Lord's Prayer

 

The Gifts have been consecrated and we now begin to prepare to receive the most awesome gift.

 

The Holy Gifts, Holy Communion, will be taken by the Clergy first, then offered to the people who have prepared themselves.

 

The Petitions which are to follow, ending with the Lord's Prayer, are all part of the last minute preparation of the Priest and the faithful to receive Holy Communion.

 

Deacon or Priest:

Having commemorated all the Saints, again and again, in peace, let us beseech the Lord.

 

For the precious Gifts which have been offered and sanctified, let us beseech the Lord.

 

That our merciful God, who hath received them on His Holy and Celestial and Invisible Altar unto a scent of spiritual fragrance, may send down upon us Divine Grace and the gift of the Holy Spirit, let us beseech the Lord.

 

Having asked for the unity of the Faith, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, let us commit ourselves and one another, and our whole life to Christ our God.

Priest (inaudibly):

To Thee we commit all our life and our hope, O Master who lovest mankind; and we beseech Thee, and pray Thee, and supplicate Thee: make us worthy to partake of Thy Heavenly and awesome Mysteries, of this sacred and spiritual Table, with a pure conscience, unto remission of sins, unto forgiveness of transgressions, unto communion of the Holy Spirit, unto inheritance of the Kingdom of Heaven, unto boldness towards Thee, but not unto judgment nor unto condemnation.

Priest (aloud):

And deem us worthy, O Master, that we may boldly and without condemnation dare to call upon Thee, the Heavenly God, as Father, and to say:

The whole congregation together prays the Lord's Prayer:

Our Father, who art in Heaven, hollowed 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.

Priest (aloud):

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 for ever, and from all Ages to all Ages.

 

Amen

After the Lord's Prayer, the Priest continues to pray for himself and the Faithful before approaching to receive from the Holy Chalice.  Wanting to keep our minds and hearts directly focused on the great moment, he turns and blesses the congregation saying:

Peace be unto all.

To which the congregation responds:

And with thy spirit.

We commit our whole heart in peace without passions, malice, doubt, or any sinful thought, may there now be peace in our hearts.

 

Deacon or Priest:

Let us bow our heads unto the Lord.
     (All the Faithful present bow)

By bowing our heads before the Lord we confess that we are His servants. To receive His Gifts we must be humbled. This bowing of our heads indicates our most reverent humility removing all proud thoughts.

 

Priest (inaudibly):

We thank Thee, O King Invisible, Who by Thine Infinite Power hast created all things, and by the fullness of Thy Mercy hast brought forth all things out of nothing into being; do Thou Thyself, O Master, look down from Heaven upon those, who have bowed their heads before Thee; for they have not bowed before flesh and blood but before Thee, our Almighty God.  Do Thou, therefore, O Master, administer these Offerings to all of us for the good, according to the special need of each of us; sail with those at sea; accompany those who travel; and do Thou, Who art the Physician of our souls and bodies, heal the sick.

Then aloud we hear the completion of this Prayer by the Priest:

Through the grace and mercy and love for mankind, Thine only Begotten Son, with Whom Thou art blessed, together with Thine all-Holy, and good, and life-giving Spirit, now and forever, and from all Ages to all Ages.  Amen.

He is praying that all we have asked from God will be granted to us.

To this prayer another one is added, and repeated silently by the Priest as follows:

Hearken, O Lord Jesus Christ our God, from Thy Holy dwelling-place, and from the Throne of glory of Thy Kingdom, and come to sanctify us; Thou Who sittest above with the Father, yet art here invisibly present with us; do Thou also deign by Thy mighty Hand to give to us of Thy Sacred Body, and of Thy Precious Blood, and through us to all the people."

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