A LETTER TO ALEXANDROS: WHY CLOSED COMMUNION? WHAT IS COMMUNION REALLY DOING? HOW SHOULD WE UNDERSTAND THE PRESENCE OF CHRIST?

A Modern Copy of the Sinai Pantocrator 

Dear Alexandros, 

I am extremely happy to see your questions and hear your experiences. I do see how your life experience, the people you’ve talked to, churches you’ve attended, and books you’ve read, all deeply affect you and have come together to form a synthesis of Roman Catholic aesthetics, Calvinist theology, and Evangelical cultural modality. Adding Orthodoxy to this mix will require a re-shuffle and a heart bent on working through conceptual differences and terminological variations. I know that you can do it, since you are very good student and are working hard to make sense of theology and of life. 

CAN THE EUCHARIST HURT US? 

Regarding your questions about the Lord’s Supper, the Apostle Paul gives a solemn warning regarding the reception of the Eucharist: 

"Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep (die).” (1 Corinthians 11:27–30) 

This passage is not mere symbolism; it testifies to the real and objective presence of Christ in the Eucharist. St. John Chrysostom warns: 

"For if no one would dare to approach the imperial table with unwashed hands, how much more should one be pure who approaches the divine mysteries? Consider how indignant you would be against the traitor Judas. Beware, then, lest you yourself become guilty of the same crime by partaking unworthily of this table!" (Homily 82 on Matthew) 

The Apostle’s warning is clear: Holy Communion is not a mere ritual but a true participation in the Body and Blood of Christ. To receive it unworthily is to invite judgment, even to the point of physical death. The Church, therefore, does not practice closed communion out of arrogance or exclusion, but out of a pastoral duty to prevent harm. As St. Ignatius of Antioch instructs: 

"Take heed, then, to have but one Eucharist. For there is one flesh of our Lord Jesus Christ, and one cup for union with His blood; one altar, as there is one bishop with the presbytery and my fellow servants, the deacons." (Epistle to the Philadelphians, 4) 

Thus, the Eucharist is not an individual act but a corporate reality - one must be in communion with the Church to partake rightly. 

THE MEANING OF SALVATION AND THE EUCHARIST

Alexandros, I understand your experience, and while I cannot comment on it specifically, I believe the difference between what I am saying and what you are thinking may stem from differing definitions of “salvation.” Salvation does not mean the end of suffering, illness, or tribulations. Salvation means being united with Christ in the midst of our struggles. 

"In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." (John 16:33) 

This is why holiness is a process - why we remain on earth after baptism for purification and sanctification, and why we know that in eternity we will continue to grow in Christ. As St. Gregory of Nyssa teaches: 

"For this is truly the vision of God: never to be satisfied in the desire to see Him. But one must always, by looking at what he can see, rekindle his desire to see more." (Life of Moses, 2.239)  

Thus, salvation is not immediate perfection but being united to Christ in love and allowing Him to transform us over time. Salvation is not perfection. Salvation is connection to Christ.

FAITH AND THE EUCHARIST: RECEPTIONISM VS. REALITY

I think I understand what you are trying to get at, but your perspective risks falling into an internalized gnostic attitude, where the external actions of the faith become secondary to an inward belief. This, in turn, leads to “receptionism” - the idea that the grace of the Eucharist is found only in the faith of the individual, and that the Eucharist itself is merely a material instrument to stir up faith. 

This is not what the Fathers taught. Rather, the outward and inward are united, just as Christ’s divinity and humanity are inseparably united in the Incarnation. 

"The bread and the wine are not mere symbols; they are transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ, just as He Himself said: ‘This is My Body… This is My Blood.’" (St. Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lectures, 22.1) 

We do not receive grace because we believe; rather, we believe because we receive grace. St. Augustine writes: 

"You are what you have received… If therefore you receive worthily, you become what you receive." (Sermon 227) 

This is why we do not approach the Eucharist lightly. To do so unworthily is to profane the very Incarnation itself. 

THE EUCHARIST: A PARTICIPATION IN CHRIST

When we come to the Eucharist, we bring our weak and unworthy faith before God, always in need of His grace. The Sacrament then applies the grace of the Holy Spirit - externally through the ritual, the material elements of the Sacrament, and internally through the indwelling presence of Christ Himself. 

The one who receives the Eucharist in a state of grace receives Christ physically, spiritually, ritually, and truly. Meanwhile, the one who observes without communing - such as the catechumen - still receives grace, but in a different way. As St. Basil the Great teaches: 

"It is beneficial and good to be present at the prayers and the reading of the Divine Scriptures, even if one is not yet partaking of the divine mysteries; for even by being present, one is illuminated by the grace of the Holy Spirit." (On Baptism, Book 1, Chapter 3) 

Thus, the catechumen receives the grace of the Holy Spirit drawing him toward the fullness of the Church, where he will ultimately partake of Christ bodily and physically.

THE ORTHODOX AND EVANGELICAL DIFFERENCE

Many Protestants view the Eucharist primarily as a means of “stirring up” faith, because they believe salvation is rooted primarily in an individual confession of faith: 

"If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." (Romans 10:9) 

Thus, for many Evangelicals, Communion is an “ordinance” rather than a “mystery.” Their focus is not on Christ’s Incarnation but on the individual’s decision to believe. But Orthodox theology holds that salvation is not merely a moment of confession - it is “union with God.” 

St. Athanasius summarizes the entire purpose of the Incarnation as: 

"God became man that man might become god." (On the Incarnation 54) 

In this light, the Eucharist is not just a memorial or a confirmation of faith—it is our participation in the divine life. As St. Peter writes: 

"Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature." (2 Peter 1:4) 

Thus, while Protestantism centers its theology of salvation on the confession of faith, Orthodoxy centers it on the Incarnation. The Eucharist is the highest expression of this mystery, not merely recalling Christ’s sacrifice but truly uniting us to Him. 

SUMMARY

Closed communion is not about exclusion; it is about love, truth, and pastoral care. The Eucharist is a reality that must be approached with reverence, lest it bring harm instead of grace. This is why we require confession of sins, and why I confess my sins out loud when we are all kneeling together in the prayers of repentance, because I am not excluded at all from these requirements. As St. Paul reminds us, we must "examine ourselves" before partaking, lest we eat and drink condemnation. In the Eucharist, we do not merely remember Christ - we become one with Him. And in becoming one with Him, we are united to His Body, the Church, as we journey toward our eternal communion with God in the Kingdom Come.

I pray God continues to bless and keep you in the Catechumenate, Alexandros, and brings you safely to the waters of Holy Baptism, where you will be completely united with the Body of Christ! 

In the Love of Our Lord, 

Bp. Joseph 

(Ancient Church of the West)