Sacraments

thumb|Baptism by immersion in the Jordan River.

The Eucharist ( ; from , ), also called Holy Communion, the Blessed Sacrament or the '''Lord's Supper''', is a Christian rite, considered a sacrament in most churches and an ordinance in others. Christians believe that the rite was instituted by Jesus Christ 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

thumb|upright=1.2|Seven Sacraments Altarpiece|The Seven Sacraments, an [[altarpiece by Rogier van der Weyden]]

episode in the Christian gospels

acknowledgment of one's sins

right|thumb|upright|A stained glass representation of a Lutheran confirmation. An elder lays hands on the confirmand.

sacraments in some Christian churches

Biblical phrase

in Roman Catholic and Anglo-Catholic churches, a ritual blessing conferred by a cleric with the Eucharistic species

inexplicable or secret religious phenomenon

means through which God gives grace

religious rituals in Protestant Christianity

emphasis on the rituals and liturgical ceremony of the church