The Eucharist (/ˈjuːkərɪst/, YOO-kər-ist; from Koinē Greek: εὐχαριστία, romanized: evcharistía, lit. ´thanksgiving'), also known as Holy Communion, the Blessed Sacrament and the Lord´s Supper is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an ordinance in others. Christians believe that the rite was instituted by Jesus at the Last Supper, the night before his crucifixion, giving his disciples bread and wine. Passages in the New Testament state that he commanded them to "do this in memory of me" while referring to the bread as "my body" and the cup of wine as "the blood of my covenant, which is poured out for many". According to the Synoptic Gospels this was at a Passover meal.
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