At the Last Supper, on the night he was betrayed, our Savior instituted the Eucharistic sacrifice of his Body and Blood. This he did in order to perpetuate the sacrifice of the cross throughout the ages until he should come again, and so to entrust to his beloved Spouse, the Church, a memorial of his death and resurrection: a sacrament of love, a sign of unity, a bond of charity, a Paschal banquet 'in which Christ is consumed, the mind is filled with grace, and a pledge of future glory is given to us. (Catechism of the Catholic Church #1285)
The Eucharist (Mass) is the heart and soul of our worship of God. It is the source and summit of all we do as members of the Church. Because of its importance, the Church places a serious obligation on all its members to take part in the Mass each Sunday and on Holy Days. We are at our best as Catholics when we gather to celebrate the Eucharist.
We gather each Sunday because Jesus himself during the Last Supper instructed his friends to come together in memory of him. During the Eucharist the blessed bread and wine become the sacramental presence of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ.
The Mass is also referred to as a sacrifice. The Old Testament tells us how the people sacrificed objects to God. Jesus offered himself as a sacrifice to God the Father for the forgiveness of our sins. Jesus promised us that "when we eat this bread and drink this cup", he would continue his great sacrifice until he comes again.
The Mass is a memorial. It helps us to remember. We remember through the readings at Mass, the great deeds that God has done for His people. We remember most, the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Himself.
The Mass is a sacred meal. Eucharist is a Greek word meaning "Thanksgiving". In the Mass we give thanks for all that God has done for us. In this sacred meal, we believe that Jesus life, death, and resurrection are continued for all of us through our celebration of this Holy meal, begun at the last supper.
At St. James the Eucharist is celebrated on for Sunday on Saturday evenings at 5:30 pm and on Sundays at 7:30 am, 9:00 am, 10:30 am, 12:00 pm and 5:30 pm. The Eucharist is celebrated daily Monday to Friday at 6:30 am and 8:00 am and Saturdays at 8:00 am. St. James publishes on its website special Liturgical schedules for the Season of Lent and Holy Days
