Church Practice
“With the fear of God, with faith and love, draw near”…
The priest calls out these words with the Holy Chalice just before we receive the Body and Blood of Christ.
What do these words mean?
Why should we have the “fear of God” before we receive Him?
To answer this we need to look at ourselves. I think it’s fair to say that regardless of how much we fast, how many prayer rules or vigils we keep, how piously we prepare to receive the Eucharist by the act of repentance, through participation in the Holy Mystery of confession .. We still sin and feel unworthy.
Let me begin by saying this applies to everyone. For the Layperson, the Deacon, the Priest or Bishop it is the same.
We still sin and fall short of the mark. I wrote about this previously The word “sin” comes from the Greek verb hamartánein ἁμαρτάνειν which means "to miss the mark" or "to err".
Its original usage comes from Archery: Imagine shooting an arrow and missing the bullseye; this is the original, literal meaning of hamartia. This is what we do.
So we come hopefully ready to receive the “King of all” but we always, regardless of where we are spiritually, come with humility and repentance. That’s the “ Fear” that is needed to humbly realise we need Christ.
The pre communion prayer helps us understand this even more clearer in many places.
“Have mercy upon me, and forgive my transgressions, voluntary and involuntary, in word and deed, known and unknown. And make me worthy without condemnation to partake of Your pure Mysteries for the forgiveness of sins and for life eternal. Amen.”
“Of your Mystical Supper Receive me today, Son of God,. I will not reveal Your mystery to Your adversaries. Nor will I give You a kiss as did Judas. But as the thief I confess to You: Lord, remember me in Your kingdom.
And the last part of the prayer the most telling
“May the communing of your Holy Mysteries be neither to my judgement, nor to my condemnation but the healing of soul and body amen.”
This part expresses our accountability before God, and puts the responsibility firmly on us, to approach with the right spirit, that we receive “neither to my judgement, nor to my condemnation” this is a heavy burden, we answer for this , If we receive with insincerity or without repentance, we account to God.
We have to come prepared.
To close, to bring it all home, we pray the prayer of the publican
“O God be merciful to me a sinner”
Fr Michael Smolynec