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The Anaphora of St. John Chrysostom (the Golden-mouthed)
The Anaphora (or "Eucharistic Prayer" as it is known in the Latin Church) is begun by the usual Opening Dialogue between Priest and Faithful common to all Churches:
The Deacon exhorts
the Faithful to "be attentive to offer in peace the holy oblation". The
Faithful respond, "A mercy of peace, a sacrifice of praise". God's merciful
gift of peace enables our sacrifice of praise. St. Nicholas Cabasilas
explains: "Not only only do we make our offerings in peace; it is peace
itself that we offer as a gift and second sacrifice."
The Priest blesses the Faithful: "May the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you." (II Cor. 13:14)
The Faithful are enjoined: "Lift up your hearts. Let us give thanks
to the Lord." (The term "Anaphora" comes from this exhortation, meaning
in the Greek "Lift up". The term "Eucharist" comes from the second part
of this exhortation, meaning "give thanks" in the original Greek.)
Anaphora, Part 1: Prayer to God the Father
The Anaphora (cf.
I Tim. 1:17) begins with giving: "...thanks, worship, praise to God,
the ineffable, inconceivable, invisible, in comprehensible...who brought
us from nothingness into being; who after we fell, raised us up again,
who did not cease doing everything for us...leading us to heaven and
granting us God's future Kingdom. For all this we give thanks, for all
things known and unknow, all benefits manifest and hidden... and also
this Liturgy, which God deigns to accept from our hands, though
before Him stand thousands of archangels and myriads of angels, cherubim
and seraphim, six-winged, many-eyed soaring aloft on the wings, singing,
crying out and shouting the triumphal hymn..." At this point the Deacon
takes the Asterix (the Star Frame) and strikes the Diskos in a Cross-wise
pattern, symbolizing the Angelic Hymn.
The Faithful respond by singing out, with them, the angels' hymn: "Holy,
Holy, Holy Lord of Sabaoth, heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the LORD.
Hosanna in the highest." (Is. 6:1f.; Matt. 21:9)
Anaphora, Part 2: Prayer about the God the Son
The Priest
continues: "...You so loved the world, that you gave your only begotten
Son, so that whoever believes in Him, might not perish, but might have
eternal life. After He had come and fulfilled the whole Divine Plan for
our sake, on the night He was given over - or rather, gave Himself -
for the life of the world, He took bread...gave thanks, blessed, sanctified,
and broke it: He gave it to his holy disciples and apostles, saying:
' Take, eat: This is my body, which is broken for you for the forgiveness
of sins.' In like manner after the supper, saying: 'Drink of it, all
of you. This is my
blood of the New Covenant, which is pour of for you and for many for
the forgiveness of sins.'
"Remembering...all that was 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 to You, Yours of your
own, in behalf of all and for all.
The Epiclesis, Invocation of the Holy Spirit (Anaphora, Part 3)
During the Anaphora,
the Deacon or Subdeacons wave the Ripidia over the Holy Gifts to represent
the Descent and Presence of the Holy Spirit, which effects the Consecration.
"Further...we ask, we pray, and we entreat You: Send down Your Holy Spirit upon us and upon these Gifts here present. And make this Bread the precious Body of your Christ. And that which is in this chalice, the precous Blood of your Christ, Changing them by the Holy Spirit. Amen. Amen. Amen.
"So that they (i.e. Holy Communion) may be for the communicants sobriety
of soul, forgiveness of sins, communion of the Holy Spirit, fulfillment
of the Kingdom, confidence before You and not for judgement or condemnation." The
Priest incenses the Holy Gifts, symbolizing the Descent and Action of
the Holy Spirit.
Having prayed that the Spirit of God descend to transform us, the Faithful,
and the Bread
and Wine into the Body and Blood of Christ, the Consecration, which was
begun at the Proskomidia, is now completed. "The act of Consecration
is not completed until the end of the Epiclesis" according to Bishop
Kallistos of Diokleia. Even as early as the Promomidia, the process of
sanctification has begun. This explain the great reverence paid to the
blessed Bread and Wine as it is carried into the Altar at the Great Entrance.
Anaphora, Part 4: The Commemorations
After Holy Communion is confected, prayers are offered, both for the Church and for the World.
We
begin by praying for all those in the Church who have gone before us:
ancestors, parents,
patriarchs, prophets, preaches, evangelists, martyrs, confessors, ascetics
and for every righteous soul that has finished this life in faith, especially
the Theotokos (the Virgin Mary), together with the Forerunner St. John
the Baptist, the apostles, the saints of the day, all who have fallen
asleep n the hope of rising to eternal life, including in especial those
Reposed (deceased)
for whom the Faithful have requested prayer (i.e. who have offered a
Prosphora of Commemoration), that the Lord grant them repose in a place
enlightened by the light of God's countenance.
During these prayers, the Deacon incenses all around the Holy Table,
while the Faithful sing a hymn to the Theotokos, corresponding to the
liturgical feast or season.
Prayers are then offered for the Living: the entire Church, those living holy lives, peace for the nation and its members, the Ecumenical Hierarch (the Patriarch and Bishop of older Rome), the Hierarchs of our Church (that they be granted power to rightly impart the Word of Divine Truth), the local faith community, all those who are sick, all those suffering, those held captive, those who do good works, those who serve the poor, and all women and men. At this point again the clergy remember by name, those amongst the living, for whom prayer has been requested by the offering of a Commemoration Prosphora.
The Priest concludes the Anaphora with: "And grant that, with one voice
and one heart, we may glorify and sing the priases of Your most honoured
and magnificient Name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and ever....
And the Faithful respond by singing the Great Amen!
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