The second part of the prayer of the Oblation: 'And with these blessed (...)'

In the second segment of the prayer of the Oblation there is a universal glorification of the Incarnation and the redemption of humankind through the work of the Only-Begotten Son of God. The prayer now concentrates on a crucial point in the ministry of Christ, the Institution of the Lord's Supper during the Last or Mystical Supper. The Eucharist is being presented here as the focal point, the culmination of Christ's ministry. It should be noted that the qualifier Mystical before the noun Supper is used not in the ancient Greek sense of the word (Mystical=apokryphos, hidden, known only to the chosen ones), it rather denotes holiness; The Mystical Supper is the supper which leads humanity to its most sacred prospect, namely salvation.

22 from Αθωνική Ψηφιακή Κιβωτός on Vimeo.

This segment of the prayer of the Oblation introduces us to the notion that the Divine Liturgy is a 'Sacrifice', the utmost Sacrifice of the Lord on the Cross which is repeated every time the Divine Liturgy is celebrated, being the culmination of the Mystery of God's love as is stated in 1 John 4:9-10: 'God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world (...) to be the atoning Sacrifice for our sins'.

Both segments of the prayer of the Oblation are an outline of the theology of the Divine Liturgy: God sought for the humans, who had retreated into a world of delusion, and formed a plan for their salvation. Thus we humans celebrate the Divine Liturgy in glorification and in thanksgiving to God.


Last modified: Wednesday, 7 October 2020, 10:03 PM