"Give thanks for everything..."
The Apostle Paul addresses believers: “In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thess. 5:18). It is especially important to fulfill the Lord’s commandment about thanksgiving after the main Church Sacrament - Communion. After all, the Greek word “Eucharist” itself, that is, Communion, literally means “thanksgiving” when translated. To express your gratitude to God for accepting the Mysteries of Christ, the Orthodox prayer book contains prayers of thanks after Communion. They are called upon to help the soul of a Christian retain and increase the priceless gift of the Sacrament of the Eucharist.
In an Orthodox church
“After communion of the Holy Mysteries, one must ask the Lord to preserve the Gift with dignity and that the Lord will give help not to return to previous sins” (Reverend Ambrose of Optina).
Communion is the key to Eternal Life
“He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:54).
These words of the Lord spoken about Communion sound like a hymn for Christians. Nothing can be more valuable and dearer than accepting God Himself into your nature. This is exactly what happens during Communion - the main Sacrament of the Orthodox Church.
“Christians have this Heavenly Fire as food for themselves; he is peace for them, he cleanses, and washes, and sanctifies their heart, he leads them to growth; for them he is air and life” (Reverend Macarius of Egypt).
Christ Himself established Communion at the Last Supper, which took place shortly before His death on the cross. Having gathered with his disciples, Jesus Christ reveals the New Testament in the communication of God and people. He broke the bread and, giving it to his disciples, said: “Take, eat: this is My Body.”
Then he handed over a cup of wine with the words:
“Drink from it, all of you, for this is My Blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matthew 26:26-28).
This is how the Sacrament of transforming bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ was accomplished for the first time. And it continues to happen for two thousand years in every Eucharist.
By His sacrifice on the cross, Jesus Christ broke the bonds of sin that bound humanity. He gave immortality to every person who believed in him. This is why prayers of thanksgiving after Communion are so relevant.
The basis of this Eternal Life is being with Christ in the Sacrament of Communion.
“To express His great love for us, Christ gave us His Flesh. So, so that not only through love, but also through deed itself, we may become members of the flesh of Christ, let us unite with this Flesh. For this purpose, He mixed Himself and dissolved His Body in us, so that we would form something single, like a body connected to a head. And this is a sign of the strongest love” (St. John Chrysostom).
About communion
There are many rituals in Orthodoxy, but Communion is the most important. Let's try to understand why it is so important? Then it will be easier to realize what you need to be grateful for.
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The Eucharist (in Greek this means “thanksgiving”) is what the Liturgy is celebrated for. There are similar sacraments in other Christian churches - Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Baptist. Baptism itself is performed precisely so that a person can be admitted to the holy Bread of Life.
- The sacrament was not established by human desire, it was given the blessing of Christ, as stated in the Holy Scriptures. The First Communion was celebrated during the Last Supper on the eve of the execution of the Lord. Since then, Christians have constantly gathered to make bloodless sacrifices. Bread and wine began to symbolize the flesh and blood of the Savior. Every. whoever considers himself a believer must participate in the Eucharist in order to receive salvation.
On the eve of receiving the shrine, one must fast for several days and read certain prayers. But even after Holy Communion one cannot leave communication with God. It is better to spend the rest of the day studying the Bible and devoting it to good deeds. Of course, it is advisable to lead a godly life all the time. However, the day of receiving the Body of Christ must be made especially holy.
Giving thanks means drawing closer to God
From an early age, parents teach their children to say “thank you.” It is natural for a person to be grateful for a service rendered or assistance offered.
According to Bishop Nicholas of Serbia:
“Gratitude ennobles the thanker and touches the benefactor.”
When we say “thank you” to people, let’s not forget to express gratitude to God. To the One who gave us the very opportunity and reason for thanksgiving.
“Every day shows us countless blessings, whether we want it or not, whether we know about them or not. God does not require anything from us except gratitude to Him for everything given to us, in order to give us even greater reward for this” (St. John Chrysostom).
The Lord shows people His Love every day through many things that are invisible at first glance. The singing of birds outside the window, the happy smile of a child, aromatic coffee in the morning... All these are endless reasons to thank God.
Our prayer of thanksgiving is a small, voluntary and therefore such a pleasant sacrifice to the Lord for His benefits. As the psalmist David exclaimed:
“I will praise the name of my God in song, I will exalt Him in praise, and this will be more acceptable to the Lord than an ox or a calf” (Ps. 69:31-32).
The Lord showed the highest degree of Love for people on the Cross. He voluntarily sacrificed Himself for the salvation of every person. By His death on the Cross, Jesus Christ opened the door to the Heavenly Kingdom for people. And the Orthodox Church never ceases to thank God for this in the Sacrament of the Eucharist. And every Christian, having received the Body and Blood of Christ, thanks the Lord. Prayers of thanksgiving after Communion help to do this.
Prayers of Thanksgiving after Communion
When preparing to receive Christ into his soul and body, that is, before Communion, an Orthodox Christian prepares them with fasting and prayer. It is equally important to preserve the grace received in the Sacrament and thank the Lord for it.
Therefore, it is not surprising that prayers of thanksgiving are already found in the Apostolic Constitutions (the oldest set of church rules compiled by the Apostles). In them, believers pray to God that the received Holy Gifts will bring spiritual fruit and benefit to the participants.
Prayers of thanksgiving after Communion are given in the most ancient manuscripts of the 3rd-4th centuries, which describe the rites of the Liturgy. This indicates that from the very first centuries of Christianity, the human soul sought to thank the Lord for the greatest gift of union with Him in the Sacrament of Communion.
“Thanks be to God, who has given us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!” (1 Cor. 15:57).
By the 9th century, some prayers after Communion appeared for cell reading, that is, home reading by the laity. Over time, a whole Follow-up to Holy Communion was formed, which can be found in the Orthodox prayer book. It contains prayers read in preparation for receiving the Mysteries of Christ and prayers of thanksgiving for Holy Communion.
In fact, today prayers after Communion have become part of the service. At the end of the Liturgy, the reader reads them for all the laity who received communion.
Archpriest Andrei Tkachev also advises communicants to replace their evening rule with prayers of thanksgiving after Communion. According to him:
“These short prayers are very powerful, full of meaning, joyful, energetic. Repeated or at least repeated reading of them on the day of communion increases the feeling of gratitude to God in the Christian soul, gives rise to sobriety (memory of the Lord), and kindles the desire to receive communion more often.”
Explanation of prayers
In the first text, the believer thanks God for not pushing him away, although he commits many sins. Communion is not always beneficial - if the preparation was carried out carelessly, then it will most likely convict the Christian. Therefore, he asks that the Sacrament help heal the soul and body, he wants to receive an increase in faith and love. At the end of his earthly journey, so that his soul can see the beautiful face of God.
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Saint Basil is known to every Orthodox Christian as the author of many sacred texts and theological works. He is one of the three famous Church Fathers. His prayer of thanks after Communion is not very lengthy. It contains a request that until the end of life the Lord will provide the opportunity to fall into the Sacrament, through which one can receive sanctification, cleansing of conscience, and forgiveness of sins.
- Simeon Metaphrastus, who compiled one of the petitions, was from Byzantium and lived in the 10th century. He is known as a statesman and writer. He came from a wealthy family, which allowed him to receive an excellent education. Compiled many lives of saints.
His prayer is quite short, but touches the very essence, the desire of every Christian - he asks that the Body of Christ renew his entire sinful being, burn away all the consequences of sins, sanctifying the soul. He desires to make his soul the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit, so that no evil intent will ever enter it. In general, we observe an interesting feature - prayers of thanks turn into petitions. They concern the most important things in spiritual life.
- The 4th prayer consists of only a few lines. It asks for eternal life in heavenly abodes, forgiveness of sinful acts. The desire to receive joy, health, and spiritual joy is also expressed. But even in such an elevated state, one should not forget about the coming Second Coming, when judgment will be carried out on all the inhabitants of the earth.
- Veneration of the Most Holy Theotokos is expressed in the 5th prayer. The Virgin Mary is called hope and light, the joy of the sinner. Further, not only gratitude is expressed, but also theological postulates are proclaimed that the Mother of God became part of the Divine plan for the coming of the Savior to earth. There is a request to maintain a repentant attitude for the rest of your life, which gives hope for non-judgmental Communion.
Prayers of Thanksgiving for Holy Communion
Glory to you, God, Glory to you, God, Glory to you, God.
Prayer of thanksgiving, 1st
I thank Thee, O Lord my God, for Thou hast not rejected me as a sinner, but for Thou hast granted me to be a partaker of Thy holy things. I thank You, for You have granted me, unworthy, to partake of Your most pure and heavenly Gifts.
But the Lord, the Lover of Mankind, for our sake died and rose again, and gave us this terrible and radiant and life-giving Sacrament, for the goodness and sanctification of our souls and bodies, grant that I too may be here for the healing of soul and body, for the driving away of all opposition. Tivnago, to enlighten the eyes of the heart mine, into the world of my spiritual strength, into unashamed faith, into unfeigned love, in the fulfillment of wisdom, in keeping Thy commandments, in the application of Thy Divine grace, and the appropriation of Thy Kingdom: yes, in Thy holiness We preserve them, I always remember Your grace, and not who I live for myself, but for you, our Lord and benefactor; And so from this life I have departed from the hope of the eternal life, into everlasting peace I will achieve, even as those who celebrate the unceasing voice and endless sweetness, who behold Your face’s ineffable kindness.
For You are the true desire and the indescribable joy of those who love You, Christ our God, and all creation sings of You forever. Amen.
Prayer of Saint Basil the Great, 2nd
Master Christ God, King of the ages and Creator of all, I thank Thee for all the good things Thou hast bestowed upon me, and for the communion of Thy most pure and life-giving Sacraments. I pray to You, the Better and the Lover of Mankind: keep me under Your roof, and in the shadow of Your wing; and grant me with a clear conscience, even until my last breath, to worthily partake of Your holy things, for the remission of sins and eternal life. For You are the living bread, the source of holiness, the Giver of good things, and to You we send glory with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Prayer of Simeon Metaphrastus, 3rd
Give me Thy flesh to eat according to your will, O fire and scorcher of the unworthy, do not scorch me, my Companion; Rather, go into my heart, into all my parts, into my womb, into my heart. The thorns of all my sins fell. Cleanse your soul, sanctify your thoughts. Confirm the compositions with the bones together. Enlighten the simple five of your feelings. Immobilize me with Thy fear. Always cover me, keep me, and save me from every deed and word of the soul.
Cleanse, and wash, and adorn me, fertilize, enlighten, and enlighten me. Show me Your dwelling of the one Spirit, and not to anyone the dwelling of sin. Yes, like Your house, the entrance of communion, like fire, every evildoer, every passion flees from me. I offer prayer books to You, all the saints, the orders of the incorporeal, Your Forerunner, wise apostles, and to these Your undefiled, pure Mother, and their prayers, O Compassionate One, accept, my Christ, and you Make Your servant the number of light. For You are the One and the sanctification of our souls and lordship; and like You, like God and the Master, we send all glory every day.
Prayer 4
Thy holy Body, Lord Jesus Christ our God, may Thy holy Blood be unto me for everlasting life, and Thy venerable Blood for the remission of sins: May this thanksgiving be unto me joy, health and gladness; At Thy terrible and Second Coming, grant me, a sinner, to stand at the right hand of Thy glory, through the prayers of Thy Most Pure Mother and all the saints.
Prayer 5, to the Most Holy Theotokos
Most Holy Lady Theotokos, light of my darkened soul, hope, protection, refuge, consolation, my joy, I thank You for You have enabled me, unworthy, to be a partaker of the most pure Body and honorable Blood of Your Son. But having given birth to the true Light, enlighten my intelligent eyes of the heart; You who gave birth to the source of immortality, revive me, killed by sin; Even the most merciful and compassionate Mother of God, have mercy on me, and give me tenderness, and contrition in my heart, and humility in my thoughts, and appeal in the captivity of my thoughts; and grant me, until my last breath, to uncondemnably accept the consecration of the most pure Mysteries for the healing of soul and body. And wait for me to have tears of repentance and confession, so that I can sing and praise Thee all the days of my life, for Thou art blessed and glorified forever. Amen.
Now let Thy servant go, O Master, according to Thy word in peace: for my eyes have seen Thy salvation, which Thou hast prepared before the face of all men, a light for the revelation of nations, and for the glory of Thy people. rálya.
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us (three times).
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us; Lord, cleanse our sins; Master, forgive our iniquities; Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities, for Thy name's sake.
Lord have mercy (three times).
Glory, and now:
Our Father, Who art in heaven! Hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, as it is in heaven and on earth. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, just as we forgive our debtors; and do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
Troparion to Saint John Chrysostom, tone 8
Your lips, like the brightness of fire, shining with grace, enlighten the universe; do not gain the treasures of the world through the love of money, show us the height of humility of mind, but by your words of punishment, Father John Chrysostom, pray to the Words of Christ God to save our souls.
Kontakion, tone 6
Glory: You have received Divine grace from heaven, and with your lips you have taught us all to worship the One God in the Trinity, John Chrysostom, all-blessed, reverend, we deserve to praise you: you have come nickname, like a Divine manifestation.
And now: The representation of Christians is unshameful, the intercession to the Creator is immutable, do not despise the sinful prayers of the voice, but advance, as the Good One, to the help of us, who faithfully call Ty: hasten to prayer, and strive to entreaty, ever presenting, O Mother of God, those who honor Thee.
If the Liturgy of St. Basil the Great was celebrated, read
Troparion to Basil the Great, tone 1
Thy message went forth into the whole earth, which received thy word, which thou hast divinely taught, thou hast clarified the nature of beings, thou hast adorned human customs, the royal ordination, that O Reverend, pray to Christ God to save our souls.
Kontakion, tone 4
Glory: Thou hast appeared as an unshakable foundation to the Church, giving to all unstealthy dominion over man, sealing with thy lordship, the unappearing Venerable Basil.
And now: Representation of Christians...
If the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts was celebrated, read
Prayers after Communion
Glory to You, God! Glory to You, God! Glory to You, God!
Prayer of thanksgiving, 1st.
I thank You, Lord my God, that You have not rejected me, a sinner, but have made me worthy to be a partaker of Your holy things. I thank You for deigning me, unworthy, to partake of Your most pure and heavenly gifts. But, Lord who loves mankind, who died and rose again for our sake, and who gave us these wonderful and life-giving Sacraments for the benefit and sanctification of our souls and bodies, give them to me for the healing of soul and body, for the reflection of every enemy, for the enlightenment of the eyes of my heart, in pacification of my spiritual strength, in unshameful faith, in unfeigned love, in the increase of wisdom, in the fulfillment of Your commandments, in the increase of Your Divine grace and communion with Your kingdom. So that in Thy sanctification, protected by them, I may always remember Your grace and live not only for myself, but for You, our Lord and benefactor. And so, having ended this present life with the hope of eternal life, I reached eternal peace, where there is unceasing chanting of You and endless joy of those who contemplate the indescribable beauty of Your face, for You are the true pleasure and inexpressible joy of those who love You, Christ our God, and You are praised by all creation forever . Amen.
Prayer of Saint Basil the Great.
Master Christ God, King of the ages and Creator of all, I thank You for all the blessings that You have given me and for the communion of Your most pure and life-giving Mysteries. I beg You, merciful and humane, keep me under Your roof and in the shadow of Your wings and grant me with a clear conscience, until my last breath, to worthily partake of Your holy things for the remission of sins and eternal life. For You are the bread of life, the source of holiness, the Giver of good things, and to You we send up glory with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Prayer three.
May Your Holy Body, Lord Jesus Christ, our God, be for me for eternal life and Your venerable Blood for the remission of sins. May this thanksgiving bring me joy, health and joy. At Your terrible second coming, grant me, a sinner, to stand at the right hand of Your glory through the prayers of Your Most Pure Mother and all the saints.
Prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Most Holy Lady Theotokos, light of my darkened soul, hope, protection, refuge, consolation, my joy, I thank You for deigning me, unworthy, to partake of the most pure Body and honorable Blood of Your Son. But, having given birth to the true light, enlighten the spiritual eyes of my heart! You who gave birth to the source of immortality, revive me, killed by sin! As the merciful Mother of God, have mercy on me and grant tenderness and contrition to my heart, and humility to my thoughts, and liberation from the captivity of my thoughts. Honor me until my last breath to uncondemnably accept the sanctification of the most pure Mysteries for the healing of soul and body. And give me tears of repentance and confession, so that I can sing and glorify You all the days of my life; for You are blessed and glorified forever. Amen.
Now do You let Your servant go, O Master, according to Your word, in peace, for mine eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared before the face of all nations, a light to enlighten the Gentiles and the glory of Your people Israel (Luke 2:29-32).
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us (three times).
Glory to the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. Lord, cleanse our sins, Master, forgive our iniquities, Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities for Your name’s sake.
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. For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
