We have reached the point in the Divine Liturgy when the COMMUNION PRAYER is recited. Hopefully all who recite this prayer think about what they say since it is a very powerfully prayer.

Much like the NICENE CREED that is recited during the Liturgy, this prayer begins with these profound words: “O Lord, I believe and profess”. So these words cannot be said without thought. When we say these words, we say that we truly believe them and make our belief public.

This prayer has us say that we believe that Christ, the Son of the living God, is the one that we will receive. Do you truly believe that Christ, the man Jesus recorded in history, is present in the bread and wine that you receive? This is a very important belief! It defies our imagination how this can be true! It is important, however, that this same Jesus is present with us in the transformed bread and wine.

The prayer goes on to ask God, in the Person of Jesus, to accept us as partakers of His mystical supper. This truly means that we believe that in some mystical way we are with Him at the Last Supper and that we partake of the transformed bread and wine as the first Apostles did.

The prayer then puts these words into our mouths: “I will not reveal Your mystery to Your enemies, nor will I give You a kiss as did Judas.” So, as we partake of the transformed bread and wine, we assert that we will not betray Jesus or desert Jesus as did those early disciples.

The prayer then has us remember the words of the good thief who was crucified with Jesus. We say: Remember me, O Lord, O Master, O Holy One when you come into Your kingdom.

For the good thief who originally asked Jesus to remember him as he was dying with Jesus, we must seriously reflect on these words. The man was dying and wanted Jesus to truly remember him in death. Do we want Jesus to remember us? It is important that we say these words with sincerity. Think about what you are asking Jesus when you say these words.

After asking Jesus to remember us, we ask God not to judge us for taking the gifts insincerely and ask that they may be for the healing of our souls and bodies. These are not idle words. When you stop to think about them, you realize that they are quite profound. We must not just rattle them off without thought.

I beg you to think about what you pray!