Communion is the verb (being a part of Communion or being in Communion with the saints) while the Eucharist is the noun (the person of Jesus Christ). The Holy Eucharist refers to the Body and Blood of Christ itself, the Real Presence of Jesus created from the bread and wine during the Mass.

In John 6:53-54, Jesus tells us that unless one eats his body and drink his blood, we have no life. “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.” He adds in John 6:54-56 that his body is food and his blood, a drink.

It was a deliberate act of tying the Passover story from the Book of Exodus to the Crucifixion, and the shed blood of the passover lamb being painted on the lintels of the Hebrews’ doors, to Jesus “…the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” and his sacrifice at the time of passover.

In other words, only those who are united in the same beliefs — the seven sacraments, the authority of the pope, and the teachings in the Catechism of the Catholic Church — are allowed to receive Holy Communion.

Most Protestant churches practise open communion, although many require that the communicant be a baptized Christian. The official policy of the Episcopal Church is to only invite baptized persons to receive communion. However, many parishes do not insist on this and practise open communion.

So, if you miss mass you are in a state of sin and must go to confessions before receiving communion. You can still attend mass without confession but you cannot receive communion until going to confession. Yes, you certainly can. Yes, you should get up and go to mass and take communion.

In churches that celebrate First Communion, it typically occurs between the ages of seven and thirteen, often acting as a rite of passage.