One area of Greek I like to study is that of the various terms for “remembrance” such as αναμνησις. One can find some of my material on pp. 55-70, 216-20 of “Do this in Remembrance of Me”: A Biblical and Historical Analysis of Roman Catholic Dogmatic Teachings Concerning the Eucharist and Sacrifice of the Mass.
While not related to the Eucharist, I did
find Augustine’s discussion of terms such as μνημεῖον to be interesting:
Chapter 4
(6) And
if this is true, a place provided for burying bodies among the memorials of the
saints is surely a matter of good human affection in attending to the funeral of
one’s own relatives. Indeed, if there is some religious requirement that they
be buried, there can be some when the question is considered as to where they
shall be buried. But, when such comforts are sought for the living by which
their pious intentions toward their own loved ones are evident, I do not see
what aids there are for the dead except for this purpose, that, while the
living are worshiping in the place where the bodies of those whom they love are
buried, they may commend to the same saints, as if to patrons, those whom they
have undertaken before the Lord to aid by prayer. Actually, they could do this
even if they had not been able to bury them in such places. For no other reason
are those things which plainly become sepulchres of the dead said to be
memorials or monuments, unless it is because of this: Memorials admonish us to
think of and to recall to our memory those who have been taken away by dead
from the eyes of the living, lest by forgetfulness they be removed from our
hearts also. The name memoriae shows clearly that this is the meaning,
and monumentum is also thus called because it should admonish the mind,
that is, it calls something to the attention of the mind. For this reason, the
Greeks use the word mnēmeion for what we call a memorial or a monument,
because in their language memory itself, by which we remember, is called mnēmē.
When, therefore, the mind recalls where the body of a very dear one has been
buried, and the place happens to be the name of a venerably martyr, to the same
martyr he commends the beloved soul in a spirit of prayerful recollection and
affliction. And when such a disposition is shown for the dead by very dear
Christian friends, there is no doubt that they are benefited by these devotions,
if when they were living in the body they merited such things to be their
advantage after this life. Indeed, if some necessity permits bodies to be
buried, or does not give any opportunity for them to be buried in special
places, those supplications in behalf of the dead are not to be passed over.
Such prayers are to be made for all the dead in a Christian and Catholic
society, even though there be a silent mention of their names which the Church
undertakes in the general commemoration. In this way commemoration is made by
one devoted mother for those who lack such prayers, whether parents, or son, or
any relations whatsoever, or friends. If, however, these supplications which
are made with true faith and devotion for the dead should be lacking, there
would be no advantage to their souls, I think, however holy the places be in
which their lifeless bodies are buried. (“The Care to be Taken for the Dead,”
chapters 14-15, translated by John A. Lacy, in Treatises on Marriage and
Other Subjects [The Fathers of the Church 27; Washington, D.C.: The
Catholic University of America Press, 1955, 1985], 358-59
