The role of the Holy Spirit in the Lord's supper

[Till Schilling]

What is the Lutheran understanding fo the role of the Holy Spirit in the Lord's supper? Specifically as to the real presence of Christ's body and blood?

In Eastern Christianity the Eucharist liturgy contains something called the epiclesis = the invocation of the Holy Spirit.

For example the liturgy of St. James used in Syriac churches:

The Invocation of the Holy Spirit

The celebrant waves his hands over the Mysteries, and bowing down his head, says silently:
Have mercy upon us, O God the Father, and send upon these offerings Your Holy Spirit, the Lord Who is equal to You and to the Son in dominion, reign and eternal substance; Who spoke through Your Old and New Testaments; and descended in the likeness of a dove on our Lord Jesus Christ in the Jordan River and in the likeness of tongues of fire on the apostles in the Upper Room.

The celebrant stretches out his hands and says aloud:
Answer me, O Lord; answer me, O Lord; answer me, O Lord; O Good One, have compassion and mercy upon me.

People: Kyrie eleison. Kyrie eleison. Kyrie eleison.

The celebrant stretches out his left hand and waves his right hand over the Body and says aloud:
So that, by His indwelling, He (the Holy Spirit) may make this bread the life-giving Body +, the Redeeming Body + and the Body + of Christ our God.

People: Amen.

The celebrant, likewise, waves his right hand over the chalice and says aloud:
And may He (the Holy Spirit) perfect this cup into the Blood + of the New Covenant, the Redeeming Blood + and the Blood + of Christ our God.

People: Amen.

Quoted from Anaphora of St. James, First Bishop of Jerusalem


This liturgy sees a role for the Holy Spirit in the liturgy of the Eucharist and God the Father is explicitly asked to send his Holy Spirit not just on those present but onto the bread and the wine. Lutheran liturgies do - as fas as I know - not contain such an eucharistic prayer for the Holy Spirit. But does the Lutheran church share the view that the Holy Spirit does come down onto and indwell the elements of the Eucharist?

Quoting from the Formula of Concord
"The one body of Christ has three different modes, or all three modes, of being at any given place. [First,] The comprehensible, corporeal mode of presence, as when he walked bodily on earth and vacated or occupied space according to his size. …
Secondly, the incomprehensible, spiritual mode of presence according to which he neither occupies nor vacates space but penetrates every creature, wherever he wills. … He employed this mode of presence … in the bread and wine in the Lord's Supper. "
Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod - Christian Cyclopedia

What is the difference between this "spiritual mode of presence" of the body of Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit?

 

[actionsub]

I can't necessarily speak for the LCMS or other Lutheran communions, but the ELCA had this prayer in one of their eucharistic liturgies:
"By your Holy Spirit may they be for us the Body and Blood of our Savior Jesus Christ. Grant that we who share these gifts may be filled with the Holy Spirit and live as Christ's Body in the world."
Granted, this appeared in a document for a shared communion between the Episcopal Church and the ELCA.
That said, I am unable to find any epiclesis in non-ecumenical ELCA liturgies.

 

[ViaCrucis]

The Epiclesis is not always explicitly found in Lutheran liturgies, but it could be said (or at least I've heard it argued before) that there is an implied Epiclesis. But more importantly, in the Lutheran view what makes the Eucharist the Eucharist is Christ's word. And thus the Eucharist is valid when the Words of Institution are said: for here is Christ's own word that this which we are here to receive is truly and indeed His true body and blood. Therefore an explicit Epiclesis is not necessary, for we have Christ's own word; but nevertheless we can confess that these things are indeed by the work and power of the Spirit--who is always at work in and through Word and Sacrament for us, to bring to us and create in our hearts faith.

So whether or not there is an Epiclesis is not regarded as essential; what is essential is the Verba, the Words [of Institution].

-CryptoLutheran

 

[Till Schilling]

Thanks actionsub and CryptoLutheran,

What I understand from your posts is that Lutheranism agrees with the theology of the liturgy of St. James: the real presence of the body and blood of Christ in the bread and wine of the Eucharist is the work of the Trinity. With the role of the Holy Spirit to come down unto and indwell the elements.

We know that the Holy Spirit can create matter. He did so at creation (out of nothing) and at the incarnation. Correct?

Are we to understand the presence of Christ's body and blood in the elements of the Eucharist incarnational? The language of the FC of Christ's "spiritual mode of presence" is incomprehensible to me. To my simple, uneducted mind it is not the same as "the true body and blood of Christ". True for me meaning physical.

Also:
What is the difference between this "spiritual mode of presence" of the body of Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit?

 

[ViaCrucis]

Thanks actionsub and CryptoLutheran,

What I understand from your posts is that Lutheranism agrees with the theology of the liturgy of St. James: the real presence of the body and blood of Christ in the bread and wine of the Eucharist is the work of the Trinity. With the role of the Holy Spirit to come down unto and indwell the elements.

We know that the Holy Spirit can create matter. He did so at creation (out of nothing) and at the incarnation. Correct?

Are we to understand the presence of Christ's body and blood in the elements of the Eucharist incarnational? The language of the FC of Christ's "spiritual mode of presence" is incomprehensible to me. To my simple, uneducted mind it is not the same as "the true body and blood of Christ". True for me meaning physical.

Also:
What is the difference between this "spiritual mode of presence" of the body of Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit?

We try not to give explanation for how these things are possible; only to confess the word of Christ that here "in, with, and under" the bread and wine is indeed the very true flesh and blood of Jesus, broken and shed for us. It is what it is because Jesus said "this is"; "this is My body" and "this is My blood".

The Holy Spirit is active and present, as He always is wherever the word is preached and Sacraments administered.

As Luther said to Zwingli at Marburg, "Jesus said hoc est", and that settles the matter.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[Kalevalatar]

Communion in Growth: Declaration on the Church, Eucharist, and Ministry. A Report from the Lutheran-Catholic Dialogue Commission for Finland from 2017 has this to say (emphasis mine):

II EUCHARISTIC COMMUNION

2. Eucharist

2.2. The Common Understanding of the Eucharist

2.2.4. The Epiclesis rediscovered

116. The ecumenical movement has helped to overcome the point of controversy between the Eastern and Western Churches regarding the epiclesis, the invocation of the Holy Spirit upon the gifts of bread and wine. Lutherans and Catholics accept the role of the Spirit in the transformation of the eucharistic elements into the body and blood of the Lord.

117. We agree that “The Eucharist unfolds in two great parts which together form one, single act of worship. The Liturgy of the Word involves proclaiming and listening to the Word of God. The Liturgy of the Eucharist includes the presentation of the bread and wine, the prayer or the anaphora containing the words of consecration, and communion.” Through the consecratory words and prayer of thanksgiving, a word of faith addressed to the Father, the bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ by the action of the Holy Spirit. At Holy Communion we eat the flesh of Christ and drink his blood. In the epiclesis we also ask that we may receive Holy Communion worthily in faith and receive strength to love our neighbours. The truth affirmed in faith about the Eucharist must shape the content and form of the liturgy.​

​

Our liturgy of the Mass, III The Lord’s Supper:

Prayer and the words of institution (This prayer and the words of institution may be sung.)

Lord, our God, you are almighty and holy.
You gave life to all creation
and created us in your own image.
You did not forsake us to be ruled by sin and death;
instead, through the prophets, you promised a day of salvation.
When the time had come, you sent your Son.
He was born a human and redeemed us on the cross.
In him you made peace with us.
We pray: Send us your Holy Spirit and bless these gifts, this bread and wine,
by which we take part in the body and blood of Christ,
as we celebrate the holy supper as he himself has commanded us to do.

Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when he was betrayed,
took bread, blessed (十), broke the bread
and gave it to his disciples, saying,
”Take, eat; this is my body
which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

In the same way he took the cup, thanked (十) and said,
”Drink from it, all of you.
This cup is the new covenant in my blood,
which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.
Do this, as often as you drink from it,
in remembrance of me.”

We recall the suffering of your Son and its saving power;
we recall his death, his joyous resurrection and his ascension to heaven.
We wait for his return in glory.

[A We proclaim his death.
We witness his resurrection.
We wait for his coming in glory.]

Give us your Holy Spirit,
that we will receive in faith the gift of communion.
Make us one body in Christ,
and lead us to deeds of love
that you might receive honor and thanksgiving.

Through him, with him, and in him,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
all honor and glory belong to you, almighty Father,
always and forever.

A Amen.

 

[Till Schilling]

Communion in Growth: Declaration on the Church, Eucharist, and Ministry. A Report from the Lutheran-Catholic Dialogue Commission for Finland from 2017 has this to say:

“The ecumenical movement has helped to overcome the point of controversy between the Eastern and Western Churches regarding the epiclesis, the invocation of the Holy Spirit upon the gifts of bread and wine. Lutherans and Catholics accept the role of the Spirit in the transformation of the eucharistic elements into the body and blood of the Lord.”

See, I did not know there was this controversy.

I just heard this as part of the Holy Liturgy in a Russian-Orthodox church - no, I do of course not understand the old-slovenic language apart from a few words but have a little booklet with the text and a translation so I can follow - and I realized that it is different. But it did make and still does make a lot of sense to me.

The next question that comes to mind is of course: is this really so far and so different from Jean Calvin?

 

[Kalevalatar]

See, I did not know there was this controversy.

I just heard this as part of the Holy Liturgy in a Russian-Orthodox church - no, I do of course not understand the old-slovenic language apart from a few words but have a little booklet with the text and a translation so I can follow - and I realized that it is different. But it did make and still does make a lot of sense to me.

The next question that comes to mind is of course: is this really so far and so different from Jean Calvin?

Heh! You do know that is worthy of, oh well, only some 500 years of heated theological debate, don't you?

Yes, it is very different.

I shall put up the disclaimer here to remind that I am no theologian, English is not my native language, my theological vocabulary (and English pronouns!) both in Finnish and in English are seriously lacking, and the devil is in the details (no pun intended!) and pronouns such like in, with and under are immensely important when debating Echaristic Theology.

I do hope that one of the highly educated and competent resident theologians and pastors of the Lutheran Forum will join in and give a proper explanation why it is hugely different, and correct inaccuracies , but meanwhile, here goes my lay Lutheran take:

Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox: bread & wine = Christ's Body and Blood <--the Holy Spirit (Transubtantiation / Eucharistic Miracle-mystery)
Lutherans, Real Presence: bread & wine = Christ's Body and Blood present in the bread & wine + Word / Holy Spirit; Transubstantiation is not false, per se, but unnenecessary.
Reformed: bread & wine = Symbolic Christ's Body and Blood; Transubstantiation and Real Presence are false and unnecessary.

To illustrate, let's move beyond the Eucharist and Consecration, what happens there and how, to the post-consecration, if you will, how we handle the post-communion consecrated elements based on our theology and differences thereof. I've stolen this from a symposium lecture at the Evangelisches Augustinerkloster, Erfurt, by our Bishop Jari Jolkkonen of the Diocese of Kuopio [emphasis mine].

The problem of post-consecration is well illuminated by an incident in 1545 in the town of Friesnietz. Pr Adam Besserer assisted in the distribution of the Eucharist on the Third Sunday in Advent. The number of communicants was known beforehand as they had to come to confession prior to the Mass. So the exact number of wafers was reserved for the Eucharist.

When distributing the Eucharist to the last communicant Besserer noticed that the wafers had run out. For some reason he had misplaced one of them. He resolved the problem by fetching an unconsecrated wafer from the host box after which he distributed that wafer. Soon afterwards the misplaced wafer was found and put back. Now Besserer made a second and even more fatal error: he slipped the consecrated wafer back into the host box among the unconsecrated wafers.

This became a scandal and Besserer was suspended from office. The theologians at Wittenberg University were asked for counsel on whether this was a matter of abuse and if so, what sanctions should be taken. Together with Johannes Bugenhagen, Luther replied in a letter dated 11 January 1546 only six weeks prior to his death.

The reply from Wittenberg was unambiguous. Luther considered that the way the minister handled the matter was abuse. As Besserer returned the recovered consecrated wafer to where the unconsecrated wafers were kept, he indicated that he held the consecrated and the unconsecrated wafers to be the same thing. This, to the theologians of Wittenberg, was not only a sign of pastoral negligence but nothing other than godlessness. Dispensing with a consecrated wafer could be explained away as carelessness, placing it back among the unconsecrated wafers was already deliberate. Possibly the theologians of Wittenberg were aggravated by a rumour according to which Besserer at first defended his act, claiming that there was no specific difference between the consecrated and the unconsecrated wafers.

In Luther’s opinion Besserer confessed with his action that he was a Zwinglian and a denier of Christ’s real presence. Therefore he deemed it self-evident that the minister in question was to be removed from office and excommunicated: “Let him go to the Zwinglians!”

Here in the Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Church, we are very, very strict about not mixing the consecreated elements (Christ's Body & Blood) with the unconsecrated elements (bread & wine). We do re-serve the re-consecrated elements, but they are kept separate and not re-consecrated again. To my understanding, in the Reformed theology, all this is unnecessary hassle, because the bread and wine are and remain symbolic elements throughout the service, pre-Communion--Communion--post-Communion.

 

[Till Schilling]

Reformed: bread & wine = Symbolic Christ's Body and Blood; Transubstantiation and Real Presence are false and unnecessary.

This is Zwingli. Not Calvin. Granted: the vast majority of Reformed are Zwinglians. But in my experience so are many other Christians, including Catholics.

Anyway, I referred to Calvin. Who taught a spiritual real presence. It is quite complicated and frankly I never got it but in fact Calvin and Calvinist confessions do teach that believers receive and partake in the true body and blood of the Lord. But not in an orally manner but a spiritual manner. Brought about by ... the Holy Spirit.