Justin Martyr
Justin was born in
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Prex Eucharistica, pp. 68-74
L.W. Barnard, Justin
Martyr, His Life and Thought (1967), ch. esp. pp. 142-50
Dix, The Shape,
pp. 222-4
J.A. Jungmann, The
Early Liturgy (1960), pp. 40-4
Dialogue with Trypho
41.1
The offering of fine flour . . . which
was handed down to be offered by those who were cleansed from leprosy, was a
type of the bread of the eucharist, which our Lord Jesus Christ handed down to
us to do for the remembrance of the suffering which he suffered for those who
are cleansed in their souls from all wickedness of men, so that we might give
thanks to God, both for creating the world with all things that are in it for
the sake of man, and for freeing us from the evil in which we were born, and
for accomplishing a complete destruction of the principalities and powers
through him who suffered according to his will.
2 Hence God
speaks about the sacrifices which were then offered by you, as I said before,
though Malachi, one of the twelve (prophets):
My will is not in you, says the Lord, and I will not
receive your sacrifices from your hands; for, from the rising of the sun to its
setting, my name has been glorified among the nations, and in every place incense
is offered to my name and a pure sacrifice, for my name is great among the
nations, says the Lord, but you profane it.
3 He is
prophesying about the sacrifices which are offered in every place by us, the
nations, that is the bread of the eucharist and likewise the cup of the
eucharist, saying that we glorify his name, but you profane it . . .
117.1 So God bears witness in advance that he is
well pleased with all the sacrifices in his name, which Jesus the Christ handed
down to be done, namely in the eucharist of the bread and the cup, which are
done in every place of the world by the Christians.
2 . . . Now I
myself also say that prayers and thanksgivings made by worthy men are the only
sacrifices that are perfect and well-pleasing to God.
3 For these
alone have been handed down for Christians to do, even in the remembrance of
their solid and liquid food, in which also they remember the suffering which
the Son of God suffered for them.
First Apology
65.1 After we have thus baptized him who has
believed and has given his assent, we take him to those who are called brethren
where they are assembled, to make common prayers earnestly for ourselves and
for him who has been enlightened[1] and
for all others everywhere, that, having learned the truth, we may be deemed
worthy to be found good citizens in our actions and guardians of the
commandments, so that we may be saved with eternal salvation.
2 When we
have ended the prayers, we greet one another with a kiss.
3 Then bread
and a cup of water and of mixed wine[2]
are brought to him who presides over the brethren, and he takes them and offers
praise and glory to the Father of all in the name of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit, and give thanks at some length that we have deemed worthy of these
things from him. When he has finished the prayers and the thanksgiving, all the
people present give their assent by saying, “Amen.”
4 Amen is
Hebrew for “So be it.”
5 And when
the president has given thanks and all the people have assented, those whom we
call deacons give to each one present a portion of the bread and wine and water
over which thanks have been given,[3]
and take them to those who are not present.
66.1 And we call this food “thanksgiving”;[4]
and no one may partake of it unless he is convinced of the truth of our
teaching, and has been cleansed with the washing of forgiveness of sins and
regeneration, and lives as Christ handed down.
2 For we do
not receive these things as common bread or common drink; but just as our
Saviour Jesus Christ, being incarnate through the word of God, took flesh and
blood for our salvation, so too we have been taught that the food over which
thanks have been given [5]by
the prayer of the Word who is from him,5 from which our flesh and
blood are fed by transformation, is both the flesh and blood of that incarnate
Jesus.
3 For the
apostles in the records composed by them which are called gospels, have handed
down what was commanded them: that Jesus took bread, gave thanks, and said, “Do
this for my remembrance; this is my body”; and likewise he took the cup, gave
thanks, and said, “This is my blood”; and gave to them alone.
4 And the
evil demons have imitated this and ordered it to be done also in the mysteries
of Mithras. For as you know or may learn, bread and a cup of water are used
with certain formulas in their rites of initiation.
67.1 And thereafter we continually remind one
another of these things. Those who have the means help all those in need; and
we are always together.
2 And we
bless the Maker of all things through his Son Jesus Christ and through the Holy
Spirit over all that we receive.
3 And on the
day called Sun-day an assembly is held in one place of all who live in town or
country, and the records of the apostles or writings of the prophets are read
for as long as time allows.