Orthodox Eucharist

LizaMarie · Jul 23, 2025

Forgive me if this has been asked here before, But I'm looking for an explanation of what do the Orthodox churches do with the remaining bread and wine after the service. I have been aware that the Orthodox believe in the real presence, as Lutherans do, but not transubstantiation like the Roman Catholics, right?
We Lutherans believe in the Real Presence but I believe our churches are kinda shakey on how it's handled after the service. Each pastor we've had is different, too(I've been with our church a long time.)
The Wine is put back in the decanter, and the bread is put back in the container, but I always have felt that the elements aren't handled as reverently as I would like to see in our churches.

LizaMarie · Jul 23, 2025

LizaMarie said:
Forgive me if this has been asked here before, But I'm looking for an explanation of what do the Orthodox churches do with the remaining bread and wine after the service. I have been aware that the Orthodox believe in the real presence, as Lutherans do, but not transubstantiation like the Roman Catholics, right?
We Lutherans believe in the Real Presence but I believe our churches are kinda shakey on how it's handled after the service. Each pastor we've had is different, too(I've been with our church a long time.)
The Wine is put back in the decanter, and the bread is put back in the container, but I always have felt that the elements aren't handled as reverently as I would like to see in our churches.

Can someone give me an explanation of the Orthodox Eucharist including after the service?

gzt · Jul 23, 2025

The most junior clergyman consumes the remaining gifts.

"Transubstantiation" is a word the Orthodox use to describe the eucharist.

LizaMarie · Jul 24, 2025

gzt said:
The most junior clergyman consumes the remaining gifts.

"Transubstantiation" is a word the Orthodox use to describe the eucharist.

Thank you! so none are left over at all after the service, including the wine?

prodromos · Jul 24, 2025

LizaMarie said:
Thank you! so none are left over at all after the service, including the wine?

On Holy Thursday of Pascha, some of the body is reserved for the following year after the sign of the cross is made on it with the blood. This is kept in a special receptacle on the altar.

Yeshua HaDerekh · Jul 24, 2025

LizaMarie said:
Thank you! so none are left over at all after the service, including the wine?

No, all of it is consumed.

gzt · Jul 24, 2025

LizaMarie said:
Thank you! so none are left over at all after the service, including the wine?

Unless, for some reason, some needs to be reserved, it is all consumed.

ArmyMatt · Jul 24, 2025

as a priest I can vouch that the Eucharist is completely consumed.

the gents are correct.

RileyG · Aug 5, 2025

gzt said:
The most junior clergyman consumes the remaining gifts.

"Transubstantiation" is a word the Orthodox use to describe the eucharist.

Forgive me for butting in, but really? Can you elaborate a bit further?

@ArmyMatt @The Liturgist

ArmyMatt · Aug 5, 2025

RileyG said:
Forgive me for butting in, but really? Can you elaborate a bit further?

@ArmyMatt @The Liturgist

yes we do, it’s one of many terms and words we use to articulate the mystery.

RileyG · Aug 5, 2025

ArmyMatt said:
yes we do, it’s one of many terms and words we use to articulate the mystery.

That’s….quite surprising

ArmyMatt · Aug 6, 2025

RileyG said:
That’s….quite surprising

transubstantiation, transmutation, consecration, blessing, showing forth, etc are all historically used. most commonly we say the bread and wine become the Body and Blood, and leave it at that.

RileyG · Aug 6, 2025

ArmyMatt said:
transubstantiation, transmutation, consecration, blessing, showing forth, etc are all historically used. most commonly we say the bread and wine become the Body and Blood, and leave it at that.

Ah, sounds good! Thanks for the response!

ArmyMatt · Aug 6, 2025

RileyG said:
Ah, sounds good! Thanks for the response!

yeppers

The Liturgist · Aug 8, 2025

RileyG said:
That’s….quite surprising

The Orthodox Church really believes in the real presence in an absolute way. It’s simply that we never explored how it functions in the manner that Thomas Aquinas did; we tend to regard consecration as either happening at the Epiclesis or as a product of the entire Divine Liturgy, but that being said, transubstantiation is not rejected, but insofar as you encounter the phrase, I would regard it as an importation from Roman Catholicism as opposed to an organic concept. Certainly, by saying transubstantiation we leave no doubt that we’re rejecting Calvinism, Receptionism, Memorialism and other Protestant concepts of the Eucharist which fall short of it being the true Body and Blood of Christ our God. On the other hand, trans-subtantiation is a technical term which is more precise in its exact meaning than most Orthodox who use the term probably intend, since its referring to Aristotelian categories of accidents and substance, which may not be entirely optimal. I myself think transubstantiation might have problems with regards to certain Eucharistic miracles in which the perceptual attributes changed as well as the substance.

I also agree with everything @ArmyMatt said.

One thing I love about the Roman Catholic Church however is the piety of traditional Catholics with regards to the Eucharist, which is extremely important. While we don’t traditionally practice Eucharistic adoration in the Orthodox church I don’t personally regard it as problematic.

By the way I would note that the Byzantine Rite and Eastern Orthodox liturgies are in most cases identical, differing only in the diptychs and in the wording of translations and in the inclusion of a petition for the Pope in the case of Byzantine Catholic liturgics. In the US there are some Ukrainian Greek Catholic churches which operate using the same liturgical cycle one finds in an Orthodox church. There is one back east known as St. Elias.

The Liturgist · Aug 8, 2025

prodromos said:
On Holy Thursday of Pascha, some of the body is reserved for the following year after the sign of the cross is made on it with the blood. This is kept in a special receptacle on the altar.

My understanding is that the presanctified gifts are replenished as needed, for example, during Lent they will consecrate an extra Lamb for the Presanctified Liturgies during the Divine Liturgy of St. Basil on Sunday.

ArmyMatt · Aug 9, 2025

The Liturgist said:
While we don’t traditionally practice Eucharistic adoration in the Orthodox church I don’t personally regard it as problematic.

well, we kind of do in a way in the Presanctified Liturgy. it’s just that it’s never separated from it’s consumption.

RileyG · Aug 9, 2025

The Liturgist said:
My understanding is that the presanctified gifts are replenished as needed, for example, during Lent they will consecrate an extra Lamb for the Presanctified Liturgies during the Divine Liturgy of St. Basil on Sunday.

Extra Lamb?

ArmyMatt · Aug 9, 2025

RileyG said:
Extra Lamb?

the consecrated Bread is called the Lamb. it’s forbidden to consecrate during Lenten weekdays, so the extra Lambs are consecrated Sunday

RileyG · Aug 9, 2025

ArmyMatt said:
the consecrated Bread is called the Lamb. it’s forbidden to consecrate during Lenten weekdays, so the extra Lambs are consecrated Sunday

Ahhh, thanks!

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