Anamnesis (from the
Attic Greek
Attic Greek is the Greek language, Greek dialect of the regions of ancient Greece, ancient region of Attica, including the ''polis'' of classical Athens, Athens. Often called Classical Greek, it was the prestige (sociolinguistics), prestige diale ...
word , ) is a
liturgical statement in
Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...
in which the
Church refers to the
memorial character of the
Eucharist
The Eucharist ( ; from , ), also called Holy Communion, the Blessed Sacrament or the Lord's Supper, is a Christianity, Christian Rite (Christianity), rite, considered a sacrament in most churches and an Ordinance (Christianity), ordinance in ...
or to the
Passion,
Resurrection and
Ascension of
Jesus
Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...
. It has its origin in Jesus' words at the
Last Supper, "Do this in memory of me" (), (
Luke 22:19,
1 Corinthians
The First Epistle to the Corinthians () is one of the Pauline epistles, part of the New Testament of the Christian Bible. The epistle is attributed to Paul the Apostle and a co-author, Sosthenes, and is addressed to the Christian church in Anc ...
11:24-25).
Anamnesis is also a key concept in the liturgical theology: in worship, Christians recall God's saving deeds. This memorial aspect is not simply a passive process but one by which the Christian can actually enter into the
Paschal mystery.
In Eucharistic prayers
Almost all Eucharistic prayers (or ''
anaphoras'') contain an anamnesis. This part of the anaphora is usually placed after the
consecration
Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects ( ...
, i.e. after the account of the
Last Supper in which are pronounced the
Words of Institution spoken by Jesus. The Words of Institution are usually ended by the sentence "Do this in memory of me", which meaning is thus prepared and immediately taken up by the following anamnesis.
For example, in the
Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom, the anamnesis is:
In the Western
Roman Canon, the wording of the anamnesis is:
In the
Byzantine Rite, other services besides the
Divine Liturgy
Divine Liturgy () or Holy Liturgy is the usual name used in most Eastern Christian rites for the Eucharistic service.
The Eastern Catholic Churches, Eastern Lutheranism, Eastern Lutheran Churches and the Eastern Orthodox Church believe the Divi ...
will have an anamnesis, such as the
Great Sanctification of Waters at
Theophany. ''An Episcopal Dictionary of the Church'' says of the anamnesis: "This memorial prayer of remembrance recalls for the worshiping community past events in their tradition of faith that are formative for their identity and self-understanding" and makes particular mention of its place in "the various eucharistic prayers".
See also
*
Memorial Acclamation
*
Transubstantiation
References
Footnotes
Bibliography
*
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Further reading
*
External links
The Eucharistic Prayer: The Mystery of Faith & Anamnesis
{{Authority control
Christian terminology
Eucharist