The second benediction which follows is in the name of our Lord. We are now going to meditate His passion.

 Fraction : Now the sanctuary is closed. This reminds us Jesus in the garden of Gethsamane in the night praying alone. (Mt. 26 : 36ff). Also there was darkness at His time of crucifixion (Lk. 23:44). Here the priest performs fraction and commixture. This action represents the passion, death and resurrection of our Lord. At this solemn occasion, the congregation and the altar, boys sing a penitential hymn, or the hymn based on the vision of Isaiah ( Is. 6:1 ff). Here everybody is supposed to meditate before the Lord.

 Adoration: The veil is now drawn aside. This symbolizes the appearance of our Lord to the disciples after His resurrection and reminds us the rending of the veil of the Holy of Holies of the Jerusalem temple at the time of crucifixion. Thus the Holy of Holies is thereby thrown open to the whole humanity, not just the Levites as in the Old Testament period, through the sacrifice of our Lord.

 The Lord’s Prayer : The Lord’s Prayer that follows reminds us that we are born again, through the sacrifice of our Lord, and the consequent sending down of the Holy Spirit, as children of God worthy to call God, “Our Father” (Jn. 3: 3-5, Gal. 4:6; 1Pt. 1:3-5) .

 After the Lord’s Prayer is the prayer for the worthy reception of the sacrament, and then the salutation, “Peace be unto you”, repeated twice, followed by the benediction in the name of the Holy Trinity. This refers to the blessing of our Lord with uplifted hands at the time of Ascension ( Lk. 21: 50 -51).

 Elevation : The elevation of the Holy Mysteries is the most important time of adoration in the Holy Qurbana. The solemnity of the occasion reveals by ringing bells, lighted candles, and the announcement of the deacon to watch with fear and trembling. This elevation commemorates the ascension of our Lord who went inside the veil, to offer intercession for us (Heb 9:7).

 Intercession : This is followed by intercessory hymns with incense. St. Mary ( Ps. 45: 9-11), saints ( Ps. 92: 12,14), departed bishops ( Ps 132: 9-10), and laymen (Ps. 103: 13,15) are here remembered one after another.

 Communion : The priest turns towards the congregation and asks them to pray for him. Then the sanctuary is closed. The priest kneels down to say special prayers. After this, he (and those others in the sanctuary) receive communion.

This is followed by the memorial of the second coming of our Lord. Bells are rung, and candles are lighted. With special prayers, the Holy Mysteries are bought down to the isle.

The coming down of the priest from the sanctuary step with the chalice and the paten tells us the second coming of our Saviour . Here the lighted candle holders standing in two rows reminds us of the angels, and the sounds  of bells and fans proclaim the trumpet. ( 1 Cor. 15:52, 1 Thes. 4:16)

The prepared members could receive communion at this time or late at the end.

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WHY FASTING IS A PRE – REQUISITE TO RECEIVE THE HOLY COMMUNION? The most important reason is that the Lord’s Meal should be the first Meal on the Lord’s Day.

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WHY THE BODY AND THE BLOOD ARE NOT GIVEN SEPARATELY? When the priest performs the fraction and commixture, the bread and the wine are mixed together making the Body and the Blood of our Lord  alive especially when he says. “Thus we believe and thus we confess and thus we confirm, that this Flesh is of this Blood and this Blood of this Flesh.” Because we receive this mixed and alive Body and Blood united together they don’t have to be given separately.

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THANKSGIVING AND DISMISSAL : The mysteries are taken back to the altar. Then the pries t offers special prayers and thanks. After this he dismisses the congregation with benediction. In response, the congregation spends a little time in prayer. Meanwhile the priest kneels down and says special prayers for him, for the congregation and for those whose names are specially given to remember. This is followed by post communion.

 OFFERINGS: The congregation now brings offerings to the altar receives blessings from the priest by kissing the cross or the hand of the priest and departs in peace and contentment.

Only one communion Service the Same day On the Same altar.: The altar is compared to the tomb of our Lord, and the protable altar to the cross. Jesus died on the cross only once, and was buried also only once. Therefore our church allows only one communion service the same day on the same altar. So also no priest or bishop can officiate the communion service more than once the same day.

Concelebration: We conduct concelebration, but only with odd numbers like three, five seven and so on.

TO SUM UP:

 For many, Holy Eucharist is primarily a memorial of the Lord’s last Supper with His disciples, instituted as means of grace for individual devotion and sanctification by faith. But  for the Orthodox, the Holy Qurbana is the expression of the very being of the One, Undivided, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic church. It is a communion. It is a sacrifice. It is a remembrance of the life, the cross, the burial and the resurrection of our Lord, It begins with prayers and hymns. There are readings from the epistles and from the Gospels. It also contains offerings, consecration institution, invocation of the Holy Spirit, intercessions, petitions for forgiveness, sermon, thanksgiving, communion and benediction. Thus is the centre of all Christian worship. It is the fountainhead of our spiritual life.