liturgical Prayers
PRAYER BEFORE CONFESSION
O holy Father, Who longs for the sinners' return and Who promised to accept those who repent, look at a soul that was long lost in the valleys of disobedience. I have long tasted the bitterness of misery, being away from the source of salvation. Now I come back to You to be purified, accept me and do not reject me, for when You look at me with mercy and compassion, I will be cleansed and saved, but if You turn away from me I will perish. Grant me, O Lord, Your blessings to strengthen my will to come closer to You in faith and hope, to confess my sins and detest returning to them. Let Your Holy Spirit remind me not to stray. Enlighten my heart, O God, so that I can see the graveness of my sins and negligence, and have the will to obey Your commandments and live for the glory of Your holy name. Amen.
PRAYER BEFORE RECEIVING HOLY COMMUNION ST. BASIL
O Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, our God, Fountain of immortality, Creator of all things visible and invisible, Consubstantial and Co-eternal Son of the eternal Father, who in Your exceedingly great love became incarnate in the latter days, and was crucified for us ungrateful and wicked children, and by Your own Blood renewed our nature corrupted by sin, O Immortal King, do receive me, a repentant sinner, incline Your ear toward me and hear my prayer. I have sinned, O Lord, I have sinned against heaven and before You and am not worthy to lift up my eyes to the majesty of Your glory, for I have disrespected Your goodness and broken Your commandments, and disobeyed Your laws. But You, O Lord, most loving, long suffering, and merciful, have not given me over to perish in my sins, but do ever await my return. For, O You Who loves mankind, You have said by Your Prophet, You have no pleasure in the death of a sinner, but would rather that he should turn from his wickedness and live. You do not desire, O Master, to destroy the works of Your hands, nor that they should perish, but that all men should come to the knowledge of the Truth. Wherefore I, although unworthy both of heaven and of earth and of this temporary life, even I, a wretched sinner who had given myself over to every evil desire, do not despair of salvation, though I have been wholly subject to sin, a slave to passion and have defiled Your image within me, I who am Your creation and Your work; but trusting in Your infinite compassion I draw near unto You. Receive me O Lord, You Who love mankind, as You did receive the sinful woman, the thief, the tax collector and the prodigal son. Take away the heavy burden of my sins, You Who take away the sins of the world, and heal the infirmities of men, and call all that are weary and heavy laden to Yourself and give them rest. You Who did not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance, cleanse me from all stain of body and soul, and teach me to fulfill holiness in Your fear, that with the witness of my conscience pure, I may receive a portion of Your Father and Holy Spirit dwelling and abiding in me. And grant, O Lord Jesus Christ, my God, that the partaking of Your precious and Life-giving Mysteries may not be to my condemnation, nor may not through the weakness of my soul and body be received unworthily; but grant that even to my last breath, I may partake of a portion of Your Holy gifts without condemnation, unto the communion of Your Holy Spirit, as a preparation for eternal life and for a good defense at Your dreaded Judgment Seat, so that I, together with all Your elect, may also receive those incorruptible good things which You have prepared for them that love You, O Lord, in whom You are glorified forever. Amen.
PRAYER BEFORE RECEIVING HOLY COMMUNION DURING EOTC LITURGY
O my Lord Jesus Christ, I am unworthy of your coming under the roof of my impure house, for I have let you down, and have done evil in your sight. I desecrated my soul and body by my transgressions even though I was created in your image and likeness. I have no good works whatsoever. Even so, for the sake of me being Your creation, and for the sake of Your incarnation for my salvation, for the sake of your crucifixion on the honored cross, for the sake of Your life giving death and for the sake of Your resurrection on the third day; I pray to you and beseech you my Lord, that you purify me from all guilt and curse, and from sin and defilement. O! You, life of the world, When I do receive now Your Holy Mystery, let it not be for judgement nor for condemnation, rather have compassion on me, forgive me; and through it grant me remission of my sin and life for my soul. Through the intercession of Our Lady, the Holy Mary of twofold Virginity Your mother, and of John the Baptist, and through the prayer of all the holy angels and all the martyrs and righteous who have fought the good fight, world without end Amen.
PRAYER AFTER RECEIVING HOLY COMMUNION ST. BASIL
O my Lord, and my God Jesus Christ, behold I have received Your Holy body and Your precious Blood. Let it be for the remission of my sins and the blotting out of my trespasses. O! the only begotten Son and lover of man, fill my mouth with your praise that I may praise your glory, for You are He who before time became man and revealed Yourself through Your incarnation in order to save me forever, You redeemed me forever for the sake of Your holy name. Glory be to you, O! my Lord and my God Jesus Christ, who granted me Your Body and Blood at the hands of Your servant. I glorify You and pray to You that I maybe one with Your flock and that You count me with Your sheep and accept me. Again remember not my trespasses. I give thanks to Your grace which has been granted to me and Your deliverance which has been with me Amen.
PRAYER AFTER RECEIVING HOLY COMMUNION ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM
O Lord my God, I know that I am not worthy nor sufficient that You should enter under my roof into the habitation of my soul, for it is all deserted and in ruins, and there is not a fitting place in me for You to lay Your head. But as from the heights of Your glory You humbled Yourself, so now bear me in my humility, as You deigned to lie in a manger in a cave, so deign now also to come into the manger of my mute soul and corrupt body. As You did not refrain from entering the house of Simon the leper, nor shrink from eating there with sinners so also vouchsafe to enter the house of my poor soul, all leprous and full of sin. You did not reject the sinful woman who ventured to draw near to touch You, so also have pity on me, a sinner, approaching to touch You and grant that I may partake of Your All-Holy Body and Precious Blood for sanctification, enlightenment and strengthening of my weak soul and body, for my preservation against all the snares of the devil, for victory over all my sinful habits, for the mortification of my passions, for obedience to Your Commandments, for growth in Your divine grace and inheritance of Your Kingdom. For it is not with a careless heart that I approach You. O Christ my God, but I come trusting in Your infinite goodness and fearing lest I may be drawn afar from You and become the prey of the wolf of souls. Wherefore, I pray You, O Master, Who alone are Holy, that You would sanctify my soul and body, my mind and heart and reins, and renew me entirely. Implant in my organs the fear of You, be my Helper and my Guide, directing my life in the paths of peace, and make me worthy to stand at Your right Hand with Your saints; through the prayers and intercessions of Your Immaculate Mother, of the bodiless Servitors, of the immaculate Powers, and of all the saints who from all ages have been well-pleasing to You. Amen.