Celebration of Eucharist

The Eucharistic liturgy is essentially a single whole, consisting historically of the
following elements in varying sequence and of diverse importance:

• hymns of praise;
• act of repentance;
• declaration of pardon;
• proclamation of the Word of God, in various forms;
• confession of faith (creed);
• intercession for the whole Church and for the world;
• preparation of the bread and wine;
• thanksgiving to the Father for the marvels of creation, redemption and sanctification (deriving from the Jewish tradition of the berakah);
• the words of Christ's institution of the sacrament according to the New
  Testament tradition;
• the anamnesis or memorial of the great acts of redemption, passion, death, resurrection, ascension and Pentecost, which brought the Church into being;
• the invocation of the Holy Spirit (epiklesis) on the community, and the elements of bread and wine (either before the words of institution or after the memorial, or both; or some other reference to the Holy Spirit which adequately expresses the "epikletic" character of the Eucharist);
• consecration of the faithful to God;
• reference to the communion of saints;
• prayer for the return of the Lord and the definitive manifestation of his Kingdom;
• the Amen of the whole community;
• the Lord's prayer;
• sign of reconciliation and peace;
• the breaking of the bread;
• eating and drinking in communion with Christ and with each member of the Church;
• final act of praise;
• blessing and sending.

The best way towards unity in Eucharistic celebration and communion is the renewal of the Eucharist itself in the different churches in regard to teaching and liturgy. The churches should test their liturgies in the light of the Eucharistic agreement now in the process of attainment.

The liturgical reform movement has brought the churches closer together in the manner of celebrating the Lord's Supper. However, a certain liturgical diversity compatible with our common Eucharistic faith is recognized as a healthy and enriching fact. The affirmation of a common Eucharistic faith does not imply uniformity in either liturgy or practice.

In the celebration of the Eucharist, Christ gathers, teaches and nourishes the Church. It is Christ who invites to the meal and who presides at it. He is the shepherd who leads the people of God, the prophet who announces the Word of God, the priest who celebrates the mystery of God. In most churches, this presidency is signified by an ordained minister. The one who presides at the Eucharistic celebration in the name of Christ makes clear that the rite is not the assemblies' own creation or possession; the Eucharist is received as a gift from Christ living in his Church. The minister of the Eucharist is the ambassador who represents the divine initiative and expresses the connection of the local community with other local communities in the universal Church.

Christian faith is deepened by the celebration of the Lord's Supper. Hence the Eucharist should be celebrated frequently. As the Eucharist celebrates the resurrection of Christ, it is appropriate that it should take place at least every Sunday. As it is the new sacramental meal of the people of God, every Christian should be encouraged to receive communion frequently.

We assert that Christ's presence in the consecrated elements continues after the celebration. And we place equal emphasis on the act of celebration itself and on the consumption of the elements in the act of communion. Thus regarding the practice of reserving the elements, we will reserve elements served in the Eucharistic celebration for use in communion of the sick.