Benchmark Uno - Eucharist

Origins

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Church teaching places the origin of the Eucharist in the Last Supper of Jesus with his disciples, at which he is believed to have taken bread and given it to his disciples, telling them to eat of it, because it was his body, and to have taken a cup and given it to his disciples, telling them to drink of it because it was the cup of the covenant in his blood.

Beliefs

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Roman Catholics believe that the bread and wine that is offered is the actual body and blood of Christ and another form of sacrifice. They believe that although the bread and wine physically remain the same, it is transformed beyond human comprehension into the body, blood soul and divinity of Jesus.

Symbols

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Bread - Bread is a symbol of the Eucharist because it represents life. It is also a symbol because the breaking of the bread, was performed by Jesus so now we accept the bread as the body of Jesus.
Wine - Wine is a symbol of Eucharist because just like the bread it was shared at the passover meal between Jesus and his Disciples. Wine also symbolizes joy.
White Garment - White is used as the christian colour for baptism. White symbolizes purity and clean of sin.

Changes Within Eucharist

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They changed the nature of the meal and the memory of what Jesus had said at that meal. For example, there is no mention of wine, nor does there, in this account of the earliest Christian gatherings, seem to have been any sense of being in tension with the officials of Judaism or its religious practices.

Changes to the Beliefs

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How does the Eucharist transform a person? Jesus gives us his own Body and Blood as spiritual nourishment to keep the flame of sanctifying grace burning brightly within us and to unite us more fully to himself and to his Body, which is the Church.