"Each time we receive the body of  Christ and revel in that mystery, each time we allow the grace of the sacrament to change us, we become more able to change the world." - Celebration, November 2002 Issue

The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying "How can he give us his flesh to eat?" Thereupon Jesus said to them: Let me solemnly assure you, if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. He who feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has life eternal, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood real drink. The man who feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. Just as the Father who has life sent me and I have life because of the Father, so the man who feeds on me will have life because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and died nonetheless, the man who feeds on this bread shall live forever.

  [John 6:52-58]

As Catholics we  worship the Holy Eucharist in the liturgy of the Mass and express our faith in the real presence of Christ in the form of bread and wine.

The Eucharistic presence of Christ begins at the moment of the consecration and endures as long as the Eucharistic species subsist. Christ is present whole and entire in each of the species and whole and entire in each of their parts, in such a way that the breaking of the bread does not divide Christ.        [CCC 1377]

GUIDELINES FOR RECEIVING COMMUNION
(From the National Conference of Catholic Bishops)

For Catholics:
Catholics fully participate in the celebration of the Eucharist when they receive Holy Communion in fulfillment of Christ's command to eat His Body and drink His Blood. In order to be property disposed to receive Communion, communicants should not be conscious of grave sin, have fasted for an hour, and seek to live in charity and love with their neighbors. Persons conscious of grave sin must first be reconciled with God and the Church through the sacrament of Penance, A frequent reception of the sacrament of Penance is encouraged for all.

For Other Christians:
We welcome to this celebration of the Eucharist those Christians who are not fully united with us. It is a consequence of the sad divisions in Christianity that we cannot extend to them a general invitation to receive Communion, Catholics believe that the Eucharist is an action of the celebrating community signifying a oneness in faith, life, and worship of the community.  Reception of the Eucharist by Christians not fully united with us would imply a oneness which does not yet exist, and for which we must all pray.