SERVICE OF PREPARATION FOR HOLY COMMUNION - THE NEXT DAY

Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. Lord have mercy on our sins. Master, forgive us our iniquities. Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities, for the sake of Your name.

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 trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Come, let us worship God, our King!

Come, let us worship and fall down before Christ, our King and our God!

Come, let us worship and fall down before Christ Himself, our King and our God!

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever.

The earth is the LORD’s, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein. For He has founded it upon the seas, And established it upon the waters. Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, Nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive blessing from the LORD, And righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is Jacob, the generation of those who seek Him, Who seek Your face. Selah. Lift up your heads, O you gates! And be lifted up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, The LORD mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O you gates! Lift up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, He is the King of glory. Selah

I believed, therefore I spoke, “I am greatly afflicted.” I said in my haste, “All men are liars.” What shall I render to the LORD For all His benefits toward me? I will take up the cup of salvation, And call upon the name of the LORD. I will pay my vows to the LORD Now in the presence of all His people. Precious in the sight of the LORD Is the death of His saints. O LORD, truly I am Your servant; I am Your servant, the son of Your maidservant; You have loosed my bonds. I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving, And will call upon the name of the LORD. I will pay my vows to the LORD Now in the presence of all His people, In the courts of the LORD’s house, In the midst of you, O Jerusalem. Praise the LORD!

Take away my iniquities, Lord, You who were born of the Virgin, and cleanse my heart, making it a temple of Your holy Body and Blood; do not cast me away from Your presence, You who have immeasurable great mercy.

How shall I, unworthy, dare to partake of Your Holy Mysteries? For if I venture to come to You with the worthy, my garment will condemn me, for it is not suitable for the Feast, and I will bring judgment upon my soul, which is full of many sins. Cleanse, O Lord, the filth of my soul and save me, for You are loving to mankind.

Many are the multitude of my sins, O Theotokos; I have fled to you, pure One, seeking salvation. Visit my weak soul and intercede with your Son and our God, that He may grant me forgiveness for the terrible things I have done, O only blessed One.

When the glorious disciples were being enlightened at the washing basin of the Supper, then Judas the impious, sick with love of money, was being darkened and handed you, the righteous Judge, over to lawless judges. Behold, lover of wealth, he who for this was appointed to the gallows; flee, insatiable soul, having dared such things against your Teacher. The all-good Lord, glory to you.

Master Lord Jesus Christ our God, the Source of life and immortality, Who are the Maker of all creation, both visible and invisible, the co-eternal and co-beginningless Son of the eternal Father, Who in the abundance of Your goodness were in the last days clothed in flesh, were crucified and buried for us, the ungrateful and thankless ones, and by Your own Blood refashioned our nature which had been corrupted by sin: O immortal King, accept the repentance even of me the sinner, and incline Your ear to me and hear my words. For I have sinned, O Lord, I have sinned against heaven and before You, and I am not worthy to gaze on the height of Your glory; for I have provoked Your goodness by transgressing Your commandments and not obeying Your ordinances. But in Your forbearance, patience, and great mercy, You, O Lord, have not given me up to be destroyed with my sins, but You await my complete conversion. For You Who love mankind have said through Your Prophet that You desire not the death of the sinner, but that he should return to You and live. For You do not will, O Lord, that the work of Your hands should be destroyed, neither do You delight in the destruction of men, but You desire that all should be saved and come to a knowledge of the Truth. Therefore, though I am unworthy both of heaven and earth, and even of this transient life – since I have completely succumbed to sin and am a slave to pleasure and have defaced Your image, yet being Your work and creation, wretch that I am, – even I do not despair of my salvation and dare to draw near to Your boundless compassion. Therefore receive even me, O Christ Who Loves mankind, as the harlot, as the thief, as the publican, and as the prodigal; and take from me the heavy burden of my sins: You Who take away the sin of the world, Who heal men's sicknesses, Who call the weary and heavy laden to Yourself and give them rest; for You came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance. And cleanse me from all defilement of flesh and spirit. Teach me to attain perfect holiness in the fear of You, that with the clear witness of my conscience I may receive a portion of Your holy Things and be united with Your holy Body and Blood, and have You dwelling and remaining in me with the Father and Your Holy Spirit. And, O Lord Jesus Christ, my God, do not let the communion of Your immaculate and life-giving Mysteries be to me for condemnation, nor let it make me sick in body or soul through my partaking of them unworthily; but rather grant that until my last breath I may receive a portion of Your holy Things without condemnation, for communion with the Holy Spirit, as a provision for eternal life, and as an acceptable defense at Your dread tribunal, so that I, too, with all Your elect may become a partaker of Your pure joys which You have prepared for those who love You, O Lord, in whom You are glorified throughout the ages. Amen.

I know, O Lord, that I partake of Your immaculate Body and precious Blood unworthily, and that I am guilty, and eat and drink judgment to myself by not discerning the Body and Blood of You, my Christ and God. But, trusting in Your compassion, I take courage and approach You, for You have said: "He who eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood abides in Me and I in him." Therefore have compassion, O Lord, and do not make an example of me, the sinner, but deal with me according to Your mercy; and let these Holy Things be for my healing, and purification, and enlightenment, and protection, and salvation, and sanctification of body and soul; for the turning away of every fantasy, and all evil practice, and diabolical activity working subconsciously in my members; for confidence and love towards You; for reformation of life and stability; for an increase of virtue and perfection; for fulfillment of the commandments; for communion with the Holy Spirit; as a provision for eternal life; and as an acceptable defense at Your dread Tribunal, not unto judgment nor unto condemnation.

Lord my God, I know that I am not worthy or sufficient that You should come under the roof of the house of my soul, for all is desolate and fallen, and You do not have within me a place fit to lay Your head. But even as from on high You humbled Yourself for our sake, so now conform Yourself to my humility. And as You consented to lie in a cave and in a manger of irrational beasts, so also consent to lie in the manger of my irrational soul and to enter my defiled body. And as You did not disdain to enter and dine with sinners in the house of Simon the Leper, so consent also to enter the house of my humble soul which is leprous and sinful. And as You did not reject the woman who was a harlot and a sinner like me, when she approached and touched You, so also be compassionate with me, the sinner, as I approach and touch You, and let the live coal of Your most-holy Body and precious Blood be for the sanctification, and enlightenment, and strengthening of my humble soul and body; for a relief from the burden of my many sins; for a protection from all diabolical practices; for a restraint and a check on my evil and wicked way of life; for the mortification of passions; for the keeping of Your commandments; for an increase of Your divine grace; and for the advancement of Your Kingdom. For it is not as one insolent and presumptuous that I draw near to You, O Christ my God, but as one taking courage from Your ineffable goodness, so that having long abstained from Your communion I may not become a prey to the noetic wolf. Therefore, I pray to You, O Lord, Who alone are holy: sanctify my soul and body, my mind and heart, my emotions and affections, and wholly renew me. Root in my members the fear of You, and make Your sanctification indelible within me. Be also my Helper and Defender, guide my life in peace, and make me worthy to stand on Your right hand with Your Saints; through the prayers and intercessions of Your all-pure Mother, of Your ministering Angels, of the immaculate Powers, and of all the Saints who have been well-pleasing to You. Amen.

I am not worthy, Sovereign Lord, for you to come under the roof of my soul. Yet because of your love for all people, you wish to dwell in me. I boldly come. Command that the gates open which you alone made and you will come in with love toward all people, as is your nature. You will come in and enlighten my darkened reasoning. I believe that you will do this, for you did not send away the harlot who came to you with tears, nor cast out the repenting publican, nor reject the thief who acknowledged your kingdom, nor forsake the repentant persecutor for what he was. But you counted as your friends all of those who came to you in repentance. You alone are blessed, always, now and to the endless ages. Amen.

Lord Jesus Christ my God, loose, remit, forgive, absolve, and pardon the sins, offenses and transgressions which I, Your sinful, useless and unworthy servant have committed from my youth, up to the present day and hour, whether in knowledge or in ignorance, whether by words or in deeds, whether in my intentions or in my thoughts, and whether by habit or through any of my senses. And through the intercession of her who conceived You without seed, the all-pure and ever-virgin Mary Your Mother, my only sure hope and protection and salvation, make me worthy to receive without condemnation Your pure, immortal, life-giving and fearful Mysteries, unto forgiveness of sins and for eternal life; for sanctification, and enlightenment, and strength, and healing, and health of soul and body; and for the blotting out and complete destruction of my evil reasonings, and intentions, and prejudices, and the nocturnal fantasies of dark evil spirits. For Yours is the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory, and the honor, and the worship, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.

Master, Lord Jesus Christ our God, Who alone have authority to forgive men their sins, in Your goodness and love for men overlook all my offenses whether committed with knowledge or in ignorance, and make me worthy to receive without condemnation Your divine, glorious, spotless, and life-giving Mysteries, not for punishment, nor for an increase of sins, but for purification and sanctification, and as a pledge of the life and Kingdom to come, as a protection and help, for the destruction of enemies, and for the blotting out of my many transgressions. For You are a God of mercy and compassion and love for men, and to You we send up the glory, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.

Lord, Who alone are pure and incorrupt, Who through the ineffable compassion of Your love for mankind assumed our whole nature through the pure and virgin blood of her who supernaturally conceived You by the coming of the Divine Spirit and by the will of the Eternal Father; O Christ Jesus, Wisdom and Peace and Power of God, Who in assuming our nature suffered Your life-giving and saving Passion – the Cross, the Nails, the Spear, and Death – mortify all the deadly passions of my body. You Who in Your burial spoiled the dominions of hell, bury with good thoughts my evil schemes and scatter the spirits of wickedness. You Who by Your life-giving Resurrection on the third day raised up our fallen first Parent, raise me up who am sunk in sin and suggest to me ways of repentance. You Who by Your glorious Ascension deified our nature which You had assumed and honored it by Your sitting at the right hand of the Father, make me worthy by partaking of Your holy Mysteries of a place at Your right hand among those who are saved. You Who by the descent of the Spirit, the Paraclete, made Your holy Disciples worthy vessels, make me also a recipient of His coming. You Who are to come again to judge the World with justice, grant me also to meet You on the clouds, my Maker and Creator, with all Your Saints, that I may unendingly glorify and praise You with Your Eternal Father and Your all-holy and good and life-creating Spirit, now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.

I stand before the doors of Your sanctuary, yet I do not put away my terrible thoughts. But, O Christ our God, Who justified the Publican, and Who had mercy on the Canaanite woman, and opened the gates of Paradise to the Thief, open to me the depths of Your love for mankind, and as I approach and touch You, receive me like the Harlot and the woman with an issue of blood. For the one easily received healing by touching the hem of Your garment, and the other obtained release from her sins by clasping Your sacred feet. And I, deplorable as I am, dare to receive Your whole Body; may I not be burnt, but receive me even as You did these. And enlighten the senses of my soul, and burn up the indictments of my sins, by the intercessions of her who bore You without seed, and of the Heavenly Hosts, for You are blessed to the ages of ages. Amen.

I believe and confess, Lord, that You are truly the Christ, the Son of the living God, Who came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the first. I also believe that this is truly Your pure Body and that this is truly Your precious Blood. Therefore, I pray to You, have mercy upon me, and forgive my transgressions, voluntary and involuntary, in word and deed, in knowledge or in ignorance. And make me worthy, without condemnation, to partake of Your pure Mysteries for the remission of sins and for eternal life. Amen.

O Son of God, receive me today as a partaker of Your mystical supper. For I will not speak of the mystery to Your enemies, nor will I give You a kiss, as did Judas. But like the thief, I confess to You: Remember me, Lord, in Your Kingdom.

You have smitten me with yearning, O Christ, and by Your divine eros You have changed me. But burn up with spiritual fire my sins, and grant me to be filled with delight in You, so that, leaping for joy, I may magnify, O Good One, Your two comings.

How shall I, who am unworthy, enter into the splendor of Your saints? If I should dare to enter into the bridal chamber, my vesture will condemn me, since it is not a wedding garment; and being bound up, I shall be cast out by the angels. Cleanse, O Lord, the filth of my soul, and save me, as You are the one Who loves mankind.

Master Who loves mankind, Lord Jesus Christ, my God, let not these Holy Gifts be to my judgment because I am unworthy, but rather for the purification and sanctification of both soul and body and the pledge of the life and Kingdom to come. It is good for me to cleave unto God and to place in Him the hope of my salvation.

O Son of God, receive me today as a partaker of Your mystical supper. For I will not speak of the mystery to Your enemies, nor will I give You a kiss, as did Judas. But like the thief, I confess to You: Remember me, Lord, in Your Kingdom.