The oblation is a service offered
up by those below to those above, through material
elements, in hope of the forgiveness of sins and of
an answer to prayer. The old oblations consisted of
irrational animals and
of the blood of bodies, but with us the Only-begotten
of God, Who took upon Him the form of a servant,
He offered His own body a sacrifice to
His Father for the life of the world, and hence He
is called by John, “The Lamb of God which
taketh away the sins of the world.” And again
it is said of Him, that “His blood is
the new testament, shed for many for the remission
of sin.” And again: “So God loved the
world that He gave His Only-begotten Son,” Who
was offered up to His Father a living, rational
sacrifice for all the created, thereby reconciling
the world with His Greatness, and bringing salvation
to angels and to men. Now, seeing that it was impossible
that His sacrifice upon the cross for the salvation
of all could identically be enacted, in every place,
throughout all ages, and to all men, just as it was,
without any alteration, He beheld with an eye of mercy,
and devised in compassion and with great wisdom;
and in that night in which He was betrayed for the
life of the world, He took bread into His holy, pure,
and immaculate hands, blessed, broke, and gave it to
His disciples and he said unto them, this is my body
which is being broken for the sake of the life of the
world unto remission of sins, likewise he blessed the
cup and gave it to them saying “This is My Blood
of the new testament, which will be shed for many for
the remission of sins. Take therefore eat all of you
of this bread, and drink of this cup, and do this,
whenever ye shall meet together, in remembrance of
Me.” Through this divine command the bread is
changed into His
Holy Body, and the wine into His Precious Blood, and
they impart, to all who receive them in faith and without
doubting, the forgiveness of sins, purification, enlightenment,
pardon, the great hope of the resurrection from the
dead, the inheritance of heaven, and the new life,
Whenever we approach these Sacraments we meet with
CHRIST Himself and Him we bear upon our hands and kiss
and in partaking thereof, we are being united with
Him, His Holy Body mixing with our bodies, and His
innocent Blood mingling with
our blood, and by faith we know Him that is in heaven
and Him that is in the Church, to be but one Body.
The matter of this Sacrament
CHRIST ordained to be of wheat and wine, as being most
fit to represent body and blood. The form He conveys
through His life-giving word, and by the descent of
the Holy Spirit.
