-
1200 BCE
The First Passover
In the Book of Exodus, God asked the Israelites to sacrifice a lamb, and smear its blood on their doorposts. That night, when the angel of death struck down the first born of the families of Egypt, the Hebrew families, with the blood of the lamb on their doorposts, were spared. This was the first Passover, a term that refers to the passing over of the Hebrew people from slavery to freedom. -
Period: 30 to 100
The Breaking of the Bread in the Early House Churches (the Apostolic Age)
The Apostolic Age was when the Apostles were still alive. Early Christians celebrated the breaking of the bread in response to the command of Jesus at the Last Supper “Do this in memory of me” in which the memory of Jesus was kept alive through reading and telling stories, praying and celebrating the Eucharist. These actions encouraged the hope of the early Christians that Jesus would come again. -
33
The Last Supper
Jesus Christ shared his final meal with the disciples on the night before he was arrested to be crucified. 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. -
55
The Eucharist in the Early Church
The Eucharist, or the “breaking of the bread” as called in the middle first century, was central to the life and identity of the early Christian communities that were scattered around the Middle East. Although Christians celebrate the death and resurrection of the Lord in the breaking of the bread, they were divided among themselves. There are “in-groups” and “out-groups”. Some of the community goes hungry while others make gluttons and drunkards of themselves. -
Period: 100 to 325
The Breaking of the Bread in the Early House Churches(Ante-Nicene Period)
Like the Apostles Age Christians still celebrated the Passover for the same reason, however the Ante-Nicene period saw the rise of a great number of Christian sects, cults and movements with strong unifying characteristics lacking in the apostolic period. -
400
The Eucharist and the Basilica
After the peace that came to the Christian world early in the fourth century, with the Emperor Constantine, Christian communities became much bigger. 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. In these early Eucharistic celebrations, the order of the Mass was not unlike that with which we are familiar today. -
1215
The Eucharist in the Middle Ages
The whole Mass, including the Scripture readings, was recited or sung in Latin. But there was an issue, the Christians in this era distance themselves from the bread and wine during the Passover not because they lost faith in Jesus but because they felt unworthy of consuming the body and blood of Jesus Christ, so in 1215AD to encourage people to receive the Eucharist, it was obligated for Catholics to receive communion once a year. -
Period: to
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. -
Present Day Eucharist
Eucharist, also called Holy Communion or Lord’s Supper, in Christianity, ritual commemoration of Jesus’ Last Supper with his disciples. The Eucharist is the central act of Christian worship and is practiced by most Christian churches in some form.
Todays Eucharist starts with the Introductory Rites, then goes on to the Liturgy of Words which the Liturgy of Eucharist, Eucharist Prayer and the Communion Rites takes place and finally the Concluding Rites to finish the celebration.
