Eucharist

Jesus is substantially present—body, blood, soul, and divinity—in Holy Communion. People may misunderstand and believe that the Eucharist is only a symbol of the body and blood of Christ. It is much more than that.

 

Catholics often refer to this as the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. Think of the Real Presence as the core of what the Eucharist is: in other words, its “substance.” In addition, after the consecration, look at the bread and wine as external characteristics or “accidents” that visibly endure without change; aspects like color, size, shape, or any other observable feature.

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In offering the Sacrament of the Eucharist, the substance of bread and wine change into the body and blood of Christ, while the accidents (taste, appearance, etc.) remain unchanged.