Γιὰ τὴν προσευχὴ πρὶν τὴν Θεία Κοινωνία

Anthony Bloom (Metropolitan of Sourozh (1914- 2003))

Εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ καὶ τοῦ Ἁγίου Πνεύματος.

Κάθε φορὰ ποὺ ἐρχόμαστε γιὰ νὰ μεταλάβουμε, λέμε στὸν Κύριο ὅτι ἐρχόμαστε σ’ Ἐκεῖνον ποὺ εἶναι ὁ Λυτρωτὴς τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν, ἀλλὰ δηλώνουμε ἐπίσης ὅτι θεωροῦμε τοὺς ἑαυτοὺς μας σὰν τὸν πιὸ μεγάλο ἀπὸ ὅλους αύτοὺς τοὺς ἁμαρτωλούς. Πόση ἀλήθεια ὑπάρχει σὲ μιὰ τέτοια δήλωση ὅταν τὴν κάνουμε; Ἤ πῶς μποροῦμε νὰ κάνουμε μιὰ τέτοια δήλωση; Εἶναι ἀλήθεια; Μποροῦμε νὰ ποῦμε ὅτι θεωροῦμε ἀληθινὰ τὸν ἑαυτό μας χειρότερο ἀπὸ τοὺς ἁμαρτωλοὺς; Ὁ Ἰωάννης τῆς Κροστάνδης στὸ ἡμερολόγιο του τονίζει ἕνα σημεῖο ποὺ πιστεύω ὅτι εἶναι πολὺ σημαντικό∙ λέει, ἄν εἶχε δοθεῖ σὲ ἄλλους ἀνθρώπους τόση πολλὴ ἀγάπη, τόση χάρη, τόση θεία ἀποκάλυψη σὰν αὐτὴ ποὺ τοῦ δόθηκε, θὰ εἶχαν φέρει καρποὺς ποὺ ὁ ἴδιος ἀποδείχτηκε ἀνίκανος νὰ ἀποδώσει.

Καὶ ἔτσι αὐτὸς εἶναι ἕνας τρόπος γιὰ νὰ κάνουμε στὸν ἑαυτό μας ἐρωτήσεις ὅταν προσερχόμαστε στὴν Θεία Κοινωνία καὶ λέμε τὰ λόγια τῆς προσευχῆς ποὺ προηγεῖται τῆς θείας Κοινωνίας. Ἁπλὰ τὶς ἐπαναλαμβάνουμε ἐπειδὴ εἶναι γραμμένες στὰ βιβλία; Ἤ εἶναι ἐπειδὴ ἔχουμε συναίσθηση - ἀλλὰ γιὰ ποιὸ πράγμα ἔχουμε συναίσθηση; Γνωρίζουμε ὅτι εἴμαστε λίγο ἤ πολὺ ἁμαρτωλοὶ; Ναὶ, ὅλοι συναισθανόμαστε ὅτι εἴμαστε λίγο ἤ πολὺ ἁμαρτωλοὶ, ἀλλὰ νοιώθουμε πόσα πολλὰ πράγματα ἔχουμε λάβει ἀπὸ τὸν Θεὸ καὶ τὶ λίγους καρποὺς ἔχουμε ἀποδώσει; Μοναχὰ ἄν δοῦμε ζωντανά, καθαρὰ, τὴν ἀντίθεση ἀνάμεσα στὸ κάθε τι ποὺ ἦταν δυνατὸ, ποὺ εἶναι πράγματι δυνατό, - καὶ αὐτὸ ποὺ εἴμαστε, μποροῦμε νὰ ποῦμε τίμια τέτοια λόγια.

Ἄς προβληματιστοῦμε, ἐπειδὴ δὲν μποροῦμε νὰ μιλήσουμε στὸ Θεὸ μὲ λόγια εὐγενείας, μὲ λόγια κούφιας εὐγένειας ὅταν προσευχόμαστε. Ὅ,τι λέμε πρέπει νὰ εἶναι ἀλήθεια, καὶ πρέπει νὰ κάνουμε σὲ κάθε προσευχὴ ἕνα τέστ ἀλήθειας ποὺ ν’ ἀφορᾶ τὴ συνείδηση καὶ τὴ ζωή μας.

Ἄς τὸ κρατήσουμε αὐτὸ μέχρι νὰ κοινωνήσουμε ξανὰ, ἔτσι ποὺ μιὰν ἡμέρα, ἴσως ὄχι στὴν ἑπόμενη μετάληψη, ἀλλὰ μετὰ ἀπὸ μιὰ ζωὴ ἀναζήτησης, προσευχῆς, κριτικῆς τοῦ ἑαυτοῦ μας, θὰ μποροῦμε νὰ ποῦμε ἀληθινὰ, Θεέ μου, ὦ Θεέ μου! Πόσα πολλὰ μοῦ ἔχεις δώσει καὶ πόσους λίγους καρποὺς ἔχω ἀποδώσει..! Ἄν εἶχε δοθεῖ στὸν ὁποιοδήποτε ὅ,τι μοῦ ἔδωσες, θὰ ἦταν ἤδη ἕνας Ἅγιος τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ἀμήν.

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Πρωτότυπο Κείμενο

On the Prayer before Communion

Sunday, 18th September 1988

In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.

Every time we come to Communion we say to the Lord that we come to Him Who is the Saviour of sinners, but we also state that we consider ourselves as the greatest of all. How much truth is there in such a statement when we make it? Or how can we make such a statement? Is it true? Can we truly say that we do consider ourselves the worst of all sinners? John of Kronstadt in his "Diary" makes a point which I believe is very important; he says that he also asks himself this very question, and he can answer it in all honesty, because, he says, if others had been given so much love, so much grace, so much Divine revelation as was given to him, they would have borne fruit which he proved unable to bear.

And so, this is a way in which we can ask ourselves questions when we come up to Communion, and say the words of the prayer before Communion. Is it simply that we repeat them because they are written in the books? Or is it that we are aware - but aware of what? Aware of being sinners? Yes, we all are aware of being sinners, more or less; but are we aware of how much we have received from God and how little fruit we have borne? It is only if we see vividly, clearly, the contrast between all that was possible, indeed - all that IS possible, and all that we are, that we can honestly say such words.

Let us reflect on them, because we cannot speak words of courtesy, words of empty politeness to God when we pray. What we say must be true, and we must make of every prayer a test of the truth of our conscience and of our lives.

Let us take this with us until we receive Communion again, so that one day, perhaps not at our next Communion, but after a long life of searching, of praying, of passing judgement on ourselves, we can say truly, "God, o God! How much you have given me, and how little fruit I have borne! If anyone had been given what you gave me, he would already be a Saint of God". Amen.

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