BCP: Transubstantiation in Eastern and Western Liturgy (How to experience the mystery of faith)
(Note: Epiclesis = the invocation of the Holy Spirit; Anamnesis = remembrance of death, resurrection…; Antiphon = chant; Words of Consecration: “This is My Body… My Blood…”; Consecration = the change of the gifts; Adoration = deep worship of and union with Jesus crucified)
The Epiclesis in Eastern and Western Liturgy
In the Eastern liturgy, Christ’s words of Institution and the Epiclesis, though with a time interval between them, form one spiritual whole. Their culmination is the Consecration (Transubstantiation).
In the Western liturgy, the Epiclesis – the invocation of the Holy Spirit, whether implicit or verbal, precedes Christ’s words of Institution. When the priest utters the words of Christ, the Holy Spirit makes present Christ’s Calvary sacrifice on the altar in a way surpassing understanding. Here also, two conditions apply to the Consecration: the words of Institution and the Epiclesis – the working of the Holy Spirit, without whom the sacrament would be invalid.
A) Eastern liturgy: The priest recites or sings the words of Institution. The words of Institution are followed by the Anamnesis which the priest prays silently or aloud, remembering the following events: “The cross, death, tomb, resurrection…”
After the Anamnesis, the choir sings the antiphon “We praise You…” until the Consecration is completed in the Epiclesis. It is common practice in some monasteries for the priest to kneel at the altar during or after the Anamnesis, while the antiphon is chanted, and pray briefly for the Holy Spirit to descend on both him and the people: “Send down Your Holy Spirit upon us.” Then he stands up, approaches the altar, and prays the Epiclesis over the gifts: “And make this bread the precious Body of Your Christ (by Your Holy Spirit, O God)!” And then he says quietly: “And that which is in this chalice, (make, O God,) the precious Blood of Your Christ (by Your Holy Spirit).” The Epiclesis is concluded with the words: “(O God, You) changed (the gifts) by Your Holy Spirit. Amen, amen, amen.”
During this, the choir is singing the antiphon. It is common practice in some monasteries for the priest to fall on knees with forehead touching the ground. He kneels in adoration for a while, thus also giving the people an opportunity to realize Christ’s death which is made present on the altar.
B) Western liturgy: After the Sanctus, the priest recites the Canon (anaphora). The first Canon only implicitly assumes the Epiclesis: “… so that it (this offering) may become for us the Body and † Blood of Your most beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ [by the power of the Holy Spirit].”
In the second, third and fourth Canon, the Epiclesis is also expressed in words.
Canon II: “Make holy, therefore, these gifts, we pray, by sending down Your Spirit upon them like the dewfall, so that they may become for us the Body and † Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Canon III: “Therefore, O Lord, we humbly implore You: by the same Spirit make holy these gifts, that they may become the Body and † Blood of Your Son our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Canon IV: “Therefore, O Lord, we pray: may this same Holy Spirit sanctify these offerings, that they may become the Body and † Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
“It is not man that causes the things offered to become the Body and Blood of Christ, but the Holy Spirit.” (St John Chrysostom)
There is a pause for silence between the Epiclesis and the words of Christ. If there is a choir, they sing an antiphon to the Holy Spirit. The priest and the faithful realize the institution of the Liturgy by Christ in the Cenacle at the Last Supper. At the same time, they realize that it was in the same Cenacle that the Apostles received the Holy Spirit after Christ’s death, resurrection and ascension. Soon after that, they celebrated the Liturgy in the same place for the first time. Now the redemptive death of Christ will be made present here on the altar.
The moment of silence accompanied by the antiphon is followed by the essential part of the Liturgy – the Consecration (Transubstantiation).
The words of Institution
“Take this, all of you, and eat of it, for this is My Body…”
“Take this, all of you, and drink from it, for this is the chalice of My Blood…”
The Consecration is conditioned by Christ’s words of Institution and the working of the Holy Spirit (Epiclesis). At the moment when the priest says the words of Institution, the Holy Spirit makes them the words of Consecration. In the Consecration, the power of the Holy Spirit unites Christ’s words at the Last Supper with Christ’s death on the cross at Calvary, and actualizes the mystery of the transformation of the gifts into the Body and Blood of Christ. At the same time, it makes present Christ’s sacrifice of the cross on the altar. The condition of the Consecration is the participation of a priest who, through Holy Orders, received the anointing of the Holy Spirit for this liturgical service.
In order for priests and believers to be able to experience spiritually the Eucharistic mystery, it is necessary to create the conditions. Therefore, two pauses are needed for deeper concentration and personal experience.
The first pause – the first moment of silence is before the Consecration: it was mentioned above; it is a preparation for living out the Eucharistic mystery. During the first pause, both the priest and the faithful again pray and receive with faith the same Spirit as the Apostles on the Day of Pentecost. By praying, “Holy Spirit, make present Christ’s sacrifice of the cross through the priest”, they are disposed to experience the mystery of the Consecration.
The second pause – the second moment of silence (adoration) comes after the Consecration:
The choir sings an antiphon which repeats the name of Jesus. In this name of God is our salvation (Rom 10). During the time of adoration, the priest and the faithful, each personally, become aware of a reality which is beyond time: Now I stand by the cross of Christ at the moment of His dying and death. I look into the face of Jesus; I realize that now He sees me, speaks to me and leaves His last will and testament to me in the words, “Behold, your Mother.” I do the same as the Apostle John and just like him I spiritually receive the Mother of Jesus as my own into my innermost being – “eis ta idia” (“in sua”; Jn 19:27). When receiving this testament of Jesus, I slowly utter the divine name of Jesus in Aramaic – Yehoshua. I say it in spirit syllable by syllable, and I repeat three times the last vowel “a” in particular by breathing out long in order to be better concentrated and to consciously receive the Mother of Jesus through faith.
The next thing I do here by the cross is what I will need most at the hour of death, namely make an act of perfect contrition by praying, “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, have mercy on me a sinner.” I repeat it five times, with my spiritual eyes fixed on the five wounds of Christ.
Finally, I realize the connection of my baptism to Christ’s death, which is expressed in Scripture: “You were buried (immersed) through baptism into Christ’s death.” (Rom 6) I try to become immersed into this mystery by faith by calling again on the name of Christ “Yehoshua”.
In the Western liturgy, the moment of silence – adoration – is followed by the Anamnesis, when the priest rises and says: “The mystery of faith!” The people reply: “We proclaim Your death, O Lord, and profess Your resurrection…” The priest continues the Anamnesis, and says: “Therefore, O Lord, as we celebrate the memorial of the blessed Passion, the Resurrection from the dead…”
As for the resurrection of Christ, it is made present in the liturgy at the moment when a part of the host in the chalice unites with the Blood of Christ. This is the case in both the Eastern and Western liturgy. It is common practice in some monasteries that instead of the words, “Let us offer each other the sign of peace,” the priest says aloud, “Christ is risen!” and the people reply, “He is risen indeed!” The choir then sings a short antiphon expressing the reality of Christ’s resurrection. This emphasizes and expresses the truth of the Anamnesis, “We profess Your resurrection (in the liturgy).”
This letter presents a diagram expressing the comparison of the components of the most important part of the liturgy in both the Eastern and Western rite. These components are essential in both spiritual traditions.
The main negative feature of the liturgical reform must be acknowledged, namely that it was misused to diametrically confuse the hierarchy of relations. The priority relationship to God was replaced by the relationship to man. The vertical was pushed aside by the horizontal! After the biblical separation of altar and tabernacle, the priest was deliberately turned with his back to the tabernacle! It is therefore necessary to go back in this matter – to make a gesture of repentance, namely to turn not only the altar but also the heart of the priest and the people to God! “In repentance is salvation, but refusing to repent is death!” (St Basil)
The twice emphasized word “work” in the Offertory should be replaced with the following words: “…the bread (wine) we offer You. You will make it the Body of Christ (the Blood of Christ) through Your Spirit.”
There have been objections as to Christ’s words of Institution being inaccurately translated. The solution is to say them in the original language (Hebrew – Aramaic).
Appendix: A brief summary of how the priest and the people should live out the two moments of silence
The first moment of silence (3-5 minutes): The choir sings an antiphon.
(I move my mind to the Cenacle in Jerusalem, where Jesus instituted the unbloody sacrifice and where the Holy Spirit descended on the Apostles.)
Veni Sancte Spiritus… I receive again the same Spirit as the Apostles. (Ye-ho-shu-aa-aa-aa…)
Holy Spirit, make present Christ’s sacrifice of the cross through the priest*. (Ye-ho-shu-aa-aa-aa…**)
Note:
*The priest says in spirit: “through me”.
**Yehoshua = the name of Jesus in Aramaic
The second moment of silence (adoration) (3-5 minutes): The choir sings an antiphon.
(Testament from the cross: I stand in spirit at Calvary.)
Jesus, You see me and now You say to me: “Behold, your Mother.” “I receive.”
(Ye-ho-shu-aa-aa-aa)
(Perfect contrition: I look at Your wounds, and repeat:)
“Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, have mercy on me a sinner.” (5x)
(Death: “We were immersed through baptism into Christ’s death.”)
Now I am united to Your death. (Ye-ho-shu-aa-aa-aa…)
The two moments of silence are extremely important for appreciating the Eucharistic mystery. They help both the priest and the people to experience it deeply and personally.
One last question: “What is needed for those who eat the bread and drink from the cup of the Lord? Let them always remember Him who died and rose again for them. And what else have they in common who always remember Him? They no longer live for themselves, but for Him!” (St Basil)
+ Elijah
Patriarch of the Byzantine Catholic Patriarchate
13 October 2021
