Eucharist
Religious Studies A: AQA GCSE Religions, topic 2.3.6
The Eucharist
Most Christians consider the Eucharist to be a sacrament, a special means of receiving God’s grace instituted by Jesus. It has various names among different Christian Churches, including the Eucharist, Holy Communion, the Divine Liturgy (in some Orthodox Churches), and the Mass.
Origins
- The Last Supper is the origin of the Christian celebration of the Eucharist, which the early Church celebrated as ‘the breaking of bread’ (Acts 2:42).
- At the Last Supper Jesus took bread and wine, blessed them, shared them with his disciples saying that they should do the same in his memory (Luke 22:19).
- The word Eucharist comes from the Greek and means ‘thanksgiving’ because the Gospels record that Jesus ‘gave thanks’ at the Last Supper.
Sunday
- Over time this celebration was particularly associated with ‘the Lord’s Day’, Sunday, the day set aside for Christians to unite in celebration of Jesus’ resurrection.
- Today, some Churches only celebrate the Eucharist on a Sunday, but Catholic parishes, for example, celebrate the Mass almost every day.
- For the Christian Churches that celebrate the Eucharist, it has become the principal weekly gathering of the Church community.
Components
- Over the centuries, the way in which the Eucharist is celebrated has changed and has become more elaborate in many circles.
- The celebration can often include hymns and processions, and a rite of penance.
- Usually, they will include prayers, as well as readings from and reflections on the Bible.
Communion
- The central element is when the priest or minister takes the bread and wine and blesses it with the words spoken by Jesus at The Last Supper.
- Usually, all the Christians present will receive the bread and wine in an act called communion, because it unites the people with Christ and with each other.
Differing Beliefs Around the Eucharist
Different Churches within Christianity have differing beliefs about the Eucharist and what it resembles, particularly with regard to the Real Presence and Mass.
The Real Presence
- In the Catholic Church, there is the belief that the bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ, the Real Presence, in a miracle called ‘transubstantiation’.
- The Real Presence is also accepted by the Orthodox Churches, though they do not refer to the miracle as ‘transubstantiation’.
- Protestant Churches reject belief in the Real Presence and believe that the bread and wine represent or symbolise the presence of Christ.
Mass
- Catholics and Orthodox Christians also refer to the Eucharist as the Sacrifice of the Mass, believing that the Mass is a renewal of the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.
- This was also rejected by Protestants who teach that Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross was a single saving event that cannot be repeated and does not need to be repeated.
Sharing between Churches
- Due to these different beliefs, not all Christian Churches share communion with all fellow Christians.
- Catholics, for example, do not give communion to Protestants who do not believe in the Real Presence as Catholic theology argues that sharing in communion should be a sign of a shared belief.
- Many Protestant Churches believe Jesus intended his followers to share communion as a way of uniting them.
Ceremonies
- Because of these different interpretations, the Eucharist is sometimes celebrated with great reverence and ceremony, and sometimes just as a simple re-enactment of the ‘Lord’s Supper’ with minimal ceremony.
- Some Christians, such as the Quakers, do not perform sacramental ceremonies such as the Eucharist, believing that the sacraments are an inward spiritual experience.
Test yourself on Eucharist
Which of the following is NOT a name used for the Eucharist?
What is the central part of the Eucharist?
The Catholic Church believes that during the Eucharist, the bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ. What's this miracle called?
Which Christian Church does not perform sacramental ceremonies (such as the Eucharist) because they believe that the sacraments are an inward spiritual experience?