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1200 BCE
the passover
The Passover is the liberation from slavery in Egypt and the “passing over” of the forces of destruction, or the sparing of the firstborn of the Israelites, when the Lord “smote the land of Egypt” on the eve of the Exodus. -
184 BCE
the Eucharist and the Basilica
The basilica was a large, long hall used by the Romans as law courts. Christians adopted this plan to build enormous beautiful basilicas of their own for the celebration of Eucharist. -
33
the last supper
Jesus Christ shared his final meal with the disciples on the night before he was arrested. Also called the Lord's Supper, the Last Supper was significant because Jesus showed his followers that he would become the Passover Lamb of God. -
400
the middle ages
Many Catholics stopped receiving the sacrament frequently, and would limit their reception of Eucharist to special feasts. Children did not receive the Eucharist until they were twelve or fourteen years old, and many adults would receive the Eucharist only once a year. Some did not receive Communion unless they had gone to confession on the same day. -
The Eucharist and the Second Vatican Council
The Second Vatican Council, while reaffirming the Eucharist as the same Sacrifice as that of Jesus on the Cross, also emphasized that the Eucharist is the holy meal of the community. This emphasis had somewhat been lost since the earliest centuries of the Church. To make this clear, and to help people participate fully, the Council authorized changes in the way Mass was celebrated. After the Council, dioceses all around the world gradually introduced various changes into their liturgies. -
modern times
Eucharist, also called Holy Communion or Lord's Supper, in Christianity, ritual commemoration of Jesus' Last Supper with his disciples. This is the central act of Christian worship and is practiced by most Christian churches in some form