Part 35: The Mystery of Communion: The Eucharistic Epiphany of the Church

 

At the summit of the Divine Liturgy, we arrive at the most sacred and awe-filled moment—the partaking of the Precious and All-Holy Body and Blood of our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ. This is not merely the “climax” of the Liturgy in dramatic terms; it is its very fulfillment. Here, what was foreshadowed in the Old Testament, proclaimed in the Gospels, and mystically enacted in the earlier liturgical rites, now becomes actualized: God feeds His people with Himself.

Peace and Preparation: An Invitation to Holiness

As the priest blesses the people with the words, “Peace be to all,” and the deacon exhorts, “Bow your heads unto the Lord,” the Church prepares to offer her head and heart in complete surrender to God. This isn’t a gesture of formality—it is the attitude of the soul bowing before the Creator in awe and love. As the priest prays, “Look down from heaven, O Master, upon those who have bowed their heads,” he underscores that this bow is not before flesh and blood, but before the fearful and invisible King. This prostration of the soul is both reverent and expectant, as the faithful now draw near to the great Mystery.

“Holy Things Are for the Holy”: A Christological Declaration

When the priest elevates the Lamb and declares, “The Holy Things are for the holy,” the Church stands at the threshold of divine encounter. This proclamation is not meant to exclude, but to remind all that holiness is not self-generated—it is received. The faithful are made holy by Christ’s own holiness, received in faith. The choir responds: “One is Holy, One is Lord, Jesus Christ,” reminding us that all holiness is a participation in His life. St. John Chrysostom reflects on this with gravity:

“When you see the Lord immolated and lying upon the altar... consider yourself in heaven.”
He warns not to approach lightly, for the very Body of God is before us, broken and given for our sanctification.

The Breaking of the Lamb: Sacrifice and Unity

The priest now takes the holy Bread and breaks it reverently, saying:

“Broken and distributed is the Lamb of God, Who is broken yet not divided, ever eaten yet never consumed, but sanctifying those who partake.”

This statement captures the divine paradox of the Eucharist. The Lamb is broken, as Christ was on the Cross, yet remains whole; He is distributed, yet never depleted. As the Lamb is divided into four portions—IC, XC, NI, KA—and arranged in the form of the Cross, the Church proclaims the universality of salvation: Christ is broken for the world, sanctifying the East and West, North and South.

St. Cyril of Jerusalem elaborates:

“Though broken into pieces, He is wholly present in each piece.” (Mystagogical Catecheses 4.3)

Sanctification of the Chalice: The Warmth of the Spirit

The deacon then says, “Fill, Master, the holy chalice,” and the priest places the portion marked IC into the cup, saying, “The fullness of the cup, of the faith, of the Holy Spirit.” Immediately following, the warm water (zeon) is blessed and added, symbolizing the living warmth of divine grace. This warmth signifies the vitality of the Church, the spiritual fervor of faith, and the presence of the Holy Spirit—no cold abstraction, but a fire of love poured into the chalice of immortality. St. Nicholas Cabasilas comments that this warm water reminds us that the Blood of Christ is not lifeless but vivifying, filled with the flame of divine charity (cf. Commentary on the Divine Liturgy §33).

Communion of the Clergy: Hierarchical Icon of the Body

The deacon and priest now receive the Holy Gifts, beginning with the prayer:

“Impart unto me, Master, the precious and holy Body of our Lord… unto forgiveness of sins and unto life eternal.”

The clergy receive first, not in privilege, but in pastoral responsibility, as icons of the Church's unity and stewards of the Mysteries. With bowed heads and the prayer of the publican on their lips—“God be merciful to me, a sinner”—they partake not only for themselves but on behalf of all, as ministers of the Lord’s Body.

Both clergy recite the beautiful prayer before Communion:

“I believe, O Lord, and I confess, that thou art truly the Christ...”

St. John Chrysostom, in his homilies, insists on this same spirit of trembling love:

“Let no one approach with indifference… This table is dreadful. Angels stand around in fear. The King Himself is present.” (Homily 3 on Ephesians)

Invitation to the Faithful: “With the Fear of God, Faith, and Love, Draw Near”

The Holy Doors are opened, and the deacon elevates the chalice, proclaiming:

“With the fear of God, with faith and love, draw near.”

These are the necessary virtues for Communion: fear of God (not terror, but reverence), faith (true assent to Christ’s presence), and love (self-giving trust in the Savior). This trifold condition mirrors the interior life of the Church herself—trembling awe, unwavering trust, and total communion.

Reception of the Holy Gifts: The Fulfillment of Theosis

The priest now communes the faithful by name, saying:

“The servant of God, [Name], partakes of the precious and all-holy Body and Blood… unto forgiveness of sins and unto life eternal.”

Each communicant receives the very Body and Blood of Christ, “not unto judgment,” as the prayer says, “but unto healing of soul and body.” The Eucharist is medicine, not magic; it heals through repentance and faith, not mere ritual participation.

As the people receive the Eucharist, the choir chants:

“Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord. God is the Lord and hath revealed Himself to us.”

The faithful have seen the Lord, touched Him, tasted Him, and become one with Him. St. Cyril of Alexandria writes:

“By the communion of the holy flesh and the precious blood of Christ, we are united with Him and become partakers of His divine nature.” (Commentary on John 11:26)

And Chrysostom proclaims:

“This Blood, if rightly taken, drives away demons, puts them afar from us, and even summons angels to our aid.” (Homily 46 on John)

Conclusion: The Eucharist as Our Eternal Food and Drink

In this moment of divine exchange, the Church fulfills her purpose: to become the Body of Christ, united in Him, filled with the Spirit, and fed with the Bread that never perishes. What began in the offering of bread and wine has become the Mystical Supper of the Kingdom. Christ, once crucified, now risen, offers Himself—not symbolically but truly—to His beloved people.

This is the great epiphany of the Church: in the Divine Liturgy, the faithful are brought into the very heart of the Triune God. Through holy fear and burning love, they are made ready to receive what angels tremble to behold. And in so doing, they are transfigured—transformed from mere creatures into sons and daughters of the Kingdom, nourished with immortality, sealed for the life of the world to come.

Here, at the chalice, the mystery of salvation is no longer preached alone—it is eaten, it is lived. And the soul says, in truth, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” (Gal. 2:20)