Litany of Thanksgiving
 At this point the Priest takes the Holy Chalice and the Diskarion back
to
the "Prothesis" preparation table. It is understood, of course, that all the
contents are consumed at the very end of the Divine Liturgy by the Priest
and not one particle may remain unconsumed because it is the very Body
and
Blood of our Lord.
While the priest is doing this the Deacon proclaims the following Litany:
Let us rise. Having partaken of the divine,
holy, pure, and
immortal, heavenly, life-giving, and awesome
Mysteries of Christ,
worthily let us give thanks unto the Lord."
Help us, save us; have mercy upon us; and keep
us, O God, by Thy
Grace.
Having asked the Lord that this whole day may
be perfect, holy,
peaceful and sinless, let us commend ourselves
and one another, and our whole life to Christ, our God."
The Priest folds the "Antiminsion", which was unfolded at the beginning of the
Liturgy of the Faithful, during the singing of the Cherubic Hymn.
He says quietly this prayer:
We thank You, loving Master, benefactor of our souls, that on this day You have made us worthy once again of Your heavenly and immortal Mysteries. direct our ways in the right path, establish us firmly in Your fear, guard our lives, and make our endeavors safe, through the prayers and supplications of the glorious Theotokos and ever virgin Mary and of all Your saints.
Then with
the Book of the Gospels he makes the sign of the Cross with it over
the Antiminsion and places it directly upon it chanting:
"For Thou art our sanctification, and to Thee
we ascribe glory, to the
Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
now and for ever, and
from all Ages to all Ages."
Dionysius the Areopaghte writes: " With the holy initiation of Divine Mysteries, those who are initiated will get to know the enormous graces of these Mysteries well and while they will be giving reverently profound thought to their such divine height and extent, they shall praise the divine Godhead's most heavenly good works and gratitude." (P.G. 3, 445 B, C)
All that is demanded of us is appropriate preparation, repentance and cleanliness, knowledge and action of faith, sensing our sinfulness and unworthiness, weaknesses, and nothing more.
We must prepare ourselves so we can see the true Light with the eyes of our soul each time we come to the Church.
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