Scholarly Reflections
Mazza, Enrico. "Chapter Two: The Eucharistia Mystica." The Origins of the Eucharistic Prayer (tr. Ronald E. Lane). Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press, 1995, 42-65.
Mazza begins this chapter with a brief introduction to the Apostolic Constitutions, which was compiled from other sources in 380. Of special interest to him in this chapter is the eucharistic prayer found in Book 7, which is largely a revised version of the Didache (Mazza 1995, 42). Copyists dubbed the anaphora the Eucharistia mystica, which in modern editions is rendered "Gratiarum actio sacramentalis" (Mazza 1995, 42). Mazza refers to the passage with the Anglicized "mystical Eucharist."
Mazza sees in book 7 of Apostolic Constitutions a paleoanaphora drawn from Didache 9 and a thanksgiving after eating and drinking, also drawn from Didache 9 (Mazza 1995, 43). There is evidence of some theological developoment but the early ideas from the Didache are still present (Mazza 1995, 45). The source text remained, though Maza knows that it would be understood with connotations which may have been unkonwn to the earliest members of the community.
Mazza provides a parallel Greek text of Const. Ap. VII, 26 and Didache 10 (Mazza 1995, 47-49). He then provides some comments on the significant differences in the two texts. Mazza's conclusion is "that a precise verbal, thematic, and structural parallelism exists between Apostolic Constitutions 7.26 and Didache 10" (Mazza 1995, 52). Yet he finds a clear theological difference. The text in Apostolic Constitutions no longer has the divisions of thought which made Didache 10 a Birkat ha-mazon (Mazza 1995, 53).
Mazza next presents a parallel text of Apostolic Constitutions VII.25 and Didache 9 (Mazza 1995, 53-54), followed by his observations based on the text. Of significance is the fact that while Didache 9 is constructed with three separate prayers, they are pulled into a unified text in Apostolic Constitutions (Mazza 1995, 55). Also of note is the fact that while the Didache didn't speak of Jesus' death, Apostolic Constitutions does interpret the cup as the blood of Christ, spilled in his death for us 56-57). This is a significant theological developoment.
Mazza concludes that the eucharistic prayer in Apostolic Constitutions 7.25 is derived from the prayer in Didache 9, but shows development in that it includes a confession of faith specifically in Jesus' work of bringing salvation through his death (Mazza 1995, 60). This is difficult to see on the surface, since there are no direct quotations. However the structure is that of the Birkat ha-mazon with a Christological re-working (Mazza 1995, 61). In this manner, Mazza considers the anaphoras attributed to Basiol of Caesarea, which he finds to bear a resemblance to that of Hippolytus. Basil keeps much of the structure found in Hippolytus, but interprets the gathering in light of Ephesians 4:4 (Mazza 1995, 62). In a similar manner, Mazza sees Basil as adapting and developing the concepts of the Eucharistia mystica in a prayer for the church, identifying it as the "one, holy, catholic, apostolic Church" (Mazza 1995, 63). The theme of unity is present, but it is now signified by the bread broken in communion. Mazza's conclusion is that the prayers gradually were adapted to include further explanation of Christian doctrine (Mazza 1995, 65).