The guest of the new edition of the “Hram” radio show, broadcast on Radio Belgrade 2 on Sunday,March 23, 2025, was catechist Branislav Ilić, the Editor-in-Chief of the missionary portal “Kinonia” and a permanent expert associate of the Section for Electronic Mission of the MissionaryDepartment of the Archdiocese of Belgrade-Karlovci. In this episode, catechist Branislav spoke on the topic: “TheEucharist in the Time of the Holy Apostles”. The show was hosted by Dušanka Zeković.
During the “Hram” programe, dedicated to the Holy Eucharist, from its institution at the Mystical Supper in the Upper Room of Jerusalem, through the first Eucharistic gatherings in the time of theApostles and the post-apostolic period, as well as through the ancient Anaphoras up to the present day and the current liturgical practice of celebrating the Holy Eucharist.
In the introductory part, catechist Branislav emphasized that the Eucharist has always beenidentified with the Church itself. He particularly stressed that the Apostles began celebrating the Eucharist onlyafter the descent of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, when the Church was finally constituted.
He also provided a scriptural analysis of the earliest Eucharistic gatherings, highlighting testimonies from the Acts of the Apostles, the Epistles of St. Paul, the Letters of St. Ignatius of Antioch, and thewritings of St. Justin Martyr and Philosopher. He underlined that the Eucharist has remained thelifeline of the entire sacramental life of the Church, as all sacraments, prayers, ascetic struggles, andacts of love find their culmination and true meaning in the Holy Eucharist.
“The Eucharist represents the essence of the eternal Covenant between God and mankind, established at the Mystical Supper. It was then that the Lord Christ took bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to His disciples, saying: ‘Take, eat; this is My body.’ Likewise, He took the cup, gave thanks, and said: ‘Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the New Covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins’ (Matt. 26:26-29). In the Eucharist, the world fulfills its true purpose, undergoing transformation and becoming the Body of Christ—the Church. The world itself was created to be offered to God, and this offering is most perfectly realized in the Divine Liturgy. Through the Eucharist, people become deified, Christified, and adopted as sons of God by grace, for Christ is the inexhaustible source of life, as He Himself said: ‘I am the bread of life’ (John 6:50). The relationship with God established in the Eucharist implies constant gratitude to God for everything He has done for us. This is the meaning of the Greek verb eucharisto—‘I give thanks’—from which the term Eucharist is derived. We give thanks to God for creating the world, for bringing it from non-being into being, and for granting it the possibility of eternal existence in communion with Him,“ said catechist Branislav Ilić, among other thngs.
At the end of the interview, catechistBranislav Ilić expressed his gratitude to the host for the invitation and hospitality, and he addressed the listeners with an inspiring message, praying that they may complete the Great Lent with spiritual strength and joyfully welcome the Feast of Feasts—theglorious Resurrection of Christ.
