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Commixture
The placing of a small fragment of consecrated bread in the chalice of consecrated wine at the time of the fraction at the eucharist. It is also known as commingling. The origin of this custom seems to be the ancient practice of the fermentum, which was a fragment of consecrated bread from the bishop's celebration of the eucharist. This fragment was taken to a presbyter celebrating the eucharist and added to the chalice after the fraction. It symbolized the unity of the church, and the unity of the presbyter's celebration and ministry with that of the bishop. At times, a portion of consecrated bread has also been reserved to be placed in the chalice at a later eucharist. This symbolized the unity of the later eucharist with the earlier one. In the Syrian Church, the commixture was understood as a reuniting of Christ's body and blood, symbolizing his resurrection. The commixture was not retained in the Anglican Prayer Book tradition, but it is occasionally done as an act of personal piety.
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Glossary definitions provided courtesy of Church Publishing Incorporated, New York, NY,(All Rights reserved) from "An Episcopal Dictionary of the Church, A User Friendly Reference for Episcopalians," Don S. Armentrout and Robert Boak Slocum, editors.
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