(23) For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, (24) 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." (25) In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." (26) For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. (27) Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord. (28) Let a man examine himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. (29) For any one who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself.
- Sacred Scripture 1 Corinthians 11:23-29 on Eucharist
(30) So they said to him, "Then what sign do you do, that we may see, and believe you? What work do you perform? (31) Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'" (32) Jesus then said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven; my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. (33) For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven, and gives life to the world." (34) They said to him, "Lord, give us this bread always."
(35) Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst. (36) But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. (37) All that the Father gives me will come to me; and him who comes to me I will not cast out. (38) For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me; (39) and this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up at the last day. (40) For this is the will of my Father, that every one who sees the Son and believes in him should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day."
(41) The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, "I am the bread which came down from heaven." (42) They said, "Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, 'I have come down from heaven'?" (43) Jesus answered them, "Do not murmur among yourselves. (44) No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. (45) It is written in the prophets, 'And they shall all be taught by God.' Every one who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me. (46) Not that any one has seen the Father except him who is from God; he has seen the Father. (47) Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life. (48) I am the bread of life. (49) Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. (50) This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that a man may eat of it and not die. (51) I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh."
(52) The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" (53) So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you; (54) he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. (55) For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. (56) He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. (57) As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats me will live because of me. (58) This is the bread which came down from heaven, not such as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live for ever." (59) This he said in the synagogue, as he taught at Caper'na-um.
(60) Many of his disciples, when they heard it, said, "This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?" (61) But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples murmured at it, said to them, "Do you take offense at this? (62) Then what if you were to see the Son of man ascending where he was before? (63) It is the spirit that gives life, the flesh is of no avail; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. (64) But there are some of you that do not believe." For Jesus knew from the first who those were that did not believe, and who it was that would betray him. (65) And he said, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father."
(66) After this many of his disciples drew back and no longer went about with him. (67) Jesus said to the twelve, “Will you also go away?” (68) Simon Peter answered him, 'Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life; (69) and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.'
- Sacred Scripture John 6:30-69 on Eucharist
(10) If any one of the house of Israel or of the strangers who sojourn among them eats any blood, I will set my face against that person who eats blood and will cut him off from among his people. (11) For the life of the flesh is in the blood; and I have given it for you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement, by reason of the life. (12) Therefore I have said to the people of Israel, No person among you shall eat blood, neither shall any stranger who sojourns among you eat blood.
(13) Any one also of the people of Israel, or of the strangers who sojourn among them, who takes in hunting any beast or bird that may be eaten shall pour out its blood and cover it with dust. (14) For the life of every creature is the blood of it; therefore I have said to the people of Israel, You shall not eat the blood of any creature, for the life of every creature is its blood; whoever eats it shall be cut off.
- Sacred Scripture Leviticus 17:10-14 on Eucharist
(17) Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, 'Where will you have us prepare for you to eat the Passover?' (18) He said, 'Go into the city to a certain man and say to him, "The Teacher says, My time is at hand. I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples."' (19) And the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover.
(20) When it was evening, he reclined at table with the twelve. (21) And as they were eating, he said, 'Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.' (22) And they were very sorrowful and began to say to him one after another, 'Is it I, Lord?' (23) He answered, 'He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me will betray me. (24) The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.' (25) Judas, who would betray him, answered, 'Is it I, Rabbi?' He said to him, 'You have said so.'
(26) Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, 'Take, eat; this is my body.' (27) And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, 'Drink of it, all of you, (28) for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. (29) I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.'
- Sacred Scripture Matthew 26:17-29 on Eucharist
(1) The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, (2) “This month shall be for you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year for you. (3) Tell all the congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month they shall take every man a lamb according to their fathers’ houses, a lamb for a household; (4) and if the household is too small for a lamb, then a man and his neighbor next to his house shall take according to the number of persons; according to what each can eat you shall make your count for the lamb. (5) Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old; you shall take it from the sheep or from the goats; (6) and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs in the evening.
(7) Then they shall take some of the blood, and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat them. (8) They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it. (9) Do not eat any of it raw or boiled with water, but roasted, its head with its legs and its inner parts. (10) And you shall let none of it remain until the morning, anything that remains until the morning you shall burn. (11) In this manner you shall eat it: your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord’s passover. (12) For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will smite all the first-born in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the Lord. (13) The blood shall be a sign for you, upon the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague shall fall upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.
(14) “This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord; throughout your generations you shall observe it as an ordinance for ever.
- Sacred Scripture Exodus 12:1-14 on Eucharist
(12) And on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the passover lamb, his disciples said to him, 'Where will you have us go and prepare for you to eat the passover?' (13) And he sent two of his disciples, and said to them, 'Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you; follow him, (14) and wherever he enters, say to the householder, “The Teacher says, Where is my guest room, where I am to eat the passover with my disciples?' (15) And he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready; there prepare for us.” (16) And the disciples set out and went to the city, and found it as he had told them; and they prepared the passover.
(17) And when it was evening he came with the twelve. (18) And as they were at table eating, Jesus said, 'Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me.' (19) They began to be sorrowful, and to say to him one after another, 'Is it I?' (20) He said to them, 'It is one of the twelve, one who is dipping bread into the dish with me. (21) For the Son of man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.'
(22) And as they were eating, he took bread, and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to them, and said, 'Take; this is my body.' (23) And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. (24) And he said to them, 'This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. (25) Truly, I say to you, I shall not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.'
- Sacred Scripture Mark 14:12-26 on Eucharist
(7) Then came the day of Unleavened Bread, on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. (8) So Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, 'Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat it.' (9) They said to him, 'Where will you have us prepare it?' (10) He said to them, 'Behold, when you have entered the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him into the house that he enters (11) and tell the master of the house, "The Teacher says to you, Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?" (12) And he will show you a large upper room furnished; there prepare it.' (13) And they went and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.
(14) And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. (15) And he said to them, 'I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. (16) For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.' (17) And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, 'Take this, and divide it among yourselves. (18) For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.' (19) And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, 'This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.' (20) And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, 'This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.' (21) But behold, the hand of him who betrays me is with me on the table. (22) For the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed!' (23) And they began to question one another, which of them it could be who was going to do this.
- Sacred Scripture Luke 22:7-23 on Eucharist
(28) So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He appeared to be going further, (29) but they constrained him, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with them. (30) When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to them. (31) And their eyes were opened and they recognized him; and he vanished out of their sight. (32) They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the scriptures?” (33) And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven gathered together and those who were with them, (34) who said, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” (35) Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.
- Sacred Scripture Luke 24:28-35 on Eucharist
(12) For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. (13) For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.
- Sacred Scripture 1 Corinthians 12:12-13 on Eucharist
(16) "The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? (17) Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread."
- Sacred Scripture 1 Corinthians 10:16-17 on Eucharist
(4) And he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” (5) And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting; but rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.”
- Sacred Scripture Acts 9:4-5 on Eucharist
(26) For if we sin deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, (27) but a fearful prospect of judgment, and a fury of fire which will consume the adversaries. (28) A man who has violated the law of Moses dies without mercy at the testimony of two or three witnesses. (29) How much worse punishment do you think will be deserved by the man who has spurned the Son of God, and profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and outraged the Spirit of grace?
- Sacred Scripture Hebrews 10:26-29 on Eucharist
(9) And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, (10) “Say to the people of Israel, If any man of you or of your descendants is unclean through touching a dead body, or is afar off on a journey, he shall still keep the passover to the Lord. (11) In the second month on the fourteenth day in the evening they shall keep it; they shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. (12) They shall leave none of it until the morning, nor break a bone of it; according to all the statute for the passover they shall keep it. (13) But the man who is clean and is not on a journey, yet refrains from keeping the passover, that person shall be cut off from his people, because he did not offer the Lord’s offering at its appointed time; that man shall bear his sin.
- Sacred Scripture Numbers 9:9-13 on Eucharist
(45) For the Son of man also came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.
- Sacred Scripture Mark 10:45 on Eucharist
(7) He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth. (8) By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? (9) And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. (10) Yet it was the will of the LORD to bruise him; he has put him to grief; when he makes himself an offering for sin, he shall see his offspring, he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
- Sacred Scripture Isaiah 53:7-10 on Eucharist
(29) The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, 'Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!'
- Sacred Scripture John 1:29 on Eucharist
(9) And the angel said to me, 'Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.' And he said to me, 'These are true words of God.'
- Sacred Scripture Revelation 19:9 on Eucharist
- Earliest Churches on the Sacred Tradition of Eucharist
"I have no taste for the food that perishes nor for the pleasures of this life. I want the Bread of God which is the Flesh of Christ, who was the seed of David; and for drink I desire His Blood which is love that cannot be destroyed." (Letter to the Romans, chapter 7, verse 3) [AD 107 - 110]
- St. Ignatius of Antioch on the Sacred Tradition of Eucharist
"They abstain from the Eucharist and from prayer, because they do not confess that the Eucharist is the flesh of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who suffered for our sins, and which the Father, of His goodness, raised up again. Those, therefore, who speak against this gift of God, incur death in their disputes. But it were better for them to treat it with respect, that they also might rise again. It is fitting, therefore, that you should keep aloof from such persons, and not to speak of them either in private or in public, but to give heed to the prophets, and especially to the Gospel, in which the passion [of Christ] has been revealed to us, and the resurrection has been fully proved. But avoid all divisions, as the beginning of evils." (Letter to the Smyrnaeans, Chapter 7) [AD 107 - 110]
- St. Ignatius of Antioch on the Sacred Tradition of Eucharist
"Take heed, then, to have but one Eucharist. For there is one flesh of our Lord Jesus Christ, and one cup of the union of His blood; one altar, as there is one bishop, with the presbytery and my fellow servants, the deacons." (Letter to the Philadelphians, Chapter 4) [AD 107 - 110]
- St. Ignatius of Antioch on the Sacred Tradition of Eucharist
"Come together in common, one and all without exception in charity, in one faith and in one Jesus Christ, who is of the race of David according to the flesh, the son of man and son of God, so that with undivided mind you may obey the bishop and the priests and break one bread which is the medicine of immortality and the antidote to prevent us from dying but that we should live for ever in Jesus Christ." (Letter to the Ephesians, chapter 20, verse 2) [AD 107 - 110]
- St. Ignatius of Antioch on the Sacred Tradition of Eucharist
“For not as common bread nor common drink do we receive these; but since Jesus Christ our Savior was made incarnate by the word of God and had both flesh and blood for our salvation, so too, as we have been taught, the food which has been made into the Eucharist by the Eucharistic prayer set down by him, and by the change of which our blood and flesh is nurtured, is both the flesh and the blood of that incarnated Jesus.” (First Apology 66) [AD 155 - 157]
- St. Justin Martyr on the Sacred Tradition of Eucharist
“He took from among creation that which is bread, and gave thanks, saying, ‘This is my body.’ The cup likewise, which is from among the creation to which we belong, he confessed to be his blood. He taught the new sacrifice of the new covenant, of which Malachi, one of the twelve [minor] prophets, had signified beforehand: ‘You do not do my will, says the Lord Almighty, and I will not accept a sacrifice at your hands. For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name is glorified among the Gentiles, and in every place incense is offered to my name, and a pure sacrifice; for great is my name among the Gentiles, says the Lord Almighty’ [Mal. 1:10–11]. By these words he makes it plain that the former people will cease to make offerings to God; but that in every place sacrifice will be offered to him, and indeed, a pure one, for his name is glorified among the Gentiles” (Against Heresies, Book 4) [AD 175 - 185]
- St. Irenaeus of Lyons on the Sacred Tradition of Eucharist
"He has declared the cup, a part of creation, to be his own blood, from which he causes our blood to flow; and the bread, a part of creation, he has established as his own body, from which he gives increase unto our bodies. When, therefore, the mixed cup [wine and water] and the baked bread receives the Word of God and becomes the Eucharist, the body of Christ, and from these the substance of our flesh is increased and supported, how can they say that the flesh is not capable of receiving the gift of God, which is eternal life—flesh which is nourished by the body and blood of the Lord, and is in fact a member of him?" (Against Heresies, Book 5, Chapter 2, Sections 2-3) [AD 175 - 185]
- St. Irenaeus of Lyons on the Sacred Tradition of Eucharist
"If the Lord were from other than the Father, how could he rightly take bread, which is of the same creation as our own, and confess it to be his body and affirm that the mixture in the cup is his blood?" (Against Heresies, Book 4, Chapter 33, Section 2) [AD 175 - 185]
- St. Irenaeus of Lyons on the Sacred Tradition of Eucharist
"Three things are alleged against us: atheism, Thyestean feasts, Œdipodean intercourse. But if these charges are true, spare no class: proceed at once against our crimes; destroy us root and branch, with our wives and children, if any Christian is found to live like the brutes." (A Plea For the Christians, by Athenagoras the Athenian: Philosopher and Christian - to the Emperors Marcus Aurelius Antoninus and Lucius Aurelius Commodus, conquerors of Armenia and Sarmatia, and more than all, philosophers.) [AD 176]
- Cannabilism Accusations on the Sacred Tradition of Eucharist
"And the blood of the Lord is twofold. For there is the blood of His flesh, by which we are redeemed from corruption; and the spiritual, that by which we are anointed. And to drink the blood of Jesus, is to become partaker of the Lord's immortality; the Spirit being the energetic principle of the Word, as blood is of flesh. Accordingly, as wine is blended with water, so is the Spirit with man. And the one, the mixture of wine and water, nourishes to faith; while the other, the Spirit, conducts to immortality. And the mixture of both--of the water and of the Word--is called Eucharist, renowned and glorious grace; and they who by faith partake of it are sanctified both in body and soul. For the divine mixture, man, the Father's will has mystically compounded by the Spirit and the Word. For, in truth, the spirit is joined to the soul, which is inspired by it; and the flesh, by reason of which the Word became flesh, to the Word." (The Instructor, Book 2, Chapter 2) [AD 198 - 203]
- St. Clement of Alexandria on the Sacred Tradition of Eucharist
"He likewise, when mentioning the cup and making the new testament to be sealed in His blood, affirms the reality of His body. For no blood can belong to a body which is not a body of flesh. If any sort of body were presented to our view, which is not one of flesh, not being fleshly, it would not possess blood." (Against Marcion, Book IV, Chapter 40) [AD 207 - 212]
- Tertullian on the Sacred Tradition of Eucharist
"[T]here is not a soul that can at all procure salvation, except it believe whilst it is in the flesh, so true is it that the flesh is the very condition on which salvation hinges. And since the soul is, in consequence of its salvation, chosen to the service of God, it is the flesh which actually renders it capable of such service. The flesh, indeed, is washed [in baptism], in order that the soul may be cleansed; the flesh is shadowed with the imposition of hands [in confirmation], that the soul also may be illuminated by the Spirit; the flesh feeds [in the Eucharist] on the body and blood of Christ, that the soul likewise may be filled with God." (The Resurrection of the Dead, Chapter 8) [AD 207 - 212]
- Tertullian on the Sacred Tradition of Eucharist
“You are accustomed to take part in the divine mysteries, so you know how, when you have received the Body of the Lord, you reverently exercise every care lest a particle of it fall, and lest anything of the consecrated gift perish. You account yourselves guilty, and rightly do you so believe, if any of it be lost through negligence. But if you observe such caution in keeping His Body, and properly so, then tell me, why do you think neglecting the word of God a lesser crime than neglecting His Body?” (Homilies on Exodus 13:3) [AD 244 - 249]
- Origen on the Sacred Tradition of Eucharist
"You see how the altars are no longer sprinkled with the blood of oxen, but consecrated by the precious blood of Christ." (Homilies on Joshua 2:1) [AD 244 - 249]
- Origen on the Sacred Tradition of Eucharist
"We give thanks to the Creator of all, and, along with thanksgiving and prayer for the blessings we have received, we also eat the bread presented to us; and this bread becomes by prayer a sacred body, which sanctifies those who sincerely partake of it." (Against Celsus, Book 8, Chapter 33) [AD 248]
- Origen on the Sacred Tradition of Eucharist
"And we ask that this Bread be given us daily, so that we who are in Christ and daily receive the Eucharist as the food of salvation, may not, by falling into some more grievous sin and then in abstaining from communicating, be withheld from the heavenly Bread, and be separated from Christ's Body, as He Himself warns us, saying, 'Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you shall not have life in you.' Therefore, do we ask that our Bread, which is Christ, be given to us daily, so that we who abide and live in Christ may not withdraw from His sanctification and from His Body." (Treatise on the Lord's Prayer, Chapter 18) [AD 252 - 253]
- St. Cyprian of Carthage on the Sacred Tradition of Eucharist
"For because Christ bore us all, who also bore our sins, we see that the people are understood to be declared in the water, but the blood of Christ is shown in the wine. But when in the cup water is mingled with wine, the people are made one with Christ, and the assembly of the believers is associated and conjoined with Him on whom it believes. Which association and conjunction of water and wine is so mingled in the Lord’s cup that that mixture cannot anymore be separated. Whence, moreover, nothing can separate the Church—that is, the people established in the Church, faithfully and firmly persevering in that which they have believed—from Christ, so as to prevent their undivided adherence by an inseparable love. Thus, therefore, in consecrating the cup of the Lord, water alone should not be offered, even as wine alone ought not to be offered. For if any one offer wine only, the blood of Christ is disjoined from us; but if the water be alone, the people are disjoined from Christ. But when both are mingled and are joined with one another by a close union, there is then completed a spiritual and heavenly sacrament." (Epistle 62, Paragraph 13) [AD 253]
- St. Cyprian of Carthage on the Sacred Tradition of Eucharist
"Even of itself the teaching of the Blessed Paul is sufficient to give you a full assurance concerning those Divine Mysteries, of which having been deemed worthy, you have become of the same body and blood with Christ. For you have just heard him say distinctly, That our Lord Jesus Christ in the night in which He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks He broke it, and gave to His disciples, saying, Take, eat, this is My Body: and having taken the cup and given thanks, He said, Take, drink, this is My Blood. Since then He Himself declared and said of the Bread, This is My Body, who shall dare to doubt any longer? And since He has Himself affirmed and said, This is My Blood, who shall ever hesitate, saying, that it is not His blood?" (Catechetical Lectures 22, Section 1) [AD 348 - 350]
- St. Cyril of Jerusalem on the Sacred Tradition of Eucharist
"The words in which we speak of the things of God must be used in no mere human and worldly sense, nor must the perverseness of an alien and impious interpretation be extorted from the soundness of heavenly words by any violent and headstrong preaching. Let us read what is written, let us understand what we read, and then fulfil the demands of a perfect faith. For as to what we say concerning the reality of Christ's nature within us, unless we have been taught by Him, our words are foolish and impious. For He says Himself, My flesh is meat indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He that eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. As to the verity of the flesh and blood there is no room left for doubt. For now both from the declaration of the Lord Himself and our own faith, it is verily flesh and verily blood. And these when eaten and drunk, bring it to pass that both we are in Christ and Christ in us. Is not this true? Yet they who affirm that Christ Jesus is not truly God are welcome to find it false. He therefore Himself is in us through the flesh and we in Him, while together with Him our own selves are in God." (On the Trinity, Book 8, Section 14) [AD 356 - 360]
- St. Hilary of Poitiers on the Sacred Tradition of Eucharist
"What you see on God's altar, you've already observed during the night that has now ended. But you've heard nothing about just what it might be, or what it might mean, or what great thing it might be said to symbolize. For what you see is simply bread and a cup - this is the information your eyes report. But your faith demands far subtler insight: the bread is Christ's body, the cup is Christ's blood. Faith can grasp the fundamentals quickly, succinctly, yet it hungers for a fuller account of the matter. As the prophet says, 'Unless you believe, you will not understand.' [Isaiah 7:9]" (Sermon 272) [AD 395 - 400]
- St. Augustine of Hippo on the Sacred Tradition of Eucharist
"I had promised those of you who have just been baptized a sermon to explain the sacrament of the Lord's table, which you can see right now, and which you shared in last night. You ought to know what you have received, what you are about to receive, what you ought to receive every day. That bread which you can see on the altar, sanctified by the word of God, is the body of Christ.That cup, or rather what the cup contains, sanctified by the word of God, is the blood of Christ. It was by means of these things that the Lord Christ wished to present us with his body and blood, which he shed for our sake for the forgiveness of sins." (Sermon 227) [AD 395 - 400]
- St. Augustine of Hippo on the Sacred Tradition of Eucharist
"For His word cannot deceive, but our senses are easily beguiled. That has never failed, but this in most things goes wrong. Since then the word says, This is my body, let us both be persuaded and believe, and look at it with the eyes of the mind. For Christ has given nothing sensible, but though in things sensible yet all to be perceived by the mind. So also in baptism, the gift is bestowed by a sensible thing, that is, by water; but that which is done is perceived by the mind, the birth, I mean, and the renewal. For if you had been incorporeal, He would have delivered you the incorporeal gifts bare; but because the soul has been locked up in a body, He delivers you the things that the mind perceives, in things sensible. How many now say, I would wish to see His form, the mark, His clothes, His shoes. Lo! You see Him, Thou touchest Him, you eat Him. And thou indeed desirest to see His clothes, but He gives Himself to you not to see only, but also to touch and eat and receive within you." (Homily 82 on Matthew) [AD 398 - 407]
- St. John Chrysostom on the Sacred Tradition of Eucharist
Chapter 10: Prayers After Communion
"After you have eaten, give thanks in this way:
We thank you, holy Father, for your holy name which you have made to dwell in our hearts, and for the knowledge and faith and immortality which you have made known to us through Jesus your servant; to you be the glory forever. You, almighty Master, created all things for your name's sake; you gave food and drink to humans for enjoyment, that they might give thanks to you; but you have graciously provided us with spiritual food and drink and eternal life through your servant. Above all, we give thanks to you because you are mighty; to you be the glory forever.
Remember, Lord, your Church, to deliver it from all evil and to make it perfect in your love, and gather it from the four winds, sanctified for your kingdom which you have prepared for it; for yours is the power and the glory forever. Let grace come, and let this world pass away. Hosanna to the God of David! If anyone is holy, let him come; if anyone is not so, let him repent. Maranatha! Amen.
But permit the prophets to make thanksgiving as much as they desire."
[AD 60 - 100]
- The Didache, Chapter 10 on the Sacred Tradition of Eucharist
Chapter 14. Christian Assembly on the Lord's Day
But every Lord's day gather yourselves together, and break bread, and give thanksgiving after having confessed your transgressions, that your sacrifice may be pure. But let no one who is at odds with his fellow come together with you, until they be reconciled, that your sacrifice may not be profaned. For this is that which was spoken by the Lord: “In every place and time offer Me a pure sacrifice; for I am a great King,” says the Lord, “and My name is wonderful among the nations.”
[AD 60 - 100]
- The Didache, Chapter 14 on the Sacred Tradition of Eucharist
(23) For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, (24) 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." (25) In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." (26) For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. (27) Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord. (28) Let a man examine himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. (29) For any one who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself.
- Sacred Scripture 1 Corinthians 11:23-29 on Eucharist
(30) So they said to him, "Then what sign do you do, that we may see, and believe you? What work do you perform? (31) Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'" (32) Jesus then said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven; my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. (33) For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven, and gives life to the world." (34) They said to him, "Lord, give us this bread always."
(35) Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst. (36) But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. (37) All that the Father gives me will come to me; and him who comes to me I will not cast out. (38) For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me; (39) and this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up at the last day. (40) For this is the will of my Father, that every one who sees the Son and believes in him should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day."
(41) The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, "I am the bread which came down from heaven." (42) They said, "Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, 'I have come down from heaven'?" (43) Jesus answered them, "Do not murmur among yourselves. (44) No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. (45) It is written in the prophets, 'And they shall all be taught by God.' Every one who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me. (46) Not that any one has seen the Father except him who is from God; he has seen the Father. (47) Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life. (48) I am the bread of life. (49) Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. (50) This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that a man may eat of it and not die. (51) I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh."
(52) The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" (53) So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you; (54) he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. (55) For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. (56) He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. (57) As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats me will live because of me. (58) This is the bread which came down from heaven, not such as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live for ever." (59) This he said in the synagogue, as he taught at Caper'na-um.
(60) Many of his disciples, when they heard it, said, "This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?" (61) But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples murmured at it, said to them, "Do you take offense at this? (62) Then what if you were to see the Son of man ascending where he was before? (63) It is the spirit that gives life, the flesh is of no avail; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. (64) But there are some of you that do not believe." For Jesus knew from the first who those were that did not believe, and who it was that would betray him. (65) And he said, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father."
(66) After this many of his disciples drew back and no longer went about with him. (67) Jesus said to the twelve, “Will you also go away?” (68) Simon Peter answered him, 'Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life; (69) and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.'
- Sacred Scripture John 6:30-69 on Eucharist
(10) If any one of the house of Israel or of the strangers who sojourn among them eats any blood, I will set my face against that person who eats blood and will cut him off from among his people. (11) For the life of the flesh is in the blood; and I have given it for you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement, by reason of the life. (12) Therefore I have said to the people of Israel, No person among you shall eat blood, neither shall any stranger who sojourns among you eat blood.
(13) Any one also of the people of Israel, or of the strangers who sojourn among them, who takes in hunting any beast or bird that may be eaten shall pour out its blood and cover it with dust. (14) For the life of every creature is the blood of it; therefore I have said to the people of Israel, You shall not eat the blood of any creature, for the life of every creature is its blood; whoever eats it shall be cut off.
- Sacred Scripture Leviticus 17:10-14 on Eucharist
(17) Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, 'Where will you have us prepare for you to eat the Passover?' (18) He said, 'Go into the city to a certain man and say to him, "The Teacher says, My time is at hand. I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples."' (19) And the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover.
(20) When it was evening, he reclined at table with the twelve. (21) And as they were eating, he said, 'Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.' (22) And they were very sorrowful and began to say to him one after another, 'Is it I, Lord?' (23) He answered, 'He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me will betray me. (24) The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.' (25) Judas, who would betray him, answered, 'Is it I, Rabbi?' He said to him, 'You have said so.'
(26) Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, 'Take, eat; this is my body.' (27) And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, 'Drink of it, all of you, (28) for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. (29) I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.'
- Sacred Scripture Matthew 26:17-29 on Eucharist
(1) The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, (2) “This month shall be for you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year for you. (3) Tell all the congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month they shall take every man a lamb according to their fathers’ houses, a lamb for a household; (4) and if the household is too small for a lamb, then a man and his neighbor next to his house shall take according to the number of persons; according to what each can eat you shall make your count for the lamb. (5) Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old; you shall take it from the sheep or from the goats; (6) and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs in the evening.
(7) Then they shall take some of the blood, and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat them. (8) They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it. (9) Do not eat any of it raw or boiled with water, but roasted, its head with its legs and its inner parts. (10) And you shall let none of it remain until the morning, anything that remains until the morning you shall burn. (11) In this manner you shall eat it: your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord’s passover. (12) For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will smite all the first-born in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the Lord. (13) The blood shall be a sign for you, upon the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague shall fall upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.
(14) “This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord; throughout your generations you shall observe it as an ordinance for ever.
- Sacred Scripture Exodus 12:1-14 on Eucharist
(12) And on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the passover lamb, his disciples said to him, 'Where will you have us go and prepare for you to eat the passover?' (13) And he sent two of his disciples, and said to them, 'Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you; follow him, (14) and wherever he enters, say to the householder, “The Teacher says, Where is my guest room, where I am to eat the passover with my disciples?' (15) And he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready; there prepare for us.” (16) And the disciples set out and went to the city, and found it as he had told them; and they prepared the passover.
(17) And when it was evening he came with the twelve. (18) And as they were at table eating, Jesus said, 'Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me.' (19) They began to be sorrowful, and to say to him one after another, 'Is it I?' (20) He said to them, 'It is one of the twelve, one who is dipping bread into the dish with me. (21) For the Son of man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.'
(22) And as they were eating, he took bread, and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to them, and said, 'Take; this is my body.' (23) And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. (24) And he said to them, 'This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. (25) Truly, I say to you, I shall not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.'
- Sacred Scripture Mark 14:12-26 on Eucharist
(7) Then came the day of Unleavened Bread, on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. (8) So Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, 'Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat it.' (9) They said to him, 'Where will you have us prepare it?' (10) He said to them, 'Behold, when you have entered the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him into the house that he enters (11) and tell the master of the house, "The Teacher says to you, Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?" (12) And he will show you a large upper room furnished; there prepare it.' (13) And they went and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.
(14) And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. (15) And he said to them, 'I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. (16) For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.' (17) And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, 'Take this, and divide it among yourselves. (18) For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.' (19) And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, 'This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.' (20) And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, 'This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.' (21) But behold, the hand of him who betrays me is with me on the table. (22) For the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed!' (23) And they began to question one another, which of them it could be who was going to do this.
- Sacred Scripture Luke 22:7-23 on Eucharist
(28) So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He appeared to be going further, (29) but they constrained him, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with them. (30) When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to them. (31) And their eyes were opened and they recognized him; and he vanished out of their sight. (32) They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the scriptures?” (33) And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven gathered together and those who were with them, (34) who said, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” (35) Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.
- Sacred Scripture Luke 24:28-35 on Eucharist
(12) For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. (13) For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.
- Sacred Scripture 1 Corinthians 12:12-13 on Eucharist
(16) "The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? (17) Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread."
- Sacred Scripture 1 Corinthians 10:16-17 on Eucharist
(4) And he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” (5) And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting; but rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.”
- Sacred Scripture Acts 9:4-5 on Eucharist
(26) For if we sin deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, (27) but a fearful prospect of judgment, and a fury of fire which will consume the adversaries. (28) A man who has violated the law of Moses dies without mercy at the testimony of two or three witnesses. (29) How much worse punishment do you think will be deserved by the man who has spurned the Son of God, and profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and outraged the Spirit of grace?
- Sacred Scripture Hebrews 10:26-29 on Eucharist
(9) And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, (10) “Say to the people of Israel, If any man of you or of your descendants is unclean through touching a dead body, or is afar off on a journey, he shall still keep the passover to the Lord. (11) In the second month on the fourteenth day in the evening they shall keep it; they shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. (12) They shall leave none of it until the morning, nor break a bone of it; according to all the statute for the passover they shall keep it. (13) But the man who is clean and is not on a journey, yet refrains from keeping the passover, that person shall be cut off from his people, because he did not offer the Lord’s offering at its appointed time; that man shall bear his sin.
- Sacred Scripture Numbers 9:9-13 on Eucharist
(45) For the Son of man also came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.
- Sacred Scripture Mark 10:45 on Eucharist
(7) He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth. (8) By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? (9) And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. (10) Yet it was the will of the LORD to bruise him; he has put him to grief; when he makes himself an offering for sin, he shall see his offspring, he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
- Sacred Scripture Isaiah 53:7-10 on Eucharist
(29) The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, 'Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!'
- Sacred Scripture John 1:29 on Eucharist
(9) And the angel said to me, 'Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.' And he said to me, 'These are true words of God.'
- Sacred Scripture Revelation 19:9 on Eucharist
Chapter 10: Prayers After Communion
"After you have eaten, give thanks in this way:
We thank you, holy Father, for your holy name which you have made to dwell in our hearts, and for the knowledge and faith and immortality which you have made known to us through Jesus your servant; to you be the glory forever. You, almighty Master, created all things for your name's sake; you gave food and drink to humans for enjoyment, that they might give thanks to you; but you have graciously provided us with spiritual food and drink and eternal life through your servant. Above all, we give thanks to you because you are mighty; to you be the glory forever.
Remember, Lord, your Church, to deliver it from all evil and to make it perfect in your love, and gather it from the four winds, sanctified for your kingdom which you have prepared for it; for yours is the power and the glory forever. Let grace come, and let this world pass away. Hosanna to the God of David! If anyone is holy, let him come; if anyone is not so, let him repent. Maranatha! Amen.
But permit the prophets to make thanksgiving as much as they desire."
[AD 60 - 100]
- The Didache, Chapter 10 on the Sacred Tradition of Eucharist
Chapter 14. Christian Assembly on the Lord's Day
But every Lord's day gather yourselves together, and break bread, and give thanksgiving after having confessed your transgressions, that your sacrifice may be pure. But let no one who is at odds with his fellow come together with you, until they be reconciled, that your sacrifice may not be profaned. For this is that which was spoken by the Lord: “In every place and time offer Me a pure sacrifice; for I am a great King,” says the Lord, “and My name is wonderful among the nations.”
[AD 60 - 100]
- The Didache, Chapter 14 on the Sacred Tradition of Eucharist
"I have no taste for the food that perishes nor for the pleasures of this life. I want the Bread of God which is the Flesh of Christ, who was the seed of David; and for drink I desire His Blood which is love that cannot be destroyed." (Letter to the Romans, chapter 7, verse 3) [AD 107 - 110]
- St. Ignatius of Antioch on the Sacred Tradition of Eucharist
"They abstain from the Eucharist and from prayer, because they do not confess that the Eucharist is the flesh of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who suffered for our sins, and which the Father, of His goodness, raised up again. Those, therefore, who speak against this gift of God, incur death in their disputes. But it were better for them to treat it with respect, that they also might rise again. It is fitting, therefore, that you should keep aloof from such persons, and not to speak of them either in private or in public, but to give heed to the prophets, and especially to the Gospel, in which the passion [of Christ] has been revealed to us, and the resurrection has been fully proved. But avoid all divisions, as the beginning of evils." (Letter to the Smyrnaeans, Chapter 7) [AD 107 - 110]
- St. Ignatius of Antioch on the Sacred Tradition of Eucharist
"Take heed, then, to have but one Eucharist. For there is one flesh of our Lord Jesus Christ, and one cup of the union of His blood; one altar, as there is one bishop, with the presbytery and my fellow servants, the deacons." (Letter to the Philadelphians, Chapter 4) [AD 107 - 110]
- St. Ignatius of Antioch on the Sacred Tradition of Eucharist
"Come together in common, one and all without exception in charity, in one faith and in one Jesus Christ, who is of the race of David according to the flesh, the son of man and son of God, so that with undivided mind you may obey the bishop and the priests and break one bread which is the medicine of immortality and the antidote to prevent us from dying but that we should live for ever in Jesus Christ." (Letter to the Ephesians, chapter 20, verse 2) [AD 107 - 110]
- St. Ignatius of Antioch on the Sacred Tradition of Eucharist
“For not as common bread nor common drink do we receive these; but since Jesus Christ our Savior was made incarnate by the word of God and had both flesh and blood for our salvation, so too, as we have been taught, the food which has been made into the Eucharist by the Eucharistic prayer set down by him, and by the change of which our blood and flesh is nurtured, is both the flesh and the blood of that incarnated Jesus.” (First Apology 66) [AD 155 - 157]
- St. Justin Martyr on the Sacred Tradition of Eucharist
“He took from among creation that which is bread, and gave thanks, saying, ‘This is my body.’ The cup likewise, which is from among the creation to which we belong, he confessed to be his blood. He taught the new sacrifice of the new covenant, of which Malachi, one of the twelve [minor] prophets, had signified beforehand: ‘You do not do my will, says the Lord Almighty, and I will not accept a sacrifice at your hands. For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name is glorified among the Gentiles, and in every place incense is offered to my name, and a pure sacrifice; for great is my name among the Gentiles, says the Lord Almighty’ [Mal. 1:10–11]. By these words he makes it plain that the former people will cease to make offerings to God; but that in every place sacrifice will be offered to him, and indeed, a pure one, for his name is glorified among the Gentiles” (Against Heresies, Book 4) [AD 175 - 185]
- St. Irenaeus of Lyons on the Sacred Tradition of Eucharist
"He has declared the cup, a part of creation, to be his own blood, from which he causes our blood to flow; and the bread, a part of creation, he has established as his own body, from which he gives increase unto our bodies. When, therefore, the mixed cup [wine and water] and the baked bread receives the Word of God and becomes the Eucharist, the body of Christ, and from these the substance of our flesh is increased and supported, how can they say that the flesh is not capable of receiving the gift of God, which is eternal life—flesh which is nourished by the body and blood of the Lord, and is in fact a member of him?" (Against Heresies, Book 5, Chapter 2, Sections 2-3) [AD 175 - 185]
- St. Irenaeus of Lyons on the Sacred Tradition of Eucharist
"If the Lord were from other than the Father, how could he rightly take bread, which is of the same creation as our own, and confess it to be his body and affirm that the mixture in the cup is his blood?" (Against Heresies, Book 4, Chapter 33, Section 2) [AD 175 - 185]
- St. Irenaeus of Lyons on the Sacred Tradition of Eucharist
"Three things are alleged against us: atheism, Thyestean feasts, Œdipodean intercourse. But if these charges are true, spare no class: proceed at once against our crimes; destroy us root and branch, with our wives and children, if any Christian is found to live like the brutes." (A Plea For the Christians, by Athenagoras the Athenian: Philosopher and Christian - to the Emperors Marcus Aurelius Antoninus and Lucius Aurelius Commodus, conquerors of Armenia and Sarmatia, and more than all, philosophers.) [AD 176]
- Cannabilism Accusations on the Sacred Tradition of Eucharist
"And the blood of the Lord is twofold. For there is the blood of His flesh, by which we are redeemed from corruption; and the spiritual, that by which we are anointed. And to drink the blood of Jesus, is to become partaker of the Lord's immortality; the Spirit being the energetic principle of the Word, as blood is of flesh. Accordingly, as wine is blended with water, so is the Spirit with man. And the one, the mixture of wine and water, nourishes to faith; while the other, the Spirit, conducts to immortality. And the mixture of both--of the water and of the Word--is called Eucharist, renowned and glorious grace; and they who by faith partake of it are sanctified both in body and soul. For the divine mixture, man, the Father's will has mystically compounded by the Spirit and the Word. For, in truth, the spirit is joined to the soul, which is inspired by it; and the flesh, by reason of which the Word became flesh, to the Word." (The Instructor, Book 2, Chapter 2) [AD 198 - 203]
- St. Clement of Alexandria on the Sacred Tradition of Eucharist
"He likewise, when mentioning the cup and making the new testament to be sealed in His blood, affirms the reality of His body. For no blood can belong to a body which is not a body of flesh. If any sort of body were presented to our view, which is not one of flesh, not being fleshly, it would not possess blood." (Against Marcion, Book IV, Chapter 40) [AD 207 - 212]
- Tertullian on the Sacred Tradition of Eucharist
"[T]here is not a soul that can at all procure salvation, except it believe whilst it is in the flesh, so true is it that the flesh is the very condition on which salvation hinges. And since the soul is, in consequence of its salvation, chosen to the service of God, it is the flesh which actually renders it capable of such service. The flesh, indeed, is washed [in baptism], in order that the soul may be cleansed; the flesh is shadowed with the imposition of hands [in confirmation], that the soul also may be illuminated by the Spirit; the flesh feeds [in the Eucharist] on the body and blood of Christ, that the soul likewise may be filled with God." (The Resurrection of the Dead, Chapter 8) [AD 207 - 212]
- Tertullian on the Sacred Tradition of Eucharist
“You are accustomed to take part in the divine mysteries, so you know how, when you have received the Body of the Lord, you reverently exercise every care lest a particle of it fall, and lest anything of the consecrated gift perish. You account yourselves guilty, and rightly do you so believe, if any of it be lost through negligence. But if you observe such caution in keeping His Body, and properly so, then tell me, why do you think neglecting the word of God a lesser crime than neglecting His Body?” (Homilies on Exodus 13:3) [AD 244 - 249]
- Origen on the Sacred Tradition of Eucharist
"You see how the altars are no longer sprinkled with the blood of oxen, but consecrated by the precious blood of Christ." (Homilies on Joshua 2:1) [AD 244 - 249]
- Origen on the Sacred Tradition of Eucharist
"We give thanks to the Creator of all, and, along with thanksgiving and prayer for the blessings we have received, we also eat the bread presented to us; and this bread becomes by prayer a sacred body, which sanctifies those who sincerely partake of it." (Against Celsus, Book 8, Chapter 33) [AD 248]
- Origen on the Sacred Tradition of Eucharist
"And we ask that this Bread be given us daily, so that we who are in Christ and daily receive the Eucharist as the food of salvation, may not, by falling into some more grievous sin and then in abstaining from communicating, be withheld from the heavenly Bread, and be separated from Christ's Body, as He Himself warns us, saying, 'Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you shall not have life in you.' Therefore, do we ask that our Bread, which is Christ, be given to us daily, so that we who abide and live in Christ may not withdraw from His sanctification and from His Body." (Treatise on the Lord's Prayer, Chapter 18) [AD 252 - 253]
- St. Cyprian of Carthage on the Sacred Tradition of Eucharist
"For because Christ bore us all, who also bore our sins, we see that the people are understood to be declared in the water, but the blood of Christ is shown in the wine. But when in the cup water is mingled with wine, the people are made one with Christ, and the assembly of the believers is associated and conjoined with Him on whom it believes. Which association and conjunction of water and wine is so mingled in the Lord’s cup that that mixture cannot anymore be separated. Whence, moreover, nothing can separate the Church—that is, the people established in the Church, faithfully and firmly persevering in that which they have believed—from Christ, so as to prevent their undivided adherence by an inseparable love. Thus, therefore, in consecrating the cup of the Lord, water alone should not be offered, even as wine alone ought not to be offered. For if any one offer wine only, the blood of Christ is disjoined from us; but if the water be alone, the people are disjoined from Christ. But when both are mingled and are joined with one another by a close union, there is then completed a spiritual and heavenly sacrament." (Epistle 62, Paragraph 13) [AD 253]
- St. Cyprian of Carthage on the Sacred Tradition of Eucharist
"Even of itself the teaching of the Blessed Paul is sufficient to give you a full assurance concerning those Divine Mysteries, of which having been deemed worthy, you have become of the same body and blood with Christ. For you have just heard him say distinctly, That our Lord Jesus Christ in the night in which He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks He broke it, and gave to His disciples, saying, Take, eat, this is My Body: and having taken the cup and given thanks, He said, Take, drink, this is My Blood. Since then He Himself declared and said of the Bread, This is My Body, who shall dare to doubt any longer? And since He has Himself affirmed and said, This is My Blood, who shall ever hesitate, saying, that it is not His blood?" (Catechetical Lectures 22, Section 1) [AD 348 - 350]
- St. Cyril of Jerusalem on the Sacred Tradition of Eucharist
"The words in which we speak of the things of God must be used in no mere human and worldly sense, nor must the perverseness of an alien and impious interpretation be extorted from the soundness of heavenly words by any violent and headstrong preaching. Let us read what is written, let us understand what we read, and then fulfil the demands of a perfect faith. For as to what we say concerning the reality of Christ's nature within us, unless we have been taught by Him, our words are foolish and impious. For He says Himself, My flesh is meat indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He that eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. As to the verity of the flesh and blood there is no room left for doubt. For now both from the declaration of the Lord Himself and our own faith, it is verily flesh and verily blood. And these when eaten and drunk, bring it to pass that both we are in Christ and Christ in us. Is not this true? Yet they who affirm that Christ Jesus is not truly God are welcome to find it false. He therefore Himself is in us through the flesh and we in Him, while together with Him our own selves are in God." (On the Trinity, Book 8, Section 14) [AD 356 - 360]
- St. Hilary of Poitiers on the Sacred Tradition of Eucharist
"What you see on God's altar, you've already observed during the night that has now ended. But you've heard nothing about just what it might be, or what it might mean, or what great thing it might be said to symbolize. For what you see is simply bread and a cup - this is the information your eyes report. But your faith demands far subtler insight: the bread is Christ's body, the cup is Christ's blood. Faith can grasp the fundamentals quickly, succinctly, yet it hungers for a fuller account of the matter. As the prophet says, 'Unless you believe, you will not understand.' [Isaiah 7:9]" (Sermon 272) [AD 395 - 400]
- St. Augustine of Hippo on the Sacred Tradition of Eucharist
"I had promised those of you who have just been baptized a sermon to explain the sacrament of the Lord's table, which you can see right now, and which you shared in last night. You ought to know what you have received, what you are about to receive, what you ought to receive every day. That bread which you can see on the altar, sanctified by the word of God, is the body of Christ.That cup, or rather what the cup contains, sanctified by the word of God, is the blood of Christ. It was by means of these things that the Lord Christ wished to present us with his body and blood, which he shed for our sake for the forgiveness of sins." (Sermon 227) [AD 395 - 400]
- St. Augustine of Hippo on the Sacred Tradition of Eucharist
"For His word cannot deceive, but our senses are easily beguiled. That has never failed, but this in most things goes wrong. Since then the word says, This is my body, let us both be persuaded and believe, and look at it with the eyes of the mind. For Christ has given nothing sensible, but though in things sensible yet all to be perceived by the mind. So also in baptism, the gift is bestowed by a sensible thing, that is, by water; but that which is done is perceived by the mind, the birth, I mean, and the renewal. For if you had been incorporeal, He would have delivered you the incorporeal gifts bare; but because the soul has been locked up in a body, He delivers you the things that the mind perceives, in things sensible. How many now say, I would wish to see His form, the mark, His clothes, His shoes. Lo! You see Him, Thou touchest Him, you eat Him. And thou indeed desirest to see His clothes, but He gives Himself to you not to see only, but also to touch and eat and receive within you." (Homily 82 on Matthew) [AD 398 - 407]
- St. John Chrysostom on the Sacred Tradition of Eucharist
- Earliest Churches on the Sacred Tradition of Eucharist
The Catholic belief in the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist not only affirms the substantial presence of Christ in the consecrated elements but also emphasizes the unique nature of the Eucharistic sacrifice. While the Eucharist involves the offering of bread and wine, it is not a re-sacrifice of Christ. According to Catholic teaching, Christ's sacrifice on the cross was a once-for-all event, sufficient for the redemption of humanity.
Instead, the Eucharist makes present the eternal sacrifice of Christ in a sacramental manner. In other words, through the celebration of the Eucharist, Catholics participate in and receive the fruits of Christ's sacrifice on Calvary, which transcends time and space. This participation in Christ's sacrifice is not a repetition or reenactment but a sacramental participation of the same sacrifice that occurred on the cross.
This understanding is reflected in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC), which teaches that the Eucharist is both a sacrifice and a meal. Paragraphs 1366-1367 of the CCC emphasize that the Eucharist is a memorial of Christ's passion, death, and resurrection, making present the saving power of his sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins. Through the Eucharist, believers enter into communion with Christ and with one another, united in his eternal sacrifice.
Furthermore, the Council of Trent affirmed the sacrificial nature of the Eucharist while clarifying that it is not a repetition of Christ's sacrifice but a sacramental representation of it. Session 22, Chapter 2 of the Council's decrees emphasizes that the Eucharistic sacrifice is a re-presentation of Christ's sacrifice on the cross, making it present for the salvation of humanity.
Moreover, the Catholic Church teaches that in the Eucharist, Christ is substantially present in his entirety—body, blood, soul, and divinity. This profound mystery, known as the doctrine of the Real Presence, is intimately connected with the concept of transubstantiation. According to this doctrine, during the consecration at Mass, the substance of the bread and wine is transformed into the actual body and blood of Christ, while the appearances of bread and wine remain. Transubstantiation emphasizes that the Eucharist is not merely a symbol or memorial but a true and substantial presence of Christ himself.
However, it is also crucial to recognize that while the bread and wine are transformed into the body and blood of Christ, they still retain their outward appearance as bread and wine. This aspect underscores the sacramental nature of the Eucharist, where the bread and wine are symbols that signify and make present the reality of Christ's sacrifice. Though they are symbols, there is a deeper spiritual reality beyond their physical appearance, one that invites believers to partake in the Body and Blood of Christ.
The Eucharist, therefore, is offered to the faithful for their spiritual nourishment and communion with God. Through this sacrament, believers enter into an intimate union with Christ, receiving him in a way that is both mysterious and profoundly real. It signifies a deep connection with the divine, as Christ's presence is made tangible and accessible to the participants, fostering a unique and transformative relationship with the Savior.
In the Catechism of the Catholic Church, this teaching can be found in paragraph 1374, which states: "In the most blessed sacrament of the Eucharist 'the body and blood, together with the soul and divinity, of our Lord Jesus Christ and, therefore, the whole Christ is truly, really, and substantially contained.'"
Likewise, the Council of Trent's decrees, particularly Session 13, Chapter 3, affirm the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, stating: "And this faith has ever been in the Church of God, that, immediately after the consecration, the true Body of our Lord, and His true Blood, together with His soul and divinity, are under the species of bread and wine."
The Eucharist holds paramount importance in the life of the Church as it is considered the source and summit of the Christian faith. It is from the Eucharist that the Church draws her life and vitality, as it is the sacrament of Christ's presence among his people. Additionally, the Eucharist is the summit towards which the activity of the Church is directed, representing the highest expression of worship and communion with God. As such, the Eucharist occupies a central place in Catholic liturgy, spirituality, and devotion, serving as the focal point of Christian worship and the ultimate expression of God's love and presence among his people.