Institution Narrative

References

Sources

1. 1.Understanding the Liturgy — Father Athanasius Iskander (p. 56)

   The prayers of the blessing of the elements begin with the Institution Narrative, the story of the first Eucharist and how the Lord instituted it. ... Accounts of the Last Supper exist in Mat 26, Mark 14, Luke 22, and 1Cor 11. There is no Institution Narrative in the Gospel according to Saint John

2. 2.The Coptic Encyclopedia, Volume 5 — Aziz S. Atiya (Editor in Chief) (p. 537)

   The Institution Narrative or Crossing the Gifts. Pointing to the bread and the wine, the priest says

3. 3.Understanding the Liturgy — Father Athanasius Iskander (p. 94)

   He took bread in his holy , pure, spotless, and immortal hands. ... giving thanks, He blessed it, hallowed it, broke it and gave it to His holy disciples and Apostles saying ... do this as a memorial of me: as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you announce the death of the Son of man and you proclaim His resurrection until He comes.

4. 4.Understanding the Liturgy — Father Athanasius Iskander (p. 102)

   Following the institution narrative, the people chanted, “We announce your death O Lord, and we proclaim your resurrection.”

5. 5.Understanding the Liturgy — Father Athanasius Iskander (p. 58)

   By giving thanks, it is meant “His speaking to God the Father in the manner of a prayer.” ... These prayers of thanksgiving and blessing that the Lord said on the bread and wine constituted the Liturgy of the Eucharist that the disciples learned from the Lord and later taught to the congregations where they preached. ... The expression “He sanctified it” is however, not recorded in any of the biblical accounts of the Last Supper. ... In a similar way, the Lord, when He was about to offer Himself as a pleasing sacrifice unto His good Father, on our behalf, sanctified Himself for this purpose, i

6. 6.Understanding the Liturgy — Father Athanasius Iskander (p. 120)

   The acolytes carry lighted tapers whenever the priest is signing the gifts; in other words, from the beginning of the Institution Narrative to the end of the “Epiclesis”

7. 7.The Coptic Encyclopedia, Volume 1 — Aziz S. Atiya (Editor in Chief) (p. 310)

   With the Antiochene Syrian anaphoras, but not those of the Byzantine and Armenian rites, it shares the distribution of roles between priest, deacon, and people in the intercessory prayers after the epiclesis, and the acclamation of the people, “We show forth Thy death, O Lord . . .” after the institution narrative.

8. 8.The Coptic Encyclopedia, Volume 5 — Aziz S. Atiya (Editor in Chief) (p. 539)

   While some theologians believe that the actual consecration of the oblations is effected through the recitation of the very words of Jesus Christ in the institution narrative, others are of opinion that only at the descent of the Holy Spirit can such consecration take place. But rather than attributing the process of the consecration to the Son separate from the Holy Spirit, it would be more appropriate to interpret the act of the consecration of the oblations as the combined sanctification by the Holy Trinity.