This Chalice, the Sacred Vessel And where to look for the Holy Grail?

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-10 02:10

It is not for nothing that the Church Chalice is considered a Sacred vessel and one of the most important objects of worship. And how could it be otherwise - after all, it takes its origin from the very Chalice of the Last Supper, from which Jesus drank and the apostles received communion, and which was lost over time. And the search for this most important shrine of Christians - the Holy Grail - continues to this day.

Holy grail

For two millennia, the mysterious chalice, the Holy Grail, the lost shrine of the Christian world, has been stirring the minds of people. And although it is not precisely established whether it really existed or not, because there is no mention of it in the Gospel, Christians all over the world believe that it was from this cup that the apostles received communion at the Last Supper.

And it was in her that Joseph of Arimothy collected the blood flowing from the wounds of the crucified Christ, after which, fearing persecution, he took it from Ancient Judea to Britain, to Glastonbury Abbey, and hid it there. Subsequently, the temple was destroyed and the bowl disappeared.

According to legend, not far from Glanstbury, where Joseph of Arimothy hid the cup, King Arthur lived with his valiant knights, and once they had a vision - two angels with the Sacred Cup in their hands. The knights took an oath to find her, and, as if, they even found it, but lost it again.

And since then, the search for the bowl has not stopped. After all, it is believed that a person who has drunk from the Holy Grail will be forgiven all sins, and he will live a long time.

But maybe you shouldn't look for her? Indeed, according to legends, the cup can only be seen by people with a pure and bright soul, for everyone else it is invisible.

Sacred bowls

The history of the Chalice, one of the symbols of Christianity, is as old as the history of the Christian church itself. For a long time, special sacred bowls - chalices - have been used for the communion ceremony. A chalice is a round bowl on a high leg, a stand. Its upper part, a bowl like the firmament, symbolizes the Heavenly Church, and the lower - the Earthly Church. The chalice originates from the Last Supper, and is usually blessed before using it.

Already in ancient times, they tried to make these bowls, in accordance with the greatness of the rite itself, of gold or silver. Over time, their shapes changed, the legs became taller. Precious stones, multi-colored enamels, enamel, chasing, engraving - all this was used to decorate chalices, sometimes they were made entirely of gold.

Although the Monk Sergius of Radonezh in Russia used the most common wooden chalice, believing that it was more in line with the image of Christ.

They also began to decorate chalices, putting on them ornaments, images of saints, scenes from the life of Christ, while there were no strict canons. But when making such bowls, they usually always tried to consult with the clergy.

The Chalice of Antioch was found during excavations of the ancient city in 1910. Consists of two bowls: the ancient inner one, made of silver, and the later outer one, gilded and openwork.

In the Rhine Cathedral in France, there is a precious relic, which is a 12th century golden cup, from which the kings who came to the French throne received communion during the coronation.

For Gothic chalices of the XIV-XV centuries. a tulip-shaped bowl, multi-blade base and enamel inserts are characteristic.