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Eucharist

World Religion
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

The Christian sacrament commemorating the Last Supper, in which bread and wine are consecrated and consumed as the body and blood of Christ.

Detailed Definition
The Eucharist is a central mystery of Christianity, embodying themes of sacrifice, presence, and communion. In poetry, the Eucharist is a powerful symbol of transformation—the ordinary (bread and wine) becoming the vessel for the extraordinary (the divine). It represents God's tangible immanence in the world, the nourishment of the soul, and the unity of the faithful in the "body of Christ." Poets use its imagery to explore the mystery of incarnation and the soul's intimate, physical union with the divine.
Example
Example in poetry:
In Catholic poetry, the Eucharist is real presence: “This bread—Christ’s body, broken for me”; In Rumi’s verse, the Eucharist is mystical wine: “Drink the blood of the grape—taste the Beloved’s sacrifice”; In ecumenical poetry, Eucharist becomes shared meal: “One loaf, many hands—Eucharist as justice”; Contemporary poets see Eucharist in everyday acts: “Sharing rice with the hungry—my daily Eucharist.”
Additional Notes
The Eucharist (from Greek eucharistia, “thanksgiving”) enacts Christ’s sacrifice as spiritual nourishment; transubstantiation (Catholic), real presence (Orthodox), or memorial (Protestant) interpretations vary; in poetry, bread and wine symbolize unity, sacrifice, and the paradox of divine presence in humble elements—inviting sensory and sacramental imagination.
Also Known As
Communion Lord’s Supper Mass
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