At the heart of Christian worship lies a table. Bread is broken. A cup is shared. Words are spoken: “This is my body… this is my blood.” What looks like an ordinary meal is anything but. For nearly two thousand years, Christians have returned again and again to this table to remember, to receive, and to rejoice.
This sacred act is known by many names: the Lord’s Supper, Holy Communion, the Eucharist (from the Greek eucharistia, meaning “thanksgiving”). Yet behind every name stands the same central reality: Christ gave himself for us, and continues to give himself to us in the sacrament of the altar.
But what is the Eucharist, and what does it mean? In this first post on the Eucharist, we’ll explore three key dimensions: meal, sacrifice, and presence.
1. The Eucharist as Meal
The roots of the Eucharist go back to the Last Supper, where Jesus shared Passover with his disciples (Matt. 26:26–29; Mark 14:22–25; Luke 22:14–20). It was a covenant meal—a remembrance of God’s deliverance from Egypt, rich in symbolism and thanksgiving. But at this particular Passover, Jesus reinterpreted the meal around himself.
“This is my body… This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.” (Mark 14:22–24)
In saying these words, Jesus instituted a new covenant meal—not merely to remember an old act of redemption, but to participate in a new one. The Eucharist is a meal of fellowship, a foretaste of the kingdom (Luke 22:16), and a sign of our unity as the body of Christ (1 Cor. 10:16–17).
Like all meals, the Eucharist is relational. We do not eat alone. We eat with Christ and with his people. It is a communal act that binds us together in love and grace.
2. The Eucharist as Sacrifice
The early Church quickly understood that the Eucharist was not just a meal of remembrance—it was also a participation in Christ’s sacrifice. As Paul writes:
“For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” (1 Cor. 11:26)
This proclamation is more than just a memorial. In the Eucharist, we enter into the once-for-all sacrifice of Christ (Heb. 10:10, 14). The Eucharist does not re-sacrifice Christ, but it re-presents his sacrifice to us. It is a sacramental participation in the offering of Christ’s body and blood.
The language of anamnesis (Greek for “remembrance”) in Luke 22:19 and 1 Corinthians 11:24 refers not just to mental recollection, but to an active, liturgical re-presentation of a past saving event. In the Eucharist, the Church is drawn into Christ’s self-giving love on the cross—into the mystery of his passion and the grace that flows from it.
3. The Eucharist as Presence
Perhaps the most mysterious and awe-inspiring dimension of the Eucharist is that Christ is truly present in it. How this presence is understood differs across traditions, but most of the Church throughout history has affirmed that the Eucharist is more than symbolic. It is a real encounter with the risen Christ.
Jesus said, “This is my body… this is my blood.” The Church has long taken him at his word—not literally in a crude, material sense, but sacramentally and spiritually. Christ is present in, with, and under the elements, offering himself to us again as spiritual food.
“The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?” (1 Cor. 10:16)
The Eucharist, then, is not just a reminder of Christ’s presence—it is his presence. In the breaking of the bread, the eyes of faith are opened, just as they were for the disciples on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:30–31).
Conclusion: A Mystery to Receive
In the Eucharist, we do not merely reflect on a past event or anticipate a future one—we are drawn into the eternal reality of Christ’s self-giving love. It is a meal that nourishes, a sacrifice that redeems, and a presence that transforms.
And at its heart, it remains a mystery—not because it is irrational, but because it is divine. In this simple act of bread and wine, the incomprehensible God comes near. He feeds us with himself, and invites us into communion that no words can fully capture.
