An altar is any structure upon which Sacrifices or other offerings are made for religious purposes or some other sacred place where ceremonies take place A monstrance is the vessel used in the Roman Catholic, Old Catholic, and Anglican Churches to display the consecrated Eucharistic Host Rites involving the exposure of the Blessed Sacrament include Benediction and Eucharistic adoration. A benediction ( Latin: bene, well + dicere, to speak is a short Invocation for divine help Blessing and guidance usually at the Eucharistic adoration is a practice in the Roman Catholic Church and in some Anglican churches in which the Blessed Sacrament is exposed to and adored According to Catholic theology, adoration of the host is not the adoration of bread, but of the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Christ, who is transubstantiated in it. Theology is the study of a god or the gods from a religious perspective See also Eucharist (Catholic Church On the related belief that Christ is present in the Eucharist in body blood soul and divinity see Real Presence. Catholics believe Jesus is the sacrificial Lamb of God prefigured in the Old Testament Passover. Lamb of God ( Latin: Agnus Dei) is one of the titles given to Jesus in the New Testament and consequently in the Christian In Western Christianity, the Old Testament refers to the books that form the first of the two-part Christian Biblical canon. Passover ( Hebrew, Yiddish: פֶּסַח Pesach, Tiberian: pɛsaħ Israeli: Pesah, Pesakh, Yiddish Unless the flesh of that passover sacrificial lamb was consumed, the members of the household would not be saved from death. As the Passover was the Old Covenant, so the Eucharist became the New Covenant. The term New Covenant (; Greek:, diathēkē kainē is used in the Bible (both in the Hebrew Bible and the Greek New Testament) to refer (Matt 26:26-28), (Mark 14:22-24), (Luke 22: 19-20), and (John 6:48-58)
Anglican Communion
Reception of the Blessed Sacrament in the Anglican Communion varies by province. Anglican Eucharistic theology is divergent in practice reflecting the essential comprehensiveness of the tradition See also Anglicanism The Anglican Communion is an international association of national Anglican churches Formerly, Confirmation was universally required as a precondition to reception, but many provinces now allow all the baptised to partake. Confirmation is a Rite of initiation in many Christian Churches normally in the form of Laying on of hands and/or Anointing for
Devotions to the Blessed Sacrament vary. In most churches, individuals will genuflect or bow in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, which is generally reserved in a tabernacle or aumbry on, behind, or near the altar. Genuflection (or genuflexion) (Latin genuflexio "bending of the knee" is an act of reverence in Christianity, consisting of bending onto (usually The Tabernacle is known in Hebrew as the Mishkan ( משכן "Residence" or "Dwelling Place" In medieval times an aumbry was a cabinet in the wall of a Christian church or in the Sacristy which was used to store chalices and other vessels and which was used also for Its presence is usually indicated by a lamp suspended over or placed near the tabernacle or aumbry. Except among Anglo-Catholics the use of a monstrance is rare, perhaps in keeping with Article XXV of the Thirty-Nine Articles that "the Sacraments were not ordained of Christ to be gazed upon, or to be carried about, but that we should duly use them. The terms Anglo-Catholic and Anglo-Catholicism (or sometimes possibly incorrectly High Church &mdashsee below describe people A monstrance is the vessel used in the Roman Catholic, Old Catholic, and Anglican Churches to display the consecrated Eucharistic Host The Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion were established in 1563 and are the historic defining statements of Anglican doctrine in relation to the controversies of the " Nonetheless, many parishes do have services of devotions to the Blessed Sacrament, in which the ciborium is removed from the tabernacle or aumbry and hymns, prayers, psalms, and sentences of devotion are sung or read. Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament is a devotional ceremony celebrated within the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church, as well as in some Anglican A ciborium (plural ciboria) is a covered container used in Roman Catholic, Anglican, and related churches to store the consecrated hosts In some parishes, when the Blessed Sacrament is moved between tabernacles (say, from the High Altar to a chapel altar), sanctus bells are rung and all who are present kneel. In the Roman Catholic Church and in some churches of the Anglican Communion, an altar bell is a small bell placed on the credence or in some other convenient
See also
External links
- The Blessed Eucharist as a Sacrament - Article from the Catholic Encyclopedia
- http://www.savior.org/ - Live Video Stream of the Blessed Sacrament
- Paragraph 1376 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church
- EWTN - The Holy Eucharist - Easy yet comprehensive website with Catholic Teaching on the Eucharist]
- www.PortugueseFeast.com New Bedford's Feast of the Blessed Sacrament
- Melkite Greek Catholic Rite of Benediction
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