The Eucharist

The central act of worship and the core of our Orthodox Faith

The Holy Eucharist, meaning thanksgiving, is a holy mystery (or sacrament) that is celebrated during the Divine Liturgy within the Orthodox Church. During this celebration, where the consecrated bread and wine, through the power of the Holy Spirit, becomes the Precious Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, is consumed by those Orthodox Christians who have prepared through confession, and their pre-communion prayers. Orthodox Christians believe that the Real Presence of God (not merely a sign) is present after the consecration of the Gifts. Because the Church is primarily a eucharistic community, the Eucharist is the very center of life in the Orthodox Church. As the source and the goal of all of the Church’s doctrines and institutions, the Eucharist is the completion of all the Church’s other mysteries (sacraments).

The Orthodox Church does not believe the Last Supper was a Passover meal, a position consistent with the account given by the Gospel of Saint John. She therefore uses leavened bread for, according to the Gospel of Saint John, Last Supper and Passion, took place during the evening, night and day time of Passover Day, therefore leavened bread was eaten in Last Supper. According to the synoptic Gospels, last Supper, Lord’s trial and crucifixion took place during next day, the first Day of Unleavened Bread feast, but according to Lev 23:7, any work on that Day was forbidden.

The Orthodox Church teaches that the Eucharist is a true sacrifice, and not a mere figure or symbol but a sacrifice. It is not the bread that is sacrificed, but the very Body of Christ. Yet, because the Lamb of God was sacrificed only once, and for all time, this Eucharistic sacrifice is not a bloody immolation of the Lamb, but a transformation of the bread into the sacrificed Lamb. And all the events of Christ’s sacrifice, the Incarnation, the Last Supper, the Crucifixion, the Resurrection, and the Ascension are not repeated in the Eucharist, but they are made present.

During the Eucharist, the sacrifice offered is Christ Himself, and it is Christ Himself Who in the Church performs the act of offering. Christ is both priest and victim. This Eucharist is offered to God the Trinity, not just the Father but also the Holy Spirit and to Christ Himself. In this sacrifice, it is Christ who is the Eucharist, and the one Who is offered, and the one Who offers. This sacrifice is propitiatory, and is offered on behalf of both the living and the dead.

Although the  Eucharist is normally reserved in a tabernacle on the altar table, there are no services of public devotion before the reserved sacrament, nor is there any equivalent to the Roman Catholic functions of Exposition and Benediction. The priest blesses the people with the sacrament during the course of the Liturgy, but never outside it. The reserved gifts are kept exclusively for those unable to attend the Liturgy because of infirmity or sickness.

As the central act of worship, and the very core of our Orthodox Faith, an Orthodox Christian who takes his faith seriously would never intentionally refrain from participating in the Divine Liturgy, either on Sundays, or the Great Feasts of the Church. The mystery of the Holy Eucharist defies analysis and explanation in purely rational and logical terms. For the Eucharist, as Christ himself, is a mystery of the Kingdom of Heaven which, as Jesus has told us, is “not of this world.” The Eucharist, because it belongs to God’s Kingdom, is truly free from the earth-born “logic” of fallen humanity.  Thus, Saint John of Damascus said, “If you enquire how this happens, it is enough for you to learn that it is through the Holy Spirit … we know nothing more than this, that the word of God is true, active, and omnipotent, but in its manner of operation unsearchable”

With love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon

Monday January 11, 2016 / December 29, 2015
33rd Week after Pentecost. Tone seven.
Sviatki. Fast-free
Afterfeast of the Nativity of Christ.

The 14,000 Infants (Holy Innocents) slain by Herod at Bethlehem (1st c.).
Venerable Marcellus, abbot of the monastery of the Unsleeping Ones (485).
St.Basiliscus the Hesychast of Siberia (1824).
New Hieromartyr Theodosius priests (1938)
Virgin-martyrs Natalia, Natalia, Eudokia, Anna, Matrona, Barbara, Anna, Eudokia, Ephrosia, Agrippina and Natalia (1942).
Venerable Mark the Grave-digger of the Kiev Caves (11th c.).
Sts. Theophilus and John of the Kiev Caves (11th-12th c.).
Venerable Theophilus of Luga and Omutch (1412).
Venerable Laurence of Chernigov (1950).
Venerable Thaddeus, confessor, of the Studion (818).
Venerable Benjamin, monk, of Nitria in Egypt (392).
Venerable Athenodorus, disciple of St. Pachomius the Great (4th c.).
St. George, bishop of Nicomedia (9th c.).
St. Trophimus, first bishop of Aries (3rd c.).
Commemoration of all Orthodox Christians who died from hunger, thirst, the sword, and freezing.

Scripture Readings

1 Peter 2:21-3:9

21 For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:

22 “Who committed no sin,
Nor was deceit found in His mouth”;

23 who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; 24 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed. 25 For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

Submission to Husbands

3 Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives, 2 when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear. 3 Do not let your adornment be merelyoutward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel— 4 rather let it bethe hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God. 5 For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands, 6 as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose daughters you are if you do good and are not afraid with any terror.

A Word to Husbands

7 Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.

Called to Blessing

8 Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; 9 not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.

Mark 10:46-52

Jesus Heals Blind Bartimaeus

46 Now they came to Jericho. As He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging. 47 And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

48 Then many warned him to be quiet; but he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

49 So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called.

Then they called the blind man, saying to him, “Be of good cheer. Rise, He is calling you.”

50 And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus.

51 So Jesus answered and said to him, “What do you want Me to do for you?”

The blind man said to Him, “Rabboni, that I may receive my sight.”

52 Then Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road.