Summary
Summary of On the Eucharist A
Key ideas
Key idea 1
A prayer shaped by thanksgiving
On the Eucharist A is a short prayer for the Lord's Supper, with no named author. It survives in Coptic, the language of Christian Egypt, and scholars connect it with Valentinian Christians, followers of the teacher Valentinus. Its precise beginnings remain uncertain.
Within a few lines, the prayer brings together thanks to the Father, remembrance of the Son, and a request for those standing before God. These simple movements offer a glimpse of how an early Christian community might pray at the table.
Key idea 2
Its setting offers clues to worship
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Key idea 3
Thanks and memory belong together
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Key idea 4
Worship reaches into daily conduct
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Key idea 5
Shared praise closes the prayer
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Key idea 6
Gratitude carries a hope for wholeness
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Read the rest freeWho it’s for
Readers who love early Christian worship, the Nag Hammadi books, and the prayers of the first communities, and anyone who enjoys small texts that open onto a large world of belief.
What this book is
On the Eucharist A is a very short prayer of thanksgiving for the Lord's Supper. It survives in Coptic, the language of Christian Egypt, among the books found near Nag Hammadi in 1945. Scholars link it with Valentinian Christians, the followers of the teacher Valentinus, and many place the original in the second century, though they differ on the details. No author is named.
In only a few lines you meet an early way of praying at the table: thanks to the Father, memory of the Son, and a request for those who stand before God. This summary tells you where the prayer was found, what it says, how its community may have used it, and how to read it today. Let us begin with where it was found.
In this summary
- 1A prayer found among buried booksFree
- 2Thanks to the Father, memory of the Son
- 3A plea for those who come before God
- 4How communities used it and how to read it
Key point 1 of 4
A prayer found among buried books
In 1945 a group of ancient books in Coptic came to light near Nag Hammadi in Egypt. They were bound as codices, the early form of the book with pages, and the collection holds dozens of writings. One of these codices, numbered eleven by scholars, carries On the Eucharist A.
The prayer stands with a handful of short liturgical pieces copied after a longer work known as A Valentinian Exposition. These pieces deal with anointing, baptism and the Eucharist, and there are two prayers on the Eucharist, usually labelled A and B. They read like notes for worship rather than essays.
The Coptic copy is generally dated to the fourth century. Scholars think it translates an older Greek original, perhaps from the second century, but they cannot be sure. The author is unknown, and the prayer carries no name, so its origin is judged from the company it keeps in the codex.
That’s 1 of 4 key points.
The rest of the summary, written and spoken, and the whole book: free to start.
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Check yourself
What lies at the heart of the prayer's opening?
Right. “They call to mind the Son, Jesus Christ, and the prayer places the whole act under his name.”Not quite. “They call to mind the Son, Jesus Christ, and the prayer places the whole act under his name.”
What does the prayer ask for the worshippers?
Right. “The prayer asks that the worshippers be whole in every spiritual gift and every purity.”Not quite. “The prayer asks that the worshippers be whole in every spiritual gift and every purity.”
What suggests that a group spoke the prayer aloud?
Right. “Glory is given to the Father through his Son, and the speakers close with Amen, the word that lets a whole congregation join in.”Not quite. “Glory is given to the Father through his Son, and the speakers close with Amen, the word that lets a whole congregation join in.”
Questions about On the Eucharist A
What is On the Eucharist A about?
It is a short prayer of thanksgiving for the Lord's Supper. It thanks the Father, remembers Jesus Christ, asks that worshippers keep doing God's will, and closes with praise and Amen.
Where was On the Eucharist A found?
It comes from Codex XI of the Nag Hammadi books, discovered in Egypt in 1945. It is written in Coptic and stands with other short liturgical pieces after A Valentinian Exposition.
Who wrote On the Eucharist A?
No author is named. Scholars connect it with Valentinian Christians, followers of the teacher Valentinus, and many think the Coptic text translates a Greek original from around the second century.
What does the word Eucharist mean?
It comes from a Greek word meaning thanksgiving. Christians use it for the Lord's Supper, the meal of bread and wine in which they remember Jesus and give thanks to God.
Is On the Eucharist A easy to read?
It is only a few lines, so it can be read in a minute and heard aloud with ease. Its plain wording and clear order of thanks, memory and request make it welcoming.
