George Instagram 19 hours ago

The Eucharist: A Holy Mystery Beyond Explanation

The post explains why the Orthodox Church calls the Eucharist a holy mystery rather than a sacrament. It notes that most people assume that if they cannot explain how bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ, then it must be only a symbol. The Orthodox Church, however, does not call it a sacrament but a holy mystery.

Christ Himself never explained how the transformation happens. In John 6, Jesus said, "Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you," and when asked how, He answered, "My flesh is food indeed and My blood is drink indeed." Many disciples walked away, but Peter replied, "Lord, to whom shall we go?

You have the words of eternal life"; he did not understand how, but he knew who was speaking. Christ instituted the Eucharist at the Last Supper, His last night with the disciples before the crucifixion, saying, "This is My body" and "This is My blood." The post observes that just as we cannot explain how a husband and wife become one or how the Holy Spirit dwells within us, the Eucharist remains a mystery.

It looks and tastes like bread and wine but is truly Christ's Body and Blood, and this should not surprise us given that God humbled Himself to be born in a cave, live as a poor carpenter, and die on a cross. The author adds that God became a piece of bread just to be with us, and asks whether the reader has ever struggled to believe this.

Key moments

Most people think that if they cannot explain how bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ, then it must be only a symbol.
The Orthodox Church does not call it a sacrament but a holy mystery.
Christ himself never explained how the transformation happens.
In John 6, Jesus said "unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood, you have no life in you," and when asked how, he answered "my flesh is food indeed and my blood is drink indeed."
Many disciples walked away, but Peter replied "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life", he did not understand how, but he knew who was speaking.
Christ instituted the Eucharist at the Last Supper, his last night with the disciples before the crucifixion, saying "this is my body" and "this is my blood."
We cannot explain how a husband and wife become one or how the Holy Spirit lives inside a person, yet these realities are true.
The Eucharist looks like bread and tastes like wine but is truly Christ's body and blood, and this should not surprise us given that God humbled himself to be born in a cave, live as a poor carpenter, and be crucified.

8 opinions in the discussion 8 participants The opinion with the most support Bravo George! Keep sharing… a saint once wrote that if we could see what's actually happening during the Divine Liturgy we would fall to the ground! Gurdjieff described it as a transubstantiation where bread and wine are infused with Christic atoms through… Read the discussion

28 comments at the source Original on Instagram

Discussion · 8

Opinions are anonymous retellings of real comments from the original discussion. The same colour marks the same participant.

opinion#3075 19 likes at the source

Bravo George! Keep sharing… a saint once wrote that if we could see what's actually happening during the Divine Liturgy we would fall to the ground! Gurdjieff described it as a transubstantiation where bread and wine are infused with Christic atoms through the sacred prayers..a mystery beyond comprehension! We consume Christic atoms..that transform us at a soul and cellular level. It's a literal miracle…
opinion#3077 5 likes at the source

I never struggled to believe it, but understanding it was always hard for me. Now I'm much older, and reading and listening to you is amazing. Thank you
opinion#3073 3 likes at the source

I don't understand it but I believe with my heart and soul.
opinion#3076 3 likes at the source

Right after he said these words, here's what Jesus explains: John 6:63, "The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life"
opinion#3072 2 likes at the source

And here's what gets me: at the Last Supper Christ gives the apostles His true blood and true body even before the Crucifixion and Death.. I can't explain this and I don't even want to explain it, I just believe Him and His words ❤️
opinion#3074 2 likes at the source

The Eucharistic Miracle of Lanciano (Italy, ~750 AD) ✝️🩸 During Mass, a Basilian monk was struggling with doubts about the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Right at the consecration, the host turned into actual human flesh and the wine into actual blood. Scientific studies (notably by Prof. Odoardo Linoli in 1970-1971) confirmed: 🫀 The Flesh: real human cardiac muscle tissue (left ventricle). 🩸 The Blood: real human blood, Type AB (matching the Shroud of Turin). 🔬 No Preservatives: preserved naturally for over 1,200 years with no chemical treatment.
opinion#3070 1 likes at the source

There's a passage in the Egyptian Patericon where an elder prayed to be shown that the bread and wine really are flesh and blood, that it's a true transfiguration. At the next liturgy he no longer saw bread and wine but actual flesh, and it terrified him with the reality of the eucharist. He realized God made it appear as bread and wine to make it easier for us.
opinion#3071 1 likes at the source

Who doesn't get moved at the moment during the Divine Liturgy when the priest says those words... when the Holy Spirit blesses the bread & wine and they become Body & Blood? And that part "Thine own of Thine own" (I'm saying it wrong, but I get the meaning) makes me TREMBLE and cry EVERY SINGLE TIME 😢