Some desire to offer special prayers for the preparation, reception, and thanksgiving for Holy Communion. A special service exists in the Orthodox Tradition that I have included below. The translation is from the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese...
Glory to you, our God, glory to you. Heavenly King,
Comforter, the Spirit of truth, who are present everywhere filling things,
Treasury of good things and Giver of life, come and dwell in us. Cleanse us of
every stain, and save our souls, gracious Lord.
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us (3).
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and
forever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
All holy Trinity, have mercy on us. Lord, forgive our sins.
Master, pardon our transgressions. Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities
for your name’s sake.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and
forever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Our Father, who are in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your
kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day
our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who
trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory, of the Father and the Son
and Holy Spirit, now and forever and to the ages of ages. Amen. Lord, have
mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Glory to the Father and the Son and
the Holy Spirit, now and forever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Psalm 50 (51)
Have mercy upon me, O God, according to your great mercy;
and according to the multitude of your compassion, blot out my transgression.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I
acknowledge my iniquity, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only,
have I sinned, and done evil in your sight, that you may be found just when you
speak, and victorious when you are judged. For behold, I was conceived in
iniquity, and in sin my mother bore me. For behold, you have loved truth; you
have made known to me the secret and hidden things of your wisdom. You shall
sprinkle me with hyssop, and I shall be made clean; you shall wash me, and I
shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness, that the afflicted
bones may rejoice. Turn your face away from my sins, and blot out all my
iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit
within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit
from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and establish me with your
governing Spirit. I shall teach transgressors your ways, and the ungodly shall
turn back to you. Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, the God of my
salvation, my tongue shall joyfully declare your righteousness. Lord, open my
lips, and my mouth shall declare your praise. For if you had desired sacrifice,
I would give it; you do not delight in burnt offerings. A sacrifice to God is a
broken spirit; God will not despise a broken and a humbled heart. Do good in
your good pleasure to Sion; and let the walls of Jerusalem be built. Then you
shall be pleased with a sacrifice of righteousness, with oblation and whole
burnt offerings. Then they shall offer bulls on your altar.
Psalm 69 (70)
O God, be attentive to help me. Lord, make haste to help me.
Let them be ashamed and confounded who seek my life. Let them be turned back
and be ashamed who desire evil against me. Let them be turned back because of
their shame, who say to me, Well done! Well done! Let all those who seek you
rejoice and be glad in you; and let those who love your salvation say
continually, Let God be magnified! But as for me, I am poor and needy; O God,
help me! You are my help and my deliverer; Lord, do not delay.
Psalm 142 (143)
Lord, hear my prayer. In your truth, give ear to my
supplications; in your righteousness, hear me. And enter not into judgment with
your servant, for no one living is justified in your sight. For the enemy has
pursued my soul; he has crushed my life to the ground; he has made me dwell in
darkness, like those who have long been dead, and my spirit is overwhelmed
within me; my heart within me is distressed. I remembered the days of old; I
meditated on all your works; I pondered on the work of your hands. I spread out
my hands to you; my soul longs for you like a thirsty land. Lord, hear me
quickly; my spirit fails. Turn not your face away from me, lest I be like those
who go down into the pit. Let me to hear your mercy in the morning, for in you
I have put my trust. Lord, teach me to know the way in which I should walk, for
I lift up my soul to you. Rescue me, Lord, from my enemies; to you have I fled
for refuge. Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. Your good Spirit
shall lead me on a level path; Lord, for your name’s sake,
you shall preserve my life. In your righteousness, you shall bring my soul out
of trouble, and in your mercy, you shall utterly destroy my enemies. And you
shall destroy all those who afflict my soul, for I am your servant.
Doxology
Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, good will to
all people. We praise you, we bless you, we worship you, we glorify you, we
give thanks to you for your great glory. Lord God, heavenly King, God the
Father, almighty Lord, the only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, and Holy Spirit.
Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father who take away the sin of the world,
have mercy upon us, you who take away the sins of the world. Receive our
prayer, you who sit at the right hand of the Father, and have mercy upon us.
For you only are holy, only you are Lord, Jesus Christ, to the glory of God the
Father. Amen.
Each evening we bless you, and we praise your name forever
and to the ages of ages. Lord, you have been our refuge from generation to
generation. I said: Lord, have mercy upon me; heal my soul, for I have sinned
against you. Lord, to you have I fled; teach me to do your will, for you are my
God. For you are the source of life, and in your light we shall see light.
Continue your mercy to those who know you. Lord, grant to keep us this night
without sin. Blessed are you, Lord, God of our fathers. Your name is praised
and glorified from all ages. Amen.
Let your mercy, Lord, lighten upon us, as our trust is in
you. Blessed are you, Lord, teach me your commandments. Blessed are you,
Master, teach me your commandments. Blessed are you, Holy One, enlighten me in
your commandments. Your mercy, Lord, endures forever; turn not away from the
works of your own hands. To you belongs praise, to you belongs worship, to you
belongs glory, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever
and to the ages of ages. Amen.
The Symbol Of Faith
I believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, Creator of
heaven and earth and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus
Christ, the only begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all ages.
Light of Light, true God of true God, begotten not created, of one essence with
the Father through whom all things were made. For us and for our salvation he
came down from heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary
and became man. He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and he suffered
and was buried. On the third day he rose according to the Scriptures. He
ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will
come again in glory to judge the living and dead. His kingdom will have no end.
And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of life, who proceeds from the
Father, who together with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified,
who spoke through the prophets. In one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. I
acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. I expect the resurrection
of the dead. And the life of the ages to come. Amen.
First Ode Second Tone
May your sacred body and your precious blood, compassionate
Lord, become for me the bread of eternal life and the guardian from manifold
afflictions. Defiled as I am by disgusting deeds, O Christ, I am unworthy to
receive your pure body and your divine blood. But make me worthy of this
communion.
Theotokion
Blessed Theotokos, the good earth that grew the unsown wheat
that saved the world, make me worthy to eat of it and be saved.
Third Ode
Grant me, O Christ, the tears to cleanse the uncleanliness
of my heart, that I may in good conscience, faith, and fear approach, O Master,
the communion of your divine gifts. May your pure body and sacred blood become
for me, loving God, forgiveness of sins, communion with the Holy Spirit,
eternal life, and estrangement from passion and affliction.
Theotokion
All holy one, you are the table of the bread of life, who
out of mercy came down from above giving new life to the world. Make me also
worthy, who am now unworthy, to eat from it with fear and live.
Fourth Ode
Most merciful One, you put on flesh for our sake and as a
lamb you were willing to be slain for our sins. Therefore, I beseech you: also
wipe out my sins. Heal the wounds of my soul, O Lord, wretched as I am; and
Master, make me worthy, totally, to receive your mystical Supper.
Theotokion
Lady, propitiate on my behalf him who was born of you, and
preserve me; your supplicant, pure and undefiled, so that by receiving the
intelligible pearl I may be sanctified.
Fifth Ode
As you foretold, O Christ, let it be to your unworthy
servant as you promised, and abide in me. For behold, I eat your divine body
and drink your blood. God and Word of God, may the ember of your body light up
my darkness, and may your blood cleanse my defiled soul.
Theotokion
Mary, Mother of God, honorable tabernacle of sweet
ointments, make me through your prayers a chosen vessel that I may receive the
sanctification of your son.
Sixth Ode
Savior, sanctify my mind, soul, heart, and body, and deem me
worthy, Master, to approach your fearful Mysteries without condemnation. O
Christ, grant, that I may be rid of my passions, increase in your grace, and
be confirmed in my life by the communion of your holy Mysteries.
Theotokion
Holy, divine Word of God, sanctify me wholly as I now
approach your holy Mysteries through the prayers of your holy Mother.
Kontakion Second Tone
As I now receive your awesome Mysteries, your pure body and
your precious blood, O Christ, do not turn away from me, wretched as I am. Let
my communion not be a judgment upon me but lead to everlasting and immortal
life.
Seventh Ode
May the communion of your immortal Mysteries be for me light
and life, freedom from passion, progress, and an increase in more spiritual
virtues that I may glorify you, O Christ, for you alone are good. Approaching
now your immortal and divine mysteries, trembling and longing for piety, grant,
loving God, that I may be delivered from passions and enemies and every
affliction. Grant that I may sing to you: Blessed are you, O God of our
fathers.
Theotokion
I pray that you, the pure one, who are favored by God and
who incomprehensively gave birth to Christ the Savior, cleanse me, your impure
servant, from all defilement of flesh and spirit as I desire now to approach
the most pure Mysteries.
Eighth Ode
O God my Savior, grant that I, your despairing servant, may
now become a partaker of your heavenly, awesome and holy Mysteries, and of your
divine and mystical Supper. Seeking refuge in your loving kindness, good
Savior, I cry to you with fear; abide in me and, as you promised, let me also
abide in you. For behold, trusting in your mercy, I eat your body and drink
your blood. I tremble as I take this fire lest I be consumed as wax and grass.
O fearful mystery! O divine love! How is it that I, an earthly creature,
partake of the divine body and blood and am made incorruptible?
Ninth Ode
Taste and see that the Lord is good. For our sake he became
like us and offered himself once for all to his Father to be forever slain,
sanctifying those who partake. Master, let me be sanctified in body and soul.
Let me be enlightened and saved, and let me become your dwelling place through
the communion of your holy Mysteries by having you, most merciful Benefactor,
live in me with the Father and the Spirit. May your body and your precious
blood, Savior, be like fire and light to me, consuming the substance of sins,
burning the tares of my passions, and wholly enlightening me to worship your
divinity.
Theotokion
God took flesh from your pure blood. Therefore, all
generations praise you, Lady, while the hosts of incorporal powers glorify you.
For they clearly behold him who rules all things to be endowed with human
nature through you. It is truly right to bless you, the Theotokos, ever blessed
and most pure and mother of our God. More honorable than the Cherubim, and beyond
compare more glorious than the Seraphim, you incorruptibly you gave birth to
God the Word. We magnify you, the true Theotokos.
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us (3).
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and
forever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
All holy Trinity, have mercy on us. Lord, forgive our sins.
Master, pardon our transgressions. Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities,
for your name’s sake.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and
forever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Our Father, who are in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your
kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day
our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who
trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory, of the Father and the Son
and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
God of our fathers, you always treat us with leniency. Do
not withdraw your mercy from us, but by the intercessions of our fathers, guide
our life in peace. With the blood of your martyrs throughout the world, as if
with purple and fine linen having been adorned, your Church through them cries
out to you, Christ our God. Send down your mercies upon your people. Grant
peace to your commonwealth, and to our souls your great compassion.
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and
forever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
With your saints, O Christ, give rest to the souls of your
servants where there is no pain nor sorrow, nor suffering, but life
everlasting. Through the intercessions, of all your saints and the Theotokos,
O Lord, grant us your peace and have mercy upon us, only merciful One.
Lord, have mercy (40).
At all times and in every hour, you are worshiped and
glorified in heaven and on earth, Christ our God. Long in patience, great in
mercy and compassion, you love the righteous and show mercy to sinners. You
call all to salvation through the promise of good things to come. Lord, receive
our prayers at the present time. Direct our lives according to your
commandments. Sanctify our souls. Purify our bodies. Set our minds aright.
Cleanse our thoughts and deliver us from all sorrow, evil, and distress.
Surround us with your holy angels that, guarded and guided by their host, we
may arrive at the unity of faith and the understanding of your ineffable glory.
For you are blessed to the ages of ages. Amen.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and
forever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
More honorable than the Cherubim, and incomparably more
glorious than the Seraphim, you incorruptibly gave birth to God the Word. We
magnify you, the true Theotokos. In the name of the Lord, Father bless. Through
the prayers of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy and save
us. Amen.
Prayer To The All Holy Theotokos
byPaul the Monk of the Monastery of Evergetis
Spotless, undefiled, immaculate, unstained, pure Virgin,
Lady, and Bride of God, by your wondrous conceiving you united God the Word
with human beings and joined the fallen nature of our race to heavenly things.
You are the only hope of the hopeless, and the help of those oppressed. You are
the ready protection of those who flee to you and the refuge of all Christians.
Do not spurn me an accused sinner, though I have made myself completely useless
by my shameful thoughts, words, and deeds and through indolence have become a
slave to the pleasures of life. But as the Mother of God who loves all people,
mercifully have compassion upon me a sinner and a prodigal and receive my
prayer though it be offered to you by unclean lips. Entreat your Son and our
Lord and Master, using your boldness as a mother, so that he may open to me the
loving mercy of his goodness, overlook my numberless transgressions, turn me to
repentance, and make me an acceptable doer of his commandments. Always be near
me, for you are merciful, compassionate, and loving. Be my ardent help and
protection in this present life, defending me from the assaults of adversaries,
and lead me to salvation. At the hour of my death, care for my miserable soul
and drive the dark visions of evil spirits far from it. On the awesome day of
judgment, save me from eternal punishment and make me an inheritor of the
ineffable glory of your Son, our God. May this be my lot, my Lady, all holy Theotokos,
through your intercession and help, by the grace and love of your only begotten
Son, our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ; to whom belong all glory, honor,
and worship, with his eternal Father, and his all holy, righteous, and life
giving Spirit, now and forever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Prayer To Our Lord Jesus Christ
By the Monk Antiochos of Pandektes
Grant us, Master, as we depart for sleep, rest for body and
soul. Protect us from the gloom of sinful sleep and from all dark pleasures of
the night. Calm the impulses of passion, and quench the fiery darts of evil
which are treacherously cast against us. Check the turbulence of our flesh and
lull all our earthly and mundane thoughts. Grant us, O God, a watchful mind,
prudent reason, a vigilant heart, and tranquil sleep, free from all evil
dreams. Raise us up at the hour of prayer, strengthen us in your commandments,
and keep unshaken within us the remembrance of your judgments. Grant us to
glorify you all night long that we may praise and bless and glorify your all
honorable and magnificent name, of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
now and forever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Most glorious, ever virgin, blessed Theotokos, present our
prayers to your Son and our God, and plead with him, that through you he may
save our souls. My hope is the Father; my refuge, the Son; my protection, the
Holy Spirit. Holy Trinity, glory to you. My every hope I place in you, Mother
of God, keep me under your protection.
Dismissal
May Christ our true God have mercy upon us and save us
through the intercessions of his most pure and holy Mother, and of all your
Saints, for he is a good and loving God. Through the prayers of our holy
fathers, Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on us, and save us. Amen.
On The Next Day(After the usual morning prayers say:)
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us (3).
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and
forever and to the ages of ages. Amen. All holy Trinity, have mercy on us.
Lord, forgive our sins. Master, pardon our transgressions. Holy One, visit and
heal our infirmities for your name’s sake.
Lord, have mercy (3).
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and
forever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Our Father, who are in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your
kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day
our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who
trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory, of the Father and the Son
and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Lord, have mercy (12).
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and
forever and to the ages of ages. Amen. Come, let us worship and bow down to
God, our king. Come, let us worship and bow down to Christ, our king and God.
Come, let us worship and bow down to Christ himself, our king and God.
Psalm 22 (23)
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to
lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside the still waters. He restores my
soul; he leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort
me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you
anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall
follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.
Psalm 23 (24)
The earth is the Lord’s, and all
its fullness, the world and those who dwell in it. For he has founded it
upon the seas, and established it upon the waters. Who shall ascend to the hill
of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and
a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to what is false, nor sworn
deceitfully to his neighbor. He shall receive a blessing from the Lord, and
righteousness from the God of his salvation. Such is the generation of those
who seek the Lord, of those who seek the face of the God of Jacob. Lift up your
gates, you princes, and be lifted up, you everlasting gates. And the King of
glory shall enter. Who is this King of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty, the
Lord, mighty in war. Lift up your gates, you princes, and be lifted up, you
everlasting gates, and the King of glory shall enter. Who is this King of
glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory.
Psalm 115
I believed and therefore I spoke. But I was humbled
exceedingly. I said in my ecstasy, every man is a liar. What shall I render to
the Lord for all that he has rendered to me? I will take the cup of salvation,
and I will call upon the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows to the Lord in
the presence of all his people. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death
of his saints. Lord, I am your servant, and the son of your handmaiden. You
have broken my bonds. I will offer a sacrifice of praise to you, and I will
call upon the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows to the Lord in the presence
of all his people, in the courts of the house of the Lord, in the midst of you,
Jerusalem. Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever
and to the ages of ages. Amen. Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia. Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. (Then the following hymns).
Tone 6
Turn away from my transgressions Lord, born of the Virgin,
and purify my heart, making it a temple for your most pure and precious body
and blood. Do not cast me away from your presence, for your great mercy is
boundless.
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
How shall I, the unworthy, be not ashamed of your holy
things? If I dare to approach you with the worthy, my garment will condemn me,
for it is not a supper garment, and I shall bring reproach upon my most sinful
soul. Therefore, cleanse me Lord of the defilement of my soul and save me, for
you are a loving God. Now and forever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Because of the multitude of my transgressions, I come to
you, pure Theotokos, asking for salvation. Visit my ailing soul, only blessed
one, and beseech your Son, our God, to grant me remission of the evil I have
done.
As you are about to
eat the body of the Master, approach with fear lest you be burned, for it
is fire. And before you drink in communion the blood, be first reconciled with
all those you have offended; then you may take courage to eat the mystic Food.
Before you take part in the awesome sacrifice of the life‑giving body of the Master, take care and pray with fear of God.
First Prayer: Saint Basil
Master, Lord Jesus Christ our God, the source of life and of
immortality, creator of everything visible and invisible, coeternal and co‑everlasting Son of the Father without beginning; because of abundant
goodness, you put on flesh and were crucified and buried for us unthankful and
ungrateful people in these latter days, and have by your own blood renewed our
nature corrupted by sin. Accept, immortal king, my repentance, that of a
sinner, and turn towards me, and hear my words. I have sinned, Lord, I have
sinned before heaven and before you, and I am not worthy to look upon the
height of your glory, for I have provoked your goodness. I have transgressed
your commandments. I have disobeyed your ordinances. But you, Lord, being long‑suffering, and of great mercy, do not remember evil, and have not
given me over to destruction because of my lawlessness, but have ever awaited
my conversion. You who love all people, said by your prophet, I do not desire
the death of a sinner but that he should turn and live. For, Master, you do not
wish that the work of your hands should perish, nor do you take pleasure in the
destruction of human beings, but desire that everyone should be saved and come
to the knowledge of the truth. Therefore, even I, although I am unworthy both
of heaven and earth and of this temporary life, having wholly yielded myself to
sin, and become the slave of pleasure and have defiled your image, yet being
your creature and of your shaping, I do not despair for my salvation in my
wretchedness. But I am emboldened by your infinite compassion and I draw near.
Therefore, O Christ, you who love all people, receive even me as the harlot, as
the thief, as the publican, as the prodigal. Take away the heavy burden of my
sins, you who take away the sin of the world, who heal the infirmities of all
people, who call to yourself the weary and burdened and give them rest, who
came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance. Do cleanse me from
defilement of the flesh and spirit, and teach me to fulfill holiness in your
fear, that in the pure testimony of my conscience, receiving my portion of your
holy gifts, I may be united to your holy body and precious blood, and have you
dwell and remain within me with the Father and your Holy Spirit. Yes, Lord
Jesus Christ my God, grant that the communion of your holy and life giving
mysteries may not be to my condemnation. Do not let me be afflicted in soul and
body by partaking of them unworthily. But grant that to the last breath of my
life I shall partake of my share uncondemned of your holy gifts, looking to the
fellowship of the Holy Spirit for eternal life, and to a favorable answer at
your awesome judgment seat, that even I may also become a partaker with your
elect of your incorruptible blessings which you have prepared for those who
love you and in whom, Lord, you are glorified to the ages of ages. Amen.
Second Prayer: Saint Basil
I know, Lord, that I partake unworthily of your pure body
and precious blood, and that I am guilty, my Christ and my God, as I eat and
drink condemnation to myself not discerning your body and blood. Yet,
emboldened by your loving kindnesses, I come to you, who said, “he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood, abides in me and I in him.”
Take pity, therefore, Lord, and do not rebuke me, a sinner, but deal with me
mercifully. Let these holy gifts give me healing and cleansing, enlightenment
and protection, salvation and sanctification of soul and body. May they
avert every fantasy, evil practice, and operation of the devil enacted in my
members by design. May they give me confidence in and love for you; amendment
of life and perseverance, increase of virtue and perfection, fulfillment of
your commandments, fellowship of the Holy Spirit, provisions for the journey of
eternal life, and an acceptable answer at the awesome judgment seat. But let
them not be for judgment or condemnation. Amen.
Third Prayer: John Chrysostom
Lord my God, I know that I am not worthy, nor sufficient,
that you should come under the roof of the house of my soul, for it is entirely
desolate and in ruins, and you do not have a worthy place in me to lay your
head. But as you humbled yourself from on high for our sake, do likewise also
for my unworthiness. And as you willed in the cave to lie in a manger of dumb
animals, take it upon yourself now to enter the manger of my dumb soul and into
my soiled body. And as you did not refuse to enter and eat with sinners in the
house of Simon the leper, so also deign to enter into the house of my soul,
leper and sinner that I am. And as you did not cast out the harlot, a sinner
like me, who came and touched you, so have compassion on me the sinner who now
comes to touch you. And as you did not abhor the kiss of her sinful and unclean
mouth, do not abhor my mouth, more stained and unclean than hers, nor my sordid
and unclean and shameless lips, nor my more unclean tongue. But let the fiery
coal of your most pure body and of your most precious blood bring
sanctification, illumination, and strengthening of my lowly soul and body,
relief of the burden of my many transgressions, protection against every
operation of the devil, an averting and hindering of my mean and evil habits,
mortification of my passions, fulfillment of your commandments, an increase of
your divine grace, and inheritance of your kingdom. For it is not with a light
heart, Christ my God, that I venture to approach you. But I trust in your
ineffable goodness. May I not become prey to Satan by abstaining for long from
your communion. Therefore, Lord, I pray to you who alone are holy that you
sanctify my soul and body, my heart, and my mind, and renewing me wholly,
implant in my members fear of you. Do not let your sanctification be taken from
me, but be my help and protector, governing my life in peace. Make me worthy to
obtain a place at your right hand with your saints, through the prayers and
supplications of your most pure Mother, of your bodiless ministers and pure
angelic powers, and of all your saints who from the ages have found favor in
you. Amen.
Fourth Prayer: John Chrysostom
I am not worthy, Sovereign Lord, for you to come under the
roof of my soul. Yet because of your love for all people, you wish to dwell in
me. I boldly come. Command that the gates open which you alone made and you
will come in with love toward all people, as is your nature. You will come in
and enlighten my darkened reasoning. I believe that you will do this, for you
did not send away the harlot who came to you with tears, nor cast out the
repenting publican, nor reject the thief who acknowledged your kingdom, nor
forsake the repentant persecutor for what he was. But you counted as your
friends all of those who came to you in repentance. You alone are blessed,
always, now and to the endless ages. Amen.
Fifth Prayer: John Chrysostom
Lord Jesus Christ my God, absolve, remit, forgive, and
pardon me, your sinful, unprofitable, and unworthy servant the errors,
transgressions, and trespasses which I have committed from my youth to the
present day and hour, whether in knowledge or in ignorance, in words, or deeds,
or thoughts, or reasonings and pursuits, and in all my senses. And through the
intercession of the all pure and ever virgin Mary, your Mother, who conceived
you without sin, my only hope, protection, and salvation, count me worthy,
uncondemned, to partake of your pure and immortal and life giving, awesome
Mysteries, for the remission of sins, for eternal life, for sanctification and
enlightenment, for strength, and healing and health of both soul and body, for
the erasing and complete removal of my evil thoughts and recollections,
superstitions and nocturnal phantasies brought by dark and evil spirits. For
yours is the kingdom, the power, the honor, and worship, together with the
Father and the Holy Spirit, now and forever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Sixth Prayer: John Of Damascus
Master Lord Jesus Christ our God, you alone have the
authority to forgive human beings their sins, for you are good and love
everyone. Forgive all my transgressions committed in knowledge or in
ignorance. Make me worthy uncondemned to receive your divine and glorious, pure
and life giving Mysteries; incurring thereby neither punishment, nor the
increase of my sins, but receiving cleansing, sanctification, and a pledge of
the life to come and of the kingdom. Let them be for me a rampart, a help, and
an overturning of my adversaries, and a wiping out of my many transgressions.
For you are a God of mercy, compassion, and love of all human beings, and to
you we give glory, with the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and
forever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Seventh Prayer: Symeon The New Theologian
From foul lips and impure heart, from unclean tongue and a
defiled soul, receive my prayer, O my Christ. Take not into account my words,
my ways, or my shamelessness. Grant me boldness, my Christ, to say all that I
wish. But rather teach me all that I should do and say. I have sinned more than
the harlot who, learning where you lived, boldly came forward to anoint your
feet, O my Christ, my Master, and my God. And as you did not reject her to come
with eagerness of heart, reject not me, O Word, but extend to me your feet that
I may hold and kiss and with streams of tears, as with a precious myrrh, I may
boldly anoint them. Wash me in my tears and purify me in them, O Word. Forgive
my errors, and grant me pardon. You know the multitude of my sins, you also know
my wounds and see my bruises. Yet you know my faith, you see my eagerness and
hear my sighs. From you, my God, my Creator, and my Redeemer is hid not one
tear, nor even a part of one. Your eyes know my imperfections; in your book
already written down are all the acts yet not done. Behold my lowliness, behold
how great is my weariness and all my sins. God of all, remit everything so that
with a clean heart, a conscience filled with holy fear, and a contrite soul, I
may partake of your most pure, and wholly spotless mysteries, that give life
and divinity to all who eat and drink of you with a pure heart. For you have
said, Master, that whoever eats my flesh and also drinks my blood, does indeed
abide in me, and I in him. True indeed is the word of my Master and my God. For
he who shares in these divine and deifying graces is in no way alone, but is
with you, my Christ, the triple‑radiant
light that enlightens the world. But so that I may never be alone without you,
O Giver of life, my breath, my life, my joy, and the world’s salvation, I have, as you see, with tears and a contrite soul drawn
near to you to ransom my errors, beseeching you to rescue me and uncondemned to
share in your life giving Mysteries. So as you have said you might dwell with
me, the most wretched one, that I not be found by the deceiver, without
your grace, and be seized by deception and seducing me lead me away from your
life giving words. Therefore, I fall before you and fervently cry out to you:
as you received the prodigal and the harlot when she came to you, so receive
me, the harlot and prodigal, compassionate One, as I come to you now, with a
contrite heart. I know Savior that no one has offended you as I have, nor
committed the deeds that I have done. But this again I know, that neither the
greatness of my sins nor the multitude of my transgressions exceed my God’s great forbearance and his great love for all. But with the oil of
forgiveness you cleanse and illumine those who fervently repent and make
sharers of your light and partakers of your divinity. And although this
is strange to the minds of angels and of men, you speak with them often as your
true friends. These thoughts make me bold, these thoughts give me wings, my
Christ, and seeing your rich kindness towards us, I rejoice and tremble too. I
partake of fire, being grass, and behold, a strange wonder, I am unexpectedly
refreshed as was the burning bush, burning but not consumed. Therefore,
thankful in mind, thankful in heart, thankful in every member of my body and
soul, I worship and magnify and glorify you, my God, as being blessed both now
and to the ages.
Eighth Prayer: Symeon Metaphrastes
Jesus Christ, wisdom of God, peace and power, only pure and
spotless Lord, moved by the ineffable pity in your love toward all people, you
took upon yourself our whole frame from the chaste and virgin blood of her who
wondrously conceived you at the coming of the Holy Spirit and by the favor of
the eternal Father. In this assumed nature you underwent the life giving and
saving passion: the cross, the nails, the spear‑death
itself. Mortify in me the passions of the body that destroy the soul. You who
destroyed the power of Hades by your burial, bury and destroy the devices of
the evil spirits through pure thoughts. You who raised the fallen
forefather by your resurrection, raise me up from the sin that I have fallen
into and show me the way of repentance. By your glorious ascension you deified
the assumed body and honored it at the right hand of the Father. Make me
worthy, by partaking of your holy Mysteries, of a place at your right hand with
the saved. You made your holy disciples precious vessels by the coming of the
Comforter, the Spirit. Declare me also a vessel of your coming. You promised
to come again to judge the world in righteousness. Grant that I shall go to
meet you, my Creator and Maker, in the clouds, with all the saints, and that I
may glorify you forever and praise you, with your eternal Father, and your all
holy, gracious and life giving Spirit, now and forever and to the ages of ages.
Amen.
Ninth Prayer: John Of Damascus
I stand before the doors of your temple, but I have not
refrained from wicked thoughts. But you, O Christ, my God, justified the
publican, and showed mercy to the Canaanite woman, and opened the gates of
paradise to the thief. Open for me the depth of your love, and receive me as I
draw near and touch you, as did the harlot and the woman with the issue of
blood. The latter only touched the hem of your garment, and she immediately
received healing, while the former, clinging to your pure feet, obtained
forgiveness of her sins. But may I, the miserable one, be not consumed, by
daring to receive your whole body. Receive me as you did them, and enlighten
the perception of my soul, through the intercession of her who gave birth to
you without sin, and of the heavenly powers. For you are blessed to the ages of
ages. Amen.
Tenth Prayer: John Chrysostom
I believe and confess, Lord, that you are truly the Christ,
the Son of the living God, who came into the world to save sinners, of whom I
am first. I also believe that this is truly your pure body, and that this is
truly your precious blood. Therefore, I pray to you, have mercy upon me, and
forgive my transgressions, those voluntary and involuntary, in word and deed,
known and unknown. And make me worthy without condemnation to partake of your
pure Mysteries for the forgiveness of sins and life eternal. Amen.
When coming forward to receive communion, say these verses of Symeon
Metaphrastes:
Behold, my Maker, I approach holy Communion. Burn me not as
I partake, for you are fire which burns the unworthy. But cleanse me from every
stain. Receive me today, Son of God, as a partaker of your mystical Supper. I
will not reveal your Mystery to your adversaries. Nor will I give you a kiss as
did Judas. But as the thief I confess to you: Lord, remember me in your
kingdom.
And the following verses:
Seeing the divine blood, have fear, O man, for it is coal
that burns the unworthy. It is God’s body that
deifies and nourishes me; it deifies the spirit and nourishes the mind
mystically.
And the following hymns:
You have smitten me with yearning, O Christ, and with your
divine love you have changed me. Burn away my sins with spiritual fire and make
me worthy to be filled with your joy, that rejoicing in your goodness, I may
magnify your two Comings.
How shall I, who am unworthy, enter into the splendor of
your saints? If I dare to enter into the bridal chamber, my clothing will
accuse me, since it is not a wedding garment; and being bound up, I shall be
cast out by the angels. In your love, Lord, cleanse the vileness of my soul and
save me.
Loving Master, Lord Jesus Christ, my God, do not let these
Holy Things be to my condemnation because of my unworthiness, but rather for
purification and sanctification of my soul and body, and as a pledge of the
life and kingdom to come. For it is good for me to cleave to God, and to place
the hope of my salvation in the Lord.
Receive me today, Son of God, as a partaker of your mystical
Supper. I will not reveal your mystery to your adversaries. Nor will I give you
a kiss as did Judas. But as the thief I confess to you: Lord, remember me in
your kingdom.
THANKSGIVING AFTER HOLY COMMUNION
When you have had your due and rightful part in these life
giving and mysterious gifts, give immediate praise and great thanks to God, and
say the following with fervent soul:
Glory to you, O God (3). (Then the following thanksgiving
prayers:)
Anonymous
I thank you, Lord, my God, that you have not rejected me, a
sinner, but have made me worthy to partake of your holy Mysteries. I thank you
that you have permitted me, although I am unworthy, to receive your pure and
heavenly gifts. O loving Master, who died and rose for our sake, and granted to
us these awesome and life‑giving
Mysteries for the well‑being and
sanctification of our souls and bodies, let these gifts be for healing
of my own soul and body, the averting of every evil, the illumination of the
eyes of my heart, the peace of my spiritual powers, a faith unashamed, a love
unfeigned, the fulfilling of wisdom, the observing of your commandments, the
receiving of your divine grace, and the inheritance of your kingdom. Preserved
by them in your holiness, may I always be mindful of your grace and no longer
live for myself, but for you, our Master and Benefactor. May I pass from this
life in the hope of eternal life, and attain to the everlasting rest, where the
voices of your saints who feast are unceasing, and their joy, beholding the
ineffable beauty of your countenance, is unending. For you, Christ our God, are
the true joy and the inexpressible gladness of those who love you, and all
creation praises you forever. Amen.
Prayer Of Saint Basil
I thank you, Christ and Master our God, King of the ages and
Creator of all things, for all the good gifts you have given me, and especially
for the participation in your pure and life-giving mysteries. I, therefore,
pray to you, good and loving Lord: keep me under your protection and under the
shadow of your wings. Grant that to my last breath I may with a pure conscience
partake worthily of your gifts for the forgiveness of sins and for eternal
life. For you are the bread of life, the source of holiness, the giver of all
good things, and to you we give glory, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now
and forever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Prayer Of Symeon Metaphrastes
You who have voluntarily given me your flesh as food, who
are a burning fire to the unworthy, do not consume me. No, my Creator. Rather,
penetrate into my members, all my joints, my organs, my heart and burn like
thorns all my iniquities. Cleanse my soul, hallow my thoughts, make firm my
knees and my bones as well. Illumine my five senses and make my entire being
vigilant with the fear of you. Watch over me always, shield and protect me from
every deed and word that corrupts the soul. Cleanse me, purify and put me in
order. Adorn me, give me understanding, and illumine me. Mark me as your
dwelling place, of the Spirit only and no longer a place of sin, so that when
you enter as if into your own home of communion, every evil doer and every
passion will flee from me as from fire. As advocates, I bring to you all the
saints, the captains of the incorporeal hosts, your Forerunner, your wise
Apostles, and more than these, your spotless, pure Mother, whose prayers
accept, my compassionate Christ. Make your servant a child of light. For in
your goodness, you alone sanctify and enlighten our souls, and to you, our God
and Master, do we give, as it is right, glory every day.
Anonymous
Let your sacred body, Lord Jesus Christ our God, lead me to
eternal life, and your precious blood to remission of sins. Let this Eucharist
be to me joy, health, and gladness. And at your fearful Coming deem me a sinner
worthy to stand at the right hand of your glory, by the intercession of your
most pure Mother, and of all your saints. Amen.
All holy Lady, Theotokos, light of my darkened soul, my
hope, shelter, refuge, comfort, and joy, I thank you, for you have deemed me,
the unworthy one, worthy to partake of the most pure body and of the precious
blood of your Son. But you who gave birth to the true Light, enlighten the
spiritual eyes of my heart. You conceived the source of immortality. Now give
life to me who am dead in sin. You, the compassionate Mother of the merciful
God, have mercy on me and give me penitence and contrition of heart and
meekness in my thoughts and an awakening of my thoughts from captivity. And
grant me, until my last breath, to receive without condemnation the
sanctification of your sacred Mysteries for the healing of soul and body.
Grant me tears of repentance and confession that I may praise ad glorify you
all the days of my life. For you are blessed and glorified to the ages. Amen.
Lord, now let your servant depart in peace according to your
word. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared before the
face of all people, a light to enlighten the Gentiles and the glory of your
people Israel.
Glory Be To God
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