Eastern Orthodox Churches Part II
The rule of prayer is the rule of faith. We pray what we believe and we believe what we pray. Christ handed down to his apostles not only the rule of faith (the doctrine of the apostles) but also the rule of prayer (the worship of the apostles).
The Creed
People: I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible; And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Only-begotten, Begotten of the Father before all worlds. Light of Light, Very God of Very God, Begotten, not made; of one essence with the Father, by Whom all things were made: Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven, was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and was made man; And was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered and was buried; And the third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures; And ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father; And He shall come again with glory to judge the living and the dead, Whose Kingdom shall have no end. And I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, and Giver of Life, Who proceeds from the Father, Who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified, Who spoke by the Prophets; And I believe in One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins. I look for the Resurrection of the dead, and the Life of the world to come. Amen.
The Nicene Creed was formulated at the Ecumenical Council of Nicaea in a.d. 325 and affirmed at Constantinople in a.d. 381. Arius, a heretic from Alexandria, had said that there was a time when the Son of God was not, i.e., a time when he did not exist. St. Athanasius, one of the heroes of the Council, upheld the universal understanding of the church that the Son of God was begotten from the Father before all time and was equal with the Father. He said, "There never was a time when He was not."
The Thanksgiving. The Eucharist is the "lifting up" of our offering and of ourselves. It is our offering to him of ourselves, of our lives, and of the whole world—as a Russian poet once said, "To take in our hands the whole world as if it were an apple!"
The Eucharist is the ascension of the church to heaven. We have entered the eschaton (the age to come, the kingdom of God) and are now standing beyond time and space. It is because all this has first happened to us that something will happen to bread and wine. It is our ascension to Christ.
The Eucharist is the state of human perfection. When man or woman stands before the throne of God, when he or she has fulfilled all that God has given the person to fulfill, when all sins are forgiven, all joy restored, then there is nothing else to do but to give thanks. When a person stands before God face to face, accepted into this presence, when sins are forgiven and when he or she has recovered a pristine beauty, the Eucharist—thanksgiving, adoration, worship—is truly the ultimate and the total expression of his or her whole being. It is the divine element, the image of God in us. It is the life of paradise, the only full and real response of human beings to God's creation, redemption, and gift of heaven. It is a new style of life and the ultimate expression of the only true relationship between God and the world.
The Eucharist is Christ himself: "It is He who offers and it is He who is offered." Christ is the perfect human being who stands before God. Christ alone is the perfect eucharistic being. In and through this Eucharist the whole creation becomes what it always was meant to be and yet failed to be.
Humans are sacrificial beings because they find their life in love, and love is sacrificial: it puts the value, the very meaning of life in the other and gives life to the other, and in this giving, in this sacrifice, finds the meaning and joy of life. It is indeed a sacrifice offered "for everyone and for everything."
The Eucharist is the "breakthrough" that brings us to the table in the kingdom, raises us to heaven, and makes us partakers of the divine food. The Eucharist is the end of the movement. We are at the paschal table of the kingdom—the end of the journey and the end of time. We have arrived at a vantage point from which we can see more deeply into the reality of the world.
The Eucharist is communion with the whole church. It is the supreme revelation of the "communion of the saints"—the unity and interdependence of all the members of the body of Christ. But it is judgment and condemnation to people who do not see Christ in the church, but rather see human pride and arrogance, selfishness and the spirit of "this world."
Deacon: Let us stand well! Let us stand with fear! Let us attend that we may offer the holy offering in peace.
People: An offering of peace! A sacrifice of praise!
Celebrant: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
People: And with your spirit.
Celebrant: Let us lift up your hearts.
People: We lift them up unto the Lord.
Celebrant: Let us give thanks unto the Lord.
People: It is fitting and right.
Celebrant: It is fitting and right to sing to You, to bless You, to praise You, to give thanks to You, to worship You in every place of Your dominion. For You are God, beyond description, beyond understanding, invisible, incomprehensible, always existing, always the same; You and Your Only-begotten Son and Your Holy Spirit. Out of nothing You brought us into being and when we had fallen, raised us up again, and You have not ceased doing everything until You brought us to heaven and graciously gave us Your future Kingdom. For all these things, we thank You and Your Only-begotten Son and Your Holy Spirit; for all that we know and do not know, for the open and hidden benefits bestowed upon us. We thank You also for this Liturgy which You are pleased to accept from our hands, though there stand before You thousands of archangels and myriads of angels, Cherubim and Seraphim, six-winged, many-eyed, soaring high on their wings; singing, proclaiming, shouting the Hymn of Victory.
People: Holy! holy! holy! Lord of Hosts!
Heaven and earth are filled with Your glory.
Hosanna in the highest!
Blessed is He Who comes in the Name of the Lord!
Hosanna in the highest!
Celebrant: With these blessed powers, O Lord Who loves mankind, we also cry aloud and say: You are holy, most holy, You and Your Only-begotten Son and Your Holy Spirit. You are holy, most holy, and magnificent is Your glory. You have so loved the world that You gave Your Only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. And after He had come and accomplished all that was appointed, on the night in which He was given up, or rather gave Himself up for the life of the world, took bread in His holy, most pure, and blameless hands, and when He had given thanks and blessed and sanctified and broken it, He gave it to His holy disciples and apostles, saying: "Take! Eat! This is My Body which is broken for you for the remission of sins!"
People: Amen.
Celebrant: And likewise, after supper, He took the cup, saying: "Drink from it, all of you! This is My Blood of the New Testament which is shed for you and for many for the remission of sins!"
People: Amen.
Celebrant: Remembering this saving commandment and all that has been done for us, the cross, the tomb, the resurrection on the third day, the ascension into heaven, the sitting at the right hand, and the second and glorious coming, we offer You Your own, from what is Your own, for everyone and for everything.
People: We praise You, We bless You,
We give thanks to You, O Lord,
And we pray unto You our God.
Celebrant: Furthermore, we offer You this spiritual and unbloody worship and implore You and pray and supplicate You; send down Your Holy Spirit upon us and upon these Gifts set before You. And make this bread the precious Body of Your Christ.
People: Amen.
Celebrant: And what is in this cup the precious Blood of Your Christ.
People: Amen.
Celebrant: Changing them by Your Holy Spirit.
People: Amen. Amen. Amen.
Celebrant: That to those who partake of these Gifts, they may be for the cleansing of soul, for remission of sins, for communion with Your Holy Spirit, for the fullness of the Kingdom of Heaven, for freedom in prayer toward You and not for judgment or for condemnation. Furthermore we offer to You this spiritual worship for those who in faith have gone on before us to their rest: forefathers, fathers, patriarchs, prophets, apostles, preachers, evangelists, martyrs, confessors, ascetics and every righteous spirit made perfect in faith, especially for our most holy, most pure, most blessed and glorious Lady, the Mother of God and Ever-virgin Mary.
Hymn to the Mother of God to the Lord's Prayer. We recite the Lord's Prayer together, not only on our own behalf, but for all Christendom.
Celebrant: We also offer this spiritual worship for the holy Prophet and Forerunner, John the Baptist, for the holy, glorious, and all-honorable apostles, for St. (N.), whose memory we commemorate today, and for all Your saints, through whose intercessions watch over us, O God. And remember all who have fallen asleep in hope of the resurrection to eternal life, especially (N.N.) and give them rest where the light of Your countenance watches over them.
Furthermore, we implore You: remember, O Lord, every Orthodox bishop who rightly teaches the word of Your truth, and all the priests and deacons in Christ, and every order of the clergy. We also offer You this reasonable and spiritual worship for the whole world, for the holy, catholic, and apostolic Church, for those who live a pure and holy life, for all civil authorities and armed forces. Grant them, O Lord, peaceful times so that we may live a quiet and peaceful life in all godliness and holiness.
Among the first, remember, O Lord, our Metropolitan (N.), and grant him to Your holy Church for many years in peace, safety, honor, health, and in rightly teaching the word of Your truth.
Deacon: And remember also those men and women whom each of us has in mind.
Celebrant: Remember also, O Lord, this city in which we live, and every city and country, and all the faithful living in them. Remember, O Lord, those who travel by land, air, and sea, the sick and suffering, those under persecution, and for their deliverance. Remember, O Lord, those who remember the poor, and pour out Your mercies on us all. And grant that with one mouth and one heart we may glorify Your all-honorable and majestic Name, of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages.
People: Amen.
The Communion of our Lord's Body and Blood
Celebrant: And may the mercies of our Great God and Savior Jesus Christ be with you all.
People: And with your spirit.
Celebrant: And make us worthy, O Lord, that with boldness and without condemnation we may dare to call upon You, the heavenly God and Father and say:
The Lord's Prayer
People: Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name. Thy Kingdom come, Thy 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.
Celebrant: For Thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages.
People: Amen.
Celebrant: Peace be to all.
People: And to your spirit.
Deacon: Let us bow our heads to the Lord.
People: To You, O Lord.
Celebrant: We give thanks to You, O Invisible King, Who by measureless power and in the greatness of Your mercy, brought all things from non-existence into being, look down from heaven, O Master, upon those who have bowed their heads to You; for they have not bowed to flesh and blood, but to You, the awesome God. Therefore, O Master, distribute these gifts offered to all of us for our own good according to the individual need of each person; through the grace and compassion and love for mankind of Your Only-begotten Son, with Whom You are blessed, together with Your all-holy, good, and life-giving Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages.
People: Amen.
Celebrant: Hear us, O Lord Jesus Christ our God, from Your holy dwelling place and from the glorious throne of Your kingdom, and come to sanctify us, You Who sit on high with the Father and are here invisibly present with us. And make us worthy by Your mighty hand to be given Your most pure Body and precious Blood and through us to all Your people.
The Elevation to the Breaking of the Bread. The Eucharist is the breaking of the bread, the one source of life that redeems the unity of all humanity under one head, that is, Christ. It is the mystery of forgiveness, the mystery of reconciliation achieved by Christ and eternally granted to those who believe in him. It is the essential food of the Christian, strengthening his or her spiritual life, healing diseases, affirming faith, creating the possibility of leading a truly Christian life in this world. It is the gift of eternal life, an anticipation of the joy, peace, and fullness of the kingdom, a foretaste of its light. It is both partaking of Christ's suffering (the expression of our readiness to accept his "way of life") and sharing in his victory and triumph—a sacrificial meal and a joyful banquet. In this meal, his body is broken and his blood is shed, and, partaking of them, we accept the Cross. Yet by the Cross joy has entered the world, and this joy is ours when we are at the Lord's Table.
Deacon: Let us attend!
Celebrant: The holy Gifts for holy people!
People: One is holy. One is the Lord Jesus Christ,
To the glory of God the Father. Amen.
The Breaking of the Bread
Celebrant: Broken and distributed is the Lamb of God, broken, but not divided; forever eaten and never consumed, but sanctifying those who partake.
People: Amen.
Celebrant: The fullness of the cup, of the Faith, of the Holy Spirit.
People: Amen.
The Blessing of the Water to Prayer before Communion. As the body of the Lord is broken for us and his blood is poured out for us, we proclaim his death until he comes. We eat the holy sacrifice in the presence of the Lord and we partake of the power of Christ. The Eucharist is also given to me personally in order to transform me into a "member of Christ," to unite me with all those who receive him, and to reveal the church as a fellowship of love.
Celebrant: Blessed is the warmth of Your saints, always, now and ever and unto ages of ages.
People: Amen.
Deacon: The warmth of faith full of the Holy Spirit.
People: Amen.
Prayer before Communion
People: I believe, O Lord, and I confess that You are truly the Christ, the Son of the Living God, Who came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. I also believe that this itself is Your most pure Body and this itself Your precious Blood. Therefore I implore You, have mercy on me and forgive me my transgressions, whether voluntary or involuntary, whether in word or in deed, whether in knowledge or in ignorance. And make me worthy to partake of Your most pure Mysteries without condemnation, for the remission of sins, and for eternal life.
At Your Mystical Supper, O Son of God, receive me today as a communicant; for I will not speak of the Mystery to Your enemies, nor will I give You a kiss like Judas, but like the thief I will confess You: remember me, O Lord, when You come in Your Kingdom. Amen.
Not for judgment nor for condemnation be my partaking of Your Holy Mysteries, O Lord, but for healing of soul and body.
Communion Hymn to Hymn after Communion. The Eucharist is our joy and certitude, our source of inspiration and growth, the victory that overcomes evil, the presence that makes our whole life—in sum, our life in Christ.
Deacon: With the fear of God, with faith and love, draw near.
People: Blessed is He Who comes in the Name of the Lord, God is the Lord and has revealed Himself to us.
Other Communion hymns may be sung at this time.
Celebrant: O God, save Your people and bless Your inheritance.
Hymn after Communion. On most days we sing the following hymn:
People: We have seen the true Light,
we have received the heavenly Spirit,
we have found the true Faith
worshiping the undivided Trinity,
Who has saved us.
Priest: Blessed is our God, always, now and ever and unto ages of ages.
People: Amen.
Let our mouths be filled with Your praise, O Lord,
that we may sing of Your glory;
for You have made us worthy to partake of Your holy, divine, immortal, and life-giving Mysteries.
Keep us in Your holiness,
that all day long we may meditate on Your righteousness.
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Deacon: Let us attend! Having received the holy, most pure, immortal, heavenly, life-giving, and awesome Mysteries of Christ, let us worthily give thanks to the Lord.
Prayer of Thanksgiving. We have been doing several important things in the Eucharist. Most important is our worship of the Blessed Trinity. The second is our partaking of the body and blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Third, we have presented ourselves afresh as a living sacrifice to God. Now we offer our thanksgiving to God and enjoy fellowship together.
We have been nourished and fortified by the Lord's body and blood. We have partaken of the benefits of his death and the power of his resurrection. We go forth from this holy place as a believing people, equipped and able to face life in this world. The Eucharist has been transformed into a new beginning, and things that were impossible to us are revealed again as possible. The time of the world has become the time of the church, the time of salvation and redemption.
Celebrant: We thank You, O Sovereign Lord and Lover of mankind, Benefactor of our souls and bodies, that You have made us worthy today of Your heavenly and immortal Mysteries. Direct our way, strengthen all of us in Your fear, guard our life, guide our steps, through the prayers and intercessions of the glorious Mother of God and Ever-virgin Mary, and of all Your saints, for You are our sanctification and we give glory to You, to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages.
People: Amen.
Celebrant: Let us go forth in peace.
People: In the Name of the Lord.
People: Blessed be the Name of the Lord, from this time forth and forevermore. (3 times)
Celebrant: The blessing of the Lord and His mercy come upon you through His grace and love towards mankind, always, now and ever and unto ages of ages.
People: Amen.
Celebrant: Glory to You, O Christ our God and our Hope, glory to You.
People: Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Father, bless.
Celebrant: May Christ our true God (Who has risen from the dead) through the intercessions of His most pure and holy Mother, the holy, glorious, and all-honorable apostles, (The Patron Saint of the church), St. (N.), whose memory we commemorate today, and of all the saints, have mercy on us and save us, for He is good and loves mankind.
Through the prayers of our holy fathers, O Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us.
People: Amen.