Anglo- and Roman Catholics seem to do something about mixing water and wine in the Supper. Is it to suggest the water and blood that flowed from the Lord Jesus at the cross? To the Protestant mind, does it suggest the water of human good works being combined in a Semi-Pelagian manner with the blood of the saving work of Christ. Either way, mixing water and best wine seems to be a bad thing in Isaiah 1:22 so perhaps we ought to stop it. It tends to spoil good wine, doesn’t it? Jesus seemed to prefer not to pour water into wine but to turn water into wine (John 2:9).
Sunday, February 05, 2006
Drinking Habits of Anglo-Catholic Communion
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
2 comments:
Its pre-Pelagian. Pelagius was 5th century. The liturgical use of water in wine appears centuries earlier:
"And when the president has given thanks, and all the people have expressed their assent, those who are called by us deacons give to each of those present to partake of the bread and wine mixed with water over which the thanksgiving was pronounced, and to those who are absent they carry away a portion."
- Justin Martyr, First Apology (C. 150 AD)
http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0126.htm
In fact, the custom of not drinklng wine "neat", goes way back before Christ. Only drunkards drank wine neat (without water) in Greek and Roman times.
http://laudatortemporisacti.blogspot.com/2004/10/wine-and-water.html
Even the traditional Jewish Passover, which predates Christianity, has provisions for diluting wine with water.
Remember: to study history is to become Catholic
Thanks very much. Most helpful clarification and useful info.
I didn't mean that historically the practice of mixing wine and water goes back to Pelagius but that a Protestant reader might be tempted to think of it as suggesting Pelagianism. I'm not inclined to think this was the intention!
Presumably people also diluted wine to save money in the ancient world (and since).
It also depends at what stage the wine and water are mixed. The Is. reference may refer to the bad practice of adding wine to water in the production rather than at the point of serving, as it were.
Perhaps to study history is to be catholic (small c) and could be Reformed!
Post a Comment