The Remembrances and Celebrations of Great and Holy Thursday: The First Eucharist/ Holy Communion.

Fr. Garabed Kochakian

Last Supper of Christ, miniature from the ca 1300 Gladzor Gospels (Los Angeles, Charles E. Young Research Library, Armenian 1, p. 156)

The sacred events of the Passover meal reveal the Kingdom of God breaking into history through three profound mysteries: the institution of the Holy Eucharist at the Last Supper, the humble washing of the disciples' feet, and the dark betrayal that led to Christ's arrest. These moments are eternally present in the Church's worship, particularly in the observances of Holy Thursday.

In the miniature icon depicting this sacred night, we see the disciples gathered around the Passover table, their faces reflecting the tension and sorrow of that moment. The architectural details - the pillars with their draped cloths - carefully situate the scene in the Upper Room, while Christ's solemn gesture toward the dish at the table directs our attention to Judas, whose outstretched hand silently confesses his betrayal. This artistic representation captures the dramatic moment when Jesus revealed, "He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me will betray me" (Matthew 26:23).

Armenian sacred art offers another profound interpretation of this event through the icon known as the Communion of the Apostles. Here, the Last Supper is portrayed not merely as a historical meal but as the prototype of the Church's eternal liturgy. Christ stands as the eternal High Priest beneath a ceremonial canopy, offering His Body and Blood to the apostles arranged as concelebrants around the altar. This powerful image unites the historical moment in the Upper Room with the ongoing Eucharistic celebration in the Armenian Church's Soorb Patarag.

These sacred images and traditions reveal a profound truth: what began as a Passover meal in Jerusalem continues as the heavenly banquet in every Divine Liturgy. The folded drapery in the icons, the disciples' questioning glances, even Judas' outstretched hand - all serve as witnesses to the paradox of that night. In the midst of human betrayal, God was accomplishing the work of salvation. Today, when we approach the Holy Mysteries, we stand with the apostles at that original table, receiving the same Bread of Life that Judas rejected.

The Last Supper was never meant to be a mere historical memory, but rather the beginning of an eternal liturgy that continues until the Lord returns. In the Armenian Church's celebration of the Soorb Patarag, heaven and earth unite, and we participate in the same mystery that began in the Upper Room. The Supper continues, the sacrifice is ever-present, and through the Holy Eucharist, we are granted a foretaste of the Kingdom that has no end.