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The pattern of the service follows certain "cues" preserved in the Gospels and elsewhere that provide a key to understanding those portions of Scriptures. The pattern is fourfold:

The pattern of the service follows certain "cues" preserved in the Gospels and elsewhere that provide a key to understanding those portions of Scriptures. The pattern is fourfold:

1. TAKING  the bread and the wine (the produce of our labor and hence, often accompanied with the "Offerings"  of our tithes and donations). In the Orthodox churches there is a prayerfull Preparation of the bread and wine before being brought to the altar.  

# TAKING  the bread and the wine (the produce of our labor and hence, often accompanied with the "Offerings"  of our tithes and donations). In the Orthodox churches there is a prayerfull Preparation of the bread and wine before being brought to the altar. <br />

 

# BLESSING the bread and wine, understood, as in Judaism,  as a blessing of the God who has given them to us. The blessing of God over the bread in Judaism sanctifies the bread taking it out of normal use, or, alternatively, bringing the "secular" into the arena of the divine. This Blessing is known as the Thanksgiving prayer proper. <br />

2. BLESSING the bread and wine, understood, as in Judaism,  as a blessing of the God who has given them to us. The blessing of God over the bread in Judaism sanctifies the bread taking it out of normal use, or, alternatively, bringing the "secular" into the arena of the divine. This Blessing is known as the Thanksgiving prayer proper.  

# BREAKING  or "Fraction" (meaning breaking) The Fraction both signifies that Jesus' body was broken for us on the hill of Calvary and it is the start of the breaking and giving to all the people in the congregation - as Jesus did on the hills of Galilee<br />  

 

# the COMMUNION  (that is, the distribution of the blessed Bread and Wine to the congregation). The term "Communion", here is reserved for this particular part of the service. In the Roman Catholic Church the blessed bread is usually unleavened, as was the Matzah of the Passover, perpetuating the link with Jewish practice, and for convenience, is usually small wafers. In the Orthodox Church, the bread is a loaf of bread (intermingled with the wine in the Chalice) following the symbolism of the Apostle Paul that as the loave is one, so we who partake are one.

3. BREAKING  or "Fraction" (meaning breaking) The Fraction both signifies that Jesus' body was broken for us on the hill of Calvary and it is the start of the breaking and giving to all the people in the congregation - as Jesus did on the hills of Galilee   

 

4. the COMMUNION  (that is, the distribution of the blessed Bread and Wine to the congregation). The term "Communion", here is reserved for this particular part of the service. In the Roman Catholic Church the blessed bread is usually unleavened, as was the Matzah of the Passover, perpetuating the link with Jewish practice, and for convenience, is usually small wafers. In the Orthodox Church, the bread is a loaf of bread (intermingled with the wine in the Chalice) following the symbolism of the Apostle Paul that as the loave is one, so we who partake are one.  

These Churches consider their Eucharists not only as a fullfilment and continuation of what the Lord did and commanded at the Last Supper, but also continuation and fulfillment of those events in the Gospels that portray this fourfold pattern and mentioning it  (when there is no need to) sometimes all four together. The Lord takes the bread (also the fish*), He blesses looking up to heaven, He breakes the bread (this is needed in order to put into the hands of the disciples who distribute to the people, but there is no need to mention it except for the link seen connecting the Lord's miracle in th4 Gospels with the Eucharist). And the miracle takes place. Also the Lord is known in the "breaking" of the bread at Emmaus. This shows that the people of New Testament formation times, understood that their actual practice of the Eucharist was an extension of the miracle supply that Jesus gave the people when He was earth. and that is why they held interest in these events causing the need to preserve them in the recounting of the events in the Gospels. In  similiar ways were their experiences at Church with the events related to Christs provision in the Gospels. .  

These Churches consider their Eucharists not only as a fullfilment and continuation of what the Lord did and commanded at the Last Supper, but also continuation and fulfillment of those events in the Gospels that portray this fourfold pattern and mentioning it  (when there is no need to) sometimes all four together. The Lord takes the bread (also the fish*), He blesses looking up to heaven, He breakes the bread (this is needed in order to put into the hands of the disciples who distribute to the people, but there is no need to mention it except for the link seen connecting the Lord's miracle in th4 Gospels with the Eucharist). And the miracle takes place. Also the Lord is known in the "breaking" of the bread at Emmaus. This shows that the people of New Testament formation times, understood that their actual practice of the Eucharist was an extension of the miracle supply that Jesus gave the people when He was earth. and that is why they held interest in these events causing the need to preserve them in the recounting of the events in the Gospels. In  similiar ways were their experiences at Church with the events related to Christs provision in the Gospels. .