A Divine Call
The celebration of the Eucharist is a unique journey; the believer starts it at the moment he leaves his home going to the Church, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit holds him, supports, embraces, and lifts him up step by step on the ladder of heaven, i.e., through the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Thus, he brings him to the depth of God to meet the Holy Trinity Who makes his soul glad. He desires not to depart from God, saying with St. Peter the Apostle, "Lord, it is good for us to be here."
Truly, my dear, the celebration of the Eucharist is a departure of the heart, not from home or from the world but from its own cares, from the earthly care, flying quickly towards its true Treasure, Jesus Christ, in whom it rests.
This service is a divine call addressed to the Church to enter into her Master's Joy. At the same time it is the Church's response concerning this call, for she follows her Bridegroom in His ascension to His Father and looks at this ascension as her eternity.
I say, How awesome are these moments, for the Church is moving towards heaven to stand before God, in the company of the Cherubim, Seraphim and all the choirs of heavenly creatures, offering to the Father the "desire of His own Heart," the Sacrifice of His beloved Son, as the Ransom for the whole world!
For this reason I find no words to write emphasizing the necessity of our preparation - clergymen and laymen - to be in the presence of this Sacrifice at the moments of the celebration. It is enough for us to know that we are in the presence of the Body of the Lord whose divinity never departed from His humanity, neither for an instant nor a twinkling of the eye.
I find myself, however, obliged to say a few words concerning the spiritual and bodily preparation:
1 - We must leave our homes with our Father Abraham to the land that God will show us, i.e. unto His holy Altar. Here we neither receive a symbol i.e. covenant, nor inherit the land which our feet have trodden, but we receive the Blood of the Son of God as the New Covenant and inherit the eternal kingdom, and enjoy what the angels desire to see.
Thus, we must leave behind "our country, our kindred, and our Father's house," throwing off every earthly care from our hearts and memories, so that our inner powers may accept every spiritual thought and see the heavenly visions, and the hearts may be widened to love all the world in Jesus Christ.
How beautiful it is to pray before leaving our homes and on our way to Church, asking God to cast away every wandering thought, so that our whole spiritual being is entirely consecrated to God.
2- This true meeting round the Lord's Altar needs, not only special preparations to be practiced before leaving home, but we must offer our whole life during the week as a step forward towards the holy Mount of Calvary where we eat our true Pascha, sacrificed for us.
In the anniversary of the Old Pascha, people celebrated it for a week, eating unleavened bread, and not bringing leaven to their homes. Now as we celebrate our Pascha, Jesus Christ, in the beginning of every week we must remain all the time "consecrated to God," and not permit the leaven of evil to approach our inner life, but we should nourish on "unleavened bread of sincerity and truth." The apostle Paul says, "Purge out therefore the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, as you are unleavened. For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us. Therefore, let us keep the feast, neither with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth."
This is what every believer ought to do, how much more should the presbyter do? We must hasten to go to the Lord as Abraham did when he got up early to offer his beloved son Isaac as a burning sacrifice to the Lord. We must also hasten to go to the House of God without any slothfulness, for He is always waiting for us. Truly He is long-suffering, waiting for us even if we go late.
4 - As we enter the House of God we ascend with the prophet
Moses, not to the Mountain to receive the Law graven on stone tablets, but we enter His own House to receive the Life-giving Body and Blood of the Lord, and we remain there for such a time, until He orders us to dismissal (the Prayer of blessing and dismissal), as otherwise we will seem to despise Him.
- St. John Chrysostom says, "You have entered the Church. O Man; you have been held worthy of the company of Christ... Go not out from it, unless you are sent. For if you go out from it without being sent you will be asked the reason; as if you were a runaway."
- Nobody should go out of the Church without necessity after the Holy Gospel is read and until the oblation has been elevated and the presbyter granting the benediction and dismissal.
- 5 The decrees of the Church order that:
- (a) We must pray in fear and tremble and not with pride.
- (b) We stand in Church quietly and in earnest and chastity to hear the word of God.
- (c) We do not speak with anyone in the Church.
The Rite of the Preparation
To receive the Law; Moses was ordered that all the people should be sanctified for three days during which no one should approach his wife. The Church too, commanded the presbyter and the people to be prepared in the eve and the day of their receiving the Communion that they do not approach their wives, not that this approach is unclean but because, in the opinion of the Church, it is considered a fast-breaking.
At the eve of receiving Communion, the believer must be involved only with repentance and contrition of heart, and on the day he receives It, he must be glad that he received this heavenly gift.
The Church ordains certain rites performed during the Liturgy, to prepare the presbyter and congregation for this meeting with God, which we summarize in these points.
- 1 Putting on Sacred Vestments.
- 2 Prayers of Preparation
- 3 The Canonical Hours.
- 4 Hand-washing.
1 - Putting on the Sacred Vestments
As God desired to prepare His priest Joshua for a great task He revealed this vision to Zechariah. "Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel. And he answered and spoke unto those that stood before him: Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, "Behold, I have caused your iniquity to pass from you, and I will clothe you with change of raiment. And I said, "Let them set a fair mitre (crown) upon his head." Also when we start to serve this sacrament, we must put off our clothes, which we use in our ordinary life and put on the sacred vestments that had been sanctified by the bishop's prayer and Chrism, and became as if they were God's own.
In other words, every time we serve the Lord, we must take away our daily infirmities in order to put on God's bright vestment, and to be crowned with chastity and righteousness, i.e. to be hidden in Him.
The Rite of Putting on the Sacred Vestments
The presbyter shakes hands with his brethren the presbyters and asks them to support him with their prayers. He ascends to the Sanctuary, makes the sign of the cross on his vestments and the deacon's with the cross, in the name of the Holy Trinity.
He puts on his sacred vestments, which can't be used but for the worship of God. He sings psalms 29 (30) and 92 (93), saying:
1 - "I will extol You on high, O Lord, For You have lifted me up, and have not let my enemies rejoice over me."
The enemies attack me all the week, and think that they conquer me, but as I put on the vestment of the Spirit, Your name will be extolled and You raise me up so that the enemies can't approach unto me. I put on "You" and become hidden in "You," for You are my victory.
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Zechariah 3:3-5.
"O Lord, my God, I cried unto You, and You healed me.
O Lord, You have brought up my soul from Hades.
You have delivered me from among them that go down to the pit...
You have turned my mourning into joy.
You have ripped off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness; that my glory may sing praise to You and that I may not be pierced with sorrow."
Thus, the presbyter's heart is lifted up with joy and gladness, as he puts on the sacred garment, remembering the wedding garment, with which we enter into the eternal kingdom of joy, as if he says, "My soul shall be joyful in my God, for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness as a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments (crown), and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels 2."
2- "The Lord reigns, He has clothed himself with honor; the Lord girded Himself with strength: for He has established the world, which shall not be moved…"
As the presbyter puts on the sacred vestment, he looks at the Lord as He reigns in His Church, and His glory has been declared. His strength has been proclaimed to His people.
Thus, we enter the sanctuary with the white linen vestments, in order to be distinguished not only from others but also even from ourselves, from our "ego." That is we may be hidden completely in Jesus Christ. We put Him on as a tall and bright vestment covering us totally, for "Without Him we can do nothing."
Our congregation looks upon us not as individuals but as God's instruments, through whom the Holy Spirit works, however unworthy of our vocation.
From the apostolic ages the sacred vestments were used. Nikolai Gogol says, "From apostolic times special vestments were in use, although the persecuted Church was not in position to give it the beauty we are accustomed to. But from the very beginning there were strict rules that the priest might not serve in his ordinary clothing and that none of the clergy could go in the street in the vestments worn
during Church services."
In the fourth century Constantine presented to his new cathedral at Jerusalem a sacred vestment of gold tissue to be worn by the bishop when serving in the solemn baptisms of the Paschal vigil.
Finally, we can say that not only the presbyters but also the whole Church, as a priestly nation ought to put aside the soiled garments, the filthiness of the flesh, the faults of character, and the defilements of lust. They have to put on clean garments, vestments kept apart from the common clothing of the rest of mankind. They must have the divine fire, God's own fire that He gives to men, of which the Son of God says, "I have come to send fire on earth."
2- the Prayer of Preparation
The presbyter goes up to the altar and takes off the big veil (prospharien) from the sacred vessels. He sets them before him, and looses them from their wrappings after crossing them thrice in the name of the Holy trinity.
At this instant the congregation sings the "hymn of Blessing." If the Pope or the bishop is present they sing the "hymn of Peace."
The presbyter begins inaudibly the "Prayers of Preparation," namely:
"Lord, Who knows everyone's heart, The Holy One, Who abides in His saints.
Who alone is without sin, and Who is able to forgive sins.
You, O Lord, know I am unworthy and unprepared and unfit for this Your holy service;
And I have no face to draw near, and open my mouth before Your holy glory.
But according to the multitude of Your tender mercies, forgive me, a sinner, and grant unto me that I find grace and mercy at this hour; and send me strength from on high.
That I may begin, and prepare and complete, As is pleasing unto You, Your holy service, To the delight of Your will,
A sweet savoring incense. Yea, O Lord, be You with us, Share working with us, bless us.
For You are the Remission of our sins, the Light of our souls, our Life, our Strength and our Favor..."
Before he touches the sacred vessels, he confesses his faults and unworthiness for this holy service, and in the meantime he believes that God is the Forgiver of sins Who begins, prepares and completes this divine service. He Himself works in us and with us.
As the presbyter wipes the altar, thus he prepares the upperroom of Zion in which the Lord assembles with His people to offer the same sacrifice He offered at the Last Supper.
As the heart has been wiped and prepared so that the Lord may enter, the presbyter recites inaudibly the "Prayer after Preparation," in which:
- 1- He gives thanks to God who bestows upon him this grace and honor to serve His Holy Altar.
- 2- He confesses that he is in need of this sacrifice more than others. He says that It is presented for his sins and for the ignorances of God's own people. He attributes the "sins" to himself and the ignorance to the congregation.
3- Praying the Canonical Hours
The presbyters, deacons and the congregation participate in reciting the psalms and the hymns of the Canonical Hours. They pray the Terce and the Sext. On fast days - except Sundays and Saturdays they also recite the Nones.
These hymns direct our thoughts towards the Holy Trinity's saving act for us.
At the Terce, according to the Apostolic Tradition, we give praise to Christ's being nailed on the Cross and beginning His lifegiving suffering. At the Terce we remember also the Holy Spirit descending on the Church after the ascension of the Savior, asking Him to work in us. For He is the Spirit of Adoption and Chastity, the Spirit of Holiness, justice and power, Who acts for our Salvation.
By reciting the hymn of the Sext, our hearts are lifted up to Christ Who was hung upon the wood of the Cross. The Apostolic Tradition states that by this prayer we look like Christ Who cried while He was hung upon the Cross.
Praying the Nones, according to the Apostolic Tradition, we look like the souls of the righteous whom the Lord remembered - for after He was pierced in His side blood and water, were shed forth, He descended to them in the Hades and gave them rest.
Thus, the hymns of the Canonical Hours prepare us for the celebration of the Eucharist, the mystery of salvation, but these hymns represent an inseparable part of the Liturgy itself.
4- the Hand-washing
The presbyter washes his hands thrice while praying:
\ You shall sprinkle me with hyssop. And I shall be cleansed.*
You shall wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
- \ You shall make me hear joy and gladness. The bones that have been humbled will rejoice.*
- \ I will wash mine hands among the innocent, And will encircle Your Altar, O Lord:*
That I may hear the voice of praise, And tell of all Your wonders.
By putting on the sacred vestments the presbyter declares his desire to deny his "ego" putting on the "Vestment of Righteousness," i.e. Christ Himself, and by reciting the prayers of the preparation he confesses his infirmities asking the Divine grace to act in him, and by washing his hands he asks for internal purification.
- St. Clement of Alexandria states that it is natural to see in the physical cleaning element of water a symbol of internal purification.
- This is not given because of physical stains, but this washing of hands is a symbol that they should be cleansed of all sin and all unworthiness. As the hands are the symbol of action, so in washing them we signify the purity and innocence of our works.
The Bread and the Wine
- 1- The bread is a small flat round cake. It is in the shape of a circle, which has no beginning or end. It is a symbol of the eternity of our Immolated Lord. In Him, we pass over the boundaries of this temporary life, and enter eternity.
- 2- The bread is baked from pure wheat, for our Lord is the blameless Lamb, through Him, we also become righteous and without blame, hearing His divine voice, saying, "You are all fair, my love: there is no spot in You."
- 3- The bread is stamped with a cross in the middle, surrounded with twelve smaller crosses. This means that the Crucified Jesus Christ is surrounded by His Church (12 disciples) who carries with Him His Cross. In other words, the Church, Christ's Body, is always suffering in the world with her Head.
Number 12 is a symbol of the Church, i.e. the Kingdom of God in this world, for the Holy Trinity (3) reigns over the four sides of the world (3×4 = 12).
For this reason, according to St. Augustine, the number of the tribes in the old Church was, also the number of the disciples of Christ and the number of the gates of heavenly Jerusalem are twelve.
"Number" means that God reigns in the life of men, and this is the notion of the "Church" herself.
- 4- Round the crosses, is stamped the Trisagion i.e. "The Holy God," for God is the mystery of the Church's holiness. He surrounds her, and He is in her midst. She does not fear, for her Lord is in her midst and no evil can touch her for God is a fence of fire around her. God as a fence separates the spirit of the Church from the spirit of the evil world so that nobody can enter her except through Him, and who goes away from her perishes.
- 5- The holy bread is leavened but not salted; for the yeast refers to our wickedness, which Jesus carried on in His Holy Body and entered into the fire of the Cross It is not salted, for our Lord does not
need any salt as He Himself is the Salt of the world.
- 6- In the Greek Church the bread is pierced during the celebration, but in the Coptic Church the bread is pierced five times round the central cross while baking it so that we may understand that this true sacrifice is a spiritual one and that Christ bore His passions from the time of His Incarnation.
- 7- The bread is prepared with great solemnity, in a special building attached to the Church, called "Bethlehem." Bethlehem is the place where the Lord was born. It is interpreted "House of Bread," because the Son of God Who was born here is the Bread of Life, as He Himself said in His Gospel, "I am the Living Bread that came down."
- 8- It is prepared by deacons or devout men, accompanied by the recitation of the psalms.
- 9- It is baked on the same day of celebration.
- 10- The wine must be of grape only, pure and red in color.
- 11- The presbyter chooses a blameless bread and unspoiled wine.
- 12- As our Lord used a "mixed chalice," the Church follows His example. The presbyter mixes wine with about one third of water, and without measuring it. The mixing of water is a symbol of the water that poured out of Christ's side when He was pierced by the spear. It represents the unity of nations and peoples in Christ, as the book of Revelation mentions, or as St. Irenaeus says that it represents the unity of the Church with her Christ in one chalice.
- St. Cyprian wrote a long letter against celebrating the Eucharist by water or wine alone.
- St. Clement of Alexandria says, "As wine is blended with water, so is the Spirit with man."
We should notice that with the exception of the Armenian Church all the Eastern Churches mix the wine with water. The Church of Constantinople mixes the wine with hot water, for Christ's Blood, which poured from His side and was mixed with water, was hot as a
symbol of Life.
One Lamb and the One Chalice
St. Ignatius says: "Take great care to keep one Eucharist. For there is one flesh of our Lord Jesus Christ and one cup to unite us by His Blood, one sanctuary, as there is one bishop, together with the presbyter and the deacons, my fellow servants. Thus, all your acts may be done according to God's will."
In the Coptic Church we should not celebrate more than one Eucharistic service on the same altar the same day, also the presbyter cannot celebrate but one Eucharist service a day. He can use only one bread and one chalice, proclaiming the oneness of Christ's Sacrifice once and forever.
The Lord chose the bread and wine as materials of the mystery and transformation for these reasons:
- 1- To fulfill the fore-mentioned prophesies.
- 2- The bread and wine naturally transform into flesh and blood in our bodies. In the same way the Holy Spirit transforms them through the Eucharistic celebration into the Lord's Body and Blood.
- 3- The "Didache" states that as bread is made up from many grains and wine from many grapes so Christ, Who is the Head of "His Body" i.e. the Church unites us in Him.
This is also mentioned in the Egyptian Anaphora of "Der-Balizeh."
- St. Cyprian says, "When the Lord calls bread, which is combined by the union of many grains His Body, He indicates that our people whom He bore are as being united into one. And when He calls the wine, which is pressed from many grapes and clusters and collected together His Blood, He also signifies that His flock is linked together by the mingling of a multitude into one."
- 4- The bread and wine resemble us in that we are an oblation to God. As the bread cannot be offered before going through many phases, so likewise we must pass with our Lord through the fire of His
suffering. Also as the wine is not offered before it is pressed, we must be pressed with Him through the winepress of His Cross, so that we may be offered to Him.
- 5- When our Lord spoke of His death He likened His Body to the grain of wheat, saying, "Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abides alone."
- 6- Our Lord also likened His Kingdom to a grain of wheat.
- 7- As bread is the main support of our earthly life, so the Eucharist is the main support of our spiritual Life.
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