Homilies on First Corinthians

“When ye assemble yourselves together,” says he, “it is not possible to eat the Lord's Supper.”

Do you see how effectually appealing to their shame, even already by way of narrative he contrives to give them his counsel? “For the appearance of your assembly,” says he, “is different. It is one of love and brotherly affection. At least one place receives you all, and you are together in one flock. But the Banquet, when you come to that, bears no resemblance to the Assembly of worshippers.” And he said not, When ye come together, this is not to eat in common; “this is not to feast with one another;” but otherwise again and much more fearfully he reprimands them, saying, “it is not possible to eat the Lord's Supper,” sending them away now from this point to that evening on which Christ delivered the awful Mysteries. Therefore also he called the early meal “a supper.” For that supper too had them all reclining at meat together: yet surely not so great was the distance between the rich and the poor as between the Teacher and the disciples. For that is infinite. And why say I the Teacher and the disciples? Think of the interval between the Teacher and the traitor: nevertheless, the Lord Himself both sat at meat with them and did not even cast him out, but both gave him his portion of salt and made him partaker of the Mysteries.

Next he explains how “it is not possible to eat the Lord's Supper.”