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.