The Eucharist
The EucharistA service celebrating the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, using elements of bread and wine., also known as Holy CommunionCentral liturgical service observed by most Churches, recalling the last meal of Jesus., is a sacrament that commemorates the Last SupperThe meal that Jesus had with his disciples the night before he died where he gave them bread and wine to symbolise his body and blood.. Not all Christians celebrate this sacrament.
The most important element of the Eucharist is the bread and the wine, but there are varying beliefs about the roles of these items.
- Belief 1 - CatholicA group of Christians who accept the Pope in Rome as their leader. believe that the bread and the wine become the actual flesh and blood of Jesus Christ. This belief is known as transubstantiationCatholic belief that the bread and wine become the actual body and blood of Christ at Holy Communion..
- Belief 2 - Some Christians believe that the Holy Communion is a re-enactment or commemoration of the Last Supper. The bread and wine are seen as symbolic of Jesus鈥 death.
- Belief 3 - BaptistA member of the Baptist Church, or a Christian who practices believers' baptism. believe the bread and wine are symbols that can be used to bring people together as a community. They use non-alcoholic wine and the bread is offered from person to person.
- Belief 4 - Orthodox ChristiansGroups of Christians, especially found in eastern Europe, who rejected the idea of the Bishop of Rome being the sole leader of the Christian Church. believe that Jesus is mystically present in the bread and wine.
- Belief 5 - Church of EnglandThe Church of England (C of E) is the official Protestant state religion of England. Its supreme governor is the monarch of the UK, with the Archbishop of Canterbury as the most senior priest. Christians believe that the bread and wine hold the spiritual presence of the body and blood of Jesus but do not become it.
Catholic and Orthodox Eucharist
Catholics and Orthodox Christians, who place more importance on the bread and wine than other denominationA group within a religion. Christian denominations include, for example, Roman Catholic and Anglican denominations., hold Eucharists more often than other denominations, such as MethodistA member of a Christian Protestant denomination.. This is because they see it as an essential way of sustaining their relationship with God.
Catholics are given bread by the priest and wine from a shared cup, whereas Orthodox Christians take the bread and wine from the same spoon.
Question
What do Orthodox Christians believe about the bread and wine?
Jesus is mystically present in it.