For Catholics, the Eucharist is the heart, soul and mind of the Church.  It is the source of unity, identify, and purpose and, without the Eucharist, the Church cannot exist.  

We gather to celebrate the Eucharist so that we become what we receive -- the Body of Christ.  Our belief in the "Eucharist, the body and blood, together with the soul and divinity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and, therefore, the whole Christ is truly, really and substantially contained," (The Catholic Catechism -- paragraph 1374) forms us as a Church, nourishing and sustaining us as a community of faith.  All of the sacraments, and indeed all of the spiritual works of the Church, are centered around this basic belief.

Our difference, then, with the Protestant Faith is not simply one of semantics, or just a different way of viewing Holy Communion.  While we share a common faith in God and in Jesus, our religious practice, and hence our theology, differ greatly.  

While some churches see the Eucharist as something to be done, we see it as something we are. 

Some churches reserve the Eucharist for special occasions, while we reserve it for every day.  

Others see it as a symbol of Christ's Presence, while we see it as His Real Presence.

Finally, many churches see it as the first step toward unity, while Catholics see it as the final goal and sign of unity.  

Our primary difference, then, is the Eucharist, because it defines who we are.

SOURCE:  En Theos; Enthusiasm for the Faith.  Week 49/year C. Father James Gaffney, Pottsville, Pa.