From the light came the Father. From the darkness, the Mother. That is both the beginning and the end.
THE HOLY SCRIPTURES
Prije otprilike tisuću godina Prvi Prorok se u ime Svjetla i Oca borio protiv Tame i tamne Majke. Protiv Zla, Vještica i heretika, protiv neprijatelja Očeve crkve. I pobijedio. Obranio je Bethel, svoj narod i postao Prvi Prorok i utemeljitelj Crkve koja štiti svoje Stado od zla.
Ustanovio je puritansko bogobojazno društvo u kojem se štuje Otac, gdje se svi pobožno drže Svetog Protokola, gdje Dobri Otac sve vidi i sve ih jako voli, čak i kad ih zbog te ljubavi žive spaljuje jer su se usudili misliti svojom glavom. Ili zbog grijeha vlastite krvi.
Grijeh je pobjeći iz Bethela, grijeh je otvarati svoje misli tamnoj Majci. Grijeh je ulaziti u Darkwood, šumu koja okružuje Bethel i preko koje se može doći u vanjske gradove. Strah je ono što već tisuću godina stanovnike Bethela drži podalje od proklete šume.
According to legends and the Holy Scriptures, the Darkwood like all of the cursed and wreched things of the world, had been spawned by the Dark Mother, goddess of the hells. While the Good Father wrought the world with light and flame, breathing life into the dust, She summoned Her evils from the shadows, birthing legions of beasts and demons, mangled creatures and crawling things that lurked in the festering half-wprld between the living and the dead.
Imanuelle Moore ima 17 godina. Majka joj je umrla na porodu, a oca su joj živog spalili jer se usudio dirnuti Prorokovu zaručnicu. Činjenica da se njena majka nije željela udati za Proroka nikoga nije zanimala. Grijeh je odbiti Proroka. Svaka djevojka koja mu uspije zapeti za oko smatra se sretnicom – biti sljedeća u nizu Prorokovih žena, rađati mu djecu, živjeti u Prorokovu Raju, u izobilju i zaštićena od svakog zla – to je vrhovna milost.
Milost koju trenutno uživa njena najbolja prijateljica – Leah. Leah će na čelu dobiti nožem urezan znak zvijezde koji će je obilježiti kao najnoviju Prorokovu suprugu. Prekrasna Leah čija priča također nosi strahovito mnogo bola i srama kojeg ne smije nikome priznati nema pojma što je još čeka.
Ali Imanuelle čak ne može ni nadati se da će postati nečija žena – još nije prokrvarila, a osim toga i izgledom je drugačija od čistokrvnih Bethelskih žena – nije svjetlokosa i svjetloputa, već tamne puti i tamne kose što ukazuje na njeno ne baš čisto porijeklo… Porijeklo Outlandera.
Odgojili su je baka i djed – nekadašnji Prvi apostol sadašnjeg Proroka koji je zbačen s položaja zbog sramote vlastite kćeri – kćeri koja se odbijala udati za Proroka, zaljubila u stranca i pokušala Proroku prerezati grkljan. A kad to nije uspjela, nakon smrti svog dragog, trudna i iscrpljena, gonjena osvetom – utočište je potražila u tamnoj šumi. I dobila ga.
She has been used, betrayed by her mother, sold to the witches. And now – as if her fate wasn’t cruel enough – she would watch in silent suffering as everything she loved and cared for was gutted and slaughterred and picked to pieces. Then, once the plagues were finally over, she would remain, a lone survivor amidst the bones and ashes.
Ono što Imanuelle ne zna, ali uskoro će saznati je to da u šumi još uvijek obitavaju Lillith i njezin koven – negdje između sna i jave gdje vladaju Majčinim predjelima tame. One su odavno mrtve, ali ipak nisu. One su iste one vještice koje je Prvi Prorok porazio da bi otjerao tamu. Ljubavnice, Vodena vještica i Lillith – Vještičja Kraljica – čekale su Imanuelle godinama. U trenutku kad prijeđe granicu šume, Imanuelle će napokon popustiti davnom zovu, nečemu što je oduvijek vuče, iako je pokušavala biti dobra, i moliti i vjerovati i biti poslušna. Vještice će Imanuelle vratiti majčin dnevnik. Zašto? S dobrim razlogom.
Imanuelle nije poput ostalih. Imanuelle ima vještičje krvi. I možda je zato ne zasljepljuju dvoličnost i borba za moć ljubljene Crkve niti takozvana volja “Dobrog” Oca. Kroz priču vlastite majke koja joj je u naslijeđe ostavila osvetu, Imanuelle će prozreti priču raznih Proroka i njihovih nastojanja. Također će shvatiti da se cijela povijest Bethela temeljila na patnjama žena, djevojaka, djevojčica – koje su na svojim leđima nosile teret ugnjetavanja, maltretiranja i zatiranja pod krinkom Božje volje, Svetih Protokola i Prorokovih riječi.
Ono što joj je majka ostavila u naslijeđe – strašna je osveta kroz 4 pošasti koja će snaći i uništiti Bethel, a u čijem središtu je sama Imanuelle.
This was the great shame of Bethel : complacency and complicity that were responsible for the deaths of generations of girls. It was the sicknessthat placed the pride of men before the innocence they were sworn to protect. It was a structure that exploited the weakest among them for the benefit of those born to power.
Vode će se ispuniti krvlju, nakon toga ljudi obolijevati. Tama će se spustiti na Bethel i nestat će sunce, a na kraju – Pokolj.
Sve što Imanuelle zna je da jedino ona može prekinuti kletvu. No pitanje je – želi li to? Želi li spasiti pedofilskog i pokvarenog poglavara Crkve koja postoji samo zbog sebe? Želi li da se zločini nad djevojčicama i djevojkama, ženama i dalje nekažnjeno odvijaju? Želi li da se i dalje šuti i ljudima mažu oči pod krinkom Svetog?
Ali ako ne učini ništa, nastradat će svi. I nevini. I njene dvije male sestre, baka i druga djedova supruga – Anna. Nastradat će Leah… I Ezra.
Prorokov sin Ezra, nasljednik svog oca koji se upravo uzdiže u moći jer s njegovom prvom vizijom moć prijašnjeg Proroka slabi i nestaje. Može li se sadašnji Prorok pomiriti s tim? Ili će zloupotreba položaja ići tako daleko da žrtvuje vlastitog sina?
So, you’d have me cut? – Imanuelle asked, barely breathing. You’d have me streched across the cathedral altar like a lamb for the gutting? Dp yu expect me to sit there in that prison of a keep, meek and quiet and minding my tongue? And do what? Pray? Mourn? Pity myself to pass the time, while the plagues rage and ravage everything in their path?
Nekim čudom, Ezra joj je saveznik. On vidi u što se pretvorila Crkva, sumnja da je od početka bila upravo takva. Koristoljubiva. Gladna moći. Željna vladanja. Nezasitna, lakoma i zavidna. I očajna to sve zadržati tako da stalno iznova neukom i lakovjernom puku nameće strah.
Ezra shvaća da je ključ spasa svih njih u Imanuelle, no hoće li joj on moći pomoći ili će samo i sebe i nju osuditi na lomaču? Kako će njih dvoje protiv čitavog svijeta, protiv zla koje ih pritišće?
Svaka priča ima dvije strane. Je li to što obitava u šumama oko Bethela i ne želi priznati poraz, je li ta davna mračna magija zbilja ono što je u cijeloj priči ono što je zlo? Želi li možda nešto drugo? Napokon, te vještice su živjele među običnim pukom, rađale djecu i stvarale sebi dom dok ih praznovjerje, strah, predrasude i manipulacija muškaraca nisu uništili. Ne žele li one samo pravdu, iako možda na krivi način, kroz osvetu, kroz Imanuelle?
I have seen the beasts of the wood. I have seen the spirits that lurk between the trees and swam with the demons of the deep water. I have watched the dead walk on human feet, kept company with the cursed and crucified, the predators and their prey. I have known the night and I have called it my friend.
Stoljeća ugnjetavanja uzet će svoj danak. Odluka je na jednoj djevojci. Ono što će Imanuelle doznati o sebi, o svom porijeklu, o tami u šumi, o Crkvi, Dobrom Ocu i Tamnoj Majci, način na koji će to doznati, sve što nosi u sebi godinama, sve to vodi negdje… Pitanje je što i čiju pomoć će Imanuelle na kraju prihvatiti. U kojem smjeru krenuti? Koje žrtve platiti?
And on that day, when the dark has passed and the sun has risen again, the sins of the deceivers will be brought to light and the truth will emerge from the shadows.
The Year of the Witching će vrlo vjerojatno zauzeti mjesto u top 3 najbolje pročitane knjige ove godine. Ova mračna, feministička, gotička, atmosferična priča držala me napeto uz knjigu sve dok nisam došla do kraja. Ima ono nešto, onu feminističku notu u obliku žene koja se ne da zaj…, ima magične momente, ima vještice koje su personifikacija zla sve dok to ne prestanu biti, ima pouku, mračnu i duboku i upozorenje koje u današnjim vremenima zvoni na uzbunu. Ako uzmemo u obzir da je ovo i debitanski roman, moram reći da je sasvim zasluženo pokupio od mene peticu, bez obzira na neke manje propuste. Miriši mi na nastavke. Na prequel, sequel i sve moguće varijante.
No, ovdje se ne radi o klasičnoj borbi dobra i zla. I ama baš ništa nije onako kako se na prvi pogled čini. I to je ono što me kupilo. Negdje sam pročitala da je ovaj roman kombinacija Sluškinjine priče i Vještica iz Salema i stvarno u tome ima nešto. Zatiranje ženske prirode, podčinjavanje, uvjeravanje žena da nisu za drugo nego za rađanje i kuhanje, progoni vještica, manipuliranje narodom samo u svrhu učvršćivanja moći i pozicije vladanja – Alexis Henderson je sve to vješto uplela u priču prepunu magije, traženja samih sebe, u ono što bi trebali shvatiti odmah na početku – da moramo u sebi pomiriti i svijetlost i tamu. Jer to je ono što oduvijek nosimo u sebi. To je ono što ne želimo priznati, nijekanje tamnog u sebi niječe našu vlastitu bit. Tako je i ovdje – toliko svi žele hodati putem svjetla da će prigrliti i najcrnju tamu ako će im ona biti servirana kao svjetlost, kao nešto što će im omogućiti opstanak u ovakvoj suludoj, zatvorenoj, otuđenoj puritanskoj zajednici. I onda pukne.
A kad pukne…. Kad pukne, dobijete Imanuelle i njezino naslijeđe. Dobijete doba promjena, doba rušenja, doba ponovne izgradnje. Dobijete – The Year of the Witching.
Preporuka do neba.
Kisi.
Life&Socks 
FACTA : Preghiere per le anime del purgatorio”
ftm20 StpomnisorueidiSm · ✨ la visione del purgatorio ✨
“Vidi l’Angelo Custode, che mi ordinò di seguirlo.
In un momento mi trovai in un luogo nebbioso, invaso dal fuoco e, in esso, una folla enorme di Anime sofferenti.
Queste Anime pregano con grande fervore, ma senza efficacia per se stesse: soltanto noi le possiamo aiutare.
Le fiamme che bruciavano loro,
non mi toccavano.
Il mio Angelo Custode non mi
abbandonò un solo istante.
E chiesi a quelle Anime
quale fosse il loro maggior tormento ed unanimamente mi risposero che il loro maggior tormento è l’ardente desiderio di Dio.
Scorsi la Madonna che visitava le anime del purgatorio, le Anime chiamano Maria
«Stella del Mare», ella reca loro refrigerio.
Avrei voluto parlare più a lungo con loro, ma il mio
Angelo Custode mi fece cenno d’uscire.
Ed uscimmo
dalla porta di quella prigione di dolore. Udii nel mio intimo una voce che disse: «La Mia Misericordia non vuole questo, ma lo esige la Giustizia»”.
Dal Diario di
Santa Faustina Kowalska
Cari amici se potete oggi donare alle povere anime anche una sola Ave Maria per noi è un piccolo sacrificio per esse è un sollievo immenso che solo in paradiso scopriremo l’effetto divino della nostra preghiera 🙏 Visa mindre
Preghiere per le anime del purgatorio”
ftm20 StpomnisorueidiSm · ✨ la visione del purgatorio ✨
“Vidi l’Angelo Custode, che mi ordinò di seguirlo.
In un momento mi trovai in un luogo nebbioso, invaso dal fuoco e, in esso, una folla enorme di Anime sofferenti.
Queste Anime pregano con grande fervore, ma senza efficacia per se stesse: soltanto noi le possiamo aiutare.
Le fiamme che bruciavano loro,
non mi toccavano.
Il mio Angelo Custode non mi
abbandonò un solo istante.
E chiesi a quelle Anime
quale fosse il loro maggior tormento ed unanimamente mi risposero che il loro maggior tormento è l’ardente desiderio di Dio.
Scorsi la Madonna che visitava le anime del purgatorio, le Anime chiamano Maria
«Stella del Mare», ella reca loro refrigerio.
Avrei voluto parlare più a lungo con loro, ma il mio
Angelo Custode mi fece cenno d’uscire.
Ed uscimmo
dalla porta di quella prigione di dolore. Udii nel mio intimo una voce che disse: «La Mia Misericordia non vuole questo, ma lo esige la Giustizia»”.
Dal Diario di
Santa Faustina Kowalska
Cari amici se potete oggi donare alle povere anime anche una sola Ave Maria per noi è un piccolo sacrificio per esse è un sollievo immenso che solo in paradiso scopriremo l’effetto divino della nostra preghiera 🙏 Visa mindre
Preghiere per le anime del purgatorio”tSpons1ioa9 trrtielmold ·✨ la visione del purgatorio ✨“Vidi l’Angelo Custode, che mi ordinò di seguirlo.In un momento mi trovai in un luogo nebbioso, invaso dal fuoco e, in esso, una folla enorme di Anime sofferenti.Queste Anime pregano con grande fervore, ma senza efficacia per se stesse: soltanto noi le possiamo aiutare.Le fiamme che bruciavano loro,non mi toccavano.Il mio Angelo Custode non miabbandonò un solo istante.E chiesi a quelle Animequale fosse il loro maggior tormento ed unanimamente mi risposero che il loro maggior tormento è l’ardente desiderio di Dio.Scorsi la Madonna che visitava le anime del purgatorio, le Anime chiamano Maria«Stella del Mare», ella reca loro refrigerio.Avrei voluto parlare più a lungo con loro, ma il mioAngelo Custode mi fece cenno d’uscire.Ed uscimmodalla porta di quella prigione di dolore. Udii nel mio intimo una voce che disse: «La Mia Misericordia non vuole questo, ma lo esige la Giustizia»”.Dal Diario diSanta Faustina KowalskaCari amici se potete oggi donare alle povere anime anche una sola Ave Maria per noi è un piccolo sacrificio per esse è un sollievo immenso che solo in paradiso scopriremo l’effetto divino della nostra preghiera 🙏 Visa mindreKommentarerSuzana MonikaAmen Thanksgiving after CommunionFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaJump to navigationJump to searchThis article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.Find sources: “Thanksgiving after Communion” – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (August 2016) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)Thanksgiving after Communion is a spiritual practice among Christians who believe in the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Communion bread, maintaining themselves in prayer for some time to thank God and especially listening in their hearts for guidance from their Divine guest. This practice was and is highly recommended by saints, theologians, and Doctors of the Church.Contents1 Basis of the practice2 Practice of the saints3 Length of time4 Prayer during thanksgiving4.1 Catholic4.2 Anglican4.3 Lutheran4.4 Eastern Orthodox5 See also6 References7 External linksBasis of the practiceSt. John Chrysostom: “When we have received the precious Body of Jesus Christ, we should take care not to lose its heavenly flavor by turning too soon to the cares and business of the world.”[1]In John 6:51, Jesus is quoted as saying, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.” According to Catholic doctrine, bread is transubstantiated into the “Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ.” The same holds true for the wine, which in Catholic doctrine is also “the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ”.Pope John-Paul II in Inaestimabile Donum (Instruction Concerning Worship of the Eucharistic Mystery) emphasized the importance of adoration and prayer after Holy Communion.[2] “The faithful are to be recommended not to omit to make a proper thanksgiving after Communion. They may do this during the celebration with a period of silence, with a hymn, psalm or other song of praise, or also after the celebration, if possible by staying behind to pray for a suitable time.”[3]Reverence is that virtue which inclines a person to show honor and respect to God. According to Francis Cardinal Arinze, prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments,Thanksgiving after Mass has traditionally been greatly esteemed in the Church for both the priest and the lay faithful. The missal and the breviary even suggest prayers for the priest before and after the Eucharistic celebration. There is no reason to believe that this is no longer needed. Indeed in our noisy world of today, such moments of reflective and loving prayers would seem indicated more than even before.[4]Pope Benedict XVI in Sacramentum Caritatis referred to the “precious time of thanksgiving after communion,” urging everyone to preserve the importance of Communion as “a personal encounter with the Lord Jesus in the sacrament.” He recommended that during this time “it can also be most helpful to remain recollected in silence.”[5]Fr. Michael Muller, CSSR, explained the basis thus:When the Blessed Virgin Mary visited St. Elizabeth, the aged Saint was astonished at the condescension of the glorious Mother of God, and said: “Whence is this to me, that the Mother of my God should come to me?” Now, in Holy Communion, it is the Lord Himself that comes to us. To remain indifferent after having received the Blessed Eucharist is to show either a total want of faith or a levity and stupidity unworthy of a reasonable being. …What a spectacle for the Angels, to see a creature approach that Sacred Host before which they bow in lowliest adoration … leave the church with as much unconcern as if he had but partaken of ordinary bread![1]Practice of the saintsSt. Thomas Aquinas (+1274) composed a Prayer of Thanksgiving after Communion that became a classic:I thank You, O holy Lord, almighty Father, eternal God, who have deigned, not through any merits of mine, but out of the condescension of Your goodness, to satisfy me a sinner, Your unworthy servant, with the precious Body and Blood of Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. I pray that this Holy Communion be not a condemnation to punishment for me, but a saving plea to forgiveness. May it be to me the armor of faith and the shield of a good will. May it be the emptying out of my vices and the extinction of all lustful desires; and increase of charity and patience, of humility and obedience, and all virtues; a strong defense against the snares of all my enemies, visible and invisible; the perfect quieting of all my evil impulses of flesh and spirit, binding me firmly to You, the one true God; and a happy ending of my life. I pray too that You will deign to bring me, a sinner, to that ineffable banquet where You with Your Son and the Holy Spirit, are to your Saints true light, fulfillment of desires, eternal joy, unalloyed gladness, and perfect bliss. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.[6]Teresa of ÁvilaAfter receiving Communion, many of the saints would spend an extended time of thanksgiving. Magdalena de Pazzi wrote, “The minutes that follow Communion are the most precious we have in our lives.”[7] St. Teresa of Ávila urged her daughters not to rush out after Mass but to treasure the opportunity for thanksgiving: “Let us detain ourselves lovingly with Jesus,” she said, “and not waste the hour that follows Communion.”[7] St. Louis de Montfort wrote, “I would not give up this hour of Thanksgiving even for an hour of Paradise.”[7]Philip Neri once sent two acolytes with candles to accompany a member of his congregation who had left the church without any adoration after Mass.[2] The man returned to the church to find out St. Philip’s purpose. The Saint answered, “We have to pay proper respect to Our Lord, Whom you are carrying away with you. Since you neglect to adore Him, I sent two acolytes to take your place.”Length of timePart of a series on theEucharistLord’s Supper • CommunionSt Michael the Archangel, Findlay, OH – bread and wine crop 1.jpgElementsBreadWineRitual and liturgyDivine LiturgyDivine ServiceMass RequiemSolemnConsecration/Anaphora EpiclesisWords of InstitutionAnamnesisPractices and customsClosed and Open TableCommunion under both kindsAdorationDisciplineThanksgivingReserved sacramentFeast of Corpus ChristiFirst CommunionInfant communionViaticumVessels PatenChaliceHistoryOrigin of the EucharistCatholic historical rootsTheologyReal presence ConsubstantiationImpanationMetousiosisReceptionismSacramental unionTransignificationTransubstantiationMemorialismSacramentOrdinanceDenominational teachingsAnglicanCatholicLatter-day SaintLutheranReformedRelated articlesBlack MassChristian views on alcoholHost desecrationvteAccording to the Baltimore Catechism, Roman Catholics “should spend sufficient time in Thanksgiving after Holy Communion to show due reverence to the Blessed Sacrament; for Our Lord is personally with us as long as the appearance of bread and wine remains.”[citation needed]Alphonsus LiguoriThrough the years, the saints have varied in their recommendation as regards the amount of time to be spent in thanksgiving. Daily Communion only became the practice after a decree of Pope Pius X in 1905.[8] A number of saints referred to an hour of thanksgiving. St. Alphonsus specifically advises everyone to devote at least half an hour to it, if it is at all possible. “There is no prayer more agreeable to God, or more profitable to the soul,” said another Doctor of the Church, St. Alphonsus Liguori, “than that which is made during the thanksgiving after Communion.”Josemaría Escrivá said: “Surely you have nothing so important on that you cannot give Our Lord 10 minutes to say thanks. Love is repaid with love.”Prayer during thanksgivingAccording to Daniel A. Lord, SJ, thanksgiving after Holy Communion always supposes a “realization of who is present in our hearts: Jesus Christ, God-man, lover of souls, divinely powerful, humanly tender, with grace in His hands and the keenest possible interest in His heart for the one who has just received Him.”[9] Traditional post-communion prayers include the Adoro te by Thomas Aquinas,[2] the Anima Christi,[10] the Prayer Before a Crucifix, and the Prayer of Saint Francis.CatholicAccording to Fr. Carlos Belmonte, author of Understanding the Mass,The content of our thanksgiving will be just a continuation of the sentiments and affections we have felt – or tried to foster in ourselves – during the Mass, but perhaps in an atmosphere of greater intimacy this time. Sometimes, acts of faith, hope, and charity addressed to the three divine Persons will spurt from our soul. At other times, we will maintain an intimate dialogue with Jesus, our divine Friend who will purify and transform us. Or perhaps, we will just be sitting still, in silent adoration, in the same manner that a mother watches over her son who has fallen asleep. We should not look for prayers or formulas, if we do not find any need for them. But if we realize they can help us, we should overcome our laziness (say, to open our missal and read the prayers for thanksgiving there), or that subtle kind of vanity which makes us feel humiliated by having to read prayers composed by somebody else.”[11]One of the recommended texts for thanksgiving in My Daily Psalm Book (1947), arranged by Joseph Frey, CSSP, is the Canticle of the Three Young men, or Trium Puerorum.[12] This is a traditional canticle that is included in the prayers for thanksgiving in the Roman Missal of 1962.[13]All things the Lord has made, bless the Lord.Angels of the Lord! all bless the Lord.Sun and moon! bless the Lord.Stars of heaven! bless the Lord.Showers and dews! all bless the Lord.Winds! all bless the Lord.Fire and heat! bless the Lord.Dews and sleet! bless the Lord.Light and darkness! bless the Lord.Lightning and clouds! bless the Lord.Mountains and hills! bless the Lord.Every thing that grows on the earth! bless the Lord.Let us praise and exalt him above all for ever.There is also the “Universal Prayer” attributed to Pope Clement XI, which begins: “Lord, I believe in you: increase my faith. I trust in you: strengthen my trust. I love you: let me love you more and more. I am sorry for my sins: deepen my sorrow.”[14]AnglicanIn the Anglican Communion and in the Catholic Personal Ordinariates, the following post-communion prayer, or a variant of it, is said:Almighty and everliving God, we most heartily thank thee, for that thou dost vouchsafe to feed us, who have duly received these holy mysteries, with the spiritual food of the most precious Body and Blood of thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ; and dost assure us thereby of thy favour and goodness towards us; and that we are very members incorporate in the mystical body of thy Son, which is the blessed company of all faithful people; and are also heirs through hope of thy everlasting kingdom, by the merits of the most precious death and passion of thy dear Son. And we most humbly beseech thee, O heavenly Father, so to assist us with thy grace, that we may continue in that holy fellowship, and do all such good works as thou hast prepared for us to walk in; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with thee and the Holy Ghost, be all honour and glory, world without end. Amen.— 1662 Book of Common PrayerIn many Anglican Churches since the 1980s, the following has been a common post-communion prayer:Father of all, we give you thanks and praise that, when we were still far off, you met us in your Son and brought us home. Dying and living, he declared your love, gave us grace and opened the gate of glory. May we who share Christ’s body live his risen life; we who drink his cup bring life to others; we whom the Spirit lights give light to the world. Keep us firm in the hope you have set before us so we and all your children shall be free and the whole earth live to praise your name, through Christ our Lord. Amen.— Common WorshipLutheranAmong Lutheran denominations, the following prayer may be said silently following the reception of the Eucharist:Almighty and everlasting God, I thank and praise you for feeding me with the life-giving body and blood of your beloved son Jesus Christ. Send your Holy Spirit that, having with my mouth received the holy Sacrament, I may by faith obtain and eternally enjoy your divine grace, the forgiveness of sins, unity with Christ, and everlasting life; through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen.— Lutheran Service BookEastern OrthodoxIn the Eastern Orthodox Church there are various sets of prayers recommended both for Preparation for Communion and for Thanksgiving After Communion. The specific form will differ depending upon national jurisdiction.Through the centuries, several prayers have been composed for this. Symeon Metaphrastes (probably 10th century) who is venerated by the Eastern Orthodox Church as a saint, and who is known for his Byzantine hagiography, composed the following Prayer of Thanksgiving after Communion which is found in the Hieratikon, or prayers for the priest.O Thou who didst gladly give me Thy flesh for nourishment; who art fire to consume the unworthy: Burn me not, O my Creator, but search out my members. Quicken my reins and my heart. Let Thy flames devour the thorns of all my transgressions. Purify my soul. Sanctify my thoughts. Knit firm my bones. Enlighten my senses. Piece me with Thy fear. Be Thou my continual shield. Watch over and preserve me from every word and deed that corrupt the soul. Purge me and wash me clean and adorn me. Order my ways, give me understanding and enlighten me. Make me the temple of Thy Holy Ghost, and no more the habitation of sin, that as from fire all evil, every passion, may flee from me, who through Holy Communion am become a place for Thy dwelling. I bring unto Thee all the saints to make intercession: The ranks of the heavenly hosts; Thy forerunner; the wise Apostles; and withal Thy pure and holy Mother. Their prayers receive, O merciful Christ, and make Thy servant a child of light. For Thou art our hallowing, Thou only art the brightness of our souls, O gracious Lord: And we rightly give glory to Thee, our Lord and our God, All the days of our life. Amen.[15]In the Russian Orthodox Church there are usually a set of five prayers that are recited after the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy.[16] After the dismissal of the Liturgy, those who have received Holy Communion will remain behind and pray as the prayers are recited by a Reader. The priest and other celebrating clergy will usually say the Prayers of Thanksgiving immediately after receiving Holy Communion. However, the deacon who will perform the ablutions will wait to say them after he has finished his duties at the Table of Oblation.Among the prayers said is one by Saint Basil the Great:O Master Christ God, King of the ages and Creator of all things, I thank Thee for all the good things which Thou hast bestowed upon me, and for the communion of Thy most pure and life-creating Mysteries. I pray Thee, therefore, O Good One and Lover of mankind: Keep me under Thy protection and in the shadow of Thy wings; and grant me, even until my last breath, to partake worthily and with a pure conscience, of Thy Holy Things, unto the remission of sins and life eternal. For Thou art the Bread of life, the Source of holiness, the Giver of good things; and unto Thee do we send up glory, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.[16]The prayers usually end with the Nunc Dimittis and the Troparion and Kontakion of the saint who wrote the Liturgy that was celebrated (John Chrysostom, Basil the Great, Gregory Dialogist or, rarely, James the Brother of the Lord). Then the rite ends with a dismissal pronounced by the priest.After the Prayers of Thanksgiving, the communicant should spend the rest of the day in a spirit of thanksgiving, engaging only in activities which are of benefit to the soul. If it is a Sunday or Holy Day he should rest from labour.See alsoAnima ChristiEucharistic disciplinePrayer Before a CrucifixPrayer of Saint Francis
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