Part 33: Lord’s Prayer

 

This portion of the Divine Liturgy is the solemn recitation of the Lord’s Prayer (the “Our Father”), introduced by a profound priestly exclamation. It occurs after the final preparatory prayers for Holy Communion and immediately before the elevation of the Holy Gifts. Though brief in words, it is theologically dense, acting as a moment of intimate union between the faithful and the Triune God, and carrying deep patristic and liturgical significance.

1. The Priest’s Exclamation: “And vouchsafe, O Master…”

“And vouchsafe, O Master, that with boldness and without condemnation we may dare to call upon Thee, the heavenly God and Father, and to say…”

This solemn invocation acknowledges the awesome humility and divine privilege involved in addressing God as “Father.” Orthodox theology affirms that no one can authentically pray the Lord’s Prayer unless they are united to Christ, who alone has the natural right to call God “Abba.” Through baptism and incorporation into Christ, we are adopted as children of God and made worthy to participate in this prayer. As St. Cyril of Jerusalem writes:

“We say with boldness, not because we are worthy, but because He gave us the grace to call Him Father.”
— Catechetical Lectures, 23.11

The phrase “with boldness and without condemnation” (μετὰ παρρησίας, ἀκατακρίτως) is vital: parrhesia denotes not arrogance, but the confidence of children who approach a loving father. Yet, this boldness is always tempered with awareness of our unworthiness—hence the liturgical plea that we may do so without condemnation, that is, without hypocrisy or presumption.

This tension—confidence and fearful reverence—characterizes the Orthodox approach to God, especially at the threshold of Communion.

2. The Lord’s Prayer: Liturgical and Theological Significance

The Our Father is more than a recitation—it is a sacred offering of Christ’s own prayer to the Father, taught to us in Matthew 6:9–13 and Luke 11:2–4. In the Divine Liturgy, it represents:

• A summation of the entire Gospel: each petition reflects a key theological truth.
  
  

• A transition from preparation to reception: the final purifying act before the distribution of the Holy Gifts.
  
  

• A communal expression: The faithful say “Our Father,” not “My Father,” indicating their corporate unity in the Body of Christ.
  
  

Every clause of the Lord’s Prayer has mystical and Eucharistic resonance:

• “Hallowed be Thy name” – Through worship and sacramental participation, God’s name is sanctified among us.
  
  

• “Thy kingdom come” – A cry for the full manifestation of the Kingdom already tasted in the Eucharist.
  
  

• “Give us this day our daily bread” – Traditionally interpreted both as material sustenance and ὁ ἄρτος ὁ ἐπιούσιος (“the superessential bread”), a reference to the Eucharist itself (cf. St. Gregory of Nyssa, On the Lord’s Prayer).
  
  

• “Forgive us… as we forgive” – A direct spiritual preparation for Holy Communion; we cannot be reconciled to Christ without forgiveness of others.
  
  

• “Deliver us from evil” – An eschatological prayer to be preserved from sin, death, and the devil—fulfilled by union with Christ in the Mystery of the Eucharist.
  
  

St. Maximus the Confessor interprets the Lord’s Prayer as an ascent of the soul, culminating in union with God:

“This divine prayer sets forth the blessed way of life of those who have been granted the grace of adoption… bringing the one who prays to a spiritual summit in likeness to God.”
— Commentary on the Our Father

3. The Doxology: “For Thine is the Kingdom…”

“For Thine is the Kingdom, and the power and the glory…”

This doxology, which concludes the Lord’s Prayer in the liturgical tradition, is not included in the original Gospel text of the Lord’s Prayer (in the oldest manuscripts of Matthew and Luke), but is deeply rooted in early Church usage. It was likely added liturgically very early, drawing inspiration from 1 Chronicles 29:11, and affirms that the entire prayer is directed toward the eternal majesty of the Triune God.

The Trinitarian formula—“of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit”—also aligns with the core of Christian dogma and prepares the faithful to receive the Gifts offered in the name of the same Triune God.

4. The People’s Response: “Amen”

This “Amen” is not a casual assent. It is a seal of participation, by which the faithful make the prayer their own. In the ancient Church, St. Jerome once commented on how the resounding “Amen” from the people “made the marble walls shake.” This response is the people’s final affirmation before the sacred moment of Communion draws near.

Conclusion

This portion of the Liturgy is deceptively simple in form but rich in meaning. The Lord’s Prayer—prayed “with boldness and without condemnation”—functions as a liturgical and spiritual summit, preparing the faithful to receive the Mystical Supper. It reminds us of our adoption in Christ, our calling to holiness and reconciliation, and our reliance on God’s providence. It gathers up the entire spiritual life of the Church in one prayer and brings every heart into alignment with the eternal will of the Father. With this prayer on our lips, we cross the threshold into the most sacred act of the Divine Liturgy: Communion with the Lord Himself.

Part 32: Litany of Preparation Before the Lord’s Prayer

 

This portion of the Divine Liturgy takes place immediately after the conclusion of the Eucharistic Anaphora and before the Lord’s Prayer and the actual Communion of the Faithful. It constitutes a final preparation of the faithful for reception of the Holy Gifts and includes multiple theological layers: the invocation of God's mercy, prayers of intercession and protection, and petitions for spiritual readiness. It is sometimes referred to as the Final Litany of Preparation, and it is rich in liturgical and theological meaning.

1. “And the mercies of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ…” — Epilogue of the Anaphora

The priest’s blessing, "And the mercies of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ be with you all," is a concluding affirmation to the Anaphora and a scriptural expression of divine presence, echoing Titus 2:13 and 2 Thessalonians 1:12. It is not merely a wish, but a declarative invocation of Christ's continued nearness, a vital assurance as the faithful prepare for Holy Communion. The people’s response, “And with thy spirit,” recognizes the priest’s role as celebrant and mediator of this grace through the ordained ministry.

2. The Final Litany of Preparation (Litany Before the Lord’s Prayer)

This litany, led by the deacon and echoed by the choir’s repeated “Lord, have mercy” or “Grant this, O Lord,” constitutes a solemn and intentional act of spiritual examination and surrender. The structure of the petitions progresses from external concerns (tribulation, wrath, danger) to internal transformation and preparation for receiving the Mysteries.

a) Remembrance of the Saints

“Having remembered all the saints…”

This line reflects the Orthodox theology of communion with the Church Triumphant. By invoking the saints, we align ourselves with the heavenly liturgy and seek their prayers as we now draw near to Christ’s Body and Blood.

b) Prayer for the Sanctified Gifts

“For the precious Gifts set forth and sanctified, let us pray to the Lord…”

This petition emphasizes that the Holy Gifts have already been set apart and sanctified by the Holy Spirit in the Anaphora, and now we pray that their reception might be fruitful—bringing not condemnation, but forgiveness, illumination, and healing. The Orthodox Church teaches that while the transformation (consecration) of the Gifts is complete, their purpose is not fulfilled until the faithful receive them worthily.

“That our God… might send down upon us in return the divine grace…”

This request reveals the reciprocal mystery of the Eucharist: as the Church offers to God "Thine own of Thine own," God returns divine grace to the people through the Holy Mysteries. The “odor of spiritual sweetness” is drawn from Philippians 4:18 and Ephesians 5:2, signifying the Eucharistic sacrifice as pleasing and acceptable to God.

3. The Priest’s Final Private Prayer of Preparation

“Unto Thee we commend all our life and hope…”

This prayer is one of deep humility and interior self-offering, requesting that the faithful be granted to approach the Mysteries:

• With a clean conscience (cf. Hebrews 10:22)
  
  

• Unto forgiveness of sins
  
  

• Unto communion of the Holy Spirit
  
  

• Unto inheritance of the Kingdom of Heaven
  
  

• Not unto judgment nor unto condemnation (cf. 1 Cor. 11:27–29)
  
  

This reflects a central Orthodox principle: the Eucharist is life-giving only when received in faith, repentance, and humility. The danger of unworthy reception is not minimized in Orthodox liturgy—it is taken with great seriousness.

4. The Expanded Petitions: “Grant this, O Lord”

These beautifully ordered supplications serve as a spiritual checklist before Communion and also as a model of Christian life:

• A perfect, holy, peaceful, and sinless day — to live each day as liturgy.
  
  

• An angel of peace — echoing Psalm 91:11 and Hebrews 1:14, this is a prayer for divine protection and guidance.
  
  

• Forgiveness of sins — acknowledging that the greatest preparation for Communion is sincere repentance.
  
  

• All things good and profitable for our souls — placing the emphasis not on material needs, but on what leads to salvation.
  
  

• Peaceful end of life — asking for a Christian ending: painless, unashamed, with a good defense before the Judgment Seat of Christ. This underscores the eschatological character of the Divine Liturgy: to commune with Christ now is to prepare for eternity with Him.
  
  

5. Conclusion: Unity of Faith and Final Entrusting

The final petition draws all these intentions into a singular spiritual act:

“Having asked for the unity of the faith and the communion of the Holy Spirit, let us commend ourselves and each other and all our life unto Christ our God.”

This reiterates the communal nature of salvation: we do not stand before the chalice as isolated individuals, but as members of the Body of Christ, in unity of belief (ὁμόνοια πίστεως) and in shared participation (κοινωνία) in the Holy Spirit. The act of "commending ourselves" echoes the kenotic attitude of Christ, entrusting our life fully to God’s mercy and will.

Theological Summary

This part of the Divine Liturgy is a moment of spiritual purification and final inner readiness before the culmination of the Eucharistic celebration. It balances:

Part 31: Final Commemorations and Prayer for Unity in Worship.

 

1. “Among the first, remember, O Lord…” Commemoration of the Hierarchy

The priest’s exclamation, “Among the first, remember, O Lord, our lord, the Most Reverend…” introduces a vital moment of the Liturgy: the commemoration of the canonical episcopal authority under which the Eucharist is being offered. This is a prayer for the presiding bishop or metropolitan and any other bishop in jurisdiction, that God may “grant unto Thy holy churches in peace, safety, honor, health, and length of days, rightly dividing the word of Thy truth.”

This prayer has a profound ecclesiological significance. In Orthodox theology, the unity of the Church is expressed not abstractly, but concretely through communion with the bishop, who himself is in communion with the wider episcopacy of the Orthodox Church. The priest, though celebrant at the altar, does so in the name of and under the authority of the bishop, who is the true liturgical president of the Eucharist—even if not physically present.

The phrase “rightly dividing the word of Thy truth” is a biblical allusion to 2 Timothy 2:15, where St. Paul exhorts Timothy to rightly handle the word of truth. This is a petition for doctrinal fidelity and fearless preaching of the Gospel—an essential function of the episcopacy.

2. The Deacon’s Commemoration and “And All Mankind”

At this point, the deacon remembers the living—naming, if desired, those who have requested prayers. This moment of intercession links the gathered Church to the entire Body of Christ on earth, encompassing those who are suffering, laboring, traveling, or ministering.

The choir’s response, “And all mankind” (καὶ πάντων καὶ πασῶν in Greek), is a powerful reminder that the Eucharistic prayer is not limited to the faithful present in the temple, but embraces all humanity. This echoes the Orthodox understanding of the Church as the sacrament of the world’s salvation. Even those who do not know Christ are remembered in this sacred moment.

3. “Remember, O Lord…” — Prayers for the Living

The priest then continues with a series of intercessions for the city, every city and country, and “those who in faith dwell therein.” The Church prays not just for the faithful within her walls, but for all people, society, and the local context in which the Church is embedded. This is a liturgical act of love and mission, grounded in the incarnational vision of Orthodoxy—God came to redeem all of humanity, not a select few.

The prayer goes on to name specific categories of people:

• Those who travel by land, sea, or air — recognizing the dangers of travel and the human longing for safety and return.
  
  

• The sick, the suffering, and the captives — recalling Christ’s ministry to the afflicted and imprisoned.
  
  

• Those who do good works in the Church, and those who remember the needy — recognizing the synergy between liturgical life and diakonia (service).
  
  

These prayers mirror the compassionate universality of Christ, who Himself remembered and ministered to each of these categories during His earthly life.

4. “Grant us with one mouth and one heart…” — Prayer for Liturgical Unity

The final portion of this section is a doxological and eschatological petition:

“And grant us with one mouth and one heart to glorify and hymn Thine all-honorable and majestic name…”

Here, the Church prays for unity of spirit and of confession—that the faithful may offer the Eucharistic praise not with scattered minds or divided hearts, but as one body, gathered in the name of the Holy Trinity. This echoes Romans 15:6: “That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

This unity is not a mere social ideal but is made possible by the Eucharist itself—which unites all believers in Christ through partaking of His one Body and Blood. It is a foretaste of the heavenly liturgy, in which every tongue and nation will glorify the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Conclusion

This segment of the Divine Liturgy reveals the expansive breadth of Orthodox intercessory prayer. From the hierarchical structure of the Church to the farthest corners of the world, from travelers to the sick and suffering, from bishops to civil authorities, everyone is brought to the foot of the altar. It is a vision of the Church not turned inward, but one deeply engaged with the world, offering up the needs, the praises, and the very lives of all people into the hands of the Triune God. This final crescendo of intercession sets the stage for the final preparation to receive the Holy Gifts—unified in voice, mind, and heart.