Transubstantiation

[Christy4Christ]

Do you guys believe in this?

[Philip]

Do we believe in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist? Yes.
Do we accept Transubstantiation as an explanation of this Mystery? No*.


*To the best of my knowledge, there is no prohibition against accepting Trasnsubstantion. We simply don't worry about trying to explain it.

[MariaRegina]

Please do a search. Maximus had some excellent posts about Transsubstantiation. It was approved by a local council of the Greek Orthodox Church, but the wording cautioned the use of scientific terms to explain a Holy Mystery of God.

[St. Tikon]

Do we believe in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist? Yes.
Do we accept Transubstantiation as an explanation of this Mystery? No*.


*To the best of my knowledge, there is no prohibition against accepting Trasnsubstantion. We simply don't worry about trying to explain it.


Great answer my Brother! Couldn't have said it better! :)

[Reader Nilus]

The question highlights the difference between Orthodoxy and the West. We have no need to define everything, and try to fit God's wonders into a rationalist box.
Nilus a sinner

[jgaudino]

I have a question guys... I hope we wont get hung up on semantics. So let us agree on "real presence" in the Eucharist.

OK... I suspect Orthodox do not believe in what we Catholics term Eucharistic adoration. Am I wrong or just misinformed?

Thanks for the answer - may we all pray for unity one day soon.

John

[Christy4Christ]

Pssst... I have a thread going called "Adoration" on this board :) Your answers are there..

[MariaRegina]

I have a question guys... I hope we wont get hung up on semantics. So let us agree on "real presence" in the Eucharist.

OK... I suspect Orthodox do not believe in what we Catholics term Eucharistic adoration. Am I wrong or just misinformed?

Thanks for the answer - may we all pray for unity one day soon.

John

Dear John:

We adore Christ in the Eucharist, as He is our King and our God. When the Orthodox Priest gives us Holy Communion, he says: "The servant of God partakes of the precious and all-holy Body and Blood of our Lord and God and Saviour Jesus Christ, unto the remission of sins and unto life everlasting." Antiochian Service Book

Only an ordained Orthodox Priest or Deacon may distribute Holy Communion in the Orthodox Church because the Priest represents Christ.

Therefore, O Master, do Thou Thyself distribute these Gifts here spread forth, unto all of us for good, according to the individual need of each: voyage with those who sail by sea and air; journey with those who travel by land; heal the sick, Thou who art the physician of our souls and bodies." (p 119)

We believe (as was said in a parallel thread here) that Holy Communion is for consumption (ever consumed but never destroyed). Christ Himself did not institute a separate adoration apart from the Divine Liturgy. This is why we adore Christ during the Divine Liturgy, we worship and bow down before His Holy Cross and we respect His presence in our Holy Tabernacles, by observing silence in our Temples.

Yes, we adore Christ as our King and our God.

[jgaudino]

Hey Chanter! Thanks for the reply. I knew you gave reverance etc I was meaning specifically prayer before the Taberbnacle - not sure if you are familiar with this practice in Catholicism.

I think I got from your reply that you show reverance to the Tabernacle just as we do but that you do not organize say "perpetual adoration" so that someone is always praying before the Tabernacle the way some Catholic parishes do (not all but some).

Anyway Thanks! - John

[MariaRegina]

Hey Chanter! Thanks for the reply. I knew you gave reverance etc I was meaning specifically prayer before the Taberbnacle - not sure if you are familiar with this practice in Catholicism.

I think I got from your reply that you show reverance to the Tabernacle just as we do but that you do not organize say "perpetual adoration" so that someone is always praying before the Tabernacle the way some Catholic parishes do (not all but some).

Anyway Thanks! - John

Dear John:

The practice of "perpetual adoration" was instituted by the Latin Church after 800 AD (don't know the exact date) because Holy Communion was not received very often by the laity. Perhaps you could start a thread over in OBOB to find out the origins of Perpetual adoration and Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and why frequent communion fell into disuse (Not here, as this is an Orthodox Forum) .

The feast of Corpus Christi was started during the life of the post-Great Schism saint, St. Thomas Aquinas as he wrote the propers for that feast day.

Hope this helps,
Elizabeth

P.S. Only in Greece and other muslim-controlled countries was the practice of frequent communion discontinued because the muslims would not let the Christians have regular services. My priest told me that some villages only saw a priest once a year due to the priest shortage and lack of seminaries. Mandatory confession at that time was imposed, because of the infrequent reception of Holy Communion and the other sacraments. The same situation may have happened in Russia during the reign of communism.

The Orthodox Priests are trying to educate the people today and help them return to the practice of frequent communion.