Regarding your email response
http:// www. iswasandwillbe. com/ What_ Is_ Communion. php
I thought It would also be good to include this further in addition to the truth written there:
Like the foot washing, Christ had a specific reason why he chose to do the ‘last supper’
The reason why Christ took the bread and wine specifically was, as you say, to not start a new ritual, but to further show that the Moses Passover was only a type/ shadow of Christ.  That it is Christ who puts His blood on our ‘door’.  He is the ‘firstborn’ that dies so that all in the house are saved.  And of those without His blood, the first born in that house will die.
He also intended to show the disciples that His bringing this up then meant He would die soon… but we see that they were still oblivious to this despite His example.
The bread was also used because He is our bread of life which sustains life.  We need It every day.  And ‘as often’ as we consume physical bread we need to remember our spiritual bread which is also needed daily to ‘live’.  The spiritual bread (God) is more important than physical (wheat).
Unfortunately, the Catholics of the middle ages used their ‘communion’ to scare people and force them to come to church for other reasons under pain of controlling the means to forgive sins (ie communion, baptism, holy water, etc.)  Along with many other things ‘invented’ or distorted to keep people in bondage instead of enhancing their faith/ relationship with God.
The Romans were into rituals from their old polytheistic religion.  When Christianity became the official Roman Empire’s religion, it didn’t take long for that mentality to infest the practices of the people.  Today after many years since its departure, the Roman Catholic church was truly one of the first to fall under the banner of ‘Babylon’.
I would also suggest reading where Paul mentions the “Lord’s Supper” and partaking… it has nothing to do with the ritual we call ‘communion’ today.  The wonderful title we see in our Bibles which describe the section where the disciples had their last physical meal with Christ… was not in the manuscript, but placed there to ‘help us’ interpret what we read.  I think a better title for that section would be ‘Christ, the passover Lamb’.
Lastly, I’d like to state that the ‘cup’ which Christ shares with them is similar to the ‘cup’ He mentions in the Gesthemene garden.  They are to share in this ‘cup’ with Him.  This new covenant of His blood, shed for us to forgive us of our sinful fleshly state which He began with in our creation.
K____

Hi K____,
Thank you for your input. Your point are all very well taken.
The only thing I would add is that the Catholic church was a ‘Johnny come lately’ in the apostasy which was complete before the apostles were all dead:

2Ti 1:15  This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia [ the seven churches of Asia  to whom John wrote – Rev 2-3] be turned away from me; of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes.

2Ti 4:14  Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord reward him according to his works:
2Ti 4:15  Of whom be thou ware also; for he hath greatly withstood our words.
2Ti 4:16  At my first answer [ to Alexanders words withstanding Paul’s words] no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge.

Alexander the coppersmith, an apostate Christian, apparently had more influence in the church than did Paul. 
I have no doubt that the apostle John was exiled to Patmos at the behest of apostate Christians like this man:

3Jn 1:9  I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not.
3Jn 1:10  Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth, prating against us with malicious words: and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them out of the church.

Diotrophes, an apostate Christian, apparently had more influence in the church than did the apostle John.
That is just for your consideration.
Mike