Holy Eucharist is the third mystery of Christian Initiation. The newly baptized, born with Christ and filled with the Holy Spirit, receives the Body and Blood of Christ as nourishment. While Baptism and Chrismation are received only once, Holy Communion is received throughout one’s life because in and through this Mystery, the Christian grows in the grace received in Baptism and Chrismation.
Lessons from the Catechism of the Ukrainian Catholic Church
“The Mystery of the Eucharist (Holy Communion) is the third of the Mysteries of Christian Initiation. In the Eucharist the newly baptized, who was born in Christ and filled with the Holy Spirit, receives the communion of the Body and Blood of Christ at the holy Eucharistic table. But unlike Baptism and Chrismation, which we receive only once, we receive the Mystery of the Eucharist throughout our lives, since it is through this Mystery that we grow in the grace received in Baptism and Chrismation – the grace to be sons and daughters of God. For this reason our Church offers Communion to the newly baptized.” (431)
“The Holy Eucharist most fully manifests and creates our communion both with God and with others. All who have communion with Christ become ‘one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another’ (Rom 12:5). In other words, we become one Church. ‘Because there is one [Eucharistic] bread, we who are many are one body [of Christ], for we all partake of the one bread’ (1 Cor 10:17). We profess this same truth in the Anaphora of Saint Basil the Great when we ask God to ‘unite all of us who share in this one bread and cup with one another into the communion of the one Holy Spirit.’ Saint John of Damascus teaches:
‘Participation is spoken of; for through it we partake of the divinity of Jesus. Communion, too, is spoken of, and it is an actual communion, because through it we have communion with Christ and share in his flesh and his divinity: [at same time] we have communion and are united with one another through it. For since we partake of one bread, we all become one body of Christ and one blood, and members one of another, being of one body with Christ.'” (433)
Eucharist at Our Parish
Unlike the Holy Mysteries of Baptism and Chrismation which are only received once, Holy Eucharist may be received by the faithful regularly after their Christian Initiation. In our Church, we commune faithful, practicing Catholics who are properly disposed to receive the Most Holy Eucharist.
The Divine Liturgy is celebrated every Sunday morning, on Major Feast days, and on various other feasts and weekdays. Please consult the Parish Calendar or Current Bulletin for exact dates and times.
During the Great Fast, one may receive the Eucharist every Wednesday evening at the Divine Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts.
For those who are sick or shut-ins, one of the priests is always ready and willing to visit and bring the Holy Eucharist to those who cannot come to Church to receive the Eucharist.