Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is usually the first thing that comes to mind when the layman hears of communion cups.
Popular culture has depicted some of the most significant religious artifacts in a very unorthodox manner, but the good thing is that it helps ordinary people to get acquainted with these religious items.
In Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, the main character was hunting for the Holy Grail or the ultimate communion cup that Jesus Christ had used in ancient times.
In most literary works, you will find that the Holy Grail came to be portrayed as the cup that Christ had used; this also stood for the plate and dish that was used in the Last Supper he had with his disciples.
Throughout centuries, this Holy Grail came to be represented as a communion cup that we are now familiar with.
Of course, even if people are familiar with it, the usage of communion cups varies all over the world. Most cups are also created using different materials depending on the country and people that are using it.
Today, we have come a long way from the glass communion cups that were used before during communion masses. Some small congregations still use glass cups, but it’s a very time consuming process to have to wash each cup after service. Hence, most churches, especially big ones, go for plastic communion cups instead.
Some churches that are small in size still prefer to use glass cups, even if it can take time in washing up. Because of this, plastic communion cups are more favorable for churches that have a bigger congregation.
History is an integral part of communion cups, whether it be the silver cups that the Egyptians and Sumerians used or the plastic cups that most churches use now. They are an important piece of element for the people that use them.
The chalice or a symbolized form for the Holy Grail is definitely a major part of the church. In fact, for some churches, they are often blessed before they are used.
Even if the cup is hardly mentioned in the Last Supper or given any extra significance, believers still uphold it as a sacred item. Another sacred cup is also upheld by Pilgrims in Jerusalem, this was a cup that was supposedly venerated in the Holy Sepulcher.
This is thought to be the cup that was used by Christ in his crucifixion in Calvary and still supposedly contains that sponge that he used. This is of course, different from the cup and tradition surrounding the cup from the Last Supper.
Out of this faith came the belief in the legends of the cup, from Indiana Jones to Merlin and Dan Brown, the story of the ultimate Communion Cup or the Holy Grail is still alive and celebrated.
Of course, legends and stories about the exact Holy Grail have sifted through and became muddled through the years. Whatever the truth may be, there is no denying the fact that the significance of communion cups in today’s Christian celebrations and among believers is still as strong as ever.
Article by James Taylor, learn more about Communion Cups and Communion Plates.
categories: communion cups, communion plates
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