| Abstract: | It is heavily disputed whether the thanksgiving prayers in Didache 9 and 10 are related to a ritual (sacramental) meal in the proper sense or not. In this article it is argued that we have to understand the meal of Did. 9 and 10 as a ritual meal as well as a real meal. The invitation of Did. 10:6c (“if anyone is holy, he shall come; anyone is not, he shall repent”) does not point to a second part of the liturgy now lacking in the Didache. On the contrary, it is an invitation of the participants of the meal (at least the “holy” ones) to add their thanksgiving prayers at the end of the ritual meal of the community. |
