Η Θεία Ευχαριστία και η σωτηριολογική σημασία της στην κοπτική λειτουργική και θεολογική παράδοση

Abstract

The Eucharist has a very important role in the Coptic Church. The purpose of this study is to manifest the Coptic theology and piety wich is attached to the sacramental life in general and to the celebration of the Holy Eucharist in particular. Instead of drawing from the writings of the medieval Coptic dogmatics, we shall endeavour to show that the Eucharistic understanding permeated every aspect of Coptic life. At the outset, we have to point out that the expression «Coptic Church» means «Egyptian Church» and it is applied to the Church, according to tradition, which was founded by St. Mark, the Evangelist at Alexandria, where he died as a martyr on April 25th' 63 A.D. The sources for this study are the Coptic Liturgical Texts, that are used to this day and also the works of the Coptic Authors between the 10 c. and the 20 c. A.D. ie., in the medieval and modem age. It important to acknowledge the contribution of the old patristic tradition that is found in the Coptic worship- tradition. It is again very important to realise the role of Coptic liturgical tradition in the faithlife ofthe Coptic Church. The Eucharistic Liturgy has a pedagogic and social role in the Coptic Church. In the Eucharistic Act of the Coptic Liturgy, certain elements such as the liturgical Language, the place and the time of Celebration, non liturgical days, the Three Liturgies (St. Basil, St. Gregory and St. Mark), the night celebrations, the sacramental elements, the eucharistie fast, are unique. Here, in the Coptic liturgical tradition we shall attempt to demonstrate that Christ is the Priest, Victim and the Altar. The bread for the Eucharist in the Coptic Church is leavened, not unleavened. The Eucharist is understood in the Coptic Liturgy as the life-giving Body (ζωοποιόν σώμα), the Body and Blood of the Son of God, the Body and Blood of our Lord, the Body and Blood ofEmmanuel etc. and this helps all to understand what the Eucharist is in the Coptic Church. The symbols such as the tree of life, the sacrifice of Melkesadek, the Manna etc., ofthe Eucharist, in the Coptic tradition are very important to know, as is the relationship between New and Old Testament.The Coptic Eucharistic Liturgy stresses a very important role for the Trinity. Though the Eucharist is the Body and Blood of the Son, the presence of the Father and ofthe Holy Spirit is very much realised in the Coptic Eucharistic Liturgy. The Eucharist is the gift and the work ofthe Trinity, but at the same time, the Coptic Tradition regards Christ as the central Person because He is the Priest and Victim. In the Eucharist the Father is the aim ofthe mystery, the Son is the center ofthe mystery and the Holy Spirit is the energy of the mystery. Through the Eucharist the communicant has communion (κοινωνία) with the Trinity. There is another important subject in this study. It is the transformation of the elements of the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. This is extremely important in the Coptic Church now because some Protestant churches in Egypt do not accept the transmformation of the elements, farther, according to them they remain as only bread and wine. The Coptic Church believes that the bread and wine, after their consecration and the descent ofthe Holy Spirit upon them, become the Body and Blood of Christ. Most Coptic Theologians refuse the latin Term “transubstantiation”, however some Coptic Theologians have employed in recent times. In order to receive the Eucharist, one has to be worthy (άξιος) ofreceiving it. Being worthy ofthe Eucharist gives us the gift ofthe Holy Spirit because He comes down at the sacrifice and on the people in the liturgy of the Eucharist. Here it is clear that theworthiness (αξιότητα) is from the Holy Spirit. The conditions for reception into the Holy Eucharist in the Coptic tradition is to be Baptised, to confess (εξημολόγηση), to fast before the Eucharist and to be present in all the prayers of the Divine Liturgy in order to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit when it comes down in the Sacramental elements and on the people in the Church. The communicant should firmly believe that the Eucharist is the true body and blood of Christ. The relationship between the Eucharist and Christology is very strong; we found that this relationship is very clear in the liturgical Texts and the works of the Coptic Authors of medieval time till today. Christology is the basis ofthe Eucharist. Only with the Incarnation of Christ do, we have the Eucharist, the universal Church and all the Divine Mysteries. The Body of Christ gives life because the union between the Godhead and humanity in Christ’s hypostatic union is according to hypostasis (καθ’ ύπόστασιν) andwithout this hypostatic union between divine nature and human nature in the Person Christ we will be commiting in Cannibalism in the Eucharist (ανθρωποφάγοι). This hypostatic union is without commingling or confussion (άσυγχύτως), without change (άτρέπτως), without separation άχωρίστως), and without division (άδιαιρέτως) as it is expressed in the Coptic Liturgical Texts.The separation and the commingling or confusion between two natures of Christ destroy the mystery ofthe divine Eucharist, and therefore the Coptic Church refuses and rejects both the Nestorian and the Eutychian heresies. The presence of Christ is real and it is mystical, but “mystical” does not mean “unreal” as the Protestants say. In the Eucharist, Christ is present spiritually(πνευματικώς) and bodily (σωματικώς). The right belief in Eucharist means right belief in the Christology, so who ever believe that the Eucharist is the body and blood of the Son of God cannot agree with Nestorian or Eutchius. The Salvation of man is interrelated between God and man. Jesus is the only Saviour (σωτήρ) for the world, he died for every body and he offered salvation for thewhole world on the cross. The blood of Christ was shed to save every one, but one need to believe in the power of Salvation through His Blood. According to Coptic Tradition, the means of Salvation is found in the Church, through faith (πίστη), sacraments (μυστήρια), and good works. “Outside the Church there is no Salvation” says the Coptic ascetic St. Shenouda the Archimandrite. The Church and the Eucharist are quite inseperable, as the Church is the source for the Eucharist and the Eucharist builds the Church strong in its faith. This means that, without the Church there is no Eucharist and without the Eucharist the Church will be meaningless and it will be simply an association of people. The meaning of the Catholicity of the Church comes from the holy Eucharist.“Where the Bishop is there is the Catholic Church” says Ignatius of Antioch. The Eucharist does not make the local Church, but it makes the Catholic Church (καθολική Εκκλησία). The Church is the body of Christ (σώμα του Χριστού) and it is “formed” as a community of the Church, with all the faithful under the guidance of the bishop, surrounded by the presbyters and assisted by the deacons. This Icon of the “body of Christ” becomes perfect only in the Eucharist. In the Coptic tradition the Eucharist is the creator of union between Christ and the Faithful, it unifies the Faithful together in the body of Christ too. The Eucharist is the mystery of union and in the Eucharist Christ makes us of the same body with Himself and with each other as one body, that is, “His own” (ίδιον σώμα). The Eucharist is the centre ofspiritual life ofthe Faithful, because the spiritual life of the Faithful is not only prayer this unity in Christ through the Eucharist also. The ascetic life it is not far from the Eucharist; it is the axis ofthe life of asceticism. Though all sacraments contain God s grace, the Eucharist carries the most sublime grace of all; the fruits of the holy Eucharist are many in the Coptic tradition. The Eucharist gives wisdom; the gift of eternity (incorruptibility) comes through theEucharist because Christ had victory over death. The Eucharist is also a sacrifice for the living and the dead. The Eucharist gives heiling (θεραπεία). In this vein of thought the Coptic tradition speaks about Jesus as the Doctor, sin as sickness, the sinner as sick and the Eucharist as medicine (φαρμακίον). The last point is to say that one who has the right knowledge ofthe Christology, hasthe right knowledge in the Eucharist too. The right faith in the Eucharist can be the basis for the dialogue between both the Churches of the Orthodox families about the Christology.