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86-510: The ceremony calls for five officers: a Priest, a Priestess, a Deacon, and two adult acolytes, called "the Children". The end of the ritual culminates in the consummation of the eucharist , consisting of a goblet of wine and a Cake of Light , after which the congregant proclaims "There is no part of me that is not of the gods!" Crowley published the text of the Gnostic Mass three times: in 1918 in

172-584: A central place in the lower face of the Tree of Life, much in the same manner that the Sun is at the center of the Solar System. It is not the center of the universe, as one could perhaps argue Kether to be, but rather it is the center of our local astronomical system. Nonetheless, it is the Sun that gives light and life, even though it did not create itself. Tiferet can be seen as a metaphor for these same attributes. Tiferet

258-705: A possible reference to the Eucharist as the Bread of Life . In the Gospel of John, however, the account of the Last Supper does not mention Jesus taking bread and "the cup" and speaking of them as his body and blood; instead, it recounts other events: his humble act of washing the disciples' feet, the prophecy of the betrayal, which set in motion the events that would lead to the cross, and his long discourse in response to some questions posed by his followers, in which he went on to speak of

344-832: A publication called The International, in 1919 in The Equinox (III:1) , and in 1929 in Magick in Theory and Practice . It was privately performed while Crowley was at the Abbey of Thelema in Sicily, Italy , and its first public performance was March 19, 1933 by Wilfred T. Smith and Regina Kahl in Hollywood, California at the first Agape Lodge. Crowley explains why he wrote the Gnostic Mass in his Confessions : While dealing with this subject I may as well outline its scope completely. Human nature demands (in

430-622: A range of views depending on churchmanship although the teaching in the Anglican Thirty-Nine Articles holds that the body of Christ is received by the faithful only in a heavenly and spiritual manner, a doctrine also taught in the Methodist Articles of Religion . Christians adhering to the theology of Memorialism , such as the Anabaptist Churches , do not believe in the concept of the real presence, believing that

516-524: A specific channel of divine grace but as an expression of faith and of obedience to Christ. In the Catholic Church the Eucharist is considered as a sacrament , according to the church the Eucharist is "the source and summit of the Christian life". "The other sacraments, and indeed all ecclesiastical ministries and works of the apostolate, are bound up with the Eucharist and are oriented toward it. For in

602-493: A way surpassing understanding , the Body and Blood of Christ". The Orthodox use various terms such as transelementation, but no explanation is official as they prefer to leave it a mystery. Lutherans believe Christ to be "truly and substantially present" with the bread and wine that are seen in the Eucharist, in a manner referred to as the sacramental union . They attribute the real presence of Jesus' living body to his word spoken in

688-513: Is a spiritual presence, while Anglo-Catholics hold to a corporeal presence. As a result of these different understandings, "the Eucharist has been a central issue in the discussions and deliberations of the ecumenical movement." The New Testament was originally written in the Greek language and the Greek noun εὐχαριστία ( eucharistia ), meaning "thanksgiving", appears a few times in it, while

774-560: Is contained within a great Veil, and sits on a dais with three steps. On either side of the High Altar are two pillars, countercharged in black and white. The Altar of Incense : to the West of the Dais is a black altar made of superimposed cubes. The Font : this is a small circular item which is able to contain or hold water. The Tomb : this is generally a small, enclosing space with an entrance that

860-697: Is covered by a veil. It should be big enough to hold the Priest, Deacon and the two Children. There are six component ceremonies within the Gnostic Mass: The congregation enters the temple, the Deacon presents the Law of Thelema, and the Gnostic Creed is recited. The Priestess and the Children enter from a side room. The Priestess raises the Priest from his Tomb, then purifies, consecrates, robes and crowns him. The Priestess

946-764: Is covered with a crimson cloth. It is situated in the East, or in the direction of Boleskine House —Crowley's former estate—on the shores of Loch Ness in Scotland ("Temple East"). The two-tiered super-altar sits on top of the High Altar. It all holds 22 candles, the Stele of Revealing , the Book of the Law , the Cup , and two bunches of roses. There is room for the Paten , and the Priestess to sit. The High Altar

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1032-456: Is enthroned at the High Altar and the veil is closed. The Priest circumambulates the temple and he ascends to the veil. The officers give their orations, including the Calendar by the Deacon. The Priest then opens the veil and kneels at the High Altar. Eleven prayers addressed to the Sun, Moon, Lord, Lady, Gnostic Saints , Earth, Principles, Birth, Marriage, Death, and The End. The preparation of

1118-497: Is present. The Catholic Church states that the Eucharist is the body and blood of Christ under the species of bread and wine. It maintains that by the consecration, the substances of the bread and wine actually become the substances of the body and blood of Jesus Christ ( transubstantiation ) while the appearances of the bread and wine remain unaltered (e.g. colour, taste, feel, and smell). The Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox churches agree that an objective change occurs of

1204-632: Is sent", the very last phrase of the service. That Latin word has come to imply "mission" as well because the congregation is sent out to serve Christ. At least in the Catholic Church, the Mass is a long rite in two parts: the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist . The former consists of readings from the Bible and a homily , or sermon, given by a priest or deacon. The latter, which follows seamlessly, includes

1290-761: Is that by which the rite is referred to in the Didache (a late 1st or early 2nd century document), by Ignatius of Antioch (who died between 98 and 117) and by Justin Martyr ( First Apology written between 155 and 157). Today, "the Eucharist" is the name still used by Eastern Orthodox , Oriental Orthodox , Catholics , Anglicans , Presbyterians , and Lutherans . Other Protestant denominations rarely use this term, preferring "Communion", "the Lord's Supper", "Remembrance", or "the Breaking of Bread". Latter-day Saints call it "

1376-524: Is the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Christ. Catholics believe that Jesus is the sacrificial Lamb of God prefigured in the Old Testament Passover . The flesh of that Passover sacrificial lamb was to be consumed by the family members. Any left overs were to be burned before daybreak so that none of the Passover Lamb's flesh remained. Only by marking the doorposts and lintel of one's home with

1462-400: Is the force that integrates the sefira of Chesed ("Kindness") and Gevurah ("Strength", also called Din, "Judgement"). These two forces are, respectively, expansive (giving) and restrictive (receiving). Either of them without the other could not manifest the flow of Divine energy; they must be balanced in perfect proportion by balancing compassion with discipline. This balance can be seen in

1548-462: Is the sixth sefira in the kabbalistic Tree of Life . It has the common association of " Spirituality ", " Balance ", " Integration ", " Beauty ", " Miracles ", and " Compassion ". In the Bahir it states: "Sixth is the adorned, glorious, delightful throne of glory, the house of the world to come. Its place is engraved in wisdom as it says 'God said: Let there be light, and there was light.'" Tiferet

1634-612: Is unique amongst the Sephirot as it is connected to all the other Sephirot (except Malkuth) via the subjective paths, be they conscious or less conscious. Its position down the center between Keter and Yesod indicates to many Kabbalists that it is somewhat of a "converting" Sephirot between form (Yesod) and force (Keter). In other words, all crossing over the middle path via Tiferet results in a reversed polarity. The law of conservation, valid both for energy and mass, tends to corroborate this – in all cases of energy transmutation, as it may happen in

1720-788: Is used in Byzantine Rite traditions, whether in the Eastern Orthodox Church or among the Eastern Catholic Churches . These also speak of "the Divine Mysteries", especially in reference to the consecrated elements, which they also call "the Holy Gifts". The term Divine Service ( German : Gottesdienst ) has often been used to refer to Christian worship more generally and is still used in Lutheran churches , in addition to

1806-509: The Agape feast (or love feast), the shared communal meal with which the Eucharist was originally associated. The Agape feast is mentioned in Jude 12 but "The Lord's Supper" is now commonly used in reference to a celebration involving no food other than the sacramental bread and wine. The Didache (Greek: Διδαχή , "teaching") is an Early Church treatise that includes instructions for baptism and

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1892-637: The Eucharist . Of the Anthem, Crowley writes in Confessions : During this period [i.e. around 1913] the full interpretation of the central mystery of freemasonry became clear in consciousness, and I expressed it in dramatic form in The Ship . The lyrical climax is in some respects my supreme achievement in invocation; in fact, the chorus beginning: "Thou who art I beyond all I am..." seemed to me worthy to be introduced as

1978-564: The Gospel of John does not reference the Last Supper explicitly, some argue that it contains theological allusions to the early Christian celebration of the Eucharist, especially in the chapter 6 Bread of Life Discourse but also in other passages. In the synoptic Gospels, Mark 14:22–25, Matthew 26:26–29 and Luke 22:13–20 depict Jesus as presiding over the Last Supper prior to his crucifixion. The versions in Matthew and Mark are almost identical, but

2064-475: The substances of the bread and wine actually become the substances of the body and blood of Christ ( transubstantiation ) while the appearances or "species" of the bread and wine remain unaltered (e.g. colour, taste, feel, and smell). This change is brought about in the eucharistic prayer through the efficacy of the word of Christ and by the action of the Holy Spirit. The Eucharistic presence of Christ begins at

2150-584: The " Offering " of the bread and wine at the altar, their consecration by the priest through prayer, and their reception by the congregation in Holy Communion. Among the many other terms used in the Catholic Church are "Holy Mass", "the Memorial of the Passion, Death and Resurrection of the Lord", the "Holy Sacrifice of the Mass", and the "Holy Mysteries". The term Divine Liturgy ( Ancient Greek : Θεία Λειτουργία )

2236-966: The Blood of the Lamb were the members of the household saved from death. The consumption of the Lamb was not to save them but rather to give them energy for the journey of escape (Exodus = escape from slavery in Egypt) as was also true for the unleavened bread ( Exodus 12:3–13 ) As the Passover was the Old Covenant , so the Eucharist became the New Covenant . ( Matthew 26:26–28 , Mark 14:22–24 , Luke 22: 19–20 , and John 6:48–58 ) Tiphareth [REDACTED] Tiferet ( Hebrew : תִּפְאֶרֶת Tip̄ʾereṯ, in pausa: תִּפְאָרֶת Tip̄ʾāreṯ , lit. 'beauty, glory, adornment') alternatively Tifaret , Tiphareth , Tifereth or Tiphereth ,

2322-508: The Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus which he instituted to perpetuate the sacrifice of the cross throughout the ages until his return in glory." "When the Church celebrates the Eucharist, she commemorates Christ's Passover, and it is made present the sacrifice Christ offered once for all on the cross remains ever present. [...] The Eucharist is thus a sacrifice because it re-presents (makes present)

2408-598: The Corinthian banquet is powerful and interesting; but to be an actual name for the Christian meal, rather than a meaningful phrase connected with an ephemeral rhetorical contrast, it would have to have some history, previous or subsequent. Nevertheless, given its existence in the biblical text, "Lord's Supper" came into use after the Protestant Reformation and remains the predominant term among Evangelicals , such as Baptists and Pentecostals . They also refer to

2494-501: 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. [...] Let that be deemed a proper Eucharist, which is [administered] either by the bishop, or by one to whom he has entrusted it. Take heed, then, to have but one Eucharist. For there is one flesh of our Lord Jesus Christ, and one cup to [show forth ]

2580-470: The Eucharist contains the true, historical body of Jesus Christ. According to Paschasius, God is truth itself, and therefore, his words and actions must be true. Christ's proclamation at the Last Supper that the bread and wine were his body and blood must be taken literally, since God is truth. He thus believes that the transubstantiation of the bread and wine offered in the Eucharist really occurs. Only if

2666-527: The Eucharist is only a ceremonial remembrance or memorial of the death of Christ. The Baptism, Eucharist and Ministry document of the World Council of Churches , attempting to present the common understanding of the Eucharist on the part of the generality of Christians, describes it as "essentially the sacrament of the gift which God makes to us in Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit", "Thanksgiving to

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2752-475: The Eucharist is the actual body and blood of Christ can a Christian know it is salvific. The concept of the Jews both destroying and partaking in some perverted version of the Eucharist has been a vessel to promote anti-Judaism and anti-Jewish ideology and violence. In medieval times, Jews were often depicted stabbing or in some other way physically harming communion wafers. These characterizations drew parallels to

2838-478: The Eucharist, bread , either leavened or unleavened , and wine (non-alcoholic grape juice in some Protestant traditions), are consecrated on an altar or a communion table and consumed thereafter. The consecrated elements are the end product of the Eucharistic Prayer . Christians generally recognize a special presence of Christ in this rite, though they differ about exactly how, where, and when Christ

2924-410: The Eucharist, and not to the faith of those receiving it. They also believe that "forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation" are given through the words of Christ in the Eucharist to those who believe his words ("given and shed for you"). Reformed Christians also believe Christ to be present in the Eucharist, but describe this presence as a spiritual presence , not a physical one. Anglicans adhere to

3010-512: The Eucharist. Most scholars date it to the late 1st century, and distinguish in it two separate Eucharistic traditions, the earlier tradition in chapter 10 and the later one preceding it in chapter 9. The Eucharist is mentioned again in chapter 14. Ignatius of Antioch (born c.  35 or 50 , died between 98 and 117), one of the Apostolic Fathers, mentions the Eucharist as "the flesh of our Saviour Jesus Christ": They abstain from

3096-634: The Father", "Anamnesis or Memorial of Christ", "the sacrament of the unique sacrifice of Christ, who ever lives to make intercession for us", "the sacrament of the body and blood of Christ, the sacrament of his real presence ", "Invocation of the Spirit", "Communion of the Faithful", and "Meal of the Kingdom". Many Christian denominations classify the Eucharist as a sacrament . Some Protestants (though not all) prefer to instead call it an ordinance , viewing it not as

3182-746: The Fire of every star and the Life in every person. The Deacon leads the congregation to rise and he delivers the Calendar . The Priest takes his third and final step before the Veil, invoking Ra-Hoor-Khuit, the Crowned and Conquering Child of the New Aeon. With his Lance, he parts the Veil, revealing the Priestess who sits (typically naked) upon the High Altar. He greets her with the masculine powers of Pan and she returns it with eleven kisses on

3268-404: The Gospel of Luke presents a textual difference, in that a few manuscripts omit the second half of verse 19 and all of verse 20 ("given for you […] poured out for you"), which are found in the vast majority of ancient witnesses to the text. If the shorter text is the original one, then Luke's account is independent of both that of Paul and that of Matthew/Mark. If the majority longer text comes from

3354-542: The Lance. He kneels in adoration. The Deacon then recites the eleven Collects, which include the Sun, Moon, Lord, Lady, Saints, Earth, Principles, Birth, Marriage, Death, and the End. The Elements are then consecrated by the Virtue of the Lance, transforming the bread into the Body of God and the wine into the Blood of God. Of these, the Priest makes a symbolic offering to On, being our Lord

3440-589: The New Covenant who, acting through the ministry of the priests, offers the Eucharistic sacrifice. And it is the same Christ, really present under the species of bread and wine, who is the offering of the Eucharistic sacrifice." According to the Catholic Church Jesus Christ is present in the Eucharist in a true, real and substantial way, with his body, blood, soul and divinity. By the consecration ,

3526-404: The People), while the Priest takes the first step upon the Dais before the Veil. In this symbolic crossing of the Abyss , the Priest begins with his first oration, invoking Nuit , the goddess of the infinite night sky. The Priestess calls to him as Nuit, enticing the Priest to ascend to her. He then takes the second step, and identifies as Hadit, the infinitely condensed center of all things —

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3612-405: The Priest. Afterwards, the Priest encloses the Priestess within the Veil, and delivers the final benediction: + The LORD bless you. + The LORD enlighten your minds and comfort your hearts and sustain your bodies. + The LORD bring you to the accomplishment of your true Wills , the Great Work , the Summum Bonum, True Wisdom and Perfect Happiness. The Priest, Deacon, and Children then retire to

3698-416: The Priestess depress it into the Cup, crying "Hriliu" (which Crowley translated as "the shrill scream of orgasm"). The Priest entreats Baphomet—"O Lion and O Serpent"—to be "mighty among us." He then declares the Law of Thelema to the People—"Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law"—who respond with "Love is the law, love under will." He finally partakes of the Eucharist with the words, "In my mouth be

3784-428: The Sacrament ". In the First Epistle to the Corinthians Paul uses the term "Lord's Supper", in Greek Κυριακὸν δεῖπνον ( Kyriakon deipnon ), in the early 50s of the 1st century: When you come together, it is not the Lord's Supper you eat, for as you eat, each of you goes ahead without waiting for anybody else. One remains hungry, another gets drunk. So Paul's use of the term "Lord's Supper" in reference to

3870-412: The Sun. The Priest and all the People then recite the Anthem. The Priest blesses the Elements in the name of the Lord, and also states the essential function of the entire operation, which is to bestow health, wealth, strength, joy, peace, and the perpetual happiness that is the successful fulfillment of will. He breaks off a piece of one of the hosts, and, placing it on the tip of the Lance, both he and

3956-457: The Tomb and return the torn veil. The People exit. Eucharist The Eucharist ( / ˈ juː k ər ɪ s t / YOO -kər-ist ; from Koinē Greek : εὐχαριστία , romanized:  evcharistía , lit.   ' thanksgiving ' ), also called Holy Communion , the Blessed Sacrament or the Lord's Supper , is a Christian rite , considered a sacrament in most churches and an ordinance in others. Christians believe that

4042-405: The anthem into the Ritual of the Gnostic Catholic Church. The Eucharist is perfected and consumed. The Priest gives the final benediction. The Priest, Deacon, and Children exit. The People exit. The People enter into the ritual space, where the Deacon stands at the Altar of Incense (symbolic of Tiphareth on the Tree of Life ). She takes the Book of the Law and places it on the super-altar within

4128-505: The author of the third gospel, then this version is very similar to that of Paul in 1 Corinthians, being somewhat fuller in its description of the early part of the Supper, particularly in making specific mention of a cup being blessed before the bread was broken. In the one prayer given to posterity by Jesus, the Lord's Prayer , the word epiousion —which is otherwise unknown in Classical Greek literature—was interpreted by some early Christian writers as meaning "super-substantial", and hence

4214-415: The belief that blood is efficacious, meaning it has some sort of divine power. Most Christians, even those who deny that there is any real change in the elements used, recognize a special presence of Christ in this rite. However, Christians differ about exactly how, where and how long Christ is present in it. Catholicism , Eastern Orthodoxy , Oriental Orthodoxy , and the Church of the East teach that

4300-410: The blessed Eucharist is contained the whole spiritual good of the Church, namely Christ himself, our Pasch." ("Pasch" is a word that sometimes means Easter, sometimes Passover.) In the Eucharist the same sacrifice that Jesus made only once on the cross is believed to be made present at every Mass. According to Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church , "The Eucharist is the very sacrifice of

4386-456: The bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ. Lutherans believe the true body and blood of Christ are really present "in, with, and under" the forms of the bread and wine, known as the sacramental union . Reformed Christians believe in a real spiritual presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Anglican eucharistic theologies universally affirm the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist , though Evangelical Anglicans believe that this

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4472-521: The bread'; in later liturgical Greek also ἀρτοκλασία artoklasia ) appears in various related forms five times in the New Testament in contexts which, according to some, may refer to the celebration of the Eucharist, in either closer or symbolically more distant reference to the Last Supper. This term is used by the Plymouth Brethren . The " Blessed Sacrament ", the "Sacrament of the Altar", and other variations, are common terms used by Catholics, Lutherans and some Anglicans ( Anglo-Catholics ) for

4558-412: The breaking of the bread does not divide Christ." The Catholic Church sees as the main basis for this belief the words of Jesus himself at his Last Supper: the synoptic Gospels and Paul's recount that Jesus at the time of taking the bread and the cup said: "This is my body […] this is my blood." The Catholic understanding of these words, from the Patristic authors onward, has emphasized their roots in

4644-536: The case of most people) the satisfaction of the religious instinct, and, to very many, this may best be done by ceremonial means. I wished therefore to construct a ritual through which people might enter into ecstasy as they have always done under the influence of appropriate ritual. In recent years, there has been an increasing failure to attain this object, because the established cults shock their intellectual convictions and outrage their common sense. Thus their minds criticize their enthusiasm; they are unable to consummate

4730-406: The celebration of the Mass or outside it, is the worship of latria , that is, the adoration given to God alone."" The Blessed Sacrament can be exposed (displayed) on an altar in a monstrance . Rites involving the exposure of the Blessed Sacrament include Benediction and eucharistic adoration . According to Catholic theology , the host, after the Rite of Consecration, is no longer bread, but

4816-430: The consecrated elements, particularly when reserved in a tabernacle . In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints the term " The Sacrament " is used of the rite. The term " Mass " is used in the Catholic Church , the Lutheran churches (especially the Churches of Sweden , Norway and Finland ), and by some Anglicans. It derives from the Latin word missa , a dismissal: " Ite missa est ", or "go, it

4902-411: The consecration of the bread and wine there takes place a change of the whole substance of the bread into the substance of the body of Christ and of the whole substance of the wine into the substance of his blood. This change the holy Catholic Church has fittingly and properly called transubstantiation ." The church holds that the body and blood of Jesus can no longer be truly separated. Where one is,

4988-455: The covenantal history of the Old Testament. The interpretation of Christ's words against this Old Testament background coheres with and supports belief in the Real presence of Christ in the Eucharist . According to the Catholic Church doctrine receiving the Eucharist in a state of mortal sin is a sacrilege and only those who are in a state of grace, that is, without any mortal sin, can receive it. Based on 1 Corinthians 11:27–29, it affirms

5074-538: The earliest recorded description of Jesus' Last Supper: "The Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, 'This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.'" The Greek word used in the passage for 'remembrance' is ἀνάμνησιν ( anamnesis ), which itself has a much richer theological history than the English word "remember". The expression "The Lord's Supper", derived from Paul 's usage in 1 Corinthians 11:17–34, may have originally referred to

5160-406: The essence of the life of the Sun" (with the Host) and "In my mouth be the essence of the joy of the earth" (with the Wine). He turns to the People and declares, "There is no part of me that is not of the Gods." The People then follow in Communication, one at a time, much as the Priest did, by partaking of a whole goblet of wine and a Cake of Light . They make the same proclamation of godhood as did

5246-427: The following: "Anyone who is aware of having committed a mortal sin must not receive Holy Communion, even if he experiences deep contrition, without having first received sacramental absolution , unless he has a grave reason for receiving Communion and there is no possibility of going to confession." Since the Eucharist is the body and blood of Christ, "the worship due to the sacrament of the Eucharist, whether during

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5332-481: The food which is blessed by the prayer of His word, and from which our blood and flesh by transmutation are nourished, is the flesh and blood of that Jesus who was made flesh. Paschasius Radbertus (785–865) was a Carolingian theologian, and the abbot of Corbie , whose best-known and influential work is an exposition on the nature of the Eucharist written around 831, entitled De Corpore et Sanguine Domini . In it, Paschasius agrees with St Ambrose in affirming that

5418-444: The golden Uraeus serpent of wisdom. Finally, she gently strokes his Lance eleven times, invoking the Lord. The Priest lifts up the Virgin and takes her to the High Altar, seating her "upon the summit of the Earth." After he purifies and consecrates her, he closes the Veil and circumambulates the temple three times, followed by the remaining officers. They take their place before the Altar of Incense, kneeling in adoration (along with all

5504-458: The great Veil, and proclaims the Law of Thelema in the name of IAO. Returning, she leads the People in the Gnostic Creed, which announces a belief (or value) in the Lord, the Sun, Chaos , Air, Babalon , Baphomet , the Gnostic Catholic Church , the communion of Saints, the Miracle of the Mass (i.e. the Eucharist ), as well as confessions of their birth as incarnate beings and the eternal cycle of their individual lives. The Virgin then enters with

5590-401: The idea that the Jews killed Christ; murdering this transubstantiation or "host" was thought of as a repetition of the event. Jewish people's eagerness to destroy hosts were also a variation of blood libel charges, with Jews being accused of murdering bodies of Christ, whether they be communion wafers or Christian children. The blood libel charges and the concept of Eucharist are also related in

5676-418: The importance of the unity of the disciples with him, with each other, and with God. Some would find in this unity and in the washing of the feet the deeper meaning of the Communion bread in the other three Gospels. In John 6:26–65, a long discourse is attributed to Jesus that deals with the subject of the living bread; John 6:51–59 also contains echoes of Eucharistic language. 1 Corinthians 11:23–25 gives

5762-451: The masculine counterpart of the feminine sefira Malkuth . In certain contexts, Tiferet alone represents all the sefirot of Zer Anpin, so that the entire tree appears with only five sefirot: Keter , Chochmah , Binah , Tiferet, and Malkhut. In both the Jewish and Hermetic trees of life, Tiferet has eight paths, leading (counterclockwise) to Keter (through Daat ), Binah, Gevurah, Hod, Yesod, Netsach, Chesed, and Chokmah. Tiferet can be also

5848-468: The moment of the consecration and endures as long as the Eucharistic species subsist, that is, until the Eucharist is digested, physically destroyed, or decays by some natural process (at which point, theologian Thomas Aquinas argued, the substance of the bread and wine cannot return). The Fourth Council of the Lateran in 1215 spoke of the bread and wine as "transubstantiated" into the body and blood of Christ: "His body and blood are truly contained in

5934-455: The most materialistic man of science. On the surface this may sound difficult; but in practice I found it perfectly simple to combine the most rigidly rational conceptions of phenomena with the most exalted and enthusiastic celebration of their sublimity. There are four main pieces of furniture in a Gnostic Mass temple: The High Altar : the dimensions are 7 feet (2.1 m) long by 3 feet (0.91 m) wide by 44 inches (1,100 mm) high. It

6020-443: The observance as an ordinance rather than a sacrament. Use of the term Communion (or Holy Communion ) to refer to the Eucharistic rite began by some groups originating in the Protestant Reformation . Others, such as the Catholic Church, do not formally use this term for the rite, but instead mean by it the act of partaking of the consecrated elements; they speak of receiving Holy Communion at Mass or outside of it, they also use

6106-404: The other must be. Therefore, although the priest (or extraordinary minister of Holy Communion ) says "The Body of Christ" when administering the Host and "The Blood of Christ" when presenting the chalice, the communicant who receives either one receives Christ, whole and entire. "Christ is present whole and entire in each of the species and whole and entire in each of their parts, in such a way that

6192-400: The planetary/astrological correspondence of Tiferet is the sun. The qlippa of Tiferet is represented by the demonic order Thagirion. The symbol associated with this sphere is a majestic King. Tiferet also occupies a place on the middle pillar and can be seen as a lower reflection of Kether, as well as a higher reflection of Yesod and Malkuth. Tiferet relates to the Sun, and as such, it takes

6278-400: The reality (the "substance") of the elements of bread and wine is wholly changed into the body and blood of Jesus Christ, while the appearances (the "species") remain. Transubstantiation ("change of the substance") is the term used by Catholics to denote what is changed, not to explain how the change occurs, since the Catholic Church teaches that "the signs of bread and wine become, in

6364-512: The related Greek verb εὐχαριστήσας is found several times in New Testament accounts of the Last Supper, including the earliest such account: For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks ( εὐχαριστήσας ), he broke it, and said, "This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me". The term eucharistia (thanksgiving)

6450-487: The rite was instituted by Jesus at the Last Supper , the night before his crucifixion , giving his disciples bread and wine. Passages in the New Testament state that he commanded them to "do this in memory of me" while referring to the bread as "my body" and the cup of wine as "the blood of my covenant, which is poured out for many". According to the synoptic Gospels this was at a Passover meal. The elements of

6536-453: The role of Tiferet, wherein the conflicting forces are harmonized, and creation flowers forth. Tiferet also similarly balances Netzach and Hod. In that case, Hod can be seen as the intellect whereas Netzach is seen as emotion. The Name of God associated with Tiferet is Adonay Eloah. The Archangel of this sphere is Raphael . Malakhim (messengers) are the Angelic order associated with Tiferet, and

6622-475: The sacrament of the altar under the forms of bread and wine, the bread and wine having been transubstantiated, by God's power, into his body and blood". In 1551, the Council of Trent definitively declared: "Because Christ our Redeemer said that it was truly his body that he was offering under the species of bread, it has always been the conviction of the Church of God, and this holy Council now declares again that by

6708-418: The same and only sacrifice offered once for all on the cross" The sacrifice of Christ and the sacrifice of the Eucharist are considered as one single sacrifice: "The victim is one and the same: the same now offers through the ministry of priests, who then offered himself on the cross; only the manner of offering is different." In the holy sacrifice of the Mass, "it is Christ himself, the eternal high priest of

6794-677: The term prosphora (from the Greek προσφορά ) is common in Coptic Christianity and Keddase in Ethiopian and Eritrean Christianity . The Last Supper appears in all three synoptic Gospels : Matthew , Mark , and Luke . It also is found in the First Epistle to the Corinthians , which suggests how early Christians celebrated what Paul the Apostle called the Lord's Supper. Although

6880-470: The term First Communion when one receives the Eucharist for the first time. The term Communion is derived from Latin communio ("sharing in common"), translated from the Greek κοινωνία ( koinōnía ) in 1 Corinthians 10:16: The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? The phrase κλάσις τοῦ ἄρτου ( klasis tou artou , 'breaking of

6966-592: The terms "Eucharist", "Mass" and "Holy Communion". Historically this refers (like the term "worship" itself) to service of God, although more recently it has been associated with the idea that God is serving the congregants in the liturgy. Some Eastern rites have yet more names for the Eucharist. Holy Qurbana is common in Syriac Christianity and Badarak in the Armenian Rite ; in the Alexandrian Rite ,

7052-413: The things which we teach are true, and who has been washed with the washing that is for the remission of sins, and unto regeneration, and who is so living as Christ has enjoined. For not as common bread and common drink do we receive these; but in like manner as Jesus Christ our Saviour, having been made flesh by the Word of God, had both flesh and blood for our salvation, so likewise have we been taught that

7138-400: The transmission of gifts and goods from parents to their children, a sacrifice is necessary so a new form may be born. Tiferet is the middle of the tree. Five Sefirot surround it: above are Chesed at the right (south) and Gevurah at the left (north), and below are Netzach at the right, Hod at the left, and Yesod directly below. Together these six are a single entity, Zer Anpin , which is

7224-753: The two Children, and greets the People. She moves in a serpentine manner around the Altar of Incense and the Font (symbolizing the unwinding of the Kundalini Serpent which is twined around the base of the spine) before stopping at the Tomb. She tears down the veil with her Sword, and raises the Priest to life by the power of Iron, the Sun, and the Lord. He is lustrated and consecrated with the four elements (water and earth, fire and air), and then invested with his scarlet Robe and crowned with

7310-436: The union of their individual souls with the universal soul as a bridegroom would be to consummate his marriage if his love were constantly reminded that its assumptions were intellectually absurd. I resolved that my Ritual should celebrate the sublimity of the operation of universal forces without introducing disputable metaphysical theories. I would neither make nor imply any statement about nature which would not be endorsed by

7396-470: The unity of His blood; one altar; as there is one bishop, along with the presbytery and deacons, my fellow-servants: that so, whatsoever you do, you may do it according to [the will of] God. Justin Martyr (born c.  100 , died c.  165 ) mentions in this regard: And this food is called among us Εὐχαριστία [the Eucharist], of which no one is allowed to partake but the man who believes that

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