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06th in Luke Liturgy #10 10/22/06 Last Sunday we explained the Hymn, "Holy, Holy, Holy..." Today, I bring to you the prayer, which the Priest offers inaudibly, while the Congregation is singing: "Holy, Holy, Holy...." He prays: "With these blessed Powers, O Master, Who loves humankind, (Powers, meaning of course the myriads of Archangels and Angels surrounding the Throne of God, singing His praises), we also cry out and say: `You are Holy, and all-Holy; You, and Your only Begotten Son, and Your Holy Spirit. You are Holy, and all Holy, and magnificent is Your Glory; Who did so love Your world, as to give Your only-Begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him, should not perish, but have Eternal Life; Who, when He had come, and had fulfilled all the dispensation for us, in the night that He was betrayed, or rather, surrendered Himself for the Life of the world, He took bread in His Holy and Immaculate and Blameless Hands and gave thanks, and blessed, and sanctified, and broke, and gave to His Holy Disciples and Apostles saying:" Priest continues aloud: "Take, eat; this is my Body, which is broken for you, for the remission of sins." We take notice how the inaudible prayers have a continuity when the Priest prays aloud. As we learned, the Legions of Archangels and Angels are constantly around the Throne of God, singing His praises. While the Congregation is singing the "Holy, Holy, Holy,...", at this point, we join the Legions of Angels, to sing along with them the Triumphant Hymn of God. The end of the inaudible prayer we just mentioned, describes fully, the Lord's completion of His earthly Ministry. The verses from the Scriptures, also describe the manner, by which our Lord was betrayed, and how He surrendered Himself to be crucified for our sins. So, as a living Testament, which granted to the believers the guarantee, that we would be united forever with Him, He blessed and broke the Bread, distributing it to His Holy Disciples saying: "Take, eat, etc. " The real presence of our Lord through Holy Communion, we can readily see in the following Scriptural passages. (Matthew 26:2628; Mark 14:22-24; Luke 22:17-20; as well as references from John 6:51,53,56 and 1st Corinthians 11:23-25.) Through these verses we see our Lord Jesus establishing an act, which was to perpetuate for all ages, His very presence among us! By receiving Holy Communion, we take within us the very Body and Blood of our Lord. This invisible transformation called "Metousiosis" means, the changing of the substances, and takes place moments later, when the Priest invokes a solemn prayer, beseeching the power of the Holy Spirit to effect this transformation. Though we have before us, the visible elements of bread and wine, the power of the Holy Spirit. has transformed them, into the real Body and Blood of our Saviour, to sanctify and save the believers. To this offering of the Lord: "take, eat, etc." the Congregation completes it with the "Amen," meaning,-- yes, truly, this is Your Body being offered for our sins. The Priest then, pointing to the Holy Chalice, continues aloud: "Drink from it all of you. This is My Blood of the New Testament, which is shed for you, and for many, for the remission of sins." Just as the bread becomes His Body, in like manner His Blood, under the form of wine, is given also for the remission of sins. The Congregation responds again with the "Amen." While the Priest inaudibly prays: "Therefore, remembering this command of our Saviour, and all that He endured for us, the Cross, the Tomb, the Resurrection after three days, the Ascension into Heaven, the Enthronement on the right hand of the Father, the second glorious Coming again." The ELEVATION At this point of the Liturgy, the Holy Altar is no more the Upper Room, where the Last Supper was held. The Holy Altar now becomes the place of Crucifixion, that is Golgotha, where His Holy Blood was shed for us. After the Holy Gifts have been blessed, the Priest crossing his arms, which do form the first letter of Christ ( X ), he takes the Holy Chalice, and the Paten, and elevates them, while the Congregation kneels. The Priest completes the inaudible prayer of our remembrance of the Lord's trials and subsequent glory, by saying aloud during the Elevation: "Your Gifts, of Your very own, we offer to You, for all that You have done for us, and for all," things that we remember. We make this offering to God, not from things that we own, or things that we have produced. We offer those things, that God, in His infinite Goodness, has given to us. Having elevated the Holy Gifts with his arms crossed, as we said, he forms the sign of the Cross and places them on the Holy Altar. While the Elevation is taking place, the Congregation sings that inimitable Hymn: "We praise You, we bless You, we give thanks to You, O Lord, and we pray to You, O our God." This is the most crucial moment, and the most sacred part of our Divine Liturgy. What we offer, as a Sacrifice to God, is the very Sacrifice our Lord made upon the Cross for all people. The Holy Spirit is present, transforming the visible elements into the Body and Blood of our Lord. That is why, as a sign of our humility, we kneel during this Consecration. The Invocation, or "Epiklesis" The Priest kneels before the Holy Altar, and with all his faith, piety, and power of concentration, while the Congregation sings: "We praise You, etc." the Priest prays inaudibly: "Again we offer to You this reasonable and bloodless Worship, and beseech You, and pray to You, and supplicate to You; send down Your Holy Spirit upon us, and upon these Gifts here spread forth." This is known as the Prayer of Consecration. The Priest rises, and making the sign of the Cross over the Bread, says: "And make this Bread the precious Body of Your Christ," Then, making the sign of the Cross again over the Holy Chalice he says: "And that, which is in this Cup, the Precious Blood of Your Christl" Again, making the sign of the Cross over both Gifts, he says: "Changing Them by Your Holy Spirit, Amen, Amen, Amen." Kneeling once more the Priest continues praying: "That to those, who shall partake thereof, they may be unto cleansing of soul, unto the remission of sins, unto the communion of Your Holy Spirit, unto the fulfillment of the Kingdom of Heaven, unto confidence toward You, and not unto judgment, nor condemnation. The Consecration of the Holy Gifts is now complete. The Priest continues in prayer inaudibly: "Again we offer to You this reasonable Worship for all those, who in faith repose; our Forefathers, Fathers, Patriarchs, Prophets, Apostles, Preachers, Evangelists Martyrs, Confessors, Ascetics and every righteous spirit made perfect in faith." At this point the Priest, after commemorating all those, who lived mainly for God, extols the singular Personality by saying aloud: "Especially, (we commemorate) our all-Holy, Immaculate, most Blessed and Glorious Lady Theotokos and ever-Virgin Mary." In response to the Priest, making the special commemoration of our Holy Mother, the Congregation sings that beautiful hymn lauding the Virgin Mary, Axion esti....." which is as follows: It is truly worthy to bless You, O Theotokos, who are everblessed and all-blameless, and the Mother of our God. More honorable than the Cherubim, and more glorious beyond compare than the Seraphim; You who without stain gave Birth to God, the Word, and are truly the Theotokos, we magnify You." This is a natural cut-off point, because lengthy prayers are offered while the Congregation sings the "Axion esti..." These prayers will constitute the instruction next Sunday. Amen. +Fr. George Papadeas
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