Holy Communion is also called The Holy Eucharist,  The Great Thanksgiving, The Lord's Supper, Mass, and no doubt by other names as well.  Call it what ever you want.  At. St. Edward's you are likely to hear all of these names at some point.

Since the beginning of the church shortly following Jesus' resurrection Holy Communion has been the main form of Sunday worship. The service has an easy to follow structure that has four parts.

So what is Holy Eucharist?  It is a sacrament. It is the way that God has chosen to feed our souls and encourage our faith as we journey though life together.  In some mysterious way that we experience but do not fully understand, Jesus is present to us as we receive the bread and wine.  Here is a more scholarly explanation that explains what Anglicans (including Episcopalians) and Roman Catholics agree and disagree on about the meaning of Holy Communion.

The official teaching of the Episcopal Church is that anyone who is baptized as a Christian is welcome to receive communion in an Episcopal Church.   It does not matter if you were baptized in a Baptist, Lutheran, or any other Christian Church.  You are welcome to share in Holy Communion.  We also welcome anyone who desires to be united with God through Jesus Christ but has not yet been baptized.

How to Receive Holy Communion Like a Pro.

Relax.  Relax because there are so many different ways that people actually receive communion that it is unlikely you can think up a new way.  Seriously.  But if you really want to look polished it is easy.  There are only a couple of instructions you need.

When you come up to receive the bread, place the back of one hand in the palm of the other and hold them at a height that is comfortable for the pastor to reach.  At the service people receive communion at the Altar Rail: some kneel and some stand.  Both are good, do what feels right and prayerful for you.  If you have bad knees or otherwise haave a difficult time kneeling or getting up from kneeling, please stand. If you have mobility issues, the bread and wine may be brought to you in the pew. Please ask an usher to let us know if you wish to receive communion in your pew.

The Wine is brought around in a silver cup called a chalice.  We share a common cup, like Jesus did with his disciples.  Very few germs can survive in alcohol.  If you have one you are likely too sick to read this let alone go to church.  If the common cup bothers you, don't worry.  You have two choices.  First you can dip the bread you just received into the wine as the cup passes.  This is called intinction.  If you drop the bread into the chalice as you go to intinct its ok to be a bit embarrassed but don't worry, relax, you're not the first to do this.  The person handling the chalice will take care of it. Your second choice is to prayerfully eat the bread and go without the wine. This is typically done by crossing your arms in front of your chest and placing your hands on or near your shoulders prior to the chalice reaching you.  The chalice bearer will pray something like "may the blessing of this cup be upon you". If you have an allergy to wheat or gluten, you may also elect to receive only the bread. Again, cross your arms over your chest when the person distributing the bread reaches you, then receive the wine normally.  Receiving only the bread or only the wine is called "communion in one kind" and is a full communion. Some people with allergies to the wine or bread or who are in recovery receive in one kind, as do others who just don't like sharing a common cup.

Now their are a variety of practices done by people according to their personal preference.  Some cross themselves before receiving Communion. Some genuflect as they exit their pew on the way to receive Communion.  These acts of devotion help many people to concentrate their attention on God as they open their hearts to communion.