The Sacrament of the Holy #Communion as an Offering
To our cherished and devout followers of the teachings of the Holy Orthodox Church, as promulgated through the teachings and commentaries of our beloved father, John Chrysostom, I offer this profound exploration of the Holy Communion as an offering.
In our current era, there are many who, in their quest to redefine and reform, have posed questions, even challenges, to the mysteries of our faith. Among these, there are those who question the very nature of the Holy Eucharist, doubting its divine foundation, claiming that it "does not merit the title of a sacrifice." Their skepticism is not unexpected, for it is but an extension of their overarching doubts about the mysteries of our faith.
The Unique Sacrifice of Christ
In pondering upon this, one must recall the divine sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ. He was both fully God and fully man when He offered His "unique sacrifice" upon the cross. This sacrifice was unlike any other:
1) The Nature of the Sacrifice: The high priests of old offered the blood of lambs or calves – beings separate from themselves. Yet, Christ, in His ineffable love, became both the sacrificer and the sacrificed, offering His own holy blood for our salvation. As Scripture teaches us, "By his own blood he entered once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us" (Heb. 9:12).
2) The Eternal Efficacy of the Sacrifice: Where the high priests of yore had to make yearly offerings for atonement, Christ’s singular sacrifice on the cross holds eternal merit. His was a sacrifice that need not be repeated, for its power transcends the confines of time. As the Apostle says in Hebrews, "Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again... but he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself" (Heb. 9:25-28).
3) The Everlasting Priesthood of Christ: The high priests of ancient Israel were mortals and thus subject to death, necessitating successors. Yet Christ, being eternal, holds an everlasting priesthood, where He intercedes for us for all time, echoing the words, "You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek" (Ps. 109:4; Heb. 7:1-3).
4) The Comprehensive Redemption: The old sacrifices granted temporal relief, perhaps from plagues or adversities. Christ’s sacrifice, however, offers comprehensive redemption, addressing not just temporal, but eternal ramifications.
The Continuation of this Sacrifice in the Holy Communion
But what then of the Holy Eucharist? How does this divine mystery relate to Christ’s singular sacrifice on the cross? It is essential to understand that the Eucharist is not a separate or new sacrifice. It is, in every sense, a continuation, a re-presentation of that singular, eternal offering made by Christ. Through the Eucharist, we partake in that very same body and blood that was offered for our salvation.
The notion of the Eucharist being outside of time, a concept referred to as "kairos" in Greek, is central. Although Christ’s sacrifice took place at a specific historical moment (within "kronos" or chronological time), its significance and efficacy are eternal, transcending the bounds of earthly time.
It is with this understanding that we affirm the Eucharist as a sacrifice. Each time we participate in the Holy Communion, we are partaking in the very same sacrifice that Christ made on Calvary. This is not a repetition but a divine participation in that one eternal event. As our Lord declared, "Do this in remembrance of me."
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