The epiclesis (also spelled epiklesis; from grc, ἐπίκλησις "surname" or "invocation")
refers to the
invocation
An invocation (from the Latin verb ''invocare'' "to call on, invoke, to give") may take the form of:
*Supplication, prayer or spell.
*A form of possession.
* Command or conjuration.
* Self-identification with certain spirits.
These forms a ...
of one or several gods. In
ancient Greek religion
Religious practices in ancient Greece encompassed a collection of beliefs, rituals, and mythology, in the form of both popular public religion and cult practices. The application of the modern concept of "religion" to ancient cultures has bee ...
, the epiclesis was the
epithet
An epithet (, ), also byname, is a descriptive term (word or phrase) known for accompanying or occurring in place of a name and having entered common usage. It has various shades of meaning when applied to seemingly real or fictitious people, di ...
used as the surname given to a deity in religious contexts. The term was borrowed into the Christian tradition, where it designates the part of the
Anaphora (Eucharistic Prayer) by which the
priest
A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...
invokes the
Holy Spirit
In Judaism, the Holy Spirit is the divine force, quality, and influence of God over the Universe or over his creatures. In Nicene Christianity, the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost is the third person of the Trinity. In Islam, the Holy Spirit acts ...
(or the power of God's blessing) upon the Eucharistic bread and wine in some
Christian church
In ecclesiology, the Christian Church is what different Christian denominations conceive of as being the true body of Christians or the original institution established by Jesus. "Christian Church" has also been used in academia as a synonym f ...
es. In most
Eastern Christian
Eastern Christianity comprises Christian traditions and church families that originally developed during classical and late antiquity in Eastern Europe, Southeastern Europe, Asia Minor, the Caucasus, Northeast Africa, the Fertile Crescent and ...
traditions, the Epiclesis comes after the
Anamnesis (remembrance of Jesus' words and deeds); in the
Western Rite it usually precedes. In the historic practice of the
Western Christian Churches, the consecration is effected at the
Words of Institution
The Words of Institution (also called the Words of Consecration) are words echoing those of Jesus himself at his Last Supper that, when consecrating bread and wine, Christian Eucharistic liturgies include in a narrative of that event. Eucharisti ...
though during the rise of the
Liturgical Movement, many denominations introduced an explicit epiclesis in their liturgies.
Ancient Greece
The
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic p ...
term ''epíklēsis'' (ἐπίκλησις; literally 'calling upon') can be translated as 'surname, additional name', or as 'invocation, appeal'.
In
ancient Greek religion
Religious practices in ancient Greece encompassed a collection of beliefs, rituals, and mythology, in the form of both popular public religion and cult practices. The application of the modern concept of "religion" to ancient cultures has bee ...
, the epiclesis was used as the surname that was associated with a deity during religious
invocations
An invocation (from the Latin verb ''invocare'' "to call on, invoke, to give") may take the form of:
*Supplication, prayer or spell.
*A form of possession.
*Command or conjuration.
*Self-identification with certain spirits.
These forms are d ...
, in contrast to the more general term 'epithet' (ἐπίθετον), which is used in poetic contexts. In the 2nd century AD, the Greek geographer
Pausanias used the term 'epiclesis' to designate the appellation under which a deity was honoured in specific places or occasions.
Christianity
Eastern churches
In the
Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
, the
Words of Institution
The Words of Institution (also called the Words of Consecration) are words echoing those of Jesus himself at his Last Supper that, when consecrating bread and wine, Christian Eucharistic liturgies include in a narrative of that event. Eucharisti ...
are considered to be the moment of
Transubstantiation
Transubstantiation (Latin: ''transubstantiatio''; Greek: μετουσίωσις '' metousiosis'') is, according to the teaching of the Catholic Church, "the change of the whole substance of bread into the substance of the Body of Christ and of ...
(when, according to religious tradition, the
eucharistic elements
The Liturgy of Preparation, also Prothesis ( grc-gre, Πρόθεσις, , a setting forth) or Proskomedia ( 'an offering, an oblation'), is the name given in the Eastern Orthodox Churchand those Eastern Catholic Churches which follow the Byzantin ...
would change from bread and wine into the
actual Body and Blood of Christ). In 2001, in the Ponitifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity on admission to the Eucharist between
Chaldean Catholic Church
, native_name_lang = syc
, image = Assyrian Church.png
, imagewidth = 200px
, alt =
, caption = Cathedral of Our Lady of Sorrows Baghdad, Iraq
, abbreviation =
, type ...
and
Assyrian Church of the East
The Assyrian Church of the East,, ar, كنيسة المشرق الآشورية sometimes called Church of the East, officially the Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East,; ar, كنيسة المشرق الآشورية الرسول ...
issued a statement stating that the Words of Institution are dispersed euchologically in
Liturgy of Addai and Mari, wherein the words are stated not in immediate sequence but throughout the Liturgy. The Eastern Orthodox Churches hold the Epiclesis is believed to be the moment at which this change is completed. However, the actual process of change is not considered to begin at this moment, but begins with the
Liturgy of Preparation—it is merely completed at the Epiclesis.
In the 20th century, when
Western Rite Orthodox
Western Rite Orthodoxy, also called Western Orthodoxy or the Orthodox Western Rite, are congregations within the Eastern Orthodox tradition which perform their liturgy in Western forms.
Besides altered versions of the Tridentine Mass, congreg ...
parishes began to be established, liturgies were derived from Catholic
Latin liturgical rites
Latin liturgical rites, or Western liturgical rites, are Catholic rites of public worship employed by the Latin Church, the largest particular church '' sui iuris'' of the Catholic Church, that originated in Europe where the Latin language once ...
and
Anglican ''
Book of Common Prayer
The ''Book of Common Prayer'' (BCP) is the name given to a number of related prayer books used in the Anglican Communion and by other Christianity, Christian churches historically related to Anglicanism. The original book, published in 1549 ...
''. These liturgies saw a "stronger" Epiclesis inserted, as to better align them with the Byzantine liturgy.
Liturgy of Addai and Mari
In its pure form, the ancient anaphora of the
Divine Liturgy of Addai and Mari
The Liturgy of Addai and Mari (or the ''Holy Qurbana of Mar Addai and Mar Mari'') is the Eucharistic liturgy belonging to the East Syriac Rite and was historically used in the Church of the East of the Sasanian Empire, Sasanian (Persian) Empir ...
used in the
Church of the East
The Church of the East ( syc, ܥܕܬܐ ܕܡܕܢܚܐ, ''ʿĒḏtā d-Maḏenḥā'') or the East Syriac Church, also called the Church of Seleucia-Ctesiphon, the Persian Church, the Assyrian Church, the Babylonian Church or the Nestorian C ...
(
East Syriac Rite
The East Syriac Rite or East Syrian Rite, also called the Edessan Rite, Assyrian Rite, Persian Rite, Chaldean Rite, Nestorian Rite, Babylonian Rite or Syro-Oriental Rite, is an Eastern Christian liturgical rite that employs the Divine Liturg ...
) does include an epiclesis. It does not use the
Words of Institution
The Words of Institution (also called the Words of Consecration) are words echoing those of Jesus himself at his Last Supper that, when consecrating bread and wine, Christian Eucharistic liturgies include in a narrative of that event. Eucharisti ...
, although they appear directly and indirectly in other parts of the rite (and is therefore considered to be implicit).
:''Priest:'' We too, my Lord, your feeble, unworthy, and miserable servants who are gathered in your name and stand before you at this hour, and have received by tradition the example which is from you, while rejoicing, glorifying, exalting, and commemorating, perform this great, fearful, holy, life-giving, and divine Mystery of the passion, death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
:And may there come, O my Lord, your Holy Spirit, and may he rest upon this oblation of your servants. May he bless it and hallow it, and may it be for us, O my Lord, for the pardon of debts, the forgiveness of sins, the great hope of resurrection from the dead, and for new life in the kingdom of heaven with all who have been well-pleasing before you. And for all this great and marvelous dispensation towards us we will give thanks to you and praise you without ceasing in your church, which is saved by the precious blood of your Christ.
Liturgy of St. James
In the
Liturgy of Saint James
The Liturgy of Saint James is a form of Christian liturgy used by some Eastern Christians of the Byzantine rite and West Syriac Rite. It is developed from an ancient Egyptian form of the Basilean anaphoric family, and is influenced by the traditi ...
, according to the form in which it is celebrated on the island of
Zakynthos
Zakynthos (also spelled Zakinthos; el, Ζάκυνθος, Zákynthos ; it, Zacinto ) or Zante (, , ; el, Τζάντε, Tzánte ; from the Venetian form) is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea. It is the third largest of the Ionian Islands. Za ...
,
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders wit ...
, the anaphora is as follows:
:''Priest (aloud):'' Thy people and Thy Church entreat Thee. ''(thrice)''
:''People:'' Have mercy on us, Lord God, the Father, the Almighty. ''(thrice)''
:''The Priest, in a low voice:'' Have mercy on us, Lord God, the Father, the Almighty. Have mercy on us, God our Saviour. Have mercy on us, O God, in accordance with Thy great mercy, and send forth upon these holy gifts, here set forth, Thine all-holy Spirit, ''(bowing)'' the Lord and giver of life, enthroned with Thee, God and Father, and Thine only-begotten Son, co-reigning, consubstantial and co-eternal, who spoke by the Law and the Prophets and by Thy
New Covenant
The New Covenant (Hebrew '; Greek ''diatheke kaine'') is a biblical interpretation which was originally derived from a phrase which is contained in the Book of Jeremiah ( Jeremiah 31:31-34), in the Hebrew Bible (or the Old Testament of the C ...
, who came down in the form of a dove upon our Lord Jesus Christ in the river Jordan, and rested upon him, who came down upon Thy holy Apostles in the form of fiery tongues in the upper room of holy and glorious Sion on the day of Pentecost. ''(Standing up)'' Thy same all-holy Spirit, Lord, send down on us and on these gifts here set forth,
:''(aloud):'' that having come by his holy, good and glorious presence, He may sanctify this bread and make it the holy
Body of Christ,
:''People:'' Amen.
:''Priest:'' and this Cup (
chalice
A chalice (from Latin 'mug', borrowed from Ancient Greek () 'cup') or goblet is a footed cup intended to hold a drink. In religious practice, a chalice is often used for drinking during a ceremony or may carry a certain symbolic meaning.
R ...
) the precious
Blood of Christ
Blood of Christ, also known as the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ, in Christian theology refers to (a) the physical blood actually shed by Jesus Christ primarily on the Cross, and the salvation which Christianity teaches was acc ...
,
:''People:'' Amen.
:''The Priest
signs
Signs may refer to:
* ''Signs'' (2002 film), a 2002 film by M. Night Shyamalan
* ''Signs'' (TV series) (Polish: ''Znaki'') is a 2018 Polish-language television series
* ''Signs'' (journal), a journal of women's studies
*Signs (band), an American ...
the holy Gifts and says in a low voice:'' that they may become for all those who partake of them for forgiveness of sins and everlasting life. For sanctification of souls and bodies. For a fruitful harvest of good works. For the strengthening of Thy holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, which Thou didst found on the
rock of the faith, so that the gates of Hell might not prevail against it, delivering it from every heresy and from the scandals caused by those who work iniquity, and from the enemies who arise and attack it, until the consummation of the age.
Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom
In the
Divine Liturgy
Divine Liturgy ( grc-gre, Θεία Λειτουργία, Theia Leitourgia) or Holy Liturgy is the Eucharistic service of the Byzantine Rite, developed from the Antiochene Rite of Christian liturgy which is that of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of C ...
of
Saint John Chrysostom an epiclesis is present (explicit); the priest says:
:''Priest:'' Again we offer to Thee this spiritual and bloodless worship; and we beg Thee, we ask Thee, we pray Thee: Send down Thy Holy Spirit upon us and upon these Gifts set forth.
[In the Slavic practice, at this point the priest and deacon make three metanias (bows) as they say, each time: "O God, cleanse me a sinner, and have mercy upon me." They then raise their hands and the priest says the following ]troparion
A troparion ( Greek , plural: , ; Georgian: , ; Church Slavonic: , ) in Byzantine music and in the religious music of Eastern Orthodox Christianity is a short hymn of one stanza, or organised in more complex forms as series of stanzas.
Th ...
three times: "O Lord, Who didst send down Thy Most-holy Spirit at the third hour upon Thine apostles: Take Him not from us, O Good One, but renew Him in us who pray unto Thee." They both then make a metania. After the first recitation and its bow, the deacon stands aright and says the following words from Psalm 50
Psalm 50, a Psalm of Asaph, is the 50th psalm from the Book of Psalms in the Bible, beginning in English in the King James Version: "The mighty God, even the LORD, hath spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down ...
: "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me." After the second recitation and bow, he says, "Cast me not away from Thy presence, and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me."
:''Priest:'' God Cleanse me a sinner and have mercy on me(3)
:''Priest'': O Lord, Who didst send down Thy most Holy Spirit at the third hour on Thy apostles, take Him not from us O Good One, but renew Him in us who pray unto Thee
:(''Deacon:'' Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me)
:''Priest'': O Lord, Who didst send down Thy most Holy Spirit at the third hour on Thy apostles, take Him not from us O Good One, but renew Him in us who pray unto Thee
:(''Deacon:'' Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me)
:''Priest'': O Lord, Who didst send down Thy most Holy Spirit at the third hour on Thy apostles, take Him not from us O Good One, but renew Him in us who pray unto Thee
:(''Deacon
ointing with his orarion to the diskos">orarion.html" ;"title="ointing with his orarion">ointing with his orarion to the diskos]:'' Bless, Master, the Holy Bread.)
:''Priest:'' Make this bread the Precious Body of Thy Christ,
:(''Deacon [pointing to the
chalice
A chalice (from Latin 'mug', borrowed from Ancient Greek () 'cup') or goblet is a footed cup intended to hold a drink. In religious practice, a chalice is often used for drinking during a ceremony or may carry a certain symbolic meaning.
R ...
]:'' Amen. Bless, Master, the Holy Cup.)
:''Priest:'' And that which is in this Cup, the Precious Blood of Thy Christ,
:(''Deacon
ointing to both'' Amen. Bless them both, Master.)
:''Priest:'' Changing them by Thy Holy Spirit.
:(''Deacon:'' Amen, Amen, Amen.)
Liturgy of St. Basil the Great
In the
Liturgy of Saint Basil the Great The Liturgy of Saint Basil or, more formally, the Divine Liturgy of Saint Basil the Great ( Coptic: Ϯⲁ̀ⲛⲁⲫⲟⲣⲁ ⲛ̀ⲧⲉ ⲡⲓⲁ̀ⲅⲓⲟⲥ ⲃⲁⲥⲓⲗⲓⲟⲥ, ''Ti-anaphora ente pi-agios Basilios''), is a term for severa ...
according to the Greek recension of the prayers, the liturgical actions described above for the Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom are the same. The formula is as follows:
:''Priest:'' Therefore, O Most-holy Master we sinners and Thine unworthy servants also, having been vouchsafed to minister at Thy holy Altar, not because of our righteousness, for we have not done that which is good on the earth, but because of Thy mercies and Thy compassions, which Thou hast poured out richly upon us, dare to draw nigh unto Thy holy Altar; and having presented the sacred emblems of the Body and Blood of Thy Christ, we pray Thee, and we call upon Thee: O Holy of Holies, through the favour of Thy goodness send Thy Holy Spirit down upon us, and upon these Gifts presented here, and bless them, sanctify, and manifest them.
[
:(''Deacon ointing with his orarion to the diskos">orarion.html" ;"title="ointing with his orarion">ointing with his orarion to the diskos]:'' Bless, Master, the Holy Bread.)
:''Priest:'' And make this Bread itself the precious Body of our Lord and God and Saviour Jesus Christ,
:(''Deacon [pointing to the chalice:'' Amen. Bless, Master, the Holy Cup.)
:''Priest:'' And that which is in this Cup, the precious Blood itself of our Lord and God and Saviour Jesus Christ,
:(''Deacon ointing to both'' Amen. Bless them both, Master.)
:''Priest:'' Which was shed for the life of the world, and for its salvation.
:(''Deacon:'' Amen)
:''Priest:'' Changing them by Thy Holy Spirit.
:(''Deacon:'' Amen, Amen, Amen.)
]
Roman Rite
The ''Catechism of the Catholic Church
The ''Catechism of the Catholic Church'' ( la, Catechismus Catholicae Ecclesiae; commonly called the ''Catechism'' or the ''CCC'') is a catechism promulgated for the Catholic Church by Pope John Paul II in 1992. It aims to summarize, in book ...
'' teaches that "The Epiclesis ("invocation upon") is the intercession in which the priest begs the Father to send the Holy Spirit, the Sanctifier, so that the offerings may become the body and blood of Christ and that the faithful by receiving them, may themselves become a living offering to God." Still later it asserts, "At the heart of the Eucharistic celebration are the bread and wine that, by the words of Christ and the invocation of the Holy Spirit, become Christ's Body and Blood."
Implicit epicleses
In the 1962 Roman Missal
The Roman Missal ( la, Missale Romanum) is the title of several missals used in the celebration of the Roman Rite. Along with other liturgical books of the Roman Rite, the Roman Missal contains the texts and rubrics for the celebration of the ...
, the prayer '' Quam oblationem'' of the Roman Canon represent an epiclesis which may be called implicit. Josef Jungmann
Josef Jungmann (16 July 1773 in Hudlice, near Beroun – 14 November 1847 in Prague) was a Czech poet and linguist, and a leading figure of the Czech National Revival. Together with Josef Dobrovský, he is considered to be a creator of the moder ...
, for example, writes that the ''Quam oblationem'' "is a plea for the final hallowing of the earthly gift."
:Be pleased, O God, we pray,
:to bless, acknowledge,
:and approve this offering in every respect;
:make it spiritual and acceptable,
:so that it may become for us
:the Body and Blood of your most beloved Son,
:our Lord Jesus Christ.
In the 1962 Canon, the priest begins the ''Quam oblation'' with hands folded, opens them placing his left hand on his chest and then makes three are large signs of the cross with his extended right hand over both bread and wine as indicated by "+" in between the words benedictam (blessed), adscriptam (approved), ratam (ratified), below. The fourth sign of the cross is made over the bread and the fifth over the wine at the words Corpus and Sanguis, respectively. The prayer is immediately followed by the Institution Narrative with the words of Jesus Christ
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...
.
:Quam oblationem tu, Deus, in omnibus, quæsumus,
:bene + dictam,
:adscrip + tam,
:ra + tam, rationabilem, acceptabilemque facere digneris:
:ut nobis
:Cor + pus
:et San + guis
:fiat dilectissimi Filii tui, Domini nostri Iesu Christi.
In Western Rite Orthodox
Western Rite Orthodoxy, also called Western Orthodoxy or the Orthodox Western Rite, are congregations within the Eastern Orthodox tradition which perform their liturgy in Western forms.
Besides altered versions of the Tridentine Mass, congreg ...
parishes, an epiclesis, modified from that of the Byzantine Rite Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, is inserted into the Roman Canon, immediately before the ''Supplices''. The addition of an epiclesis was originally suggested by Joseph Overbeck, the first person to make serious petitions for the restoration of an Orthodox western rite. This opinion on the need of an epiclesis was shared by the Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church
, native_name_lang = ru
, image = Moscow July 2011-7a.jpg
, imagewidth =
, alt =
, caption = Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow, Russia
, abbreviation = ROC
, type ...
, who added an epiclesis to the modified book of common prayer, later known as the Divine Liturgy of St. Tikhon. When the Gregorian Liturgy was approved for use in 1961, the Overbeck missal was approved for use, including the epicleses. This epiclesis shares most of its text with that of the Liturgy of St. John, but with certain omissions, streamlining it better into the canon.
:And we beseech, Thee, O Lord, to send down Thy Holy Spirit upon (us and upon) these offerings,
:that He would make this bread the precious body of Thy Christ,
:and that which is in this cup,
:the precious blood of Thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
:Transmuting/Changing (them) by the Holy Spirit
Many variances exist in the exact text of the epiclesis, due to translation inconsistency and different schools of thought on how the modified canon should be handled (e.g. should the elevation of the host and chalice remain?)
Still another possible implicit epiclesis of the Roman Liturgy is the ''Veni, Sanctificator'' which, however, is one of the 1962 Missal's offertory prayers and is not part of the Roman Canon:
:Come, Thou, the Sanctifier,
:God, almighty and everlasting:
:bless this sacrifice
:which is prepared for the glory of Thy holy name.
Moreover, this prayer is not included in the 1970 Roman Missal.
Explicit epicleses
The additional Eucharistic Prayers (EP) introduced into the Roman Rite in the 1969 revision have both a pre-consecration and a post-consecration epiclesis.
Pre-consecration
:Eucharistic Prayer II: Make holy, therefore, these gifts, we pray
::by sending down your Spirit upon them like the dewfall,
::so that they may become for us
::the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.
:Eucharistic Prayer III: Therefore, O Lord, we humbly implore you
::by the same Spirit graciously make holy
::these gifts we have brought to you for consecration,
::that they may become the Body and Blood
::of your Son our Lord Jesus Christ,
::at whose command we celebrate these mysteries.
:Eucharistic Prayer IV: Therefore, O Lord, we pray:
::may this same Holy Spirit
::graciously sanctify these offerings,
::that they may become
::the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ
::for the celebration of this great mystery
::which he himself left us
::as an eternal covenant.
Post-consecration
:Eucharistic Prayer II: Humbly we pray,
::that, partaking of the Body and Blood of Christ
::we may be gathered into one by the Holy Spirit.
:Eucharistic Prayer III: Look, we pray, upon the oblation of your Church
::and, recognising the sacrificial Victim by whose death
::you willed to reconcile us to yourself,
::grant that we, who are nourished
::by the Body and Blood of your Son
::and filled with his Holy Spirit,
::may become one body, one spirit in Christ.
:Eucharistic Prayer IV: Look, O Lord, upon the Sacrifice
::which you yourself have provided for your Church,
::and grant in your loving kindness
::to all who partake of this one Bread and one Chalice
::that, gathered into one body by the Holy Spirit,
::they may truly become a living sacrifice in Christ
::to the praise of your glory.
Protestantism
Anglicanism and Lutheranism
Lutheran and Anglican divines have argued that in earlier liturgies of theirs in which an Epiclesis and unity with the one sacrifice of Christ may not have seemed explicit (as with the 1662 ''Book of Common Prayer''), it was stated as the point of the consecration in other parts of the rite, notably in required exhortations (the Words of Institution
The Words of Institution (also called the Words of Consecration) are words echoing those of Jesus himself at his Last Supper that, when consecrating bread and wine, Christian Eucharistic liturgies include in a narrative of that event. Eucharisti ...
).
In present-day practice, Anglicans in the USA and American Lutheran
Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Cathol ...
Eucharistic prayers and newer Old Catholic
The terms Old Catholic Church, Old Catholics, Old-Catholic churches or Old Catholic movement designate "any of the groups of Western Christians who believe themselves to maintain in complete loyalty the doctrine and traditions of the undivid ...
anaphoras, tend to follow the Eastern practice of treating the Words of Institution as a warrant for the action, with the Epiclesis following the anamnesis/oblation. For example, after the Words of Institution, the epiclesis in Eucharistic Prayer B in the American Book of Common Prayer
The ''Book of Common Prayer'' (BCP) is the name given to a number of related prayer books used in the Anglican Communion and by other Christianity, Christian churches historically related to Anglicanism. The original book, published in 1549 ...
(which is found in the Canadian ''Book of Alternative Service'' and several other Anglican liturgies) reads:
:"And we offer our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving to you, O Lord of All,
:presenting to you, from your creation, this bread and this wine.
:We pray you, gracious God, to send your Holy Spirit upon these gifts
:that they may be + the Sacrament of the Body of Christ and his Blood of the new Covenant.
:Unite us to your Son in his sacrifice, that we may be acceptable through him,
:being + sanctified by the Holy Spirit."
After the Words of Institution in the Lutheran Book of Worship
The ''Lutheran Book of Worship'' (''LBW'') is a worship book and hymnal used by several Lutheran denominations in North America. Additional hymns and service music are contained in the companions, ''Hymnal Supplement 1991'' and ''With One Vo ...
, for example, the epiclesis in Eucharistic Prayer III reads:
:"And we implore you
:mercifully to accept our praise and thanksgiving
:and, with your Word and Holy Spirit,
:to bless us, your servants,
:and these your own gifts of bread and wine;
:that we and all who share in the + body and blood of your Son
:may be filled with Heavenly peace and joy
:and, receiving the forgiveness of sin,
:may be + sanctified in soul and body,
:and have our portion with all your saints."
Methodism
''The Sunday Service of the Methodists
''The Sunday Service of the Methodists'' (''The Sunday Service of the Methodists; With Other Occasional Services'' being the full title), is the first Christian liturgical book given to the Methodist Churches by their founder, John Wesley. It ...
'', the first Methodistic liturgical text, saw the "words of institution as the main consecratory act". The Wesleys "introduced the ''epiclesis'' in their eucharistic hymns"; as such, early Methodists sung a hymnic epiclesis from ''Hymns of the Lord's Supper'' (''HLS'') after the Words of Institution
The Words of Institution (also called the Words of Consecration) are words echoing those of Jesus himself at his Last Supper that, when consecrating bread and wine, Christian Eucharistic liturgies include in a narrative of that event. Eucharisti ...
. According to a 2003 report of the British Methodist Church, ''His Presence Makes The Feast: Holy Communion in the Methodist Church'': "The one Spirit by whom we are all baptised into the one body
1 Corinthians 12:13
is the same Spirit who unites us in and with the body of Christ in Holy Communion. The Holy Spirit at work in the Church of the Acts of the Apostles brings into effect a witnessing and preaching community in which there is apostolic teaching, fellowship, prayer and the breaking of the bread
Acts 2:42
." The epiclesis of the present-day liturgy in many Methodist connexions draws from both the Anglican tradition, such as the 1549 Prayer Book, and the liturgical renewal movement of the 20th century that focused upon liturgies of the ancient church, such as the early rite of Hippolytus. From these traditions, John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, inherited the notion that the Holy Spirit
In Judaism, the Holy Spirit is the divine force, quality, and influence of God over the Universe or over his creatures. In Nicene Christianity, the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost is the third person of the Trinity. In Islam, the Holy Spirit acts ...
was to be invoked to make real and true all that God had promised to bestow on the faithful through Holy Communion
The Eucharist (; from Greek , , ), also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an Ordinance (Christianity), ordinance in others. According to the New Testame ...
. This theology of epiclesis is evidenced in several Methodist hymns
A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hymn' ...
written by Charles Wesley
Charles Wesley (18 December 1707 – 29 March 1788) was an English leader of the Methodist movement. Wesley was a prolific hymnwriter who wrote over 6,500 hymns during his lifetime. His works include "And Can It Be", "Christ the Lord Is Risen ...
, the brother of John Wesley.
The epiclesis used in The United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church (UMC) is a worldwide mainline Protestant denomination based in the United States, and a major part of Methodism. In the 19th century, its main predecessor, the Methodist Episcopal Church, was a leader in evangelica ...
is as follows:
:"Pour out your Holy Spirit on us gathered here,
:and on these gifts of bread and wine.
:Make them be for us the body and blood of Christ,
:that we may be for the world the body of Christ,
:redeemed by his blood.
:
:By your Spirit make us one with Christ,
:one with each other,..." (''UMH''; pages 10, 14).[, also ''The ]United Methodist Hymnal
''The United Methodist Hymnal'' is the hymnal used by The United Methodist Church. It was first published in 1989 as the first hymnal for The United Methodist Church after the 1968 merger of The Methodist Church with The Evangelical United Breth ...
'', (Nashville, Tennessee: The United Methodist Publishing House, 1989)
The traditional rite of Holy Communion used before the publication of the 1989 hymnal did not include an explicit epiclesis. The traditional text, with slight revisions, is Word and Table IV, and it contains a 16 word, two line epiclesis, as follows:
:"bless and sanctify with thy Word and Holy Spirit
:these thy gifts of bread and wine" (''UMH'', page 29.)
Another epiclesis used in the Methodist Church in Great Britain
The Methodist Church of Great Britain is a Protestant Christian denomination in Britain, and the mother church to Methodists worldwide. It participates in the World Methodist Council, and the World Council of Churches among other ecumenical ...
is as follows:
:"Send down your Holy Spirit
:that these gifts of bread and wine
:may be for us the body and blood of Christ.
:Unite us with him for ever
:and bring us with the whole creation
:to your eternal kingdom."
Use in other sacraments
A similar invocation of the Holy Spirit by the priest in some other sacraments is also called an epiclesis. The Eastern Orthodox Church holds that such an epiclesis is necessary for the validity of the Holy Mystery
Sacred mysteries are the areas of supernatural phenomena associated with a divinity or a religious belief and praxis. Sacred mysteries may be either:
# Religious beliefs, rituals or practices which are kept secret from the uninitiated.
# Beliefs ...
(sacrament) of marriage; the Roman Catholic Church holds that it is not, since for them the bride and groom are the ministers of that sacrament.
An epiclesis also appears in the Orthodox rite of Baptism
Baptism (from grc-x-koine, βάπτισμα, váptisma) is a form of ritual purification—a characteristic of many religions throughout time and geography. In Christianity, it is a Christian sacrament of initiation and adoption, almost inv ...
. Baptism in the Roman Rite
The Roman Rite ( la, Ritus Romanus) is the primary liturgical rite of the Latin Church, the largest of the '' sui iuris'' particular churches that comprise the Catholic Church. It developed in the Latin language in the city of Rome and, while d ...
includes an epiclesis as part of the blessing of the baptismal water:
::"We ask you, Father, with your Son to send the Holy Spirit upon the water of this font. May all who are buried with Christ in the death of baptism rise also with him to newness of life. We ask this through Christ our Lord."
In the Roman Rite sacrament of Confirmation
In Christian denominations that practice infant baptism, confirmation is seen as the sealing of the covenant (religion), covenant created in baptism. Those being confirmed are known as confirmands. For adults, it is an wikt:affirmation, affirma ...
, the bishop invokes the Holy Spirit upon those being confirmed:
::"Send your Holy Spirit upon them to be their Helper and Guide."[''Rite of Confirmation'', 25]
Other epicleses include that in the Eastern Orthodox Great Blessing of Waters on the feast of the Theophany.
References
Bibliography
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Further reading
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External links
The Epiklesis
(photo)
ccwatershed.org
{{Authority control
Eucharistic devotions
Greek words and phrases
Catholic liturgical law