Read this epiclesis and guess what church or what kind of church it is from.
And we thine unworthy servants beseech thee, Most merciful Father, to hear us, and to send thy Holy Spirit upon us and upon these thy gifts and creatures of bread and wine, that, being blessed and hallowed by his life-giving power, they may become the Body and Blood of thy most dearly beloved Son, to the end that all who shall receive the same may be sanctified both in body and soul, and preserved unto everlasting life.
And we earnestly desire thy fatherly goodness, mercifully to accept this our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, most humbly beseeching thee to grant, that by the merits and death of thy Son Jesus Christ, and through faith in his blood, we and all thy whole Church may obtain remission of our sins, and all other benefits of his passion.
11 comments:
Anglican.
Specifically, one of liturgies of the Episcopal Church of Scotland.
Landmark Baptist? Russian Orthodox?
The source is definitely one of the liturgies of the Scottish Episcopal Church (1929 or thereabouts, I think). However, that doesn't answer the question of where Abu Daoud encountered it in use.
Since he mentions, in his latest post, that he has recently attended a Presbyterian Communion Service, I would now suspect that this is where he experienced it used.
Actually, the thought had crossed my mind that could be from a Scottish Presbyterian church. So, I'll ditto Fr. Greg's last guess.
It is indeed Scottish Episcopal but was used in a service at the Kirk of Scotland, which I found very interesting.
Did Presbyterians use the whole Eucharistic Prayer from Anglican Scottish BCP, or just the epiklesis. I'm particularly interested in whether or not the Kirk used the anamnesis:
"Wherefore, O Lord, and heavenly Father, according to the institution of thy dearly beloved Son our Saviour Jesus Christ, we thy humble servants do celebrate and make here before thy Divine Majesty, with these thy holy gifts, which we now offer unto thee, the memorial thy Son hath commanded us to make; having in remembrance his blessed passion, and precious death, his mighty resurrection, and glorious ascension; rendering unto thee most hearty thanks for the innumerable benefits procured unto us by the same, and looking for his coming again with power and great glory."
I am most especially interested in whether or not the phrase above, "which we now offer unto Thee" was used.
Fr Greg:
I believe he did use that formula. Why is that of interest to you?
AD:
I was interested because, as you know, one of the controversial issues at the time of the Reformation between Roman Catholics and Reformers (and therefore, still today), was whether or not the Eucharist is a sacrifice, and if it is, whether or not it is simply a "sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving" or, if it is as St. Cyprian said, "the passion of Christ", and is therefore, in RC language, the sacramental re-presentation of the sacrifice of the cross. Following Calvin, the confessional Reformed tradition in general denies that the Eucharist is at all sacrificial; therefore, it is interesting to find Scottish Presbyterians using a classical Anglican Eucharistic Prayer which includes, post words of institution, an explicit formula of offering, and especially in conjunction with an epiclesis which in no way can be interpreted as receptionist.
Fr Greg,
I see exactly what you are saying. Good point. I also liked that it included the language of "mystery of the New Covenant" (or something along those lines). In Arabic we call the sacraments "asraar" or secrets (that is, mysterion, the NT term). I find this concept to be very important in understanding Eastern worship and was pleased to find it here.
Indeed, AD. In Syriac, the word is "raza": enigma.
From prayers before receiving Communion, Byzantine Rite:
"I will not speak of Thy mystery to thine enemies, nor give Thee a kiss as did Judas, but like the thief will I confess Thee. Remember me, O Lord, when Thou comest into Thy kingdom."
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