'The holy things for the holy', or 'Given to sinners for the remission of sins'?

[Mourad Mankarios]

Hi All,

Just wondering if anyone can help to reconcile the liturgical and scriptural allusions to the holy things, a reference to communion, being for the holy and yet given to sinners for the remission of sins.

Thanks

[M.C. Steenberg]

Dear Mourad,

Here is how St Cyril of Jerusalem addresses this very point:
"After this the priest says, 'The holy things are for the holy'. Holy are the gifts presented, having received the visitation of the Holy Spirit; holy are you also, having been deemed worthy of the Holy Spirit; the holy things therefore correspond to the holy persons. But then you say, 'One is Holy, One is the Lord, Jesus Christ'; for One is truly holy, by nature holy; we too are holy, but not by nature, only by participation, and discipline, and prayer." (St Cyril of Jerusalem, Mystagogic catecheses 5.19)
Note how he points out that the priest can accurately say that the Holy Gifts are given 'to those who are holy', since the faithful have been counted worthy to receive the Spirit who makes all things holy; yet the people respond by identifying that their holiness is not their own, but that of the only One who is truly holy by nature: Christ Himself.

INXC, Dcn Matthew

[Andreas Moran]

As the priest says, 'Send down thy Holy Spirit upon us and upon these gifts here set forth'. We are not made into saints but are sanctified in that we are 'set apart' as the faithful who are blessed to receive the Holy Gifts. Interesting that the O.E. word 'halig' from which 'holy' comes carries with it also the meaning of 'whole' and of 'heal'.

[Mourad Mankarios]

I find this really interesting as I've always understood this phrase of the holy things being for the holy as a kind of warning to those approaching the sacraments indicating that only those who are really worthy and holy should approach to participate of the sacrament. Yet from what I'm reading from the responses provided here it's more of a reference to the sanctifying efficacy of the sacrament within those who participate thereof.

[M.C. Steenberg]

It's both!

[Mourad Mankarios]

It's both!

Well then I suppose that brings up back to my original question as to how it can be for the holy and yet given to sinners for the remission of sins. I suppose to hear a statement like the holy things being for the holy is enough to instill a sense of unworthiness in any person and create an inclination to not commune as has been habitually practised amongst church communities for centuries. And yet the irony is that Christ offers this sacrament especially for sinners and those who are unholy and unworthy to make them holy and it is these who are most in need of the sacrament. Just seems somewhat confusing.

[Andreas Moran]

I think the answer is in the prayers before Holy Communion and after.

[Keith Cheesman]

May I say I think the answers given on this thread are excellent. There must be a good parallel with the Incarnation here, but I can't seem to formulate one that fits quite right. I'm sure someone smarter will come along to help me out.

My poor Protestant brain wants to think of things in terms of Justification and Sanctification. Perhaps Dcn Matthew could expand a bit more on his first answer, so I can get a bit more of an Orthodox grip on this one?

[Andreas Moran]

Well then I suppose that brings up back to my original question as to how it can be for the holy and yet given to sinners for the remission of sins. I suppose to hear a statement like the holy things being for the holy is enough to instill a sense of unworthiness in any person and create an inclination to not commune as has been habitually practised amongst church communities for centuries. And yet the irony is that Christ offers this sacrament especially for sinners and those who are unholy and unworthy to make them holy and it is these who are most in need of the sacrament. Just seems somewhat confusing.

Rather than ironical and confusing, I would rather say that it seems paradoxical, as most aspects of our faith are when viewed from a rational standpoint.

I do not wish to anticipate any answer that Fr Dcn Matthew may give, but would say as follows.

Who will say he is prepared to receive Holy Communion, that he is worthy and holy? In the prayers of preparation, we stress our unworthiness and sinfulness; we approach the chalice as ones labouring and heavy laden seeking rest (cf Matthew 11:28). We are made 'bold' by Christ's 'ineffable goodness', and we pray to be sanctified in soul, body, mind and heart. We do indeed pray as if standing before the dread judgment-seat yet we pray not be accused and that God will deal with us according to His mercy, loving-kindness and compassion. For we pray further that 'these Holy Things' will be 'an acceptable defence' at the 'dread tribunal', not, I think, in a juridical sense, but because of the Incarnate Christ's saying that 'He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, abideth in me, and I in him' (cf John 6:56).

If one looks at an edition of the prayers before Holy Communion which gives the multitude of scriptural references in footnotes to these prayers, one will find constant reference to the Incarnation. This is especially so in one of the prayers of St Symeon Metaphrastes: 'O only pure and sinless Lord, Who through the ineffable compassion of Thy love for mankind didst take on all our substance' - 'Thou Who through the assumption of our nature' - and there follow references to Christ's Passion, burial, resurrection and Ascension which deified the flesh He had taken. Human nature and so the human nature of Christ, because of its union with His divine nature, was thereby deified though in Him without confusion or change. Further, Christ deified humanity because He deifies that which He assumes; we are told: 'For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one' (Hebrews 2:11), (not, of course, that we thereby become God and man as Christ is - we retain our created nature). It is of this deified flesh and blood of the Incarnate Christ that we partake.

[Andrew D. Morrell]

This seems relative to the OP. If not, fire away moderator. My wife and I were just digesting the below quote:

"Do not put off taking Holy Communion because you have wrongful thoughts since the grace it gives is so great that even though you may be very undeserving and sinful as a person, the only thing you really need is to approach God with a humble awareness of your entire sinfulness. Through the grace of Christ, the person will become illumined and eventually completely illumined and will be saved." St Seraphim of Sarov

As Andreas wrote, who can truly say he/she is worthy...?

In Christ,
Andrew



Rather than ironical and confusing, I would rather say that it seems paradoxical, as most aspects of our faith are when viewed from a rational standpoint.

I do not wish to anticipate any answer that Fr Dcn Matthew may give, but would say as follows.

Who will say he is prepared to receive Holy Communion, that he is worthy and holy? In the prayers of preparation, we stress our unworthiness and sinfulness; we approach the chalice as ones labouring and heavy laden seeking rest (cf Matthew 11:28). We are made 'bold' by Christ's 'ineffable goodness', and we pray to be sanctified in soul, body, mind and heart. We do indeed pray as if standing before the dread judgment-seat yet we pray not be accused and that God will deal with us according to His mercy, loving-kindness and compassion. For we pray further that 'these Holy Things' will be 'an acceptable defence' at the 'dread tribunal', not, I think, in a juridical sense, but because of the Incarnate Christ's saying that 'He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, abideth in me, and I in him' (cf John 6:56).

If one looks at an edition of the prayers before Holy Communion which gives the multitude of scriptural references in footnotes to these prayers, one will find constant reference to the Incarnation. This is especially so in one of the prayers of St Symeon Metaphrastes: 'O only pure and sinless Lord, Who through the ineffable compassion of Thy love for mankind didst take on all our substance' - 'Thou Who through the assumption of our nature' - and there follow references to Christ's Passion, burial, resurrection and Ascension which deified the flesh He had taken. Human nature and so the human nature of Christ, because of its union with His divine nature, was thereby deified though in Him without confusion or change. Further, Christ deified humanity because He deifies that which He assumes; we are told: 'For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one' (Hebrews 2:11), (not, of course, that we thereby become God and man as Christ is - we retain our created nature). It is of this deified flesh and blood of the Incarnate Christ that we partake.

[Eric Peterson]

What St. Seraphim said was, of course, spot on. (As if he who has God's approval needs mine. But I'll add an Amen.)

No one is worthy to receive the Holy Gifts. The prayers before and after Holy Communion illustrate this to the point of utter redundancy (in a very good way). And, yet, there is this tension--we're not worthy, but we're in great and serious need of the remission of our sins and eternal life which we receive from the Holy Chalice.

There is a danger in approaching because God is a consuming fire, and there is a danger in not approaching, because we have some very nasty and malicious enemies always seeking our destruction, and only God can help us. So we have to pay attention to ourselves and how we receive or do not receive, and the rules given by the Church and our spiritual fathers, and the prayers for preparation illustrate these things well, as does our conscience.

[Mourad Mankarios]

It seems to me that perhaps much of this confusion is due sadly to how foreign the term holiness seems to us these days. We are so far from holiness, only participate of the mysteries rarely due to our unholiness, only a rare few in the church are referred to as saints. Throughout the history of the church there seems to have gradually been a greater emphasis on the unholiness of the believer. Not that this is in any way incorrect or untrue but perhaps skewed. In contrast we witness in the New Testament the community of believers being referred to as saints. Something that would seem so foreign to us today. And those who had received the seed of holiness through their Christian initiation continue to acquire this sanctifying efficacy through their participation of the holy communion. Therefore, what is received is grace upon grace and holiness upon holiness as they grow from strength to strength.

Perhaps then this is how the holy things are for the holy. Not a reference in any way to merit, worthiness or even personal holiness as such but rather a reference to the gift of holiness that has been laid as a foundation and the house of holiness that is being built thereon.

[Andreas Moran]

only a rare few in the church are referred to as saints

The twentieth century gave us more saints than we can count, and great elders who will be canonised some of whom those still very much alive met and talked with.

[Nina]

St. Cyril of Jerusalem has explained it well in the quote Fr. Matthew has posted. Here is something else:


That the Mystery of divine Communion is great and, that it requires a holy and pure life, no one doubts. For the mere word "holy" signifies a great deal. Only God is holy, for He has holiness by nature and not by acquisition. People who are deemed worthy of Holy Baptism receive holiness by participation in the Holy God. For this reason they are called holy ones (saints), because they received sanctification through the grace of the Holy Spirit in their rebirth from above. And furthermore, they are called holy because they partake of the holy body and blood of our Lord, always receiving sanctification from the divine Mysteries. And as much as they draw near to God by doing the Master's commandments, so much more are they sanctified, ascending towards perfection. [...]

Therefore, it is not at all prohibited to call as many as have been deemed worthy of the rebirth of the Holy Spirit "saints" and "holy." And t follows that they are in no way prohibited from frequently communing in the divine Gifts, being holy children by the grace of the Holy God. For this reason, the divine Chrysostom says that the Holy Things must be given to those who are saints and holy ones, and not to the unclean and polluted. To show what makes the saints different, he says:

"Let no sinner approach. However, I do not mean "no" sinner, because I would thus preclude my self above all from approaching the divine Table. What I mean is that no one who is persistently a sinner (that is unconfessed and unrepentant) is to approach. For I know that we are all subject to penances because of our sins, and that no one can boast that he has a pure heart. That we do not have a pure heart, however, is not what is evil, but that we do not approach the One Who is able to purify us."

Theodoret of Cyr says: "Of those who partake of the divine Mysteries, some partake as lambs, namely, those who are perfect in virtue; while others partake as goats, namely, those who have erased the stains of their sins through repentance."

Therefore, even though the divine Fathers ascribe frequent Communion only to the perfect, it is clear that they do not seek perfection from communicants, but amendment of life through repentance. For just as all people are not of one and the same age in this visible world, so also are people at various stages in the spiritual world of the Church, according to the Parable of the Sower. [Mt. 13:8] The perfect man offers God one hundred, the intermediate sixty, and the novice thrity, each according to his ability, and no one is rejected by God because he does not offer the hundred. And if we really think about it, we will see that it is impossible for anyone to arrive at perfection without frequent Communion of the Holy Mysteries, for without Communion love cannot be achieved; and without love, obedience to the Master's commandments cannot be achieved either.

Saint Nikodemos the Hagiorite in Concerning Frequent Communion of the Immaculate Mysteries of Christ, pp. 150-152

And as many Fathers say Holy Communion (when received according to the Fathers' teachings) cleans us from stains of sins, gives us spiritual and bodily health and directs us in the path of the commandments of our Lord - this is why it is "for the remission of sins".