The Ambo Prayer

Nowadays there is an additional prayer, which is read after the phrase 'Let us depart in peace'. This is called the Ambo prayer, for when it was added to the Divine Liturgy, it was read in the middle of the Nave, behind the Ambo.

33 from Αθωνική Ψηφιακή Κιβωτός on Vimeo.

It is a final glorification of God, a brief recapitulation of the major petitions, which are included in the various prayers of the Divine Liturgy. All those who have partaken of the Body and Blood of Christ are now called, upon leaving the church, to prove in their everyday life that they worthily received the Sacrament. This is why the Church uses the Ambo prayer. With this prayer the Church asks God to strengthen the faithful in their struggle and make them officiate a 'Liturgy after the Liturgy'. In other words the faithful, who have received Christ, should, like a little yeast that leavens the whole batch of dough, bring Him to the rest of the world; this is their special duty for God's Creation.

Afterwards, the priest reads a beautiful, though virtually unknown, prayer. He is now before the Prothesis, in front of the Holy Gifts. He asks Christ, who is the fulfilment of all the prophecies pertaining to world's salvation and the fullness of joy, to fill the hearts of the faithful with gladness! Christ is not only the giver of joy but also the joy given to each and every one of the faithful, to each and every one of us.


Last modified: Wednesday, 7 October 2020, 8:59 PM