Eucharistic Quotes to Live By
A collection of quotes on the Blessed Eucharist also known as the Holy Communion or the Lord's Supper, from the ancient Church to the present Church with the same ancient understanding and authority.
I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that a man may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh. ~Jesus Christ (John 6:48-51 RSV)
So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you; he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats me will live because of me. This is the bread which came down from heaven, not such as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live for ever." (John 6:53-58 RSV)
Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, "Take, eat; this is my body." And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, "Drink of it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you I shall not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom." (Matthew 26:26-29 RSV)
I speak as to sensible men; judge for yourselves what I say. The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread. ~St. Paul of Tarsus (1 Corinthians 10:15-17 RSV)
For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, "This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me." In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a man examine himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For any one who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself. That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. ~St. Paul of Tarsus (1 Corinthians 11:23-30 RSV)
And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. ~St. Luke the Evangelist (Acts 2:42 RSV)
Let no one eat and drink of your Eucharist but those baptized in the name of the Lord; to this, too the saying of the Lord is applicable: 'Do not give to dogs what is sacred'. ~Didache 9:5
On the Lord's own day, assemble in common to break bread and offer thanks; but first confess your sins, so that your sacrifice may be pure. However, no one quarreling with his brother may join your meeting until they are reconciled; your sacrifice must not be defiled. For here we have the saying of the Lord: 'In every place and time offer me a pure sacrifice; for I am a mighty King, says the Lord; and my name spreads terror among the nations.' ~Didache 14
I have no taste for corruptible food nor for the pleasures of this life. I desire the bread of God, which is the Flesh of Jesus Christ, who was the seed of David; and for drink I desire His Blood, which is love incorruptible! ~St. Ignatius of Antioch (Letter to the Romans 7:3)
We call this food Eucharist, and no one else is permitted to partake of it, except one who believes our teaching to be true and who has been washed in the washing which is for the remission of sins and for regeneration and is thereby living as Christ enjoined. For not as common bread nor common drink do we receive these; but since Jesus Christ our Savior was made incarnate by the word of God and had both flesh and blood for our salvation, so too, as we have been taught, the food which has been made into the Eucharist by the Eucharistic prayer set down by him, and by the change of which our blood and flesh is nurtured, is both the flesh and the blood of that incarnated Jesus. ~St. Justin Martyr (First Apology 66 )
He has declared the cup, a part of creation, to be his own blood, from which he causes our blood to flow; and the bread, a part of creation, he has established as his own body, from which he gives increase unto our bodies. When, therefore, the mixed cup and the baked bread receives the Word of God and becomes the Eucharist, the body of Christ, and from these the substance of our flesh is increased and supported, how can they say that the flesh is not capable of receiving the gift of God, which is eternal life—flesh which is nourished by the body and blood of the Lord, and is in fact a member of him? ~St. Irenaeus of Lyon (Against Heresies 5:2)
Christ was carried in his own hands when, referring to his own body, he said, ‘This is my body’. For he carried that body in his hands. ~St. Augustine of Hippo (Explanations of the Psalms 33:1:10)
The Blessed Eucharist is the perfect Sacrament of the Lord’s Passion, since It contains Christ Himself and his Passion. ~St. Thomas Aquinas
God dwells in our midst, in the Blessed Sacrament of the altar. ~St. Maximillian Kolbe
Make frequent visits to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and the devil will be powerless against you. ~St. John Bosco
When you look at the crucifix you understand how much Jesus loved you then. When you look at the sacred host, you understand how much Jesus loves you now. ~Bl. Mother Teresa of Calcutta
Keep close to the Catholic Church at all times, for the Church alone can give you true peace, since she alone possesses Jesus, the true Prince of Peace, in the Blessed Sacrament. ~St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina
All the good works in the world are not equal to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass because they are the works of men; but the Mass is the work of God. Martyrdom is nothing in comparison for it is but the sacrifice of man to God; but the Mass is the sacrifice of God for man. ~St. John Mary Vianney
What wonderful majesty! What stupendous condescension! O sublime humility! That the Lord of the whole universe, God and the Son of God, should humble Himself like this under the form of a little bread, for our salvation. ~St. Francis of Assisi
If angels could be jealous of men, they would be so for one reason: Holy Communion. ~St. Maximillian Kolbe
I throw myself at the foot of the Tabernacle like a dog at the foot of his Master. If we could comprehend all the good things contained in Holy Communion, nothing more would be wanting to content the heart of man. The miser would run no more after his treasures, or the ambitious after glory; each would shake off the dust of the earth, leave the world, and fly away towards heaven. ~St. John Mary Vianney
He remains among us until the end of the world. He dwells on so many altars, though so often offended and profaned. ~St. Maximillian Kolbe
When we go before the Blessed Sacrament, let us open our heart; our good God will open His. We shall go to Him; He will come to us; the one to ask, the other to receive. It will be like a breath from one to the other. ~St. John Mary Vianney
The culmination of the Mass is not the consecration, but Communion. ~St. Maximillian Kolbe
God is as really present in the consecrated Host as He is in the glory of Heaven. ~St. Paschal Baylon
When I am before the Blessed Sacrament I feel such a lively faith that I can’t describe it. Christ in the Eucharist is almost tangible to me. When it is time for me to leave, I have to tear myself away from His sacred presence. ~St. Anthony Claret
Holy Communion is the shortest and safest way to heaven. ~Pope St. Pius X
Ours is the Spirit of the Eucharist, the total Gift of Self. ~St. Katharine Drexel
When you approach the tabernacle remember that he has been waiting for you for twenty centuries. ~St. Josemaria Escriva
With all the strength of my soul I urge you young people to approach the Communion table as often as you can. Feed on this bread of angels whence you will draw all the energy you need to fight inner battles. Because true happiness, dear friends, does not consist in the pleasures of the world or in earthly things, but in peace of conscience, which we have only if we are pure in heart and mind. ~Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati
O Jesus, You instituted this Sacrament, not through any desire to draw some advantage from it for Yourself, but solely moved by love which has no other measure than to be without measure. You instituted this Sacrament because Your love exceeds all words. Burning with love for us, You desired to give Yourself to us and took up Your dwelling in the consecrated Host, entirely and forever, until the end of time. And You did this, not only to give us a memorial of Your death which is our salvation, but You did it also, to remain with us entirely and forever. ~St. Angela of Foligno
Ask Jesus to make you a saint. After all, only He can do that. Go to confession regularly and to Communion as often as you can. ~St. Dominic Savio
The Eucharist is a fire which inflames us. ~St. John Damascene
Out of the darkness of my life, so much frustrated, I put before you the one great thing to love on earth: the Blessed Sacrament. There you will find romance, glory, honour, fidelity, and the true way of all your loves on earth. ~J.R.R. Tolkien
While all the sacraments confer grace, the Eucharist contains the author of grace, Jesus Christ Himself. ~Fr. John Hardon, S.J.
The greatest love story of all time is contained in a tiny white host. ~Archbishop Fulton Sheen
Our own belief is that the renovation of the world will be brought about only by the Holy Eucharist. ~Pope Leo XIII
The happiness you have a right to enjoy has a name and a face: it is Jesus of Nazareth, hidden in the Eucharist. ~Pope Benedict XVI
When the bee has gathered the dew of heaven and the earth's sweetest nectar from the flowers, it turns it into honey, then hastens to its hive. In the same way, the priest, having taken from the altar the Son of God (who is as the dew from heaven, and true son of Mary, flower of our humanity), gives him to you as delicious food. ~St. Francis de Sales
It is not to remain in a golden ciborium that He comes down each day from Heaven, but to find another Heaven, the Heaven of our soul in which He takes delight. ~St. Therese of Lisieux
"Rabbi, where are you staying?" Each day the Church responds: Christ is present in the Eucharist, in the sacrament of His death and resurrection. In and through the Eucharist, you acknowledge the dwelling-place of the Living God in human history. For the Eucharist is the Sacrament of the Love which conquers death. It is the Sacrament of the Covenant, pure Gift of Love for the reconciliation of all humanity. It is the gift of the Real Presence of Jesus The Redeemer, in the bread which is His Body given up for us, in the wine which is His Blood poured out for all. Thanks to the Eucharist, constantly renewed among all peoples of the world, Christ continues to build His church: He brings us together in praise and thanksgiving for salvation, in the communion which only infinite love can forge. Our worldwide gathering now takes on its fullest meaning, through the celebration of the Mass. Dear young friends, may your presence here mean a true commitment in faith! For Christ is now answering your own question and the questions of all those who seek the Living God. He answers by offering an invitation: This is My Body, take It and eat. To the Father He entrusts His supreme desire: that all those whom He loves may be one in the same communion. Bl. Pope John Paul II (World Youth Day homily on Sunday, August 24, 1997 in Paris, France)
Since Christ Himself has said, "This is My Body" who shall dare to doubt that It is His Body? ~St. Cyril of Jerusalem
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