[The Bidding Prayer for the Faithful After the Divine Oblation.]
XIII. Let us still further beseech God through His Christ, and let us beseech Him on account of the gift which is offered to the Lord God, that the good God will accept it, through the mediation of His Christ, upon His heavenly altar, for a sweet-smelling savour. Let us pray for this church and people. Let us pray for every episcopate, every presbytery, all the deacons and ministers in Christ, for the whole congregation, that the Lord will keep and preserve them all. Let us pray “for kings and those in authority,” that they may be peaceable toward us, “that so we may have and lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.” 119 1 Tim. ii. 2. Let us be mindful of the holy martyrs, that we may be thought worthy to be partakers of their trial. Let us pray for those that are departed in the faith. Let us pray for the good temperature of the air, and the perfect maturity of the fruits. Let us pray for those that are newly enlightened, that they may be strengthened in the faith, and all may be mutually comforted by one another. 120 This is not a fair translation of the Greek which, as the text stands, does not make sense. One V. ms. reads, “Let us beseech in behalf of one another.” Raise us up, O God, by Thy grace. Let us stand up, and dedicate ourselves to God, through His Christ. And let the bishop say: O God, who art great, and whose name is great, who art great in counsel and mighty in works, the God and Father of Thy holy child Jesus, our Saviour; look down upon us, and upon this Thy flock, which Thou hast chosen by Him to the glory of Thy name; and sanctify our body and soul, and grant us the favour to be “made pure from all filthiness of flesh and spirit,” 121 2 Cor. vii. 1. and may obtain the good things laid up for us, and do not account any of us unworthy; but be Thou our comforter, helper, and protector, through Thy Christ, with whom glory, honour, praise, doxology, and thanksgiving be to Thee and to the Holy Ghost for ever. Amen. And after that all have said Amen, let the deacon say: Let us attend. And let the bishop speak thus to the people: Holy things for holy persons. And let the people answer: There is One that is holy; there is one Lord, one Jesus Christ, blessed for ever, to the glory of God the Father. Amen. “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good-will among men. Hosanna to the son of David! Blessed be He that cometh in the name of the Lord,” being the Lord God who appeared to us, “Hosanna in the highest.” 122 Luke ii. 14; Matt. xxi. 9. And after that, let the bishop partake, then the presbyters, and deacons, and 123 The Coptic adds, “the rest of the clergy in their order.” sub-deacons, and the readers, and the singers, and the ascetics; and then of the women, the deaconesses, and the virgins, and the widows; then the children; and then all the people in order, with reverence and godly fear, without tumult. And let the bishop give the oblation, saying, The body of Christ; and let him that receiveth say, Amen. And let the deacon take the cup ; and when he gives it , say, The blood of Christ, the cup of life; and let him that drinketh say, Amen . 124 The Coptic has, “and let them sing psalms during the distribution, until the whole congregation has received it.” And let the thirty-third psalm be said, while the rest are partaking; and when all, 125 The Coptic has, “let all the women receive it also.” both men and women, have partaken , let the deacons carry what remains into the vestry. And when the singer has done, let the deacon say :—
[13] Καὶ ὁ ἐπίσκοπος εἰπάτω: Ἡ εἰρήνη τοῦ Θεοῦ εἴη μετὰ πάντων ὑμῶν. Καὶ πᾶς ὁ λαὸς λεγέτω: Καὶ μετὰ τοῦ πνεύματός σου. Καὶ ὁ διάκονος κηρυσσέτω πάλιν: Ἔτι καὶ ἔτι δεηθῶμεν τοῦ Θεοῦ διὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ αὐτοῦ: Καὶ ὑπὲρ τοῦ δώρου τοῦ προσκομισθέντος Κυρίῳ τῷ Θεῷ ἡμῶν δεηθῶμεν, ὅπως ὁ ἁγαθὸς Θεὸς προσδέξηται αὐτὸ διὰ τῆς μεσιτείας τοῦ Χριστοῦ αὐτοῦ εἰς τὸ ἐπουράνιον αὐτοῦ θυσιαστήριον εἰς ὀσμὴν εὐωδίας. Ὑπὲρ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ταύτης καὶ τοῦ λαοῦ δεηθῶμεν: ὑπὲρ πάσης ἐπισκοπῆς καὶ παντὸς πρεσβυτερίου, πάσης τῆς ἐν Χριστῷ διακονίας καὶ ὑπηρεσίας, παντὸς τοῦ πληρώματος τῆς Ἐκκλησίας δεηθῶμεν, ὅπως ὁ Κύριος πάντας διατηρήσῃ καὶ διαφυλάξῃ. Ὑπὲρ τῶν βασιλέων καὶ τῶν ἐν ὑπεροχῇ δεηθῶμεν, ἵνα εἰρηνεύηται τὰ πρὸς ἡμᾶς, ὅπως ἤρεμον καὶ ἡσύχιον βίον ἔχοντες διάγωμεν ἐν πάσῃ εὐσεβείᾳ καὶ σεμνότητι. Τῶν ἁγίων μαρτύρων μνημονεύσωμεν, ὅπως κοινωνοὶ γενέσθαι τῆς ἀθλήσεως αὐτῶν καταξιωθῶμεν: ὑπὲρ τῶν ἐν πίστει ἀναπαυσαμένων δεηθῶμεν. Ὑπὲρ τῆς εὐκρασίας τῶν ἀέρων καὶ τελεσφορίας τῶν καρπῶν δεηθῶμεν. Ὑπὲρ τῶν νεοφωτίστων δεηθῶμεν, ὅπως βεβαιωθῶσιν ἐν τῇ πίστει: πάντες ὑπὲρ ἀλλήλων παρακαλέσωμεν. Ἀνάστησον ἡμᾶς, ὁ Θεός, ἐν τῇ χάριτί σου. Ἐπαναστάντες ἑαυτοὺς τῷ Θεῷ διὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ αὐτοῦ παραθώμεθα. Καὶ ὁ ἐπίσκοπος λεγέτω: Ὁ Θεὸς ὁ μόνος, ὁ μεγαλώνυμος, ὁ μέγας τῇ βουλῇ καὶ κραταιὸς τοῖς ἔργοις, ὁ Θεὸς καὶ Πατὴρ τοῦ ἁγίου Παιδός σου Ἰησοῦ τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν, ἐπίβλεψον ἐφ' ἡμᾶς καὶ ἐπὶ τὸ ποίμνιόν σου τοῦτο, ὃ δι' αὐτοῦ ἐξελέξω εἰς δόξαν τοῦ ὀνόματός σου: καὶ ἁγιάσας ἡμῶν τὸ σῶμα καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν καταξίωσον, καθαροὺς γενομένους ἀπὸ παντὸς μολυσμοῦ σαρκὸς καὶ πνεύματος, τυχεῖν τῶν προκειμένων ἀγαθῶν: καὶ μηδένα ἡμῶν ἀνάξιον κρίνῃς, ἀλλὰ βοηθὸς ἡμῶν γενοῦ, ἀντιλήπτωρ, ὑπερασπιστὴς διὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ σου, δι' οὗ σοὶ δόξα, τιμή, αἶνος, δοξολογία, εὐχαριστία ἐν ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας: ἀμήν. Καὶ μετὰ τὸ πάντας εἰπεῖν: Ἀμήν, ὁ διάκονος λεγέτω: Πρόσχωμεν. Καὶ ὁ ἐπίσκοπος προσφωνησάτω τῷ λαῷ οὕτως: Τὰ ἅγια τοῖς ἁγίοις. Καὶ ὁ λαὸς ὑπακουέτω: Εἷς ἅγιος, εἷς Κύριος, Ἰησοῦς Χριστός, εἰς δόξαν Θεοῦ Πατρὸς ἐν ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι: εὐλογητὸς εἶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας: ἀμήν. Δόξα ἐν ὑψίστοις Θεῷ καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς εἰρήνη, ἐν ἀνθρώποις εὐδοκία: ὡσαννὰ τῷ Υἱῷ Δαυὶδ, εὐλογημένος ὁ ἐρχόμενος ἐν ὀνόματι Κυρίου Θεὸς Κύριος καὶ ἐπεφάνεν ἡμῖν, ὡσαννὰ ἐν τοῖς ὑψίστοις. Καὶ μετὰ τοῦτο μεταλαμβανέτω ὁ ἐπίσκοπος, ἔπειτα οἱ πρεσβύτεροι καὶ οἱ διάκονοι καὶ οἱ ὑποδιάκονοι καὶ οἱ ἀναγνῶσται καὶ οἱ ψάλται καὶ οἱ ἀσκηταί, καὶ ἐν ταῖς γυναιξὶν αἱ διάκονοι καὶ αἱ παρθένοι καὶ αἱ χῆραι, εἶτα τὰ παιδία, καὶ τότε πᾶς ὁ λαὸς κατὰ τάξιν μετὰ αἰδοῦς καὶ εὐλαβείας ἄνευ θορύβου. Καὶ ὁ μὲν ἐπίσκοπος διδότω τὴν προσφορὰν λέγων: Σῶμα Χριστοῦ. Καὶ ὁ δεχόμενος λεγέτω: Ἀμήν. Ὁ δὲ διάκονος κατεχέτω τὸ ποτήριον καὶ ἐπιδιδοὺς λεγέτω: Αἷμα Χριστοῦ, ποτήριον ζωῆς. Καὶ ὁ πίνων λεγέτω: Ἀμήν. Ψαλμὸς δὲ λεγέσθω ὁ λγʹ ἐν τῷ μεταλαμβάνειν πάντας τοὺς λοιπούς. Καὶ ὅταν πάντες μεταλάβωσιν καὶ πᾶσαι, λαβόντες οἱ διάκονοι τὰ περισσεύσαντα εἰσφερέτωσαν εἰς τὰ παστοφόρια.