SPSA Church Giving (opens in a new tab)

Fr. Tadros Yacoub Malaty · Catechism · 804

Faith Q&A › Catechism › On the Main Features of the Coptic Liturgy

Of what does St. Basil the Great warn the priests when they are partaking of the blood of Christ?

The answer

He warns the priests from desiring to drink Christ’s blood as being wine, from filling the cup to the brim so that he would have much left to drink. In addition to that, filling up the cup too much may cause the blood to spill on the ground. It is fitting for the priest to practice this mystery in fear and reverence, honoring the holy sacrifice so as not to perish like the sons of Eli the priest (1 Sam. 2:29–34), nor to resemble Belshazzar the king who drank wine out of the vessels of God’s holy temple (Dan. 5:1–4), nor like the sons of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram who offered strange fire, causing the earth to open its mouth and swallow them (Num. 16:24–32).1568

Fr. Tadros Yacoub Malaty

Notes

1568 See Mar Philoxenias (Arabic), (St. Mary’s Monastery, Dair Al-Surian, 2003).

Fr. Tadros Yacoub Malaty, Catechism of the Coptic Orthodox Church, Volume 1, Books 1–3. First English Edition, 2023. Published by St. George Coptic Orthodox Church, Sporting, Alexandria, and Queen St. Mary & Prince Tadros Coptic Orthodox Church, South Brunswick, NJ. Copyright © 2023. Translation and Editing: Youth of the Coptic Orthodox Church in the USA, Canada, Europe, Australia, Arabian Gulf, and Egypt.