“Spirit in the Bread; Fire in the Wine”: the Eucharist as “Living Medicine” in the Thought of Ephraem the Syrian

Ephraem's “teaching songs” in Syriac had a didactic function in the context of the divine liturgy: to commend the doctrines of the scriptures to the congregations of worshippers! The present article surveys Ephraem's presentation of the scriptural teachings on the Eucharist, its meaning and significance, along with its power in Christian life.