The Eucharist , also called holy communion , the sacrament , or the Lord 's Supper , is a kind of religious ritual in many Christian churches . It started when Jesus Christ told his followers to eat bread and drink wine in memory of him , at the Last Supper . The Eucharist , also called Holy Communion , the Sacrament of the Altar , the Blessed Sacrament , the Lord 's Supper , and other names , is a sacrament or ordinance that Christians celebrate in accordance with the instruction that , according to the New Testament , Jesus gave at his Last Supper to do in his memory what he did when he gave his disciples bread , saying , `` This is my body '' , and wine , saying , `` This is my blood '' .