Lo, the Lord enters swiftly and silently into the Holy of Holies—the consecrated altar of the heart, the altar of flesh and not of stone.
Behold, the Master enters, with fire in His eyes—the fire of jealous love.
Now the powers of heaven with us invisibly do serve.
Lo, the King of Glory enters, lo, the mystical sacrifice is upborne, fulfilled.
Let us draw nigh with faith and love and become communicants of life eternal.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!1
The King of Glory takes His seat, His throne, upon the mystical table of sacrifice.
His blood flows down upon the brazen altar.
Holy, Holy, Holy.
The table is made holy, consecrated by the sprinkling of His blood.
The throne beats, beats, beats—His blood to it gives life, gives pulse.
The altar of flesh beats:
Holy, Holy, Holy.
The fire in His eyes consumes all that is unholy.
The two become one—the altar and the Sacrifice, the Lamb’s wife and the Lamb.
Holy, Holy, Holy beats the heart.
Holy, Holy, Holy cry His wounds, His blood.
Be Holy, as I am Holy.
Lord, I am filthy before You.
My heart altar is continuously desecrated, though it ought to be consecrated.
I beg Your swift coming to me; I beg Your swift rescue.
King Jesus, I beg the presence of Your holiness to tread down my unholiness.
I beg Your gushing stream of life-giving blood to wash me and consecrate me.
Let me commune with Life, with Your Person.
King Jesus, Son of David, have mercy upon me!
- Now the Powers is a hymn sung in the Presanctified Liturgy in the Orthodox Church. ↩︎