Akathist for Holy Communion
Audio:
Kontakion 1
Chosen by the Bridegroom of souls and hearts, by His incarnation and death on the Cross, betrothing the whole human race to Himself forever, and giving us the most pure thing as a pledge of eternal life My Body and Blood, behold, according to Your voice, and I, unworthy, boldly come to Your divine table and, struck by its greatness, I cry out:
Jesus, God of my heart, come and unite me with You forever.
Ikos 1
You sent Your angel to the seer Isaiah with a burning coal from the altar of heaven, in order to cleanse his lips, when he saw You sitting on the throne, lamenting your uncleanness. walking; But I, defiled in soul and body, how can I dare to begin to partake of Your Divine Mysteries, unless You Yourself cleanse me from above? Moreover, from the depths of my soul I cry to You:
All-merciful Jesus, touch the fire of Your grace and my unclean walls;
Jesus, the thorns of my many sins fell.
Jesus, create in me a pure heart, and renew a right spirit in my womb;
Jesus, bring my poor soul out of the prison of passions.
Jesus, consume in me unclean thoughts and evil lusts;
Jesus, direct my weak feet to the path of Your commandments.
Jesus, God of my heart, come and unite me with You forever.
Kontakion 2
You desired with your disciples the last meal before Your suffering, Passover, that you might teach them, in the midst of it, the last and greatest pledge of Your love, before the two days You sent two from them in And Jerusalem, let them prepare for you. Learning from here how it is fitting for us to prepare for ourselves the timely consumption of our Divine Passover, that is, Your Body and Blood, I gratefully call You: Alleluia.
Ikos 2
“Take the boots from your feet, for the earth on which you stand is holy,” You said to Moses from the bush, which burned and did not burn, from the invisible presence of Your presence in it. The vessel with Your Divine Body and Blood is truly greater and holier than the burning bush; I am ringed, unclean, sold for sin. Moreover, with humility and faith I cry to Ty:
Jesus Almighty, put away me from the old man with his deeds;
Jesus, kill the seed of the aphid nesting in me.
Jesus, break the bonds of sin in which the enemy binds me;
Jesus, give me a humble heart and a contrite spirit.
Jesus, take away temptations and temptations from me;
Jesus, strengthen me in faith and love for You.
Jesus, God of my heart, come and unite me with You forever.
Kontakion 3
“Your fathers ate manna in the desert and died; I am the Bread that came down from heaven, and whoever eats from it will live forever; and the Bread that I will give, My Flesh that I will give for the life of the world,” You said to the Jews who were looking to see from You a sign from heaven, similar to the manna of Moses. Hearing Him and seeing the fulfillment of the foretold, we call with fear: Alleluia.
Ikos 3
“Having risen from supper,” as Saint John narrates, “and having girded yourself with laziness, you washed your feet as a disciple,” teaching by this, let us not approach Your Divine table, unwashed tears we repent for our sins. Feeling the dire need of this mysterious ablution and the poverty of the tears of my hardened heart, I cry out to Ty with Peter:
Most Blessed Jesus, wash my own hands, not just my nose, but also my hand and head;
Jesus, expose before me the abyss of my spiritual corruption.
Jesus, open up in me a source of contrition of heart;
Jesus, water me with drops of Your mercy.
Jesus, cover me with the fear of judgment and eternal torment;
Jesus, awaken the conscience that sleeps within me, and strengthen its voice.
Jesus, God of my heart, come and unite me with You forever.
Kontakion 4
“Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? Why does this one say that He came down from heaven? And how can He give us His flesh to eat?” - the Jews said among themselves, having heard about Your glorious promise to be given as food to the faithful, ignorantly, out of the hardness of their hearts, humbly believe and cry out to You: Alleluia .
Ikos 4
“Unless you eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink His Blood, you will not have life in you,” you proclaimed to the inert Jews who were in the faith, even if the word was cruel to hear and appeared to them from Your disciples, who still do not know the mysteries of the Kingdom of God. We, illuminated by the light of the Gospel and the revealed face of Your Divine glory, with faith and love call Ty:
Jesus, all mighty in the majesty of Your power and might;
Jesus, create and do more than we can understand and think.
Jesus, manna from heaven, once a sign of the present sacrament, rained;
Jesus, to symbolize the same thing, poured out water from the stone.
Jesus, he sent a cloud of dyes to feed the hungry Jews in the desert;
Jesus, in the sight of the doubting Jews themselves, fed five thousand people with five loaves of bread.
Jesus, God of my heart, come and unite me with You forever.
Kontakion 5
“When the disciples ate at supper, you gave them the bread, having blessed and broken it, saying: Take, eat, this is My body, which was broken for the remission of sins; Then, having given the cup, you said: drink of it, all of you; this is My Blood, which is shed for you, for the remission of sins.” — To this divine and sweet voice we call with gratitude: Alleluia.
Ikos 5
“Whoever eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood abides in Me and I in him; That is eternal life and I will resurrect it on the last day,” which is the resurrection of life and bliss. Seeking to be worthy of this longed-for resurrection, I cry out to You from the depths of my soul:
Jesus, draw near to those who seek union with You;
Jesus, come into the womb, into all my joints and all my bones.
[Jesus, be the light of my darkened mind;]
Jesus, fill with Yourself the abyss of my heart, insatiable with the whole world.
Jesus, speak with the voice of my conscience;
Jesus, move and control my will.
Jesus, God of my heart, come and unite me with You forever.
Kontakion 6
“Amen, amen, I say to you: only one of you will betray Me,” You said in the sorrow of the spirit as Your disciple at the supper. They, even if they are pure from the intent of the legend, “I am food,” asked Thee every single time, showing by this the depth of their humility. Do I, that the river Ti, fall seven times a day and betray You? Moreover, You Yourself keep me, so that I will not fall away in the end, crying out to You with gratitude: Alleluia.
Ikos 6
“Just as the rod cannot produce fruit for itself unless it is on the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me; “Whoever is in Me and I in him, he will produce much fruit,” You taught Your beloved disciples in secret on the way to Gethsemane. Therefore, heeding this instruction, and knowing the weakness of my nature without Your grace, I diligently cry out to You:
Jesus, most heavenly worker, planted me Himself in Your life-giving heliport;
Jesus, true vine, attach me to You like a wild rod.
Jesus, the root that never dries up, fill me with the juice of eternal life;
Jesus, the conqueror of all deadness, cut off what has dried up in me from the heat of passions.
Jesus, red with kindness, decorate me with flowers of good feelings and thoughts;
Jesus, rich in mercy, reward me with the fruits of true repentance and righteousness.
Jesus, God of my heart, come and unite me with You forever.
Kontakion 7
“And who is it that betrayeth Thee,” I asked the disciple, who was reclining at the supper on Thy breasts. “There is one,” you answered, “to whom Az, having dipped the bread in salt, I will serve.” And you gave the bread to soak to Judas Simon Iscariot, urging him to repentance. He is hardened with a spirit of malice, not wanting to understand the voice of love of his Teacher and Lord. May I be delivered from such hardness of heart by Your grace, calling to You: Alleluia.
Ikos 7
Having mercy on the weakness of our nature, which is averse to eating human flesh, not in reality, but under the guise of bread and wine, You deigned to teach us Your Most Pure Body and Blood. Wondering about such condescension of Your wisdom to the weakness of our nature, I gratefully praise You:
Jesus, wisely and lovingly, build the whole work of our salvation;
Jesus, adapt Your most saving mysteries to the weakness of our understanding and feelings.
Jesus, for the assurance of those who doubted, at the holy table many times instead of bread and wine, He showed Your very Body and Blood;
Jesus, worthy servants of the altar of the Most Holy Spirit, descending for the consecration of the gifts, showing.
Jesus, instead of the unworthy servants of the altar, send Your angels invisibly to perform the divine sacrament;
Jesus, by the manifestation of miracles at the holy meal, many of the most evil-believers were converted to faith.
Jesus, God of my heart, come and unite me with You forever.
Kontakion 8
“And after the bread,” that is, after eating from the bread You gave to the traitor, as St. John says, “Satan entered into him.” Ole, terrible executions for disbelief! Ole, ill-fated traitor! What was meant to be for salvation would be found for him in death and destruction. Before such a judgment of Your righteousness I stand in awe, with fear and trembling I call You: Alleluia.
Ikos 8
“Do this in remembrance of Me,” You said to the disciples at the supper, teaching them Your Body under the guise of bread, and Your Blood under the guise of wine. “Moreover, as often as we eat of the bread and drink the cup, we proclaim Your death,” according to the words of St. Paul. Remembering now Your suffering, I call to You with tenderness:
Jesus, in the hands of Your enemies you willingly betrayed Yourself for the salvation of the world;
Jesus, a legion of angels did not allow Him to appear in Your defense.
Jesus, the unfaithful disciple was converted to repentance by looking at him and by the voice of the alector;
Jesus, Caiaphas and Pilate, who unreasonably asked Thee without giving an answer.
Jesus, from the Cross who crucified You from the Father, asking for forgiveness of sins;
Jesus, Your most mercifully adopted son, Your beloved disciple.
Jesus, God of my heart, come and unite me with You forever.
Kontakion 9
“Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?” - You called out to the mountaineer to the unfaithful disciple, when he came with the spiral to the heliport of Gethsemane, seeking to betray You with a kiss. Moreover, this sharp verb does not strike with repentance a soul embittered in evil. Knowing the inconstancy and my will, I fear lest I give Thee, ungrateful one, the kiss of Judas. You Yourself strengthen me with Your grace, so that with the prudent thief I will call out: Alleluia.
Ikos 9
“Father, may they all be one, as You are in Me and I am in You, and they also may be one in Us, and the world may have faith, for I have departed from You,” You cried in your last great prayer You go to the Father. Following this sweet voice of Yours and daring about the power of Your prayer, I proclaim to You with faith:
Jesus, unite all things into one, reunite us all inseparably with You and Your Father;
Jesus, reconcile us all, let us all be of the same mind in faith and love for You.
Jesus, do not tolerate hostility and divisions, consume wicked heresies and schisms;
Jesus, who loves and has mercy on everyone, gather all the lost sheep into one flock.
Jesus, give peace to all, quench envy and bickering among those who call on your name;
Jesus, commune me of Your very Body and Blood, that indeed I may be flesh of Your flesh and bone of Your bones.
Jesus, God of my heart, come and unite me with You forever.
Kontakion 10
At the supper in Cana in Galilee, having turned water into wine, you showed the first sign of Your Divine power. When you went to the cross, as the Bridegroom of souls, you showed the last miracle of love to those who believe in You, turning bread into Your Body and wine into Your Blood, from which you were satisfied and became your life. Eternally, I call you with gratitude: Alleluia.
Ikos 10
On the day of Your Resurrection, traveling with two of Your disciples in the form of a pilgrim to Emmaus, You taught them about the mystery of Your sufferings; Even though their hearts were burning within them because of the sweetness of Your words. And when you had bowed down to their prayer, you came in and clothed them, and having blessed the bread, you gave it to them: Abiye opened your eyes, that you might know thee. Like these disciples, I dare to humbly raise my voice to You:
Jesus, long-suffering, do not leave me alone on the path of life because of the poverty of my faith;
Jesus, teach me, as well as them, to understand the prophecies about You and the mystery of the grace-filled union with You.
Jesus, warm and ignite both the disciples and my cold heart;
Most gracious Jesus, embrace me too, as I have already bowed down to the evening of the day of my life.
Jesus, let me know You truly in the present breaking of the mystical bread and in the drinking of the cup;
Jesus, created that I, having known the power of Your love, will be a herald of it for my brothers.
Jesus, God of my heart, come and unite me with You forever.
Kontakion 11
To the one who overcomes, you promised to give him food from the tree of the living, which is in the middle of the paradise of God, and from the hidden manna. For this meal in heaven, let the communion of Thy Body and Blood be my preparation on earth, to whom I, unworthy, now approach, call: Alleluia.
Ikos 11
“He who eats and drinks is unworthy; he who eats and drinks judges himself, and does not judge the Body and Blood of the Lord,” the celestial Paul admonishes those approaching communion. Moreover, I fear and tremble at my unworthiness, but let me not needlessly withdraw from Your fellowship and be hunted down from the mental wolf; I come to You with a voice like this:
Jesus, receive me as you received the publican, the harlot and the thief;
Jesus, do not disdain to come under the roof of my soul, even though all is empty and fallen.
Jesus, open the eyes of my soul, as you opened those who were blind from birth;
Jesus, the prophets, and to me, like the paralytic: arise and walk.
Jesus, stop the current of unclean desires of my soul, just as you stopped the current of a bleeding woman;
Jesus, heal the leprosy of my soul and conscience.
Jesus, God of my heart, come and unite me with You forever.
Kontakion 12
Through the envy of the devil, the mouth of the serpent who spoke, the whole human race by eating from the fruit of the forbidden paradise was destroyed and given over to death. By partaking of Your Most Pure Body and Blood, all earthly beings are granted eternal life and ascend to their first estate. The cure for the poison of the serpent and the seed of immortality is the communion of Your life-giving Mysteries. Moreover, I call You with gratitude: Alleluia.
Ikos 12
I stand before the vessel with Your Divine Mysteries, but I do not retreat from my evil thoughts; Your only almighty grace encourages and attracts me. Moreover, plunging myself into the abyss of Your mercy, I cry:
Jesus, call to rest in You all who labor and are burdened; accept me too, weary with the vanity of the world;
Jesus, who came to call not the righteous, but sinners to repentance, absolve me from my sins and passions.
Jesus, heal every ailment and every ulcer, heal the wounds and putrefaction of my soul;
Jesus, satisfy the hungry, satisfy me with Your Body and Blood.
Jesus, raiser of the dead, revive me, who died in sins;
Jesus, conqueror of hell, remove me from the jaws of the spirit of wickedness.
Jesus, God of my heart, come and unite me with You forever.
Kontakion 13
Oh, Sweet and All-Generous Jesus! I will come down, like manna from heaven, to nourish our souls and bodies in the Sacrament of Your Most Pure Body and Blood, grant me to uncondemnably partake of Your Divine Mysteries, may I be healed and satisfied n, sanctified and deified by You forever, I gratefully call You: Alleluia.
[This kontakion is said three times. And again the 1st Ikos is read: Thy Angel... and the 1st Kontakion: The Chosen One of the Bridegroom...]
To those who wish to receive Communion:
Anyone who wishes to receive communion must adequately prepare for this Holy Sacrament. This preparation (in church practice it is called fasting) lasts several days and concerns both the physical and spiritual life of a person. The body is prescribed abstinence, i.e. bodily cleanliness and food restriction (fasting) .
On fasting days, food of animal origin is excluded - meat, milk, eggs and, during strict fasting, fish. Bread, vegetables, fruits are consumed in moderation. The mind should not be distracted by the trifles of everyday life and have fun. On the days of fasting, one should attend divine services in church, if circumstances permit, and more diligently follow the household prayer rule: whoever usually does not read all morning and evening prayers, let him read everything in full; whoever does not read the canons, let him read at least one on these days canon. On the eve of communion, you must be at the evening service and read at home, in addition to the usual prayers for the future, the canon of repentance, the canon to the Mother of God and the Guardian Angel.
The canons are read either one after the other in full, or combined in this way: the irmos of the first hymn of the penitential canon (“Like on dry ground...”) and the troparia are read, then the troparia of the first hymn of the canon to the Mother of God (“Containing many...”), omitting the irmos “Water passed through.” , and the troparia of the canon to the Guardian Angel, also without the irmos “Let us drink to the Lord...”. The following songs are read in the same way. The troparia before the canon of the Theotokos and the Guardian Angel, as well as the stichera after the canon of the Theotokos, are omitted in this case.
The canon for communion is also read and, for those who wish, an akathist to the Sweetest Jesus. After midnight they no longer eat or drink, for it is customary to begin the Sacrament of Communion on an empty stomach. In the morning, morning prayers are read and the entire sequence for Holy Communion is read, except for the canon read the day before.
Before communion, confession is necessary - either in the evening or in the morning, before the liturgy.
