This sacred post-Communion portion of the Divine Liturgy—the Thanksgiving and Dismissal of the Holy Gifts—is no mere epilogue. It is a liturgical epiclesis in reverse, a descending procession of grace from heaven to earth, whereby what has just been mystically received now takes root and bears fruit in the life of the Church. Here, the theological dimensions of Resurrection, sanctification, and communion are poetically and powerfully confessed. The faithful, having communed of Christ’s very Body and Blood, now offer praise not as outsiders or petitioners, but as sharers in the Paschal victory.
The Hymns of the Resurrection: Eucharistic Realization of Pascha
Immediately after the reception of the Holy Mysteries, the deacon lifts the diskos (paten) over the chalice and begins the Resurrection hymns, first among them:
"Having beheld the Resurrection of Christ, let us bow down before the holy Lord Jesus, the only sinless One..."
This hymn, chanted throughout the Paschal season, is now sung as a post-Communion confession, signifying that the faithful have not only seen the Resurrection in word and sacrament—they have beheld it in the Mystical Supper. St. John Chrysostom writes,
“The altar is an altar of sacrifice and of resurrection: for Christ, who was slain, is risen again, and gives Himself to us.” (Homily 3 on Ephesians)
In the Eucharist, the Church mystically participates in the death and resurrection of the Lord: the crucified Christ, slain on the Cross, is the very risen Christ whom we receive. This is no memory—it is anamnesis, a sacramental making-present of the mystery of our salvation. Therefore, we worship Christ’s Resurrection not only as a past event, but as a present reality made accessible in the chalice.
The hymn Shine, shine, O New Jerusalem… is taken from the Paschal Canon of St. John of Damascus and draws our gaze upward to the eschaton, where the Eucharist will be fully realized in the eternal Day of the Lord:
“O Great and Most Holy Pascha, O Christ: Wisdom and Word of God and Power, grant us truly to partake of Thee in the day without evening of Thy Kingdom.”
Here, the Eucharist is revealed to be an eschatological Mystery—a foretaste of the “marriage supper of the Lamb” (Rev. 19:9). St. Gregory the Theologian proclaims,
“We keep the feast now in a shadow, but then we shall do so face to face. Now dimly, but then clearly. Now in types, but then in truth.” (Oration 45: On Holy Pascha)
The Cleansing of the Sacred Vessels: Mystical Solidarity
As the deacon wipes the diskos with the sponge, he prays:
“Wash away, O Lord, the sins of all those here commemorated by Thy precious Blood, through the prayers of Thy saints.”
This seemingly simple act is deeply theological. The diskos, which bore the Lamb of God and the commemorative particles (for the living and the dead), now becomes the site of intercession. The washing away of the particles symbolizes the cleansing of souls by the Blood of Christ. It is a gesture of mystical solidarity: the whole Church—militant and triumphant—is purified together in Christ.
St. Cyril of Jerusalem writes,
“When the oblation is sanctified, we become partakers of the body and blood of Christ… we also commemorate those who have fallen asleep before us, for we believe that it will be of the greatest benefit to their souls.” (Mystagogical Catechesis 5.9)
Thus, the Eucharist unites the living and the dead in a single communion of grace, offered in Christ’s eternal intercession.
Final Doxologies: Revelation of the Trinity
The priest turns to bless the people and exclaims:
“O God, save Thy people, and bless Thine inheritance.”
The faithful have become the inheritance of the Lord, sealed by the sacrament. The altar is censed three times—a trinitarian gesture—and the choir responds with one of the most radiant post-Communion hymns:
“We have seen the true Light. We have received the heavenly Spirit. We have found the true Faith, worshipping the undivided Trinity, who hath saved us.”
This hymn reveals the Trinitarian fullness of the Eucharist. To commune with Christ is to receive the Spirit and glorify the Father. The Eucharist is not merely a sacrament of union with Christ—it is a participation in the very life of the Trinity. As St. Basil the Great teaches:
“Through the Son we are brought to the Father, and in the Spirit we are made partakers of the divine nature.” (On the Holy Spirit, ch. 16)
The Eucharist is, in this sense, a theophany—not of Christ alone, but of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the one undivided Godhead revealed in grace.
The Translation of the Gifts and Thanksgiving
The priest now lifts the diskos and places it reverently on the deacon’s head, who processes with it back to the prothesis (the preparation table). This silent and solemn act signifies the completion of the sacrificial rite and the return of the holy Gifts to their origin. The sacred is not discarded—it is preserved in mystery. The priest follows with the chalice, whispering,
“Blessed is our God,” then exclaims: “Always, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.”
This exclamation affirms that the grace received in the Eucharist is not fleeting—it is eternal. What has been begun in this Liturgy will continue “unto the ages of ages,” until the Lord returns.
The final thanksgiving hymn, Let our mouths be filled with Thy praise, O Lord… is the natural fruit of communion. Now, having eaten the immortal Mysteries, the Church becomes a temple of ceaseless praise. This is the echo of the heavenly liturgy described in Revelation:
“And they sang a new song before the throne…” (Rev. 14:3)
Here the faithful, now fed with incorruptible food, beg to remain in that holiness:
“Preserve us in Thy holiness, that all the day long we may meditate on Thy righteousness.”
As St. John Chrysostom exhorts,
“You have received the Body of Christ. Take care not to lose it by careless living. You have become temples of Christ. Be holy!” (Homily 24 on 1 Corinthians)
Conclusion: From Communion to Mission
Thus, this post-Communion rite is not merely a conclusion—it is a commissioning. The Church, renewed in the Blood of the Lamb, is now sent into the world as a living icon of the Resurrection. The faithful, having “seen the true Light,” are called to become that light in a dark world.
The Divine Liturgy, then, does not end with “Amen.” It ends with a life transformed—by communion with Christ, empowered by the Spirit, and directed toward the Kingdom that has no evening.
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