In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. God is one. Amen.

Let’s pause and reflect further upon the meaning of the first Eucharist that we celebrate tonight on Great and Holy Thursday. If we have prepared ourselves with appropriate fasting, this morning can be a new beginning for each of us. We are offered a special opportunity to participate in a miracle—to partake of the Holy Eucharist in which bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. On this Great and Holy Thursday, we can share the first-time experience of the Apostles and listen to the words of the Divine Liturgy, guiding us into the will of Christ for each of our lives. This is truly an experience of death leading to life, of darkness becoming light, not only on Great and Holy Thursday but for every time we come to the Divine Liturgy.

A beautiful understanding of the Divine Liturgy is presented by Father Emmanuel Hatzidakis in his book, The Heavenly Banquet: Understanding the Divine Liturgy, published by Orthodox Witness (Third Edition, 2013—see http://www.orthodoxwitness.org). Father Emmanuel writes: and I quote: “The Divine Liturgy is the Mystery of union of human beings with God and the union of human beings among themselves. [As St John of Damascus has written,] ‘It is called Communion because through it we commune [that is, communicate intimately and confidentially with] the divinity of Jesus Christ together with His glorified humanity. The purpose of the Divine Liturgy is to change the sacramental elements (bread and wine mixed with water) into the Sacred Body and Blood of the Lord through the action of the Holy Spirit so that the people of God gathered in His Name may commune [with the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ] and thus be united with Christ and live His life” [p. 39]. Father Emmanuel then cites St Nicholas Cavasilas who “describes with clarity and precision the essence and purpose of the Divine Liturgy at the very opening of his Commentary” with these words; and again I quote: “The essential act in the celebration of the Holy Mysteries is the transformation of the elements [of bread and wine and water] into the divine Body and Blood [of Jesus Christ]; its aim is the sanctification of the faithful, who through these Mysteries receive the [forgiveness] of their sins and the inheritance of the Kingdom of heaven. As a preparation for, and contribution to, this act and for this purpose, we have prayers, psalms, and readings from the Holy Scripture: in short, all the sacred acts and forms which are said and done before and after the consecration of the elements,” St Nicholas Cavasilas concluded [p. 39].

That is a magnificent statement about what is being offered to us this morning and every time we partake of Holy Communion—the opportunity to participate in “the Mystery of union of human beings with God and the union of human beings among [ourselves].” Two points are very striking to me. First, it is good when we come regularly to the Divine Liturgy. This is not always possible. However, if we decline to go regularly to Holy Communion we are making a conscious and dreadful choice not to accept the miracle that is being offered to us. I’m sorry to put it so bluntly, but that is the reality. If you wish to participate fully in “the Mystery of union of human beings with God,” you should come to Holy Communion often.

Second, there is another purpose in partaking of Holy Communion—to participate in “the union of human beings among [ourselves].” As a local Orthodox community of the universal Orthodox Church, we are united with each other—at St Aidan’s, in this Archdiocese and in the universal Church. So it is that the heavenly pursuit of uniting ourselves with God is joined to the earthly pursuit of uniting ourselves to others.

And so, we ascribe as is justly due all might, majesty, dominion, power and praise to God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, always now and ever and unto the ages of ages.          Father Emmanuel Kahn