What’s in a Name?

Understanding the Sacrament of the Eucharist by the names it has been called though history

The Catechism of the Catholic Church mentions at least eight names by which the Sacrament is called: 1. Eucharist, 2. The Lord's Supper, 3. the Breaking of Bread, 4. the Eucharistic Assembly, 5. Divine Liturgy, 6. Holy Communion, 7. Holy Mass, and 8. Oblation.

1. Eucharist - Todah

In 2Cor 9:12 St. Paul mentions the Eucharist in terms of an office (Latin officii, Greek leitourgia): "Because the administration (ministerium, diakonia) of this office (leitourgia) doth not only supply the want of the saints, but aboundeth also by many thanksgivings (gratiarum actiones, eucharistian) in the Lord."

The Aramaic version of 1Cor 10:16 gives evidence of the sacrificial nature of the Eucharist through its use of the term todah (thanksgiving, thank offering): "The chalice of benediction (todah), which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? And the bread, which we break, is it not the partaking of the body of the Lord?"

The precious blood is called the cup of blessing , in Greek poterion eulogia; the Aramaic term from the Peshitta used for 'blessing' is todah. It is obvious here that todah does not mean to thank or praise, a verbal action, but it being used in a technical sense to show that the cup of blessing refers to the Passover, which according to technical Hebrew religious terms, is a todah. The todah was part of the sacrifices known as peace offerings.

The primarily distinction of peace offerings was that part of the sacrifice was eaten by the offerer. This is clear from Leviticus Chapter 7:11-12, 18: "This is the law of the sacrifice of peace offerings that is offered to the Lord; If the oblation be for thanksgiving, (todah) they shall offer loaves without leaven tempered with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil, and fine flour fried, and cakes tempered and mingled with oil... If any man eat of the flesh of the victim of peace offerings on the third day, the oblation shall be of no effect, neither shall it profit the offerer: yea rather whatsoever soul shall defile itself with such meat, shall be guilty of transgression."

2. The Lord's Supper

It [St. Paul's verses 1 Corinthians 11:20 - 11:24] offers the first definite evidence of a meal being connected with the celebration of the Eucharist. This meal was called the Lord's Supper by Paul. Later it became known as the agape. [The Byzantine-Slav Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, Casimir Kucharek, Alleluia Press, 1971, pp. 19-20].

Since its falling out of use, the first to resurrect the name The Lord's Supper" was Zwingli, who in 1525 began using the Action of Use of the Lord's Supper . He was followed by Martin Bucer in 1539: "The Order for the Lord's Supper"; Calvin in 1542: The Manner of celebrating the Supper ; Cramner in 1552: "The Order for the Administration of the Lord's Supper or Holy Communion"; and John Knox in 1556: The Manner of the Lord's Supper

3. Breaking of Bread - Fractio

When mentioning the bread, St. Paul uses the word klasis, to break. In Aramaic, the word used is qatsiyn. In Hebrew the equivalent word is qatsah 'to cut off'. Qatsiyn has a double meaning in Aramaic: it means to break bread, but it also means "to celebrate the eucharist". In the Roman rite, the "breaking of bread" became the name for the ceremony of breaking the consecrated host before communion, known by its Latin equivalent, fractio (fraction). The Greek liturgies use the name artoklasia ("bread breaking") for the prayer of the fraction. Other than this, the use of the breaking of bread as the name for the liturgy is obsolete.

4. Eucharistic Assembly - Synaxis

In the primitive church the liturgy was called synaxis, from synago, meaning "I gather together". The noun synagogue was the Greek name for the Jewish building of worship which took the place of the temple of Jerusalem. This name did not transfer to Christianity, which opted for the word ecclesia, which has the more specific meaning of calling an assembly. It became the name for both the Christian assembly, and also the building in which they worship (church). Perhaps a clue as to why synagogue was not used comes from St. John 16:2: "They will put you out of the synagogues: yea, the hour cometh, that whosoever killeth you, will think that he doth a service to God." St. John uses a verb aposunagogos, meaning to put out of the synagogue, excommunicate. The Latin equivalent of synaxis is collecta, which became the name for the collect of the Mass. In the Byzantine liturgy, the synaxis is the name on the calendar for certain liturgical feasts, corresponding to the Masses celebrated in Rome at the stational churches. Other than this, the use of synaxis for the Christian liturgy is obsolete.

5. (Divine) Liturgy

Most of the Eastern Rites use the name Divine Liturgy for this sacrament. The word liturgy is biblical, being used in both the New Testament and the Septuagint Old Testament, where it translates the Hebrew abodah (work, service). In Aramaic, abad means, besides work and service, administration . In the context of worship of God, abodah is used for the work of the priests and Levites, which consisted of offering daily sacrifices to God. That "liturgy" is related to "sacrifice" can be further seen in St. Paul, who, writing from a Roman prison, combines the word service (leitourgia) with the words victim (Greek spendo, meaning to spend one's blood in martyrdom) and sacrifice. "Yea, and if I be made a victim upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice, and congratulate with you all." Phil 2:17

6. Holy communion

Partaking and communion are the same word in Aramaic: shawtopuwta; it is related to Aramaic shatah, which means "to drink from a cup". Since this term emphasizes the precious blood (which is drunk) as opposed to the Body of Christ (which is eaten), shawtopuwta is generally restricted to that part of the Mass in which the sacrifice is consummated. In the late middle ages, starting with Martin Luther, those who denied the sacrificial reality of the Mass departed from traditional names; the Divine Liturgy, Mass, or Oblation were changed by all Protestant groups to the words Holy Communion. Following this change of texts, in actual practice, the service of Holy Communion shriveled up until almost all groups celebrated it but a few times a year.

7. Holy Mass

The act of dismissing the assembly is mentioned in a single biblical verse: Acts 19:41: "For we are even in danger to be called in question for this day's uproar, there being no man guilty (of whom we may give account) of this concourse. And when he had said these things, he dismissed the assembly (Latin dimissit)."

In the Hebrew religion and in early Christianity, there was a distinction made between a proselyte (catechumen) and a member of the faithful. If a proselyte converted on Pesach eve, (i.e., was circumcised and then immersed in water), he was able to eat the Passover (Mishnah Pesach). This is the equivalent of the concept of the Mass. In the primitive church, the liturgy was divided into two sections: the liturgy of the Catechumens, which anyone could attend, and the liturgy of the faithful, from which all catechumens and sinners were dismissed prior to the beginning prayer of the offertory. The priest in the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom says: "All ye catechumens, depart. Depart, ye catechumens. All ye that are catechumens, depart. Let no catechumens remain But let us who are of the faithful, again and again, in peace pray to the Lord."

Even though this prayer no longer exists in the Roman Rite Mass, the name for this dismissal (missio in Latin) became the name for the Divine Liturgy in the West, the Missa or Mass.

8. Oblation

Those who use Aramaic as their liturgical language call this Sacrament qorbono, meaning oblation. In both Hebrew and Aramaic qorban means offering/oblation as a noun; as a verb, qarab means to offer, to come near, to bring, to approach. It is clear from the Old Testament that not just anyone could approach the altar in the Temple in Jerusalem: "But do this to them, that they may live, and not die, by touching the holies of holies." Nu 4:19

Participation at Mass

The various meanings of the names for the Mass give us clues as to the role of the laity. The primary participation is of course attendance at Mass itself. The term participation has an interesting derivation. It is from Latin participo, from partis [part] + capio [to take]. In Latin, participation means primarily to partake. In Greek partake is koinoneo, to share, (from koinos meaning common) which also means communion. So where the Latin refers to the act of eating, the Greek has a broader meaning: either the eating of communion, or the spiritual communion which results. Communio in Latin means mutual participation , from the word cum, meaning with and mune, meaning gift, offertory gift, and (liturgical) office. As the word office, munus exists in one verse: "And the people in prayer besought the Lord the most High, until the worship of the Lord was perfected, and they had finished their office" Ecc 50:19. In the Greek Septuagint, the word used here is leitourgia.

Of the eight terms for the Mass described above, only four have become the names for the entire rite (rather than an individual part): Eucharist, Divine Liturgy, Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, and Oblation. The three terms, Mass, Qorbono, and Todah represent liturgical forms in which only the faithful may receive Holy Communion. As the Bible mentions, a non-believer should not receive: "For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh judgment to himself, not discerning the body of the Lord." 1Ch 11:29. Also Ex 12:48: "And if any stranger be willing to dwell among you, and to keep the Phase of the Lord, all his males shall first be circumcised, and then shall he celebrate it according to the manner: and he shall be as he that is born in the land: but if any man be uncircumcised, he shall not eat thereof."

Jungmann, in The Mass of the Roman Rite, mentions that in the West, it was common to allow penitents to attend the Mass of the Faithful, whereas in the East they were dismissed. They were required however to keep silent at Mass (pg. 477).

What is the nature of the participation expected from the laity at Mass? In the Todah-eucharistia model, the answer was that the laity offer the animal as a gift, sing praises during the priest's sacrifice, and partake of the shared meal, both priest and laity receiving. Applying this to the Mass, there is little or no debate concerning the need for the laity to make an offering, and their right to receive communion at Mass. It is the singing of the Mass prayers that causes concern currently. At opposite poles of the Church, there are those who refuse to sing the texts from the Mass because they prefer modern hymns instead. Most have no relationship whatsoever to Catholic sacramental doctrine, emphasizing social justice concepts instead. At the opposite extreme are those who reject vocal participation at Mass because they believe they are being faithful to tradition. Pope Benedict XVI observes the mean, and there is talk of a new document being issued by the Holy Father to restore Gregorian Chant and Polyphony.

Let us examine the tradition of Catholics participating at Mass in a vocal way. After the Last Supper, Our Lord and the Apostles sang a hymn (Mat 26:30). This refers to is the Passover hallal: Psalms 113 and 114. Here is what previous Popes have taught concerning the vocal participation expected of the laity:

1. [T]he ancient custom and discipline of the Church, according to which the faithful assisting at Mass used to partake publicly in the Holy Sacrifice, agrees in every point with the institution and example of Christ Our Lord. Benedict the XIV, 1742, Encyclical Certiores effecti.

2. There Our people assemble for the purpose of acquiring the Christian spirit from its first and indispensable source, namely, active participation in the most sacred mysteries and in the public and solemn prayer of the Church... Gregorian Chant must be restored to the people so that they may again take a more active part in the sacred liturgy, as was the case in ancient times. Pope Pius X, Motu Proprio Tra le sollectudini, 1903.

3. The devout psalmody of the clergy, in which the faithful also took part, has given place to interminable musical compositions... Letter of St. Pius X, 1903 to Cardinal Respighi, Il desiderio.

4. From the Church's beginning they not only admirably contributed to nourish the piety of the faithful, who uninterruptedly offered 'to God the sacrifice of praise'... St. Pius X, 1911, Apostolic Constitution Divino Afflatu.

5. "a. History tells us how in the ancient basilicas, where bishop, clergy and people alternately sang the divine praises, the liturgical chant played no small part in converting many barbarians to Christianity and civilization. b. It was in the churches, finally, where practically the whole city formed a great joint choir... c. The faithful come to church in order to derive piety from its chief source, by taking an active part in the venerated mysteries and the public solemn prayers of the Church. d. Wherever the regulations on this subject have been carefully observed, a new life has been given to this delightful art, and the spirit of religion has prospered; the faithful have gained a deeper understanding of the sacred liturgy, and have taken part with greater zest in the ceremonies of the Mass, in the singing of the psalms and the public prayers. e. Voices, rather than instruments, ought to be heard in the church: the voices of the clergy, the choir and the congregation. f. In order that the faithful may more actively participate in divine worship, let them be made once more to sing the Gregorian Chant, so far as it belongs to them to take part in it. It is most important that when the faithful assist at the sacred ceremonies... they should not be merely detached and silent spectators, but, filled with a deep sense of the beauty of the liturgy, they should sing alternately with the clergy or the choir, as it is prescribed. If this is done, then it will no longer happen that the people either make no answer at all to the public prayers... Apostolic Constitution Divini Cultus, 1928, Pope Pius XI.

6. Finally, Pope Pius XII in Musicae Sacrae Disciplina, 1955, writes: Nevertheless at Masses that are not sung solemnly these hymns can be a powerful aid in keeping the faithful from attending the Holy Sacrifice like dumb and idle spectators. They can help to make the faithful accompany the sacred services both mentally and vocally and to join their own piety to the prayers of the priest.

Specific rubrics concerning the vocal participation of the laity are spelled out in the Instruction of the Sacred Congregation of Rites on Sacred Music and the Sacred Liturgy, 1958, Pope Pius XII. Too long to mention here, there were distinct rules for vocal participation of the laity depending on whether the Mass was a Solemn High, High, or Low Mass (see Numbers 24 - 34).

Thus, rather than being an innovation, vocal participation of the laity boasts a constant pedigree extending back from the Popes of the 20th century to the Jerusalem Temple. Tradition is unanimous: it is essential to the spiritual welfare of the Catholic laity that they learn to sing the Mass. Far from being traditional, silence at a Sung Mass does not indicate that we are the Faithful, but that we pertain to the unbaptized, who were required to be silent because to sing the prayers of the Mass would indicate their full unity with both the Church and Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Ed Snyder
March 11, Anno Domini MMVII