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The Liturgy of the Eucharist is the core of the Mass and the heart of Catholic belief. Monetary gifts of the faithful as well as the sacrificial gifts of the bread and wine are brought to the altar; the priest and the participants speak a series of formal prayers, including a communal recitation of the Lord's Prayer; believers exchange a sign of peace among themselves in the form of a greeting or a handshake; and the entire community watches the transformation of the bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ, which believers then receive into their own bodies. This transformation from the simple elements of bread and wine into the physical presence of the divine is called transubstantiation and is a point of mystery and wonder for Catholics.
