THEOSISJohn Chrysostom
Having spoken of the supper, the Apostle next joins the present with the past. He does this so that believers even now may have the same disposition as if they were present at that very supper.
They are to be as though reclining together with the Apostles and receiving this sacrifice from Christ Himself. He says, "For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes" (1 Cor 11:26).
Christ spoke of the bread and the cup, saying, "Do this in remembrance of Me." He thereby revealed to us the reason for the institution of the Mystery.
Among other things, He taught that this reason is sufficient to stir reverence in us. Indeed, when you consider what your Master suffered for you, you will become more disposed to wisdom.
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So Paul also says here, "For as often as you eat, you proclaim the Lord’s death." Such is this supper!
By the word "as often as," the Apostle left it to the Christian’s freedom when to approach the Mystery of the Eucharist. In this way he freed him entirely from observing set times.
For Pascha and the Forty Days are not the same thing. Pascha is one thing, and the Forty Days another. The Forty Days occur once each year, but Pascha, the Eucharist, occurs three times a week, sometimes four.
Indeed, it occurs as often as we wish. For our Pascha is not a fast, but an offering and sacrifice, celebrated whenever there is an assembly, that is, the Liturgy.
That our Pascha consists in this, hear Paul’s words: "Christ, our Pascha, has been sacrificed for us" (1 Cor 5:7). Again: "As often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death" (1 Cor 11:26).
Therefore, whenever you approach communion in the Holy Mysteries with a pure conscience, you celebrate Pascha. This is not when you fast, but when you take part in this sacrifice.
"As often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death." The proclamation of the Lord’s death is Pascha.
Today’s offering, the one performed yesterday, and the one performed daily are the same as that which was performed then on the Sabbath day.
That one is in no way holier than this, nor is this lower than that. Both are the same, equally dread and saving.
What does the feast of Pascha mean? What is its cause? We then proclaim the death of the Lord, and this is Pascha. Yet even this we do not do at one fixed time.
Paul wished to give us independence from times and to show that Pascha can always be celebrated. He says, "As often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death" (1 Cor 11:26).
Therefore, if we can always proclaim the Lord’s death, we can always celebrate Pascha.
We must also examine this expression: "You shall leave none of it until morning" (Ex 12:10). Paul explains it to us when he says that the remembrance of the Lord’s Passion will be celebrated until He comes (1 Cor 11:26).
It is celebrated for so long, and saves those who celebrate it, until the present night passes and morning comes. Then the living Christ will shine upon us from heaven.
He will save by His life, as He now saves by His death. For it is said, "If, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved by His life" (Rom 5:10).
Thus we are already saved by the death of Christ, and then we shall also be saved by His life.