Introduction
This post will be on-going attempt to centralize the quotations I’ve found about the Eucharist, particularly in Early Church authors.
Quotations
Saint Irenaeus, Against Heresies Book 4, Chapter 17, Paragraph 5
Again, giving directions to His disciples to offer to God the first-fruits of His own, created things–not as if He stood in need of them, but that they might be themselves neither unfruitful nor ungrateful–He took that created thing, bread, and gave thanks, and said, “This is My body.” (Matthew 26:26-26:29) And the cup likewise, which is part of that creation to which we belong, He confessed to be His blood, and taught the new oblation of the new covenant; which the Church receiving from the apostles, offers to God throughout all the world, to Him who gives us as the means of subsistence the first-fruits of His own gifts in the New Testament, concerning which Malachi, among the twelve prophets, thus spoke beforehand: “I have no pleasure in you, saith the Lord Omnipotent, and I will not accept sacrifice at your hands. For from the rising of the sun, unto the going down [of the same], My name is glorified among the Gentiles, and in every place incense is offered to My name, and a pure sacrifice; for great is My name among the Gentiles, saith the Lord Omnipotent;” (Malachi 1:10-1:11) –indicating in the plainest manner, by these words, that the former people [the Jews] shall indeed cease to make offerings to God, but that in every place sacrifice shall be offered to Him, and that a pure one; and His name is glorified among the Gentiles.
Saint Irenaeus, Against Heresies Book 4, Chapter 33, Paragraph 2
Moreover, he shall also examine the doctrine of Marcion, [inquiring] how he holds that there are two gods, separated from each other by an infinite distance. Or how can he be good who draws away men that do not belong to him from him who made them, and calls them into his own kingdom? And why is his goodness, which does not save all [thus], defective? Also, why does he, indeed, seem to be good as respects men, but most unjust with regard to him who made men, inasmuch as he deprives him of his possessions? Moreover, how could the Lord, with any justice, if He belonged to another father, have acknowledged the bread to be His body, while He took it from that creation to which we belong, and affirmed the mixed cup to be His blood? And why did He acknowledge Himself to be the Son of man, if He had not gone through that birth which belongs to a human being? How, too, could He forgive us those sins for which we are answerable to our Maker and God? And how, again, supposing that He was not flesh, but was a man merely in appearance, could He have been crucified, and could blood and water have issued from His pierced side? (John 19:34) What body, moreover, was it that those who buried Him consigned to the tomb? And what was that which rose again from the dead?
Saint Irenaeus, Against Heresies Book 5, Chapter 2
When Christ visited us in His grace, He did not come to what did not belong to Him: also, by shedding His true blood for us, and exhibiting to us His true flesh in the Eucharist, He conferred upon our flesh the capacity of salvation.
- And vain likewise are those who say that God came to those things which did not belong to Him, as if covetous of another’s property; in order that He might deliver up that man who had been created by another, to that God who had neither made nor formed anything, but who also was deprived from the beginning of His own proper formation of men. The advent, therefore, of Him whom these men represent as coming to the things of others, was not righteous; nor did He truly redeem us by His own blood, if He did not really become man, restoring to His own handiwork what was said [of it] in the beginning, that man was made after the image and likeness of God; not snatching away by stratagem the property of another, but taking possession of His own in a righteous and gracious manner. As far as concerned the apostasy, indeed, He redeems us righteously from it by His own blood; but as regards us who have been redeemed, [He does this] graciously. For we have given nothing to Him previously, nor does He desire anything from us, as if He stood in need of it; but we do stand in need of fellowship with Him. And for this reason it was that He graciously poured Himself out, that He might gather us into the bosom of the Father.
- But vain in every respect are they who despise the entire dispensation of God, and disallow the salvation of the flesh, and treat with contempt its regeneration, maintaining that it is not capable of incorruption. But if this indeed do not attain salvation, then neither did the Lord redeem us with His blood, nor is the cup of the Eucharist the communion of His blood, nor the bread which we break the communion of His body. (1 Corinthians 10:16) For blood can only come from veins and flesh, and whatsoever else makes up the substance of man, such as the Word of God was actually made. By His own blood he redeemed us, as also His apostle declares, “In whom we have redemption through His blood, even the remission of sins.” (Colossians 1:14) And as we are His members, we are also nourished by means of the creation (and He Himself grants the creation to us, for He causes His sun to rise, and sends rain when He wills [Matthew 5:45]). He has acknowledged the cup (which is a part of the creation) as His own blood, from which He bedews our blood; and the bread (also a part of the creation) He has established as His own body, from which He gives increase to our bodies.
- When, therefore, the mingled cup and the manufactured bread receives the Word of God, and the Eucharist of the blood and the body of Christ is made, from which things the substance of our flesh is increased and supported, how can they affirm that the flesh is incapable of receiving the gift of God, which is life eternal, which [flesh] is nourished from the body and blood of the Lord, and is a member of Him?–even as the blessed Paul declares in his Epistle to the Ephesians, that “we are members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones.” (Ephesians 5:30) He does not speak these words of some spiritual and invisible man, for a spirit has not bones nor flesh; (Luke 24:39) but [he refers to] that dispensation [by which the Lord became] an actual man, consisting of flesh, and nerves, and bones,–that [flesh] which is nourished by the cup which is His blood, and receives increase from the bread which is His body. And just as a cutting from the vine planted in the ground fructifies in its season, or as a corn of wheat falling into the earth and becoming decomposed, rises with manifold increase by the Spirit of God, who contains all things, and then, through the wisdom of God, serves for the use of men, and having received the Word of God, becomes the Eucharist, which is the body and blood of Christ; so also our bodies, being nourished by it, and deposited in the earth, and suffering decomposition there, shall rise at their appointed time, the Word of God granting them resurrection to the glory of God, even the Father, who freely gives to this mortal immortality, and to this corruptible incorruption, (1 Corinthians 15:53) because the strength of God is made perfect in weakness, (2 Corinthians 12:3) in order that we may never become puffed up, as if we had life from ourselves, and exalted against God, our minds becoming ungrateful; but learning by experience that we possess eternal duration from the excelling power of this Being, not from our own nature, we may neither undervalue that glory which surrounds God as He is, nor be ignorant of our own nature, but that we may know what God can effect, and what benefits man receives, and thus never wander from the true comprehension of things as they are, that is, both with regard to God and with regard to man. And might it not be the case, perhaps, as I have already observed, that for this purpose God permitted our resolution into the common dust of mortality, that we, being instructed by every mode, may be accurate in all things for the future, being ignorant neither of God nor of ourselves?
Saint Ignatius of Antioch, Epistle to the Smyrnaeans, Chapters 6-7
Chapter 6: Unbelievers in the blood of Christ shall be condemned.
- Let no man deceive himself. Both the things which are in heaven, and the glorious angels, and rulers, both visible and invisible, if they believe not in the blood of Christ, shall, in consequence, incur condemnation. “He that is able to receive it, let him receive it.” (Matthew 19:12) Let not [high] place puff any one up: for that which is worth all is faith and love, to which nothing is to be preferred. But consider those who are of a different opinion with respect to the grace of Christ which has come unto us, how opposed they are to the will of God. They have no regard for love; no care for the widow, or the orphan, or the oppressed; of the bond, or of the free; of the hungry, or of the thirsty.
- Let no man deceive himself. Unless he believes that Christ Jesus has lived in the flesh, and shall confess His cross and passion, and the blood which He shed for the salvation of the world, he shall not obtain eternal life, whether he be a king, or a priest, or a ruler, or a private person, a master or a servant, a man or a woman. “He that is able to receive it, let him receive it.” (Matthew 19:12) Let no man’s place, or dignity, or riches, puff him up; and let no man’s low condition or poverty abase him. For the chief points are faith towards God, hope towards Christ, the enjoyment of those good things for which we look, and love towards God and our neighbour. For, “Thou shall love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and thy neighbour as thyself.” (Deutoronomy 6:5) And the Lord says, “This is life eternal, to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom He has sent.” (John 17:31) And again, “A new commandment give I unto you, that ye love one another. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” (John 13:34;Matthew 22:40) Do ye, therefore, notice those who preach other doctrines, how they affirm that the Father of Christ cannot be known, and how they exhibit enmity and deceit in their dealings with one another. They have no regard for love; they despise the good things we expect hereafter; they regard present things as if they were durable; they ridicule him that is in affliction; they laugh at him that is in bonds.
Chapter 7: Let us stand aloof from such heretics.
- They abstain from the Eucharist and from prayer, because they confess not the Eucharist to be the flesh of our Saviour Jesus Christ, which suffered for our sins, and which the Father, of His goodness, raised up again. Those, therefore, who speak against this gift of God, incur death in the midst of their disputes. But it were better for them to treat it with respect, that they also might rise again. It is fitting, therefore, that ye should keep aloof from such persons, and not to speak of them either in private or in public, but to give heed to the prophets, and above all, to the Gospel, in which the passion [of Christ] has been revealed to us, and the resurrection has been fully proved. But avoid all divisions, as the beginning of evils.
- They are ashamed of the cross; they mock at the passion; they make a jest of the resurrection. They are the offspring of that spirit who is the author of all evil, who led Adam, by means of his wife, to transgress the commandment, who slew Abel by the hands of Cain, who fought against Job, who was the accuser of Joshua (Zechariah 3:1) the son of Josedech, who sought to “sift the faith” (Luke 22:31) of the apostles, who stirred up the multitude of the Jews against the Lord, who also now “worketh in the children of disobedience”; (Ephesians 2:2) from whom the Lord Jesus Christ will deliver us, who prayed that the faith of the apostles might not fail, (Luke 22:32) not because He was not able of Himself to preserve it, but because He rejoiced in the pre-eminence of the Father. It is fitting, therefore, that ye should keep aloof from such persons, and neither in private nor in public to talk with them; but to give heed to the law, and the prophets, and to those who have preached to you the word of salvation. But flee from all abominable heresies, and those that cause schisms, as the beginning of evils.
Shorter Quotations
Council of Nicaea I : “It has come to the knowledge of the holy and great synod that, in some districts and cities, the deacons administer the Eucharist to the presbyters [i.e., priests], whereas neither canon nor custom permits that they who have no right to offer [the Eucharistic sacrifice] should give THE BODY OF CHRIST to them that do offer [it]” (Canon 18 [A.D. 325])
St Cyril of Jerusalem : “The bread and the wine of the Eucharist before the holy invocation of the adorable Trinity were simple bread and wine, but the invocation having been made, THE BREAD BECOMES THE BODY OF CHRIST AND THE WINE THE BLOOD OF CHRIST” (Catechetical Lectures 19:7 [A.D. 350])
“Do not, therefore, regard the bread and wine as simply that; FOR THEY ARE, ACCORDING TO THE MASTER’S DECLARATION, THE BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST. EVEN THOUGH THE SENSES SUGGEST TO YOU THE OTHER, LET FAITH MAKE YOU FIRM. Do not judge in this matter by taste, but be fully assured by the faith, not doubting that you have been deemed worthy of the body and blood of Christ. . . . [Since you are] fully convinced that the apparent bread is not bread, even though it is sensible to the taste, but the body of Christ, and that the apparent wine is not wine, even though the taste would have it so, . . . partake of that bread as something spiritual, and put a cheerful face on your soul” (ibid., 22:6, 9)
St Augustine : “CHRIST WAS CARRIED IN HIS OWN HANDS when, referring to his own body, he said, ‘This is my body’ [Matt. 26:26]. For he carried that body in his hands” (Explanations of the Psalms 33:1:10 [A.D. 405])
“I promised you [new Christians], who have now been baptized, a sermon in which I would explain the sacrament of the Lord’s Table. . . . THAT BREAD WHICH YOU SEE ON THE ALTAR, HAVING BEEN SANCTIFIED BY THE WORD OF GOD, IS THE BODY OF CHRIST. THAT CHALICE, OR RATHER, WHAT IS IN THAT CHALICE, HAVING BEEN SANCTIFIED BY THE WORD OF GOD, IS THE BLOOD OF CHRIST” (Sermons 227 [A.D. 411])
“What you see is the bread and the chalice; THAT IS WHAT YOUR OWN EYES REPORT TO YOU. BUT WHAT YOUR FAITH OBLIGES YOU TO ACCEPT IS THAT THE BREAD IS THE BODY OF CHRIST AND THE CHALICE IS THE BLOOD OF CHRIST. This has been said very briefly, which may perhaps be sufficient for faith; yet faith does not desire instruction” (ibid., 272)
Council of Ephesus : “We will necessarily add this also. Proclaiming the death, according to the flesh, of the only-begotten Son of God, that is Jesus Christ, confessing his resurrection from the dead, and his ascension into heaven, WE OFFER THE UNBLOODY SACRIFICE IN THE CHURCHES, AND SO GO ON TO THE MYSTICAL THANKSGIVINGS, AND ARE SANCTIFIED, HAVING RECEIVED HIS HOLY FLESH AND THE PRECIOUS BLOOD OF CHRIST THE SAVIOR OF US ALL. AND NOT AS COMMON FLESH DO WE RECEIVE IT; GOD FORBID: NOR AS OF A MAN SANCTIFIED AND ASSOCIATED WITH THE WORD ACCORDING TO THE UNITY OF WORTH, OR AS HAVING A DIVINE INDWELLING, BUT AS TRULY THE LIFE-GIVING AND VERY FLESH OF THE WORD HIMSELF. For he is the life according to his nature as God, and when he became united to his flesh, he made it also to be life-giving” (Session 1, Letter of Cyril to Nestorius [A.D. 431])
Regarding Frequency
From Claude.ai search
Based on historical evidence and early Christian writings, it appears that celebrating communion (also known as the Lord’s Supper or Eucharist) every Sunday was indeed a common practice in the early Christian church, though practices likely varied somewhat across different communities.
Here are some key points to consider:
New Testament evidence: Acts 20:7 mentions Christians gathering on the first day of the week (Sunday) to “break bread,” which is often interpreted as a reference to the Lord’s Supper.
Early Christian writings: Several early Christian documents suggest a weekly practice. For example, the Didache (late 1st or early 2nd century) instructs believers to gather on the “Lord’s Day” to break bread and give thanks.
Justin Martyr’s account: In his First Apology (around 150 AD), Justin Martyr describes Christians gathering on Sunday for readings, prayers, and the Eucharist.
Regional variations: While weekly communion seems to have been common, practices likely varied. Some communities may have celebrated it more or less frequently.
Historical context: The early church often met in homes, which may have facilitated more frequent communion compared to later, more formalized church structures.
Theological importance: The centrality of the Lord’s Supper in early Christian worship and theology suggests it was a regular, frequent practice.
It’s important to note that while weekly communion appears to have been common, it wasn’t necessarily universal or mandated. As the church grew and spread, practices evolved and diversified.
Yes, there are some early church sources that mention or suggest less frequent communion practices. While weekly communion seems to have been common, there’s evidence of variation in practice. Here are a few examples:
The Apostolic Tradition: This document, traditionally attributed to Hippolytus of Rome (early 3rd century), mentions the practice of reserving the Eucharistic elements for the sick, which could imply less frequent celebration.
Tertullian: In his work “On Prayer” (early 3rd century), Tertullian discusses the practice of receiving the Eucharist daily at home, which might suggest that communal celebrations were less frequent.
Augustine of Hippo: In his letters (late 4th/early 5th century), Augustine mentions that practices varied. He notes that some received communion daily, while others did so on certain days. He doesn’t prescribe a frequency, suggesting local customs differed.
Socrates Scholasticus: In his “Ecclesiastical History” (5th century), he mentions that in Alexandria and Rome, there were only two days when the Eucharist wasn’t celebrated, implying that daily celebration wasn’t universal.
Eastern practices: Some Eastern churches developed the practice of the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, used on weekdays during Lent, suggesting full Eucharistic liturgies might not have been daily.
It’s important to note that these sources come from various times and places, reflecting the diversity of practice that developed as the church grew. Also, less frequent communal celebration doesn’t necessarily mean less frequent reception, as some practices involved reserving elements for private consumption.
The historical record suggests a range of practices rather than a single, universal norm.
Yes, there are several other early sources that suggest or directly mention a weekly practice of communion. Here are some additional examples:
Pliny the Younger: In his letter to Emperor Trajan (around 112 AD), he describes Christians meeting on a “fixed day” (likely Sunday) for worship, which may have included communion.
Ignatius of Antioch: In his letters (early 2nd century), he emphasizes the importance of the Eucharist and encourages frequent gatherings, though he doesn’t specify a weekly practice explicitly.
Irenaeus: In “Against Heresies” (late 2nd century), he discusses the regular practice of the Eucharist, though he doesn’t specify the frequency.
Cyprian of Carthage: In his writings (3rd century), he refers to the “daily sacrifice” of the Eucharist, which could imply frequent, possibly weekly, celebration.
The Apostolic Constitutions: This 4th-century document instructs believers to gather on the “Lord’s Day” for worship, including the breaking of bread.
John Chrysostom: In his homilies (late 4th/early 5th century), he often refers to weekly communion, though he also laments that some only partake a few times a year.
The Council of Elvira (early 4th century): Canon 21 of this council mentions the practice of bringing the Eucharist to church every Sunday, suggesting a weekly celebration.
These sources, along with those mentioned earlier, provide a strong indication that weekly communion was a common practice in many early Christian communities. However, it’s important to remember that practices varied across different regions and time periods.