Catechism of the Catholic Church (1992)
No. 1336:
The first announcement of the Eucharist divided the
disciples, just as the announcement of the Passion scandalized them: “This
is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” The Eucharist and the Cross are
stumbling blocks. It is the same mystery and it never ceases to be an
occasion of division. “Will you also go away?”: the Lord’s question echoes
through the ages, as a loving invitation to discover that only he has “the
words of eternal life” and that to receive in faith the gift of his Eucharist is
to receive the Lord himself.
No. 1339:
Jesus chose the time of Passover to fulfil what he had
announced at Capernaum: giving his disciples his Body and his Blood:
Then came the day of Unleavened Bread, on which the passover
lamb had to be sacrificed. So Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go
and prepare the passover meal for us, that we may eat it...”. They
went ... and prepared the passover. And when the hour came, he sat
at table, and the apostles with him. And he said to them, “I have
earnestly desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer; for I
tell you I shall not eat it again until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of
God.” … And he took bread, and when he had given thanks he broke
it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body which is given for
you. Do this in remembrance of me.” And likewise the cup after
supper, saying, “This cup which is poured out for you is the New
Covenant in my blood.”
No. 1345:
As early as the second century we have the witness of St.
Justin Martyr for the basic lines of the order of the Eucharistic celebration.
They have stayed the same until our own day for all the great liturgical
families. St. Justin wrote to the pagan emperor Antoninus Pius (138-161)
around the year 155, explaining what Christians did:
On the day we call the day of the sun, all who dwell in the city or
country gather in the same place. The memoirs of the apostles and
the writings of the prophets are read, as much as time permits. When
the reader has finished, he who presides over those gathered
admonishes and challenges them to imitate these beautiful things.
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