Which statement about the origin of the liturgical words used during Consecration is true?

Which statement about the origin of the liturgical words used during Consecration is true?

• A. The words come from the Apostolic Constitution.
• B. The words come from the Nicene Creed.
• C. The words come from a later church order.
• D. The words come from an early text called the apostolic tradition.

Answer: (D)

The main idea here is that the words spoken during the Consecration come from an early liturgical text that preserves how the Eucharist was celebrated in the earliest Christian communities. This source, known as the Apostolic Tradition, records the prayers and phrases used in the Eucharistic rite, including the words spoken by the priest to consecrate the bread and wine. Because it is an ancient description of the actual rite, it best explains where those liturgical words originate. In contrast, later documents like an Apostolic Constitution come from a later period and don’t reflect the earliest form of the rite. The Nicene Creed is a statement of faith, not the liturgical wording of the Eucharistic consecration. And a later church order would describe practices from a later era, not the earliest origin. So the Apostolic Tradition stands out as the authentic ancient source for the words used at Consecration.

The main idea here is that the words spoken during the Consecration come from an early liturgical text that preserves how the Eucharist was celebrated in the earliest Christian communities. This source, known as the Apostolic Tradition, records the prayers and phrases used in the Eucharistic rite, including the words spoken by the priest to consecrate the bread and wine. Because it is an ancient description of the actual rite, it best explains where those liturgical words originate.

In contrast, later documents like an Apostolic Constitution come from a later period and don’t reflect the earliest form of the rite. The Nicene Creed is a statement of faith, not the liturgical wording of the Eucharistic consecration. And a later church order would describe practices from a later era, not the earliest origin. So the Apostolic Tradition stands out as the authentic ancient source for the words used at Consecration.