Holy Eucharist

St. Stephen Church practices the living historic forms of the liturgies of the Church and the sacraments of Holy Eucharist and Baptism. We draw on the traditions and wisdom of the Historic Church and are unashamedly part of the one Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. At the center of our worship is the sacrament of the Body and Blood – the Holy Eucharist – in which we believe that grace is imparted by the real presence of Christ. St. Stephen has a high view of Holy Scripture, believing that it contains all things necessary for salvation and godly living. We are committed to the faithful reading, studying, teaching, and preaching from the Scriptures; as well as believing that the Holy Scriptures are a wellspring for spiritual maturity. We believe in the importance of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, a holy life, and a commitment to evangelism and missions.

 

Eucharist is the sacrament of Christ's body and blood, and the principal act of Christian worship. The term is from the Greek word for thanksgiving. Jesus instituted the eucharist on the night when he was betrayed. At the Last Supper he shared the bread and the cup at a sacred meal with his disciples. He identified the bread as his body and the wine as his blood of the new covenant. Jesus commanded his disciples to do this in remembrance of him. Christ's sacrifice is made present to us in the Eucharist, and in it we are united to his one self-offering. The Last Supper provides the basis for the fourfold eucharistic action of taking, blessing, breaking, and sharing. Christ's body and blood are really present in the Sacrament of the Eucharist and received by faith. Christ's presence is also known in the gathered eucharistic community.

In the Book of Common Prayer, the whole service is entitled the Holy Eucharist. The first part of the service is designated the Word of God. It usually includes the entrance rite, the lessons and gradual psalm, the gospel, the sermon, the Nicene Creed, the prayers of the people, the confession of sin and absolution, and the peace. The second portion of the service is designated the Holy Communion. It includes the offertory, the consecration of the bread and wine in the Great Thanksgiving, the communion of the people, and the concluding prayers of thanksgiving and dismissal. A blessing may be given prior to the dismissal. The Eucharist is also called the Lord's Supper, Holy Communion, the Divine Liturgy, the Mass, and the Great Offertory.