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from The Orthodox Faith, Vol. ii: Worship (Department of Religious Education, The Orthodox Church in America)

After the Our Father, the children of God receive Holy Communion. The celebrant again offers the Peace of Christ to the people, and with bowed heads they pray together for their worthy participation in Holy Communion. The celebrant prays that Christ Himself would come to distribute His Body and Blood.

Attend O Lord Jesus Christ our God, out of Thy holy dwelling place, from the throne of the glory of Thy kingdom, and come to sanctify us, O Thou who sittest on high with the Father and art here invisibly present with us, and by Thy mighty hand impart unto us Thy most pure Body and precious Blood, and through us to all of the people.

The consecrated Lamb is they elevated with the proclamation: Holy Things are for the holy! The people respond: One is Holy! One is the Lord Jesus Christ! To the glory of God the Father, Amen. The celebrant then breaks the Lamb into four pieces according to the way it was cut at the prothesis. One piece of the sanctified bread is put into the chalice together with a cup of hot water which symbolizes the living character of the Risen Christ whose body and soul are reunited and filled with the Holy Spirit in the glorified life of the Kingdom of God.

The clergy then receive Holy Communion from the bread, and drink from the consecrated cup. While the clergy participate in the Holy Mysteries, the people sing a special communion verse which changes according to the celebration. They may sing other hymns proper to the season as well, especially if the communion of the clergy takes a long time.

The faithful people receive Holy Communion on a spoon. They are given both the consecrated bread, and the sanctified wine. The communion of the faithful is always from the gifts offered and sanctified at the given Divine Liturgy. Holy Communion is never taken from any "reserve." As we have mentioned, all who are members of the Church through the sacraments of baptism and chrismation, including small children and infants, may partake of Holy Communion.. . .

Following Holy Communion in some churches it is the custom of the people to take some bread and wine. This helps them to receive the holy gifts, and to have something more to eat since they have been fasting.

The center cut piece of consecrated bread (called "the Lamb"), goes into the chalice along with both wine and water, not water alone. And certainly not as much as a cup of water. Also, the altar bread that is offered to all people after the Holy Communion is known as *antidoron* and it is NOT consecrated. This is a sign of love and friendship for all people, and a blessing for those who receive it in faith. The divine, holy, immortal, and life-giving Mysteries of Christ are received only by baptised Orthodox Christians who are properly prepared. In some traditions un-consecrated wine is also offered to *the communicants* after the Holy Mysteries, in order to "wash down" and clear all traces of the elements from one's mouth.
Luke Padgett

On the altar at the time of consecration is a small plate that has a base that allows it be elevated a few inches. This is called the "paten" or "discos" (the Greek word for plate). On the discos is a cube-shaped piece of bread called the "Lamb" which has been cut out of a larger loaf. There are smaller pieces of bread that have been also cut out of either the same loaf (in the Greek tradition) or from several smaller loaves (the Slavic tradition). These smaller pieces are offered in rememberance of the hierarchy, the Virgin Mary, St. John the Baptist, and the other saints - and prayer requests - both for the living and departed. It is only the Lamb, however, which is officially consecrated.

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