The Eucharist

Lecture summary: The Eucharist )

Main idea

His Holiness Pope Shenouda III defines the Eucharist as a sacred sacrifice offered to God and used as a means to draw man close to God. It is distinguished from a commodity to be sold or bought; rather it is a gift given free of charge. There are two kinds of Eucharist: the Lamb (specially consecrated placed on the altar) and the ordinary Eucharist distributed to the people. The Eucharist should be taken after the communicant leaves the church, not while entering, in order to preserve the respect of the mystery.

Symbols and spiritual dimension

• Bread made from pure wheat symbolizes the Incarnation of Christ.
• The Lamb offering symbolizes Christ’s atonement and his bearing of our sins (the yeast in the Eucharist symbolizes the sins of people that Christ carried).
• The plate (paten) symbolizes the holy tomb, the two altar-cloths (abrospherin) symbolize the cave, and the shroud symbolizes the stone placed on the tomb’s door.
• Piercing the Eucharist with five holes symbolizes the five wounds of Christ: his hands, feet, the spear in his side, and the crown of thorns.

Rituals and practical conditions

• The Eucharist must be prepared by an ordained deacon or one who has received a degree of the sanctuary service, and it must be made in a designated place called Bethlehem.
• While preparing the Eucharist, psalms and hymns are recited, and the worker maintains a spiritual and pure state.
• The Eucharist should be slightly leavened (the yeast symbolizes carrying sins) yet fresh (of the day), without defects, and baked over gentle heat so it cooks evenly.
• No sugar or honey should be added as that conflicts with its rite and is not fitting for Christ who is portrayed as a man of sorrows.

Practices and ecclesiastical regulations