The Institution of the Eucharist
The Institution of the Eucharist is the fifth Luminous Mystery of the Rosary. At the Last Supper, Jesus gives his disciples his Body and Blood. His saving sacrifice is made present in the Eucharist, which the Church continues to celebrate. This decade is offered in thanksgiving and for deeper love of the Mass.
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Scripture
Matthew 26:26
As they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks for it, and broke it. He gave to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.”
Spiritual fruit: adoration
Christ gives himself to his disciples
At the Last Supper, Jesus takes bread and wine, gives thanks, and gives his disciples his Body and Blood. He commands them to do this in memory of him. The fifth Luminous Mystery brings us to the institution of the Eucharist, the sacrament through which the Church receives the abiding gift of Christ's presence and his saving sacrifice.
The Gospel accounts and Saint Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 11:23–26 witness to this gift. The Church confesses that Christ is truly, really, and substantially present under the appearances of bread and wine. At Mass, his one sacrifice on the Cross is made present sacramentally; it is not repeated as another sacrifice.
The fruit of adoration
Adoration begins with acknowledging who is before us. We receive the Lord with reverence and gratitude, aware that the gift exceeds what we can understand or earn. During this decade, ask for a deeper love of the Mass and for the grace to prepare well for Holy Communion. An examination of conscience helps us consider whether we are prepared to receive Communion and whether we should first seek sacramental confession.
Christ's gift also teaches us charity. Receiving his Body draws us into communion with him and with the Church. It calls us to care for one another, particularly those who are hungry or easily overlooked. The reverence we offer in worship should accompany the way we treat people when we leave the church. That care may begin with someone in the same parish whose needs have gone unnoticed.
Remaining with the Lord
This mystery is especially fitting during a visit to the Blessed Sacrament. In a church, the silence around the tabernacle can help us attend to Christ's presence. At home, the account of the Last Supper gives us the same words and actions to contemplate.