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**interbaoui** · 07-08-2009, 05:27 PM

[QUOTE=L. Allen;80803]Your question is a good one, and one I have spent a lot of time on, but finally I cannot reconcile my beliefs to those of the Orthodox Church. I do not think of the Eucharist as the Orthodox Church does; while I respect the Church Fathers as immensely wiser and more blessed with insight that I could ever be, I do not set their interpretations on a par with Scripture. I do not venerate the saints represented through icons.

Dear Liz,

The Orthodox belief about the eucharist is based on Scripture; the Fathers commented on Scripture, the words of which are clear:

'Take, eat: this is my body' - 'Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood' Matthew 26:26-28
'Take, eat: this is my body' - 'This is my blood'
Mark 14:22-24
'I am the bread of life' - 'I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh' - 'Except you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life.'
John 6:50-51, 53-54
See also 1 Corinthians 11:23-30.

The Orthodox eucharistic canon spoken by the priest simply repeats these words and invokes the Holy Spirit to give them effect. (Do those who doubt what happens think that the Holy Spirit can't do this?

)

As for icons, many Anglican churches have them. There are threads here about icons.

07-08-2009, 05:27 PM	#50
interbaoui Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 447 Senior Member	[QUOTE=L. Allen;80803]Your question is a good one, and one I have spent a lot of time on, but finally I cannot reconcile my beliefs to those of the Orthodox Church. I do not think of the Eucharist as the Orthodox Church does; while I respect the Church Fathers as immensely wiser and more blessed with insight that I could ever be, I do not set their interpretations on a par with Scripture. I do not venerate the saints represented through icons. Dear Liz, The Orthodox belief about the eucharist is based on Scripture; the Fathers commented on Scripture, the words of which are clear: 'Take, eat: this is my body' - 'Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood' Matthew 26:26-28 'Take, eat: this is my body' - 'This is my blood' Mark 14:22-24 'I am the bread of life' - 'I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh' - 'Except you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life.' John 6:50-51, 53-54 See also 1 Corinthians 11:23-30. The Orthodox eucharistic canon spoken by the priest simply repeats these words and invokes the Holy Spirit to give them effect. (Do those who doubt what happens think that the Holy Spirit can't do this? ) As for icons, many Anglican churches have them. There are threads here about icons.
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