Examining the Role of the Eucharist in the Church's Structure

Which came first, the chicken or the egg? This centuries-old question has stumped philosophers, but a similar question can stump Theologians: Does the Church make the Eucharist, or does the Eucharist make the Church? It turns out there is not a simple one-or-the-other answer to the question. As followers of Christ have come to understand His Messiahship and what it means to be a disciple, they have related His birth to the Church and its message, and also explained the Passion of Christ in relation to the Eucharist. In this way, the Church is the one to deliver the Liturgy, and with it, the Eucharist. In some areas of the world, people go to church just for the Eucharist, almost ignoring the homily and the rest of the liturgy. This alone shows the importance people see in the Eucharist. At its core, the Eucharist is a tool of Christ to share with us, but we to be willing to accept it. Thus, the Eucharist makes the church because of how it brings us closer to God, makes us more Christ-like, and shapes our future.

First, the Eucharist is a way God brings us closer to Him. He offers the body and blood of his Son, Jesus Christ, as a sacrifice to take away sins from the world. In the Gospel, Jesus says to the disciples, “Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:28). This passage explains the biblical basis for the bible. It was at the Last Supper where Jesus taught the Disciples what the Eucharist is. Although it wasn’t yet known as the ‘Eucharist’ and Jesus told the disciples, “I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom” (Matthew 26:29), this was the beginning of how God forgives our sins through Jesus’ sacrifice. The Eucharist brings us closer to God because we are consuming part of Jesus’ body and blood for the purpose of forgiveness. The Eucharist is no longer just a meal, but a sacrament of unity.

One point of contention is the issue of transubstantiation. The Roman Catholic church believes in the real presence of Jesus at the Eucharist, and that the bread and wine are turned into the body and blood of Jesus at the altar. They believe that Jesus is physically present in the Eucharist when consumed during mass. On the other hand, Lutherans believe in the real presence of Christ as well, but don’t call it transubstantiation because they don’t believe the bread and wine are physically transformed into the body and blood of Christ. To them, it’s more symbolic, even though they believe the Spirit is there. The Eucharist creates an identity among Christians.

The next way the Eucharist makes the church is that it makes us more Christ-like. In fact, the purpose of the Eucharist is to make us more like Christ. In consuming the bread and wine, we attain likeness to God; it’s a sacrament that offers us a share of Christ’s life. The way it does this is by making present a part of Christ’s incarnate life so that we may live and share in it with Him. Essentially, it restores us wholly to incorruption. Christianity is love, and Jesus is love. The Eucharist makes us more like Christ by forgiving our sins so that we may love more and do so freely. It’s ironic that by consuming Christ, he consumes our spirit and we become more like Him. In fact, the Eucharist makes the church because of how we come together to be more Christ-Like, as Father Paul McPartlan explains: “We are receiving Christ himself, but the life he shares with us is the communion life of the Trinity — the very life that calls us out of our own individualism and draws us together as the Church.” This explains a circular effect, where we come together to the church to receive Christ, but it’s the act of receiving Him and becoming like Him that makes the church.

Finally, the Eucharist shapes our future. By bringing us closer to God and making us more Christ-like, the Eucharist sets us on the path of love and to make us live life according to Christ. The Eucharist defines the fellowship of the church, as Avery Dulles explains in an article: “Unless there were a church, there would be no one to celebrate the Eucharist, but unless there were a Eucharist, the church would lack the supreme source of its vitality.” The church has a goal of initiating fellowship, and the Eucharist is one of Christ’s tools that assists in this earthly duty but has divine intentions as well. It shapes us to be better people and live a life of love, but we have to be willing to accept it. The purpose of bringing us closer to Christ is fulfilled through the Eucharist as a commemoration of the past, but more importantly, shaping our morals now and for the future. The hope that comes from the Eucharist is that the future will be a virtuous journey that brings us closer to God. A misconception is that the goal is to escape Earth, but the reality is the Eucharist moves us towards Eternal life while while it maintains our Earthly life. Pope Benedict recounted, “The moral urgency born of welcoming Jesus into our lives is the fruit of gratitude for having experienced the Lord’s unmerited closeness.” This reminds us that we did nothing to deserve Christ’s love, but that it’s given freely to us, and in accepting it the Eucharist forms the church.

All in all, the Eucharist is delivered by the Church, but the Eucharist is what makes the church. It brings us closer to God as explained in the Gospel at the Last supper; it’s meant for forgiveness. In addition, the purpose of the Eucharist is to make us more like Christ. This is a sacrament that encourages us to live a life of love. After examining how it shapes our future, it’s clear the Eucharist makes church and the people full.