AboutAlex Anatole Expertise I can answer questions about Eastern Orthodox Church history, theology, liturgics, iconography, and Eastern Orthodoxy`s relationship to other Christian and non-Christian religions.
Experience I have been an Eastern Orthodox christian since 1953, and since the age of 20 have devoted myself to Orthodox studies and aplogetics.
Organizations St Seraphim Orthodox Cathedral, Diocese of the South, Orthodox Church in America.
Publications The Dawn (Diocesan newspaper)
The Dallas Morning News (guest columnist, religion section)
Expert: Alex Anatole Date: 7/18/2008 Subject: Communion
Question I read your answer regarding who may receive communion in the Orthodox church. My question is did Jesus mention what "Christian" religion we had to believe in to partake of his body and blood? Or does Orthodoxy an exclusive club for "members only"? I feel that if any baptized Christian desires the body and blood of Jesus, who is to deny them that precious feast? I would be in real fear of God for denying someone Christ.
Answer Sarah,
You say, "I feel that if any baptized Christian desires the body and blood of Jesus, who is to deny them that precious feast?"
I'm sure that in you mind that is a perfectly clear statement. But it leaves me a bit confused, so please help me out.
What constitutes "baptism"? Sprinkling? Single immersion? Triple immersion? In the name of Jesus? In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit? Done by a Priest? Does infant baptism count? Done my a layman? Done by a Christian? Done my a non-Christian? Some of the above? All of the above?
What constitutes a "Christian"? Can one deny the eternal deity of Christ and be a Christian? The Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses do. Are they Christians? I was baptized as an infant, and will never be baptized again. Am I a Christian?
You speak of "that precious feast" as being the body and blood of Christ. Is one who believes that the Gifts are mere symbols a Christian?
Christ did not establish a religion. He most certainly did not establish a multitude of religions with conflicting and mutually exclusive doctrines.
What He did do was to establish His one holy universal and apostolic Church. He entrusted the Church to His Apostles. He sent the Holy Spirit to indwell His Church. He promised that the Holy Spirit would lead His Church into all truth and preserve His Church from destruction.
He also warned that there would be wolves and tares. There would be those who would attempt to tear the Church apart and those who would counterfeit the Church.
But no matter how many times the Church is counterfeited, there is and can be only one Body of Christ. Christ cannot be divided. There will never be more than one Church.
The Mystery (Sacrament) of Communion is the ultimate act of unity within the Church. In receiving Communion in the Orthodox Church we declare that this truly is Christ's Church. We declare that our Bishop truly is a successor of the Apostles by both the laying on of hands and by the preaching of the true Gospel, whole and unaltered as Christ proclaimed it to His Apostles. We declare that we are united in spirit with the entire Church, her theologians, her Saints, her Martyrs, her monastics and laity, her councils, her theology, her liturgy, and her entire Holy Spirit led life across time and space.
This is why St Paul warns us to not partake of the Gifts if we do not discern Christ in them, lest we be harmed by receiving unworthily.
We are not an exclusive club. We are the inclusive Body of Christ. And we welcome those who come seeking true Communion with Christ.
But we do not share the Gifts with those who deny that Communion by practicing strange doctrines which contradict the Holy Tradition of the Church. We do not share the Gifts with those who deny the Deity of Christ, who deny the Trinity, who deny the reality of the Mysteries, who deny the Ecumenical Councils, the Communion of the Saints, the Charisma of the ordained Clergy, or any other part of the Holy Spirit guided Tradition.
To receive Communion one must be in communion.
To share the ultimate Mystery of union with those who choose to remain separated is a sham and a sacrilege.
You say, "I would be in real fear of God for denying someone Christ."
I fear to cheapen and desecrate the Holy Gifts by sharing them with those who deny the Church Christ founded and for which He died and rose again. And that is why on several occasions, when I have seen non-Orthodox visitors step into the Communion line, I have taken them by the elbow and escorted them out of the line.
