thee, to bless thee, praise thee, and give thanks to thee in all places...." And so the Eucharistic prayer continues. This first part (our Preface) never changes in the Byzantine rite. It is said silently by the priest, and he only raises his voice at the words: "Crying, singing, proclaiming the hymn of victory and saying:" Ch. "Holy, holy, holy," &c.; just as in our Mass. At the end of a short prayer the priest says the words of institution aloud, and each time the choir answers Amen.[1] After another short prayer,[2] comes the Epiklesis (p. 386, n. 3), the deacon each time saying: "Bless, Master, the holy bread," or "the holy chalice," and waving the ripidion. The deacon incenses the Blessed Sacrament, and the royal doors are thrown open. Then comes the memory of the living and dead, a blessing of the people, and the doors are shut. After another litany (for which the deacon goes out into the choir), a reader says the Our Father. The doors are opened, the deacon arranges his orarion around his body, goes back to the altar, and says, "Let us attend." Then the priest slightly elevates the diskos and chalice, saying, "Holy things to the holy," and the choir goes on, "One only is holy, one only Lord, Jesus Christ in the glory of the Father. Amen." The doors are again shut. The priest breaks the Host by the crosses on it, and says, "The Lamb of God is broken and distributed," &c. He then puts the fractions marked IE. into the chalice and the deacon pours in a little hot water.[3] The choir sings the kinonikon (a short verse), and the priest comes to the communion. He says: "Behold I come to Christ, our immortal King and God," takes a part marked XC., says: "The precious and most holy Body of Jesus Christ, Lord and God and Saviour, is given to me, N., priest, for the forgiveness of my sins, and for life everlasting," and receives Holy Communion. He then gives communion in
- ↑ The Uniate Euchologion prints the words of institution in capitals (μικρὸν ἐυχολόγιον, Rome, 1872, p. 39), and the Uniates make a prostration after saying them. The Orthodox books print them straight on in the same type, and add as a footnote the rubric quoted on p. 387.
- ↑ The ἁναμίμνησις, memory of our Lord's passion death, resurrection, and ascension (our Unde et Memores).
- ↑ This rite of adding hot water to the chalice is a very old peculiarity of the Byzantine Liturgy.
