Performing the Eucharist Sacrament is the principle act of Christians during worship and practiced by both Catholic and Protestant churches. A Greek word meaning “thanksgiving,” The Eucharist, or Holy Communion, is also referred to as the Lord’s Supper, Divine Liturgy and/or Mass. Christians don’t say they “practice,” or “perform” the Eucharist. Instead, they “celebrate” this Sacrament.

Essentially, the Eucharist is a reenactment, of sorts, of The Last Supper. The symbolism involved in the ceremony goes much deeper. It represents the immortal existence of Christ and the congregation’s sharing of a sacred meal with God. The Eucharist celebration includes a washing of hands symbolizing Pontias Pilates’ attempt to wash away his responsibility of Christ’s crucifixion. In addition, bread is lifted upward to represent Christ’s body being lifted onto a cross while breaking the bread symbolizes His broken body. Wine represents Christ’s blood pouring from his wounds. Catholics and Protestants have different viewpoints regarding the imagery expressed in the ceremony.

Catholics understand the ceremonial bread or wafers and wine to be the actual body and blood of Christ, a doctrine known as transsubstiantion. Christ’s body and blood nourishes the participant spiritually and physically transforming them into a more righteous person. Protestants are divided into two groups. Lutherans and some others believe in consubstantiation where Christ’s blood and body comingle with wine and bread uniting but not changing either. The elements of the ceremony don’t become the literal blood and body of Christ but His spirit is present in them. The remainder of Protestants see the elements as mere symbols of the ceremony and do not mystically alter their physical state.

The Sacrament Reconciliation is practiced only by Catholics. Protestants do not believe the church has the spiritual authority to forgive sins and hasn’t since its inception, when Martin Luther posted his thesis on the church door in the early 16th Century. Once known as Penance, the purpose of Reconciliation is to reconcile or to reconnect the sinner with God and the church community. Today, Reconciliation is performed by the well-known method of Confession. Sinners prior to the early Middle Age, around the 5th Century, endured public humiliation, starvation and other severities to become reconciled with the church. Deemed too harsh a punishment by a church that believed in the forgiveness of Christ, the tradition of Confession began in the 6th Century likely by Irish, then Anglo Saxon monks and has endured through today. Protestants believe only God can absolve sins.

Sins, to Catholics, are an illness that infects the soul. Absolving the sin acts as the cure for the spiritual illness. Confession, the celebration of the Reconciliation Sacrament, starts with the priest blessing the penitent parishioner and reading a Bible passage. The parishioner begins with the familiar sign of the cross (hand to forehead and shoulder to shoulder) and speaking “bless me father for I have sinned” then saying a prayer of Contrition. The priest says a prayer of Absolution, absolves the sins, does a sign of the cross then offers counsel.

The Eucharist is an important Sacrament to all Christians. However, different sects of the religion can’t agree whether the bread and wine are symbolic or actual parts of Christ, a gruesome thought to those outside the Catholic faith. This distinction is vast yet the meaning behind these diverse ways of thinking is similar; honoring Christ’s sacrifice for the sins of man and becoming spiritually closer to God. Reconciliation involves admitting to wrong-doings which means the Catholic faithful must keep track of their sins. One would think this likely reduces personal transgressions. Shame can be a powerful incentive even when spoken in private to a trusted individual who vowed to keep your secret.