Léo Mc Mahon

This article by Léo Mc Mahon explores the theological symbolism of the "Eighth Day" in early Christian thought. Through a study of liturgical and symbolic theology, the author shows that this theme constitutes a synthesis of the fundamental certainties of the Christian faith, articulating the memory of the Resurrection and the expectation of the Parousia. The Eighth Day, the first day of the new creation succeeding the Sabbath, expresses an essential duality: commemoration of the accomplished salvific act and eschatological anticipation lived out in the sacraments of baptism and the Eucharist. The contribution of the article is to show that eschatology is not an appendage of Christian theology, but its very foundation, and that Orthodox spirituality has preserved this eschatological dynamism that Western thought had largely neglected.