What is the history of the eucharist?

Answer 1

Early Christians kept the Passover in memory of Christ's sacrifice. The Christian Passover consisted of eating unleavened bread and some wine. These symbols, that represented the body of Christ and the new covenant in his blood, remained a part of the ceremony, even though the Roman Catholic Church ceased observing the biblical Passover sometime in the second or third century.

Answer 2

It was celebrated at the Last Supper.

19And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me." 20In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you. 21But the hand of him who is going to betray me is with mine on the table. 22The Son of Man will go as it has been decreed, but woe to that man who betrays him." 23They began to question among themselves which of them it might be who would do this. Luke 22:19-20

Answer 3

The Eucharist was instituted at the Last Supper when Jesus "took bread, and when he had given thanks he broke it and gave it to them, saying 'This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.' And likewise the chalice after supper, saying, 'This chalice which is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood'" (Luke 22:19-20).

Catholics believe that when we receive the Eucharist, we are receiving the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, just as the apostles did at the Last Supper. We believe that the Holy Spirit works through the priest to transform the bread and wine into the Body and Blood. We believe this because first of all, Jesus said "This IS my body" and "This IS my blood," not "This bread symbolizes my body" and "This wine is an analogy for my blood." He also told us to remember Him by doing as He did. Also, in John 6, Jesus said, "I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh. The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, 'How can this man give us his flesh to eat?' So Jesus said to them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you; he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him" (John 6:51-56).

In the Greek language, there are two different words for body - soma and sarx. If you go back to the Greek text of The Bible, the word used for body in the Last Supper accounts is soma. Soma simply means body or flesh. However, in John 6, the term used is not soma, but sarx. The most accurate definition of sarx is flesh, or meat. Also, the word for "eat" in the Greek text is trogon, which means to gnaw or chew. So what Jesus is saying in John 6, is that if we don't gnaw or chew on His physical flesh or the meat of his body, we will not have eternal life. Those are strong words.

Many people have another objection to the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist because they think that we are re-crucifying Christ when it was meant to be one sacrifice. However, Christ is not re-crucified at Mass. It is impossible for Christ to be sacrificed more than once. Therefore, Christ offers Himself as a perpetual sacrifice to the Father. In Hebrews 9, "Moses is described as taking the blood of calves and goats and using it in the purification of the tabernacle (Heb. 9:19--21; see Ex. 24:6--8 for the origins of this). Under the Old Law, a repeated blood sacrifice was necessary for the remission of sins. Under the Christian dispensation, blood (Christ's) is shed only once, but it is continually offered to the Father.

"'But how can that be?' ask Fundamentalists. They have to keep in mind that 'Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and for ever' (Heb. 13:8). What Jesus did in the past is present to God now, and God can make the sacrifice of Calvary present to us at Mass. 'For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes' (1 Cor. 11:26).

"Jesus does not offer himself to God as a bloody, dying sacrifice in the Mass, but as we offer ourselves, a 'living sacrifice' (Rom. 12:1). As this passage indicates, the offering of sacrifice does not require death or the shedding of blood. If it did, we could not offer ourselves as living sacrifices to God. Jesus, having shed his blood once for all on the cross, now offers himself to God in a continual, unbloody manner as a holy, living sacrifice on our behalf " (link added).

Answer 4

The Eucharist was instituted by Christ at the Last Supper. You may recall the phrase, "Do this in memory of me." Sacramental churches, like the Roman Catholic & Eastern Orthodox, regard those words as a divine imperative, and regard communion with the Body & Blood of Christ as essential to salvation. Eucharist was practiced from the earliest days of the Christian Church, and was even noted by non-Christians in a round-about way. Early pagan authors accused Christians of practicing cannibalism in their rites, due to a misinformed understanding of the liturgy of the Eucharist ('take this and eat it, this is my body, etc').

Answer 5

Christ wanted us to have a simple way to bring Him and His teachings into our lives. "Do this in remembrance of me," he said at the Last Supper, the night before he died. We celebrate the Eucharist to honor Christ and acknowledge Him as our Lord and Savior.

Answer 6

It's an extension of the symbolism of the Last Supper.

Answer 7

the Eucharist began at the Last Supper before Jesus was about to die

Answer 8

AnswerChristians consider the Last Supper to be the first eucharist.This is believed to have occurred either 30 or 33 CE.

Answer 9

The Eucharist was instituted by Christ at the Last Supper