Words of Institution

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Part of the series on
Communion

also known as
"The Eucharist" or
"The Lord's Supper"

Theology

Transubstantiation
Consecration
Words of Institution
Real Presence
Impanation
Memorialism
Consubstantiation
Sacramental Union
Transignification

Theologies contrasted
Eucharist (Catholic Church)
Anglican Eucharistic theology

Important theologians
Paul ·Aquinas
Augustine · Calvin
Chrysostom · Cranmer
Luther · Zwingli

Related Articles
Christianity
Christianity and alcohol
Catholic Historic Roots
Closed and Open Table
Divine Liturgy
Eucharistic adoration
Eucharistic discipline
First Communion
Infant Communion
Mass · Sacrament
Sanctification

The Words of Institution are those of Jesus Christ at his Last Supper, used in the Christian liturgy of the Eucharist. The Words of Institution are sometimes referred to as the verba by eucharistic scholars.

The Words of Institution are present in almost all known liturgies of the Christian church, and the most common formulation is combination of the texts from the Gospels of Mark, Matthew and Luke and the Pauline form, as recorded in 1 Corinthians 11:23-26.

Contents

[edit] Roman Catholic Church

Main article: Eucharist (Catholic Church)

The Words of Institution are presented in the present English translation of the Roman Missal in the form given in the following italicized text. The distinction here made by bolding is not found in the Missal.

Take this, all of you, and eat it:
this is my body which will be given up for you.
Take this, all of you, and drink from it:
this is the cup of my blood,
the blood of the new and everlasting covenant.
It will be shed for you and for all
so that sins may be forgiven.
Do this in memory of me.

From the time of Peter Lombard on, the prevailing theology of the Catholic Church considered the words in bold above to be on their own the necessary and sufficient "sacramental form" of the Eucharist. This, however, was never the Church's defined doctrine, and does not appear, for instance, in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Especially since the publication of the 17 January 2001 decision by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in favour of the validity of the Anaphora of Addai and Mari, which is the oldest Eucharistic Prayer still in use, and which does not contain the Words of Institution in explicit form. Attention is given to the rite as a whole, not just to a few words within it, although these words or their equivalent are considered to be essential.

The theology of the ancient Eastern Churches generally believes the Epiclesis also to be the central portion of the sacramental form, relegating the verba to secondary. This is a reflection of the differences in the underlying soteriologies.

[edit] Eastern Christian Churches

In the Eastern Orthodox and Greek-Catholic Churches, the Words of Institution are the only portion of the Anaphora that are spoken aloud by the priest.

The specific words spoken by the priest differ, depending upon which form of the Divine Liturgy is being celebrated:

  • Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom:

For the bread: "Take, eat: this is My Body, which is broken for you for the remission of sins."

For the wine: "Drink of it, all of you: this is My Blood of the New Testament, which is shed for you and for many, for the remission of sins."

  • Liturgy of St. Basil the Great:

For the bread: "He gave it to His holy disciples and aposltes, saying: 'Take, eat: this is My Body, which is broken for you for the remission of sins.'"

For the wine: "He gave it to His holy disciples and apostles, saying: 'Drink of it, all of you: this is My Blood of the New Testament, which is shed for you and for many, for the remission of sins.'"

Orthodox Christians do not interpret the Words of Institution to be the moment the "Holy Gifts" (bread and wine) are changed into the Body and Blood of Christ. In fact, they do not define a specific moment of change; however, they uderstand the process to be completed (perfected) at the Epiclesis (the calling-down of the Holy Spirit upon the Gifts.

The Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts does not contain the Words of Institution, since it is acutally a Vespers service at which the faithful receive from the Reserved Mysteries (Sacrament) which were Consecrated the Sunday before (hence the name: "Pre-sanctified").

[edit] Protestant Churches

Protestant Churches generally, with the exception of the Anglican Communion, rely exclusively on the words of St. Paul as recorded in 1 Corinthians 11:23-26. (ESV):

"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, he broke it, and said, 'This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.'
In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.'
For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes."

Protestantism has typically utilized the words of institution as a central part of its Eucharistic liturgy, though precise traditions vary by denomination. The debate over the force and literalness of the words of institution underlies the arguments between consubstantiation and transubstantiation. Most of the established churches in the Protestant tradition employ a mirroring of Paul's words surrounding the words of institution, while most of the Congregationalist churches (the Baptist Church, Presbyterian Church, and other post Calvinist churches) will use the words themselves without the full citation of Paul's wording.

Current trends in Methodist thought would require both the verba and an epiclesis for a Prayer of Thanksgiving, which bridges Western and Eastern thought.

[edit] External links

[edit] References

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