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Testament of Our Lord

tr. Cooper and Maclean, 1902

23. Book I, Chapter 23

Let him offer on Saturday three loaves for a complete symbol¹ of the Trinity; but on the first day of the week let him offer four loaves for a complete symbol¹ of the Gospel.

Because that the ancient people erred, when he offereth let the veil in front of the door be closed,² and within it let him offer with the presbyters and deacons and the canonical widows, and subdeacons and deaconesses and readers [and] those who have gifts. But let the bishop stand first in the middle, and the presbyters immediately behind him on either side, and the widows immediately behind the presbyters on the left side, and the deacons also behind the presbyters on the right hand side; the readers behind them, and the subdeacons behind the readers, and the deaconesses behind the subdeacons.

Let the bishop then place his hand on those loaves which have been set on the altar, and let the presbyters place their hands together with him, and let the rest stand only.³

Let not the loaf of catechumens be received; not even if he have a believing son or wife and wish to offer on their behalf; let it not be offered⁴ unless he is baptized.⁵

Before the bishop or presbyter offereth, let the people give the Peace⁶ to one another.

Then, a great silence being made, let the deacon say thus:

Admonition of the Deacon on the Eucharist⁷

[Lift up] your hearts to⁸ heaven.

If any man have wrath against his companion, let him be reconciled.⁹

If any man have¹⁰ a conscience without faith, let him confess [it].

If any man have a thought foreign to the commandments, let him depart.

If any man have fallen into sin, let him not hide himself: he may¹¹ not hide himself.¹²

If any man have a disordered reason, let him not draw near.

If any man be defiled, if any man be not firm, let him give place.

If any man be a stranger to the commandments of Jesus, let him depart.

If any man despise the prophets,¹³ let him separate himself: from the wrath of the Only-begotten let him deliver himself.

Let us not despise the cross.

Let us flee from threatening.

We have our Lord as onlooker, the Father of Lights¹⁴ with the Son, [and] the angels¹⁵ who visit [us].

See to yourselves that ye be not in¹⁶ anger against your neighbours.

See that no man be in wrath: God seeth.

[Lift] up your hearts to offer for the salvation of life and of holiness.

In the wisdom of God let us receive the grace which hath been bestowed upon us.

Then let the bishop say, giving and rendering thanks with an awed voice:

Our Lord [be] with you.

And let the people say: And with thy spirit.

Let the bishop say: [Lift] up your hearts.

Let the people say: They are [lifted up] unto the Lord.

Let the bishop say: Let us give thanks to the Lord.

And let all the people say: It is meet and right.

And let the bishop cry: Holy things in holy [persons].

And let the people call out: In heaven and on earth without ceasing.

Eucharist¹⁷ or Thanksgiving Over the Offering

Let the bishop immediately say:

We render thanks to Thee, O God, the Holy One, Confirmer of our souls, and Giver of our life, the Treasure of incorruptibility, and Father of the Only-begotten, our Saviour, whom in the latter times Thou didst send to us as a Saviour and Proclaimer of Thy purpose.¹⁸ For it is Thy purpose¹⁸ that we should be saved in Thee. Our heart giveth thanks unto Thee, O Lord, [our] mind, [our] soul, with all [its] thinking,¹⁹ that Thy grace may come upon us, O Lord, so that we may continually praise Thee, and Thy Only-begotten Son, and Thy Holy Ghost, now and alway, and for ever and ever. Amen.

O Thou Power of the Father, the Grace of the nations, Knowledge, true Wisdom, the Exaltation of the meek, the Medicine of souls, the Confidence of us who believe,²⁰ for Thou art the Strength of the righteous, the Hope of the persecuted, the Haven of those who are buffeted, the Illuminator of the perfect, the Son of the living God,²¹ make to arise on us, out of Thy gift which cannot be searched into, courage, might, reliance, wisdom, strength, unlapsing faith, unshaken hope, the knowledge of Thy Spirit, meekness [and] uprightness, so that alway, O Lord, we Thy servants, and all the people, may praise Thee purely, may bless Thee, may give thanks unto Thee, Lord, at all times, and may beseech Thee.

And also let the bishop say:

Thou, Lord, the Founder of the heights, and King of the treasuries of light, Visitor of the heavenly Sion, King of the orders of archangels,²² of Dominions, Praises, Thrones, Raiments, Lights, Joys, Delights, the Father of kings, who holdest all in Thy hand, and suppliest²³ [all] by Thy reason, through Thine Only-begotten Son who was crucified for our sins: Thou, Lord, didst send Thy Word, who is of Thy counsel and covenant,²⁴ by whom Thou madest all things, being well pleased with Him, into a virgin womb; who, when He was conceived, [and] made flesh, was shown to be Thy Son, being born of the Holy Ghost and the Virgin²⁵; who, fulfilling Thy will, and preparing a holy people,²⁶ stretched forth His hands²⁷ to suffering, that He might loose from sufferings and corruption and death those who have hoped in thee; who when He was betrayed to voluntary suffering that He might raise up²⁸ those who had slipped, and find those who were lost, and give life to the dead, and loose [the pains of] death, and rend the bonds of the Devil, and fulfil the counsel of the Father, and tread down Sheol, and open the way of life, and guide the righteous to light, and fix the boundary, and lighten the darkness, and nurture the babes, and reveal the resurrection; taking bread, gave it to His disciples, saying, Take, eat, this is My Body which is broken for you for the forgiveness of sins.²⁹ When ye shall do³⁰ this, ye make³⁰ My resurrection. Also the cup of wine which He mixed He gave for a type of the Blood which he shed for us.

And also let him say:

Remembering³¹ therefore Thy death and resurrection, we offer to Thee bread and the cup, giving thanks to Thee who alone art God for ever, and our Saviour, since³² Thou hast promised to us to stand before Thee and to serve Thee in priesthood. Therefore we render thanks to Thee, we Thy servants, O Lord.

And let the people say likewise.

And also let [the bishop] say:

We offer to Thee this thanksgiving, Eternal Trinity, O Lord Jesus Christ, O Lord the Father before³³ whom all creation and every nature trembleth fleeing into itself, O Lord the Holy Ghost; we have brought this drink and this food of Thy Holiness [to Thee]; Cause that it may be to us not for condemnation, not for reproach, not for destruction, but for the medicine and support of our spirit. Yea, O God, grant us that by Thy Name every thought of things displeasing to Thee may flee away. Grant, O God, that every proud conception may be driven away from us by Thy Name which is written within the veils³⁴ of Thy sanctuaries, those high ones—a Name which, when Sheol heareth [it], it is amazed, the depth is rent, the spirits are driven away, the dragon is bruised,³⁵ unbelief is cast out, disobedience is subdued, anger is appeased, envy worketh not, pride is reproved, avarice rooted out, boasting taken away, arrogance humbled, [and] every root of bitterness³⁶ destroyed. Grant therefore, O Lord, to our innermost eyes to see Thee, praising Thee and glorifying Thee, commemorating³⁷ Thee [and] serving Thee, having a portion in Thee alone, O Son and Word of God, who subduest³⁸ all things. Sustain unto the end those who have³⁹ gifts of revelations.⁴⁰ Confirm those who have³⁹ a gift of healing.⁴¹ Make those courageous who have³⁹ the power of tongues.⁴² Keep those who have³⁹ the word of doctrine⁴³ upright. Care for those who do Thy will alway.⁴⁴ Visit the widows. Help the orphans. Remember those who have fallen asleep in the faith. And grant us an inheritance with Thy saints,⁴⁵ and bestow [upon us] the power to please Thee as they also pleased Thee. Feed the people in uprightness: sanctify us all, O God; but grant that all those who partake and receive of Thy Holy Things may be made one with Thee, so that they may be filled with the Holy Ghost, for the confirmation of the faith in truth, that they may lift up always a doxology to Thee, and to Thy beloved Son Jesus Christ, by whom praise and might [be] unto Thee, with Thy Holy Spirit for ever and ever.

Let the people say: Amen.⁴⁶

The deacon: Earnestly let us beseech our Lord and our God that He may bestow upon us concord⁴⁷ of spirit.⁴⁸

The bishop: Give us concord⁴⁷ in the Holy Spirit, and heal our souls by this offering, that we may live in Thee in all the ages of ages.

The people: Amen.

Let the people also pray in the same [words].

After these things the seal of thanksgiving thus: Let the Name of the Lord be blessed for ever.

The people: Amen.

The priest: Blessed is He that hath come in the Name of the Lord.⁴⁹ Blessed [is] the Name of His praise.

And let all the people say: So be it, so be it.

Let the bishop say: Send the grace of the Spirit upon us.

If the bishop be polluted,⁵⁰ let him not offer, but let a⁵¹ presbyter offer. Also let him not receive of the mystery,⁵² not as though he were defiled, but because of the honour of the altar. But after he hath fasted and bathed in pure water, let him approach and minister. Similarly also a presbyter. And if also a widow be menstruous, let her not approach. Similarly if a woman or a layman or any of the company [of the clergy be polluted], let him not approach, for the honour [of the altar] except after fasting and bathing.⁵³

Let the priests first receive, thus: the bishops, presbyters, deacons, widows, readers, subdeacons. After these those that have gifts, those newly baptized, babes.⁵⁴ The people thus: old men, virgins,⁵⁵ and the rest. The women [thus]: deaconesses, and after that the rest.

Let each one when he receiveth the thanksgiving⁵⁶ say before he partaketh: Amen. After that let him pray thus; after that he receiveth the Eucharist⁵⁷ let him say: Holy, Holy, Holy, Trinity ineffable, grant me to receive unto life⁵⁸ this Body, [and] not unto condemnation. And grant me to bring forth the fruits that are pleasing to Thee, so that when I shall be shown to be pleasing to Thee I may live in Thee, doing Thy commandments; and [that] with boldness I may call Thee Father,⁵⁹ when I call for Thy kingdom and Thy will [to come] to me.⁶⁰ May Thy Name be hallowed⁶⁰ in me, O Lord; for Thou art mighty and [to be] praised, and to Thee be praise for ever and ever. Amen.

After the prayer let him receive.

When he taketh of the Cup, let him say twice Amen,⁶¹ for a complete symbol⁶² of the Body and Blood.

After all receive, let them pray, giving and rendering thanks for the reception, the deacon saying:

Let us give thanks unto the Lord, receiving His Holy Things, so that the reception [of them] may be for the life and salvation of our souls. Let us beg and beseech [His grace], raising a doxology to the Lord our God.

After that let the bishop [say]:

O Lord, Giver of light eternal,⁶³ the Helmsman of souls, the Guide of saints; Give us understanding eyes which always look to Thee, and ears which hear Thee only, so that our soul may be filled with grace. Create⁶⁴ in us a clean heart,⁶⁵ O God; so that we may alway comprehend Thy greatness. O God, Wonderful, who lovest man,⁶⁶ make our souls better, and, by this Eucharist⁶⁷ which we, Thy servants, who fail in much,⁶⁸ have [now] received, form our thoughts so that they shall not swerve: for Thy kingdom is blessed, O Lord God, [who art] glorified and praised in Father and in Son and in Holy Ghost, both before the worlds, and now, and alway, and for the ages and for ever and ever without end.

The people: Amen.

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