[Greek] ἀνάμνησις (anamnēsis), [Latin] commemorationem, [Latin] recordare, [Latin] reminiscere, [French] memoire, [French] souvenir

[Greek] ἀνάμνησις (anamnēsis), [Latin] commemorationem, [Latin] recordare, [Latin] reminiscere, [French] memoire, [French] souvenir: re-presentation, memorial, remembrance, reminiscence, recollection, a recalling, reminder; Lk.22:19, 1Cor.11:24-25, Heb.10:3

Memorial Day: On this day we remember, honor and mourn those fallen military heroes.

Background information:

Greek Hellenism: This term means remembrance, recollection (by word or act), reminiscence, calling to mind, and reminders to the gods.

Sophocles’ Oedipus Tyrannus 1133: “But I bring clear recollection to his ignorance.”

Lysias’ Funeral Orations 2.39: “What supplications, what reminders of sacrifices, were not sent up to Heaven!”

Plato’s Phaedo 72e: “If it is true, Socrates, as you are fond of saying, that learning is nothing else than recollection, then this would be an additional argument that we must necessarily have learned in some previous time what me must remember.”

Xenophon’s Anabasis 7.1.26: “And what sort of a war would prove to be one may at least conjecture by having seen and be recalling to mind the events which have quite lately taken place.”

Old Testament: This term means reminder, memorial offering, remembrance, to remember, to call to mind, and to keep in remembrance.

Old Testament foreshadowing of the Eucharist:

1. The book of Malachi is the final book in the Old Testament.
2. The prophet Malachi lived about 400 years before Christ.
3. The prophet Malachi speaks of a future time when God will be worshiped by Gentiles throughout the world in every place (and time zone).
4. This sacrifice will be a perfect oblation, not marked by blemishes like those presently offered by the Old Testament priests in Jerusalem.

Mal.1:11: “From the rising of the sun to its setting, My name is great among the nations (Gentiles); incense offerings are made to My name and a pure offering; For My name is great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts” (The prophecy is fulfilled in the sacrifice of the Holy Mass. The Mass is constantly celebrated in each time zone. Around the world it is conservatively estimated:)

1. 350,000 Masses are celebrated each day around the world.
2. 4 to 5 Masses begin each second around the world.
3. 8000-9000 Masses occur each minute around the world.

New Testament: This term means reminder or remembrance.

1. With His disciples Jesus institutes the Last Supper with the breaking of the bread and the drinking of the wine.
2. He calls upon His disciples to do (repeat) these actions in memory of Him.
3. Jesus identifies His Body and Blood with the bread and wine.
4. In Corinth Paul had to address the abuse and neglect of the institution of the Lord’s Supper.
5. Paul reminds the Corinthians that the breaking of the bread and the drinking of the cup must be repeatedly done in memory of Jesus.
6. Those who do this unworthily will bring judgment (condemnation) upon themselves.
7. Heb.10:3 points out the yearly reminder of the need to perform multiple Old Testament sacrifices for sins.

Scripture:

Lk.22:19: “The He took the bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them saying, ‘This is My Body, which will be given for you; do this in memory of Me.”

1. Luke states that this Last Supper is a Passover meal that commemorated the deliverance of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt.
2. Jesus will not finish it [this Passover] again until there is fulfillment in the kingdom of heaven.
3. The deliverance associated with the Passover finds new meaning in the shedding of Jesus’ blood.
4. Jesus states that one must continually do this [EAT AND DRINK His Body and Blood] REPEATEDLY in memory of Him.

1 Cor.11:24: “After He had given thanks, broke it and said, ‘This is My Body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of Me.'”

1. Paul states that he has received this tradition from the Lord.
2. Paul now hands on this tradition to the Corinthians and others.
3. This is the earliest written account of the institution of the Lord’s Supper in the New Testament.
4. Paul states that one must do this [take the bread, give thanks, break it, and distribute Eucharist] in remembrance of Jesus.

1Cor.11:25: “In the same way also the cup, after supper saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood, Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.'”

1. As you eat this Bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord.
2. Whoever eats the bread and drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will have to answer to the Lord.
3. Anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body, drinks judgment on himself.
4. If we discerned ourselves properly, we would not be under judgment.

Heb.10:3: “But in those sacrifices there is only a yearly remembrance of sin.” (The Old Testament sacrifices did not have the spiritual effectiveness in forgiving sin. Therefore, constant repetition of such sacrifices are needed for the forgiveness of sins.)

Catholic perspective on the Mass:

1. The Mass is the re-presentation (re-membrance) of the once and only sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross.
2. The Mass is celebrated again and again around the world.
3. The people (congregation) present the gifts of bread and wine to the priest at Mass.
4. The priest, in the person of Christ, repeats Jesus’ words at the Last Supper.
5. The priest, calling upon the Holy Spirit, consecrates the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ.

Etymology:

1. A-: this Greek prefix means without
2. Ana-: this Greek prefix means again
3. Mnesis: this Greek noun means memory
4. Amnesis: this Greek noun means forgetfulness
5. Anamnesis: this Greek noun means remembrance (memory again)
6. Admonere: this Latin verb means to warn against
7. Remiscere: this Latin verb means to remember
8. Subvenire: this Latin verb means to come (-venire) to mind from below (sub-)
9. Rememori: this Latin verb means to remember again
10. Souvenir: this French nouns means memory

Conclusion:

Memory, memorial, commemorate, commemoration, souvenir, amnesia, mnesis, memoir, record, recording, reminisce, reminiscing, reminiscence

Socrates reminds us that learning is a recollection of what we have remembered. It is interesting to note that this term was also a reminder to the gods of sacrifices offered.

Old Testament: This important term is used quite extensively. The Hebrews repeatedly recalled and commemorated the Passover event.

Update: A Kentucky archbishop seeks to standardize the practice of forbidding receiving the Eucharist on the tongue. Some Modernist and progressive clergy are often upset or offended when some seek to receive the Eucharist on the tongue.

The origin of receiving the Eucharist in the hand began during Vatican II because some rebellious Dutch bishops wanted this new practice. This forbidden practice was later accepted and normalized. This is another example of the intended or unintended consequences of Vatican II.

In this Catholic Traditional renewal, more and more people are seeking to have Eucharistic kneelers and to receive the Eucharist on the tongue.

The commonplace use of Extraordinary Eucharistic Ministers also has partly contributed to the parishioners’ lack of belief in the belief in the Real Presence. Extraordinary ministers are used too often at Mass.

If the laity could see the clergy showing more reverence in distributing the Eucharist (the clergy being the only ones distributing the Eucharist), this would further inspire and increase the laity’ belief in the Real Presence. This would greatly decrease potential liturgical desecration and abuse: dropped Eucharistic hosts and particles, parishioners not immediately consuming the Eucharist, and decreased reverence.