I believe, O Lord, and I confess
that thou art truly the Christ,
the Son of the living God,
who didst come into the world to save sinners,
of whom I am chief.
I believe also that this is truly
thine own most pure Body,
and that this is truly thine own precious Blood.
Wherefore I pray thee:
have mercy upon me
and forgive my transgressions,
both voluntary and involuntary,
of word and of deed,
of knowledge and of ignorance;
and make me worthy to partake
without condemnation
of thine immaculate Mysteries,
unto remission of sins
and unto life everlasting.
Amen.
ORTHODOX TRADITIONAL; FORMALIZED BY 9TH-10TH CENTURY AD
Prayer Before Holy Communion
Also known as Orthodox Pre-Communion Prayer ยท I Believe, O Lord
About this prayer
Orthodox Christians prepare for Holy Communion with a rule of prayer that includes fasting, the reading of pre-Communion prayers, and often attendance at Vespers the evening before. The prayers before Communion are a set of canons and individual prayers said the evening before or the morning of receiving the Eucharist. The prayer given here is the foundational pre-Communion prayer, expressing unworthiness, faith in the Real Presence, and trust in God's mercy. Orthodox theology holds that the Eucharist is the true Body and Blood of Christ, and that preparation for Communion requires genuine repentance and fasting, not merely a formal disposition. The prayer draws on the language of the Psalms and the Gospels.
When it's said
This prayer is said as part of the pre-Communion prayer rule, typically said the evening before or the morning of receiving Communion. It follows the Canon of Preparation and precedes the actual reception of the Eucharist. The full pre-Communion rule includes several additional prayers and canons.
Notes on the text
The phrase 'of whom I am chief' is drawn from 1 Timothy 1:15, where Paul calls himself the foremost of sinners. Its use here follows the patristic tradition of taking scriptural expressions of humility as one's own. The distinction between 'voluntary and involuntary' sins reflects Orthodox moral theology's recognition that some sins are committed knowingly and others through ignorance or weakness.
Source
Traditional Orthodox pre-Communion prayers, formalized by 9th-10th century AD. English text from the Service Book of the Holy Orthodox Church, compiled by Isabel F. Hapgood, 1906. Public domain.
Last reviewed: May 2026 against primary source.