# Epiclesis

Source: https://coptic-lore-forge.lovable.app/wiki/epiclesis — Coptic Orthodox Wiki (updated 2026-10-02)

Epiclesis is the invocation of God upon a person or thing; in Coptic eucharistic worship, it includes prayer for the transformation of the offerings and the sanctification of the faithful.[^1]

## Meaning and scope

**Epiclesis** means the invocation of the name of God upon a person or thing. Its broader sacramental use includes invocation of the Holy Trinity in baptism and of the Holy Spirit in confirmation and ordination. In the Coptic Eucharist, the invocation concerns both the bread and wine, that they may become Christ’s Body and Blood, and the people, that they may be sanctified through the Eucharist.[^1]

## Place in the Eucharistic liturgy

There is a double invocation in the three usual Coptic liturgies—those of Saint Basil, Saint Gregory, and Saint Mark—with one before and another after the words of institution. The first is an inaudible prayer addressed to the Logos, the spotless Lamb, requesting his presence on the altar.[^2]

In this first prayer, the priest addresses Jesus Christ as the life-giving bread from heaven and asks him to bless, sanctify, purify, and transform the offerings. The prayer also asks that they bring redemption to the souls, bodies, and spirits of those who partake.[^3]

The later invocation asks for the descent of the Holy Spirit upon both the congregation and the offerings. The article on anamnesis explains that, in most of the three Coptic liturgies, a concluding remembrance of Christ’s saving work immediately precedes the epiclesis.[^4][^5]

## Prayer and liturgical actions

One supplied account gives the priest’s inaudible prayer, spoken while kneeling:

> “We pray Thee, O Lord our God, we Thy sinful and unworthy servants. We worship Thee by the pleasure of Thy goodness, that Thy Holy Spirit may descend upon us and upon these offerings placed here, to purify them, transubstantiate them, and manifest them holy unto Thy saints.”[^6]

The deacon then calls, “Let us attend. Amen.” The priest makes three signs of the cross over the bread and subsequently over the chalice, with declarations concerning Christ’s Body and Blood. The congregation responds with expressions of belief and “Amen”; the sequence concludes with a threefold *Kyrie eleison*.[^7]

In Saint Gregory’s anaphora, the prayer is addressed to Christ. He is asked to change the gifts “with His own voice” and to send his Holy Spirit to hallow and change them.[^8]

## Relationship to consecration

The Coptic Orthodox understanding of the eucharistic liturgy is that it is an inseparable unity: full consecration requires the anamnesis, the words of consecration, and the epiclesis. This contrasts with the Roman Catholic position, which identifies the words of institution as the sole requirement.[^9]

Another supplied account reports differing theological opinions about whether consecration is effected through the institution narrative or at the descent of the Holy Spirit. Rather than separating the actions of the Son and the Spirit, that account favors understanding consecration as the combined sanctification of the Holy Trinity.[^10]

## Sources
[^1]: The Coptic Encyclopedia, Volume 3, Aziz S. Atiya (Editor in Chief) (p. 736)
[^2]: The Coptic Encyclopedia, Volume 3, Aziz S. Atiya (Editor in Chief) (p. 736)
[^3]: The Coptic Encyclopedia, Volume 3, Aziz S. Atiya (Editor in Chief) (p. 737)
[^4]: The Coptic Encyclopedia, Volume 3, Aziz S. Atiya (Editor in Chief) (p. 737)
[^5]: The Coptic Encyclopedia, Volume 1, Aziz S. Atiya (Editor in Chief) (p. 307)
[^6]: The Coptic Encyclopedia, Volume 5, Aziz S. Atiya (Editor in Chief) (p. 539)
[^7]: The Coptic Encyclopedia, Volume 5, Aziz S. Atiya (Editor in Chief) (p. 539)
[^8]: The Coptic Encyclopedia, Volume 1, Aziz S. Atiya (Editor in Chief) (p. 316)
[^9]: The Coptic Encyclopedia, Volume 3, Aziz S. Atiya (Editor in Chief) (p. 736)
[^10]: The Coptic Encyclopedia, Volume 5, Aziz S. Atiya (Editor in Chief) (p. 539)