Andrew Marshall 10 A 3

GCSE RELIGIOUS STUDIES

YEAR 10

REASERCH TASK

HOLY COMMUNION

Christians have always celebrated the last meal that Jesus had with his disciples on the night before he died; Christians call this the Last Supper, and for most Christians it is their main ceremony of life.  Christians remember the death and resurrection of Jesus by having a simple meal of bread and wine and in the bible the Gospel of Luke tells us about the Last Supper.

Jesus 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.’

In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.’

(Luke 22 v 19-20)

Then after the meal Jesus stood up and he spoke. ‘I tell you the truth, one of you will betray, - One who sitting eating with me.’ Then he said. ‘The man who will kill the son of men, it would be better for him if he had not been born.’

Christians share bread and wine between them in remembrance of Jesus as he did with his disciples and it also enables them to celebrate being members together of the worldwide community of the Church.

The bread and wine is special to Christians in Holy Communion because they are the body and blood of the risen Christ.  Even to Christians the significance of the bread and wine still remain puzzling, because throughout history in all the various Churches attempts have been made to explain what happens to the bread and wine when Jesus blesses them.  Now after the meal and the breaking of the bread and wine, when Christians meet they believe that Jesus is present among them, but not only in the bread and wine.  When consuming the bread Christians feel it is important to use unleavened bread as that is what Jesus would have eaten and by eating the unleavened bread and wafers they believe that they are following the example of Jesus.  When celebrating Holy Communion some churches insist on using non-alcoholic wine and most churches use just one single cup to distribute the wine whereas others use individual glasses.  Services of Holy Communion often include hymns to show the importance of the ceremony.

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Here is an example.

Love is his word, love is his way,

Feasting with men, fasting alone,

Living and dying, rising again,

Love, only love, is his way.

Richer than gold is the love of my Lord:

Better than splendour and wealth.

Love is his way, love is his mark,

Sharing his last Passover feast,

Christ at his table, host to the Twelve,

Love, only love, is his mark.

Love is his mark, love is his sign,

Bread for our strength, wine for our joy,

‘This is my body, this ...

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