Bishop’s Note – The Post Communion Prayer

 Bishop Eric Menees

As we have examined the Service of Holy Communion – Standard Form – of the new 2019 BCP the emphasis has been encountering the Lord in worship. At this point in the service we’ve received the body and blood of Christ, we’ve experienced a foretaste of the Kingdom of God, and we’ve returned to our pews to rest in the communion that we share. The priest and altar party are cleaning up the communion vessels with the same reverence and care as when preparing to celebrate because we still stand at the altar of the lord. Now we prepare to be sent forth into the world and so we do as all good guests should: we say Thank You!

The Post Communion Prayer

After Communion, the Celebrant says

Let us pray.

Celebrant and People together say the following, or the Post Communion Prayer in the Renewed Ancient Text

Almighty and everliving God,

we thank you for feeding us, in these holy mysteries,

      with the spiritual food of the most precious Body and Blood

      of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ;

and for assuring us, through this Sacrament, of your favor and

      goodness towards us:

      that we are true members of the mystical body of your Son,

      the blessed company of all faithful people;

      and are also heirs, through hope,

      of your everlasting kingdom.

And we humbly ask you, heavenly Father,

      to assist us with your grace,

      that we may continue in that holy fellowship,

      and do all the good works that you have prepared for us to walk in;

through Jesus Christ our Lord,

      to whom with you and the Holy Spirit,

      be all honor and glory, now and forever. Amen.

The Post Communion Prayer comes in two primary parts: Thanksgiving and petition. We begin by thanking God for feeding us in this holy meal of the body and blood of Christ. We thank Him for the assurance that we have in Christ through this sacrament – a reminder of His grace and mercy poured out for us – his heirs.

We also humbly petition God to maintain the fellowship that we share as God’s Church and ask Him for his Grace to represent him in the World by the power of the Holy Spirit. We make this prayer with the full assurance that it will be answered if we open ourselves up in obedience to the Lord.

This Lord’s Day I pray that you will pay special attention to the Post Communion Prayer in thanksgiving for what God has done and for what the Lord continues to do in our lives and the life of His Church!