SUMMARY

1. Jesus instituted the Eucharist at the Last Supper on Maundy Thursday, and ever since it has been the great act of Christian worship.  It is the only service which he has given us himself, and for that reason no other service can ever take its place.

It is variously known as the Eucharist, the Mass, the Holy Communion and the Liturgy.

The matter of the Eucharist is bread and wine, and the form is the Eucharistic Prayer (Prayer of Consecration).  The inward gift is Jesus himself in his Ascended Body.  Only a priest can celebrate the Eucharist.

2. Evensong was compiled by Archbishop Cranmer in 1549 from two smaller services (Vespers and Compline) which had been drawn up by monks in the Middle Ages.  It is a suitable service to end Sunday with after one has been to the Eucharist in the morning.

Reference

©The Archbishops’ Council (2000) Common Worship.  Holy Communion.  Order One.  Eucharistic Prayer A.  Available from:
http://www.cofe.anglican.org/worship/liturgy/commonworship/texts/hc/prayera.html  (Accessed 24 August 2010) (Internet).