Prayers after Holy Communion
Glory to Thee O
God. Thrice
I thank Thee, O
Lord my God, that Thou hast not rejected me, a sinner, but hast vouchsafed me
to be a communicant of Thy holy Things. I thank Thee that Thou hast vouchsafed
me, the unworthy, to partake of Thy most pure and heavenly Gifts. But, O
Master, Lover of mankind, Who for our sake didst die and rise again and didst
bestow upon us these dread and life-creating Mysteries for the well-being and
sanctification of our souls and bodies, grant that these may be even unto me
for the healing of both soul and body, for the averting of everything hostile,
for the enlightenment of the eyes of my heart, for the peace of the powers of
my soul, for faith unashamed, for love unfeigned, for the fullness of wisdom,
for the keeping of Thy commandments, for an increase of Thy divine grace, and
for the attainment of Thy Kingdom; that being preserved by Them in Thy
holiness, I may remember Thy grace always, and no longer live for myself, but
for Thee, our Master and Benefactor; and thus when I have departed this life in
hope of life eternal, I may attain unto everlasting rest, where the sound of
them that keep festival is unceasing and the delight is endless of them that
behold the ineffable beauty of Thy countenance. For Thou art the true desire
and the unutterable gladness of them that love Thee, O Christ our God, and all
creation doth hymn Thee unto the ages. Amen.
Of
St. Basil the Great, 2:
O Master Christ
our God, King of the ages and Creator of all things, I thank Thee for all the
good things Thou hast bestowed upon me and for the communion of Thy most pure
and life-creating Mysteries. I pray Thee, therefore, O Good One and Lover of
mankind: Keep me under Thy protection and in the shadow of Thy wings and grant
me, even unto my last breath, to partake worthily, with a pure conscience, of
Thy holy Things unto the remission of sins and life eternal. For Thou art the
Bread of Life, the Source of Holiness, the Giver of good things, and unto Thee
do we send up glory, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and
ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Verses
of Metaphrastes, 3:
O Thou Who givest
me willingly Thy Flesh as food, Thou Who art fire that doth consume the
unworthy, let me not be scourched, O my Creator. But rather, enter Thou into my
members, into all my joints, my reigns, my heart. Burn up the thorns of
all my sins. Purify my soul, sanctify my thoughts. Strengthen my
substance together with my bones. Enlighten my simple five senses.
Nail down the whole of me with the fear of Thee. Ever protect, preserve,
and keep me from every soul-corrupting deed and word. Purify, cleanse and
adorn me; make me comely, give me understanding and enlighten me. Show me
to be the dwelling-place of Thy Spirit alone, and no longer a habitation of
sin, that from me as Thine abode through the entry of Communion, every
evildoer, every passion may flee as from fire. As intercessors I offer
unto Thee all the saints, the commanders of the bodiless hosts, Thy Forerunner,
the wise apostles, and Thine undefiled pure Mother, whose entreaties do Thou
accept, O my compassionate Christ, and make Thy servant a child of light.
For Thou alone art our sanctification, O Good One, and the radiance of
our souls, and unto Thee as God and Master, we all send up glory as is meet,
every day.
Another
Prayer:
O Lord Jesus
Christ our God, may Thy Holy Body be unto me for life eternal, and Thy Precious
Blood for the remission of sins; and may this Eucharist be unto me for joy,
health, and gladness. And at Thy dread Second Coming, vouchsafe me, a sinner,
to stand at the right hand of Thy glory, through the intercessions of Thy most
pure Mother and of all the saints.
Another
Prayer, To the Most Holy Theotokos:
O most holy Lady,
Theotokos, light of my darkened soul, my hope, protection, refuge, consolation,
my joy; I thank thee that thou hast vouchsafed me, who am unworthy, to be a
partaker of the most pure Body and precious Blood of thy Son. O thou who gavest
birth to the True Light, do thou enlighten the spiritual eyes of my heart; thou
who gavest birth to the Source of Immortality, revive me who am dead in sin;
thou who art the lovingly-compassionate Mother of the merciful God, have mercy
on me and grant me compunction and contrition in my heart, and humility in my
thoughts, and the recall of my thoughts from captivity. And vouchsafe me until
my last breath to receive without condemnation the sanctification of the most
pure Mysteries for the healing of soul and body; and grant me tears of
repentance and confession, that I may hymn and glorify thee all the days of my
life, for blessed and most glorified art thou unto the ages. Amen.
Then:
Now lettest Thou
Thy servant depart in peace, O Master, according to Thy word: for mine eyes
have seen Thy salvation, which Thou hast prepared before the face of all
peoples; a light of revelation for the Gentiles, and the glory of Thy people
Israel.
Holy God, Holy
Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. Thrice
Glory to the
Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and unto
ages of ages. Amen.
O Most Holy
Trinity, have mercy on us. O Lord, blot out our sins. O Master, pardon our
iniquities. O Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities for Thy name's sake.
Lord, have
mercy. Thrice
Glory to the
Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and unto
ages of ages. Amen.
Our Father, who
art in the heavens, 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
debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver
us from the Evil One.
If it is
the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom:
Troparion
to St John Chrysostom, Eighth Tone:
Grace shining
forth from thy mouth like a beacon hath illumined the universe, and disclosed
to the world treasures of uncovetousness, and shown us the heights of humility;
but while instructing by Thy words, O Father John Chrysostom, intercede with
the Word, Christ our God, to save our souls.
Glory...
Kontakion, 6th
Tone:
From the heavens hast thou
received divine grace, and by thy lips thou dost teach all to worship the One God
in Trinity, O John Chrysostom, all blessed righteous one. Rightly do we acclaim
thee, for thou art a teacher revealing things divine.
But
if it is the Liturgy of St. Basil the Great:
Thy fame hath
gone forth into all the earth, which hath received thy word. Thereby thou
hast divinely taught the Faith; thou hast made manifest the nature of created
things; thou hast made the moral life of men a royal priesthood. O Basil,
our righteous father, intercede with Christ God that our souls be saved.
Glory…
Thou
didst prove to be an unshakable foundation of the Church, giving to all mortals
an inviolate lordship, and sealing it with thy doctrines, O righteous Basil,
revealer of heavenly things.
Both now...
O protection of
Christians that cannot be put to shame, O Mediation unto the Creator unfailing,
disdain not the suppliant voices of sinners; but be thou quick, O good one, to
help us who in faith cry unto Thee; hasten to intercession and speed thou to
make supplication, thou who dost ever protect, O Theotokos, them that honor
thee.
Lord, have mercy.
(Twelve times)
Glory to the Father, and to the
Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
More honorable
than the Cherubim, and beyond compare more glorious than the Seraphim, who
without corruption gavest birth to God the Word, the very Theotokos, thee do we
magnify.
And the Dismissal
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