Blood and Spirit

Φυσικὸν μὲν οὖν καὶ νηφάλιον ποτὸν ἀναγκαῖον διψῶσιν ἐστιν ὕδωρ. Τοῦτο ἐκ τῆς ἀκροτόμου πέτρας κατειβόμενον τοῖς παλαιοῖς τῶν Ἑβραίων, μονότροπον σωφροσύνης ὁ Κύριος ἐχορήγει ποτόν· νηφειν δὲ μάλιστα ἐχρῆν τοὺς ἐπιπλανωμένους. Ἔπειτα ἡ ἄμπελος ἡ ἁγία τὸν βότρυν ἐβάλστησε τὸν προφητικόν. Τοὺτο συμεῖον τοῖς εἰς ἀνάπαυσιν ἐκ τῆς πλάνης πεπαιδαγωγημένοις, ὁ μέγας βότρυς, ὁ Λόγος ὁ ὑπὲρ ἡμων θλινεὶς, τοῦ αἵματος τῆς σταφυλῆς ὕδατι κίρνασθαι ἐθελήσαντος τοῦ Λόγου, ὡς καὶ τὸ αἵμα αὐτοῦ σωτηρίᾳ κίρναται. Διττὸν δὲ τὸ αἷμα τοῦ Κυρίου· τὸ μὲν γάρ ἐστιν αὐτοῦ σαρκικὸν, ᾦ τῆς φθορᾶς λελυτρώμεθα· τὸ δὲ πνευματικὸν, τοτέστιν ᾦ κεχρίσμεθα. Καὶ τοῦτ' ἔστι πιεῖν τὸ αἷμα τοῦ Ἰησοῦ τῆς κυρικακῆς μεταλαβεὶν ἀφθαρσίας· ἰσχὺς δὲ τοῦ Λόγου τὸ Πνεῦμα, ὡς αἱμα σαρκός. Ἀναλόγως τοίνυν κίρναται, ὁ οἶνος τῷ ὕδατι, τῷ δὲ ἀνθρώπῳ τὸ Πνεῠμα· · καὶ τὸ μὲν εἰς πίστιν εὐωχεῖ, τὸ δὲ εἰς ἀφθαρσίαν ὁδηγεῖ, τὸ Πνεῦμα ἡ δὲ ἀμφοῖν αὖθις κρᾶσις, ποτοῦ τε καὶ Λόγου, εὐχαριστία κέκληται, χάρις ἐπαινουμένη καὶ καλή· ἥς οἱ κατὰ πίστιν μεταλαμβάνοντες ἁγιάζονται καὶ σῶμα καὶ ψυχήν· τὸ Θεῖον κρᾶμα, τὸν ἄνθρωπον, τοῦ Πατρικοῦ Βουλήματος Πνεύματι καὶ Λόγῳ συγκίρναντος μυστικῶς. Κλημεντος του Αλεξανδρεως, Παιδαγωγος, Λογος Δευτερος

The natural, temperate and necessary drink for the thirsty is water. This flowed out of the split rock to the ancient Hebrews, the solitary drink of sobriety being supplied by the Lord, for temperance was most necessary in their wanderings. Later the sacred vine sent forth the prophetic cluster. This was a sign to them who had been schooled in their wandering to rest, the great cluster, the Word bruised for us, for the blood of the grape, which is the Word, wished to be blended with water, as His blood is mingled with salvation. The Blood of the Lord is twofold; there is His corporeal blood by which we are redeemed from corruption, and His spiritual blood by which we are anointed. And so it is that to drink the blood of Jesus is to share in His immortality, and the strength of the Word is the Spirit, just as the blood of the body. Likewise as wine is blended with water so is the Spirit with man, and the one nourishes in faith, and the other, the Spirit, leads us on to immortality, the union of both the drink and of the Word being called the Eucharist, a praiseworthy and excellent gift. Those who partake of it in faith are sanctified in body and in soul, a Divine blending by the will of the Father of man mystically united to the Spirit and to the Word. Clement of Alexandria, The Teacher, Book 2