For You are the resurrection, the life, and the rest of Your departed servant (servants – names), O Christ our God, and to You, we send up glory, together with Your Father who is without beginning, and Your Most Holy, Good, and Life-Creating Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages.
Faithful: “Amen.” The liturgy of the catechumens follows, at the end of which the priest prays (the prayer for the catechumens):
Lord our God, Who dwell on high and look down on the humble, Who sent Your only-begotten Son and our God, our Lord Jesus Christ, for the salvation of the human race; look upon Your servants the catechumens, who have bowed their necks before You, and deem them worthy in due time of the laver of rebirth, the forgiveness of sins, and the garment of incorruption. Join them to Your Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church, and number them with Your chosen flock. That with us, they may glorify Your all-honorable and majestic name, of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages.
Faithful: “Amen.” This concludes the “liturgy of the word” (for the catechumens). The catechumens must leave the assembly – they have no business at the liturgy of the faithful! They will not see anything there, as they are not yet illumined by the mysteries of Baptism and Pentecost, so they cannot yet perceive anything – they are still unable to see!
Next, the priest says: “Catechumens, depart. Catechumens, depart. Let no catechumen remain, only the faithful; again and again in peace let us pray to the Lord.” Faithful: “Lord, have mercy”… at the end of the ektenia the priest proclaims: “Wisdom,” and prays (the first prayer of the faithful):
We thank You, Lord God of Hosts, Who have made us worthy even now to stand before Your holy altar and fall down before Your mercies for our sins and for the errors of the people. Accept, God, our supplication; grant us to offer You prayers and supplications and bloodless sacrifices for all Your people; and enable us, whom You have placed in this Your ministry by the power of the Holy Spirit, to call upon You at all times and in every place, without condemnation and with a pure witness of our conscience, that hearing us, You may be merciful to us according to the multitude of Your great goodness. For unto You are due all glory, honor, and worship, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages.
Faithful: “Amen.” Another ektenia follows, ending with a prayer (the second prayer of the faithful):
Again and often we fall down before You and implore You, O Good and Loving God, that looking upon our petition, You would cleanse our souls and bodies from every defilement of flesh and spirit and grant us to stand guiltless and uncondemned before Your holy altar. Grant also, O God, to those who pray with us, progress in life, faith, and spiritual understanding. Grant that they always worship You with awe and love, partake of Your Holy Mysteries without guilt or condemnation, and be deemed worthy of Your celestial kingdom. That, being always protected under Your dominion, we may send up glory to You, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and to the ages of ages.
Faithful: “Amen.” Then the priest prays (it would be good for the church to overhear and pray for the priest (who embodies, represents the entire community, praying on behalf of the whole community, which seals each prayer with its own “Amen”; for the entire community together and each member of the community sanctifies at the level of the priest!) and at the end seals the prayer with a communal “Amen”):
Let none who are bound by carnal desires and pleasures is worthy to approach, draw near, or serve You, King of Glory. For to serve You is great and awesome even for the heavenly Powers themselves. Yet, through Your ineffable and boundless love for mankind, You impassively and immutably became man, You, as Master of all, became our High Priest, and delivered unto us the ministry of this liturgical and bloodless sacrifice without the shedding of blood. Indeed, Lord our God, You alone reign over the celestial and the terrestrial; borne aloft on the cherubic throne, Lord of the Seraphim and King of Israel, You alone are holy and dwell in the sanctuaries. Therefore, I implore You, Who alone are good and ready to listen: Look down upon me, a sinner and your unprofitable servant, and cleanse my soul and heart from a wicked conscience, and by the power of Your Holy Spirit, clothed with the grace of the priesthood, enable me to stand before this, Your holy table, and perform the sacred mystery of Your holy and pure Body and precious Blood. For I come bowing my head, and I pray, do not turn Your face away from me nor exclude me from among Your children, but make me, Your sinful and unworthy servant, worthy to offer these gifts to You. For You are the one who both offers and is offered, who receives and is given, O Christ our God, and to You, we send up glory together with Your unoriginated Father and Your most holy, good, and life-creating Spirit, now and forever and to the ages of ages. Amen. (highlighted by V.A.).