Does the East stress the 'sacrificial' componenet of the Eucharist?

[Future_Prodigy]

I was under the impression that this was a Western phenomena. I know they believe in the real presence but you never hear them talking about the re-presentation of the sacrifice on calvary, etc … that the Roman Catholics are always stressing.

 

[bpbasilphx]

It is true that the Eastern, and particularly Orthodox, devotional approach towards the Eucharistic Liturgy doesn’t generally speak in terms of a “re-presentation” of Calvary, but that’s not to say it’s not there.

But the key word is “generally”.

In the Old Rite of the Russian Orthodox Church, you find this theme in the precommunion prayers.

Eastern devotional stress has been more on Christus Victor, rather than as Victim. But both are true; they should not be seen as opposing each other, but complementing.

It’s significant that the one word Qorbano among the Chaldeans and Assyrians means three things: the offering of Christ on the Cross, His offering in the Eucharist, and the Eucharistic Gifts themselves.

Do I have this right, Hail Mary?

 

[Aramis]

I was under the impression that this was a Western phenomena. I know they believe in the real presence but you never hear them talking about the re-presentation of the sacrifice on calvary, etc … that the Roman Catholics are always stressing.

The following two quotes show the epiclesis. Note that in the Byzantine form, at the moment, the parts marked silent are often done aloud for the people to hear.
Byzantines.net:

Priest (silently): Again we offer to You this spiritual and unbloody sacrifice, and we implore and pray, and entreat You, send down Your Holy Spirit upon us and upon these gifts here present. (Blessing the bread) And make this bread the precious body of Your Christ. (Blessing the chalice) And that which is in this chalice, the precious blood of your Christ. (Blessing both) Having changed them by Your Holy Spirit:

Priest (silently): So that to those who partake of them, they may be for the purification of the soul, for the remission of sins, for the communion in Your Holy Spirit, for the fullness of the heavenly kingdom, for confidence in You, not for judgment or condemnation.

Priest (silently): Moreover, we offer to You this spiritual sacrifice for those who departed in the faith; the forefathers, fathers, patriarchs, prophets, apostles, preachers, evangelists, martyrs, confessors, ascetics and for every righteous spirit who has died in the faith.

byzantines.net/liturgy/liturgy.htm
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America:

Priest (in a low voice): Remembering, therefore, this command of the Savior, and all that came to pass for our sake, the cross, the tomb, the resurrection on the third day, the ascension into heaven, the enthronement at the right hand of the Father, and the second, glorious coming.

Priest: We offer to You these gifts from Your own gifts in all and for all.

People: We praise You, we bless You, we give thanks to You, and we pray to You, Lord our God.

Priest (in a low voice): Once again we offer to You this spiritual worship without the shedding of blood, and we ask, pray, and entreat You: send down Your Holy Spirit upon us and upon these gifts here presented.

Priest: And make this bread the precious Body of Your Christ.

Amen.

Priest: And that which is in this cup the precious Blood of Your Christ.

Amen.

Priest: Changing them by Your Holy Spirit. Amen. Amen. Amen.

Priest: So that they may be to those who partake of them for vigilance of soul, forgiveness of sins, communion of Your Holy Spirit, fulfillment of the kingdom of heaven, confidence before You, and not in judgment or condemnation. Again, we offer this spiritual worship for those who repose in the faith, forefathers, fathers, patriarchs, prophets, apostles, preachers, evangelists, martyrs, confessors, ascetics, and for every righteous spirit made perfect in faith.

goarch.org/en/Chapel/liturgical_texts/liturgy_hchc.asp

 

[jj2011]

I was under the impression that this was a Western phenomena. I know they believe in the real presence but you never hear them talking about the re-presentation of the sacrifice on calvary, etc … that the Roman Catholics are always stressing.

The Divine Liturgy speaks of a mystical, unbloody sacrifice. Also, in the prothesis, what the Latins call the Host is referred to as the Lamb.

The sacrificial nature of the Liturgy is hinted at in other places too, for example in the exhortation stomen kalos, or Let us stand aright, let us stand in awe, let us be attentive to offer the holy oblation in peace.

I agree that the emphasis is different in the Divine Liturgy and the Tridentine Mass, but it is normal that different Liturgies have different emphases, because no one liturgy could express the full reality of this Sacrifice and sacrament.

 

[ronyodish]

It’s significant that the one word Qorbano among the Chaldeans and Assyrians means three things: the offering of Christ on the Cross, His offering in the Eucharist, and the Eucharistic Gifts themselves.

Do I have this right, Hail Mary?

Sayedna bpbasilphx,

If I may speak for my friend HailMary, you are right in pointing out these three things in regards the term Qurbana (offering/gift).

God bless,

Rony

 

[Diak]

Indeed the very term for the Eucharistic prayer in the Constantinopolitan tradition, anaphora, means “sacrifice”, and there is a very strong sacrificial aspect to the words and actions of the priest.

During the Proskomidia, the preparation for the Holy Gifts, the priest uses a lance to pierce and cut the bread which will become the Holy Mysteries. The liturgical text I will be quoting is the English translation of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Liturgikon.

The priest takes a prosphoron in his left hand. With the lance in his right, he makes the sign of the cross three times over the seal on the prosphoron, saying:
In memory of our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ. Thrice.

Then immediately piercing the right side of the seal with the lance, he cuts as he says: .
He was led as a sheep to the slaughter.
On the left: And dumb as a spotless lamb before his shearer, He opens not His mouth.
The upper side of the seal: In His humiliation justice was taken from Him.
The lower side: His generation who shall declare?
Looking reverently upon this mystery, the deacon holds the orarion in his right hand and says at each cutting: Let us pray to the Lord. After which he says: Master, lift it out.

The priest inserts the lance into the right side of the prosphoron and lifts out the holy bread, saying this: For His life is taken from the earth.

And he places it seal downward on the holy diskos as the deacon says: Master, sacrifice it.
He cuts it in the form of a cross, saying: The lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world is sacrificed for the life and salvation of the world.
He turns the other side, the one with the cross on it, upwards.
The deacon says: Master, pierce it.
The priest then pierces the right side with the lance, and says: One of the soldiers with a lance pierced His side and immediately there came out blood and water. And he who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true.

The first Prayer of the Faithful of the Anaphora in the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom:

FIRST PRAYER OF THE FAITHFUL
Priest: We thank You, O Lord God of hosts, that You have deemed us worthy to stand now at Your holy Altar, falling before Your mercies for our sins and for the sins of ignorance of the people. Accept our prayers, O God, and make us worthy to offer You petitions, supplications and unbloody sacrifice for all Your people. By the power of Your Holy Spirit, enable us whom You appointed for Your ministry to call upon You always and everywhere, without condemnation and without stumbling, in the pure testimony of our conscience, so that, hearing us, You may be propitious to us in the abundance of Your goodness.

The prayer during the Cherubikon (Cherubic Hymn):

Priest: No one who is bound to carnal desires or pleasures is worthy to approach You, or to draw near to You, or to minister to You, O King of glory. For to serve You is great and awesome, even to the heavenly powers. And yet, because of Your love for mankind-a love which cannot be expressed or measured-You became man, unchanged and unchanging. You were appointed our High Priest, and, as Master of all, handed down the priestly ministry of this liturgical and unbloody sacrifice. You alone, O Lord, our God, have dominion over heaven and earth. You are borne on the throne of the cherubim; You are the Lord of the seraphim and King of Israel; You alone are holy and rest in the holies. I implore You, therefore, Who alone are good and ready to listen: look upon me, Your sinful and useless servant; cleanse my heart and soul of the evil that lies on my conscience. By the power of Your Holy Spirit enable me, who am clothed with the grace of the priesthood, to stand before this, Your holy table, and offer the sacrifice of Your holy and most pure Body and precious Blood. Bending my neck, I approach and I petition You: Turn not Your face from me nor reject me from among Your children, but allow these gifts to be offered to You by me, Your sinful and unworthy servant. For it is You Who offer and You who are offered; it is You who receive and You who are given, O Christ our God, and we give glory to You, together with Your eternal Father and Your most holy, good, and life-giving Spirit, now and forever and ever. Amen.

 

[Volodymyr_988]

Slava Isusu Khrystu!

Praise the Lord!!! Father Deacon those quotes were awesome!!!

This is why I’m attracted to the East.

Z’Bohom,

Volodka