Eucharist

Holy Communion is God's gift of Himself to us. As Catholics, we believe that the bread and wine at Mass are changed into Christ's Body and Blood. This change is known as "Transubstantiation". The whole substance of bread and wine is changed into the whole substance of Christ's Body and Blood, while the appearance of bread and wine remain.

As Catholics, we believe that God grants us a sharing in Himself through our reception of His Body and Blood at Mass. In order to receive Holy Communion, our souls should be in a state of grace, free from the corruption of mortal sin. Anyone not in the state of grace should go to Reconciliation before receiving the Body and Blood of Christ.

We are invited to share in the Eucharistic meal every time we attend Mass and are in a state of grace. Those who are not Catholic are invited to receive a blessing from the minister of Communion.

While Communion is a sacrament each and every time we receive the Body and Blood of Christ, the reception of First Holy Communion is considered a special and sacred event.

Children enrolled in our Religious Education program will typically receive their First Holy Communion during their second year of enrollment, but not before second grade. For more information about our Religious Education program, visit our Religious Education K-5 page.

Adults seeking the sacrament of First Holy Communion should be enrolled in our RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation) program. Visit our RCIA page for more information.

Adoration is the reverence of Christ in the presence of the Consecrated Host. Consecrated Hosts are normally reserved in the Tabernacle. During Adoration, the Consecrated Host is placed in a special monstrance and the faithful are invited to spend time in prayer and adoration before the physical presence of God. Many special and unique blessings come from spending time in prayer before the Eucharistic Presence.

Here at St. Gabriel, we have Eucharistic Adoration every Monday evening and on first Fridays. On Monday evenings, we rotate between English Adoration from 7-8pm and Spanish Adoration from 6:30-8pm. All are invited to join us, the English Adoration is typically held in silence while the Spanish Adoration is a time of communal prayer. On first Fridays, Benediction and Adoration is held following our 12:10pm Mass. The Eucharist remains exposed until 3pm for a time of quiet prayer and adoration. All are invited to join us.