The Canon of Preparation for Holy Communion
ODE 1 (Tone 2)
Irmos: Come, O people, let us sing a hymn to Christ God, Who divided the sea and guided the people whom He led out of the bondage of Egypt, for He has glorified Himself!
✠Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me!
May Thy Holy Body and Precious Blood, O Lord, be my Bread of everlasting life, healing me of various afflictions!
✠Cast me not away from Thy presence, and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me!
Make me worthy to partake of Thy Most Pure Body and Divine Blood, O Christ, for I am unworthy and accursed, defiled by unseemly deeds.
✠Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Thou art the good soil, Blesséd Bride of God, which bore the Ear of Grain, the Savior of the world, Which sprang from thine untilled field! Grant that I may be saved by eating It!
ODE 3
Irmos: Having established me on the rock of Faith, Thou hast strengthened me against my enemies! My spirit rejoices when I sing: There is none holy as our God, and none more righteous than Thou, O Lord!
✠Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me!
Give me tears, O Christ, to cleanse the filth from my heart! Then, cleansed and with a good conscience, may I come with fear and faith to partake of Thy Divine Gifts, O Master!
✠Cast me not away from Thy presence, and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me!
O Lover of Mankind, may Thy Most Pure Body and Divine Blood be for the remission of my sins, the Communion of the Holy Spirit, life everlasting, and estrangement from passions and sorrows!
✠Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Most Holy Table of the Heavenly Bread Which mercifully came down from on high, giving new life to the world; grant that I, who am unworthy, may now taste of Him in fear and live!
ODE 4
Irmos: Thou didst not come as an emissary or an Angel, Lord, but from a Virgin, taking flesh and saving the fullness of my humanity! I therefore call out to Thee: Glory to Thy power, O Lord!
✠Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me!
Because of human sins, Thou didst will to be slaughtered like a lamb, Most Merciful One Who wast incarnate for us! I pray, therefore: cleanse my sins as well!
✠Cast me not away from Thy presence, and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me!
Heal the wounds of my soul, Lord, and fully sanctify me! Grant, Master, that I, who am wretched, may partake of Thy Divine Mystical Supper!
✠Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Incline towards me, O Lady, the One Who came from thy womb! Keep me, thy servant, undefiled and spotless, that I may be sanctified by receiving the Spiritual Pearl!
ODE 5
Irmos: Guide us in the light of Thy commandments, O Lord, the Giver of Light and Creator of the Universe! For we know no other God than Thee!
✠Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me!
As Thou didst foretell, O Christ, so may it be with Thine inadequate servant, and abide in me according to Thy promise: for behold, I eat Thy Flesh and drink Thy Blood!
✠Cast me not away from Thy presence, and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me!
May the Burning Coal of Thy Body, O God and Word of God, be a Light in my darkness, and may Thy Blood be the Cleansing of my defiled soul!
✠Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
O Mary, Mother of God, Precious Tabernacle of the Divine Fragrance: make me a chosen vessel, by thy prayers, that I may partake of the Consecrated Elements of thy Son!
ODE 6
Irmos: Sunk in the depths of sin, I call on the unfathomable abyss of Thy compassion: Deliver me from destruction, O God!
✠Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me!
Sanctify my mind, soul, heart, and body, O Savior! Grant, Master, that I may draw near, uncondemned, to the Dread Mysteries!
✠Cast me not away from Thy presence, and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me!
By partaking of Thy Holy Mysteries, O Christ, may I be estranged from passions, joined to Thy Grace, and confirmed in life!
✠Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Through the prayers of Thy Holy Mother, O God, the Holy Word of God, sanctify me wholly as I come to Thy Divine Mysteries!
✠Lord, have mercy! (3 times)
✠Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Kontakion, Tone 2:
Do not judge me unworthy to receive Thy Body and Divine Blood at this time! May the Communion of Thy Most Pure and Dread Mysteries not be to my condemnation, though I am wretched. Be It rather for eternal and everlasting life!
ODE 7
Irmos: The most wise youths would not serve the golden idol, but walked into the flames themselves, scorning the pagan gods! They sang amid the flames and an Angel bedewed them with the words: “The prayer of your lips has been heard!”
✠Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me!
May this Communion of Thine Immortal Mysteries, the Fountain of Good, O Christ, be my Light, my Life, and my Dispassion! May it lead to progress and the increase of divine virtues, only Good One, that I may glorify Thee!
✠Cast me not away from Thy presence, and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me!
As I draw near to Thine Immortal and Divine Mysteries with love and trembling, may I be delivered from passions, enemies, want, and every sorrow! Grant that I may sing to Thee: Blessed art Thou, O Lord God of our Fathers!
✠Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
To thee who art Full of the Grace of God and bore Christ the Savior beyond understanding, I thy servant pray — the impure praying to the Pure One: cleanse me, who now wish to draw near to the Most Pure Mysteries, from all defilement of flesh and spirit!
ODE 8
Irmos: God came down upon the Hebrew youths in the fiery furnace and changed the flames into dew! Praise the acts of the Lord, and exalt Him throughout all ages!
✠Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me!
O God, my Savior, allow me in my present despair to be a partaker of Thy Heavenly, Awesome, and Holy Mysteries and of Thy Divine and Mystical Supper, O Christ!
✠Cast me not away from Thy presence, and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me!
Having run to Thy kindness, O Good One, I cry out to Thee in fear: be in me and I in Thee, as Thou didst say, O Savior! Behold: emboldened by Thy mercy, I eat Thy Flesh and drink Thy Blood!
✠Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
I tremble when I partake of Fire, for fear that I might burn like wax or grass! O the Awesome Mysteries! O the kind-heartedness of God! How can I, who am clay, commune of the Divine Body and Blood and become incorruptible?!
ODE 9
Irmos: Our God and Lord, the Son of the Eternal Father, revealed Himself to us! He was Incarnate of a Virgin that He might enlighten those in darkness and gather those who were scattered! We therefore magnify the All-Hymned Theotokos!
✠Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me!
Taste and see that this is Christ, the Lord Who of old became like us for us, and Who, having once offered Himself as an Offering to His Father, is forever immolated, sanctifying communicants!
✠Cast me not away from Thy presence, and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me!
May I be sanctified in soul and body, Master! May I be enlightened! May I be saved! May I become Thy dwelling through Communion of the Sacred Mysteries, having Thee living in me with the Father and the Spirit, O Most Merciful Benefactor!
✠Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
May Thy Body and Most Pure Blood, my Savior, be to me as fire and light! May they set flame to my sinful matter, burning the thorns of passions and fully enlightening me to worship Thy Divinity!
✠Now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
God took flesh of thy pure blood! Every race therefore hymns thee, O Theotokos, and the intelligent multitudes glorify thee; for through thee we beheld the Ruler of All becoming substance in humanity!