ON THE MANNER IN WHICH THE LORD JESUS CHRIST REMAINS IN THE HOLY GIFTS

My beloved brothers and sisters in Our Risen Lord, God, and Savior JESUS CHRIST,

CHRIST IS RISEN! TRULY HE IS RISEN! ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ ΑΝΕΣΤΗ! ΑΛΗΘΩΣ ΑΝΕΣΤΗ!

ON THE MANNER IN WHICH THE LORD JESUS CHRIST REMAINS
IN THE HOLY GIFTS

1. Although the bread and wine ARE TRANSFORMED IN THE MYSTERY (SACRAMENT) into the Body and Blood of the Lord, He IS PRESENT in this Mystery (Sacrament) "WITH ALL HIS BEING," that is, WITH HIS SOUL AND WITH HIS VERY DIVINITY which is inseparably UNITED WITH HUMANITY.

2..Although, further, the Body and Blood of the Lord are broken in the Mystery of Communion and distributed, still WE BELIEVE THAT "IN EVERY PART"–EVEN IN THE SMALLEST PARTICLE–of the Holy Mysteries, those who receive Communion RECEIVE THE ENTIRE CHRIST in His being, that is, in His soul and Divinity, AS PERFECT GOD and PERFECT MAN. This faith the Holy Church expresses in the words of the priest AT THE BREAKING OF THE HOLY LAMB: "BROKEN AND DIVIDED IS THE LAMB OF GOD, WHICH IS BROKEN, THOUGH NOT DISUNITED, WHICH IS EVER EATEN, THOUGH NEVER CONSUMED, BUT SANTIFIETH THOSE THAT PARTAKE THEREOF."

3. Although at one and the same time there are many Liturgies in the universe, still there are not many Bodies of Christ, but ONE AND THE SAME CHRIST IS PRESENT AND IS GIVEN IN His body IN ALL THE CHURCHES OF THE FAITHFUL."

4. The bread of offering, which is prepared separately in all churches, AFTER ITS SANCTIFICATION, and offering become "ONE AND THE SAME WITH THE BODY WHICH IS IN THE HEAVENS."

5. After the TRANSFORMATION of the bread and wine in the Mystery (Sacrament) of the Eucharist into the Body and Blood, THEY NO LONGER RETURN TO THEIR FORMER NATURE, but REMAIN "the Body and Blood of the Lord forever," whether or not they are consumed by the faithful. Therefore the Orthodox Church FROM ANTIQUITY HAS HAD THE CUSTOM OF PERFORMING ON CERTAIN DAYS THE LITURGY OF THE PRESANCTIFIED GIFTS, BELIEVING THAT THESE GIFTS, SANCTIFIED AT A PRECEDING LITURGY, REMAIN THE TRUE BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST. There has likewise been from antiquity the custom of PRESERVING THE SANCTIFIED GIFTS IN SACRED VESSELS IN ORDER TO GIVE Holy Communion to the dying. It is well known that in the ANCIENT CHURCH THERE EXISTED THE CUSTOM OF SENDING OUT THE SANCTIFIED GIFTS THROUGH DEACONS TO CHRISTIANS WHO WERE NOT ABLE TO RECEIVE COMMUNION OF THE HOLY GIFTS IN CHURCH, for example to CONFESSORS, to those in prison, and to penitents. Often in antiquity believers brought the Holy Gifts with reverence from the churches to their own houses, and ascetics took Them with themselves to the desert to receive Communion.

6. Since to the God-Man Christ it is fitting to offer a single inseparable Divine worship, boht according to His Divinity and His humanity, A CONSEQUENCE OF THEIR INSEPARABLE UNION, therefore also to the holy Mysteries (Sacraments) of the Eucharist, there should be given THE SAME HONOR AND WORSHIP WHICH WE ARE OBLIGED TO GIVE TO THE LORD JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF.

Personal note: Since all Orthodox Christians of true worship believe the above to be true and that indeed this is the Holy Body and Precious Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ why was there such fear to receive them during the pandemic? Who encouraged this faithlessness among the faithful? Why did not the leadership of the Church defend the Faith but, instead, submitted to a secular government? By doing so created fear and doubt in the minds and hearts about the real of the PRESENCE OF CHRIST IN Holy Eucharist with Orthodox Christians who never ever feared Holy Communion before. "THOSE WHO RECEIVE RECEIVE THE ENTIRE CHRIST IN HIS BEING, THATIS, IN HIS SOUL AND DIVINITY AS PERFECT GOD AND PERFECT MAN." WHAT THE ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN RECEIVES IS NOT SYMBOLIC BUT TRUE!

To receive communion of the Body and Blood of the Lord is THE ESSENTIAL, NECESSARY, SAVING, AND CONSOLING OBLIGATION OF EVERY CHRISTIAN. This is evident from the words of the Savior which He uttered: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, except ye eat the Flesh of the Son of Man, and drink His Blood, ye have NO LIFE IN YOU. WHOSO EATETH MY FLESH, AND DRINKETH MY BLOOD, HATH ETERNAL LIFE" [John 6:53-54].

________
"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"
– Saint John Chrysostomos
+ + +

With sincere agape in His Glorious Resurrection,
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George