How can we taste heaven through the Liturgy?

By CopticBot.ai (Coptic Space Inc.) · Last reviewed 2026-10-08

In the Coptic Orthodox tradition, the Divine Liturgy is not merely a memorial or a service of prayer; it is the breaking of the boundaries between time and eternity. It is described as "Heaven on Earth." We taste heaven through the Liturgy by participating in the mystical union with Christ, which is facilitated through the sacramental life of the Church.

Here is how we experience and taste heaven through the Liturgy:

1. The Holy Eucharist: The Heavenly Bread

The primary way we taste heaven is through the partaking of the Holy Body and Blood of our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ. In the Divine Liturgy, the bread and wine are transformed by the descent of the Holy Spirit (the Epiklesis) into the true Body and Blood.

As St. Ambrose of Milan notes, the food we receive in the Sacrament is not corporeal (physical nourishment only) but spiritual. Just as the Israelites were sustained by manna in the wilderness, we are sustained by the "Living Stone" and the "Heavenly Bread." St. Ambrose explains, "Taste and see that the Lord is sweet (ⲡϭⲟⲓⲥ ϩⲟⲗϭ)" (Psalm 33:9). To taste the Eucharist worthily is to receive the "essence of life and eternal glory" (Source 3).

2. Physical and Spiritual Senses

The Liturgy engages all our senses to transport us from the worldly to the divine:

• Sight: The icons, the majestic robes of the clergy, and the candles represent the "Cloud of Witnesses" and the light of Christ.
• Smell: The incense (ⲡⲓⲥⲑⲟⲓⲛⲟⲩϥⲓ) represents the prayers of the saints rising to the throne of God.
• Hearing: The Coptic hymns (ⲛⲓϩⲱⲥ), which are often based on ancient melodies, mirror the praise of the Seraphim and Cherubim.
• Taste: As mentioned, the physical tasting of the Mystery of the Altar is a foretaste of the eternal banquet in the Kingdom of Heaven.

3. Communion with the Heavenly Host

During the Liturgy, specifically during the Aspasmos and the Anaphora, we join our voices with the heavenly powers. We pray the "Holy, Holy, Holy" (ⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ, ⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ, ⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ), mimicking the perpetual worship occurring before the throne of God. St. John Chrysostom asserts that we have our "Victim in heaven, our Priest in heaven, and our Sacrifice in heaven" (Source 5). When the priest stands at the altar, he is manifesting within time the eternal act of Christ, our High Priest (ⲡⲓⲁⲣⲭⲓⲉⲣⲉⲩⲥ).

4. Purification and Vital Nourishment

To "taste" heaven, the heart must be prepared. As the Venerable Bede explains, those whose hearts have been cleansed from wickedness naturally long for the "vital nourishment of Christ" (Source 1). This is why the Liturgy begins with the Offering of Incense and the Liturgy of the Word (the Pauline Epistle, Catholic Epistle, Praxapostolos, and the Gospel), which serve to purify our minds and prepare us for the Sacrifice.

5. Entering the "Kairos" (God's Time)

The Liturgy takes us out of Chronos (linear, earthly time) and into Kairos (God’s time). Through the recitation of the Litanies (ⲛⲓⲗⲓⲧⲁⲛⲓⲁ) for the peace of the world, the fathers, the waters, and the plants, we bring the entire creation before the Altar of God. By doing so, we participate in the restoration of the world to its heavenly intent.

In summary, we taste heaven because the Liturgy is a participation in the life of the Holy Trinity. It is where the "spiritual, non-bloody sacrifice" is offered, and where we, as "living stones" (ⲱⲛⲓ ⲉⲧⲟⲛϧ), are built into a spiritual house for God (Source 1, 3).