Eucharist

===Biblical basis===
The [[Last Supper]] appears in all three [[Synoptic Gospels]]: [[Gospel according to Matthew|Matthew]], [[Gospel according to Mark|Mark]], and [[Gospel according to Luke|Luke]]. It also is found in the [[First Epistle to the Corinthians]],<ref name=EB/><ref>Tyndale Bible Dictionary / editors, Philip W. Comfort, Walter A. Elwell, 2001 {{ISBN|0842370897}}, article: ''Lord's Supper, The''</ref><ref>Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church / editors, F. L. Cross & E. A. Livingstone 2005 {{ISBN|978-0192802903}}, article ''Eucharist''</ref> which suggests how early Christians celebrated what [[Paul the Apostle]] called the Lord's Supper. Although the [[Gospel of John]] does not reference the Last Supper explicitly, some argue that it contains theological allusions to the early Christian celebration of the Eucharist, especially in the chapter 6 [[Bread of Life Discourse]] but also in other passages.<ref>{{Cite book|title = "A Hard Saying" : The Gospel and Culture|last = Moloney|first = Francis|publisher = The Liturgical Press|year = 2001|pages = 109–30}}</ref>

====Gospels====
In the [[synoptic gospels]], Mark 14:22–25,<ref>{{Bibleverse|Mark|14:22–25}}</ref> Matthew 26:26–29<ref>{{Bibleverse|Matthew|26:26–29}}</ref> and Luke 22:13–20<ref>{{Bibleverse|Luke|22:13–20}}</ref> depict Jesus as presiding over the Last Supper prior to his crucifixion. The versions in Matthew and Mark are almost identical,<ref>Heron, Alisdair >I.C. ''Table and Tradition'' Westminster Press, Philadelphia (1983) p. 3 {{ISBN|9780664245160}}</ref> but the Gospel of Luke presents a textual difference, in that a few manuscripts omit the second half of verse 19 and all of verse 20 ("given for you […] poured out for you"), which are found in the vast majority of ancient witnesses to the text.<ref>Metzger, Bruce M. ''A Textual Commentary on the New Testament'' UBS (1971) pp. 173ff {{ISBN?}}</ref> If the shorter text is the original one, then Luke's account is independent of both that of Paul and that of Matthew/Mark. If the majority longer text comes from the author of the third gospel, then this version is very similar to that of Paul in 1 Corinthians, being somewhat fuller in its description of the early part of the Supper,<ref>Heron, Alisdair >I.C. ''Table and Tradition'' Westminster Press, Philadelphia (1983) p. 5</ref> particularly in making specific mention of a cup being blessed before the bread was broken.<ref>Caird, G.B. ''The Gospel of Luke'' Pelican (1963) p. 237 {{ISBN?}}</ref>

In the one prayer given to posterity by Jesus, the [[Lord's Prayer]], the word [[epiousion]]—which is otherwise unknown in Classical Greek literature—was interpreted by some early Christian writers as meaning "super-substantial", and hence a possible reference to the Eucharist as the [[Bread of Life]].<ref>{{Cite CCC|2.1|2837}}</ref>

In the Gospel of John, however, the account of the Last Supper does not mention Jesus taking bread and "the cup" and speaking of them as his body and blood; instead, it recounts other events: his humble act of washing the disciples' feet, the prophecy of the betrayal, which set in motion the events that would lead to the cross, and his long discourse in response to some questions posed by his followers, in which he went on to speak of the importance of the unity of the disciples with him, with each other, and with God.<ref name="Harris">[[Stephen L Harris|Harris, Stephen L.]], Understanding the Bible. Palo Alto: Mayfield. 1985.</ref><ref>Tyndale Bible Dictionary / editors, Philip W. Comfort, Walter A. Elwell, 2001 {{ISBN|0842370897}}, article: "John, Gospel of"</ref> Some would find in this unity and in the washing of the feet the deeper meaning of the Communion bread in the other three gospels.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://vatikos.wordpress.com/2013/10/11/eucharist-and-gospel-of-john/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131015050651/http://vatikos.wordpress.com/2013/10/11/eucharist-and-gospel-of-john/|url-status=dead|archive-date=2013-10-15|title=Eucharist and Gospel of John|date=2013-10-11|work=VatiKos Theologie|access-date=2017-12-10|language=en-US}}</ref> In John 6:26–65,<ref>{{bibleverse|John|6:26–65}}</ref> a long discourse is attributed to Jesus that deals with the subject of the living bread; John 6:51–59<ref>{{bibleverse|John|6:51–59}}</ref> also contains echoes of Eucharistic language.

====First Epistle to the Corinthians====
1 Corinthians 11:23–25<ref>{{Bibleverse|1 Corinthians|11:23–25}}</ref> gives the earliest recorded description of Jesus' Last Supper: "The Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, 'This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.'" The Greek word used in the passage for 'remembrance' is {{lang|grc|ἀνάμνησιν}} ({{transliteration|grc|[[Anamnesis (Christianity)|anamnesis]]}}), which itself has a much richer theological history than the English word "remember".

[[File:Agape feast 07.jpg|thumb|right|Early Christian painting of an Agape feast.]]
The expression "The Lord's Supper", derived from [[Paul the Apostle|Paul]]'s usage in 1 Corinthians 11:17–34,<ref>{{Bibleverse|1 Corinthians|11:17–34}}</ref> may have originally referred to the [[Agape feast]] (or love feast), the shared [[communal meal]] with which the Eucharist was originally associated.<ref>{{cite book |last=Lambert |first=J.C. |title=''The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia'' |publisher=Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. |year=1978 |edition=reprint |isbn=978-0802880451 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/internationalsta0002unse }}</ref> The Agape feast is mentioned in Jude 12<ref>{{bibleverse|Jude|12}}</ref> but "The Lord's Supper" is now commonly used in reference to a celebration involving no food other than the sacramental bread and wine.