Let’s begin at the beginning! On the night before he died, Jesus sat down with his friends and followers to celebrate the Passover and offered them bread and wine as his body and blood. ‘Do this in remembrance of me,’ he said.

It was an instruction, a command. And so we celebrate the Eucharist because Jesus commanded us to. In his letter to the Corinthians, St Paul gives us

the earliest account of the Eucharist. ‘For the tradition that I handed on to you came to me from the Lord himself: that on the night of his arrest the Lord Jesus took bread, and after giving thanks to God broke it and said: ‘This is my body, which is for you; do this in memory of me.’ In the same way, he took the cup after supper, and said: ‘This cup is the new covenant sealed by my blood. Whenever you drink it, do this in memory of me. For every time you eat this bread and drink the cup, your proclaim the death of the Lord, until he comes.’ (1 Corinthians 11:23-26)

In the Acts of the Apostles, we have a picture of the early church, and how ‘they met constantly to hear the apostles teach and to share the common life, to break bread, and to pray.’ (Acts 2:42)

The Holy Eucharist became one of the defining characteristics of the church. It’s what they did. They celebrated the Eucharist and in the Eucharist they discovered themselves: the body of Christ.

In the Prayer Book of the Church in Wales the General Rubrics to the Holy Eucharist states, ‘The Holy Eucharist is the principal act of Christian worship. Every confirmed person should communicate regularly and frequently after careful preparation.’ And the Church in Wales Catechism reminds us that the Eucharist is one of two sacraments instituted by the Lord.

One of the reasons given for not celebrating the Holy Eucharist with young people or even using it as an evangelistic tool is the claim that it excludes those who cannot receive communion. Isn’t it a bit like inviting people to your home for a meal and not giving everyone anything to eat because they’re not yet part of the ‘in crowd?!‘ Maybe so. But even Jesus gave conditions to people. Think of the rich young man whom Jesus sends away to sell everything he owns.

Then when he has done that he can follow Jesus. But the man goes away with a fallen face because he cannot fulfil the conditions. (Mark 10:7)

The rite of entry into the Church, and so the way of being incorporated into Christ’s body is through the rites of Christian Initiation, which consist of Baptism and Confirmation and fulfilled in the Holy Eucharist. Even on the day of Pentecost, when Peter and the others are asked by the crowds, ‘What shall we do?’ The reply is, ‘Repent and be baptised in the name of Jesus the Messiah.’ (Acts 2:37)

We are a people gathered around the altar table of the Lord. We are invited to the table, and for those who come and who are not confirmed there is always a ‘more’ and a missing out. This wanting ‘more’ is part of that journey of Faith and so is a necessary part of people’s incorporation into that Eucharistic body which is the People of God.

The Eucharist shows us who and what we are. So what better way of showing others who are curious or new to the Faith what it means to be the Church?

Some will also say that the Holy Eucharist is not accessible to young people (or even the ‘unchurched’ of any age) or that it doesn’t mean anything to them. However, this is more to do with the way it is celebrated rather than what is celebrated. If careful thought and planning goes into it, the Eucharist can be celebrated easily in a way that means something.

‘When I think of the Eucharist, and look at my life as a priest, as a Bishop and the Successor of Peter, I naturally recall the many times and places in which I was able to celebrate it. I remember the parish church of Niegowic, the collegiate church of Saint Florian in Krakow, Wawel cathedral, Saint Peter’s Basilica and so many basilicas and churches in Rome and throughout the world. I have been able to celebrate...in chapels built along mountain paths, on lakeshores and sea coasts; I have celebrated it on altars built in stadiums and in city squares. This varied scenario of celebrations of the Eucharist has given me a powerful experience of its universal and, so to speak, cosmic character. Yes, cosmic!’ hip with the whole family of God.

John Paul II (Ecclesia de Eucharista)

www.cjmmusic.co.uk - the web site of cjm music with an online shop to order music and CDS.

www.kevinmayhew.com for a list of resources available for young people, liturgy and worship.

www.stpauls.org.uk – the web site of St Paul’s Multi media with a large numbers of books and resources available for liturgy and worship

www.spck.org.uk - the web site of SPCK publishing for books and resources.