Do We ‘Receive’ the Eucharist or ‘Take’ It?

Question:

Answer:

The Eucharistic institution narratives in the New Testament record that Christ directed his disciples to “take” his body and the cup of his blood (cf. Matt. 26:26-28, Mark 14:22-23). Using the word take in reference to Communion is not wrong. Even so, traditional Catholic piety has encouraged use of the word receive to emphasize that Communion is a gift from Christ to the individual Catholic. Both terms are correct.