Definition

Noun: * The central act of worship in many Christian traditions: The Eucharistic liturgy is the formal, ritual celebration of the Eucharist (Holy Communion), which re-enacts or commemorates Jesus Christ's Last Supper with his disciples. It involves prayers, readings from scripture, and the consecration of bread and wine, which are then shared by the congregation.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The community gathers every Sunday morning for the Eucharistic liturgy.
  • The priest prepared the altar for the celebration of the Eucharistic liturgy.
  • The structure of the Eucharistic liturgy has remained consistent in this tradition for centuries.

Advanced Usage

• "to celebrate the Eucharistic liturgy": This is the standard phrase for performing this ritual act of worship.
  • The bishop will celebrate the Eucharistic liturgy at the cathedral.

Variants and Related Words

• Eucharist (n): The sacrament itself; the consecrated bread and wine.
  • They received the Eucharist during the service.
• Liturgy (n): A prescribed form or set of forms for public religious worship.
  • The liturgy for the feast day was particularly beautiful.
• Mass (n): The term commonly used in the Roman Catholic and some other Western Christian traditions for the Eucharistic liturgy.
  • They attend Mass every day.
• Divine Liturgy (n): The term used in Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches for the Eucharistic liturgy.
  • The Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom is frequently celebrated.

Synonyms

• Holy Communion: Emphasizes the act of receiving the consecrated elements.
• The Lord's Supper: A name derived directly from the biblical account.
• The Sacrament of the Altar: A traditional term focusing on where the sacrament is celebrated.

Related Phrases

• Liturgy of the Word: The first major part of the Eucharistic liturgy, consisting of Bible readings, a homily, and prayers.
  • During the Liturgy of the Word, we heard readings from the Old and New Testaments.
• Liturgy of the Eucharist: The second major part, involving the presentation of the bread and wine, the Eucharistic Prayer (consecration), and the distribution of Communion.
  • The Liturgy of the Eucharist is the heart of the celebration.

Noun

1. a Christian sacrament commemorating the Last Supper by consecrating bread and wine