How did the early church understand COMMUNION?

How did the early church understand communion? The writings of the church fathers help us recognize how the early Christians (in the first few centuries of Christianity) understood the word of God to mean, and give important context to what they believed to be true, handed down from the apostles
Is communion merely a symbol? Is it just a remembrance? Is Jesus only “spiritually” present? Or did the first Christians believe the Eucharist was truly the real presence and flesh of Christ?
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"Beware of the heretics...They abstain from the Eucharist and from prayer, because they confess not the Eucharist to be the flesh of our Saviour Jesus Christ, which suffered for our sins" (The Epistle of Ignatius to the Smyrnaeans [AD 107])
"For not as common bread nor common drink do we receive these; but since Jesus Christ our Saviour was made incarnate by the word of God and had both flesh and blood for our salvation, so too, as we have been taught, the food which has been made into the Eucharist by the Eucharistic prayer set down by him, and by the change of which our blood and flesh is nurtured, is both the flesh and the blood of that incarnated Jesus" (Justin Martyr, First Apology 66:1-20 [AD 148]).
“For as the bread from the earth, receiving the invocation of God, IS NO LONGER COMMON BREAD BUT THE EUCHARIST, consisting of two elements, earthly and heavenly…” (St. Irenaeus of Lyons, Against Heresies 4:18:4-5 [AD 140])
He taught THE NEW SACRIFICE OF THE NEW COVENANT, of which Malachi, one of the twelve prophets, had signified beforehand: [quotes Mal 1:10-11]. By these words He makes it plain that the former people will cease to make offerings to God; BUT THAT IN EVERY PLACE SACRIFICE WILL BE OFFERED TO HIM, and indeed, a pure one; for His name is glorified among the Gentiles. (St. Irenaeus of Lyons, Against Heresies 4:17:5 [AD 140])
He did not say, "This is the symbol of My Body, and this, of My Blood," but "This is My Body and My Blood," teaching us not to look upon the nature of what is set before us, but that it is transformed by means of the Eucharistic action into Flesh and Blood. (Theodore of Mopsuestia, Commentary on Matthew 26:26 [AD 428])

[@EarlyChristianBeliefs]

Good work 👏. Great presentation and I especially appreciate that you pointed out that rejecting the real presence is Heresy! Thank .

[@Hope20249]

Interesting video. Cool backdrop.

[@Hope20249]

Thanks Chris. God bless🌻

[@baseballplayer124]

Your videos are so awesome. I've been listening to your music since 2018 and have just stumbled upon these. Thank you

[@chrisbraymusic]

I appreciate that. God bless!

[@Joh-jf5kc]

Wonderful - very well explained. Thank you very much! :)

[@wendyhong8528]

Thx Chris! Great video!

[@chrisbraymusic]

Thank you !

[@criticalmassmusic]

Excellent video, as usual Chris! God bless you

[@chrisbraymusic]

Thanks Dave!

[@franj1142]

Well done