Mystical Supper

The prominence given the Eucharistic celebration in the ancient Church leaves no doubt that at the time it was the most important part of Christian liturgical life. It originated in the simple rite instituted by Jesus at the Last Supper the night before he died. The paschal ritual framing the Eucharistic rite was not considered essential to it, otherwise the Gospel account would not have omitted so many of its details.

Still, the oldest sources, the Acts and Paul’s First Epistle to the Corinthians, call this special celebration “The Breaking of the Bread,” suggesting the Jewish preliminary ceremony of bread-breaking at a meal (with the usual Jewish blessing of bread and the giving of thanks). At Corinth, Paul refers to the Eucharistic rite and the meal simply as “the Lord’s Supper”. Frequent repetition of the paschal ritual would have been The prominence given the Eucharistic celebration in the ancient Church leaves no doubt that at the time it was the most important part of Christian liturgical life. It originated in the simple rite instituted by Jesus at the Last Supper the night before he died. The paschal ritual framing the Eucharistic rite was not considered essential to it, otherwise the Gospel account would not have omitted so many of its details.
Still, the oldest sources, the Acts and Paul’s First Epistle to the Corinthians, call this special celebration “The Breaking of the Bread,” suggesting the Jewish preliminary ceremony of bread-breaking at a meal (with the usual Jewish blessing of bread and the giving of thanks). At Corinth, Paul refers to the Eucharistic rite and the meal simply as “the Lord’s Supper”. Frequent repetition of the paschal ritual would have beenout of the question: it is too complicated and its repeated performance would have contradicted the prescriptions of the Old Law to which the apostle still clung. But pious Jewish households had other solemn religious suppers, especially the chaburah which was furnished with formality and consecration. Held on Sabbath and holyday eves, its ritual could be used with as much effect as the paschal rites in the celebration of the Eucharist, for it, too, included the ceremonies of bread-breaking and of the cup of the blessing which could be shared with family and friends as a sign of unity. During its course, the head of the family or host took bread, broke it, while pronouncing the customary blessing of bread, and gave a fragment to each person at table. This blessing and sharing of the one loaf drew the entire group into a unit, into “one company.” After the meal, he pronounced a solemn benediction over a special cup of wine, called the Cup of the Blessing, sipped a little from it, and passed it around to each of those present. Again, this common cup gave a sense of oneness to the whole group.

At the Christian Suppers of the Lord, these ceremonials, present in both the paschal and in the chaburah suppers, were made into the Eucharistic celebration by the re-enactment of what Christ had said and done at the Last Supper. What among the Jews had been a mere sign of unity and fellowship was transformed into real union and oneness by sharing in the one body and blood of Christ. It became the transformative action of the Church. All were joined to Christ and to one another.