One of Jesus' most wonderful gifts to the human race is 'The Eucharist'. It deserves even deeper understanding by all Christians. This book, written from within the Roman Catholic tradition, speaks beyond the confines of its tradition as it examines the teaching of twenty-three sources from the first seven centuries of the Christian Era. While these sources do not exhaust the riches of early Christianity's heritage, they form a sizeable and representative body of material showing the core of the developing understanding of the Eucharist. In a form that will appeal both to individuals and study groups, the book presents the emerging Christian experience via historically sensitive exposition and employing stimulating questions. All of this lets the reader apply the insights gained from a more precise understanding to the testing ground of daily life.