The Book of Common Prayer (1979) instructs us that the Holy Eucharist is to be “the principal act of worship on the Lord’s Day and other major Feasts.” It is the practice that most clearly defines who we are as a Christian community. The term Eucharist is Greek meaning “thanksgiving”. At the Last Supper Jesus shared the bread and cup of wine during a sacred meal with his disciples. Here he identified the bread with his body and the wine with his blood of the new covenant. Jesus commanded his disciples to “do this in remembrance of me” (see 1 Cor. 11:23-26; Mk 14:22-25; Mt 26:26-29; Lk 22:14-20).
We believe that the risen and glorified Christ is really present with us in the sacramental forms of Bread and Wine, which are mysteriously transformed into his Body and Blood. The significance of the mystery is that Jesus makes his self-giving love known to us and to the world – and has for centuries – by being among us in this way.
All baptized Christians are welcome to receive communion at any celebration of the Eucharist at St. Barnabas, and persons of any faith or no faith at all are always welcome to participate with us, and to come to the altar rail for a blessing as they feel God urge them on their way.
