CANON OF PREPARATION

for Holy Communion.

Heavenly King... Trisagion: All-holy Trinity... Our Father... Lord have mercy (12 times). O come let us worship... (Thrice). Psalm 50:

Song 1. Tone 2.

Eirmos: Come, O you people, let us sing a song to Christ our God, Who divided the sea, and made a way for the nation which He had brought up out of the bondage of Egypt; for He is glorious.

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.

Troparia:

May Thy holy Body be for me the bread of eternal life, O gracious Lord, and may Thy precious Blood be a remedy for my many forms of sickness.

Cast me not away from Thy Face, and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me.

Defiled by misguided deeds, wretched as I am, I am unworthy, O Christ, to partake of Thy immaculate Body and divine Blood, but make me worthy of them.

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

O blessed Bride of God, O good land which produced the unploughed Corn which saves the world, grant that I may be saved by eating it.

Song 3.

Eirmos: By establishing me on the rock of faith, Thou hast given me power over my enemies, and my spirit rejoices when I sing: There is none holy as our God, and none good but Thee, O Lord.

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.

Troparia:

Grant me, O Christ, teardrops to cleanse the dross from my heart, that, purified and with a good conscience, I may come with fear and faith, O Lord, to the communion Thy divine gifts.

Cast me not away from Thy Face, and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me.

May Thy immaculate Body and divine Blood be for the forgiveness of my transgressions, for communion with the Holy Spirit and for Eternal Life, O Lover of men, and for estrangement from passions and sorrows.

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

O all-holy Lady, Altar of the Bread of Life, which for mercy's sake came down from on high and gave new life to the world, make even me, who am unworthy, worthy now with fear to eat it and live.

Song 4.

Eirmos: From a Virgin didst Thou come, not as an Ambassador, nor as an Angel, but the very Lord Himself incarnate, and didst save me, the whole man. Therefore I cry to Thee: Glory to Thy power, O Lord!

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.

Troparia:

O most merciful One. Who wast incarnate for us, Thou didst will to be slain as a Sheep for the sins of men; therefore I implore Thee to blot out my offenses.

Cast me not away from Thy Face, and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me.

Heal the wounds of my soul, O Lord, and wholly sanctify me, and make me worthy, O Lord, to partake of Thy divine mystical Supper, wretched as I am.

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

Intercede for me also, O Lady, with Him Who came from thy womb, and keep me, thy slave, pure and blameless that I may be sanctified by obtaining the spiritual pearl.

Song 5.

Eirmos: Giver of light and Sovereign Creator of the worlds, guide us in the light of Thy commandments, for we know no other God than Thee.

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.

Troparia:

As Thou didst foretell, O Christ, let it be to Thy wicked servant. Abide in me as Thou didst promise; for lo, I am eating Thy divine Body and drinking Thy Blood.

Cast me not away from Thy Face, and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me.

O Word of God, and God, may the live coal of Thy Body be for the enlightenment of me who am darkened, and may Thy Blood be the cleansing of my sinful soul.

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

O Mary, Mother of God, holy tabernacle of the scent of Heaven, make me by Thy prayers, a chosen vessel, that I may partake of the Sacrament of thy Son.

Song 6.

Eirmos: Whirled about in the abyss of sin, I appeal to the unfathomable abyss of Thy compassion: Raise me up from corruption, O God.

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.

Troparia:

O Saviour, sanctify my mind, soul, heart and body, and grant me uncondemned, O Lord, to approach the fearful Mysteries.

Cast me not away from Thy Face, and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me.

Grant estrangement from passions, and the assistance of Thy grace, and assurance of life by the communion of Thy Holy Mysteries, O Christ.

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

O Holy Word of God and God, sanctify the whole of me as I now approach Thy divine Mysteries, by the prayers of Thy Holy Mother.

Lord, have mercy. (Thrice).

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

Kontakion: Disdain me not to receive now, O Christ, the Bread which is Thy Body and Thy divine Blood, and to partake, O Lord, of Thy most pure and dread Mysteries, wretched as I am, and may it not be to me for judgment, but for eternal and immortal life.

Song 7.

Eirmos: The wise children did not adore the golden idol, but went themselves into the flame and defied the pagan gods. They prayed in the midst of the flame, and an Angel bedewed them: The prayer of your lips has been heard.

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.

Troparia:

May the communion of Thine immortal Mysteries, the source of all goodness, O Christ, be to me light and life and dispassion and the means of progress and proficiency in divine virtue, O only Good One, that I may glorify Thee.

Cast me not away from Thy Face, and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me.

That I may be redeemed from passions, enemies, wants, and every sorrow, I now draw near with trembling, love and reverence, O Lover of men, to Thy immortal and divine Mysteries, singing to Thee: Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers.

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

O thou who art full of Divine Grace and gavest birth incomprehensibly to the Saviour Christ, I thy servant, unclean as I am, now beseech thee, O pure one: Cleanse me who now wish to approach the immaculate Mysteries, from all defilement of body and spirit.

Song 8.

Eirmos: Sing of the acts of God Who descended into the fiery furnace with the Hebrew children, and changed the flame into dew, and exalt Him as Lord throughout all ages.

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.

Troparia:

Grant me, who am desperate, to be a participant now of Thy heavenly, dread and holy Mysteries, O Christ, and of Thy divine Mystical Supper, O my Saviour and God.

Cast me not away from Thy Face, and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me.

I fly for refuge to Thy compassion, O Good One, and I cry to Thee with fear: Abide in me, O Saviour, and I in Thee as Thou saidst; for lo, confiding in Thy mercy, I eat Thy Body and drink Thy Blood.

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

I tremble, taking fire, lest I should burn as wax and hay. O dread Mystery! O Divine Compassion! How can I who am clay partake of the divine Body and Blood and become incorruptible!

Song 9.

Eirmos: The Son of the Eternal Father, God and Lord, has appeared to us incarnate of a Virgin, to enlighten those in darkness, and to gather the dispersed; therefore the all-hymned Mother of God we magnify.

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.

Troparia:

The Lord is good. O taste and see! For of old He became like us for us, and once offered Himself as a sacrifice to His Father and is perpetually slain, sanctifying communicants.

Cast me not away from Thy Face, and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me.

May I be sanctified in body and soul, O Lord; may I be enlightened and saved; may I become by the communion of the Holy Mysteries Thy dwelling, having Thee with the Father and the Spirit living within me, O most merciful Benefactor.

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

May Thy most precious Body and Blood, my Saviour, be to me as fire and light, consuming the fuel of sin and burning the thorns of my passions, enlightening the whole of me to adore Thy Divinity.

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

God took flesh of thy pure blood. Therefore, all generations sing to thee, O Lady, and throngs of heavenly minds glorify thee. For through thee we have clearly seen Him Who is Lord of all united essentially with mankind.

And in the morning the special psalms and prayers to be read before Holy Communion.