The Last Supper began with a blessing. Today, many Christians ask God to bless the food before a meal. In the time of Jesus, Jewish people commonly blessed God for providing the food by saying, “Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who brings forth bread from the earth.”
this is My body … This is My blood: Ever since the Protestant Reformation, there have been three main interpretations of the words of Jesus about the bread and wine:
Transubstantiation: The bread and wine are believed to change into the actual body and blood of Christ, while still appearing to be bread and wine.
Real Presence: Christ is understood to be truly present in the sacrament in a mysterious but real way that is beyond human understanding.
Memorial or Symbolic View: The bread and wine are seen as symbols. The act of sharing them recalls Christ’s death and resurrection, and believers receive spiritual benefit through faith.
See also John 6:53–63.