How is the Eucharist connected to the Last Supper of Jesus and his disciples?

The Eucharist is fundamentally connected to the Last Supper as the event during which Jesus instituted the sacrament. According to the Synoptic Gospels and the First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians, this final meal occurred on the night before his crucifixion.123

During this meal, which is traditionally identified as a Passover seder, Jesus blessed bread and wine, identifying them as his body and the "blood of my covenant," which he offered for many. By doing so, he established the rite as a memorial of his impending sacrifice on the cross.1243

St. Luke records that Jesus commanded his followers to repeat this ceremony in his memory. Early Christians viewed this practice as a continuation of that original institution—an effective commemoration of his death and an anticipation of the future banquet in the kingdom of God.142