What is the meaning of Eucharist in the Catholic Church? The Greek origin of the word Eucharist is eucharistia, which means "thanksgiving." The term comes from the Last Supper when Jesus took the bread, broke it, and gave thanks (eucharistia) saying, "This is my body, which is given up for you." When we celebrate the Mass, we recall all we have to be thankful for as a human race and as individual people. We thank God for his creation, his redemption, and his presence in our lives. We thank God f