Holy Eucharist, also known as the Lord's Supper or Holy Communion, is sometimes called the Divine Liturgy, the Mass and the Great Offering (The Book of Common Prayer, page 859). As the sacrament commanded by Christ for the continual remembrance of His life, death and resurrection until His coming again, it is the principal act of Christian worship.
Eucharist comes from the Greek word for thanksgiving. It is the reenactment of the Last Supper:
The night He was betrayed, He shared bread and wine with His disciples and commanded them to eat the bread and drink the wine "in remembrance of me"
1 Corinthians 11:23-26; Mark 14:22-25; Mathew 26:26-29; Luke 22:14-20.
He identified the bread with His body and the wine with His blood.
In Episcopal doctrine we teach the 'real presence' of Christ's body and blood in the sacrament of the Eucharist. The bread wafer and wine do not literally become Christ, but through faith, we receive His presence through the Act of Consecration by the priest.
Any baptized Christian attending Episcopal services is invited to the Lord's Table. Those who are not baptized may receive a blessing from the priest.
See also:
Why do you use one cup for communion wine?
Book of Common Prayer, page 873, Article XXVII regarding transubstantiation
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