eucharist

• Eucharist


  A Christian sacrament commemorating the Last Supper by consecrating bread and wine. It means 'Thanksgiving'.
• The Last Supper

  A Passover meal which literally became the last meal taken by Christ with his apostles, the night before his Passion. Through this meal, Christ instituted the Holy Eucharist and the priesthood.
• Covenant


  A solemn agreement between human beings or between God and a human being in which mutual commitments are made.
• Consecration

  The dedication of a thing or person to divine service by a prayer or blessing.
• Bread at the Last Supper

  The body of Christ.
• Wine at the Last Supper

  The blood of Christ.
• Transubstantiation

  Catholic belief that the bread and wine actually become the body and blood of Christ.
• Consubstantiation

  The Protestant belief that the bread and wine undergo a spiritual change and represent the body and blood of Christ.
• The Orthodox Divine Liturgy


  The Orthodox Eucharist.
• Iconostasis

  A screen or partition with doors and tiers of icons that separates the bema, the raised part of the church with the altar, from the nave, the main part of the church, in Eastern Churches.
• Cherubic Hymn

  Hymn sung at the Divine Liturgy to bring everyone present into the presence of the angels around the throne of God.
• Catholic Mass


  The Roman Catholic Eucharistic ceremony, in which bread and wine are eaten as the body and blood of Christ; celebrated in Latin until 1965 and in the vernacular language since then.
• Protestant Eucharist

  Simpler format. The story of the Last Supper is read, bread and wine is shared with those who want it and a prayer, including the Lord's Prayer will be said by all.
• Vernacular

  The language or dialect spoken by the ordinary people in a particular country or region, ie. English in England, French in France, etc.
• Holy Communion


  Another name for the Eucharist, the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ.
• The Breaking of Bread

  A reminder of what Jesus did at the Last Supper and is a reminder of Jesus' broken body on the cross.