Last Sunday, while attending my weekly Catholic Church service, I strived to analyze the ritualized service. I realized that a service itself is not just comprised of one ritual, but of multiple rituals that are guided by the purpose of ultimately salvaging one’s soul at any given moment by offering one’s time to God. Thus, I sought out to better understand one of the rituals present individually, which is the most important one (though they are all important) present in the service. Such ritual is the blessing of the bread and wine, and the reception of such blessed elements by the people in attendance. I chose to analyze this ritual, referred to as the miracle of Transubstantiation, for it indeed fulfills the goal of the Eucharist as a whole: providing salvation to the souls of the audience, which accentuates the importance of the ritual itself. Moreover, I chose this ritual because it carries a huge misconception, which is that the blessed bread and wine are symbolic of Jesus’s Flesh and Blood. As I learned in a Religion and Ethics class, Catholics believe that, while the priest blesses the elements of the ritual, the Holy Spirit descends upon the bread and wine, converting both the bread and wine to the actual Body and Blood of Jesus, which propels the bread and wine to lose their symbolic meanings. Such occurrence is called the miracle of Transubstantiation, and it is essential to the ritual, for it allows the individuals present to be salvaged by actually receiving
Having very traditional beliefs, the Catholic Church uses numerous different terms and practices that are not familiar with non-Catholics. Inside of the Discourse community, Catholics have set terms that are used widely to discuss different matters. For instances, the term “priest” is used to describe what others would typically call a “pastor.” In addition to the terms used, there are also rituals that are based on their traditional beliefs. The most drastic of them would be the Eucharist. This tradition is referred to by Catholics as “Holy Communion” and is referred to by protestants as “The Lord’s Supper.” Meg Kane described the differences by saying, “Catholics actually believe that the Eucharist is the body and blood of Christ. It has much more meaning behind it than other communion services.” (Kane). Drastically differing from other religions, Catholics believe that their priest was granted the ability by God to turn the bread and wine into the body and blood of Jesus Christ.
Apart from the three principals, the Eucharist sacrament was also elucidated by Luther with reference to consubstantiation. Consubstantiation refers to the assurance that Christ is indeed present in the Eucharist celebration. The belief is also similar to the transubstantiation doctrine. However, in the transubstantiation doctrine, it is believed that wine and bread factually change to the blood and body of Jesus Christ during the
Bishop James opened with the Penitential Rite that refers to the sins of everyone, and the Kyrie, Eleison meaning "Lord, have mercy" which is the form of an confession. Following he reads scriptures from the Bible relating to the scheduled topic. Standing firm in ones faith and identifying ones true identity was the focal point as Bishop James preached while quoting scriptures in the Old and New Testament. Additionally baskets were passed along for monetary offerings as the Mass prepared for the Liturgy of the Eucharist. During this ritual the Priest distributes bread and wine unto the Mass as the traditions of the early church used for the celebration of the Lord's Supper. The celebrant gives high praises to God for the sacrifice of Jesus in which the bread symbolizes the body of Christ and the wine as his blood. The rite concludes with a short prayer and ringing of bells at the Consecration, signifying the holiest moment of the Mass, a symbol of reverent rejoicing. Lastly the Mass ends with the priest blessing the congregation and sending us forth to spread the Word of God and put it into
Pius touched the lives of many individuals as he believed his presence on earth was a symbol of Jesus among us. He accepted many for their individuality and way of life. Pope Pius X believed all had the right to receive the Eucharist as one of the famous quotes reads "Frequent and daily communion, as a thing most earnestly desired by Christ our Lord and by the Catholic Church, should be open to all the faithful of whatever rank and condition of life so that no one who is in the state of grace and who approaches the Holy table with a right and devout intention can lawfully be hindered therefrom". According to the Vatican II the Eucharist is the " source of the summit of the Christian life. The Eucharist is believed by the Vatican to be the whole spiritual good of the church containing all the goodness we need in our lives. The breaking of the bread Symbolises blessing and
Okay people, try not to laugh too loud, but I thought the bread and wine were called sacraments. Now, I find out that to be politically correct, they are referred to as the elements of the sacrament. As a Baptist, the Lord’s Supper or Communion, which are ordinances, were not commonly referred to as a sacrament which is the religious ceremony.
One of the main themes of the service was based around the divine liturgy, which is the considered the primary worship of the church. The Devine Liturgy is read by a combination of the priest, bishop, choir, and the church community. It is from the liturgy that the offerings of the bread and wine come from along with other prayers. It teaches that the bread and the wine “truly become the body and blood if Jesus Christ” (Sorensen). The priest, or the deacon is the ones that prepare the Eucharist, also known as the “ritual meal of bread and wine” (“Orthodox Churches" 233) as “the body and blood of Christ” (“Orthodox Churches" 233). They combine both the bread and the wine and bless these gifts to become one. They are then put into a chalice, and fed to the community through a golden spoon. While observing the taking of communion I noticed that a red cloth was held under the gold cup by acolytes, which are “altar boys who assist the adult officiants” (“Orthodox Churches" 231). The community puts their hands behind their back while taking communion so that they do not touch the gift or the priest. It is also during the time of communion that the community honors the “painted or mosaic” (“On Common Ground: World Religions in America” ) saints that are used as icons throughout the church. It was during the honoring of
Christians have been celebrating the Lord’s Supper for almost two thousand years. In this paper I will refer to the Lord’s Supper as an ordinance of the church. “An ordinance is an outward rite prescribed by Christ to be performed by His Church.” There are quite a few varying interpretations among the different churches on how the Lord’s Supper is to be practiced. I Corinthians 11:23-34 provides Christians with the scriptural meaning and reasons for observing the Lord’s Supper, also known as communion. Many consider the Lord’s Supper of little or no value and some consider the ordinance as more of a ritual. In some modern churches, preaching the Word is emphasized the most and communion is only observed once a month or
Each week, we are blessed with the opportunity to renew the covenants we have made with him through the sacrament. Doctrine and Covenants 20:77 states, “O God, the Eternal Father, we ask thee in the name of thy Son, Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this bread to the souls of all those who partake of it, that they may eat in remembrance of the body of thy Son, and witness unto thee, O God, the Eternal Father, that they are willing to take upon them the name of thy Son, and always remember him and keep his commandments which he has given them; that they may always have his Spirit to be with them. Amen.” If we remember to keep his commandments and the ultimate sacrifice his Son made for us, then we are blessed with so many wonderful gifts. We are promised the same blessings as we partake of the water during the sacrament
The Doctrine of the Lord’s Supper is a central part of church life and ecclesiology. During the Lord’s Supper, the Church shares in the bread and the cup in remembrance of Christ and “proclaim[s] the Lord’s death until He comes.” Theologians have disagreed on what happens to the bread and wine and the role of the Supper. In this paper, I will outline the basis of the Doctrine of the Lord’s Supper and briefly describe its biblical context. I will then explain how the doctrine was developed during the first centuries and the reformation. I will conclude by briefly describing the different views held by the Catholic, Reformed, and Protestant traditions.
At Communion time, the devotee gets the Holy Eucharist, yet regardless it suggests a flavor like unleavened bread and grape wine. (The Latin Church utilizes unleavened bread, yet the Eastern Church utilizes raised bread.) The feeling of taste doesn't see the change of substance, subsequently the term transubstantiation, from bread and wine into the body and blood of
(1) Fagerberg’s summary and explanation of the sacrament of liturgy seeks to provide the audience with an understanding of the Trinity within the liturgy. (2) This article begins with outlining the sacramental liturgy, through which Fagerberg identifies three definitions of sacramental liturgy. (3) Incorporating these three definitons within this article, Fagerberg determines that the liturgy is provided to man through God’s love, manifested within the Son and the Holy Spirit. (4) The latter half of this article focuses on the liturgical history, which allows Fagerberg to emphasize that the liturgy sacramentalizes the mystical body (Church), which sacramentalizes the Christ and lastly leads to the sacramentalization of God. (5) Through outlining
Receiving the Eucharist is one of the most important things we can do as a catholic. Holy Communion is the most important of all the sacraments. It completes the Sacraments of Initiation. The bread and wine we receive at communion is the body and blood of Jesus. It becomes the bread and body of Jesus through Transubstantiation. Transubstantiation is the conversion of the substance of the Eucharistic elements into the body and blood of Christ at consecration, only the appearances of bread and wine still remain. We participate in the sacrament of communion to commemorate all that Jesus did for us and getting nailed to a cross so we can be free from sin and have eternal life in heaven.
Two practices important to Christian worship usually take place in churches. These practices are (1) baptism and (2) the Eucharist, also called Holy Communion or the Lord's Supper. The ceremony of baptism celebrates an individual's entrance into Christianity. The Eucharist represents the Last Supper, the final meal that Jesus shared with His disciples. Worshipers share bread and wine in the Eucharist as a sign of their unity with each other and with Jesus.
The Communion Christians have always regarded the Holy Communion as being one very important element towards achieving discipleship since the very beginning. However, the question in every Christian’s mind is “what are we doing?” it is, therefore, important to discuss what the holy communion means about theology. The Holy Communion has several names given to it. Among them are: the Eucharist, the Lord’s Supper, Divine Liturgy, and the Mass. Inside the New Testament, there are also varying details given there concerning what entails the Holy Communion on accounts given by Christ himself.[1] The Holy Communion does not compare to Baptism which is another sacrament that is non-repeatable. It is repeatable to some certain degrees as it can be done on a daily basis such as those performed by the Catholic Church. In other instances, it can be conducted on a much infrequent celebration such as the ones that happen in Reformed Churches. Referring to Baptism, there are differences in the practice and its significance, and sometimes the understanding of what it means to be baptized. This has gone ahead to become e a hindrance to churches having a common celebration, but at the same time, there is some spiritual benefit that accrues to the people that partake in it. In the same way, the Eucharist possess the same characteristics. Nature of the Union of Christ and Church The Holy Communion is not just a matter of people ingathering in unity. The purpose of having the communion is so
June 22nd is the feast day of one of the Church’s greatest saints, Thomas More. St. Thomas More was one of the most gifted men of his day; he was a devout Catholic, brilliant scholar, writer, lawyer, accomplished musician, and loving father. In addition to his many talents, his popular image is one of a man, principled, steadfast, courageous, who placed his own conscience above his king’s demands.