Since I won't be lecturing again until after Christmas, I thought that I would put the information here. If you have not read this book, I do heartily recommend it.
I mentioned the It is the Lord after referring to Origen, St Ephraem and St Cyril of Jerusalem who all emphasised strongly the reverence that is due to the holy Eucharist, and particularly the presence of Christ in each fragment. Here, for example, is a passage from St Ephraem, a fourth century Syriac Father:
I have given this to you now lest you should think it to be bread, take, eat this bread and do not crumble the particles of it; what I have called my body, this it truly is. One particle from its crumbs has power to sanctify a thousand thousands and is enough to give life to all who eat it. (Sermones in hebdomadam sanctam 4.4)
1 comment:
I always go to Amazon for my books and there I did find a copy of Dominus Est. I loved all his references to the great belief and respect for Holy Communion in the early Church but he did not substantate his claim that the laity received on the palm and bowed their heads to take the host. This was a crucial point. The quote from St Cyril about receiving in the hand, quoted much by the modernists, has now been shown to probably have been written by a Bishop John, who was probably a Arain heretic. The full quote tells us that having received in the hand the lay person should then place the host to both eyes. The cup having been received should be drank then the fingers touch the lips where drops of the wine still remain and touch the eyes again and part of the face. St Cyril certainly did not write this. The claim also is that the laity were forbidden to touch the host except at times of Persecution. This makes more sense.
Post a Comment