Collection Publications: Reflections of the Passion

The unifying thread of these diverse works is the Eucharist-- also called Holy Communion and the Liturgy of the Lord's Supper-- the central rite of the Christian service, in which bread and wine are blessed at the altar and consumed by the faithful. The origins of the ritual lie in the Last Supper, when Chirst gave bread and wine to his disciples, saying, "take, eat; this is my body..." and "drink from (the cup), all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant..." (Matthew 26:26, 27). Because Christ's allusions to his body and blood were interpreted as a reference to his impending sacrifice on the cross, the church viewed the Eucharist not only as a commemoration of the Last Supper, but also as a reenactment of the Crucifixion. By the late twelfth century, the church established its official position regarding the Eucharist: in a change called transubstantiation, the wine, once considered consecrated, becomes Christ's actual blood, and the bread becomes Christ's body. Beginning around the the thirteenth century, parishes all over Europe instituted practices to ensure the reverent attention of the laity during Mass. For the worshiper receiving bread and wine at the altar, images of Christ's body and blood reinforced the significance of the Eucharist. In the sixteenth century, Protestant reformers denied transubstantiation. In response, the Catholic Church reaffirmed its central tenets durign the Counter Reformation, actively employing Eucharistic imagery to instruct the faithful. --Victoria S. Reed Friends Curatorial Research Associate