Page 113 - THE ARMENIAN CHURCH_Neat

114 The Armenian Church

Holy Eucharist, which is also called Divine
Liturgy or Holy Mass (surb patarag), is the
heart of the liturgical and sacramental life of
the Armenian Church. Christ instituted the
sacrament of the Holy Eucharist at the Last
Supper (Lk 22:19). Later, the Last Supper
was also referred to as the Lord's Supper
(1 Cor. 11:20) or the Breaking of the Bread
(Lk 24:35; Acts 2:42). The Lord's Supper also
came to be known as agape, meaning meal of
fellowship. In the Armenian Church agape is
called mas, which is not communion, but
unleavened bread blessed by the celebrant
at the end of the eucharistic celebration,
symbolizing one community of faith eating
from the same table. The faithful also take
with them a portion to those who were not
present at the eucharistic celebration.
The Holy Mass includes four major par-
ticipants with their specific roles: the con-
gregation, the choir, the deacon, and the
celebrant, and it is divided into four parts:
the preparation, the liturgy of the Word, the
liturgy of the Eucharist or faithful, and the
last blessing.
The Holy Mass proceeds in the following
way. At the very beginning of the night and
morning hours that precede the Holy Mass,
the celebrant confesses, privately or publi-
cally, and recites the Profession of the Ortho-
dox Faith, reaffirming his faithfulness to the
orthodox faith. While donning the liturgical