Vespers · Raising of Incense
Opening Rites
The Prayer of Thanksgiving
Priest
Let us give thanks to the beneficent and merciful God, the Father of our Lord, God, and Saviour Jesus Christ, for He has covered us, helped us, guarded us, accepted us unto Him, had compassion on us, supported us, and brought us to this hour.
Congregation
We worship You. We glorify You. We give You thanks, O Lord. And we pray unto You, O our God.
Commentary
The liturgy opens with gratitude — not petition, but thanksgiving. This reflects the earliest pattern of Christian worship, rooted in the Jewish berakah (blessing) tradition. The very word "Eucharist" means thanksgiving in Greek.
“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”— 1 Thessalonians 5:18
The prayer is offered by the priest on behalf of the whole assembly, which responds with a short acclamation. This call-and-response structure runs throughout the entire liturgy, expressing that worship is never a solitary act but always the offering of the whole Body of Christ.