Bishop Eric Menees
This week the Holy Eucharist was much on my mind following
my preaching on the Road to Emmaus. By God’s grace, I ran across this piece
from the 2nd Century by St. Justin Martyr, who was a stalwart defender of the
faith – ultimately being martyred in Rome. I share it with you all as a thought-provoking
essay.
The Celebration of the Eucharist
We hold our common assembly on Sunday because it is the
first day of the week, the day on which God put darkness and chaos to flight
and created the world, and because on that same day our saviour Jesus Christ
rose from the dead. For he was crucified on Friday and on Sunday he appeared to
his apostles and disciples and taught them the things that we have passed on
for your consideration.
The wealthy, if they wish, may make a contribution, and they
themselves decide the amount. The collection is placed in the custody of the
president, who uses it to help the orphans and widows and all who for any
reason are in distress, whether because they are sick, in prison, or away from
home. In a word, he takes care of all who are in need.
On the conclusion of our prayer, bread and wine and water
are brought forward. The president offers prayers and gives thanks to the best
of his ability, and the people give assent by saying, “Amen.” The Eucharist is
distributed, everyone present communicates, and the deacons take it to those
who are absent.
On Sunday we have a common assembly of all our members,
whether they live in the city or the outlying districts. The recollections of
the apostles or the writings of the prophets are read, as long as there is
time. When the reader has finished, the president of the assembly speaks to us;
he urges everyone to imitate the examples of virtue we have heard in the
readings. Then we all stand up together and pray.
The apostles, in their recollections, which are called
gospels, handed down to us what Jesus commanded them to do. They tell us that
he took bread, gave thanks and said: Do this in memory of me. This is my body.
In the same way he took the cup, he gave thanks and said: This is my blood. The
Lord gave this command to them alone. Ever since then we have constantly
reminded one another of these things. The rich among us help the poor and we
are always united. For all that we receive we praise the Creator of the
universe through his Son Jesus Christ and through the Holy Spirit.
We do not consume the Eucharistic bread and wine as if it
were ordinary food and drink, for we have been taught that as Jesus Christ our
saviour became a man of flesh and blood by the power of the Word of God, so
also the food that our flesh and blood assimilates for its nourishment becomes
the flesh and blood of the incarnate Jesus by the power of his own words
contained in the prayer of thanksgiving.
No one may share the Eucharist with us unless he believes
that what we teach is true, unless he is washed in the regenerating waters of
baptism for the remission of his sins, and unless he lives in accordance with
the principles given us by Christ.
Justin Martyr, First Apology (c.150)
Thirty-nine
Articles of Religion
XXVIII. Of the Lord's
Supper.
The Supper of the Lord is not only a sign of the love that
Christians ought to have among themselves one to another, but rather it is a
Sacrament of our Redemption by Christ's death: insomuch that to such as
rightly, worthily, and with faith, receive the same, the Bread which we break
is a partaking of the Body of Christ; and likewise the Cup of Blessing is a
partaking of the Blood of Christ.
Transubstantiation (or the change of the substance of Bread
and Wine) in the Supper of the Lord, cannot be proved by Holy Writ; but is repugnant
to the plain words of Scripture, overthroweth the nature of a Sacrament, and
hath given occasion to many superstitions.
The Body of Christ is given, taken, and eaten, in the
Supper, only after an heavenly and spiritual manner. And the mean whereby the
Body of Christ is received and eaten in the Supper, is Faith.
The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper was not by Christ's
ordinance reserved, carried about, lifted up, or worshipped.
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