SaintElias.com -> Divine Services -> The Divine Liturgy

Holy Communion

The Litany of Supplication and the Lord's Prayer

Having commemorated all the "Saints" in the Anaphora (those glorified in the future Kingdom as well as those sanctified by Baptism, in the congregration and in all the world), the deacon exits the Altar and leads the Faithful in praying the Litany of Supplication which concludes with the Lord's Prayer.

The 1st part of the Litany consists of petitions dealing with the holy
- that our loving God, Who has received them as a spiritual fragrance upon His holy, heavenly mystical altar, may send down on us in return the divine grace and the gift of the Holy Spirit,

The 2d part of the Litany of Supplication (according to St. Nicholas Cabasilas) contain petitions asking for this Sanctification of the Spirit, whereby the Communicants themselves receive consecration, both together with the Bread and Wine (as per the Priest's prayer of Epiclesis) and by the Reception of the Holy Gifts. Thus:

- that this whole day may be perfect, holy, peaceful, and sinless...

- for peace for the world,

- for an angel of peace, a faithful guide, a guardian of our souls and bodies,

- that we may spend the rest of our lives in peace and repentance,

- a Christian end to our lives, painless, unashamed, and peaceful and a good defence before the awesome tribunal of Christ,

The Litany concludes with the 3d section: the Lord's Prayer:

Our Father, Who art in heaven...
Thy Kingdom come on earth, - as it is in heaven...

The Priest concludes the Litany with the Ecphonesis for Lord's Prayer:

- For the Kingdom, the power, and the glory are Yours, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and ever, and for ages of ages.

Preparation to Receive Holy Communion

In the prayer of Inclination, we bow down, whilst the priest prays:

- Look down from heaven, O Master, upon those who have bowed their heads to You...for they have not bowed down to flesh and blood, but You the awesome God. ...smooth the ways that lie before us all - for our good and in accord with each one's personal need, sail with sailors, travel with travellers, heal the sick, O Physician of our souls and bodies...

The Priest then lets down the front of his Phelon and prays:

- Attend, O Lord Jesus Christ, our God, from your holy dwelling and from the throne of glory in Your Kingdom, and come and sanctify us.

O You Who are seated on high with the Father and yet invisibly present among us...

Deign to give us with Your mighty hand, Your most pure Body and precious Blood, and through us to all the people.

The Elevation

The deacon announces to the Faithful: Let us be Attentive!

The Priest lifts up the Holy Lamb (that portion of the loaf which has been Consecrated), proclaiming:

The Holy Things for the Holy!

The Faithful respond:

- One is holy, one is Lord, Jesus Christ, to the glory of God the Father. Amen.

The Breaking of the Bread

The Priest breaks the Holy Lamb into the various portions for the communicants: the clergy, the laity, etc., praying:

"Broken and distributed is the Lamb of God, broken yet not divided, always eated yet never consumed, but sanctifying those who partake."

The Deacon pours the Zeon (boiling water) into the Holy Cup, praying:

"The Zeal of faith, full of the Holy Spirit."

St. Nicholas Cabasilas teaches us that the Boiling Water, representing the Holy Spirit, in sofar as it partakes of the nature of fire, symbolizing the Spirit who descend as Fire.

The Communion of the Clergy

The Clergy ask forgiveness of one another and of the faithful.

Then they approach the Holy Mysteries.

They receive the Holy Mysteries, 1st from the Diskos and then from Holy Cup.

All, both Faithful and Clergy alike, receive from the 1 Bread and the 1 Cup, since there is but 1 Lord, 1 Faith, 1 God and Father of all, and we who receive are made 1 in the Christ.

Likewise it is a significant sign that we "receive" the Sacred Mysteries. Mitred Archimandrite Robert Taft, S.J. teaches that the Eucharistic Communion is not a sacrament of one's personal communion with the Lord, but it is a a sacrament in the 1 Body of Christ, a Body both ecclesial and eucharistic, and hence is also our Communion with one another. Thus Communion is always Given and Received - not just grabbed for oneself in "self-service, cafeteria style". One always receives it from the hand of another.

The Communion of the Faithful

After the clergy have received the Holy Mysteries, the Deacon, then, transfers the remainder of the Holy Lamb (the Latin Church, a.k.a. the "Hosts" ) from the Diskos into the Holy and Precious Blood in the Holy Cup.

The Faithful always received Holy Communion under both Species, as at the Lord's Supper and according to the Sacred Traditions of the Church. The Holy Mysteries are distributed by means of the Sacred Spoon.

All who are Baptised have not only the Right but also the Duty to receive Holy Communion. This includes Baptised Infants and Children.

We always bring Baptised Infants and Children to Holy Communion - unless there is some real concern that they have grave sin upon their consciences. Note, that Baptism in the Byzantine Tradition both Infants (as well as adults) receive the Sacraments of Chrismation and their First Holy Communion.

Once infants are baptised, it is a grave and serious matter to deny Infants and Children access to the Lord's Table and the Blessed Sacrament. As Canon Law states: "the administration of the Divine Eucharist to infant neophytes is not limited to only the moment to the celebration of Inititation. Eucharist is the Bread of Life, and infants need to be nourished constantly, from then on, to grow spiritually."

The Deacon brings Holy Communion out to the Faithful, calling upon them to:

"Approach with fear of God and with faith."

The People confess their faith and receive the Holy Mysteries:

I believe, O Lord, and 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 first...

- Remember me, O Lord, when you come into your Kingdom,

- May the partaking of your Holy Mysteries be unto me not for judgement or condemnation but for the healing of soul and body.

- Afterward, the Faithful come up to venerate the principal Icon, and, making the sign of the Cross and then crossing their hands over their hearts, the reverendly approach to receive the Holy Mysteries.

Each one receives Holy Communion not individually but personally, for each person is given Holy Communion by name.

If the person is a visitor, then they will give their Christian Names to the clergy, one receives Communion to the words of the Priest:

"The servant of God (Christian Name), partakes of the precious, most holy, most pure Body and Blood of our Lord and God and Saviour Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of her/his and life everlasting. Amen.

"Receive the Body of Christ Taste the Fountain of Immortality."

- Immediately following Holy Communion, the communicant is offered the "Zapivka" - some bread and wine - taken order to cleanse the mouth and ensure that all of Holy Communion is consumed.

Ukrainian version
Українська версія

CONTACT

Fr. Roman Galadza
905.459.8888
email