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Holy Catechism

Nikolaos Voulgaris, tr. Daniel, 1893

Of the Holy Communion

I believe, O Lord, and confess.

The Priest because of this prostrates himself before the Mysteries, and with tears confesses: I. The great mystery of the Dispensation of the Incarnation and the world-saving presence of Christ, the very Messiah. For Thou art truly the Christ. II. The inward and from all ages eternal generation of the Son of God. Thou art the Son and Word of the living God. III. The sojourning in the world of the Son of God, and the conversion of sinners to God, and salvation through God. Thou art He Who came into the world to save sinners. And IV. Finally agreeably with the blessed Paul, 1 Tim. i. 15, I am, says the priest, the chief of all sinners that are in the world: “Of whom I am chief.”

I believe, O Lord, and confess.

A man not only begins by believing, but must confess likewise with his mouth all that the holy Church of God lays down and receives. “For God is not satisfied merely with belief in the soul, but requires also belief in the mouth,” Theophylact of Bulgaria comments. For this reason too the wise Origen wept so much mounted in the Ambo at Jerusalem, in explaining that passage in the psalm, “Unto the sinner said God: Why dost thou utter My ordinances and takest My covenant in thy mouth?” whilst at the same time he thought of the great fault which he had committed in having denied Christ, though it were only in appearance and with the mouth alone; for which he was expelled the Church and lost Martyrdom, writes Cedrenus. The rejection was from Christ. “Every one whosoever shall deny Me before men, I will deny him, even I, before My Father Which is in Heaven.” “For those who denied Him, both lost the glory of Martyrdom and will themselves find Christ denies them in the day of Judgment.” Cyril of Alexandria.

Moreover I believe that this really is Thy Precious Body, and this really is Thy Precious Blood.

“Far be it from us (cries Samonas of Gaza) to call the Holy Communion a figure of the Body of Christ, or mere bread, or a token or image; but the real Body and Blood in truth of Christ our God.” And Justin Philosopher and Martyr says: “As by God’s Word Jesus Christ our Saviour being incarnate took both flesh and blood for our salvation, so also the food for which by the word of prayer coming from Him we give thanks,” (because in the Holy Eucharist all the power of the Priest’s prayers flows forth from Do this in remembrance of Me, which Christ charged His holy Disciples, as the most holy Metropolitan of Ancyra Germanus Rhasoxestes, also our fellow-citizen, interprets the meaning of the expression) “whereby our blood and flesh through change are nourished, we have been taught is the Flesh and Blood of the Incarnate Jesus.”¹ There remains nothing else of the Bread or of the Wine in the Mystery saving the accidents or species as they are called, “for strengthening faith and supplying a visible sign,” as we said before.

This really is Thy Precious Body, and this really is Thy Precious Blood.

In the time of the great Arsenius that simple monk doubted about this, and after much offence given to the whole monastery the poor wretch regarded the Mysteries of Christ as an image only and figure, with so firm an opinion as that he said. Though I should see it with my own eyes, I do not believe anything of this sort. Howbeit the All-powerful God Who willeth all to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth did not fail to give demonstration to the Fathers before their own eyes, and to the erring monk with an unutterable miracle.

The great Arsenius relates (the account is given by the Metaphrast in his life of this holy Father) “how a certain monk in his simplicity did not believe the Bread and Wine to be changed into the Body and Blood of Christ, but to be a figure and image. Some of the old men when they learned it gave him seasonable advice But he said, Except I shall see, I shall not believe. And once when prayer had been made by the old men, and this monk himself for a whole week to the Lord, they came to the church, and during the Celebration of the holy Liturgy, the Bread appeared to the three ancients as a child, and when the Priest was going to divide the Bread, they saw an angel that had come from heaven and was carrying a sword, and he slew and sacrificed the child and divided him into small portions. And when they drew near to communicate, there was given to the unbelieving monk flesh and blood to partake. And in this way the monk was corrected, and all gave thanks to God.”

I believe that this really is Thy Precious Body, and that this really is Thy Precious Blood.

“But of Thy mercy, O Lord, (cried out with tears on this account Nicolas of Methone,) deliver from deceit and folly like this all those who do not rightly confess the Bread and Wine consecrated by us to be the perfect Body and precious Blood of Thy Christ. For if he who eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh judgment upon himself, not discerning, that is not ascertaining and contemplating the Body of the Lord presented, and he who within himself slips in any of the passions common to man and approaches without discernment, as partaking unworthily is counted fit for so great condemnation; he who sins in regard to the Celebration itself, and directly insults the Lord’s Body itself, and makes denial of it, both setting at nought the tradition and trampling on Him Who taught it, to what charge and punishment will he be liable, and how much worse and severer will he merit?”

Let those foul heretics be witnesses who in the time of Julian the transgressor, as we read in the Chronology of the African Church, in 363 A.D., stole the Holy Bread from the Churches and cast it with shocking impiety to the dogs to the intolerable and lamentable insult of the Mystery; what was their fate? the very dogs revered the Mystery, and rushed at once upon them, tore them to pieces and devoured them and killed them. I say nothing of the woe and the penalty of the sleepless Gehenna, where they have weeping and gnashing of teeth and eternal punishment.

Of Thy mystical Supper accept me this day, O Son of God, as a partaker.

As the Holy Communion draws near, the soul-saving participation of the Stainless Mysteries, the Priest beseeches the Son of God to receive him, and to accept him as a worthy communicant and partaker of that Mystical Supper, which He Himself gave to His holy Disciples; forasmuch as “Christ is present, according to Chrysostom, even now; He Who set in order that Table, now also sets this Table in order.” And as at that Mystical Supper, one of the twelve was then found to be a denier of Christ, nay even a betrayer, who even showed to the Hebrews (as we see in Theophylact) the actual Body of Christ, so here the Priest says, God forbid that I should disclose the Mysteries to Thine enemies.

For I will not tell the Mystery to Thine enemies.

We said that Mystery is derived from μύω which means to keep the mouth shut, specially towards the ungodly. “Let there be then no Judas there, no villain, no one with venom, or carrying one thing on the lips and another in the heart,” such was the cry about this of him who in tongue and heart was golden: and so cries the Priest.

I will give Thee no kiss, like Judas.

The kiss, he says, which I now give Thee through this most awful participation of Thee, I imprint on Thee, O Son of God and my God, not in guile, not a traitorous disciple’s kiss; but a pure kiss, a genuine kiss, a humbled kiss, a kiss of contrition and compunction, “not a meeting of lips, but the communion of a devout soul with Thee the Word of God;” such is the interpretation of Theodoret in the Song of Songs.

But as the Robber I confess to Thee.

Not as Judas, but as the Robber I confess to Thee, with so much more abundant affection, as was the Robber’s beyond Judas’s. Because the one, although a disciple betrayed Thee; the other, though a Robber, confessed Thee; he on the Cross, the former after the Supper; the latter after he had followed Thee in all Thy sufferings; the former after all Thy Mysteries were disclosed. The latter saw Thee insulted, stricken, wounded, blood-stained, having no form nor beauty, and recognized Thee as King: the other saw Thee even cleansing lepers, and casting out devils and giving life to the dead, yet denied Thee as a fellow-servant, betrayed Thee as a malefactor.

Remember me, O Lord, when Thou comest in Thy Kingdom.

Place me, O Master, with the robber, and not with the thankless disciple; because the former, though it were only for one single moment that he looked on Thee passing beneath the tree, there where he was captain of the robber band, upon the cross took thought of Thy glory, and believed Thee to be King of the ages, and the Lord:² the latter though he saw each day countless multitudes of the people healed of their diseases by the virtue which came forth from Thee, forgot Thy wonderful works, thought not of the gifts, was chosen out from Thy kingdom as key-bearer of heaven, as ruler of unclean spirits, as judge of Israel, preached the secrets of the divine Dispensation, taught the mysteries of Thy grace unknown to angels, tasted of the heavenly manna, was made to drink the most holy Blood, had his feet washed by Thee the Framer of the Creation, and shortly after all this notwithstanding made his way to the chief Priests to arrange and bargain for the sale of Thee.

Remember me, O Lord, when Thou comest in Thy Kingdom.

The wise Robber, born in the deep darkness of error, nurtured in the ways of the lawless, in the snares of the devil, after so many robberies, paying the penalty of such iniquities, simply because he in his torments witnessed the extreme long-suffering of Thee the Word God-Man, and saw the thanklessness of the Jews, the denial made by the disciples, the careless hardness of the executioners, with none to redeem or save, came to the light of knowledge, and having in view the voluntary setting of Thee, the Sun of Righteousness, at that miraculous eclipse of the visible sun, an apostle instead of a robber to fill the place of the apostate Judas, silenced the robber who was crucified with him in the acknowledgment of Thee. To him grant me to be likened, O my God, not to Judas. To-day shalt thou be with Me, I desire to hear from Thee. Remember me, O Lord; remember me, O Master. Remember me, O Holy One, when Thou comest in Thy kingdom.

O Lord, I am not worthy that Thou shouldest enter under my roof.³ I confess, O my God, with the centurion (Matt. viii. 5 sq.) that there is no room for Thy kingdom to make its abode with me. And if he on hearing only Thy word, I will come and heal him, fell to the ground with tears and acknowledged himself unworthy and a sinner, and said, Lord, I am not fit or worthy that Thou shouldst enter under my roof; so if I now, who stand before Thee, the Son of God, before Whom all things shake and tremble, even in Thy so great condescension am fully purposed to receive Thee through this most awful partaking of Thee, how can I, sinner that I am and unworthy beyond all men, refrain from falling at Thy knees, O God of the universe, and with groans and trembling, help saying continually to my latest breath, O Lord, I am not fit?

I am not worthy, I am not fit.

If John the greatest among those born of women, and more than a Prophet, confessed himself unworthy to loose the thong only of Thy sandals, and trembled at the Jordan to approach Thee, saying, How shall I touch the Master’s head?—if Peter, the very Rock of Faith, judging himself unworthy to be found near Thee, namely in one and the same boat, fell at Thy knees, and ceased not tremblingly to cry, Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord—if Mary Magdalene who was wholly inflamed with divine love, and shed so many tears of repentance and compunction, heard from Thee, her risen Master, Touch Me not, come not near Me; how much rather do we, poor and worthless, unworthy of even the temporal life, who absolutely venture to partake of Thine All-holy Body, and are altogether united to Thy Godhead, quake and tremble? Justly therefore henceforth with groans and shaking does the Priest pray to Thee the present God, and ceases not to say with tears, O Lord, I am not fit, I am not worthy that Thou shouldest enter under my roof.

The same happens with the Deacons and the assisting High Priests, and the Emperor himself, who all of them partake inside the Bema, though in different parts, the High Priests in the middle, the Presbyters at the sides, the Deacons behind the Table, as also does the Emperor. His communion is thus described in the account of the official ceremonies of the Palace of Constantinople and of the great Church of Christ by Curopalates. “If the Emperor is prepared for Communion, the more honourable Deacons of the Church summon him. The Emperor enters with them into the holy Bema and taking a censer censes the Holy Table in form of a cross, first to the East, then to the North, then to the West, lastly to the South. Thereupon again censing towards the East, he further censes the Patriarch; and he salutes him, and taking the censer from the Emperor’s hand, censes the Emperor in return. After that, the Emperor removing the crown from his head hands it to the Deacons. And the Patriarch places in his hands a portion of the Lord’s Body. And having partaken thereof, he communicates also of the life-giving Blood, not from a spoon, but from the Chalice itself in the same manner as the Priests. Then putting on his crown, he at once goes forth.” The same account is given by John Cantacuzene, i. 41.

The Readers and Singers and Ascetics: the Deacons and Virgins and Widows: the children and all the Laity in order as we saw in S. Clement (Apost. Const. viii.) partake outside the Bema. Wherefore the Deacon or Priest on coming out stands in the midst and summons all to the Communion of the Stainless Mysteries of Christ, saying aloud,

In the fear of God and in faith draw near.

“When you see, writes Chrysostom of this time, Eph. Hom. iii., the double doors thrown back, then consider that heaven above is displayed.” Imagine, he says, that heaven is open. And 1 Cor. hom. 36, “Consider with thyself, who it is that advances hither; tremble and stand aside in time, and before thou seest the curtains withdrawn and the Choir of Angels advancing, mount into heaven itself.” And the Illuminator of Damascus on Faith, Bk. iv. ch. 86, “With all fearfulness and a pure conscience and unwavering faith let us advance, and it will be to us entirely as we believe, if we waver not.”

It will be to us entirely, as we believe.

So the great Basil saw a mighty flame descending from heaven and shining round about the whole Altar until the close of the divine Initiation, at the time that the Presbyter Anastasius was offering this Service. Amphilochius of Iconium tells this in his life of the great Father. The same is told by the Metaphrast of Chrysostom and by the Monk Cyril of the great Euthymius.

It will be to us entirely, as we believe.

So George of Cappadocia, being brought bound in iron fetters to the Emperor Phocas, when he was about to receive the holy gifts by the hand of Theodore, the most holy Archimandrite, desired to be free at such a time, that he might fall prostrate, as was fitting, before the spotless Mysteries of Christ, for which he did not cease earnestly entreating his harsh gaolers: when, wonderful to say, directly the priest approached him with the holy gifts, the shackles of their own accord fell off. George writes this, who was both a disciple and Presbyter under S. Theodore himself.

It will be to us entirely, as we believe.

So the most pious Gorgonia, sister of Gregory the Theologian, being struck with palsy and despaired of, “since the skill of physicians availed nothing, though they very minutely examined her case both singly and in consultation;” this the great Illuminator himself recounts in the Epitaph which he made on her—directly she received the Holy Gifts in tears (how wonderful are Thy works, O Lord and Master) was discovered to be well that instant, and raised herself up unassisted, leaping and going gladly to her home, whence she was a little before brought into the Church, carried by four.

It will be to us entirely, as we believe.

So that poor father, who had an only-begotten son mute and speechless, and took him in sincere faith and with unwavering heart to receive the divine and spotless Mysteries; at once on receiving the holy Bread by the hand of the Archimandrite Theodore, the strings of dumbness were loosed, so long tied, and with wonderful glibness that speechless tongue in the hearing of all, to their wonder, began to speak. This is written by George the Presbyter.

It will be to us entirely, as we believe.

So S. Satyrus, brother of the great Ambrose, finding himself in a boat that was in danger of sinking, bound the holy Bread in an Horarion,⁴ and hung it from his neck, and flung himself fearlessly into those tremendous depths of the sea, and escaped all danger, in fact, like a new Jonah, the Mystery cast him up safe and unhurt on the land where he wanted to be. This is recorded by the same Ambrose, vol. 3.

It will be to us entirely, as we believe.

So that Jew, who feigned himself to be a Christian in the time of S. Syrus, disciple of S. Hermagoras, who is said to have been a disciple of the Saint and Evangelist Mark, took the precious Bread from the hand of the Saint, with a view, vile wretch! to spit the Mystery on the ground, and was no more able to close his mouth, suffering grievous pains and such sobbings, as that if the Saint had not plucked the Precious Bread from his mouth, the miserable man would have expired in torture, but he was freed at once from danger, and with several others became a Christian. This is recorded by Paul the Deacon, Dec. 12.

It will be to us entirely, as we believe.

So that child of the Jewish glassmaker, in the time of the most pious Justin, was found sitting inside the furnace unburned, when he had eaten in company with the Christian children in the great Church the saving Communion of the awful Mysteries of Christ. Whereupon the Jew was impaled for the murder of his child, since he had thrown him into the furnace, because he had partaken of the Holy Gifts. His mother however and the child were baptized by the Patriarch Menas. This is recorded by Cedrenus in the 13th year of the reign of the same most pious Emperor, and by Evagrius, Bk. IV., Ch. 36.

It will be to us entirely, as we believe.

So concerning S. Benedict the great Gregory writes in the Second book of Dialogues, that immediately on his approaching the breast of that dead Deacon with the Precious Bread, the earth received it, and the corpse kept quiet, though previously, as though lying under the burden of excommunication, to the fear and terror of all present, as often as it was buried, the earth spued it forth, and in no way could the earth retain it in its bosom.

It will be to us entirely, as we believe.

So the same Gregory was giving the precious Bread in communion to a noble lady, who on receiving a portion laughed outright. On being asked why, she said, I cannot tell how the bread I leavened yesterday with my hands has become Christ’s body. Wonderful to say, the Saint replaced the Pearl upon the Holy Table, and it at once became living flesh, which all the people perceived; and all cried with one accord, Lord, have mercy. The lady fell to the ground with a shriek, and when the Saint took that marvellous flesh to communicate her, it changed again into bread. This is recorded by John the Deacon in his life of Gregory Dialogus.

It will be to us entirely, as we believe.

So in the hands of the great Basil, at the time when he made the dismemberment of the Holy Bread, there appeared in the Paten a child all alive: which was seen and handled by a certain Jew who received from the Heavenly Teacher not bread but true flesh, and took it home and showed it to his wife—whereupon running directly in fear and trembling into the temple of God, they confessed all to the great Basil, and both of them were baptized. Amphilochius.

It will be to us entirely, as we believe.

So John of the Hut (A.D. 460) did not for six full years admit anything else at all into his mouth, but lived solely on the Holy Communion of the life-giving Body of Christ. This is written by the Metaphrast in the life of the Saint. And the Abbot John, Palladius writes in the 43rd vol. of the Lausiac History, partook of no nourishment, except the Divine Eucharist on Sunday. And the greater number of the disciples of the pious Apollos, (the same author recounts in the 56th volume) were sustained by weekly participation only of the Divine Communion.

It will be to us entirely, as we believe.

So Theodosius, the chief of Cœnobites, when about one Easter Day to celebrate the Liturgy, received from God a holy seal upon the Prothesis just as that far-famed sheep for sacrifice was found under the tree Sabek. Gen. xxii. 13. The Metaphrast writes this in his life of the great Father. And in the cell of Gregory of Nazianzus were found, conveyed by invisible means, on the holy and great Sunday of the Passover itself, a Bema and Altar and Bread and Wine for Celebration; and these he had from the Holy Spirit, as we said before agreeably with what the Theologian of Nazianzus says in the Epitaph on his father.

It will be to us entirely, as we believe.

So the Abbot Isidore, a Severian, who was a married man, saw his wife after partaking of the life-giving Bread from the Catholic Church, and in anger caught her by the throat, and she spued out the life-giving Bread and he threw her to the ground, first in one spot then in another, until she fell into the mud, and straightway there shone as it were a light, and he repented. Abbot John Moscus records this, ch. 30. So two pillar-hermits, one a Severian, the other Orthodox, disputing with each other about the Holy Communion, the Orthodox requested from the Severian a portion of the Holy Bread; the other gave it, whereupon the Orthodox threw the portion of the Severians into a blazing pot; it was at once consumed; but when he threw in also the portion which came from the Orthodox, the pot at once grew cold, and it was preserved entire. The same author, ch. 29.

It will be to us entirely, as we believe.

So in the time of the great Arsenius, whilst they were singing the holy Liturgy, we saw that “the Bread appeared as a child to certain three old men; and they saw an Angel come down from heaven with a sword, and he slew and sacrificed the child, and the flesh was given in Communion to the unbelieving monk.” The Metaphrast, July 19. And S. Gregory Dialogus, when he was offering the Liturgy, pricked the Pyx on the Holy Table, which certain envoys from the West returned to him, and straightway living blood ran out. See John the Deacon, in the life which he wrote at length concerning this Saint.

It will be to us entirely, as we believe.

So in the time of Dionysius, Patriarch of Alexandria, a certain magistrate who held with the doctrines of Severus, had a believing Orthodox slave, who on the Holy Great Thursday took portions of the life-giving Body, and bound them in a white towel; and being hurriedly despatched by his master on service to a distant country, he left the Portions in his own chest, and gave his master the keys. And the slave being long time absent, his master opened the chest and found the Portions of the Lord, and as a heretic debated what to do. And after debating with himself, he determined to burn them; so he opened the covering, and found the Portions alive with ripe ears of wheat, and full of corn: so being amazed he ran with all his house, crying, Lord, have mercy, and put them into the hands of Dionysius the Bishop, and renounced his heresy. John Moscus, ch. 39.

It will be to us entirely, as we believe.

And who can relate the depth of Thy wonderful works, O Lord, and the boundless ocean of Thy marvels? unless in ecstatic awe and deep silence he should say each time with blessed Paul, “O the depth, O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are His works, and His ways past tracing out!” “Who shall track the abysses of Thy judgments?” sang the most prudent Cassia on this subject, on the holy and great Wednesday.

After all this, Reader, you would rightly wish to ask, why possibly in our times we do not now see or hear such miracles done.

The answer is given you (1 Cor., hom. 6) by the golden-tongued and hearted, John of Constantinople, because the Faith and the reward of believers grows without miracles, and abounds; whilst it becomes powerless and diminished through miracles. And hope that is seen is not hope (Rom. viii. 24.) Chrysostom’s words are as follows. “For signs force people of necessity to believe, and it is not reckoned faith, but distinct knowledge of what is seen. Let us submit the case then to argument, and suppose the unbeliever hold back from believing, as for instance that Christ will come. When therefore Christ has come, and all the angels with Him, and He is proved to be God, and all things are subjected to Him, will not even the Greek believe? it is manifest that he will both adore and call Him God; though he be never so unyielding. For who could see the heavens opened, and Christ Himself coming on the clouds, and all the population of the celestial powers gathered round Him, and rivers of fire approaching, and all men present and trembling, and not adore and believe Him to be God? Will that act of worship, and that knowledge, tell me, be counted to the Greek for faith? Not so; how could it be? for this is not Faith; because necessity compelled this, and the distinctness of what is seen; and it is not a matter of free choice, but the powers of the mind have been forced by the magnitude of what has been seen. It follows that in proportion as what occurs is more manifest and compulsory, by so much is the estate of Faith diminished.”

Besides this, signs do not make the believer happy; for the Lord says to Thomas, John xx. 19, “Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.” “Consequently in proportion as the sign is shown more evidently, by so much is the reward lessened. For when we accept what by no sort of means can be discovered by arguments, then there is Faith. For this cause too Gehenna is threatened, but is nowhere apparent, since if it were apparent, the same result would follow.”

And that then miracles took place to good purpose, but now are not of use, the great Illuminator himself shows in truest theology, according to the example of the Apostles. “For if there had not been signs then, how could the Apostles, chased and persecuted, quaking and in prison, declared the public enemies of the world, having nothing on their side attractive, not reason, not outward show, not wealth, not city or nation, not family or kindred, not reputation or any such thing, but everything of a contrary sort, privacy of station, low estate, poverty, hatred, enmity, being arrayed too against whole populations, and with such a message to proclaim, how could they be persuasive? for their way of life involved trouble in plenty, and their doctrines involved dangers, and the hearers and those who should be persuaded were conversant with luxury and debauchery and manifold vice. What then gave them power to persuade? If they persuaded without signs, the wonder is evidently far greater. So that at that time they were of use, now they are not of use.”

And if you wish even now to see miracles, he says, each day you see them. “For from the prophecies every day is brought a sign. If you seek signs, even now you shall see signs, thousands of prophecies about thousands of things, the conversion of the world, the transformation of savage manners, the extension of the truth, the overthrow of Jerusalem, the conversion of the Gentiles; ‘I am with you unto the end of the world,’ ‘* On this rock I will build My Church,’ ‘This Gospel shall be preached to all the nations,’ and numbers of others. But not all are believers now from the prophecies; for things have grown worse because even then they did not believe signs only, but many of those who came over were attracted by the life. For He says, Matt. v. 16, ‘So let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father Which is in heaven.’ We however want to enjoy much luxury and ease and security; not so those in former days. When however some have no care for virtue, and those who care for it are far beyond the range, even though there were signs now, who would be persuaded? Or who would have joined us from those outside, when vice is so prevalent? For our correct life seems to most to be more convincing. For signs even admit of a base suspicion on the part of shameless and evil men; but a pure life will be able to stop even the very mouth of the devil with the greatest ease,” &c.

In the fear of God and faith and love, draw near.

“We must therefore have fear and love in the time of the Mysteries, and draw near with faith. For though we should have ten thousand acts of righteousness to show, and be resentful of injuries, we shall not, through them, he says, be able to reap any of the fruits of salvation. Therefore we must have both fear and love at the time of the Sacrifices; for he made mention of no other points of righteousness, but of love only. For the only-begotten Son and Word of God Himself, Who is the surety of peace to every one that believeth, hath given also His precious Body and Blood with fear and faith.” Germanus. And Nicolas of Methone: “Smitten with overwhelming awe at this Mystery, the divine Apostle exhorts us to partake worthily of it in the fear of God and with faith, and defines the punishment of the transgressor, saying, Whosoever shall eat this Bread or drink the Cup of the Lord unworthily, will be guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord.”

He calls those unworthy, who without the fear of God, without love and without faith approach the awful Mysteries of Christ, earning for themselves Gehenna in eternity, and with the very Jews crucifying Christ. Respecting these the same doctor speaks thus: “Who then is so bold, and rash, as to innovate on the tradition and to demur to the Mystery, and so set at nought Him that gave both the tradition and the initiation? Any one that set at nought Moses’ Law, says the Apostle, died without mercy at the mouth of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment think ye shall he be deemed worthy who trampled on the Son of God, and counted the Blood of the Covenant common, and insulted the Spirit of grace? But who is it that tramples on the Son of God, and is accused of the other charges mentioned? Is it not clear that he does so who in unthankfulness disregards His Body, and receives it not, and sets at nought the tradition and commandment of the unlying Mouth, when it said, This is My Body, and this is My Blood; and Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His Blood, ye have not life in yourselves? Why dost thou hesitate? Why impute inability to the All-powerful? Is it not He Who out of not-being brought all things into being, One of the Godhead in three Persons, in the last times incarnate, Who also ordered the Bread to be changed into His Body? Why on the other hand dost thou seek a cause or an ordinance of nature for the change of the Bread into Christ’s Body, and of the Water and Wine into Blood, since above nature and reason and thought and understanding He was born of the Virgin? Wilt thou then disbelieve the Resurrection from the dead, and the Ascent into heaven, and all the other wonders of Christ which are above nature and thought and understanding? Thou arrivest at this, that thou confessest not Christ as Very God and Son of God, but followest the Arians, nay rather the Jews.

“But perhaps again, he proceeds, thou doubtest and disbelievest, because thou seest not Flesh and Blood, but Bread and Wine. About this thou must know, O ungrateful man and ignorant of thy Benefactor, that God Who knows all things, of His great love to man, ordained this in His providence, condescending to man’s weakness, lest the greater number should turn away from the pledge of eternal life and take disgust, if they saw Flesh and Blood. Wherefore He willed this should come through the more usual things of nature, yoking His Godhead to them, saying, This is My Body and This is My Blood, and Take, eat, and drink ye all of it for the forgiveness of sins; and again, The Bread which I will give, is My Flesh, which I will give for the life of the world: and Except ye eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink His Blood, ye have not life in yourselves. Do this in remembrance of Me. Therefore, believing Him, we offer perfect and living Bread, or Christ’s Body perfect remaining also entire even after the Passion (for not even a bone of Him was broken) and inseparable from the divine life, such as He, our first and great High Priest and Sacrificer, gave also as a sacrifice to His own initiated ones: and they in turn who from the beginning were eye-witnesses and ministers of the Word, handed on to the Catholic Church which extends from one end of the world to the other; all first to the church at Jerusalem, where S. James the brother and successor⁵ of the first and great High Priest exhibited the mystical and unbloody Liturgy: then Peter and Paul to the Church at Antioch; then Paul individually even to all the world; then Mark to the Church at Alexandria; John and Andrew to the Church both in Asia and Europe; and all have handed it on to the Church everywhere through the Liturgy composed by S. Clement.” Therefore the Church does not cease at these holy seasons when the people adore and fall down with all contrition, shame and fear, in the worship of the actual spotless and heavenly Mysteries of Christ, I mean, of the seen Body and Blood of our Lord and God and Saviour, and in the fearful and most awful reception of them, to cry aloud between those holy doors for all to hear,

In the fear of God and in faith draw near.

Faith in God and the fear of God the great Chrysostom, 1 Cor. hom. 28, conceives to be purity of conscience; which also he names the sum of good things, and a feast of good works (not a day’s feast or festival), devotion of soul, and correct conduct. And woe to him that draws near without this. “When the priests take courage with fear and trembling, and copy the example of our first and great High Priest, our Lord and God Himself, and cry aloud, Take, eat, then draw near in the fear of God, draw near in faith.” Wherefore if we through sickness or for temporary fear of fever should not for a while partake of the visible table, we do not eat, we do not drink, that we may preserve our life, forasmuch as “However much you nurture whatever of your bodies is not pure, the more you will do them harm,” as Hippocrates says; how much rather ought we to abstain from this awful Table of the Mysteries of Christ, that we may not be eternally destroyed “eating and drinking condemnation to ourselves, not discerning the Body of the Lord Himself,” when we are full of unseemly desires which are more severe than fevers?

The Saint’s golden words are as follows: “Wherefore he discoursed about it (namely the Holy Communion) even in a very terrifying manner, making out to them that approaching with a good conscience is the chief of goods. Hence he was not content with what was already said, but adds this as well, saying, But let a man examine himself; as he puts in the second epistle, Try yourselves, prove yourselves; not as we do at present, approaching rather because of the season than with earnestness of mind. For we do not aim at approaching as men prepared, and after purging away our faults, full of compunction, but at coming on feast days, and when all are likely to be there. However it was not thus that Paul ordered, but he knew one opportunity of access and communion, purity of conscience. For if we should never think of partaking at a visible table, if we were in a fever, and full of bad juices, so as not to kill ourselves, far rather is it not right for us to touch this Table with untoward desires, which are severer than fevers. And when I say untoward desires I mean the desires of the body, and of wealth and of passion and of resentment, and all in fact which are untoward. And whoever approaches ought to get rid of all these, and so to touch that pure Sacrifice, and neither with a careless disposition, to feel compelled though ill at ease to approach because it is a feast day, nor when one is smitten with compunction and is prepared, to abstain because it is not a feast day. For a festival means exhibiting good works, and devotion of soul and carefulness of life; and if you have these, you will be able to keep continual festival, and to draw near continually. So he says, Let each one examine himself, and then let him approach. And he does not bid one man to examine another, but each man himself, making the tribunal secret and the trial one without witnesses.”

In the fear of God and in faith draw near.

We have shown thus far that the divine and holy Liturgy is a Memorial and accurate image of the incomprehensible holy dispensation of Christ, His conception without seed, and Birth transcending thought, of the predictions about Him in the Scriptures, His presence as incarnate in the world, the proclamation of the Forerunner, the mission of His holy Disciples among the Gentiles, the conversion of the Gentiles to Him, of His life-giving sufferings, of the saving Cross, and His death and burial, and the resurrection on the third day from the dead. And in the first part which we entitled The Holy Presentation, we saw plainly portrayed the All hail of Gabriel, and the Good news, the pure Birth of the Virgin, and His voluntary Crucifixion. In the second part we saw the preaching of His holy Prophets by the Typicals and Antiphons; His world-saving coming, by the holy Entrance with the holy Gospel; the preaching of the Baptist and Forerunner by the Trisagion; the sending of the Apostles to the Gentiles by the Reading of the Epistles and Gospels; the conversion to Christ of the Gentiles, by the Catechumens. In the third part by the holy Great Entrance with the gifts symbolizing Christ, we saw thus far His burial passing description, and through the Elevation of the transubstantiated Bread into His perfect and true Body, we saw His bright-robed Resurrection from the dead. There was certainly an absence of the symbol of the Ascension, of the arrival from on high of the Holy Ghost in the coming of the day of Pentecost, and the outward representation of the holy and glorious second coming of Christ.

The Ascension, S. Germanus will have it, is symbolized then, when the Deacon or the Priest cries aloud, In the fear of God, in faith and love draw near. “The raising,” says he, “of the sacred Remains which are left, shadows forth the Ascension of our Lord and God.” For this reason the words, Be Thou exalted, O God, into the heavens, are said mystically, and the Troparion of the Ascension.⁶ The abiding Presence of the Holy Ghost, which equipped the Apostles from on high, is symbolized by the incense which occurs at this time. “The last censing, the same Saint explains, declares the grace of the Holy Ghost, which was given to the Apostles after the Resurrection.”⁷ The second coming of Christ is symbolized also itself by the return of the Deacon with the paten and of the Priest with the cup to the Prothesis. “The return of the Priest and Deacon (writes an ancient commentator on the Liturgy) with the Bread to the Prothesis, declares the coming of Christ when He shall judge the world.” By which it appears that the Priest and Deacon represent the two men, of whom S. Luke tells in Acts i. 10, 11, “And behold, two men stood by them in white raiment, who also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing into heaven? This Jesus Which was taken up from you into heaven, shall so come, in like manner as ye beheld Him going into heaven.” This is His second holy coming.

In the fear of God and in faith draw near.

Here Symeon of Thessalonica asks why the holy gifts are shown to the people, not uncovered, but veiled, covered over? And he answers, “Later however the holy gifts are shown to the people veiled, because it is not lawful for all to see them unveiled.” And for this reason probably; “When those of the sanctuary have partaken in the sanctuary, and SO on in order, as Paul teaches in the time to come, saying, Every man in his own order, themselves receiving the divine Bread in their hands, and partaking of the cup with their lips; the people do not partake of them directly, but communicate through the spoon by the hand of the High Priest.” And certainly if the very Seraphim covered their face with two wings in Isaiah vi. at the time when one of the Seraphim was sent to the Prophet and held in his hand a coal, which he took with the tongs off the Altar, and so touched his mouth and said, Lo, this touched thy lips and will remove thine iniquities, and purge away thy sins—which is generally interpreted by the holy Doctors as having been an undoubted type of the most awful Mysteries of Christ; for which reason in the Prayer of the Introductory Entrance the Brother of the Lord said, “O Lord Jesu Christ, O Word of God, Who didst willingly offer Thyself a spotless Sacrifice on the Cross to God and the Father, Thou Coal of double nature, Who with the tongs didst touch the Prophet’s lips and remove his sins, touch likewise the senses of us sinners, purify us,” &c.⁸—if, I say, the Seraphim covered their faces, nay even their feet when they beheld the God of all seated on the throne high and lifted up, how much rather to us mean and worthless creatures must the holy gifts when elevated be shown veiled and covered, seeing that there is no image or type of that coal which was in the hand of the Seraphim, but the very thing prefigured, the coal itself of double nature and beheld, the Body of our Lord and God, the God-Man? Therefore the Thessalonian pursues his commentary, saying thus:

O God, save Thy people, and bless Thine inheritance.

“When he has prayed for God’s inheritance and the people of His possession, the High Priest departs censing the gifts, adding all that declares the ascension of the Saviour, and the glory thereafter of preaching Him throughout the Creation, as though he were conversing with the Saviour and saying, Thou camest unto us, and wast seen with us, and hast returned to heaven; and after being taken up from earth, Thou hast filled the earth with glory, by which likewise in celebrating Thy Mysteries we partake of Thee and hold Thee continually.” Therefore next follows,

Always, now and ever, and world without end.

Forasmuch as the coming of the Holy Ghost, which as we said the last censing typifies at this time, is continual, and the consecrating grace of the All-holy Spirit both is and shall be with us always for ever. “This, to wit the Holy Spirit, by the hand and tongue of the Priests consecrates the Mysteries. And not only did our Lord send the Holy Spirit, that He should abide with us, but also Himself promised to abide with us even to the end of the world. The Paraclete however is present invisibly, because He wore no body; but the Lord is both seen and bears touching in the awful and holy Mysteries, as having accepted our nature and wearing it for ever. This is the power of Priesthood, this is to be a Priest; for He did not offer and sacrifice Himself once for all and then cease from Priesthood, but with this perpetual ministry He liturgizes our liturgy, in which He too is a Paraclete for us with God for ever. Therefore it has been said, Thou art a priest for ever,” &c. Germanus.

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