THE HOLY EUCHARIST

1. THE HOLY EUCHARIST SERVANT’S PREPARATION COURSE 11.24.2013

2. What is Eucharist? • Derived from the Greek noun εὐχαριστία, in English known as "eucharistia", which means thanksgiving. EUCHARIST

3. Representation of the Eucharist in the Old Testament: MELCHIZEDEK • Gen 14:18: "Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was priest of God Most High…” to bless Abram. • Melchizedek - pre-figured Christ. • The event prefigured the bread and wine consecrated by a priest at Mass. SYMBOLS • Heb 7:2 • "[Melchizedek] is first, by translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then he is also king of Salem [shalom], that is, king of peace. He is without father or mother or genealogy, and has neither beginning nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest forever."

4. Representation of the Eucharist in the Old Testament: MOSES SYMBOLS • Moses, threw the blood of sacrificed oxen on the people, saying Ex 24:8, "Behold the blood of the covenant which the Lord has made with you." • Jesus said at the Last Supper, Mt 26:28, "This is my blood of the covenant.”

5. Representation of the Eucharist in the Old Testament: TABLE OF PRESENCE SYMBOLS • Jesus referenced 1 Sam 21:6 and taught us that it was for all His disciples. Mt 12:1 • Abimelechthe priest gave David the sacred bread from the Table of Presence. 1 Sam 21:6

6. Representation of the Eucharist in the Old Testament: PASSOVER • Ex: 12: SMITING of THE FIRST-BORN IN EGYPT • God commanded, "They shall eat the flesh that night” (foreshadowing the partaking of Christ’s flesh – the bread) • God told Mosesto sprinkle blood on the door post of all Hebrews • He promisedin Ex 12:13: "The blood shall be a sign for you…when I see the blood, I will pass over you.” • Pharaoh commanded the death of every Hebrew male infant in Egyptin Ex 1:22 but death passed over Moses. • Ex 2:5-10: twelve centuries later, before Herod commanded the death of every Hebrew male infant in Bethlehem • Mt 2:13: death passed also over Jesus. SYMBOLS

7. Evidence of the Eucharist in the New Testament: PASSOVER • Christ said in many different ways that He is the Bread of Life in John 6:22-70 • Matt 26:26:"This is My Body." • Mt 26:27: "This is My Blood…” • Mk 14:22: "This is My Body..." • Mk 14:24: "This is My Blood…" • Lk22:19: "This is My Body..." • Lk 22:20: "This is the New Covenant in My Blood…” EVIDENCE

8. Evidence of the Eucharist in the New Testament • The apostles celebrated the Sacrament of Holy Eucharist. • Acts 2:46:"Day by day, attending the Temple together and breaking bread in their homes…” • On the Adriatic Sea, at dawn, St. Paul celebrated Liturgy for 276 people. Acts 27:35:"...he took bread, and giving thanks to God in the presence of all he broke it and began to eat. Then they all were encouraged and ate some food themselves.” • 1 Cor 10:16:"The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a participation in the Blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not a participation in the Body of Christ?" • 1 Cor 11:27: St. Paul continuedin "Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the Body and Blood of the Lord.” • 1 Cor 11:29: St. Paul added, "For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the Body eats and drinks judgment upon himself." EVIDENCE

9. Orthodox Beliefs • Change that takes place during the sacrament of Holy Communion (Eucharist). • This change involves the substances of bread and wine being turned mysteriously into the substance of Christ himself. • The underlying essence of these elements is changed, and they retain only the appearance, taste, and texture of bread and wine. • Every particle or drop thus changed is wholly identical in substance with the divinity, body, and blood of the Savior. BELIEFS

10. Evidence that Eucharist is the actual body and blood of Christ in the New Testament • 1 Cor 10:15-16: The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? • Mt 26:26-28:And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you.  For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.  • 1 Cor 11:27-29: Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and bloodof the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.

11. Spiritual Benefits of the Eucharist • Abiding in Christ according to His precious promise: “He who eats My Flesh, and drinks My Blood abides in Me, and I in him” (John 6:56). • By receiving this Sacrament we become members of His Body, of His Flesh and of His Bones (Ephesians 5:30), and we also become partakers of the Divine Nature, (2 Peter 1:4). • It gives us the promise of eternal life : “Whoever eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood has eternal life and I will raise him up at the last day. He who eats this Bread will live forever” (John 6:54,58). • It provides growth in the Spirit and spiritual perfection and life in Jesus Christ, for He said: “For My Flesh is food indeed and My Blood is drink indeed.... As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me” (John 6:55,57).

12. Spiritual Benefits of the Eucharist • As food develops the body and keeps it healthy, so too the spiritual food, which is the Holy Body and Blood of Christ, strengthens the soul so that it may grow continually in grace. • It provides remedy to the soul, body and spirit, as we say in the Offertory Mystery : “That they (Holy Body and Precious Blood) may become to us all for participation and healing and salvation for our souls, bodies and our spirits”. • Also Communion received worthily and with preparation results in health, and strength for our bodies and souls. Our holy church fathers called Communion ‘the remedy for the death of sin’. • Communion results in our salvation and remission of sins; as mentioned in the final ‘Confession’ in the liturgy : “Given for our salvation, remission of sins and eternal life to those who partake of Him”.

13. Spiritual Benefits of the Eucharist • In Communion we are granted remission of sins that we are unaware of, including the sins of lust that we are not conscious of. Communion is the washing and cleaning of the repentant’s heart from all sins. • Communion gives a person immunity against sin. Likewise, partaking of the Holy Body and Blood of Christ gives the spirit immunity and inaccessibility against the viruses of sins, Satanic warfare and bodily lusts, so the person lives in victory in his spiritual struggle.

14. Priest Must Offer Communion • Acts 20:7,11 and Acts 2:42 demonstrate how St. Paul, whom the Lord appointed as an apostle, is the one who broke the bread Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight. […]Now when he had come up, had broken bread and eaten, and talked a long while, even till daybreak, he departed. […]And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. • 1 Corinthians 4:1: Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. • The priest who serves the Mass and sanctifies the sacrifice is completely responsible for it before God, just like the Cherubim that God appointed at the East of the garden of Eden, holding a sword of fire to guard the way to the tree of life (Genesis 3:24). The sword in the priest’s hand is the authority of priesthood given to him by God, to give the Communion to the worthy repentant and forbid it from those who are unworthy.

15. QUESTIONS?