Opening Greeting
The presbyter begins the Prayer of Thanksgiving by singing, "Pray," and the deacon then urges the congregation, "Stand up for prayer."
This call to "Stand up for prayer" warns us to be reverent when we enter into dialogue with God and assist at the holy mysteries. There must be no distraction, we must act with fervor and all reverence; and in this manner look, listen, and pray throughout the service.
The first sign of this fervor and devotion is the uprightness of our bodies; we do these things standing on our feet. This is the attitude of servants whose eyes are intent on the will of their master, waiting to present instant service and ready to perform at once any order that may be given. And are we not God's suppliants in everything of importance, and his servants for every kind of duty?
Thus, the body stands up for praying and the soul stands up in vivacity to enter the Lord's holies, worshipping Him without slothfulness.
The presbyter turns towards the other presbyter and says; "Bless." The other replies, "You bless." This illustrates that neither is putting himself ahead of the other.
The presbyter blesses his children with the sign of the Cross as a source of inner peace, saying: "Peace be with all," and they reply: "And with your spirit also."
This is the ordinary oriental greeting "Salaam" (Shalom). But it had a special and beautiful significance in Christian worship as the first greeting of the Risen Lord to His own.
The presbyter following his Lord asks peace for his children, and they in the spirit of his children ask him for the peace of God which passes all understanding.
This is the opening prayer in the Liturgy of Eucharist containing the blessing we obtain in celebrating this mystery and partaking of the Communion. Through it God comes to us, and we return to Him. He rests in us and we find our rest in Him. Thus, our lost peace returns to us, i.e. our inner and hidden peace, and our peace with God.
The Prayer of Thanksgiving
St. John Chrysostom has a comment on the position of the Thanksgiving Prayer in the Liturgy of the Eucharist. He says, "Jesus, gives thanks, to teach us how to celebrate this sacrament, and to show that He comes to the Passion without reluctance, and to teach us to bear whatever we may suffer thankfully, thence also suggesting good hope."
Fr. Jungmann, in his book, "The Early Liturgy," says: "Our Christian sacrifice is enclosed in a prayer of thanksgiving, in a prayer whose main subject is the salvation we have received through Christ. That prayer is but a thankful remembrance that recalls with gratitude how the Father sent His Son into the world, into a virgin's womb, to accomplish our redemption, and how the Son, by the struggle of his passion and the triumph of his resurrection, made that redemption effective for us. Through considerations such as these, the first and second centuries were led to shape the Mass liturgy into a Eucharistia 1."
Thanksgiving is not merely a certain prayer to be recited during the celebration, but it is an acceptance of Christ's sufferings in our life with thanksgiving. It is an acceptance of the salvation in a practical way. Thanksgiving is a spirit that governs the whole rite. Thanksgiving is a method by which we live in the Immortalized Jesus Christ.
Finally, I shall provide you with the English translation of this prayer, so that you may contemplate its phrases. The Prayer of Thanksgiving is used by the church as the start of all prayers; whether they are sacramental or not, public or personal, on sad or joyful occasions. The prayer gives thanks to God the Beneficent, Merciful and Lover of Mankind.
The English Text
- P. (Presbyter) Let us give thanks unto the Beneficent and Merciful God, the Father of our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ for He has sheltered us, supported us, preserved us, accepted us into Him, had compassion on us, sustained us and brought us unto this hour. Let us then ask Him, the Almighty Lord our God, to keep us in all peace this holy day and all the days of our life.
- D. (Deacon) Pray.
- C. (Congregation) Lord have mercy (Kyrie Elieson).
- P. Master, Lord God Almighty, Father of our Lord, our God and our Savior, Jesus Christ, we thank You upon every condition, for any condition and whatever condition. For You had sheltered us, supported us, preserved us, accepted us unto You, and had compassion on us, sustained us and brought us unto this hour.
- D. Pray that God have mercy upon us, have compassion on us, that He may hear us, that He may help us, that He may accept the prayers and supplications of His saints on our behalf for our good at all times, and forgive us our sins.
- C. Lord have mercy.
- P. Wherefore we pray and entreat Your goodness, Lover of mankind, grant that we may complete this holy day and all the days of our life in all peace with Your fear.
All envy, all temptation, all workings of Satan, the counsel of evil men and the rising up of enemies hidden and manifest, do You cast away from us, and from all Your people 1
And from this table 2
And from this holy place of Your;
But those things, which are good and useful, grant them to us. For it is You who has given us authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions and upon all the power of the enemy. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
By the grace and the compassions and the love of mankind of Your Only-Begotten Son, our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ,
through whom the glory and the honor and the dominion and the adoration is due unto You with Him and the Holy Spirit, the Lifegiving and consubstantial with You, now and at all times and unto the age of all ages Amen.