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[[Image:Covered Vessels 2.jpg|right|thumb|200px]]'''Eucharist''' comes (from the Greek εὐχαριστία, or eucharistia, meaning ''thanksgiving'' or ''giving thanks'') is a [[holy mysteries|holy mystery]] (or [[sacrament]]) that is celebrated during the [[Divine Liturgy]] within the [[Orthodox Church]] where the consecrated bread and wine, through the power of the [[Holy Spirit]] becomes the Precious Blood and Body of [[Jesus Christ]], that is consumed by prepared Orthodox Christians. Other names for the Eucharist include: the '''''Holy Gifts''''', '''''Communion''''', and the '''''Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ'''''. [[Orthodox Church|Orthodox Christians]] believe that the Real Presence of God (not merely a sign) is present after the [[consecration]] of the Gifts. Roman Catholics and some protestants also hold this view.
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[[Image:Holy Communion icon.jpg|right|thumb|Icon - The Holy Eucharist.]]
== Background ==
The Eucharist is the center of life in the [[Orthodox Church ]] because the Church is primarily a eucharistic community. The Eucharist is the completion of all of the Church's other sacraments and the source and the goal of all of the Church's doctrines and institutions.
The majority of scholars of the Last Supper do not believe that it was a Passover meal, a position consistent with the account given by the [[Gospel of John|Gospel of Saint John]]. A minority believe that it was a seder or Passover meal, a position consistent with the [[Synoptic Gospelsgospels]]. However, as Enrico Mazza has argued, the minority view "remains a theological interpretation. The historical fact is that the Last Supper was not a Passover celebration and, consequently, that its [[Divine Liturgy|liturgy ]] was not that of the [[Passover|Jewish Passover]]" (''The Celebration of the Eucharist: The Origin of the Rite and the Development of Its Interpretation'' [Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1999] pp. 25-26).
The [[Orthodox Church]] uses leavened bread for, according to the [[Gospel of John|Gospel of Saint John]], Last Supper and Passion, took place during the evening, night and day time of [[Passover|Passover Day]], therefore leavened bread was eaten in Last Supper. According to the [[synoptic Gospels]], last Supper, Lord's trial and crucifixion took place during next day, the first Day of Unleavened Bread feast, but according to Lev 23:7, any work on that Day was forbidden. Clearly, the [[synoptic Gospels]] are in error on the day of Last Supper and [[Passion]].
==For the remission of sins and unto life everlasting==
Before the reception of Holy Communion the following prayer is generally recited by all. It is each person's act of personal commitment to Christ, their promise of faith in Him and the Sacred Mysteries of His Church.
The Orthodox Church believes the Eucharist to be a sacrifice. As is heard in the Liturgy, '''"Thine of Thine own we offer to Thee, in all and for all."'''
#At the Eucharist, the sacrifice offered is Christ himself, and it is Christ himself who in the Church performs the act of offering: He is both priest and victim.
#'''We offer to Thee'''. The Eucharist is offered to [[God]] the [[Trinity]] — not just to the [[God the Father|Father]] but also to the [[Holy Spirit]] and to [[Christ]] Himself. So, what is the sacrifice of the Eucharist? By whom is it offered? and to whom is it offered? In each case the answer is Christ.
#We '''offer for all''': according to Orthodox theology, the Eucharist is a propitiatory sacrifice, offered on behalf of both the living and the dead.
The faithful at the liturgy are never given communion from the reserved gifts; they are kept exclusively for those unable to be attend liturgy for good reasons, usually sickness or infirmity. Holy Communion is always from the gifts, the bread and wine, actually offered at the eucharistic liturgy which is currently being celebrated. Only the Liturgy of Presanctified Gifts uses gifts sanctified at the previous Divine Liturgy.
The reserved gifts are normally prepared at the Vesperal Liturgy of Holy Thursday or when the need arises. A detailed description of this can be found in the addendum of the clergy service book. For an illustrated description online see [http://saintjonah.org/preparation/Preparation/Welcome.html].
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==Eucharistic Liturgies==
In the Orthodox Church four [[Divine Liturgy |Eucharistic Liturgies]] are "commonly" used.
===Liturgy of St. James===
The Liturgy of St. James is served only in certain places, usually on the [[feast day]] of St. [[Apostle James the Just|James]] the "Brother of the Lord" ([[October 23]]), first [[Bishop]] of [[Church of Jerusalem|Jerusalem]]. It is the oldest and longest of the liturgies. It varies greatly from the other liturgies celebrated by the [[Church]] today in that it is celebrated outside the sanctuary at an [[altar]] that faces the congregation.
===Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great===
The Divine Liturgy of St. [[Basil the Great]] is used on the Sundays of [[Great Lent]], [[Holy Week|Holy Thursday]], the Eves of [[Pascha]], [[Christmas]], and [[Theophany]], and the Feast of St.[[ Basil the Great]] ([[January 1]]). St. Basil shortened and standardized all the variations of liturgies that developed from the time of St. James until the acceptance of Christianity by the Roman Empire.
===Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom===
The most common is the Divine Liturgy of St. [[John Chrysostom]], the liturgy used on all Sundays except those which fall during Great Lent and all holy days on which a Eucharistic liturgy is served except for the eves of Pascha, Christmas and Theophany, Holy Thursday, and the [[feast day]] of St. Basil the Great.
===Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts ===
: ''Main article: [[Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts]]''
The Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts is a [[Vespers|vesperal]] service during which elements that were previously consecrated are distributed to the faithful. The Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts is appointed for use on Wednesdays and Fridays during [[Great Lent]] (and certain feast days when they fall on a weekday during Great Lent) because the full celebration of the Eucharistic liturgy is generally prohibited on the weekdays of Great Lent. This service is often attributed to St. [[Gregory the Great]], Bishop of [[Church of Rome|Rome]] in the sixth century.
==Other Divine Liturgies==
There are several Divine liturgies that are used in some Orthodox churches frequently and in others rarely.
=="Other" =Divine LiturgiesLiturgy of St. Mark===There The service is the original, traditional liturgy of the Church of Alexandria, used by the great hierarchs of Christ Athanasios, Cyril, Makarios, Dionysios and others. Manuscript texts of this liturgy date back to the fourth century, but more ancient fragments exist. Although the order of the service has developed over the course of many centuries, we are several Divine liturgies assured that are used the author of this liturgy is indeed the Apostle Mark. The most recent text (dating to 1585 during the time of the Greek Patriarch of Alexandria Meletios Pigas) was approved and published by St. Nektarios of Aegina. This liturgy is served once a year in some Orthodox churches frequestnly the Greek and in others rarelyRussian Churches.
===Divine Liturgy of St. MarkTikhon===The service is the original, traditional liturgy : ''Main article: [[Liturgy of the Church of Alexandria, used by the great hierarchs of Christ Athanasios, Cyrill, Makarios, Dionysios and others. Manuscript texts of this liturgy date back to the fourth century, but more ancient fragments exist. Although the order of the service has developed over the course of many centuries, we are assured that the author of this liturgy is indeed the Apostle Mark. The most recent text (dating to 1585 during the time of the Greek Patriarch of Alexandria Meletios Pigas) was approved and published by St. Nektarios Tikhon of Aegina. This liturgy is served once a year in the Greek and Russian Churches.Moscow]]''
===Divine Liturgy of Peter the Apostle===
This liturgy is also known as the [[Sarum Missal, Rite]]; it is used by the Antiochian and ROCOR Western-rite churches. ===Divine Liturgy according to St. Germanus of Paris===The [[Divine Liturgy according to St Germanus of Paris]] is a restoration of the Gallican liturgy as celebrated in Paris in the sixth century. It is authorized for use by some parishes of the [[Church of Romania]] in France.
==See also==
*[[Prosphora]].*[[Preparation for Holy Communion]].*[[Blood in the Bible]].*[[Zapivka]]
==Published works==
* Laverdiere, Eugene. ''The Eucharist in the New Testament and in the Early Church''. (ISBN 0814661521)
* [[John (Zizioulas) of Pergamon|Zizioulas, John D.]] ''Eucharist, Bishop, Church: The Unity of the Church in the Divine Eucharist and the Bishop During the First Three Centuries''. (ISBN 1885652518)
==External links==
*[http://www.bringyou.to/apologetics/num31.htm Orthodoxy and Transubstantiation]
*[http://goarch.org/en/ourfaith/articles/article7077.asp The Holy Eucharist] by Rev. Thomas Fitzgerald from the [[Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America]] website
*[http://www.oca.org/OCchapter.asp?SID=2&ID=53 The Orthodox Faith] Fr. [[Thomas Hopko]], Dean Emeritus of St. Vladimir's Seminary, Crestwood, NY. *[http://www.schmemann.org/byhim/theologyandeucharist.html Theology and Eucharist] by Protopresbyter [[Alexander Schmemann]]*[http://www.newmartyr.org.uk/branch.html Broken but Never Divided: Some Thoughts on "closed" Communion]*[http://www.prosphora.org/page27.html Leavened versus Unleavened Bread]*[http://saintjonah.org/preparation/Preparation/Welcome.html Preparation of the reserved mysteries for the sick]
[[Category:Featured Articles]]
[[Category:Sacraments]]
[[el:Θεία Ευχαριστία]]
[[mk:Света Евхаристија]]
[[ro:Euharistie]]
