Christians generally see it as obeying Christ's call to "Do this in remembrance of me" (see 1 Cor 11: 23-26). Different denominations present a range of interpretations of the meaning of the Eucharist. For some Protestant churches the bread and wine only symbolize the body and blood of an omnipresent Christ Jesus while other Protestants accept the [[real presence]] no less than the Catholic churches do. The [[Roman Catholic Church]] also believes that the bread and wine will be literally transformed into the body and blood of Jesus during the Mass (see [[transubstantiation]]). A few Christians don't participate in any taking of the Communion elements because they feel no need for sacraments (sometimes termed "ordinances") at all.
The rite itself varies depending on which church, format and book of the Bible is being referenced. There has been some disagreement since the beginning of the Church. Some churches use wine in their Communion services, and some use [[grape]] juice.<ref>Traditionally those churches and denominations which oppose alcoholic beverage consumption by its members will use grape juice; [[Baptist]]s being the most well-known of such groups.</ref>. The [[Mormon]] church uses [[water]].
The people in certain churches take the bread and wine while sitting in the pews; in others, they receive communion before the altar or holy table in the front of the church. The body of Christ has its own feast day known as Corpus Christi, and churches and other institutions can be dedicated to it instead of a [[saint]]; examples are Corpus Christi College in [[Cambridge]] and Corpus Christi, [[Texas]].<ref>The United States Navy Department generated a storm of controversy when it proposed "Corpus Christi" (Latin "Body of Christ") as the name for a newly commissioned, nuclear-armed, attack submarine, apparently intending the name in honor of the [[Corpus Christi|city in Texas]], originally dedicated to God in the 16th century by Christian monks and missionaries who established a church and a mission there. After much debate and discussion and protest from Roman Catholic Bishops and Catholics in general, and some intercession by Representatives and Senators in the United States Congress, and the State Department in discussions with the [[Holy See|Vatican]], President [[Ronald Reagan]] in 1984 revised the name of this military submarine to "''USS City of Corpus Christi''", which laid the controversy to rest.
This sacrament is rarely, if ever, referred to as the "Eucharist" in most Protestant churches. Among Orthodox, Catholic, and Anglican churches the term is common. "Eucharist" comes from the [[Greek]] word meaning "giving thanks." The central theme is one of being grateful to God for His gift of His Son Jesus and for Jesus' sacrificial death on the cross for our sins. It also may be related to the 3rd cup of wine drunk immediately after the Passover Seder dinner, although it is a matter of dispute among Christians whether or not Jesus followed this part of the Passover during his "'''[[Last Supper]]'''."
The following is the basic Eucharistic [[theology]] of the Catholic and Orthodox churceschurches, East or West, Latin, Greek, or Aramaic:
The foreservice of the Eucharist consists mainly of Scripture readings according to a lectionary of Scripture. This practice came into the Church through the Synagogual Synagogue reading of the Law of Moses (Torah) and the Prophets (Haftorah). Beginning with the early Church, the "memoires of the Apostles" or Gospels were added along with a recitation from the Psalms, as in the synagogues. In the era of
the early Church, but no longer, those who had not yet been baptized left the building, and the Eucharist was celebrated by the baptized believers.
These churches believe that their Eucharists are not only a fulfillment and continuation of what the Lord did and commanded at the [[Last Supper]], but also as a continuation and fulfillment of those events in the Gospels that portray this fourfold pattern and mention it. Christ took the bread and blessed it while looking to heaven. The miracle takes place. Also, the Lord was seen in the "breaking" of the bread at Emmaus.
In the Catholic and Orthodox Eucharist then, the priest takes the bread, and he follows that with a blessing. These churches believe that here the priest (who also gives the Word and pastors the people) stands in the place of Christ, ''[[in persona Christi]]'', as His representative ambassador. <ref>2 Corinthians 5:18-20</ref> That is, it is not the table of the priest or even of the people; it is the table of Christ. It is Christ who stretches out his hands to invite the people to the banquet. Christ Himself is the host of the banquet. This is the mind-set of the priest, who is termed "the Celebrant." Here is to be noted a double understanding of the priest. He also is believed to represent the people to the Lord. But the priest is not of the order of the Aaronic priesthood; he is a member of Christ the Head who is understood to be thatHigh Priest after the order of Melchizedek (Hebrews 4:14–10:14). The Priest then says the Eucharistic prayer. He is representing all the people assembled. This is the Thanksgiving proper. Thanksgiving is made for Creation and sustenance and protection, but the core of the thanksgiving in all the liturgies is grateful thanks for the giving by the Father of His Son, and grateful thanks for the willing sacrifice of Himself that Jesus performed. Then the prayer of thanksgiving settles on the words of Jesus spoken when he instituted the Eucharist at the Last Supper. That is, Jesus commanded that something be done. He is recorded in the Gospel as saying, "Do this!...."
These churches stand apart from the rest of Christianity in believing that Jesus meant that he was giving his literal, physical self under the appearance of bread and wine. "This is my body which is given for you...This is the cup of my blood, the blood of the New Covenent which is poured out for you, and for many...." These words—when recited by the priest ''[[in persona Christi]]''—are called the Words of Institution, and they are one of the two "essentials" of the Eucharist. One essential is the prayer of calling for the sanctifying Holy Spirit (the Invocation) upon both the elements of bread and wine that they
will become, for the people, the body and blood of Jesus and, also, that the people will be made worthy to make a "fruitful" communion.
What takes place at the Eucharist is understood to be two-fold: ''one'', there is a line of development of Old Testament teachings , and''two'', for the other, a certain view of the intent of the Gospels. The bread and the wine not only signify the willing sacrifice of the Lord for the sins of the whole world, a perception shared with most Protestant churches, but they are considered "signs of the covenant", in Hebrew<big>'''ה֪אֹתֹ֧תַ הבּרִית'''</big>, ''Otot haBrit''. <ref>'''ה֪אֹתֹ֧תַ הבּרִית''', ''Otot haBrit'', literally "This is the covenant". <br> [https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/Sign_of_the_Cross_(Conservative_point_of_View) Sign of the Cross (Conservative point of View) (religion.wikia.org)]</ref> Like the Signs of the Covenant in the Old Testament, they are primarily for the eyes of God. This differs from the approach of the Protestant churches of the Baptistic Baptist and Holiness traditions which understand the Lord's Ssupper Supper to be merely "pedagogic", that is, a symbolic reminder to the people of what Christ has done for us on the cross, and a call for them to evaluate their lives in view of Christ's great sacrifice on the cross.
According to Catholic teaching, the people of the Lord are lifting up the signs of the Covenant to heaven itself. [[Sign]]s are different from [[symbol]]s. A sign is a visible evidence of a present reality, as smoke is a sign of the presence of fire, while a symbol is merely a conventionalized representation of an idea, as a stop sign represents a law governing traffic regulation for safety. Heaven (God) looks down and sees the signs, sees the faith of the people that are under the sign, sees them taking refuge in what the signs representliterally signify, so that the people are found safe under the wings of God's grace and mercy. The signs of the New Covenant are thus analogous to the Old Covenant signs that God looked upon—the blood of the lamb at the first Passover which was placed on the doorposts and lintel by the people who believed, which was seen by the angel, and so the people were spared, and they ate of the sacrifice; the circumcision of the Israelites at eight days of age, which Moses neglected to do for his own son, and was spared only because of the faithful love and determination of his wife who did the job for him; and the rainbow in the skies, which, when God would look at, he would remember His promise to spare the earth from more destruction by water as in the days of Noah. These are all echoes of the Jewish "Remembrance" prayers from the time of Jesus and thus provide the setting for the celebration of the Eucharist.
Aside from the setting up of the sign of the New Covenant, there is the other of the two-fold understandings of what takes place at the Catholic Eucharist:
Taking their cues from the sixth chapter of the Gospel of John where Jesus speaks about eating His body and drinking His blood, Catholics believe that Jesus meant to refer to the Eucharist and in a literal, not a metaphorical, way. The body and blood are presented to the people at the time of communion. How this is done differs according to which church body is in question.
The Roman Catholic church, influenced by Aristotle through the writings of Thomas Aquinus, has adopted the understanding and belief that there is nothing any longer of the [[substance ]], the essential reality of what is under the physical matter, the material forms, of bread and wine after the Celebrant's words are spoken over them, that the substance substances of bread and wine as food from wheat and grapes are no longer extantas food but are the substances of the essential reality of the flesh and blood and soul and divinity of the whole Person of Jesus Christ true God and true man. The As the bodies of human beings transform the physical matter of food and drink into human flesh and blood and bone within a few hours, so Jesus Christ directly transforms the essence of bread and wine immediately into his own Person. However, the "accidents"—the taste, smell, and feel of bread and wine—remain, however([[Transubstantiation]], [[Real presence]]). He gives himself as food to his people, that they may ''partake'' of his own divine nature.<ref>2 Peter 1:3-4.</ref> They partake of the single sacrifice of reparation and worship offered by Jesus in the Upper Room and on the Cross as the Jews partake of the sacrifice of the Passover lamb. This is why the priest at the elevation of the [[Host (Communion)|Host]] says, "Behold the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world."
The In contrast to the formulation of the Catholic doctrine of transubstantiation, the Orthodox believe otherwise, holding that the words of Christ ("This [is] my body; This [is] my blood") indicate what happens, but without any need for an explanation of the mechanics of the miraculous change. It is quite simply and most profoundly an ineffable [[Orthodox Mysteries|mystery]], to be accepted on the authority of Christ Jesus himself. What both of these churches agree upon here is the belief that the worship service offers a sacrifice. They assert that any offering is acceptable to God, even the offering of Christ himself in Christian worship, and that this understanding is supported by the Book of Hebrews.
==See also==
*[[Christianity]]
*[[Christian mysteries]]
*[[Orthodox Mysteries]]
*[[Eucharistic miracles]]
*[[Sign of the Cross]]
*[[The Sign of the Cross: of Jewish Origin]]