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Holy Catechism

Nikolaos Voulgaris, tr. Daniel, 1893

Of the Eucharistic Prayer

Standing up (ὀρθῇ) after partaking.

Ὀρθῇ for ὀρθῶς by ellipsis, as Demosthenes often employed it. Others however write ὀρθοί in the plural. When we have partaken of the life-giving sacrifice or substance, let us direct our mind from earthly to heavenly things, and let us worthily please (εὐαρεστήσωμεν¹) Christ, because He has vouchsafed unto us to partake of His precious Body and Blood. Standing up after partaking, that is, with mind lifted up in union with our acts, let us stand after partaking, and let us worthily give Him thanks, because He has vouchsafed to us to taste the sacred Mysteries, and in the regeneration to dwell with Him. Amen. Germanus. Whence you observe that it is not sufficient only before the Holy Communion of the Mysteries for the Christian to be ready in mind and word and deed for the lifegiving and holy reception of them, but afterwards to pursue a life well pleasing and holy as far as may be. Since by not doing so, not only does he miss the reward of sanctification, of which he was made worthy by his soul-saving participation of them, but to employ Chrysostom’s image, he himself too sacrifices Christ. And as the Jews pierced the pure Body of Christ, “not to drink, but to spill,” so they likewise who after the solemn Communion of the Divine, holy, spotless, heavenly and lifegiving awful Mysteries of Christ receive not any fruit, in fact as evil men and cheats grow worse. And hear the words of him of golden speech, 1 Cor. hom. 27, “He spilled it, (namely Christ’s Blood,) and declared the whole to be, no sacrifice, but a slaughter. Just as then those who pierced Christ, pierced Him not to drink but to spill, so also does he who joins unworthily and reaps no benefit therefrom.” And lower down, “But thou before partaking fastest, that in some sort thou mayest appear worthy of the Communion; and when thou hast received and thou oughtest to extend thy temperance, thou forsakest all. Yet it is not all one to be vigilant before and afterwards, for it is necessary at all times to practise temperance, particularly after receiving the Bridegroom; beforehand that thou mayest become worthy to receive Him, and afterwards that thou mayest not appear unworthy of what thou hast received.” More particularly, says the Saint, ought we to be temperate and vigilant lest we fall again after the Divine Communion, even more than before. Wherefore after the Service of the Holy Communion the Metaphrast writes:—

Thou Who willingly gavest me Thy Flesh for food,
Thou Who art fire, and burnest up the unworthy,
Burn me not up, I pray, O Thou Who mouldedst me,
Rather pass through to the fastenings of my limbs,
To all my joints, to my reins, to my heart.
Burn up the thorns of all my wrong doings.
Purify my soul, sanctify my mind.
Strengthen my sinews² with my bones.
Enlighten all my five senses.
Fasten me entirely with Thy fear.
Always cover, guard, and keep me
From every deed and word that hurts the soul.
Purify and purge me, and set me in order.
Give me beauty and understanding and enlighten me.
Show me as Thine own, a habitation of Spirit only,
And no more a habitation of sin.
That as from a house of Thine through the entry of Communion
Every malefactor, every lust may flee from me like fire.
I bring Thee as my intercessors all the Sanctified ones,
The Ranks of the Incorporeal,
Thy Forerunner, the wise Apostles.
Besides these, Thy spotless pure Mother,
Whose supplications, O merciful One, receive, O my Christ.
And make Thy worshipper to be a child of light.
For Thou art sanctification, even Thou alone,
O benefactor of our souls and splendour.
And to Thee fittingly as God and Master
We all ascribe glory day by day.

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