While the ending of the Epiclesis is said by the priest silently, it is truly something that all should know is being prayed on behalf of the whole community. The priest prays that the changing of the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ should be accomplished so that:

To those who partake of them, they may be for the purification of the soul, the remission of sins, for the communion of Your Holy Spirit, for the fullness of the heavenly kingdom, for confidence in You and not for judgment or condemnation.

Thus the consecration and reception of the consecrated gifts are intended to have an impact on our lives. Jesus intended and desired that His true presence in the lives of His followers would make a difference. He still has that same intention and desire.

So, what difference does it mean to you when you partake of the Holy Eucharist – Communion. Do you think about the fact that Christ is present in your life? Does His presence compel you to do all in your power to change your heart and mind to make it come into great conformity with His mind?

He is with us to help us truly change our hearts and minds so that we may realize that the Kingdom of God IS at hand. Hopefully that is the intention of all those who come and receive Communion, namely to change their heart and mind so that they more and more become like Jesus, the Christ – that they more and more become people who can love unconditionally and absolutely forgive others as they want to be forgiven.

Hopefully, our participation in the Divine Liturgy has an impact on how we live and think. It is not meant to be some-kind-of magical ritual which has the power to take away all of the struggles and challenges of life. It is something that should give us greater insight into the meaning and purpose of life.

I suspect that some of the ritual may be distracting and we get into the mode of just “doing it” without very much thought, believing that we must do it in order to secure a special place for ourselves in heaven. THAT IS NOT WHAT THE DIVINE LITURY IS ABOUT! It is not something we do to appease an angry God Who is just poised to catch us doing something that merits punishment. It is an act of worship of God which is meant to help us think about and embrace the meaning and purpose of life, namely to grow in the likeness of Jesus Christ! We are called to voluntarily seek our own growth.