Holy Communion has nothing to do with the last supper. Wrong teaching by many

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Yes very well worded thank you.

That is what I am trying to say.

Yes the meal IS important but what happened at Calvary is why we at his body and drink his blood.
 
I’m somewhat sympathetic with the OP. The way Mass has often been offered or taught for the last 50 years has implied it is only a meal, or even a community building exercise with little connection to Calvary.
I respectfully disagree that this is the way it’s been taught and celebrated for the past 50 years. Catholics know what it’s about.

"Therefore, O Lord, as we celebrate the memorial of the blessed Passion, the Resurrection from the dead, and the glorious Ascension into heaven of Christ, your Son, our Lord, we, your servants and your holy people, offer to your glorious majesty, from the gifts that you have given us, this pure victim, this holy victim, this spotless victim, the holy Bread of eternal life and the Chalice of everlasting salvation. "

“Therefore, as we celebrate the memorial of his Death and Resurrection, we offer you, Lord, the Bread of life and the Chalice of salvation, giving thanks that you have held us worthy to be in your presence and minister to you.”

“Therefore, O Lord, we celebrate the memorial of the saving Passion of your Son, his wondrous Resurrection and Ascension into heaven, and as we look forward to his second coming, we offer you in thanksgiving this holy and living sacrifice.”

"Therefore, O Lord, as we now celebrate the memorial of our redemption, we remember Christ’s death and his descent to the realm of the dead; we proclaim his Resurrection and his Ascension to your right hand; and as we await his coming in glory, we offer you his Body and Blood, the sacrifice acceptable to you which brings salvation to the whole world. "
 
Eucharist , also known as communion is to celebrate Jesus passion in death.

The bread was meant to symbolize Christ’s crucified body, while the wine was meant to symbolize Christ’s blood. Christians believe that Christ’s death on the cross is the means by which salvation is brought to the human race. Therefore, his death on the cross is imbibed with spiritual symbolism.

It’s very poor teaching of leaders who allow christians to think it’s to do with the Last Supper.
Catechism of the Catholic Church, on the Eucharist:
1329 … The Breaking of Bread , because Jesus used this rite, part of a Jewish meat when as master of the table he blessed and distributed the bread,144 above all at the Last Supper.145 It is by this action that his disciples will recognize him after his Resurrection,146 and it is this expression that the first Christians will use to designate their Eucharistic assemblies;147 by doing so they signified that all who eat the one broken bread, Christ, enter into communion with him and form but one body in him.148
 
It’s very poor teaching of leaders who allow christians to think it’s to do with the Last Supper.
Was St Paul a poor teacher, then? He linked the Last Supper, Jesus’ death, and the Lord’s Supper, i.e., the Eucharist, saying:
For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. (1 Corinthians 11:23-26)
 
As Catholics we believe that the Last Supper, Crucifixion, and Resurrection are all one event/moment (the big woosh as you will). They cannot be separated, so to say it has to do with the Last Supper is to say it has to do with the Crucifixion and vice versa.
 
Yes which is why during TLM the Priest holds bread/wine up toward the crucifix and while looking up at crucifix during consecration.

Novus Ordo mass post Vatican II gave people the false impression of emphasizing a communal meal rather than sacrifice on Calvary. Priest holding bread/wine up while facing the people, with his back to the crucifix.
The early Church made eucharist in the context of a meal like the Last Supper.
 
True! Both are (in part) symbols, since they indicate what is being represented, and are not physical muscle and blood cells.

HOWEVER: They convey the substance of Christ’s Body and Blood.

So, they are symbols, but infinitely more than symbols.

IIRC, this comports with the teaching of the Church and with Dr. David Anders.
 
We have Ash Wednesday and Lent coming up shortly. This is followed by the Triduum… the 3 days…

Holy Thursday - Jesus institution of the Eucharist.
Good Friday - Jesus death on calvary
Easter - Jesus Resurrection from the dead.

The institution of the Eucharist is intimately connected with the Eucharist which we can receive at every mass. There is a reason that we have those three days set aside in a group together. They are all three important. The Last Supper is not some “thing” separated from Communion/the Holy Eucharist.

I know the OP has been talking about christians answers. I wonder what Catholics would say. They would perhaps be different.
 
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We celebrate the Eucharist the way all Christians did since back to the time of the Apostles. Nobody changed the teaching until Luther came along.
 
Holy sacrifice of the mass is the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross which he offered to the Father the night before he died. He offered this sacrifice so that the spirit of his sacrifice may heal our spirit (wipe away our sins) by bringing true repentance into our heart. His sacrifice is for us who hurt and betray him by our sins. It therefore teaches us that true love is to sacrifice our self interest in the process of healing those who hurt us. Every time we are at mass we are at Calvary. This rejuvenated his spirit of sacrifice in our heart. This in turn is spreading the spirit of his love in the world.

If we were to see a man called Jesus, who was totally powerless, carrying a cross, being mocked and spat upon by people and then see Him dying on the cross along with other criminals; and if someone told us that He is the infinitely powerful God, King of the Universe; we would think it is a joke. Yet, Peter recognized Him as the Son of God, because, it was revealed to Him by the Father (Matthew 16:16-18). John, who was filled with the Holy Spirit, also recognized Him as the Lamb of God (John 1:29). Similarly, if someone gives us a piece of bread and tells us that it is God, we will think that, that person is insane. Therefore, after Jesus’ discourse on eating His flesh and drinking His blood (John 6:51), in which he said that the bread that I give you is my flesh, some people stopped believing in Him. One of them was the one ((Judas) who was to later betray Him (John 6:64) and walk away from the Last Supper (John 14:30). The other apostles did not leave, although they probably did not fully understand, how the bread that He gave them to eat was His flesh (John 6:51). They simply accepted it in faith, because, they believed that Jesus had the Words of eternal life; and were convinced that He was the Holy One from God (John 7: 68, 69). It is important to remember that since God created the universe out of nothing, take the form of a little baby and a burning bush (to Moses), He can easily take the form of bread.
 
Christ’s Atonement Sacrifice ReDeemed Man and God -

The Last Supper?

Read JOHN - Chapters 13 through 17 - Complete…

_
 
I take it as a compliment and actually prefer to be distinguished as Catholic since Catholics were the first Christians.
 
This is followed by the Triduum… the 3 days…

Holy Thursday - Jesus institution of the Eucharist.
Good Friday - Jesus death on calvary
Easter - Jesus Resurrection from the dead.
The sequence of the Triduum, the three days, is:
  1. Holy Thursday/Good Friday. Ritual sacrifice is shared in a meal.
  2. Holy Saturday. The body of the Lord rests in the tomb.
  3. Easter Sunday. Anew creation begins.
    .
 
The Mass is the enactment of the whole drama from the last supper to the resurrection.

During the Last Supper Christ made it clear that this Passover meal would end with his own sacrifice. That is why the last of the four Paschal cup was not drunk at the meal but on Calvary.

This explains Jesus’ remark that he would not touch the fruit of the vine until he drinks it anew in the Kingdom; why he prayed at Gethsemane for the last cup to be taken from him, and why after being passed vinegar from a hyssop branch he then expired.
 
The Last Supper: Christ’s one sacrifice on Calvary pre-presented to apostles (non-bloody)
Crucifixion: Christ’s one sacrifice on Calvary presented (bloody)
Any Mass at any time: Christ’s one sacrifice on Calvary re-presented to all (non-bloody)
 
Without the last supper the crucifixion is just an execution. With the last supper it is the sacrifice that atones for sin and brings life to the world.

Here is a good resource to better understand the connection between the last supper and the crucifixion…

 
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