Worship: Irenaeus on the Eucharist as Thanksgiving

Irenaeus of Lyon (d. c. 202) taught that the Eucharist is fundamentally an act of thanksgiving -- the Greek word "eucharistia" means "thanksgiving." He wrote: "How can they say that the bread over which thanks have been given is the body of their Lord, and the cup His blood, if they do not acknowledge Him as the Son of the Creator of the world?" For Irenaeus, the Eucharist affirms the goodness of creation by offering bread and wine -- the fruits of the earth -- back to God with gratitude.

Irenaeus saw worship as the response of creation to its Creator: "We offer to God the things which are His, suitably proclaiming the fellowship and union of flesh and spirit." The bread and wine, products of human labor upon God's creation, become vehicles of divine grace when offered with thanksgiving.

Practical application: At your next communion service, receive the bread and wine with conscious gratitude for all that they represent: God's creation, human labor, Christ's sacrifice, and the Spirit's presence. Let the physical act of eating and drinking ground your worship in the material world that God made and called good.