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Christian unity and fellowship
- The Eucharist is one of the most important sacraments in the Christian faith, central to Christian worship and practice. It represents the ongoing presence of Christ in the world. It serves as a powerful symbol of Christian unity and fellowship.
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Oct 15, 2024 · Eucharist, in Christianity, ritual commemoration of Jesus’ Last Supper with his disciples. The Eucharist (from the Greek eucharistia for “thanksgiving”) is the central act of Christian worship and is practiced by most Christian churches in some form.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Aug 14, 2023 · The Eucharist, also known as Holy Communion or the Sacrament of the Altar, holds deep significance in the Catholic and Christian faith. Central to this sacred ritual are a variety of symbols that carry profound meaning and embody the spiritual nourishment offered through the bread and wine.
In Catholic Tradition, the Eucharist is a sacrament— and sacrifice —of thanksgiving and communion. We gather at Mass and Holy Communion to express gratitude to Jesus for his sacrifice on the Cross, and to offer anew that one sacrifice under the forms of bread and wine.
Apr 14, 2023 · From the bread and wine to the chalice and the Lamb of God, the symbols of the Eucharist are profoundly significant and reflective of the essence of the Christian faith. Each element holds its meaning, giving us a deeper understanding of the sacrament’s significance.
- Wheat. Wheat is a cereal grain, its seeds are ground into flour and used as the main ingredient for bread, and Jesus is the Bread of Life. Sometimes wheat is represented by a single head of grain, other times by a shock or sheaf of wheat, a bunch of cut stalks bound together in a bundle.
- A Loaf of Bread. Bread is the staple food of physical life, and Eucharistic bread is the staple food of the spiritual life. At the Last Supper, Jesus took a loaf of unleavened bread and said, “Take and eat, this is my body” (Mt 26:26; Mk 14:22; Lk 22:19).
- A basket of loaves. When Jesus fed the five thousand, he began with a basket of five loaves (Mt 14:17; Mk 6:38; Lk 9:13; Jn 6:9), and when he fed the four thousand he began with a basket of seven (Mt 15:34; Mk 8:6).
- A Host. A host is a Communion wafer, a round piece of unleavened bread used for consecration and distribution at Mass. The term comes from the Latin word hostia, a sacrificial lamb.
Apr 24, 2023 · The Catholic Church has always understood the Eucharist both to employ “figures” or “symbols” and to be God’s instrument to communicate the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Christ, in his substantial reality, under the accidents or appearances of bread and wine to the people of God for their spiritual sustenance.
Is the Eucharist a symbol? The transformed bread and wine are truly the Body and Blood of Christ and are not merely symbols. When Christ said “This is my body” and “This is my blood,” the bread and wine are transubstantiated.
