When does the bread and wine really tranform at Mass?
The bread and wine offered at Mass are transformed by the power of God, at the words of the priest, into the true Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus. This transformation is referred to as transubstantiation, because the appearances remain those of bread and wine, but the substance has been changed. The moment when the bread is transformed is when the priest pronounces “This is my body” (Catechism paragraph 1375). Similarily, the wine is transformed when the priest pronounces “This is ….my blood”. This part of the Mass, within the Eucharistic Prayer, is referred to as the consecration.
