Holy Communion
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ften referred to as sharing analogous characteristics; the Roman Catholic Church alongside the Anglican Church share mutual teaching ground on the factors of Holy Communion. Even though they are two different denominations of a varied religion, both religions share the notion that Jesus was Christ, the anointed one, therefore concluding in the point that they believed Jesus was sent by God as our Saviour of sins and in that they both share no differentiation. By these churches proclaiming that it is in fact just that; holy; they are saying that it is something sacred, a privilege provided by Jesus to us and something which should remain sacred. The Holy Eucharist is the Sacrament which contains the body and blood, soul and divinity, of our Lord Jesus Christ under the appearances of bread and wine. Holy Communion express the idea that Christians are joined together in a community, with Christ, by sharing the bread and wine. The importance of the Eucharist lies as one of the main acts of worship for both Catholics and Anglicans. It is often celebrated at least once a week, every Sunday, and even in some cases; everyday.
The Eucharist derives from the Greek word for Thanksgiving. It is one of the only sacraments established by all Christians. A sacrament is a sacred ceremony which is a sign of Christ's presence in the Church and the lives of Christians. The Anglican accept only two sacraments; baptism and Eucharist, as these are the only two which have an indisputable foundation in the New Testament. The churches of the Catholic tradition accept these two plus five others. It is known under the following names: Eucharist, holy communion, the Lord's supper, the breaking of bread.
Christians differ in their views of the Eucharist however all correspond in that it is the sign of the new covenant devised between God and "his" followers. The old covenant between God and Israel was created when God freed the Hebrews from slavery in Egypt. They accepted God as their ruler in return for obeying his laws and becoming a people specially dedicated to him. The Hebrew people became a distinct community through this covenant. Without it they would have been absorbed into the Egyptian nation. The covenant was sealed with the Passover meal at which the Jews still smear their doorposts with the blood of the Pascal lamb which they had sacrificed that night. When the Israelites were in Egypt, they were slaves to Pharaoh, the King of Egypt. Moses told Pharaoh that he had to let the people go, for if he did not, Egypt would suffer a series of plagues. In the last of these plagues, an angel of death would come and kill the eldest son of every Egyptian family, but would pass over every Israelite home. One fundamentally important point is that at the Passover meal, a Jewish father reminds his children that they, not just their ancestors, were freed from slavery in Egypt by the Lord. The Passover is seen as a reliving of the deliverance from Egypt.
This is important for the Eucharist, for Christians believe that Christ is the new Pascal lamb. Just as the Pascal lamb was the sacrificial victim whose death marks the establishment of the old covenant, so Jesus is the lamb of God whose death atones for sin and seals the new covenant. In this new covenant people are freed from slavery to sin and are given the promise of eternal life. The community of the old covenant was Israel; the community of the new covenant is the church (all Christians) . The old covenant was with one nation, the new covenant is for all nations. The celebration meal of the new covenant is the Eucharist, at which Christians eat bread and drink wine as Jesus did at the Last Supper.
While all Christians would agree on the above the different denominations now have different opinions about what happens at the service. The Roman Catholic and the Anglican church would argue that the bread and the wine mystically become the body and blood of Jesus (transubstantiation) and this led to claims of cannibalism for the early Christians. The Anglican tradition rejects this view on the grounds that Jesus made his sacrifice once and for all on the cross and cannot be sacrificed again, as he is now in glory. So the Eucharist is just in memory of this event ...
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While all Christians would agree on the above the different denominations now have different opinions about what happens at the service. The Roman Catholic and the Anglican church would argue that the bread and the wine mystically become the body and blood of Jesus (transubstantiation) and this led to claims of cannibalism for the early Christians. The Anglican tradition rejects this view on the grounds that Jesus made his sacrifice once and for all on the cross and cannot be sacrificed again, as he is now in glory. So the Eucharist is just in memory of this event and it is by recreating the event that Christians remember the importance of Christ's life and death and resurrection.
The Eucharist can be seen as a sharing in the blessings gained by Christ's one sacrifice on the cross. Furthermore, any act of self-giving is a sacrifice, and, as Christians believe that Christ gives himself to humankind in the Eucharist, we can see the Eucharist as a sacrifice in this sense.
Old Covenant
New Covenant
Saviour
Moses
Jesus
Salvation
from Slavery
Sin and death
Community
Israel
Church
Meal
Passover
Eucharist
Victim
Pascal Lamb
Christ
Ceremony
For Jews Only
Everyone
The Passover freed the People of God from Slavery. The modern Jewish Passover makes this act of God for today's Jews. During his life Jesus celebrated the Passover. At the Last Supper he gave a new meaning to it. He became the new Lamb of God, whose blood would set people free from sin. The Mass celebrates Christ's victory over in and evil and his resurrection form the dead.
There are differences in emphasis between Christian denominations in respect of the Eucharist, for Roman Catholics the eucharistic service, known as the mass, is the very centre of their worship, and members of the Roman Catholic church are obliged to take communion at least once a year. Active Roman Catholics take it weekly or even daily. Daily communion is less common in other denominations, but weekly communion is known in the Anglican and several other churches.
Why are there such differences between Christians on this important matter? The explanation comes in the fact that Christians value sacraments and preaching, but disagree about their relative importance. The more importance a church places on sacraments, the more importance it places on the Eucharist. Similarly, members of churches of the evangelical tradition, which strongly emphasises the value of preaching take part in communion less frequently than do members of churches in the Roman Catholic tradition.
The word 'mass' is difficult to unravel, however it appears to have derived from the concluding words in the Latin rite, Ite, missa est, meaning "Go, you are sent on a mission." The modern version is, "Go in peace, to love and serve the Lord." The Roman Catholic and the Anglican Church, share many characteristics, most of them would say that most, if not all of these are true:
*- They offer thanks and praise as they remember Jesus' sacrifice.
*- Just as the Passover meal, Jesus shared with his disciples was an expression of God's covenant with his people, so the Eucharist is a covenant meal.
*- It is a meal shared with God and one's fellow Christians.
*- The worship is an offering to God.
The Eucharist is held in such high honour by most Christians because:
*- Jesus told them to remember him in this way. He said, when he gave the disciples the bread and wine, "Do this in remembrance of me."
*- The meal at which he said these words, the Last Supper, took the place the night before he died on the cross
*- They believe that at the Eucharist, the body and blood of Jesus are present. Jesus' sacrifice on the cross can never be repeated, but the body he offered on the cross is present on the alter
*- They believe that when they receive the bread and wine, Jesus is with them in a special way.
At Holy Communion, the bread and wine are consecrated by the priest who hands his congregation a piece of bread with the words, "The body of our Lord Jesus Christ," and then a communal chalice of wine saying, "The blood of our Lord Jesus Christ." For some members of the Anglican Church, these words carry the same significance as they do for Roman Catholics - that the bread and wine are turned into the actual body and blood of Jesus, a belief called 'transubstantiation'. The doctrine of the Real Presence asserts that in the Holy Eucharist, Jesus is literally and wholly present-body and blood, soul and divinity-under the appearances of bread and wine. Evangelicals and Fundamentalists frequently attack this doctrine as "unbiblical," but the Bible is forthright in declaring it. Think of a lump of stone, it is carved into a statue. Is it then both a lump of stone and a carved statue, or is it only a statue?
The Catholics can celebrate mass any day, by doing this, they are saying that it is something elite, special and unique. Two beliefs underline the Catholic approach to this service and these distinguish it from the Protestant Holy Communion, and its variants. First, Roman Catholics believe that the Mass is a sacrifice. Each time it is celebrated Christ renews the sacrifice that he made for the sins of the world when he was crucified. Secondly, Roman Catholics believe that the bread and wine change, when they are consecrated in the Mass, into the actual body and blood of Jesus. This belief is one of the most important differences between most Protestant and Roman Catholics.
The priest begins the Catholic Mass by making 'the sign of the cross' and leading the people in repentance before God. On every Sunday, apart from those in Advent and Lent, the Gloria Patri is either sung or said. Then the Liturgy of the Word takes place. Readings are taken from the Old Testament, the Gospels and Epistles and these are followed by a homily from the priest. Following this, the gifts of bread and wine are brought to the altar by members of the congregation. The priest washes his hands to symbolise his cleansing before the Mass. The priest then offers the Eucharistic prayer, and through the Holy Spirit, the priest asks that the bread and the wine might become the body and blood of Jesus and this is followed by the breaking and sharing of the bread. As the priest holds up the host, he invites the people to receive the gift which God has given them with the words, "This is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, happy are those who are called to his supper." To this the worshippers reply; "Lord I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the words and I shall be healed." When the Mass is over the priest dismisses the people with the words, "Go in peace to love and serve the Lord." These words hold a valuable significance in Catholics life for going to mass should influence:
*- the way you behave,
*- responsibilities to others
*- the way you react to certain things in life (i.e. immigration),
*- how we relate to on another.
The Last Supper/Eucharist is the central celebration of the Christian faith for most Christians. It expresses its most important beliefs of Christians today. Therefore the Eucharist is held in high regard by most Christians because:
(i) Jesus told us to remember him in this way. He said when he gave the disciples the bread and wine:
'Do this in memory of me'
At mass we remember the words and actions of Jesus at the Last Supper.
(ii) We remember the sacrifice that Jesus made for us.
(iii) It marked the beginning that Jesus of the New Covenant.
In the Old Testament the prophet Jeremiah taught that God would one day replace the covenant he had made with Moses with a new one. At the Last Supper, Jesus said that this day had finally arrived. His death marked the beginning of this New Covenant. Through his death, the broken relationship between God and mankind would be restored and healed. Also, through his death, God and mankind would become one.
(i) The Eucharist is a meal of thanksgiving. It shows the love and unity if the Christian community, which comes about, through taking part in the meal.
The phrase 'Body of Christ' is often used to describe the Church. This picture of Church comes from two scripture passages; the parable of the sheep and the goats, and first letter of Paul to the Corinthians. This idea is reinforced by Luke in the Acts of the Apostles and by James. These passages warn people against hypocrisy. They describe what a real Christian community should be like. It should be a:
*- Community
*- Community of Prayer
*- Community of Action
*- Community of Fellowship
For Paul the Mass is the way to achieve this provided it is celebrated in the right way. The way Jesus meant it to be i.e. as a family. He believed that when we share in the Eucharist we become part of 'One Body, One Family'. We become the hands of God. To be counted as part of the 'Body of Christ' brings with it serious responsibilities to build up the community by caring locally and in the world for all God's people. For Paul the Eucharist is the way to create a real Christian community provided it is celebrated in the right way.
Cafod, Christian Aid, Tear Fund and Trocaire are relief and development agencies in England, Ireland, Wales and Scotland. They are Christian relief agencies. They all have the same aim; to help very poor people overseas. They help people in the third world countries regardless of their religion, race or colour. Though they are Christian groups, Cafod, Christian Aid, Tear Fund and Trocaire aim to help Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, and people with no religion, as well as Christians. They have three objectives:
*- To enable people in poorer countries to help themselves, so they are no longer poor;
*- To educate people in Britain and Ireland about the causes of poverty and injustice;
*- To provide emergency relief when there is sudden disaster.
"How a Christian treats other people is more important than whether or not he/she receives Communion," is a augmented point among Christians. It is essential to Catholics that the person leading the worship at the Eucharist, the celebrant, is a bishop or a priest. In the Catholic Church children first receive Holy Communion from about the age of seven. The bread sued at a Catholic Eucharist is unleavened wafer bread. In the Anglican Church alike the Catholic Church, it is essential to them that the person leading the worship at the Eucharist, the celebrant, is a bishop or priest. In the Anglican Church it is normal for young people to wait until the time of confirmation from the age of eleven upwards, before receiving the Holy Communion. The bread used at the Eucharist in the great majority of Anglican churches is unleavened wafer bread. In some, ordinary household bread is used. The Catholics along with some of the Anglicans and Orthodoxy's, believe that it is important to celebrate the Eucharist because when the priest consecrates the bread and wine, transubstantiation has occurred. Other denominations believe that it is important when the bread and wine are made holy, however it is only a symbol when this happens, the bread and wine don't actually become the body and blood of Jesus Christ. Most Christians celebrate the Eucharist because when they do this they are keeping the life of Jesus very much alive in their hearts; they are following out his orders. The Quakers and the Salvation Army do not have Holy Communion services. They believe that outward signs are not important. They believe that there is a danger that Christians may be more devoted to the sacrament than to Jesus. What matters to them is the way in which Christians accept Jesus in their hearts.
As a Catholic, I believe that it is more important for people to concentrate on the way in which they relate to each other rather than the way they lie to themselves and God on Sunday. I have concluded in the fact that it is a lie for if what they say at Mass is true in their hearts they would want to go out and make a difference. You see, you can worship and devote yourself to God on Sunday, however how much of a modification does it make? We can all go to church on Sunday and praise the Lord, but from Monday to Saturday, what effect has that service had on our lives. Leaving me to conclude that this kind of hypocritical behaviour has become acceptable in our society today, however, does it make it right?
Written By
Tyrone Sinclair
Tyrone Sinclair
