Help on Early Catholic Church of the practice on the Eucharist?

Question

I need information of the origin of the practice of the tradition over time.... 10 points to the person that can get as much detail on the Eucharist during these times:
A. The early church
B. The medieval church
C. The modern pre - vatican 2 council and
D. Current, post vatican 2 council

Answer 1

Go here:

http://catholic.com/library/sacraments.asp

and here:

I. THE EUCHARIST - SOURCE AND SUMMIT OF ECCLESIAL LIFE

1324 The Eucharist is "the source and summit of the Christian life."136 "The other sacraments, and indeed all ecclesiastical ministries and works of the apostolate, are bound up with the Eucharist and are oriented toward it. For in the blessed Eucharist is contained the whole spiritual good of the Church, namely Christ himself, our Pasch."137

1325 "The Eucharist is the efficacious sign and sublime cause of that communion in the divine life and that unity of the People of God by which the Church is kept in being. It is the culmination both of God's action sanctifying the world in Christ and of the worship men offer to Christ and through him to the Father in the Holy Spirit."138

1326 Finally, by the Eucharistic celebration we already unite ourselves with the heavenly liturgy and anticipate eternal life, when God will be all in all.139

1327 In brief, the Eucharist is the sum and summary of our faith: "Our way of thinking is attuned to the Eucharist, and the Eucharist in turn confirms our way of thinking."140

God bless.

Answer 2

Any time 2 or more Christians are gathered together Jesus is there. So the real presence of Jesus is not an issue. What is an issue is the bread and wine actually becoming the flesh and blood of Jesus through transubstantiation. This has been highly debated throughout church history. Transubstantiation did not become the official doctrine until the early 13th century. Until that time it was debated by many such as Berengar. He was silenced by being threatened with death if he did not recant. Communion was originally taken in conjunction with the love feast and it was a simple thing without much ceremony. Done to remember what Jesus did for us. The Lord's supper and this love feast did not begin to be separated until the 2nd century. As the church began to grow and develop, it became increasingly organized, and with the organization came the rise of ceremony, ritual, and tradition. This impacted every area of church life and practice, including the Lord's Supper. No longer was it a simple memorial meal shared by Christian families in their homes and with fellow believers. Instead, it came to be viewed as a Sacrament, with a host of laws & regulations surrounding it. This "doctrine of the sacrament of the Eucharist" has taken this simple "feast of the Savior's dying love" and transformed it into the "innocent cause of the most bitter disputes and theological controversies" among God's people (Philip Schaff, History of the Christian Church, Vol. 3 -- Nicene & Post-Nicene Christianity, p. 492). In time, the elements were viewed as being sacred, thus requiring special laws to regulate their use. HIPPOLYTUS (died about 235 A.D.; martyred during the persecution of Emperor Maximius; he was from Rome) taught that believers must show the most intense reverence for the elements of the Eucharist. It should be received early in the day before any other common food was in the stomach; none of it must be dropped or spilt, which would defile it on a dirty floor. It was a common practice at this time for members of the church to take some of the bread home with them to use in a daily, family communion after morning prayers. This was known as Domestic Communion (Philip Schaff, History of the Christian Church, Vol. 2 -- Ante-Nicene Christianity, p. 239....... and: Henry Chadwick, The Early Church, p. 266). Hippolytus warned the members of the church that they must never "leave the sacred bread about the house where an unbaptized person, or even a mouse, might accidentally eat it." Later, it would be taught that should a mouse eat a crumb of the bread that had fallen to the floor, it would thereby receive eternal life! Thus, to keep from infesting Heaven, the elements had to be protected! I really think communion started as a simple remembrance and time and tradition changed it into what it is now in the Catholic church. To me it appears Protestants follow what was originally intended.

Answer 3

Here is one site below - the early Church fathers talk about the eucharist. I didnt read the whole site but it seems reliable. Good luck!

Answer 4

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