Tonight, within the theme of “Living the Liturgy” let us consider why we receive Christ in Holy Communion. When we were baptised as Orthodox Christians, as part of that sacrament we also received Holy Chrismation, that is, we received the seal of the Holy Spirit. Both Anglicans and Roman Catholics separate baptism and chrismation, so that young Anglicans and Roman Catholics do not receive Holy Communion until after their Confirmation, at ages that vary from 7 to 14. As Orthodox Christians, each one of us has the privilege of coming to Holy Communion as soon as we are baptised.  So, why is it important to come to Holy Communion throughout the whole of our lives, whether we are young or old?

Let’s consider the Biblical evidence and the advice that the Church Fathers offered about why it is important for us as Christians to receive Holy Communion. Saints Matthew, Mark and Luke each told us about the Last Supper and how Christ urged the apostles to “Take, eat; this is My body” and to drink from the cup “for this is My blood of the covenant which is poured for many for forgiveness of sins.” These words from the Gospel of St Matthew, chapter 26, verses 26 to 28 are also given by St Paul in First Corinthians, chapter 11, verses 23 to 26, with the additional urging from Christ to “do this in remembrance of me,” a phrase also given in the Gospel of St Luke.

St Cyril of Alexandria, an outstanding Church leader in the fifth century, has explained the Last Supper with these words, and I quote: “Now Christ was about to be raised within a short time in order to come and appear before the Father with His own body. So that we could [continue to] have His body present, He has given us His own body and blood that it might ruin the power of decay. For without the presence of Christ, salvation from death is not possible and humanity is unable to be freed from sin which dwells along with us in this life. [Christ] dwells with us in our souls through the Holy Spirit, and we become sharers in holiness, heavenly people and spiritual name bearers” [end of quote].

That is a remarkable reflection from St Cyril of Alexandria. Note that Christ kept His own body in His death and resurrection when He appeared before God the Father. Yet at the same time Christ wished each of us throughout the centuries to have “His own body and blood that it might ruin the power of decay.” The English word “decay” is from the Latin word decider, which is derived from two words, de and cadere, meaning “to fall.” So Cyril of Alexandria is stressing that the human tendency to fall, to weaken over time, has been consumed in Christ—has been taken up in Christ. We are each offered the opportunity to be freed from sin because Christ dwells within each of us through the Holy Spirit. Thus Holy Communion can rightly be understood as the implementation of the vows we or our sponsors made in baptism. St Cyril of Alexandria is telling us that through the Holy Spirit we take Christ into our bodies and our souls.

What Christ offers us each time we go to Holy Communion is quite simply His presence—His presence in our lives and to a considerable extent His presence in the lives of those for whom we pray when we receive Holy Communion and the lives of those for whom we ask for remembrance whether living or dead. Before the Divine Liturgy begins an Orthodox priest takes particles of the prosphora that is to be consecrated in order to remember your intentions. Those particles which an Orthodox priest consecrates contain your intentions—your hopes—in the midst of the lives and deaths of those whom you love. By partaking of Holy Communion we and those for whom we pray become, as St Cyril has stated, “sharers in [the] holiness [of Christ].”

St Paul understood deeply that the body and blood of Christ was offered not only to the 11 Apostles—Judas had already left the room—but to him (that is, to St Paul) and to each of us. However, we do have a responsibility to reflect upon our lives, to remember our sins and to seek forgiveness. We all sin; and by offering us Holy Communion Christ makes it clear that it is possible that our sins can and will be forgiven. Preaching about the importance of self-examination before coming to Holy Communion, St John Chrysostom urged and I quote: “In your conscience, where no one is present except God who sees all, here judge yourself, examine your sins. When you reflect upon your whole life, bring your sins to the court of the mind. Correct your mistakes,” urges St John Chrysostom, “and in this way, with a clean conscience, touch the sacred table and participate in the holy sacrifice” [end of quote]. It is a puzzling irony that by remembering the worst things in our lives—and we all have them—we receive one of the greatest gifts in our lives—Holy Communion.

Thus it is clear that Holy Communion happened not only two thousand years ago at the Last Supper, but has continued to happen for the next two thousand years and will continue for as long as there is human life on earth or elsewhere in the universe. The poet and clergyman John Donne expressed his own fear of seeing Christ die on the cross—his own hesitation to turn his face to Christ. However, Donne concluded his poem, “Good Friday, 1613, Riding Westward,” with words from his heart addressed to Christ. He wrote: “Burn off my rusts and my deformity;/ Restore thine image so much, by thy grace,/ That thou may’st know me, and I’ll turn my face.”

I think that is precisely what the authors of the Gospels and St Paul and St Cyril of Alexandria are trying to communicate to each of us about Holy Communion. It is good to rest humbly in the presence of Christ, so that we can know ourselves as we are. Yes, we are all sinners seeking forgiveness. When we each come to Holy Communion any rust, any decay, any deformities in our personalities are taken up into Christ Himself; and the image of God is restored to us. As St Cyril preached, each of us become “sharers in [the] holiness [of Christ].” Then we too, like John Donne, can turn our faces toward Christ to receive His blessing. The crucifixion and the Resurrection and the Ascension are a unity. The body that Christ left with us in Holy Communion is a visible sign on earth of His body that He brought in His Resurrection and Ascension to the Father. Therefore, we too can rejoice as we make our own journey here on earth, closer and closer to the Father.

Our participation in these Pre-Sanctified Liturgies during Lent prepares us for the presence of Christ during Holy Week. In a sense we are “pre-sanctified”—we are prepared during Lent for the journey into Holy Week and Pascha, Ascension and Pentecost. By receiving Holy Communion, we are expressing our faith in the Holy Trinity and our conviction that Psalm 36 (37), verses 7 and 5 is the story of each of our lives. Those verses are: “Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for Him. . . Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him, and He will act.” Each time we receive Holy Communion we are still before the Lord, waiting patiently for Him, committing our lives to Him, trusting Him, confident that “He will act” in each of our lives. The words of Psalm 36 become a personal experience: “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him. . . . Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him, and He will act.”