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(14Ε_362> Incomplete indeed: Because no synaxis is brought to completion without the communion.

And the main point: And here the main point is taken to mean the essential and crucial.

Its name: Why it is called illumination, and that it is so justly. From the one being initiated: And here it is taken with the omission of the verb 'to be'. B'. The hierarch: This order was in practice in the times of the Father

perhaps in the local churches. Of the sacredly-written tablets: He calls the Old and the New

Testament sacredly-written tablets. And in addition to them, those who are possessed: That is, by unclean spirits. And of the ministers: He calls ministers the deacons and those now

called subdeacons. The chosen: The chosen are the first deacons, and the priests are the presbyters. They set forth: This is according to the custom prevailing in Rome. For there seven

only deacons serve at the altar, whom, I think, he calls the chosen, while the others perform some other ministry; and note from this the archaism of the Father, and that the presbyters set forth the bread together with the deacons. This also happens everywhere, when there are few deacons; but in Rome, I think, always and reasonably so, because only the seven chosen ones serve at the altar; and perhaps also the seven happen to be chosen for their life above the others.

Of the catholic: That even then some symbol of faith was recited beforehand, or rather what they then received as a lesson and fellow-lesson of the faith.

Of the sacred tablets: Here the diptychs are not first among us, (14Ε_364> but in the time of this Father the diptychs were read after the kiss, just as in the East.

The chosen of the ministers: That only the first of the deacons stand by the altar; and perhaps also those chosen from among them for their life.

And he brings into view: That is, he clarifies the things being hymned; for example, that this and this is of Christ, and this is of Christ. And he also shows the divine gifts upon these things, for example, that it is for the remission of sins, and for eternal life, and as many such mystical things. Perhaps this "into view" means the holy gifts being then uncovered, after the prayers, but remaining covered until the time of communion; or perhaps he means the lifting up and the elevation of the one blessing of the divine bread, which the priest elevates, saying, "the holy things for the holy," which is more likely true, as you will find stated around the end of the chapter.

C'. § 1. The images in order: He called the things now performed in the synaxis images of the true things.

As not even of the symbols: That these are symbols, and not the truth. For the most sacred: What the psalms and the readings are. In remembrance: That "after the supper, having taken bread," and so forth; and that the

death of him is proclaimed, until he comes, according to the Apostle and the Lord himself saying; "do this in remembrance of me," and so forth. And note that he called the mystical supper of the Lord the archetypal symbol of the present divine mysteries; and that for the one partaking unworthily of the bread and of the cup, communion is of no benefit, but rather indeed he will receive it unto his judgment, according to the Apostle. And from what follows one might reasonably say, that after Judas had departed (14Ε_366> from the supper, Christ delivered the mystery to the disciples.

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(14Ε_362> Ἀτελής μέν: Ὅτι οὐδεμία σύναξις τελεσιουργεῖ δίχα τῆς μεταλήψεως.

Καί τό κεφάλαιον: Καί ἐνταῦθα τό κεφάλαιον ἐπί τοῦ ἀναγκαίου καί καιρίου εἴληπται.

Ἐπωνυμίαν αὐτῇ: ∆ιά τί λέγεται φώτισμα, καί ὅτι δικαίως. Ἐκ τοῦ τελουμένου: Καί ἐνταῦθα κατά παράλειψιν τοῦ ὑπάρχειν λαμβάνεται. Β'. Ὁ μέν ἱεράρχης: Ἡ τάξις αὕτη ἐν τοῖς χρόνοις τοῦ Πατρός ἐπολιτεύετο

ἴσως ἐν ταῖς κατά τόπον ἐκκλησίαις. Ἁγιογράφων δέλτων: Ἁγιογράφους δέλτους καλεῖ τήν Παλαιάν καί τήν Νέαν

∆ιαθήκην. Καί πρός αὐτοῖς ἐνεργούμενοι: Τουτέστιν ὑπό πνευμάτων ἀκαθάρτων. Τῶν λειτουργῶν δέ: Λειτουργούς φησι τούς διακόνους καί τούς νῦν

ὑποδιακόνους λεγομένους. Ἔκκριτοι: Ἔκκριτοι οἱ πρῶτοι διάκονοι, ἱερεῖς δέ οἱ πρεσβύτεροι. Προτιθέασι: Τοῦτο κατά τήν ἐν Ρώμῃ κρατοῦσαν συνήθειαν. Ἐκεῖ γάρ ἑπτά

μόνοι διάκονοι τῷ θυσιαστηρίῳ λειτουργοῦσιν, οὕς ἐκκρίτους, οἶμαι, καλεῖ, τούς δέ ἄλλους ἄλλην τινά ἐκτελεῖν λειτουργείαν· καί σημείωσαι κἀντεῦθεν τόν ἀρχαϊσμόν τοῦ Πατρός, καί ὅτι σύν τοῖς διακόνοις τόν ἄρτον οἱ πρεσβύτεροι προτιθέασι. Τοῦτο δέ καί πανταχοῦ γίνεται, ὀλίγων ὄντων διακόνων· ἐν Ρώμῃ δέ, οἶμαι, πάντοτε εἰκότως, διά τό μόνους ἑπτά τούς ἐκκρίτους τῷ θυσιαστηρίῳ λειτουργεῖν· τυχόν δέ καί βίῳ τῶν ἄλλων οἱ ἑπτά τυγχάνουσιν ἔκκριτοι.

Τῆς καθολικῆς: Ὅτι καί τότε πίστεώς τι σύμβολον προελέγετο, ἤ μᾶλλον ὅπερ τότε παρελάμβανον μάθημα καί συμμάθημα τῆς πίστεως.

Τῶν ἱερῶν πτυχῶν: Ὧδε οὐ πρῶτα τά δίπτυχα παρ' ἡμῖν, (14Ε_364> ἐπί δέ τοῦ Πατρός τούτου μετά τόν ἀσπασμόν τά δίπτυχα ἐλέγετο, ὥσπερ καί ἐν Ἀνατολῇ.

Οἱ τῶν λειτουργῶν ἔκκριτοι: Ὅτι οἱ πρῶτοι τῶν διακόνων μόνοι παρίστανται τῷ θυσιαστηρίῳ· τάχα δέ καί οἱ ἐν βίῳ τούτων ἔκκριτοι.

Καί ὑπ' ὄψιν ἄγει: Τουτέστι σαφηνίζει τά ὑμνούμενα· οἷον, ὅτι τόδε καί τόδε Χριστοῦ, καί τόδε Χριστοῦ. Ὑποδείκνυσι δέ καί τάς ἐπί τούτοις θείας δωρεάς, οἷον, ὅτι εἰς ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν, καί εἰς ζωήν αἰώνιον, καί ὅσα τοιαῦτα μυστικά. Τάχα δέ τό ὑπ' ὄψιν τοῦτο σημαίνει, ὡς τότε ἀποκαλυπτομένων τῶν ἁγίων δώρων, μετά τάς εὐχάς, μενόντων δέ κεκαλυμμένων, ἕως καιροῦ μεταλήψεως· ἤ τάχα τόν κουφισμόν καί τήν ὕψωσιν τῆς μιᾶς εὐλογίας τοῦ θείου ἄρτου φησίν, ὅν ὑψοῖ ὁ ἱερεύς, λέγων, «τά ἅγια τοῖς ἁγίοις», ὅπερ καί μᾶλλόν ἐστιν ἀληθές, ὡς περί τό τέλος τοῦ κεφαλαίου εὑρήσεις εἰρημένον.

Γ'. § 1. Τάς εἰκόνας ἐν τάξει: Εἰκόνας ἐκάλεσε τῶν ἀληθῶν τά νῦν τελούμενα ἐν τῇ συνάξει.

Ὡς οὐδέ τῶν συμβόλων: Ὅτι σύμβολα ταῦτα, καί οὐκ ἀλήθεια. Αἱ μέν γάρ ἱερώταται: Τί οἱ ψαλμοί καί τά ἀναγνώσματα. Εἰς μνήμην: Ὅτι «μετά τό δεῖπνον λαβών ἄρτον», καί τά ἑξῆς· καί ὅτι ὁ

θάνατος αὐτοῦ καταγγέλλεται, ἄχρις οὗ ἔλθῃ, κατά τόν Ἀπόστολον καί αὐτόν τόν Κύριον φάσκοντα· «τοῦτο ποιεῖτε εἰς τήν ἐμήν ἀνάμνησιν», καί τά ἑξῆς. Καί σημείωσαι ὅτι ἀρχισύμβολον ἔφη τό μυστικόν τοῦ Κυρίου δεῖπνον, τῶν νῦν θείων μυστηρίων· καί ὅτι τόν ἀναξίως μεταλαμβάνοντα τοῦ ἄρτου· καί τοῦ ποτηρίου, οὐδέν ἡ μετάληψις ὠφελεῖ, μᾶλλον μέν οὖν καί εἰς κρῖμα αὐτοῦ λήψεται, κατά τόν Ἀπόστολον. Ἐκ δέ τῶν ἑξῆς εὐλόγως ἄν τις φαίη, ὅτι μετά τό ἐξελθεῖν τόν Ἰούδαν (14Ε_366> ἐκ τοῦ δείπνου παρέδωκεν ὁ Χριστός τοῖς μαθηταῖς τό μυστήριον.