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The Words of Institution are those used, inserted into a narrative of the Last Supper
Last Supper

In the Christian Gospels, the Last Supper was the last meal Jesus shared with his Twelve Apostles and Disciple before Crucifixion of Jesus. The Last Supper has been the subject of many paintings, perhaps The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci....
, in Christian Eucharistic liturgies to recall those used by Jesus
Jesus

Jesus of Nazareth , also known as Jesus Christ, is the central figure of Christianity and is revered by most Christian churches as the Son of God and the Incarnation ....
 on that occasion. Eucharistic scholars sometimes refer to them simply as the verba (Latin for "words").

Almost all existing ancient Christian Churches explicitly include Words of Institution in their Mass
Mass (liturgy)

The Mass is the Eucharistic celebration in the Latin liturgical rites of the Roman Catholic Church. The term is used also of similar celebrations in Old Catholic Churches, in the Anglo-Catholic tradition of Anglicanism, and in some largely High Church Lutheranism Lutheranism regions, including the Scandinavian and Baltic states countries....
 or Divine Liturgy
Divine Liturgy

The Divine Liturgy is the common term for the Eucharistic service of the Byzantine church tradition of Christian liturgy. As such, it is used in the Eastern Orthodoxy and Eastern Catholic Churches....
, and consider them necessary for the validity of the sacrament.






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The Words of Institution are those used, inserted into a narrative of the Last Supper
Last Supper

In the Christian Gospels, the Last Supper was the last meal Jesus shared with his Twelve Apostles and Disciple before Crucifixion of Jesus. The Last Supper has been the subject of many paintings, perhaps The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci....
, in Christian Eucharistic liturgies to recall those used by Jesus
Jesus

Jesus of Nazareth , also known as Jesus Christ, is the central figure of Christianity and is revered by most Christian churches as the Son of God and the Incarnation ....
 on that occasion. Eucharistic scholars sometimes refer to them simply as the verba (Latin for "words").

Almost all existing ancient Christian Churches explicitly include Words of Institution in their Mass
Mass (liturgy)

The Mass is the Eucharistic celebration in the Latin liturgical rites of the Roman Catholic Church. The term is used also of similar celebrations in Old Catholic Churches, in the Anglo-Catholic tradition of Anglicanism, and in some largely High Church Lutheranism Lutheranism regions, including the Scandinavian and Baltic states countries....
 or Divine Liturgy
Divine Liturgy

The Divine Liturgy is the common term for the Eucharistic service of the Byzantine church tradition of Christian liturgy. As such, it is used in the Eastern Orthodoxy and Eastern Catholic Churches....
, and consider them necessary for the validity of the sacrament. The Holy Qurbana of Addai and Mari
Holy Qurbana of Addai and Mari

The Holy Qurbana of Addai and Mari belongs to the East Syrian liturgical family and is in regular use in the Assyrian Church of the East, the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church and the Chaldean Catholic Church....
 does not explicitly contain Words of Institution. This Anaphora
Anaphora (liturgy)

The Anaphora is the most solemn part of the Divine liturgy, Mass , or other Christian Eucharist rite where the offerings of bread and wine are consecrated as the body and blood of Jesus....
 is used by the Assyrian Church of the East
Assyrian Church of the East

The Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East , currently presided over by Mar Dinkha IV, is a Christian particular church and one of the earliest to separate itself from communion with the Catholic Church ....
 and (often in adapted form) by the Chaldean Catholic Church
Chaldean Catholic Church

The Chaldean Catholic Church or the Chaldean Church of Babylon is an Eastern Catholic Churches Particular_church#Autonomous_particular_Churches_or_Rites of the Catholic Church, maintaining full communion with the Bishop of Rome and the rest of the Catholic Church....
 and others of the same tradition. The Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church

The Roman Catholic Church, officially known as the Catholic Church is the world's largest Christianity Ecclesia , representing over half of all Christians and one-sixth of the world population....
 has explicitly recognized its validity, saying that "the words of Eucharistic Institution are indeed present in the Anaphora of Addai and Mari, not in a coherent narrative way and ad litteram, but rather in a dispersed euchological way, that is, integrated in successive prayers of thanksgiving, praise and intercession."

No formula of Words of Institution is claimed to be an exact reproduction of words that Jesus used, presumably in the Aramaic language
Aramaic language

Aramaic is a Semitic languages with a 3,000-year history. It has been the language of administration of empires and the language of divine worship....
, at his Last Supper. The formulas generally combine words from the Gospels of Mark, Matthew and Luke and the Pauline
Paul of Tarsus

Saint Paul, also called Paul the Apostle, the Apostle Paul or Paul of Tarsus , was a Hellenistic Judaism, who called himself the "Apostle to the Gentiles", and was, together with Saint Peter and James the Just, the most notable of early Christian missionaries....
 account in . They may even insert other words, such as the phrase "Mysterium fidei
Mysterium fidei

Mysterium fidei is a Latin phrase which may refer to:*Mysterium Fidei , Encyclical letter of Pope Paul VI on the Eucharist*Mysterium fidei , Latin phrase meaning "mystery of faith"...
" which for many centuries was found within the Roman Rite
Roman Rite

The liturgy of the Catholic Church of Rome is called the Roman Rite. The quite distinct term Latin Rite usually refers not to a liturgical rite but to the particular Church within the Roman Catholic Church that was sometimes referred to also as the Patriarchate of the West....
 Words of Institution, until removed in 1970.

Roman Catholic Church


The Words of Institution are presented in the 1973 English translation of the Roman Missal
Roman Missal

The Roman Missal is the Liturgical books of the Roman rite that contains the texts and rubric s for the celebration of the Mass in the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church....
 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 many so that sins may be forgiven. Do this in memory of me.

From the time of Peter Lombard
Peter Lombard

Peter Lombard or Petrus Lombardus; was a scholasticism and bishop and author of Sentences, which became the standard textbook of theology, for which he is also known as Magister Sententiarum....
 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
Eucharist

The Eucharist, also called Holy Communion or Lord's Supper and other names, is a Christianity sacrament commemorating, by consecrating bread and wine, the Last Supper, the final meal that Jesus Christ shared with his disciples before his arrest, and eventual crucifixion, when he gave them bread saying, "This is my body", and wine...
. This theology was sanctioned doctrinally by Pope Benedict XII
Pope Benedict XII

Pope Benedict XII , born Jacques Fournier, was Pope from 1334 to 1342....
's Decree for the Armenians, issued after the Council of Florence
Council of Florence

The Council of Florence was an Ecumenical Council of bishops and other ecclesiastics of the Roman Catholic Church. It began in 1431 in Basel, Switzerland, and became known as the Council of Ferrara after its transfer to Ferrara was decreed by Pope Eugene IV to convene in 1438....
, if this is interpreted as meaning that nothing more than "the words of the Savior" is needed for effecting the sacrament. This same Decree declared that the matter of ordination was the giving to the ordinand of objects connected with their ministry, an idea now discarded and contradicted even then by the Catholic Church's recognition of the validity of ordinations in Churches that had no such ceremony in their rite of ordination.

This theological opinion about the necessity and sufficiency of pronouncing certain parts of the Words of Institution (the eight words bolded in the English translation given above) is not included in, for instance, the Catechism of the Catholic Church
Catechism of the Catholic Church

The Catechism of the Catholic Church or CCC, is an official exposition of the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church. It was first published in Latin and French in 1992 by the authority of Pope John Paul II....
, published in definitive form in 1997. On 17 January 2001 the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith , previously known as the Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Universal Inquisition, and sometimes simply called the Holy Office is the oldest of the nine congregation of the Roman Curia....
 declared valid the Holy Qurbana of Addai and Mari, a probably second-century anaphora in which the Words of Institution are not spoken. The Congregation said that "the words of the institution of the Eucharist are in fact present in the anaphora of Addai and Mari, not in the form of a coherent narration and in a literal way but in a euchological and disseminated manner, that is to say they are integrated in the prayers of thanksgiving, praise and intercession which follow." These prayers in fact speaks of "the commemoration of the Body and Blood of your Christ, which we offer to you on the pure and holy altar, as you have taught us in his life-giving Gospel."

It has therefore been argued that it is the prayer as a whole, not some isolated words within it viewed almost as a magic formula, that is efficacious in the sacrament, and that the Words of Institution that Jesus himself spoke at his Last Supper
Last Supper

In the Christian Gospels, the Last Supper was the last meal Jesus shared with his Twelve Apostles and Disciple before Crucifixion of Jesus. The Last Supper has been the subject of many paintings, perhaps The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci....
 are consecratory at every Eucharist, whether they are repeated or only implied, in accordance with the teaching of Saint John Chrysostom
John Chrysostom

'Saint John Chrysostom' , archbishop of Constantinople, was an important Early Church Father. He is known for his eloquence in Sermon and public speaking, his denunciation of abuse of authority by both ecclesiastical and political leaders, the Divine Liturgy of St....
: "That saying, 'This is my body', once uttered, from that time to the present day, and even until Christ's coming, makes the sacrifice complete at every table
Altar

An altar is any structure upon which offerings such as sacrifices and votive offerings are made for religion, or some other sacred place where ceremonies take place....
 in the churches."

Eastern Christian Churches

In the Eastern Orthodox
Eastern Orthodox Church

The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian communion in the world with an estimated 225 million members worldwide. It is considered by its adherents to be the Four Marks of the Church established by Jesus Christ and his Apostles nearly 2000 years ago....
 and Greek-Catholic Churches, the Words of Institution are the only portion of the Anaphora
Anaphora (liturgy)

The Anaphora is the most solemn part of the Divine liturgy, Mass , or other Christian Eucharist rite where the offerings of bread and wine are consecrated as the body and blood of Jesus....
 that are spoken aloud by the priest.

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

The Divine Liturgy is the common term for the Eucharistic service of the Byzantine church tradition of Christian liturgy. As such, it is used in the Eastern Orthodoxy and Eastern Catholic Churches....
 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 apostles, 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 and some Eastern Catholic Churches 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 understand the process to be completed (perfected) at the Epiclesis
Epiclesis

In most Christian churches, the epiclesis is that part of the anaphora, or Eucharistic prayer, by which the priest invokes the Holy Spirit . Some Eastern Orthodox theologians hold that the epiclesis is essential to the Eucharist, since the entire Sacred Mysteries is based on the action of the Holy Spirit....
 (the calling-down of the Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit

In Christianity, the Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit is the spirit of God. The term Christ , is also used to refer to this presence. That is, the Spirit is considered to act in concert with and share an essential nature with God the Father and God the Son ....
 upon the Gifts.

The Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts
Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts

The Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, informally Presanctified Liturgy, is an Eastern Christianity liturgical service for the distribution of Eucharist on the weekdays of Great Lent....
 does not contain the Words of Institution, since it is actually a Vespers
Vespers

Vespers is the evening prayer service in the Roman Catholic, Byzantine Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox Church, Anglican, and Lutheran Liturgy of the canonical hours....
 service at which the faithful receive from the Reserved Mysteries
Reserved sacrament

In Christianity practice, during the liturgy of the Eucharist the elements of bread and wine become the Body of Christ and Blood of Christ of Jesus Christ....
 (Sacrament) which were Consecrated
Consecration

Consecration is the ritual dedication to a special purpose or service, usually religious. The word "consecration" literally means "to associate with the sacred"....
 the Sunday before (hence the name: "Pre-sanctified").

Protestant Churches


Protestant Churches generally, with the exception of the Anglican Communion
Anglican Communion

The Anglican Communion is an international association of national Anglican churches. There is no single "Anglican Church" with universal juridical authority as each national or regional church has full autonomy....
 and Lutheranism
Lutheranism

Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the teachings of the sixteenth-century Germans Reformer Martin Luther....
, rely exclusively on the words of St. Paul
Paul of Tarsus

Saint Paul, also called Paul the Apostle, the Apostle Paul or Paul of Tarsus , was a Hellenistic Judaism, who called himself the "Apostle to the Gentiles", and was, together with Saint Peter and James the Just, the most notable of early Christian missionaries....
 as recorded in 1 Corinthians 11:23-26. (ESV
English Standard Version

The is a revision of the 1971 edition of the Revised Standard Version. The first edition was published in 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers....
):

"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
Protestantism

Protestantism is a movement within Christianity that originated in the sixteenth-century Protestant Reformation. It is considered to be one of the three principal traditions of Christianity, together with Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy....
 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
Consubstantiation

Consubstantiation is a theological doctrine that attempts to describe the nature of the Christianity Eucharist in concrete metaphysics terms. It holds that during the sacrament the fundamental "Substance theory" of the body and blood of Christ are present alongside the substance of the bread and wine, which remain present....
 and transubstantiation
Transubstantiation

In Roman Catholic theology, transubstantiation is the change of the Substance theory of Host and Sacramental wine into the Body of Christ and Blood of Christ occurring in the Eucharist while all that is accessible to the senses remain as before....
. Most of the established church
Established Church

An established church is a Church body officially sanctioned and supported by the government of a country, e.g. the Church of England and the Church of Scotland in the United Kingdom....
es in the Protestant tradition employ a mirroring of Paul's words surrounding the words of institution, while Congregationalist
Congregational church

Congregational churches are Protestantism Christianity churches practicing congregationalist church governance, in which each Wiktionary:congregation independently and autonomously runs its own affairs....
 and Baptist churches 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
Epiclesis

In most Christian churches, the epiclesis is that part of the anaphora, or Eucharistic prayer, by which the priest invokes the Holy Spirit . Some Eastern Orthodox theologians hold that the epiclesis is essential to the Eucharist, since the entire Sacred Mysteries is based on the action of the Holy Spirit....
 for a Prayer of Thanksgiving, which bridges Western and Eastern thought.

Lutheran
Lutheranism

Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the teachings of the sixteenth-century Germans Reformer Martin Luther....
 Church

The Lutheran liturgy differs from that of other Protestants by using a conflation of the four versions of the words of institution. Luther's Small Catechism
Luther's Small Catechism

Luther's Small Catechism was written by Martin Luther and published in 1529 for the training of children. Luther's Small Catechism reviews Ten Commandments, Apostles' Creed, Lord's Prayer, Baptism, Confession, and Eucharist....
 shows this,
The holy evangelists, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, and St. Paul write : "Our LORD Jesus Christ, on the night in which he was betrayed, took the bread, gave thanks, and broke it and gave it to his disciples and said, 'Take; eat; this is my † body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.' In the same way he also took the cup after the supper, gave thanks, and gave it to them and said, 'Take, and drink of it, all of you. This cup is the New Testament in my † blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.'"
By doing so, they include the phrase "My blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins..." This reflects Lutheran sacramental theology in which the sacrament is a means of grace and actively forgives sins.

External links



Book

  • Cross, F. L., ed. The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. London: Oxford UP, 1974.