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Eucharist (Koinē Greek: εὐχαριστία, romanized: eucharistía, lit. 'thanksgiving')[1] is the name that Catholic Christians give to the sacrament by which, according to their belief, the body and blood of Christ are present in the bread and wine consecrated during the Catholic eucharistic liturgy, generally known as the Mass.[2] The definition of the Eucharist in the 1983 Code of Canon Law as the sacrament where Christ himself “is contained, offered, and received” points to the three aspects of the Eucharist according to Catholic theology: the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist, Holy Communion, and the holy sacrifice of the Mass.[3]
The name Eucharist comes from the Greek word eucharistia which means 'thanksgiving" and which refers to the accounts of the last supper in Matthew 26:26–28, Mark 14:22–24, Luke 22:19–20 and 1 Corinthians 11:23–29, all of which narrate that Jesus "gave thanks" as he took the bread and the wine.[2]
The term Mass refers to the act by which the sacrament of the Eucharist comes into being, while the term Holy Communion refers to the act by which the Eucharist is received.[2]
Blessed Sacrament is a devotional term used in the Catholic Church to refer to the Eucharistic species (consecrated sacramental bread and wine).[4] Consecrated hosts are kept in a tabernacle after Mass, so that the Blessed Sacrament can be readily brought to the sick and dying outside the time of Mass.[5] This also enables the devotional practice of eucharistic adoration.[5]