Since I was a little boy, literally since I was four years old in 1964, I have been a fan of the Beatles, and even had dreams of meeting Paul McCartney (both as a boy and as an adult!). I have been a great fan of the Green Bay Packers since the mid sixties, when Bart Starr was leading the Packers to five world championships, including the first two Super Bowls. The Beatles and Packers, both phenoms of the sixties, form part of the consciousness of the later baby boomers, such as myself.
As an adult, I have had the opportunity of seeing both the Green Bay Packers play football, and the two surviving Beatles perform in concert. Every time I have seen Paul McCartney in concert, fond memories of growing up and listening to his music flood my mind.
I have seen many other of my favorite musicians in concert, and have had the privilege of meeting several of them, at record stores signings, sound checks, backstage, and even in coffee shops (I met both Patti Smith and Bruce Cockburn, two more musicians I admire, randomly in coffee shops!).
I think that in our society we have a fascination with celebrities. We consider it a great honor to meet a celebrity, whether they are a musician, actor or actress, writer, sports star, or even a politician. We eagerly look forward to the performer taking the stage, shaking our hand, or signing an autograph for us. For some of us, it is a thrilling experience to meet or even watch perform a celebrity we admire.
But I am afraid that there is a great honor most of us miss. We have opportunity to have communion with our God on a daily basis. God lives in us by virtue of baptism and being filled with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Trinity takes up residence within us (John 14.23). But the greatest privilege is to receive our Lord in the Holy Eucharist.
I think of the great thrill it was to see the Green Bay Packers play for the first time, or to see Paul McCartney in concert the first time. But there is One so much greater than any person on this earth, that is, our Lord Jesus Christ. And he is present in every Divine Liturgy, in the form of bread and wine.
I am struck by some of Communion Prayers we say as Orthodox Christians in preparation for Holy Communion. Psalm 24 for example:
“Lift up your heads, O gates!
and be lifted up, O ancient doors!
that the King of glory may come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The LORD of hosts,
he is the King of glory!”
- Psalm 24.9-10, RSV
Or consider this from St. John Chrysostom:
“O Lord my God, I know that I am not worthy nor sufficient that thou shouldest enter under my roof into the habitation of my soul, for it is all deserted and in ruins, and thou hast not a fitting place in me to lay thy head. But as from the heights of thy glory thou didst humble thyself, so now bear me in my humility; as thou didst deign to lie in a manger in a cave, so deign now also to come into the manger of my mute soul and corrupt body.”
Consider this beautiful prayer from St. John Damascus:
“I stand before the gates of thy Temple, and yet I refrain not from my evil thoughts. But do thou, O Christ my God, who didst justify the publican, and hadst mercy on the Canaanite woman, and opened the gates of Paradise to the thief; open unto me the compassion of thy love toward mankind, and receive me as I approach and touch thee, like the sinful woman and the woman with the issue of blood; for the one, by embracing thy feet received the forgiveness of her sins, and the other by but touching the hem of thy garment was healed. And I, most sinful, dare to partake of thy whole Body. Let me not be consumed but receive me as thou didst receive them, and enlighten the perceptions of my soul, consuming the accusations of my sins; through the intercessions of Her that without stain gave Thee birth, and of the heavenly Powers; for thou art blessed unto ages of ages. Amen.”
Notice the language of intimacy on these prayers, the language about coming to His Temple, or Him coming under our “roof;” of touching, receiving, and approaching Christ.
In the Greek Orthodox Church, we recite this prayer before we approach our God in the Holy Eucharist: “Behold, my Maker, I approach holy Communion. Burn me not as I partake, for you are fire which burns the unworthy. But cleanse me from every stain. Receive me today, Son of God, as a partaker of your mystical Supper.”
It is a sublime privilege and great honor to receive Christ our God, to receive His Pure Body and Precious Blood in the Holy Eucharist; to be united in the closest intimacy with our Maker.
Surely He is the greatest Person we could ever meet, greater than any celebrity, and sports or music star, politician or King or Queen. We have the opportunity to have communion with the God of the universe!
As an adult, I have had the opportunity of seeing both the Green Bay Packers play football, and the two surviving Beatles perform in concert. Every time I have seen Paul McCartney in concert, fond memories of growing up and listening to his music flood my mind.
I have seen many other of my favorite musicians in concert, and have had the privilege of meeting several of them, at record stores signings, sound checks, backstage, and even in coffee shops (I met both Patti Smith and Bruce Cockburn, two more musicians I admire, randomly in coffee shops!).
I think that in our society we have a fascination with celebrities. We consider it a great honor to meet a celebrity, whether they are a musician, actor or actress, writer, sports star, or even a politician. We eagerly look forward to the performer taking the stage, shaking our hand, or signing an autograph for us. For some of us, it is a thrilling experience to meet or even watch perform a celebrity we admire.
But I am afraid that there is a great honor most of us miss. We have opportunity to have communion with our God on a daily basis. God lives in us by virtue of baptism and being filled with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Trinity takes up residence within us (John 14.23). But the greatest privilege is to receive our Lord in the Holy Eucharist.
I think of the great thrill it was to see the Green Bay Packers play for the first time, or to see Paul McCartney in concert the first time. But there is One so much greater than any person on this earth, that is, our Lord Jesus Christ. And he is present in every Divine Liturgy, in the form of bread and wine.
I am struck by some of Communion Prayers we say as Orthodox Christians in preparation for Holy Communion. Psalm 24 for example:
“Lift up your heads, O gates!
and be lifted up, O ancient doors!
that the King of glory may come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The LORD of hosts,
he is the King of glory!”
- Psalm 24.9-10, RSV
Or consider this from St. John Chrysostom:
“O Lord my God, I know that I am not worthy nor sufficient that thou shouldest enter under my roof into the habitation of my soul, for it is all deserted and in ruins, and thou hast not a fitting place in me to lay thy head. But as from the heights of thy glory thou didst humble thyself, so now bear me in my humility; as thou didst deign to lie in a manger in a cave, so deign now also to come into the manger of my mute soul and corrupt body.”
Consider this beautiful prayer from St. John Damascus:
“I stand before the gates of thy Temple, and yet I refrain not from my evil thoughts. But do thou, O Christ my God, who didst justify the publican, and hadst mercy on the Canaanite woman, and opened the gates of Paradise to the thief; open unto me the compassion of thy love toward mankind, and receive me as I approach and touch thee, like the sinful woman and the woman with the issue of blood; for the one, by embracing thy feet received the forgiveness of her sins, and the other by but touching the hem of thy garment was healed. And I, most sinful, dare to partake of thy whole Body. Let me not be consumed but receive me as thou didst receive them, and enlighten the perceptions of my soul, consuming the accusations of my sins; through the intercessions of Her that without stain gave Thee birth, and of the heavenly Powers; for thou art blessed unto ages of ages. Amen.”
Notice the language of intimacy on these prayers, the language about coming to His Temple, or Him coming under our “roof;” of touching, receiving, and approaching Christ.
In the Greek Orthodox Church, we recite this prayer before we approach our God in the Holy Eucharist: “Behold, my Maker, I approach holy Communion. Burn me not as I partake, for you are fire which burns the unworthy. But cleanse me from every stain. Receive me today, Son of God, as a partaker of your mystical Supper.”
It is a sublime privilege and great honor to receive Christ our God, to receive His Pure Body and Precious Blood in the Holy Eucharist; to be united in the closest intimacy with our Maker.
Surely He is the greatest Person we could ever meet, greater than any celebrity, and sports or music star, politician or King or Queen. We have the opportunity to have communion with the God of the universe!
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