Prayers of Thanksgiving After Receiving Holy Communion

When you have had your due and rightful part in these life-giving and mystical Gifts immediately give praise and great thanks and with a fervent soul say to God:

Glory to You, O God.
Glory to You, O God.
Glory to You, O God.

Anonymous

I thank You, Lord my God, that You have not rejected me, a sinner, but have made me worthy to partake of Your holy Mysteries.

I thank You that You have granted me, although I am unworthy, to partake of Your most-pure and heavenly Gifts.

Master Who loves mankind, Who died and rose for our sake, and granted to us these awesome and life-giving Mysteries for the well-being and sanctification of our souls and bodies, let these Gifts be for the healing of both soul and body, for the averting of every evil, for the enlightenment of the eyes of my heart, for the peace of the powers of my soul, for faith unashamed, for love unfeigned, for the fullness of wisdom, for the observing of Your commandments, for an increase of Your divine grace, and for the attainment of Your kingdom.

Preserved by them in Your holiness, may I always remember Your grace and no longer live for myself, but for You, our Master and Benefactor.

And thus, when I depart this life in the hope of eternal life, may I attain everlasting rest, where the sound of those that keep festival is unceasing, and the delight of those who behold the ineffable beauty of Your countenance is unending.

For You are the true joy and inexpressible gladness of those who love You, Christ our God, and all creation hymns You to the ages.  Amen.

Of Saint Basil the Great

Master Christ God, King of the ages and Creator of all things, I thank You for all the good gifts You have given me, and especially for the communion of Your pure and life-giving Mysteries.

I therefore pray to You good Lord Who loves mankind: keep me under the protection and in the shadow of Your wings; grant that even to my last breath I may with a pure conscience partake worthily of Your Holy Gifts for the remission of sins and for eternal life.

For You are the Bread of life, the Source of holiness, the Giver of good things, and to You we send up glory, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages.  Amen.

Of Saint Symeon Metafrastes (Saint Symeon the Translator)

You Who have willingly given me Your Flesh as food, Who are a burning fire to the unworthy, do not consume me.

No, my Creator; rather penetrate into my members, all my joints, my organs, and my heart.

Burn all my iniquities like thorns; cleanse my soul, make holy my thoughts, make firm my knees and my bones as well.

Illumine my five senses and make vigilant my entire being with the fear of You.

Watch over me always; shield and protect me from every deed and word which corrupts the soul.

Cleanse me, purify me, and put me in order; adorn me, give me understanding, and illumine me.

Show me to be the dwelling of Your Spirit alone, and not the dwelling place of sin; so that when You enter into the home of Your communion, every evil doer and every passion will flee from me as from fire.

As intercessors I bring to You all the saints, the chiefs of the bodiless hosts, Your Forerunner, the wise Apostles, and moreover Your immaculate and pure Mother; accept their prayers, my compassionate Christ, and make Your servant a child of light.

For in Your goodness You alone sanctify and enlighten our souls, and to You, our God and Master, as is right we send up glory every day.

Anonymous

Lord Jesus Christ our God, let Your sacred Body be to me for eternal life, and Your precious Blood for the remission of sins.

Let this Eucharist be to me for joy, health and gladness.

And at Your dread Second Coming make me, a sinner, worthy to stand at the right hand of Your glory; through the intercessions of Your all-pure Mother and of all the saints.  Amen.

Anonymous Prayer to the Mother of God

All-holy Lady, Theotokos, light of my darkened soul, my hope, shelter, refuge, comfort, and joy: I thank You, for you have deemed me, the unworthy one, worthy to partake of the most-pure Body and precious Blood of your Son.

You who gave birth to the true Light, enlighten the spiritual eyes of my heart; you who conceived the Source of immortality, revive me who am dead in sin; you who are the lovingly-compassionate Mother of the merciful God, have mercy on me and grant me compunction and contrition in my heart, humility in my thoughts and the recall of my thoughts from captivity.

And grant me, until my last breath, to receive without condemnation the sanctification of the most-pure Mysteries for the healing of both soul and body.

Grant me tears of repentance and confession that I may hymn and glorify you all the days of my life.

For you are blessed and most-glorified to the ages.  Amen.

For you are blessed and most-glorified to the ages.  Amen.

For you are blessed and most-glorified to the ages.  Amen.

And the Hymn of Symeon the Just:

Lord, now let Your servant depart in peace, according to Your word; for my eyes have seen Your salvation which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to Your people Israel.

Then the Trisagion Prayers:

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and to the ages of ages.  Amen.

All-holy Trinity, have mercy on us.  Lord, cleanse us of our sins.  Master, pardon our iniquities.  Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities for Your name's sake.

Lord, have mercy.  Lord, have mercy.  Lord, have mercy.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and to the ages of ages.  Amen.

Our Father, Who art in the heavens, 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 the evil one.

Through the prayers of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God have mercy on us and save us.  Amen.

If the Divine Liturgy was that of Saint John Chrysostom
the following Troparia:

Grace shone forth from your mouth like fire, illuminating the inhabited world.  You treasured for the world the virtue of being unmercenary, and revealed your sublime humility.  Thus by the words you taught us, father John Chrysostom, intercede with Christ God to save our souls.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

You received divine grace from heaven, and from your lips you taught all to worship the one God in Trinity, venerable John Chrysostom, the all-blessed.  We extol you worthily, for you are an instructor who reveals divine things.

Now and ever and to the ages of ages.  Amen.

The Church is revealed to all as a brilliantly lit heaven, leading the faithful in the way of the light.  Standing therein we cry aloud: make firm the foundation of this house, Lord.

But if the Divine Liturgy was that of Saint Basil the Great
the following Troparia instead:

Your teaching has spread over the whole world, for it has accepted your words that gave a divine explanation of doctrine.  You have made clear the nature of things and set a rule of life for men.  Holy father and kingly priest, intercede with Christ God that He may save our souls.

   Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

You appeared as an unshakable foundation of the Church, dispensing an inviolate dominion to all mortals and sealing it with your doctrines.  O revealer of heavenly things, venerable Basil.

   Now and ever and to the ages of ages.  Amen.

The Church is revealed to all as a brilliantly lit heaven, leading the faithful in the way of the light.  Standing therein we cry aloud: make firm the foundation of this house, Lord.

Following the Presanctified Divine Liturgy
of Saint Gregory the Great the following Troparia:

As one endowed with discretion of speech, you proved to be a most excellent dispenser of the word of God, hierarch Gregory.  By your life you set before us the virtues, and you shine forth with the brilliance of holiness.  Righteous father, entreat Christ God that we may be granted mercy.

   Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

We praise you the Dialogist as is fitting, for you are a divinely-inspired harp of the Church, and a God-possessed tongue of Wisdom; you emulated the zeal of the Apostles, and you manifestly followed in their footsteps.  We thus say to you: rejoice, father Gregory.

   Now and ever and to the ages of ages.  Amen.

The Church is revealed to all as a brilliantly lit heaven, leading the faithful in the way of the light.  Standing therein we cry aloud: make firm the foundation of this house, Lord.

Then:

Lord, have mercy.  (12)

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and to the ages of ages.  Amen.

More honorable than the Cherubim, and incomparably more glorious than the Seraphim, the one who incorruptibly gave birth to God the Word, truly the Theotokos, we magnify you.

Through the prayers of our holy fathers,
Lord Jesus Christ our God have mercy on us and save us.  Amen.

                                                                      In all things:
                                                                      Glory to God

 

_{Translated by His Eminence Metropolitan Isaiah of Denver used with permission.}