Prayers of Thanksgiving after Holy Communion
After Communion we give thanks to God with the prayer of thanksgiving. At the end of this prayer we read the troparia and kontakia according to whose Liturgy was celebrated that day — that of St John Chrysostom, of St Basil the Great or of St Gregory the Dialogist.
I thank Thee, O Lord my God, that Thou hast not rejected me, a sinner, but hast made me worthy to be a partaker of Thy holy things. I thank Thee that Thou hast made me, the unworthy, worthy 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-giving Mysteries for the well-being and sanctification of our souls and bodies: grant that they may be to me also for the healing of soul and body, for the driving away of every adversary, for the enlightening of the eyes of my heart, for the peace of my spiritual powers, for faith unashamed, for love unfeigned, for the fulness of wisdom, for the keeping of Thy commandments, for the increase of Thy divine grace, and for the inheritance of Thy kingdom; that, preserved by Thy holiness, I may ever remember Thy grace, and live no longer for myself, but for Thee, my Master and Benefactor; and so, when I have passed from this life in the hope of life eternal, may I attain to the everlasting rest, where the voice of them that keep feast 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 ineffable joy of them that love Thee, O Christ our God, and all creation singeth to Thee unto the ages.
O Master, Christ God, King of the ages and Creator of all, I thank Thee for all the good things Thou hast given me, and for the communion of Thy most pure and life-giving Mysteries. I pray Thee, therefore, O Good One and Lover of mankind: keep me under Thy shelter and in the shadow of Thy wings, and grant me, with a pure conscience, until my last breath, to partake worthily of Thy holy things, for the remission of sins and for life eternal.
For Thou art the Bread of life and the Fountain of holiness, and to Thee we send up glory, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.
O Thou who willingly givest me Thy flesh as food, Thou who art fire and burnest the unworthy: burn me not, O my Creator, but rather enter into my members, into all my joints, my reins, my heart. Burn up the thorns of all my transgressions. Cleanse my soul, sanctify my thoughts. Make firm my joints together with my bones. Enlighten my senses. Nail me wholly to Thy fear. Ever shelter, guard and keep me from every soul-corrupting deed and word. Sanctify me, cleanse me and wash me. Direct me, give me understanding and enlighten me. Show me a dwelling of Thy Spirit, that I may become His habitation and no longer that of sin; that in me, Thy temple, through the entrance of Communion, every evil deed and passion may be burned up as with fire. As intercessors I offer Thee the chiefs of the heavenly ranks, Thy Forerunner, the all-wise Apostles, and with them Thine incorrupt, immaculate Mother: by their supplications accept me, O my merciful Christ, and make me Thy servant and a son of light. For Thou art our sanctification, and the only Good One, and the Enlightener of our souls, and to Thee, as befitteth God and King, we all send up glory every day.
May Thy holy Body, O Lord Jesus Christ my God, be to me unto life eternal, and Thy precious Blood unto the remission of sins; and may this thanksgiving be to me unto joy, health and gladness; and at Thy dread Second Coming make me, a sinner, worthy to stand at the right hand of Thy glory, through the intercessions of Thy most pure Mother and of all the saints.
O most holy Lady, Theotokos, light of my darkened soul, my hope, shelter, refuge, consolation and joy: I thank thee that thou hast made me, the unworthy, worthy to partake of the incorrupt Body and precious Blood of thy Son. But do thou, who gavest birth to the true Light, enlighten the spiritual eyes of my heart; thou who didst bear the Fountain of immortality, quicken me who am dead in sin. O Mother of the merciful God who loveth mercy, have mercy on me, and grant compunction and contrition to my heart, humility to my thoughts, and deliverance from the captivity of my thoughts; and make me worthy, until my last breath, to receive without condemnation the most holy Mysteries, for the cleansing and healing of soul and body; and grant me tears of repentance and confession, that I may sing and glorify thee all the days of my life. For thou art blessed and glorified unto the ages. Amen.
It is truly meet that we should magnify thee, O Theotokos, who art ever-blessed and all-immaculate and the Mother of our God. Thee, more honourable than the Cherubim, and beyond compare more glorious than the Seraphim, who without corruption gavest birth to God the Word, the only Theotokos, we magnify in song.
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 the ages of ages. Amen.
O Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. O Lord, deliver us and release us from 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 the ages of ages. Amen.
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 debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
The grace of thy mouth, shining forth like gold, hath enlightened the world; it hath laid up in the world treasures of poverty, and shown us the height of humility. But as thou teachest us by thy words, O Father John Chrysostom, entreat the Word, Christ God, that He have mercy on our souls.
Glory…
Kontakion: From heaven thou didst receive divine grace, and by thy lips thou teachest all to worship the one God in Trinity, O John Chrysostom, all-blessed and venerable; worthily do we praise thee, for thou art our teacher, divinely shown forth.
Both now…
O Hope and Refuge of Christians, unashamed Mediatress, acceptable and received before the Creator: disregard not the voice of the supplications of sinners, but, as thou art good, hasten to help us who cry to thee with faith, O only blessed one; be swift to entreat, ready to intercede, and a compassionate Protector, thou who ever labourest for them that honour thee, O Theotokos.
Lord, have mercy. (Twelve times)
Glory…, Both now…
More honourable than the Cherubim…
Glory…, Both now…
Lord, have mercy. (Thrice)
Bless us.
Thy voice hath gone out into all the earth, which hath received thy words, whereby thou didst preach the faith in a manner befitting God; thou didst make known the nature of created things, didst make radiant the ways of men, and didst adorn the royal priesthood. O holy hierarch Basil, entreat Christ God that He have mercy on our souls.
Glory…
Kontakion: Thou didst appear as an unshakeable foundation of the Church of Christ, and thou bestowest on all men divine graces; for thou didst spread abroad divine teachings over all the earth, and thou shinest in the heavens, O most honourable luminary of the world, venerable Basil.
And if it is the Liturgy of the Presanctified, say this:
O glorious Gregory, who from God on high didst receive divine grace, and wast strengthened by it, and didst take upon thyself to walk according to the Gospel, whereby thou didst find in it the reward from Christ, O all-blessed one: entreat Him to save our souls.
Thou didst appear as a leader, a chief shepherd setting in order the flock of Christ, O Father Gregory, and didst fence it about with heavenly teaching; thou didst make them like unto them that fast, and by thine example didst teach the flock of Christ His commandments; now with them thou rejoicest and delightest in the heavens.
