The Mystery of the Eucharist: Part 4

Why does the Church use wheat bread and wine in the Holy Eucharist? How are they changed into the Holy Body and Precious Blood of Christ? What does the preparation of the Eucharistic bread and wine in Bethlehem and their entrance into the temple symbolize? And who may receive Holy Communion? This part explores these questions to deepen our understanding of this sacred Mystery in the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church.

Why Is the Holy Eucharist Made from Wheat and Wine?

The use of wheat and wine for the Lord’s Body and Blood has a type (ምሳሌ), prophecy (ትንቢት), and mystery (ምስጢር). Its type is seen in Melchizedek, whose priesthood prefigured that of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Melchizedek offered bread and wine, foreshadowing the Lord’s Body and Blood: “የሳሌም ንጉሥ መልከ ጼዴቅም እንጀራንና የወይን ጠጅን አወጣ፤ እርሱም የልዑል እግዚአብሔር ካህን ነበረ።” (Genesis 14:18). Its prophecy is reflected in the Psalmist’s words: “በልቤ ደስታን ጨመርህ፤ ከስንዴ ፍሬና ከወይን ከዘይትም ይልቅ በዛ።” (Psalm 4:7). Its mystery is reflected in the symbolism of the elements: wheat bread resembles flesh, while wine resembles fresh blood.

What does the Entering of the Sacrifice from Bethlehem (ቤተልሔም) into the Temple (ቤተመቅደስ) Symbolize?

The sacrifice is prepared in “Bethlehem,” a small sacred house on the eastern side of the church, named after the city where our Lord was born. The temple (ቤተ መቅደስ), meanwhile, represents Calvary (አምሳለ ቀራኒዮ ነው). Our Lord began His saving work in Bethlehem and brought it to completion on the Cross at Calvary, declaring, “It is finished” (John 19:30). Accordingly, the Holy Eucharist is prepared in Bethlehem, brought into the temple, and offered there. This liturgical movement symbolizes our Lord’s saving journey from His birth to His crucifixion.

“ጌታችን የማዳን ሥራውን በቤተልሔም ጀምሮ በቀራኒዮ አደባባይ በመልዕልተ መስቀል ላይ ተሰቅሎ ‘ተፈፀመ’ በማለት አድኖናልና የቅዱስ ቁርባን መስዋዕትም በቤተልሔም ተዘጋጅቶ ወደ ቤተመቅደስ ገብቶ ይቀርባል፡፡ ይህም ጌታችን ከልደቱ እስከ ስቅለቱ ያደረገው የማዳን ጉዞ ምሳሌ ነው፡፡”

What Is the Order (ሥርዓት) by Which the Bread and Wine Are Changed into the Body and Blood of Christ?

The Liturgical Prayer (ጸሎተ ቅዳሴ) through which the bread and wine are changed into the Body and Blood of Christ is a sacred prayer offered by the Church. During the Liturgy, the priest follows the Church’s prescribed order and recites several Eucharistic prayers. Among these, he prays for God to send the Holy Spirit and His power upon the bread and wine, saying:

“አቤቱ ወደዚህ ኅብስትና ወደዚህ ወይን መንፈስ ቅዱስንና ኃይልን እንድትልክ እንለምንኃለን፣ የጌታችን የመድኃኒታችን የኢየሱስ ክርስቶስ ሥጋውንና ደሙን ያደርገው ዘንድ”

Through the power and working of the Holy Spirit, the bread becomes the Body of Christ, and the wine becomes the Blood of Christ.

While this prayer is found in the Liturgy of the Apostles (ቅዳሴ ሐዋርያት) and the Liturgy of the Lord (ቅዳሴ እግዚእ), the other Liturgies contain similar prayers.

Similarly, following the priest’s lead, the faithful chant the following prayers:

ሀበነ ንኀበር በዘዚአከ መንፈስ ቅዱስ — የአንተ በሚሆን በመንፈስ ቅዱስ አንድ መሆንን ስጠን።

ወፈውሰነ በዝንቱ ጵርስፎራ — በዚህም ጵርስፎራ (ሥጋውና ደሙ) አድነን።

ከመ ብክ ንሕየው ዘለኩሉ ዓለም ወለዓለመ ዓለም — ለዓለም ሁሉ በምትሆን በአንተ ለዘላለሙ ሕያዋን እንሆን ዘንድ።

The priest then offers another prayer, known as “ጸሎተ ፈትቶ,” through which he breaks the blessed bread according to the prescribed order.

Afterward, the priest says, “አአምን፣ አአምን፣ አአምን፣ ወእትአመን እስከ ደኃሪት እስትንፋስ — አምናለሁ ፣ አምናለሁ ፣ አምናለሁ ፣ እስከ መጨረሻይቱም እስትንፋስ እታመናለሁ፣ በሁለት ወገን ድንግል ከምትሆን ከሁላችን እመቤት ከቅድስት ማርያም የነሣው የጌታችንና የአምላካችን የመድኃኒታችንም የኢየሱስ ክርስቶስ ሥጋው ደሙ ይህ …” He then blesses the Holy Body and Precious Blood.

Although explaining the entire process here would be lengthy, it is through these and other prescribed sacred rites (ሥርዓት) that the bread and wine are changed into the Holy Body and Precious Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Who Is Worthy of Receiving the Holy Body and Precious Blood? Is It Only for Children and the Elderly?

Many people mistakenly believe that the Holy Body and Precious Blood of Christ are given only to children, the elderly, and those who are seriously ill. This is a misunderstanding. Since the Holy Eucharist grants eternal life, forgives sins, and strengthens us against falling into sin, all the faithful need its grace and blessings, regardless of age, race, color, or gender.

Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God (የእግዚአብሔር በግ; John 1:29), who was sacrificed on the Cross at Keranioyo, taught that His Holy Body and Precious Blood are the food of life for all who believe in Him: ሥጋዬን የሚበላ ደሜንም የሚጠጣ የዘላለም ሕይወት አለው፥ እኔም በመጨረሻው ቀን አስነሣዋለሁ … (John 6:54).

Anyone who believes that the Holy Body and Precious Blood received in the Eucharist are authentic (አማናዊ/እውነተኛ), examines himself, repents, consults his spiritual father, and approaches Holy Communion with faith and humility, and who also believes in Christ’s divine nature (በክርስቶስ የባሕርይ አምላክነት ያመነ), understands the faith, and fulfils the Church’s prescribed canons of repentance, may receive Holy Communion, regardless of age or gender.

Conclusion:

The Church uses wheat bread and wine because of their biblical significance and their symbolism of Christ’s Body and Blood. Through the sacred liturgical prayers and the power of the Holy Spirit, the bread and wine become the Holy Body and Precious Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. The preparation of the Eucharist bread and wine in Bethlehem and its entrance into the temple symbolize Christ’s saving journey from His birth to His crucifixion. Therefore, the faithful who believe in Christ, repent sincerely, and fulfill the Church’s prescribed requirements are called to receive this life-giving Mystery with faith, humility, and reverence.

The Mystery of the Eucharist: Part 3

 

Why is the Eucharist called the Crown (አክሊል) of All Mysteries?

The Holy Eucharist is the crown (አክሊል) of the Church’s seven mysteries. Indeed, it is rightly called the Mystery of Mysteries. A newly baptized person receives Holy Communion immediately after Baptism. Likewise, one who has completed the sacrament of repentance with the priest’s blessing receives Holy Communion. Those united in Holy Matrimony (ቅዱስ ጋብቻ) also receive Holy Communion through their participation in the Divine Liturgy.

Thus, the Holy Eucharist brings the graces received through the other mysteries to their fullness and serves as their sacramental culmination. For this reason, it is rightly regarded as the Mystery of Mysteries and the crown of the Church’s holy mysteries.

The Holy Eucharist is the highest of all the Church’s sacraments because it proclaims and sacramentally makes present Christ’s saving sacrifice, through which He offered His Body and shed His Blood on the Cross for the salvation of humanity. It enables the faithful to partake of His Body and Blood and receive the grace of eternal life. Therefore, all the other sacraments find their fulfillment and completion in the Holy Eucharist.

Why Did Christ Make His Body and Blood into Food and Drink?

Why did Christ choose food and drink as the means through which we receive His Body and Blood?

Just as food and drink maintain our physical life, so those who worthily receive Christ’s Holy Body and Precious Blood are truly united with Him and receive spiritual nourishment, grace, and strength.

Food shared at a table also brings people together, creating fellowship (ህብረት) and strengthening bonds of love. Likewise, the Holy Eucharist unites the faithful with Christ and deepens their love for Him and for one another.

Furthermore, because humanity fell through food, it is God’s will that it should be restored through food. Just as Adam and Eve lost their communion and sonship with God through eating the forbidden fruit (Genesis 3:6), Christ restores that sonship to those who partake of His Holy Body and Precious Blood in faith (John 6:54).

Moreover, just as a hungry and thirsty person loves those who provide food and drink more than those who offer silver or gold, Christ revealed the greatness of His love by giving us His own Body and Blood to satisfy our deepest spiritual hunger and thirst.

What are the Old Testament Types (ምሳሌዎች) of the Eucharist?

Abraham’s Sacrifice (የአብርሃም መሥዋዕት): The ram that our father Abraham offered in place of his son Isaac foreshadows the true Lamb of God, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Just as Abraham offered the ram instead of Isaac, so Christ offered Himself as the sacrifice for the sin of Adam and all his descendants. Just as the ram’s horns were caught in the bush (የበጉ ቀንድ በዕፀ ሳቤቅ ተይዞ እንደተገኘ), so the Lord was revealed in the human flesh He received from the Holy Virgin Mary. And just as Abraham and his descendants were blessed through that sacrifice, so Adam and all his descendants receive blessing through the saving sacrifice of Christ (Gen. 22:1–9).

The Sacrifice of Melchizedek (መሥዋዕተ መልከጼዴቅ): Melchizedek was a priest of God before Abraham: “የሳሌም ንጉሥ መልከ ጼዴቅም እንጀራንና የወይን ጠጅን አወጣ፤ እርሱም የልዑል እግዚአብሔር ካህን ነበረ።” (Gen. 14:18–21; Heb. 7:1). Unlike the Levitical priests who came after him and offered animal sacrifices (Heb. 10:4), Melchizedek offered bread and wine according to a pattern that foreshadowed the Eucharistic sacrifice of the New Testament, for he was a type (ምሳሌ) of Christ, the High Priest and Head of the New Testament Church—መልከጼዴቅ ግን የሐዲስ ኪዳን ቤተክርስቲያን ራስ የክርስቶስ ምሳሌ ነበርና እንደ ሐዲስ ኪዳን ሥርዓት በንጹህ ስንዴና ወይን መሥዋዕት ያቀርብ ነበር።

St. Clement says, “Do not offer animal sacrifices; but let your sacrifices before God be of pure wheat bread and pure wine” (Clement 3:76). Thus, the offering of Melchizedek prefigured the Holy Eucharist, while his priesthood was a type (ምሳሌ) of the eternal priesthood of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Passover Lamb That Saved Israel from the Death of the Firstborn (እስራኤል ከሞተ በኩር የዳኑበት በግ): After 430 years of sojourning (ሰፈራ) in Egypt, the Israelites were commanded to offer the Passover sacrifice (Exodus 12:3–11). The sacrifice of the Passover lamb prefigured the Holy Eucharist. The word Pascha means “Passover,” referring to the Lord’s passing over the homes of the Israelites while the destroying angel (ቀሳፊው መልአክ) struck the firstborn of the Egyptians. In the New Testament, Christ is identified as “our Pascha”: “ፋሲካችን ክርስቶስ ታርዶአልና” (1 Cor. 5:7). Thus, the Passover lamb, offered under the Old Covenant (ብሉይ ኪዳን), foreshadowed Christ our Pascha and the Holy Eucharist of the New Covenant.

By God’s mighty power and under the leadership of Moses, the Israelites were delivered from Pharaoh through the final plague—the death of the firstborn in Egypt. To spare the firstborn of Israel from this judgment, God gave them this command: “ነውር የሌለበት የአንድ ዓመት ጠቦት እንዲያዘጋጁ፣ እስከ 14ኛው ቀንም እንዲጠብቁት፣ ሲመሽም እንዲያርዱት፣ ከደሙም ወስደው በሚበሉበት ቤት ሁለቱን መቃንና ጉበኑን እንዲቀቡት፣ በእሳት የተጠበሰውን ሥጋውንና ቂጣውን እንጀራ እንዲበሉ፣ የቀረውንም እንዲያቃጥሉት።” (Exodus 12:5–10).

The one-year-old lamb without blemish prefigures the sinless Lord Jesus Christ: “ነውር የሌለበት የአንድ ዓመት ጠቦት ምክንያተ ኃጢአት የሌለበት የንጹሐ ባሕርይ አምላክ የኢየሱስ ክርስቶስ ምሳሌ ነው።” Just as the Israelites ate the roasted flesh of the Passover lamb, believers partake of the Holy Eucharist, receiving the Body and Blood of Christ. Just as they ate the roasted lamb, so we eat and drink the Body and Blood of Christ, which are united with His Divinity, typified by fire.

The Manna That Came Down to Israel (ለእስራኤል የወረደው መና): The manna that descended from the cloud for the Israelites in the wilderness prefigures the Body and Blood that the Lord gave for the sake of humanity on the Cross on Good Friday—ለእስራኤል ልጆች በምድረ በዳ ከደመና የወረደላቸው መና ጌታ በዕለተ ዓርብ በመስቀል ላይ ለሰው ልጆች ሲል የቆረሰው ሥጋና ያፈሰሰው ደም ምሳሌ ነው። Just as the manna came from the cloud, the Lord took flesh and a human soul from the Holy Virgin Mary, becoming fully human—መናው የተገኘው ከደመና እንደሆነ ሁሉ ጌታም ሥጋና ነፍስን የነሳው ከቅድስት ድንግል ማርያም ነው። Therefore, the cloud symbolizes the Virgin Mary, through whom the Lord took flesh and entered the world for the salvation of humanity.

During His earthly ministry, the Lord revealed the deeper meaning of this mystery, saying: “የሕይወት እንጀራ እኔ ነኝ፡፡ አባቶቻችሁ በምድረ በዳ መና በሉ ሞቱም፤ ሰው ከእርሱ በልቶ እንዳይሞት ከሰማይ አሁን የወረደ እንጀራ ይህ ነው….እኔም ስለ ዓለም ሕይወት የምስጠው እንጀራ ሥጋዬ ነው።” (John 6:48–51).

Conclusion:

From Abraham’s sacrifice and Melchizedek’s offering to the Passover Lamb and the manna from heaven, the Old Testament bears witness to the mystery fulfilled in Christ. These signs find their ultimate fulfillment in the Holy Eucharist, where Christ gives us His true Body and Precious Blood. Thus, the Eucharist is the Crown of the Church’s Mysteries and the source of eternal life.