THE CANONS OF THE COUNCIL IN
TRULLO
A.D. 692
CANON CI
The great and divine
Apostle Paul with loud voice calls man created in the image of
God, the body and temple of Christ. Excelling, therefore, every
sensible creature, he who by the saving Passion has attained to
the celestial dignity, eating and drinking Christ, is fitted in
all respects for eternal life, sanctifying his soul and body by
the participation of divine grace. Wherefore, if any one wishes
to be a participator of the immaculate Body in the time of the
Synaxis, and to offer himself for the communion, let him draw
near, arranging his hands in the form of a cross and so let him
receive the communion of grace. But such as, instead of their
hands, make vessels of gold or other materials for the reception
of the divind gift, and by these receive the immaculate
communion, we by no means allow to come, as preferring inanimate
and inferior matter to the image of God. But if any one shall be
found imparting the immaculate Communion to those who bring
vessels of this kind, let him be cut off as well as the one who
brings them.
NOTES.
ANCIENT EPITOME OF CANON CI
Whoever comes to receive the Eucharist holds
his hands in the form of a cross, and takes it with his mouth;
whoever shall prepare a receptacle of gold or of any other
material instead of his hand, shall be cut off.
BALSAMON.
At first, perchance, this was invented from pious
feelings, because the hand which came in contact with base and
unworthy things was not worthy to receive the Lord's body, but,
as time went on, piety was turned to the injury of the soul, so
that those who did this when they came to receive with an
arrogant and insolent bearing, were preferred to the poor.
ST. CYRIL OF JERUSALEM.
(Cateches. Mystagog. v.(1))
When thou goest to receive communion go not with
thy wrists extended, nor with thy fingers separated, but placing
thy left hand as a throne for thy right, which is to receive so
great a King, and in the hollow of the palm receive the body of
Christ, saying, Amen.
Vide also St. John Damascene, De Fide
Orthodoxa, lib. iv., cap. xiv. On the whole matter cf. Card.
Bona, De Rebus Lit., lib. ii., cap. xvij., n. 3.