Sacramental bread

• 1. Etymology And Origins

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  The word host derives from the Latin term hostia, which means sacrificial victim. This ancient linguistic root connects the bread used in Christian rituals to the concept of sacrifice found in earlier religious traditions. Before consecration, the bread is simply dough and flour. After the ritual words are spoken, Catholic theology teaches that its substance changes into the Body of Christ. The term host applies to the bread both before and after this transformation, though it is more correct to use it only after consecration. Early Christians understood their meal as a participation in the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. The language itself reveals how deeply the Eucharist was tied to ideas of offering and redemption.

• 2. Eastern Leavened Traditions

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  Most Eastern Orthodox Churches use leavened bread for the Eucharist instead of unleavened wafers. The bread is called prosphora and contains four ingredients: fine white wheat flour, pure water, yeast, and salt. Sometimes holy water gets sprinkled into the dough or onto the kneading trough at the start of the process. Only a believing Orthodox Christian in good standing may bake the loaves. They should have recently received Confession and engage in prayer and fasting while working. Each loaf forms by placing two disks of dough one atop the other and stamping it with a special liturgical seal. The resulting bread represents the Resurrected Christ rather than just a symbol. Several loaves often get baked and offered by the faithful before the priest chooses the best one for the Lamb.

• 3. Western Unleavened Practices

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  In the Roman Rite, Western Christianity uses thin round unleavened hosts made from wheat flour and water only. The Code of Canon Law requires these hosts be recently made so there is no danger of spoiling. This practice mirrors the Jewish Passover or Feast of Unleavened Bread. Many Catholic nuns make hosts as a means of supporting their religious communities. In New Zealand, the St Vincent de Paul Society hires individuals with intellectual disabilities to bake, cut out, and sort the bread. This offers paid employment to those who would not otherwise have that option. The General Instruction of the Roman Missal recommends breaking the eucharistic bread into parts for distribution. This action brings out more clearly the force and importance of unity among all believers sharing one bread.

• 4. Theological Transubstantiation

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  Catholic theology teaches that at the Words of Institution the bread's substance changes into the Body of Christ. Eastern Christian theology generally views the epiclesis as the point at which the change occurs instead. Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger wrote a letter in 1995 expanding the Code of Canon Law regarding valid matter. He stated that low-gluten bread would be considered valid as long as no additional substances altered the nature of the bread. Since the 2000s, hosts with low gluten content have been manufactured in the United States, especially in parts of Missouri and New York. People with celiac disease must follow a strict gluten-free diet to allow recovery of the intestinal mucosa. They maintain this diet for life to reduce the risk of developing severe health complications.

• 5. Modern Production And Health

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  Lutheran religious orders make unleavened hosts to support their communities alongside monks and nuns. Lutheran seminaries and religious goods stores like Concordia Publishing House also produce these wafers. Many hosts contain a cross, crucifix or IHS Christogram stamped onto them. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has no strict rules on the type of bread used for sacramental purposes. Different congregations may use either commercial bread or homemade bread prepared by members of the congregation. It is permissible to substitute rice cakes or other gluten-free breads for members who suffer from food allergies. The bread gets broken into fragments just prior to being blessed by one of the officiating priests.

• 6. Protestant Variations

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  Anglicans vary by the churchmanship of the congregation where many will use leavened bread while others use unleavened bread. Reformed Christians use rolls which are broken and distributed to the faithful. The Christian Congregation, a Pentecostal denomination, uses leavened loaves of bread. Some groups such as the Churches of Christ use matzo instead of standard wafers. Among those who use unleavened hosts, there is great variation in shape and composition. Some are square or triangular rather than round, and may even be made out of whole wheat flour. The Christian Congregation holds services at locations like the Fondren Presbyterian Church in Jackson, Mississippi. A Presbyterian minister named Robert William Lowry held leavened bread during consecration there in 2017.