A History of Christianity - Literature review Example

Module Module ID: Eucharist Christianity serves as the greatest existing religious faith ofthe entire world, the followers of which are highest in number in comparison to all other belief systems prevailing on the face of the earth. The religious teachings and rituals of the faith present a complete code of ethics to be observed by the community in all matters of individual and collective life. Since Christianity lays stress upon humanity, its rituals also look for collective prayers and meditations by gathering together at churches particularly on every Sunday in order to join the spiritual leaders including the priest and church ministry to learn the teachings attributed to Holy Jesus Christ en masse, as well as to get acquainted with the rites and mannerism essential while attending the spiritual gathering; the Mass enjoys the central place in this regards, which encompasses Sacraments, liturgy, sermons and Eucharist in its vast fold. The Mass serves as the gathering of the Christian community at the church on Sunday morning, in memory of Holy Jesus (Baldovin 2003), in order to participate in all the rituals going to take place in church according to the Christian belief system and traditions associated with this sacred gathering, aim to pray to God and demonstrate their loyalty and dedication to the Holy Christ. The Mass contains the beginning hymns (performed with musical instruments), sermon depicting the sacred life and noble teachings of Jesus Christ, recitation and interpretation of some verses from the Gospel, collective prayer in the light of Christian belief, presentation of gifts and prayers to altar, the priest’s lecture at the altar, elucidating the noble cause behind the great and exemplary sacrifice made by Christ for humanity, blessing the bread and wine, according to the commands made by Christ at the eve of his Last Supper, followed by the collective Great Amen and receiving of Jesus in Holy Communion, and the final blessings at the end (Chadwick 106). Consequently, the Mass is actually the completion of all the rites associated with Eucharist from gathering to the participation in the final blessings. The question aptly rises in the minds of the Christian community that since they could offer their prayers and can observe meditation and recitation while staying at their homes, then why should they proceed to church and spend time at there as they are to perform almost the same in home, which they are going to carry out by visiting the church. However, at the moment they forget the very reality that the prayer does not mean mere delivering of some words from the mouth or doing some specific acts at a room in the residence; on the contrary, worship stands for a comprehensive and organized activity, to be observed in the company of the fellow people of the same faith in order to join the prayer session collectively, and to comprehend with the real message of Jesus Christ that the Christians are responsible for conveying his message to the entire humanity without any discrimination of class, caste, community, race, ethnicity and socioeconomic status (Latourette 295). It is therefore, the every Christian is welcomed at the church without taking his position, appearance, wealth and resources into slightest consideration even. Similarly, selection of Sunday by the saints for communion is actually for celebrating the day of Christ’s resurrection (Baldovin 2-3), on the third of his crucifixion at the hands of the cruel ruler of his era. Another important issue related to the Mass includes the purpose behind it. Since Eucharist stands for thanksgiving, it is actually the expression of gratitude to Christ for his sacrifice and love, which should be made in congregation by visiting the church instead of sending the same by staying at home. The tradition of the Mass is not the product of contemporary era altogether; rather, history is replete with the performance of the same with great religious fervor and enthusiasm for the last several century, since the very beginning of the development and popularity of faith by first century A.D. (Latourette 202). It is actually the expression of the followers’ adherence to the Christian mission and identity as well as their love and dedication to the great personality, who sacrificed his life for their salvation and eternal bliss (Baldovin 12-3), as well as Christ declaring bread and wine as his body and blood respectively. It is therefore all the four additions of New Testament endorse celebration of Eucharist since the earliest Christian years. Another imperative motif, behind celebrating Eucharist is inviting and including the poor and downtrodden individuals to the lavish dinner that contains meat and wine in it. History reveals the bitter fact that food was scarce in ancient era, and meat was affordable to elite stratum only on regular basis and the middle and lower classes had the same once in a blue moon. Thus, Eucharist during ancient and medieval times, offered the people, belonging to different socioeconomic positions, a refined and lavish meal in the name of Christ, to which they did not have an access (Baldovin 23). Attending and sharing dinner at one and the same environment is also the expression of the people’s love for God, as it is love for Him that the individuals belonging to different age-groups, professions, statuses and ethno-racial groups appear to be entering into friendship by dining together and singing the hymns (Noll 81). The same has also been mentioned by Greeley (2000), who submits to state that the friendships and even love of Christians for one another are actually divine in nature (3-5), due to very reality that they enter into relationships and association with the fellow beings by taking it as the part of the Commandment of the Lord mentioned in Scripture too that they should practice benevolence, kindness, meekness and charity towards others. Greeley also declares erotic love between man and woman as divine in nature (55), as people belonging to the opposite gender enter into matrimonial relationship according to the commandments of God, and their sexual union is also the reflection of their submission and compliance with His commands. Thus, sexual desires are created by God in humans, and fulfillment of which in a proper way has also been clearly defined in the Scripture (56). Sexual union between husband and wife refreshes feelings of love between the two, and their relationship strengthens to a great extent. Since Christianity admires and appreciates fulfillment of sexual desires in order to please God, why should not they join Eucharist and dinner at the church in order to win the Will of God? Thus, Eucharist maintains great religious significance in it, as it provides the opportunity of get-together to the Christian community (Greeley 111-12). The Mass and Eucharist were carried on by the Christians in all cultures and societies with slight alterations and differences on the basis of the traits of food and drink prevailing in that specific area or region (Baldovin 38). Another important aspect of the Mass includes Liturgy, during which delivery of sermons is made either from Gospel or from both Bible and Gospel. Somehow, Gospel is taken as more significant by the church ministry because of the fact that Hebrew Bible depicts the life and activities of the previous nations before Christ, while Gospel just encompasses the life and teachings of Jesus Christ by concentrating upon his words and actions taken place at various occasions throughout his sacred life span (Baldovin 48). It is therefore, the priests and pastors aptly select passages and verses from the Gospel while delivering sermons at the Mass. Nevertheless, liturgy could be declared as the most imperative part of the Mass, as it is liturgy that elucidates the great sacrifice by Christ, which is being memorized and celebrated with unflinching dedication at hundreds of thousands of the churches on the face of the earth in order to pay sincere gratitude to the Lord for his benevolence upon humans in the form of sacrifice (Baldovin 151-3). Since liturgy serves as one of the most vital parts of the Mass, it can only be witnessed while attending the church in person. The author also views Eucharist as a complete Christian initiation, which serves as the foundation stone of every ritual attributed to the faith (153-4). It is therefore, liturgy looks for explaining the purpose behind Eucharist, the Last Supper, which eliminates the concept of social classes and ethno-racial discriminations as well, and declares humans as equal in the eyes of the Lord. Eucharist provides an open opportunity to all and sundry to participate in the situation offering eating and drinking out of the blessings of Holy Jesus under one and the same environment. Noll (1999) also endorses the significance of dinner in Christianity. He is of the view that Jesus Christ, as the Gospel recounts, appears to be sharing dinner tables, generally as a guest, and conveyed his noble message at the eve of various dinners he is taking (24-25). It is not confined to one specific occasion only; rather, he entered into social interaction with his followers, Pharisees and other people at dinner, advising them, and preaching to them the word of God. Consequently, taking and sharing dinner is actually the imitation of Christ’s way, which maintains religious significance in it (26). To conclude, it becomes crystal clear that the author has elucidated the aim and objective behind the Mass and Eucharist. The Mass, or gathering at the church on Sunday morning appears to be expression of humble sense of thanks and gratitude for Christ’s exemplary sacrifice for the Salvation of humanity. Since Jesus sacrificed his life at crucifixion in order to save the humanity from agony and sufferings in the hereafter, it is the religious and moral obligation of the followers to pay their sincere homage and gratefulness to the person rendering tremendous services for them. Similarly, since the act of sacrifice cannot be repeated altogether, people can gather at the religious place in order to celebrate the incident with reverence and appreciation. In addition, Eucharist is also extremely vital due to the very fact that it eliminates and discourages the misconception of difference between strong and weak, mighty and downtrodden, black and white, and rich and poor altogether, and allows everyone to sit shoulder to shoulder with fellow Christians in order to rejoice the bounties the Lord bestows upon them. Consequently, the author (171) submits to state that Eucharist provides the open opportunity to the Christian community to attend the religious and spiritual activities at the church by listening to the sermons, remembering the great sacrifice, understanding the core values of their belief system, and dine out of the body and blood of their Savior, for their moral and spiritual uplift at large. Works Cited Baldovin, John Francis Bread of Life, Cup of Salvation: Understanding the Mass Rowman & Littlefield 2003 1-56, 151-182 Print Chadwick, Henry The Early Church The Pelican History of Church 1 Penguin Book 1975. 22-164 Print Greeley, Andrew The Catholic Imagination University of California Press 2000 1-112 Print Latourette, Kenneth Scott A History of Christianity Volume I Harper Collins 1975 9-231Print Noll, Ray Robert Sacraments: A new Understanding for a New Generation Twenty-Third Publications 1999 24-26, 81Print Read More