Mercy

It is a sign of love that the Church provides for those, such as me, who are not always able to attend the Vigil on Saturday night, and are less than ready to approach the life creating Mystery on Sunday morning. On Saturday nights like this there is The Order of Preparation for Holy Communion. True, part of the Order can only be prayed while standing in line to receive and eat the Body and Blood of Jesus, but most of it can be sung on Saturday night. Of the many beautiful hymns, Psalms, and prayers in the Order is this, the 1st Ode of the Canon For Holy Communion, which appears at about the midpoint of the Order:

Eirmos: Come, O ye people, let us sing hymn unto Christ our God, who divided the sea and guided his people whom he brought out of the bondage of Egypt, for He is glorfied.

Refrain: Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.

May Thy holy Body be unto me the Bread of life eternal, O compassionate Lord, and Thy precious Blood be also the healing of many forms of illness.

Refrain: Cast me not away from Thy presence, and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me.

Defiled by unseemly deeds, I the wretched one am unworthy, O Christ, of the communion of Thy most pure Body and divine Blood, which do Thou Vouchsafe me.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

O blessed Bride of God, O good soil that grew the Corn untilled and saving to the world, vouchsafe me to besaved by eating it.

Note on the Icon: This Icon is called The Inexhaustible Cup. It portrays the Mary/the Church/the Bride/Creation offering Jesus as the sacrifice on behalf of all and for all.