Library › St Sarapion of Thmuis › Prayer-Book (Euchologion)

Prayer-Book (Euchologion)

St Sarapion of Thmuis, tr. Wordsworth, 1899

Chapter 1

I. (1—6) Eucharistic Anaphora.
1. Offertory Prayer of Bishop Sarapion.
[A. Preface.]

It is meet and right to praise, to hymn, to glorify thee the uncreated Father of the only-begotten Jesus Christ. We praise thee, O uncreated God, who art unsearchable, ineffable, incomprehensible by any created substance. We praise thee who art known of thy Son (St. Matt. xi. 27; St. John x. 14, 15), the only-begotten, who through him art spoken of and interpreted and made known to created nature. We praise thee who knowest the Son and revealest to the Saints the glories that are about him: who art known of thy begotten Word, and art brought to the sight and interpreted to the understanding of the Saints. We praise thee, O unseen Father, provider of immortality. Thou art the fount of life, the fount of light, the fount of all grace and all truth, O lover of men, O lover of the poor, who reconcilest thyself to all, and drawest all to thyself through the advent (ἐπιδημία) of thy beloved Son. We beseech thee make us living men. Give us a spirit of light, that “we may know thee the true [God] and him whom thou didst send, (even) Jesus Christ” (St. John xvii. 3). Give us holy Spirit, that we may be able to tell forth and to enuntiate thy unspeakable mysteries. May the Lord Jesus speak in us and holy Spirit, and hymn thee through us.

*¹ For thou art “far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world but also in that which is to come” (Eph. i. 21). Beside thee stand thousand thousands and myriad myriads of angels (Dan. vii. 10; Heb. xii. 22), archangels, thrones, dominions, principalities, powers (lit. rules, authorities): by thee stand the two most honourable six-winged seraphim, with two wings covering the face, and with two the feet, and with two flying and crying holy (ἁγιάζοντα, cp. Isa. vi. 2, 3), with whom receive also our cry of “holy” (ἁγιασμόν) as we say: Holy, holy, holy, Lord of Sabaoth, full is the heaven and the earth of thy glory.

[B. Oblation and recital of the institution.]

Full is the heaven, full also is the earth of thy excellent glory.*² Lord of Hosts (lit. powers), fill also this sacrifice with thy power and thy participation (μεταλήψεως): for to thee have we offered this living³ sacrifice (Rom. xii. 1), this bloodless oblation (cp. Eph. v. 2). To thee we have offered this bread the likeness (ὁμοίωμα) of the body of the only-begotten. This bread is the likeness of the holy body, because the Lord Jesus Christ in the night in which he was betrayed took bread and broke and gave to his disciples saying, “Take ye and eat, this is my body which is being broken for you for remission of sins” (cp. Lit. of St. Mark, etc.). Wherefore we also making the likeness of the death have offered the bread, and beseech thee through this sacrifice, be reconciled to all of us and be merciful, O God of truth: and as this † bread had been scattered on the top of the mountains and gathered together came to be one, so also gather thy holy Church out of †⁴ every nation and every country and every city and village and house and make one living catholic church. We have offered also the cup, the likeness of the blood, because the Lord Jesus Christ, taking a cup after supper (Luc. xxii. 20; 1 Cor. xi. 25), said to his own disciples, “Take ye, drink, this is the new covenant, which (ὅ) is my blood, which is being shed for you for remission of sins (ἁμαρτημάτων).” Wherefore we have also offered the cup, presenting a likeness of the blood.

[C. Invocation of the Logos.]

O God of truth, let thy holy Word come upon this bread (ἐπιδημησάτω . . . ἐπὶ τ.ἀ.τ.) that the bread may become body of the Word, and upon this cup that the cup may become blood of the Truth; and make all who communicate to receive a medicine of life for the healing of every sickness and for the strengthening of all advancement and virtue, not for condemnation, O God of truth, and not for censure and reproach. For we have invoked thee, the uncreated, through the only-begotten in holy Spirit.

[D. Intercession for the living.]

Let this people receive mercy, let it be counted worthy of advancement, let angels be sent forth as companions to the people for bringing to naught of the evil one and for establishment of the Church.

[E. Intercession for the departed.]

We intercede also on behalf of all who have been laid to rest, whose memorial we are making.

After the recitation (ὑποβολήν⁵) of the names: Sanctify these souls: for thou knowest all. Sanctify all (souls) laid to rest in the Lord. And number them with all thy holy powers and give to them a place and a mansion in thy kingdom.

[F. Prayer for those who have offered.]

Receive also the thanksgiving (eucharist) of the people, and bless those who have offered the offerings (τὰ πρόσφορα) and the thanksgivings, and grant health and soundness and cheerfulness and all advancement of soul and body to this whole people through the only-begotten Jesus Christ in holy Spirit; as it was and is and shall be to generations of generations and to all the ages of the ages. Amen.

Contents · Next