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First, let me say that this is the first time I've posted since last Spring! This thread is amazing. Orthodox, Catholics, Calvinists, and others talking civily and starting to understand each other.

I think it's wonderful.

Now as to the subject at hand. I think we are drifting into some confusion but for a very understandable reason. We are trying to fit the Eastern view of the Eucharist into a Western framework like this:

ZWINGLIANS <- - - - Lutherans - - - Calvinists - - -> Roman Catholics

Maybe I should switch Lutherans and Calvinists but you get the idea. It seems logical to sort things according to how literally one understands "this is My Body" and "Presence".

The problem is that we Orthodox don't do it that way. My Roman Catholic friends, because of the work of Thomas Aquinas, have it all figured out in trems of Aristotelian< philosophical terms like essence and accidents. And Zwinglians / Evangelicals are confortable with "mere" symbols.

In the Eastern Church, we are much more comfortable with Mystery. We don't define how the bread and Cup are the Body and Blood of Christ, we just affirm that they are.
Not because the topic is unimportant but because the Eucharist is beyond our ability to grasp with our finite minds.

That's one reason why we practice infant communion. If we wait til a person understands no one will ever partake!

So we don't say that the bread stays bread.

And we don't say that it looks like bread but isn't.

To quote the Divine Liturgy:

1. After the consecration, the priest prays "And make this Bread the precious Body of Thy Christ. And that which is in this Cup, the precious Blood of Thy Christ. Amen. Making the change by Thy
Holy Spirit.

2. Just before receiving the Body and Blood, we all pray together "I believe, O Lord, and I confess that Thou art truly the Christ, the Son of the living God, who came into the world to save sinners of whom I am first. I believe also that this is truly Thine own most pure Body and this is truly Thine own precious Blood . . .".

Notice that the word "truly" occurs three times in that prayer. Just as the Lord Jesus is truly the Christ, so also the Bread is truly His Body and the Cup is truly His Blood.

How, I don't know! But it is!

Newberger

What awesome words! The kind of words that make you tremble before the beauty and holiness of the most Holy Trinity.

Thank you for posting. I have over the last year come to a real appreciation of the EO faith. It is nice to read and learn the way other churches see things .

I was surprised how similar the Eastern Orthodox was with the Orthodox Calvinists on this topic..