INDEX:
- SMALL SUPPLICATORY CANON TO THE MOTHER OF GOD
- GREAT SUPPLICATORY CANON TO THE MOTHER OF GOD
- MORNING PRAYERS
- EVENING PRAYERS
- THE JESUS PRAYER
SMALL SUPPLICATORY CANON
TO THE
MOTHER OF GOD
PRIEST
Blessed is our God, always, now and for ever: world without end.
CHOIR: Amen.
Psalm
142
Hear my prayer, O Lord, give ear to my supplications:
in Thy faithfulness answer me, and in Thy righteousness. And enter not into
judgement with Thy servant: for in Thy sight shall no man be justified. For the
enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath smitten my life down to the ground; he
hath made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have long been dead. Therefore
is my spirit overwhelmed within me; my heart within me is desolate. I remember
the days of old; I meditate on all Thy works; I muse on the work of Thy hands.
I stretch forth my hands unto Thee: my soul thirsteth after Thee, as a thirsty
land. Hear me speedily, O Lord: my spirit faileth: hide not Thy face from me,
lest I be like them that go down to the pit. Cause me to hear Thy
lovingkindness in the morning; for in Thee do I trust: cause me to know the way
wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto Thee. Deliver me, O Lord,
from mine enemies: I flee unto Thee to hide me. Teach me to do Thy will; for
Thou art my God: Thy Spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.
Quicken me, O Lord, for Thy name’s sake: for Thy righteousness’ sake: bring my
soul out of trouble. And of Thy mercy cut off mine enemies, and destroy all
them that afflict my soul: for I am Thy servant.
God is the Lord and hath appeared unto us.
Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord.
O give thanks unto the
Lord, and call upon His holy name.
God is the Lord…
All nations compassed me
about: but in the name of the Lord I will destroy them.
God is the Lord…
This is the Lord’s doing;
it is marvellous in our eyes.
God is the Lord…
Tone
4
To the Mother of God let us run now most
earnestly, * We sinners all and
wretched ones and fall prostrate, * In
repentance calling from the depths of our souls, * O Lady, come unto our aid, have compassion upon us, * Hasten thou, for we are lost, in a throng of transgressions; * Turn not thy servants away with empty hands, * For thee alone do we have as our only hope.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and
to the Holy Spirit.
Repeat of the Hymn above or the Apolytikion Hymn of
the saint to whom the Church is dedicated
As the one renowned for setting captives
free,* and for defending those in poverty, * the physician of the sick and the champion of kings, * do thou, o Victory-bearer and Great Martyr George, * intercede to Christ our God * for
the salvation of our souls.
Now and for ever world without end. Amen.
O Mother of God, we shall not cease from
speaking, * of all Thy mighty acts,
all we the unworthy ones, * for if thou hadst not
stood to intercede for us, * who would have delivered
us, from such numerous dangers? * Who
would have preserved us all, until now, in true freedom? * O Lady, we shall not turn away from thee; * for thou dost always save thy servants, from all manner of grief.
PSALM 50
Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Thy loving
kindness: according unto the multitude of Thy tender mercies blot out my
transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my
sin. Against Thee, Thee only have I sinned: and done this evil in Thy sight:
that Thou mightest be justified when Thou speakest, and clear when Thou
judgest. Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive
me. Behold, Thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part
Thou shalt make me to know wisdom. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean:
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness;
that the bones which Thou hast broken may rejoice. Hide Thy face from my sins,
and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew
a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Thy presence; and take not Thy
Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation; and uphold me
with Thy free Spirit. Then will I teach transgressors Thy ways; and sinners
shall be converted unto Thee. Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, Thou God
of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of Thy righteousness. O Lord,
open Thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth Thy praise. For Thou desirest
not sacrifice; else would I give it: Thou delightest not in burnt offerings.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O
God, Thou will not despise. Do good in Thy good pleasure unto Zion Jerusalem
Tone
8 Ode 1 Heirmos
Crossing the water as on dry land, * and thereby escaping from the hardships of Egypt
Most holy Mother of God, save us.
By many temptations am I distressed; * in search of salvation, unto thee have I taken
flight; * O Mother of the Word and Virgin, * from all ordeals and afflictions deliver me.
Most holy Mother of God, save us.
Attacks of the passions disquiet me; * my soul to repletion hath been filled with
despondency;* bestill them, O Maiden, with the
calmness * of thine own Son and our God, O
all-blameless One.
Glory be to the Father…
To Christ God, the Saviour thou gavest birth; * I beg thee, O Virgin, from afflictions deliver me; * for now unto thee I flee for refuge, * bringing to thee both my soul and my reasoning.
Now and for ever…
Diseased is my body and my soul, * do thou make me worthy of divine guidance and thy
care, * O thou who alone art God’s mother, * for thou art good and the birth-giver of the Good.
Ode
3 Heirmos
The span of the heavens Thou art, O Lord,
that holds up high, * and as the builder of Thy
Church, do Thou establish me, * in unfeigned love for
Thee, who art the height of desire, * and
strength of the faithful, O Thou Lover of mankind.
Most holy Mother of God, save us.
I have thee as the shelter and the defence of my life, * therefore, O Mother of God and Virgin, pilot and
govern me, * into thy sheltered port, for thou
art the cause of all good things, * the strength
of the faithful, O thou only lauded one.
Most holy Mother of God, save us.
I beseech thee, O Virgin, do thou dispel far from me, * all the grief of despair and the turbulence in my
soul; * for thou, O Bride of God, hast given
birth to the Lord Christ, * the Author of
calmness, O thou only undefiled.
Glory be to the Father…
Since thou didst give birth to the
benefactor, the cause of good, * from the wealth of thy
loving-kindness, do thou pour forth on all, * for thou canst do all things, for in thy womb thou didst carry, * Christ, mighty in power, O thou blessed of God.
Now and for ever…
With most grievous diseases, and with
corrupt passions too, * I am put to trial, O
Virgin, come thou unto my aid; * for I know thee to be, an
inexhaustible treasure, * of unfailing healing, O
thou who art undefiled.
Preserve * thy servants from every danger, O Mother of God, * for after God, unto thee do we flee for refuge; * an unassailable wall and protection.
In thy good will,* look thou upon me, O laudable Mother of God, * and behold my body’s grievous infirmity, * and heal the cause of my soul’s sorrow.
PRIEST
Have mercy upon us, O God, after Thy great
goodness. We pray Thee, hear us and have mercy.
CHOIR: Kyrie eleison [3]
PRIEST
Again we pray for our Archbishop [Name], and for all our brethren in Christ.
CHOIR: Kyrie eleison [3]
PRIEST
Again we pray for mercy, life, peace,
health, salvation, visitation, forgiveness and remission of the sins of the
servants of God, [Names] and all those here present at this supplication, and for the
forgiveness of their every transgression, voluntary and involuntary.
CHOIR: Kyrie eleison [3]
PRIEST
For Thou art a merciful God, and a lover of
mankind, and to Thee we ascribe glory, to the Father, and to the Son, and to
the Holy Spirit, now and for ever: world without end.
CHOIR: Amen.
Kathisma
Tone 2
O fervent advocate, and fortress invincible, * the wellspring of mercy, the refuge of the world; * earnestly we cry to thee, O Lady, Mother of God,
hasten thou, * and from all danger deliver us, * for thou alone art our hasty defender.
Ode
4 Heirmos
I have heard of the mystery * of Thy
dispensation, O Christ our God, * and I
came to knowledge of Thy works, * and I glorified Thy
Divinity.
Most holy Mother of God,
save us.
The rage of my passions * and the tempest of my sins, do thou bring to rest, * for thou gavest birth to him, * who is
the Lord and Helmsman, O Bride of God.
Most holy Mother of God, save
us.
Grant unto me thy supplicant, * the abyss of thy great compassion, * for the compassionate thou didst bring forth, * who is the Saviour of all who hymn thy praise.
Glory be to the Father…
Enjoying, O spotless one, * thy
many gifts, we hymn to thee, * a song of thanksgiving, * knowing thee to be the Mother of our God.
Now and for ever…
Having thee as our strength and hope, * and steadfast wall of our salvation, * O all-lauded one, are we redeemed, * from all manner of adversity.
Ode
5 Heirmos
Enlighten us, O Lord, that Thy commandments
we may keep, * and with Thy mighty arm
from on high, * bestow on us, * Thy peace O Lover of Mankind.
Most holy Mother of God,
save us.
Fill, O Pure One, my heart with joy and
gladness, * with the undefiled joy
which thou dost give, * for thou didst give birth * to Him who is the cause of joy.
Most holy Mother of God,
save us.
Come deliver us, out of dangers, O Pure
Mother of God, * for thou gavest birth to
eternal redemption * and to the peace that * surpasses all human reasoning.
Glory be to the Father…
Disperse the darkness, of my trespasses, O
Bride of God, * with the brightness of thy
radiance * for thou didst bear
* the divine and pre-eternal Light.
Now and for ever…
Heal, O Pure one, the sickness which my passions bring,
* and make me worthy of thy providence, * and by thy prayers and *
intercessions grant thou health to me.
Ode
6 Heirmos
I pour forth my prayer unto the Lord, * and unto Him do I tell all my sorrows, * for my soul hath been filled with many evils, * and my life unto Hades hath now drawn high. * Like Jonah therefore, do I pray, * from corruption, O God, do Thou raise me up.
Most holy Mother of God, save us.
My nature, held by death and corruption, * hath He saved from death and corruption, * He who gave Himself freely to death. * Wherefore, O Virgin, do thou intercede with Him, * who is in truth thy Lord and Son, * to redeem me from the enemies’ wickedness.
Most holy Mother of God,
save us.
I know thee, as the protection of my life, * and most reliable custodian, O Virgin. * Disperse the horde of my many temptations, * and drive away from me assaults of the demons. * Unceasingly I pray to thee, * from
corruption of passions deliver me.
Glory be to the Father…
We have thee, as a wall of safe retreat, * and the absolute salvation of souls, * and a relief in distresses, O Maiden, * and in thy light do we ever exalt with joy. * O Lady, do thou also now, * from
all passions and perils deliver us.
Now and for ever…
I lay me down, upon a bed of sicknesses, * and there is no cure for my body, * except for thee who didst bear the world’s Saviour, * who is our God and the Healer of sicknesses. * I pray to thee, for thou art good, * from corruption of illnesses raise me up.
Preserve * thy servants from every danger, O Mother of God, * for after God, unto thee do we flee for refuge; * an unassailable wall and protection.
O Pure One, * who by a word in the last days didst bring forth,
* the Word ineffably, beseech Him,
* for thou hast motherly freedom.
PRIEST
Have mercy upon us, O God, after Thy great
goodness. We pray Thee, hear us and have mercy.
CHOIR: Kyrie eleison [3]
PRIEST
Again we pray for our Archbishop [Name], and for all our brethren in Christ.
CHOIR: Kyrie eleison [3]
PRIEST
Again we pray for mercy, life, peace,
health, salvation, visitation, forgiveness and remission of the sins of the
servants of God, [Names] and all those here present at this supplication, and for the
forgiveness of their every transgression, voluntary and involuntary.
CHOIR: Kyrie eleison [3]
PRIEST
For Thou art a merciful God, and a lover of
mankind, and to Thee we ascribe glory, to the Father, and to the Son, and to
the Holy Spirit, now and for ever: world without end.
CHOIR: Amen.
Kontakion
Tone 2
O steadfast help and shield
of Christians; constant advocate with the creator: despise not the prayers of
sinners who call upon thee, but of thy goodness attend unto our aid who in
faith cry out to thee. Make speed to make supplication; make haste to
intercede; O Mother of God who dost ever watch over them that honour thee.
Tone
4
From my youth up many passions have warred
against me, but do Thou, O my Saviour, succour and save me. [2]
Ye that hate Zion
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and
to the Holy Spirit.
By the Holy Spirit is every soul filled
with life: through purification it is raised in high and made bright, by the
Threefold Unity in a holy mystery.
Now and for ever: world without end. Amen.
Streams of grace spring forth from the Holy
Spirit, watering, the whole of creation, giving it life.
Prokhimenon
I will make thy name to be remembered in
all generations.
Verse.
Hearken, O daughter, and consider, and
incline thine ear; forget also thine own people, and thy father’s house; so
shall the King greatly desire thy beauty.
Thy name I will make to be remembered in
all generations.
PRIEST
That we may be accounted worthy to hear the Holy
Gospel, let us beseech the Lord our God.
CHOIR: Kyrie
eleison. [3]
Glory be to the Father…
Father, Word, and Spirit, Trinity in Unity, cleanse me
from the multitude of my transgressions.
Now and for ever…
At the prayers of the Mother of God, O merciful Lord,
cleanse me from the multitude of my transgressions.
Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Thy loving
kindness: according unto the multitude of Thy tender mercies blot out my
transgressions.
Tone
6 Όλην αποθέμενοι
O entrust me not, I pray, to
any human protection, O Most holy Lady, but do thou accept the prayer of thy
supplicant. Sorrow hath fettered me, and I am unable to endure and bear the
demons’ darts; a shelter have I not, neither place to run I, the wretched one;
Embattled from all sides am I, and no consolation have I but thee. O Mistress
of creation, protection and hope of the faithful, do thou not overlook my
prayer, do that which will profit me.
No one, that runs to thee for help, cometh away ashamed
and disheartened, O Virgin Mother of God; but he asketh for thy grace, and
receiveth the gift from thee, unto the profit of his own request.
The transformation of the afflicted, and the relief of
those in sickness, thou art in truth, O Virgin Mother of God. Save thy city and
thy flock, thou that art the peace of those embattled, the calm of those tossed
by the tempest: the only protection of those who believe.
PRIEST
Save, O God, Thy people and bless Thine inheritance.
Visit Thy world in mercy and compassions, exalt the trumpet of Orthodox
Christians, and send down upon us Thy bountiful mercies: by the prayers of our
most pure, Lady, Mother of God and ever-Virgin Mary; by the precious and
life-giving Cross; by the protection of the heavenly bodiless hosts, through
the supplications of the glorious Prophet and Forerunner, John the Baptist; of
the holy and all-glorious Apostles; of our holy fathers among the saints, the
great Hierarchs, Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, and John Chrysostom;
Athanasius and Cyril, John the Almsgiver, Patriarchs of Alexandria; Nicholas of
Myra, Spiridon of Trimythounta, the Wonderworkers; the holy and great martyrs
George the Victory bearer, Demetri us the
Outpourer of myrrh, Theodore of Tyro and Theodore Stratelates; the Hieromartyrs
Charalambos and Eleutherius; our holy and God-bearing fathers; of the holy and righteous progenitors of God, Joachim
and Anna, of [the Name of the saint] to whose memory we dedicate this day, and of all Thy
saints: we beseech Thee, O Lord, who alone art plenteous in mercy, hear us
sinners, who pray unto Thee, and have mercy upon us.
CHOIR: Kyrie
eleison [12]
PRIEST
Through the mercies, compassions and loving-kindness of
Thine Only-begotten Son, with whom Thou art glorified, together with Thine
all-holy good and life-giving Spirit, now and fore ever: world without end.
CHOIR: Amen.
Ode
7 Heirmos
In ancient times from Judaea , * did the children go down to the land of Babylon
Most holy Mother of God,
save us.
Thou didst deign, O Saviour, * in Thy dispensation for our salvation, * through the Virgin’s womb * to
dwell in the world, thus * revealing her as our
patron. * Blessed art Thou, O God, of our Fathers.
Most holy Mother of God,
save us.
To Him who willed to grant mercy, * whom thou didst bring forth, beseech, O Mother of God, most pure; * to deliver from transgressions * and from the souls defilements,* those who cry out to Him in faith;* Blessed art Thou, O God, of our Fathers.
Glory be to the Father…
A treasure of salvation, * a fount of incorruption, a tower of safety, * and a doorway of repentance, * Thou
didst show forth Thy mother, * to them that cry aloud to
Thee: * Blessed art Thou, O God, of our Fathers.
Now and for ever…
From ailments of the body, * and from the souls afflictions do thou Birth- giver of God, * make worthy of thy healing, * all
those who run with yearning * to thy divine protection,
* for thou art who didst, bring forth
Christ our Saviour.
Ode
8 Heirmos
Unto the King of the heavens whom the * hosts of holy angels hymn, * do ye
all praise * and exalt unto the ages.
Most holy Mother of God,
save us.
Turn not away, those who seek for
salvation, * from thee, O Virgin, for
they hymn thee, * and unto the ages, * they exalt thee, O Maiden.
Most holy Mother of God,
save us.
Thy healings, thou dost pour forth in
abundance, * on them that with faith
hymn thee, O Virgin, * and praise and exalt
thine * ineffable offspring.
Glory be to the Father…
The diseases, of my soul and the pains of * my body thou dost heal, O Virgin. * Wherefore I glorify thee, * who
art full of grace.
Now and for ever…
Thou
dost drive away, the assaults of temptations, *
and assaults of the passions, O Virgin. *
Wherefore do we hymn thee, * unto all the ages.
Ode
9 Heirmos
Most truly we confess thee, * as the Mother of God, * we who through thee have
been saved, O Virgin, most pure. *
Together with the hosts of angels, we magnify thee.
Most holy Mother of God,
save us.
The river of my tears, * spurn not with refusal,* for thou, O Virgin, didst
give birth to Christ our God: * who doth wipe away from
all our faces every tear.
Most holy Mother of God,
save us.
Overfill my heart, * with gladness, O Virgin, * for
thou art she who received all the fullness of joy, * and made to vanish from us, the grief of sinfulness.
Most holy Mother of God,
save us.
A haven and protection, * a refuge and a shelter, * a
cause of joy and a wall unshakeable; * do
thou become O thou Virgin, for those who flee to thee.
Glory be to the Father…
With the radiance of thy light, * illumine thou, O Virgin, * and
drive away all the darkness of Ignorance, * from those who piously call thee the Mother of our God.
Now and for ever…
Do thou, O Virgin heal me, * for I have been humbled, * in a
place of illness and suffering. * Do
thou transform all my illness and give me health once more.
Magnificat
PRIEST
Meet it is in very truth,
* to call thee blessed, who didst bring forth God, *
ever blessed, and most pure, * and Mother of our God.
More honourable than the Cherubim,
* and past compare more glorious than the Seraphim,
* who inviolate didst bear God the Word, *
very Mother of God, thee we magnify.
CHOIR:
O thou who art Higher than the heavens,
* and much purer than the radiance of the sun.
* O thou who hast redeemed us, from the curse that held
us, * O Mistress of the world, with hymns we
honour thee.
From the great abundance of all my sins,
* ill am I in body, ailing also am I in soul.
* Do thou, therefore, help me, for I come to thee for
refuge: * O hope of all the hopeless, thou who art
full of grace.
O Lady and Mother of our Saviour,
* from us the unworthy, our supplications do thou
receive. * We pray thee, mediate with Him, who from
thy womb came forth. * O Mistress of creation,
do thou intercede for us.
Now we chant with eagerness and with joy,
* this ode to thee, All-lauded, Mother of our God.
* Together with the Baptist, and all the ranks of saints;
* beseech O Mother of God, that we find clemency.
Speechless be the lips of the ungodly,
* who refuse to venerate thy most honourable Icon,
* known throughout history by the name Directress,
* depicted by the hands of Luke the Evangelist.
O all ye hosts of holy angels,
* together with the Baptist, the Apostles the blessed
twelve, * all the saints together with the Mother
of God, * we pray make intercession for our
salvation.
The
Trisagion (Thrice-holy)
O Holy God, Holy and Strong, Holy and Immortal, have
mercy upon us. (3)
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever, world without end.
Amen.
Most Holy Trinity, have mercy upon us; O Lord, cleanse
us from our sins; O Master, pardon our transgressions; O Holy One, visit and
heal our infirmities, for Thy Name’s sake.
Kyrie eleison or Lord have mercy. [3]
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy
Spirit, now and for ever: world without end. Amen.
Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name,
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, in earth as it is in heaven. Give us this
day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that
trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
PRIEST
For Thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, of
the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and for ever: world
without end.
CHOIR: Amen.
PRIEST
Have mercy upon us, O God, according to Thy
great mercy. We pray Thee, hear us and have mercy.
CHOIR: Kyrie eleison. [3]
PRIEST
Again we pray for all pious and Orthodox Christians.
CHOIR: Kyrie eleison. [3]
PRIEST
Again we pray for our Archbishop [Name], and for all our brethren in Christ.
CHOIR: Kyrie eleison. [3]
PRIEST
Again we pray for mercy, life, peace,
health, salvation, visitation, forgiveness and remission of the sins of the
servants of God, [names] and all the pious Orthodox Christians who dwell or
visit this village, the parishioners, the Church committee, those who give help
and those who have dedicated gifts in this holy temple.
CHOIR: Kyrie eleison. [3]
PRIEST
Again we pray for the preservation of this holy temple,
for this village, all cities and land, from destruction, pestilence, famine,
earthquakes, flood, fire and the sword, from invasion of enemies, civil war and
sudden death. We pray also that our good God and lover of mankind will be
merciful, compassionate and easily reconciled and will turn away and dispel all
wrath and sickness agitated against us and deliver us from His justified and
impending admonition and have mercy upon us.
CHOIR: Kyrie eleison. [3]
PRIEST
Again we pray that the Lord our God hear the voice of
the supplication of us sinners, and have mercy upon us.
CHOIR: Kyrie eleison. [3]
PRIEST
Hear us, O God and our Saviour, the hope of all the
ends of the earth, and those far off at sea, and be merciful, yea, be merciful,
O Master, upon our sins and have mercy upon us.
For Thou art a merciful God and a lover of mankind, and
to Thee we ascribe glory, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy
Spirit, now and for ever: world without end.
CHOIR: Amen.
PRIEST
Glory be to Thee, O God, glory be to Thee.
CHOIR:
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy
Spirit, now and for ever: world without end. Amen. Kyrie eleison [3].
Holy father, give the blessing.
PRIEST
May Christ our true God, by the prayers of His most
holy Mother, of the holy and all-glorious Apostles, of the holy and glorious
Great-Martyr George the Victory-bearer, of (saint of the day) and of all the saints,
have mercy upon us and save us, for He is good and loving-kind.
CHOIR
Tone 2 'Οτε εκ του
ξύλου
To all who in faith come unto thee, thou
dost give protection, O Good One, with thy mighty hand, for we sinners have no
other as our unwavering, mediator with our God, in dangers and sorrows, we who
have been burdened down with our abundant sins, Mother of our God in the
Highest. Wherefore do thou rescue thy servants, who fall down before thee, from
adversities.
Joy art thou of all that sorrow, and of the
oppressed a protectress, and nurture of the poor, a comfort unto strangers, a
staff thou art unto the blind, a visitation of all the sick, a help to the
orphaned, and a shelter and assistance unto those brought down by pain. Mother
of our God in the Highest, Thou that art, O Undefiled, hasten, we beseech thee,
to redeem thy servants.
Tone 8
Lady do thou receive the petitions of thy
servants, and deliver us, from every affliction and necessity.
Tone 2
Unto thee do I entrust, my every
expectation, O Mother of God, keep me safe under thy shelter.
During
the period of the August fast, instead of the previous hymns to the Mother of
God, we sing the following Exapostilaria.
Tone
3
O ye Apostles from afar, being now gathered
together, here in the place called Gethsemane , give burial to my body; and thou my Son and my God, receive Thou my
spirit.
Thou art the sweetness of angels, the joy
of all those afflicted. To Christians thou art protectress, O Virgin Mother of
our Lord. Do thou succour and save me, from the eternal torments.
I have thee as Mediator with God who lovest
mankind. May He not reproach my actions, before the hosts of the angels. I
beseech thee, O Virgin, come speedily to my help.
Thou art a tower of braided gold, a city
bounded with twelve walls, a throne beaded with sun rays, a royal chair of the
King. Incomprehensible wonder, that thou dost breastfeed the Master.
PRIEST
By the prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord
Jesus Christ, our God, have mercy upon us and save us.
CHOIR: Amen.
============================================================
TO THE
MOTHER OF GOD
PRIEST
Blessed is our God, always, now and for ever: world
without end.
CHOIR: Amen.
Psalm
142
Hear my prayer, O Lord, give ear to my supplications:
in Thy faithfulness answer me, and in Thy righteousness. And enter not into
judgement with Thy servant: for in Thy sight shall no man be justified. For the
enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath smitten my life down to the ground; he
hath made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have long been dead. Therefore
is my spirit overwhelmed within me; my heart within me is desolate. I remember
the days of old; I meditate on all Thy works; I muse on the work of Thy hands.
I stretch forth my hands unto Thee: my soul thirsteth after Thee, as a thirsty
land. Hear me speedily, O Lord: my spirit faileth: hide not Thy face from me,
lest I be like them that go down to the pit. Cause me to hear Thy
lovingkindness in the morning; for in Thee do I trust: cause me to know the way
wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto Thee. Deliver me, O Lord,
from mine enemies: I flee unto Thee to hide me. Teach me to do Thy will; for
Thou art my God: Thy Spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.
Quicken me, O Lord, for Thy name’s sake: for Thy righteousness’ sake: bring my
soul out of trouble. And of Thy mercy cut off mine enemies, and destroy all
them that afflict my soul: for I am Thy servant.
God is the Lord and hath appeared unto us.
Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord.
O give
thanks unto the Lord, and call upon His holy name.
God is the Lord…
All nations compassed me about: but in
the name of the Lord I will destroy them.
God is the Lord…
This is the Lord’s doing; it is
marvellous in our eyes.
God is the Lord…
Tone
4
To the Mother of God let us run now most
earnestly, * We sinners all and
wretched ones and fall prostrate, * In
repentance calling from the depths of our souls, * O Lady, come unto our aid, have compassion upon us, * Hasten thou, for we are lost, in a throng of transgressions; * Turn not thy servants away with empty hands, * For thee alone do we have as our only hope.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and
to the Holy Spirit.
As the one renowned for setting captives
free,* and for defending those in poverty, * the physician of the sick and the champion of kings, * do thou, o Victory-bearer and Great Martyr George, * intercede to Christ our God * for
the salvation of our souls.
Now and for ever world without end. Amen.
O Mother of God, we shall not cease from
speaking, * of all Thy mighty acts,
all we the unworthy ones, * for if thou hadst not
stood to intercede for us, * who would have delivered
us, from such numerous dangers? * Who
would have preserved us all, until now, in true freedom? * O Lady, we shall not turn away from thee; * for thou dost always save thy servants, from all manner of grief.
PSALM
50
Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Thy loving
kindness: according unto the multitude of Thy tender mercies blot out my
transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my
sin. Against Thee, Thee only have I sinned: and done this evil in Thy sight:
that Thou mightest be justified when Thou speakest, and clear when
Thou
judgest. Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive
me. Behold, Thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part
Thou shalt make me to know wisdom. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean:
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness;
that the bones which Thou hast broken may rejoice. Hide Thy face from my sins,
and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew
a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Thy presence; and take not Thy
Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation; and uphold me
with Thy free Spirit. Then will I teach transgressors Thy ways; and sinners
shall be converted unto Thee. Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, Thou God
of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of Thy righteousness. O Lord,
open Thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth Thy praise. For Thou desirest
not sacrifice; else would I give it: Thou delightest not in burnt offerings.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O
God, Thou will not despise. Do good in Thy good pleasure unto Zion Jerusalem
Ode
1 Heirmos
The charioteers of Pharaoh drowned when
once the wonder-working rod of Moses, * in the
form of a Cross, * smote the waters of the
sea and thus divided it in two. *
Whereby banished Israel
Most holy Mother of God,
save us.
An assault of many grievous and distressing
troubles storm my humble soul,* and the clouds of sorrow * and of tribulation shroud my heart, O Bride of God. * But as thou didst bring forth the divine and pre-eternal Light, * shine on me the light that is full of joy.
Most holy Mother of God,
save us.
From many sorrows and necessities and from
antagonistic enemies * and from life’s
calamities, * thou hast saved me, O
Most Pure, by thy mighty strength. * Hence
I praise and magnify thine infinite compassion, * and thy supplication on my behalf.
Glory be to the Father…
Now trusting fully in thy mighty patronage,
for safety there have I fled * and unto thy shelter * have I run wholeheartedly, and bend my knees, O Lady, * and lament sighing deeply, do not despise me the wretched one, * for thou art the refuge of Christians.
Now and for ever…
I will not cease from crying out
perspicuously of thy magnificence, * for
wert thou not, O Maiden, * always standing up for
me, petitioning thy Son and God, * who
would there be to save me, from so violent a tempest, * and from such formidable jeopardies.
Preserve * thy servants from every danger, O Mother of God, * for after God, unto thee do we flee for refuge; * an unassailable wall and protection.
In thy good will, * look thou upon me, O laudable Mother of God, * and behold my body’s grievous infirmity, * and heal the cause of my soul’s sorrow.
Ode
3 Heirmos
The span of the heavens Thou art, O Lord,
that holds up high, * and as the builder of Thy
Church, do Thou establish me, * in unfeigned love for
Thee, who art the height of desire, * and
strength of the faithful, O Thou Lover of mankind.
Most holy Mother of God,
save us.
Altogether bewildered, with pain I cry unto
thee, * come to me, O fervent protection and
thine assistance give, * unto thy humble and
wretched servant who now does, * ardently beseech for
succour that comes from thee.
Most holy Mother of God,
save us.
Now upon me, O Lady, thou hast indeed
magnified, * thy compassion, O Maiden,
and thy mercies, * wherefore I sing thy
praise, and glorify and honour, * thy
boundless and infinite care and guardianship.
Glory be to the Father…
Overwhelmed by a hurricane of disasters, O
Lady, * and a great flood of sorrows engulf and
bring me down, * but do thou come to me,
give me a hand of assistance,* for thou art a fervent
help and my protection.
Now and for ever…
I confess thee in truth to be the Mother of
God, * for thou, O Lady, didst bring forth the
Life, and didst destroy * the might and rule of
death, and from the bonds of Hades,* thou
hast raised me up, for I sank deep into the earth.
Preserve * thy servants from every danger, O Mother of God, * for after God, unto thee do we flee for refuge; * an unassailable wall and protection.
In thy good will, * look thou upon me, O laudable Mother of God, * and behold my body’s grievous infirmity, * and heal the cause of my soul’s sorrow.
PRIEST
Have mercy upon us, O God, after Thy great
goodness. We pray Thee, hear us and have mercy.
CHOIR: Kyrie eleison [3] And after each petition
Again we pray for our Archbishop [Name], and for all our brethren in Christ.
Again we pray for mercy, life, peace,
health, salvation, visitation, forgiveness and remission of the sins of the
servants of God, [names] and all those here present at this supplication, and for the
forgiveness of their every transgression, voluntary and involuntary.
For Thou art a merciful God, and a lover of
mankind, and to Thee we ascribe glory, to the Father, and to the Son, and to
the Holy Spirit, now and for ever: world without end.
CHOIR: Amen.
Kathisma
Tone 2
O fervent advocate, and fortress invincible, * the wellspring of mercy, the refuge of the world; * earnestly we cry to thee, O Lady, Mother of God, hasten
thou, * and from all danger deliver us, * for thou alone art our hasty defender.
Ode
4 Heirmos
Thou art my strength, O Lord, * and also my power; * Thou art my God, * my joy and rejoicing, * who deigned to visit our
poverty, * without ever leaving the Father’s bosom
at any time. * Therefore with the
prophet Habakkuk do I cry Thee, * to Thy
power be glory, O friend of man.
Most holy Mother of God,
save us.
So where then shall I find * another to succour me, * to where shall I run, * and where shall I be saved, * who
shall I have as a fervent help, * for
woe is me, I’m shattered by life’s sorrows and turbulence?
* In thee alone do I hope, and take courage and boast in, * and to thy shelter I run, do thou save me.
Most holy Mother of God,
save us.
O thou most pure, * now I proclaim and magnify, * the
sweet river * of thy tender mercies, * which hath refreshed with abundant gifts, * my utterly wretched and humble soul which is burning * in a furnace of disasters and of grievous afflictions. * And to thy shelter I run, do thou save me.
Glory be to the Father…
O thou virgin, * most pure and undefiled,* only
thee * do I have as a refuge, * a mighty shelter, a wall invincible, * a weapon of salvation, do not despise me the prodigal. * O hope of the hopeless, the ally of the feeble, * and the succour and joy of the suffering.
Now and for ever…
O Lady, how * shall I be able to worthily, * speak
of thy * countless compassions, * which like refreshing water thou dost pour* endlessly on my painfully burning soul? * Oh! But of thy providence and of thy goodness, * of which I have enjoyed in plenitude.
Preserve * thy servants from every danger, O Mother of God, * for after God, unto thee do we flee for refuge; * an unassailable wall and protection.
In thy good will, * look thou upon me, O laudable Mother of God, * and behold my body’s grievous infirmity, * and heal the cause of my soul’s sorrow.
Ode
5 Heirmos
O Light everlasting,
* why hast Thou cast me away from Thy countenance,
* and I have been shrouded * by a hostile and miserable darkness? * But do Thou convert me, * and to the light of Thy
commandments * do Thou direct my
footsteps, I pray to Thee.
Most holy Mother of God,
save us.
In gratitude I cry out to thee, *
hail, O Virgin Mother, hail, O Bride of God,
* hail, O divine shelter, * hail, O weapon and wall impregnable. * Hail, O thou protection * and
succour and salvation * of all those who in faith
run and come to thee.
Most holy Mother of God,
save us.
They that hate me have in vain,
* prepared all their arrows and swords and have dug a
pit, * and they are pursuing * to rend in pieces my most wretched body, * and to bring it down * into the earth, O thou
Most Pure, * but do thou anticipate
them and save me.
Glory be to the Father…
From every necessity, *
sorrow and illness and harm deliver me,
* and with thy power * do thou preserve me unharmed in thy shelter, * from all kinds of dangers, * and
from enemies that make war, * and who hate me, O
all-lauded Maiden.
Now and for ever…
What gift of gratitude,
* can I offer thee for thy boundless kindness,
* and for all thy wondrous * gifts that I have enjoyed from thee. * Therefore in truth I sing hymns, * glorify and magnify thine *
ineffable compassion bestowed on me.
Preserve * thy servants from every danger, O Mother of God, * for after God, unto thee do we flee for refuge; * an unassailable wall and protection.
In thy good will, * look thou upon me, O laudable Mother of God, * and behold my body’s grievous infirmity, * and heal the cause of my soul’s sorrow.
Ode
6 Heirmos
I pour forth * my prayer unto the Lord, * and
unto Him do I tell all my sorrows, * for my
soul hath been filled with many evils, * and my life unto Hades hath now drawn high. * Like Jonah therefore, do I pray, * from corruption, O God, do Thou raise me up.
Most holy Mother of God,
save us.
O Maiden, * the clouds of sorrow have enshrouded * my wretched soul and my heart, *and created inside me a darkness; * but as thou didst bring forth the light unapproachable,
* do thou dispel them far from me,
* with thy breath of divine intervention.
Most holy Mother of God,
save us.
In times of sorrow, *
I know thee to call upon * and I know thee as the healer of ailments, * and as the one who didst shatter death completely,
* and as a never-ending river giving life, *
and as a swift and fervent help * for all those in grievous calamities.
Glory be to the Father…
I hide not * the depth of thy mercy, *nor the spring of thine
infinite wonders, * nor the source of the
truly never-ending * compassion that thou bestowed
on me, O Lady, * but rather unto all I cry,
* and confess and proclaim and sing thy
praise.
Now and for ever…
Encompassed am I, * by life’s troubles and cares, * like
the bees round a honeycomb, O Virgin, * and
taking hold of my heart they do pierce it * and wound it sorely with darts of adversities. * But oh! to find in thee a help, * to dispel them and save me, o thou Most Pure.
Preserve * thy servants from every danger, O Mother of God, * for after God, unto thee do we flee for refuge; * an unassailable wall and protection.
In thy good will, * look thou upon me, O laudable Mother of God, * and behold my body’s grievous infirmity, * and heal the cause of my soul’s sorrow.
PRIEST
Have mercy upon us, O God, after Thy great
goodness. We pray Thee, hear us and have mercy.
CHOIR: Kyrie eleison [3] And after each petition
Again we pray for our Archbishop [Name], and for all our brethren in Christ.
Again we pray for mercy, life, peace,
health, salvation, visitation, forgiveness and remission of the sins of the
servants of God, [names] and all those here present at this supplication, and for the
forgiveness of their every transgression, voluntary and involuntary.
For Thou art a merciful God, and a lover of
mankind, and to Thee we ascribe glory, to the Father, and to the Son, and to
the Holy Spirit, now and for ever: world without end.
CHOIR: Amen.
Kontakion
Tone 2
O steadfast help and shield
of Christians; constant advocate with the creator: despise not the prayers of
sinners who call upon thee, but of thy goodness attend unto our aid who in
faith cry out to thee. Make speed to make supplication; make haste to
intercede; O Mother of God who dost ever watch over them that honour thee.
Tone
4
From my youth up many passions have warred
against me, but do Thou, O my Saviour, succour and save me. [2]
Ye that hate Zion
Glory be to the Father…
By the Holy Spirit is every soul filled
with life: through purification it is raised in high and made bright, by the
Threefold Unity in a holy mystery.
Now and for ever…
Streams of grace spring forth from the Holy
Spirit, watering, the whole of creation, giving it life.
Prokhimenon
I will make thy name to be remembered in
all generations.
Verse.
Hearken, O daughter, and consider, and
incline thine ear; forget also thine own people, and thy father’s house; so
shall the King greatly desire thy beauty.
Thy name I will make to be remembered in
all generations.
PRIEST
That we may be accounted worthy to hear the Holy
Gospel, let us beseech the Lord our God.
CHOIR: Kyrie
eleison. [3]
Glory be to the Father…
Father, Word, and Spirit, Trinity in Unity, cleanse me
from the multitude of my transgressions.
Now and for ever…
At the prayers of the Mother of God, O merciful Lord,
cleanse me from the multitude of my transgressions.
Verse
Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Thy loving
kindness: according unto the multitude of Thy tender mercies blot out my
transgressions.
Tone
6
O entrust me not, I pray, to
any human protection, O Most holy Lady, but do thou accept the prayer of thy
supplicant. Sorrow hath fettered me, and I am unable to endure and bear the
demons’ darts; a shelter have I not, neither place to run I, the wretched one;
Embattled from all sides am I, and no consolation have I but thee. O Mistress
of creation, protection and hope of the faithful, do thou not overlook my
prayer, do that which will profit me.
No one, that runs to thee for help, cometh away ashamed
and disheartened, O Virgin Mother of God; but he asketh for thy grace, and
receiveth the gift from thee, unto the profit of his own request.
The transformation of the afflicted, and the relief of
those in sickness, thou art in truth, O Virgin Mother of God. Save thy city and
thy flock, thou that art the peace of those embattled, the calm of those tossed
by the tempest: the only protection of those who believe.
PRIEST
Save, O God, Thy people and bless Thine inheritance.
Visit Thy world in mercy and compassions, exalt the trumpet of Orthodox
Christians, and send down upon us Thy bountiful mercies: by the prayers of our
most pure, Lady, Mother of God and ever-Virgin Mary; by the precious and
life-giving Cross; by the protection of the heavenly bodiless hosts, through
the supplications of the glorious Prophet and Forerunner, John the Baptist; of
the holy and all-glorious Apostles; of our holy fathers among the saints, the
great Hierarchs, Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, and John Chrysostom;
Athanasius and Cyril, John the Almsgiver, Patriarchs of Alexandria; Nicholas of
Myra, Spiridon of Trimythounta, the Wonderworkers; the holy and great martyrs
George the Victory bearer, Demetri us the
Outpourer of myrrh, Theodore of Tyro and Theodore Stratelates; the Hieromartyrs
Charalambos and Eleutherius; our holy and God-bearing fathers; of the holy and righteous progenitors of God, Joachim
and Anna, of [the name of the saint] to whose memory we dedicate this day, and of all Thy
saints: we beseech Thee, O Lord, who alone art plenteous in mercy, hear us
sinners, who pray unto Thee, and have mercy upon us.
CHOIR: Kyrie
eleison [12]
PRIEST
Through the mercies, compassions and loving-kindness of
Thine Only-begotten Son, with whom Thou art glorified, together with Thine
all-holy good and life-giving Spirit, now and fore ever: world without end.
CHOIR: Amen.
Ode
7 Heirmos
The three pious children of the Hebrews,
* bravely trampled down the flame within the furnace,
* and transformed into dew the fire chanting,
* blessed art Thou, O Lord, * O God unto the ages.
Most holy Mother of God,
save us.
O thou pure and spotless vessel of light,
* who didst give birth to the Light, O Mother of God,
* do thou illuminate me in the darkness* of the transgressions of the night, * that I with zeal may glorify thee.
Most holy Mother of God,
save us.
A shelter, succour and protection *
and my prideful boast be thou for me, O Virgin,
* for from every help I now am naked,
* O thou the strength of those in need *
and the hope of the hopeless.
Glory be to the Father…
With my soul and my reason *
and with my heart and my lips I glorify thee,
* for I have taken pleasure in thy great gifts,
* but Oh! To thy great kindness *
and thy never-ending wonders.
Now and for ever…
With thine eyes look graciously upon me,
* and the hardship that I now have do thou visit, *
and from fearful disasters, harm and dangers * and from temptations do thou with * thine endless mercy save me.
Preserve * thy servants from every danger, O Mother of God, * for after God, unto thee do we flee for refuge; * an unassailable wall and protection.
In thy good will, * look thou upon me, O laudable Mother of God, * and behold my body’s grievous infirmity, * and heal the cause of my soul’s sorrow.
Ode
8 Heirmos
The Lord who shewed His glory on the
mountain, * and in the burning bush gave knowledge
unto Moses, * of the mystery of the
Ever-Virgin, * do ye all praise Him *
and do ye exalt Him * for ever and ever.
Most holy Mother of God,
save us.
Through thy heartfelt mercy, O Pure Virgin,
* do thou not overlook me for I now am drowning, *
being tossed by life’s waves, but do thou give me,
* a helping hand for * I am exhausted * by life’s severe
sufferings
Most holy Mother of God,
save us.
Circumstances and sorrows and necessities * have found me, thou Most Pure, and I am surrounded,
* from all sides with life’s troubles and temptations,
* but do thou protect me, * care for me and help me, * within
thy mighty shelter.
Glory be to the Father…
I have found thee a harbour when in
troubles * and a joy and gladness when in sorrows.
* When in sickness thou art for me a speedy help,
* and in times of danger * a saviour and protector * in
trials and ordeals.
Now and for ever…
Hail, O fiery throne of the Master,
* hail, O sacred and golden pot of manna, * hail, thou golden lamp, forever shining, * hail thou praise of, * virgins and mothers,
* adornment and glory.
Preserve * thy servants from every danger, O Mother of God, * for after God, unto thee do we flee for refuge; * an unassailable wall and protection.
In thy good will, * look thou upon me, O laudable Mother of God, * and behold my body’s grievous infirmity, * and heal the cause of my soul’s sorrow.
Ode
9 Heirmos
Wherefore were the heavens astounded * and the ends of the earth were dumbfounded,* for our God, bodily appeared amongst us men,* and thy womb didst become,* wider
and more spacious than the heavens.*
Therefore, O Mother of God,* by the ranks of angels,
* and of men thou art magnified.
Most holy Mother of God,
save us.
O pure one, unto whom else am I to flee?* Where am I to run, where shall I be saved?* Where shall I go, where else can I find a place of refuge,* or fervent understanding,* or a
helper in times of need?* In thee alone do I hope,* my proudful boast and glory,*
therefore with boldness I fled to thee.
Most holy Mother of God,
save us.
Impossible it is to enumerate, * thy magnificent wonders, O Bride of God, * and to speak of the unsearchable depth of thy, * beyond reason miracles, *
endlessly performed upon all those, * who
with yearning honour thee, * and with faith do
venerate thee, * as the birth-giver of our
God.
Glory be to the Father…
With hymns of thanksgiving I glorify, * and honour thy boundless mercy, * and unto all confess thine enormous power, * and thy beneficence, * which thou hast lavishly
poured forth on me. * I proclaim and magnify, * with my heart and with my soul, * with my mind and tongue forevermore.
Now and for ever…
My poor supplication do thou accept, * and my weeping and tears and my sighing, * do thou not despise, but as thou art good do thou succour me, * fulfilling my petitions, * for
thou canst do all things as Mother of * our
God and Lord Almighty, * thou hast only to gesture
* towards my pitiful humility.
Preserve * thy servants from every danger, O Mother of God, * for after God, unto thee do we flee for refuge; * an unassailable wall and protection.
In thy good will, * look thou upon me, O laudable Mother of God, * and behold my body’s grievous infirmity, * and heal the cause of my soul’s sorrow.
Magnificat
PRIEST
Meet it is in very truth, to call thee
blessed, who didst bring forth God, ever blessed, and most pure, and Mother of
our God.
More honourable than the Cherubim, and past
compare more glorious than the Seraphim, who inviolate didst bear God the Word,
very Mother of God, thee we magnify.
CHOIR
O thou who art Higher than the heavens, and
much purer than the radiance of the sun. O thou who hast redeemed us, from the
curse that held us, O Mistress of the world, with hymns we honour thee.
From the great abundance of all my sins,
ill am I in body, ailing also am I in soul. Do thou, therefore, help me, for I
come to thee for refuge: O hope of all the hopeless, thou who art full of
grace.
O Lady and Mother of our Saviour, from us
the unworthy, our supplications do thou receive. We pray thee, mediate with
Him, who from thy womb came forth. O Mistress of creation, do thou intercede
for us.
Now we chant with eagerness and with joy,
this ode to thee, All-lauded, Mother of our God. Together with the Baptist, and
all the ranks of saints; beseech O Mother of God, that we find clemency.
Speechless be the lips of the ungodly, who
refuse to venerate thy most honourable Icon, known throughout history by the
name Directress, depicted by the hands of Luke the Evangelist.
O all ye hosts of holy angels, together
with the Baptist, the Apostles the blessed twelve, all the saints together with
the Mother of God, we pray make intercession for our salvation.
The
Thriceholy
O Holy God, Holy and Strong, Holy and Immortal, have
mercy upon us. (3)
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever, world without end.
Amen.
Most Holy Trinity, have mercy upon us; O Lord, cleanse
us from our sins; O Master, pardon our transgressions; O Holy One, visit and
heal our infirmities, for Thy Name’s sake.
Kyrie eleison or Lord have
mercy. [3]
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy
Spirit, now and for ever: world without end. Amen.
Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name,
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, in earth as it is in heaven. Give us this
day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that
trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
PRIEST
For Thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, of
the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and for ever: world
without end.
CHOIR: Amen.
PRIEST
Have mercy upon us, O God, according to Thy
great mercy. We pray Thee, hear us and have mercy.
CHOIR: Kyrie eleison. [3] And after each petition.
Again we pray for all pious and Orthodox Christians.
Again we pray for our Archbishop […..], and for all our brethren in Christ.
Again we pray for mercy, life, peace,
health, salvation, visitation, forgiveness and remission of the sins of the
servants of God, [names] and all the pious Orthodox Christians who dwell or
visit this village, the parishioners, the Church committee, those who give help
and those who have dedicated gifts in this holy temple.
Again we pray for the preservation of this holy temple,
for this village, all cities and land, from destruction, pestilence, famine,
earthquakes, flood, fire and the sword, from invasion of enemies, civil war and
sudden death. We pray also that our good God and lover of mankind will be
merciful, compassionate and easily reconciled and will turn away and dispel all
wrath and sickness agitated against us and deliver us from His justified and
impending admonition and have mercy upon us.
Again we pray that the Lord our God hear the voice of
the supplication of us sinners, and have mercy upon us.
Hear us, O God and our Saviour, the hope of all the
ends of the earth, and those far off at sea, and be merciful, yea, be merciful,
O Master, upon our sins and have mercy upon us.
For Thou art a merciful God and a lover of mankind, and
to Thee we ascribe glory, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy
Spirit, now and for ever: world without end.
CHOIR: Amen.
PRIEST
Glory be to Thee, O God, glory be to Thee.
May Christ our true God, by the prayers of His most
holy Mother, of the holy and all-glorious Apostles, of the holy and glorious
Great-Martyr George the Victory-bearer, of (saint of the day) and of all the saints, have mercy upon us
and save us, for He is good and loving-kind.
Tone
3
CHOIR:
O ye Apostles from afar, being now gathered
together, here in the place called Gethsemane , give burial to my body; and thou my Son and my God, receive Thou my
spirit.
Thou art the sweetness of angels, the joy
of all those afflicted. To Christians thou art protectress, O Virgin Mother of
our Lord. Do thou succour and save me, from the eternal torments.
I have thee as Mediator with God who lovest
mankind. May He not reproach my actions, before the hosts of the angels. I
beseech thee, O Virgin, come speedily to my help.
Thou art a tower of braided gold, a city bounded with
twelve walls, a throne beaded with sun rays, a royal chair of the King. Incomprehensible
wonder, that thou dost breastfeed the Master.
PRIEST
By the prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ,
our God, have mercy upon us and save us.
CHOIR: Amen.
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All the messages of the gospel, and more than the messages, the reality of the gospel, is contained in the name, in the Person of Jesus. If you take the first half of the prayer you will see how it expresses our faith in the Lord: 'Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God.' At the heart we find the name of Jesus; it is the name before whom every knee shall bow (Is 45:3), and when we pronounce it we affirm the historical event of the incarnation. We affirm that God, the Word of God, co-eternal with the father, became man, and that the fullness of the Godhead dwelt in our midst (Col
To see in the man ofGalilee , in the prophet of Israel
But it is not enough to make this profession of faith; it is not enough to believe. The devils also believe and tremble (James 2:I9). Faith is not sufficient to work salvation, it must lead to the right relationship with God; and so, having professed, in its integrity, sharply and clearly, our faith in the Lordship and in the Person, in the historicity and in the divinity of Christ, we put ourselves face to face with Him, in the right state of mind: 'Have mercy on me, a sinner'.
These words 'have mercy' are used in all theChristian Churches
In the New Testament, in the parable of the good Samaritan, olive oil is poured to soothe and to heal. In the anointing of kings and priests in the Old Testament, it is again oil that is poured on the head as an image of the grace of God that comes down and flows on them (Ps I33:2) giving them new power to fulfil what is beyond human capabilities. The king is to stand on the threshold, between the will of men and the will of God, and he is called to lead his people to the fulfilment of God's will; the priest also stands on that threshold, to proclaim the will of God and to do even more: to act for God, to pronounce God's decrees and to apply God's decision.
The oil speaks first of all of the end of the wrath of God, of the peace which God offers to the people who have offended against him; further it speaks of God healing us in order that we should be able to live and become what we are called to be; and as he knows that we are not capable with our own strength of fulfilling either his will or the laws of our own created nature, he pours his grace abundantly on us (Rom 5:20). He gives us power to do what we could not otherwise do.
The words milost and pomiluy in Slavonic have the same root as those which express tenderness, endearing, and when we use the words eleison, 'have mercy on us', pomiluy, we are not just asking God to save us from His wrath - we are asking for love.
If we turn back to the words of the Jesus Prayer, 'Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner', we see that the first words express with exactness and integrity the gospel faith in Christ, the historical incarnation of the Word of God; and the end of the prayer expresses all the complex rich relationships of love that exist between God and his creatures.
The Jesus Prayer is known to innumerable Orthodox, either as a rule of prayer or in addition to it, as a form of devotion, a short focal point that can be used at any moment, whatever the situation.
Numerous writers have mentioned the physical aspects of the prayer, the breathing exercises, the attention which is paid to the beating of the heart and a number of other minor features. The Philokalia is full of detailed instructions about the prayer of the heart, even with references to the Sufi technique. Ancient and modern Fathers have dealt with the subject, always coming to the same conclusion: never to attempt the physical exercises without strict guidance by a spiritual father.
What is of general use, and God given, is the actual praying, the repetition of the words, without any physical endeavour - not even movements of the tongue - and which can be used systematically to achieve an inner transformation. More than any other prayer, the Jesus Prayer aims at bringing us to stand in God's presence with no other thought but the miracle of our standing there and God with us, because in the use of the Jesus Prayer there is nothing and no one except God and us.
The use of the prayer is dual, it is an act of worship as is every prayer, and on the ascetical level, it is a focus that allows us to keep our attention still in the presence of God.
It is a very companionable prayer, a friendly one, always at hand and very individual in spite of its monotonous repetitions. Whether in joy or in sorrow, it is, when it has become habitual, a quickening of the soul, a response to any call of God. The words of St Symeon, the New Theologian, apply to all its possible effects on us: 'Do not worry about what will come next, you will discover it when it comes'.
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Morning Prayers
In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy
Spirit.
Amen.
Glory to you our god, glory to you.
O Heavenly King, Comforter, the Spirit of Truth, who
is ever-present and fulfills all things, the Treasure of all blessings, and
Giver of Life, come and abide in us, and cleanse us from every blemish,, and
save our souls, O Blessed One.
Holy god, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us
(3 times)
Glory to the Father,
and to the Son, and the Holy spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.
Amen.
Most Holy Trinity have mercy on us. O Lord forgive our
sins. O Master, pardon our transgressions. O Holy One visit and heal our
infirmities, for Your Name’s sake. Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, Lord have
mercy.
Glory to the Father,
and to the Son, and the Holy spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.
Amen
Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be Your Name. Your
Kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day
our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses as we fogive those who trespass
against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For Your is the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory,
of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto
the ages of ages. Amen.
Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy.
(Kyrie Eleison)
Glory to the Father,
and to the Son, and the Holy spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.
Amen.
O come let us worship and bow down to our King and
God.
O come let us worship and bow down to Christ Himself,
the King and our God.
PSALM 50
Have mercy on me. O God according to Your great mercy,
and according to the multitude of Your tender mercies wipe out my offense.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me
from my sin!
For I know my transgression, and my sin is ever before
me.
Against You only have I sinned, and done that which is
evil in Your sight, so that You are justified in Your sentence and blameless in
Your judgement.
Behold, I was conceived in iniquities, and in sin did
my mother bear me.
Behold, You have loved truth, You have shown me the
depths and secrets of Your wisdom.
You shall sprinkle me with hyssop, and I shall be
cleansed; You shall wash me, and I shall rejoice.
Turn Your face away from my sins and wipe out all my
offences.
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and place a new and
upright spirit within me.
Cast me not away from Your presence, and take not Your
Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of Your Salvation, and bolster
me with a commanding spirit.
I will teach transgressors Your ways, and the wicked
will return to You.
Deliver me from blood-guild, O God, the God of my
salvation; and my tongue shall rejoice in Your Justice.
O Lord, You shall open my lips, and my mouth shall
proclaim Your praise.
For if you wanted a sacrifice, I would have given it
to you; You would not be pleased with burnt-offerings.
The acceptable sacrifice to God is a contrite spirit;
a contrite and humbled heart. O God, you will not spurn.
In Your kindness O Lord, be bountiful to Zion Jerusalem
Then You shall delight in a sacrifice, and offering
and burnt-offerings.
Then will they place calves upon Your Altar.
THE SYMBOL OF FAITH (Creed)
- I
believe in One God. Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and Earth, and of
everything visible and invisible.
- And
in One Lord, Jesus Christ, the Only-Begotten Son of God, begotten of the
Father before all ages. Light of Light, True God of True God, begotten,
not created, of one essence with the Father, through Whom all things were
made.
- Who
for us men and for our salvation, descended from Heaven, and was incarnate
from the Holy Spirit and of the Virgin Mary, and became
- And
was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, He suffered and was buried.
- And
arose again on the third day, according to the Scriptures.
- And
ascended into the Heavens and is seated at the right of the Father.
- And
He shall come again with glory, to judge the living and the dead, whose
Reign shall have no end.
- And
in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of Life, Who proceeds from the
Father, Who together with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified, Who spoke through the Prophets.
- In
One, Holy, Catholic and apostolic Church.
- I acknowledge one Baptism for the
remission of sins.
- I look for the Resurrection of dead.
- And the life of the ages to come. Amen.
Short Hymns to the Trinity
ARISING from sleep, we fall down before thee, O
Blessed God, and sing to thee, O mighty One, the Angelic Hymn: Holy, holy, holy
art thou, O God, Through the prayers of the Mother of God, have mercy upon us.
Glory
be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
Thou, O Lord, hast aroused me from my bed and from
sleep; do thou enlighten my understanding and my heart, and open my lips, that
I may sing of thee, O Holy Trinity. Holy; holy, holy art thou, O God.
Through the prayers of the Mother of God, have mercy
upon us.
Both
now, and ever, and unto the ages of ages.
Amen.
Suddenly
shall come the Judge, and the deeds of every man be revealed; but with fear we
cry to thee at midnight : Holy,
holy, holy art thou, O God. Through the prayers of the Mother of God, have
mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy (twelve times).
Prayer to the Most Holy Trinity, by St. Basil the Great
(d. 379)
ARISING from sleep I thank thee, O Holy Trinity, that,
for the sake of thy great kindness and long-suffering, thou hast not had indignation
against me, for I am slothful, neither hast thou destroyed me in my
transgressions: but thou hast shown thy customary love towards man, and hast raised me up as I
lay in heedlessness, that I might sing my morning hymn and glorify thy sovranty.
Do thou now enlighten the eyes of my understanding, open my ears to receive thy
words and teach me thy commandments. Help me to do thy will, to hymn thee, to
confess thee from my heart, and to extol thine All-holy Name, of Father, Son
and Holy Ghost, now and for ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O come, let us worship God, our King.
O come, let us worship and fall down before Christ,
our King and our God.
O come, let us worship and fall down before Christ
himself, our King and our God.
Most glorious, ever-virgin and blessed Theotokos,
present our prayer to your Son, and our God, and through your intercession entreat
Him to save our souls.
The Father is my hope. The Son is my refuse. The Holy
Spirit is my protection. Holy Trinity, glory to You!
All my hope I place in you, Theotokos; keep me in your
care.
Through the Prayers of our Fathers, O Lord Jesus
Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us.
Amen.
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EVENING PRAYERS
Priest:
Blessed is our God, now and ever, and unto the ages of
ages.
Reader:
Amen.
Priest:
Glory to You our God, glory to You.
O Heavenly King, Comforter, the Spirit of Truth, who
is ever-present and fulfils all things, the Treasure of all blessings, and
Giver of Life, come and abide in us, and cleanse us from every blemish, and
save our souls, O Blessed One.
Holy God, Holy
Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us (3
times)
Glory to the Father,
and to the Son, and the Holy spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.
Amen.
Most
Holy Trinity have mercy on us. O Lord forgive our sins. O Master, pardon our
transgressions. O Holy One visit and heal our infirmities, for Your Name’s
sake. Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy.
Glory to the Father,
and to the Son, and the Holy spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.
Amen.
Our Father in
Heaven, hallowed be Your Name. Your Kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as
it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our
trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into
temptation, but deliver us from evil.
Priest:
For
Yours is the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory, of the Father, and of the
Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.
Amen.
Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy
(Kyrie Eleison)
Glory to the Father,
and to the Son, and the Holy spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.
Amen.
O come let us
worship and bow down to our King and God.
O come
let us worship and bow down to Christ our King and God.
O come
let us worship and bow down to Christ Himself, the King and our God.
PSALM 50
Have mercy on me. O God according to Your great mercy,
and according to the multitude of Your tender mercies wipe out my offense.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me
from my sin!
For I know my transgression, and my sin is ever before
me.
Against You only have I sinned, and done that which is
evil in Your sight, so that You are justified in Your sentence and blameless in
Your judgement.
Behold, I was conceived in iniquities, and in sin did
my mother bear me.
Behold, You have loved truth, You have shown me the
depths and secrets of Your wisdom.
You shall sprinkle me with hyssop, and I shall be
cleansed; You shall wash me, and I shall rejoice.
Turn Your face away from my sins and wipe out all my
offences.
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and place a new and
upright spirit within me.
Cast me not away from Your presence, and take not Your
Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of Your Salvation, and bolster
me with a commanding spirit.
I will teach transgressors Your ways, and the wicked
will return to You.
Deliver me from blood-guild, O God, the God of my
salvation; and my tongue shall rejoice in Your Justice.
O Lord, You shall open my lips, and my mouth shall
proclaim Your praise.
For if you wanted a sacrifice, I would have given it
to you; You would not be pleased with burnt-offerings.
The acceptable sacrifice to God is a contrite spirit;
a contrite and humbled heart. O God, you will not spurn.
In Your kindness O Lord, be bountiful to Zion Jerusalem
Then You shall delight in a sacrifice, and offering
and burnt-offerings.
Then will they place calves upon Your Altar.
PSALM 69
O God,
come to my assistance! O Lord, hasten to help me!
Let
them be put to shame and confusion who seek my life!
Let
them be turned back and confounded who wish evil on me!
May all
who seek You O God, rejoice and be glad in You, and let those who love Your
salvation always say: {The Lord be exalted!}
But I
am poor and needy; O God, hasten to me! You are my help and my deliverer; O
Lord, do not tarry!
PSALM 142
O Lord,
hear my prayer; in Your truth listen to my supplication, and in Your
righteousness answer me; and enter not into judgement with Your servant, for no
man living is righteous before You.
For the enemy has
persecuted my soul; he has crushed my life to the ground; he has made me sit in
darkness like those long dead. My spirit was overwhelmed with grief; my heart
within me was troubled.
I remembered the
days of old; I meditated on all Your deeds; I thought on what Your hands have
created.
I stretched out my
hands to You; my soul thirsted for You like a parched land.
Hasten to answer
me, O Lord, my spirit has fainted away.
Turn not Your face
away from me. Lest I become like those who go down into a pit.
Grant, that I may
hear in the morning of Your mercy, for in You I have put my hope.
Show me the way I
should follow, for to You I have lifted up my soul.
Deliver me, O
Lord, from my enemies, for to You have I fled for refuge!
Teach me to do
Your will, for you are my God!
Your good Spirit
will guide me on the straight path; for Your Name’s sake O Lord, you will
sustain my life!
In your
righteousness you will free my soul from distress; and in your mercy you will
destroy my enemies; you will bring to naught the persecutors of my soul, for I
am Your servant.
THE DOXOLOGY
Glory
to God in the highest and on earth peace, good will to men.
We
praise You; we bless You; we worship You; we glorify You; we thank You, for
Your great glory.
O Lord
King, God in Heaven, the Father Almighty.
O Lord, Only-Begotten Son, Jesus Christ and Holy Spirit.
O Lord,
Lamb of God, the Son of the Father. Who takes away the sins of the world;
Receive
our prayers, You, Who sits at the right hand of the Father, and have mercy on
us.
For You
alone are Holy; You alone are the Lord, Jesus Christ, to the glory of God, the
Father. Amen.
Every
evening I will bless You, and praise Your Name, forever and ever, and unto the
ages of ages.
O lord,
You have been our refuge, from generation to generation. I said; Lord, have
mercy on me; heal my soul, I have sinned against You.
O Lord
unto You I have fled; teach me to do Your will, for You are my God.
For
with You, is the Fountain of life; in Your Light we shall see light.
Extend
Your loving mercy to those who know You.
Grant, O Lord,
that we may be kept this night without sin.
Blessed are You, O
Lord, the God of our Fathers, and blessed and glorified is Your Name forever
and ever. Amen.
Let Your mercy O
Lord, be upon us, as we have hoped in You.
Blessed are You, O
Lord, teach me Your commandments.
Blessed are You, O
Master, grant, that I may understand Your commandments.
Blessed
are You, O Holy One, enlighten me with Your commandments.
O Lord,
Your mercy is everlasting. Despise not the works of Your hands.
To You
belongs praise, adoration, and glory, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the
Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages. Amen.
THE SYMBOL OF FAITH (Creed)
1. I
believe in One God. Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and Earth, and of
everything visible and invisible.
2. And in
One Lord, Jesus Christ, the Only-Begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father
before all ages. Light of Light, True God of True God, begotten, not created, of
one essence with the Father, through Whom all things were made.
3. Who for
us men and for our salvation, descended from Heaven, and was incarnate from the
Holy Spirit and of the Virgin Mary, and became Man.
4. And was
crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, He suffered and was buried.
5. And
arose again on the third day, according to the Scriptures.
6. And
ascended into the Heavens and is seated at the right of the Father.
7. And He
shall come again with glory, to judge the living and the dead, whose Reign
shall have no end.
8. And in
the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of Life, Who proceeds from the Father, Who
together with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified, Who spoke through the Prophets.
9. In One,
Holy, Catholic and apostolic Church.
10. I
acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins.
11. I look
for the Resurrection of dead.
12. And the
life of the ages to come. Amen.
Magnificat to the Theotokos
It is truly fitting to bless You, O Theotokos, the
ever-blessed and all-pure, and the Mother of our God; more honourable than the
Cherubim and incomparably more glorious than the Seraphim; You, who
incorruptibly gave birth to God, the Logos, verily the Theotokos, we magnify*.
Holy God, Holy
Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us (3
times)
Glory to the Father,
and to the Son, and the Holy spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.
Amen.
Most Holy Trinity
have mercy on us. O Lord forgive our sins. O Master, pardon our transgressions.
O Holy One visit and heal our infirmities, for Your Name’s sake. Lord have mercy,
Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy.
Glory to the Father,
and to the Son, and the Holy spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.
Amen.
Our Father in
Heaven, hallowed be Your Name. Your Kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as
it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our
trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into
temptation, but deliver us from evil.
Priest:
For Yours is the
Kingdom, and the power, and the glory, of the Father, and of the Son, and of
the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.
Amen.
Glory to the Father,
and to the Son, and the Holy spirit.
Tone
Eight
With the Saints
give rest, O Christ, to the soul of your servant where
there is no pain,
nor sorrow, nor suffering, but life everlasting.
Now
and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Lord, have mercy. (40
times)
Thou who, at all times, and at every hour, both in
Heaven and on earth, art worshipped and glorified, O Christ our God,
long-suffering and plenteous in mercy and compassion; Who lovest the just and
showest mercy to those who are hardened in sin; Who callest all men to
salvation through the promise of good things to come: Do Thou, the same Lord,
receive also our supplications at this present time, and direct our lives
according to Thy commandments. Sanctify our souls; purify our bodies; set
aright our minds; cleanse our thoughts; and deliver us from all calamity, wrath
and distress. Compass us round about with Thy holy Angels; that, guided and
guarded by their host, we may attain unto the unity of the faith, and unto the
comprehension of Thine ineffable glory. For blessed art Thou unto the Ages of
ages. Amen.
Lord
have mercy (3 times)
Glory to the Father,
and to the Son, and the Holy spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.
Amen.
More honourable
than the Cherubim, and beyond compare, more glorious than the Seraphim, thou
who without defilement barest God the Word, verify the Theotokos we magnify
Thee.
Prayer to the Theotokos
O spotless, undefiled, unstained, chaste and pure
Virgin, lady and Bride of God.
Through your wondrous birthgiving you have united God
the word with humanity; you have brought together our fallen nature and the
things of heaven.
You are the hope of the hopeless, the help of the
assaulted, the ready protection of those who hasten to you, the refuge of all
Christians.
Do not despise me, a sinner, having wholly defiled
myself with unclean thoughts, words and deeds; and having become through an
indolent will a slave to life’s evil pleasures.
But as the Mother of the loving God, show loving mercy
to me, a sinner and prodigal, and accept this prayer from my impure lips.
In your maternal boldness, entreat your Son, our
Master and Lord, to open to me the depths of His loving kindness; to overlook
my countless transgressions; to lead me to repentance and to make me a worthy
keeper of his commandments. Since you are merciful, compassionate and loving,
be my constant companion.
In this life be my fervent champion and helper,
repulsing the assaults of my adversaries and leading me to salvation.
At the time of my death, embrace my soul and drive far
away from me the dark figures of the evil demons.
And in the awesome day of judgment, deliver me from
eternal punishment and make me an heir of your Son’s unspeakable glory.
May I be worthy of this glory, my Lady, all-holy
Theotokos, through your intercession and help, and by the grace and love of
your only-begotten Son, the lord and god, and our Saviour Jesus Christ, to whom
belong all glory, honour and worship, together with His Father who is without
beginning, and His all-holy, good and life-giving Spirit, now and forever. Amen.
Prayer to our Lord Jesus Christ
O Master, to us who are about to lie down to sleep
grant rest of body and soul; and keep us from the dark sleep of sin and from
any impure pleasure roaming in the darkness of night.
Still the assaults of evil passions, quench the fiery
darts of the evil one which are cast insidiously against us, calm the
rebellious commotions of our flesh and put away from us all earthly and worldly
thoughts.
Grant us, O God, a watchful mind, chaste thoughts, a
sober heart and gentle sleep, free from all fantasies of satan.
And raise us up again at the hour of prayer,
established in the practice of Your commandments and holding steadfast within
us the remembrance of Your righteous judgements.
Grant us to sing Your glory all night long; to praise,
bless and glorify, You all-honourable and magnificent name of the Father and
the Son and the Holy spirit, now and forever.
Amen.
Prayer to the Theotokos
Most glorious, ever-virgin and blessed Theotokos,
present our prayer to your Son, and our God, and through your intersession
entreat Him to save our souls.
Prayer to the Holy Trinity
The father is my hope. The Son is my refuge, the Holy
Spirit is my protection. Holy Trinity, glory to You!
Prayer to the Theotokos
All my hope I place in you, Theotokos; keep me in your
care.
Troparion (3rd tone)
Astounded with the comeliness of Your Virginity, and
with exceeding splendour of your purity, Gabriel cried out unto You, O
theotokos: { what hymn of praise is fitting for me to present to you? What name
shall I give You? I hesitate, and stand
in wonder. Wherefore, as I was commanded, I cry out unto You: Hail ! to You who is blessed with Grace.}
A Prayer to the Guardian Angel*
O HOLY Angel, that keepest guard over my despondent
soul and passionate life, leave me not, a sinner, nor depart from me to my
undoing; grant not a place to the crafty enemy to overcome me by the force of
this mortal body; strengthen my weak and feeble hand, and set me on the path of
salvation. Yea, holy Angel of God, guardian and protector of my hopeless body
and soul, forgive me everything wherein I have offended thee every day of my
life, and what I have done amiss this past night; protect me during the present
day, and preserve me from every attempt of the enemy. May I not anger God by
any sin. Pray for me to the Lord, that he may establish me in his fear, and
prove me a servant worthy of his kindness.
Amen.
Through
the Prayers of our Holy Fathers, O Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us
and save us.
A PRAYER BEFORE SLEEP by St. Ephraim the Syrian
Lord, Jesus Christ our God, Thou who hast exalted Thy
Holy Mother and made her more Honourable than all the Heavenly Host; All
merciful One, accept her of intercession together with those of all your
saints, I beseech Thee, forgive me your unworthy servant for all the sins which
I have humanly, or, rather, through my inhumanity committed this day.
Forgive me my wrong doings committed both voluntarily
and involuntarily; both knowingly and in ignorance, my impulsiveness and
carelessness, my great indolence and negligence.
If I have sworn by the Holy Name, either by oath or
even blasphemed by thought, or if I have in my way angered Thee; stolen; lied
or neglected a friend in need; if I have grieved and embittered a brother;
forgive me. If during the instant of my prayer and chanting , my sinful mind
wonders toward cunning and matters of this world; if I have been guilty of
gluttony, vain talk, if I have laughed imprudently, have been conceited and
proud or vainglorious. If I have indulged in idle chatter or criticised and
judged my brother’s faults and have overlooked my own which are countless and
if I have neglected my prayers or had other evil thoughts… All these and other things which I have done
and do not remember, God forgive me, your wicked servant, and have mercy on me,
Thou who art good and lovest mankind in order that I, the prodigal might lie
down and have a peaceful sleep.
Glory to the father and to your all-Holy, Merciful and
Life giving Spirit, now and forever , and from ages to ages. Amen.
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From the booklet (“ My Orthodox prayer Book” ΠΡΟΣΕΥΧΗΤΑΡΙΟΝ )given to us By the then F. Panteleimon of St. Georges
church Cape Town
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The Jesus Prayer
by Metropolitan Anthony Bloom
| THOSE WHO HAVE read The way of a Pilgrim are familiar with the expression 'The Jesus Prayer'. It refers to a short prayer the words of which are: 'Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner,' constantly repeated. The Way of a Pilgrim is the story of a man who wanted to learn to pray constantly (1Thes 5:I7). As the man whose experience is being related is a pilgrim, a great many of his psychological characteristics, and the way in which he learned and applied the prayer, were conditioned by the fact that he lived in a certain way, which makes the book less universally applicable than it could be; and yet it is the best possible introduction to this prayer, which is one of the greatest treasures of the Orthodox Church. |
All the messages of the gospel, and more than the messages, the reality of the gospel, is contained in the name, in the Person of Jesus. If you take the first half of the prayer you will see how it expresses our faith in the Lord: 'Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God.' At the heart we find the name of Jesus; it is the name before whom every knee shall bow (Is 45:3), and when we pronounce it we affirm the historical event of the incarnation. We affirm that God, the Word of God, co-eternal with the father, became man, and that the fullness of the Godhead dwelt in our midst (
To see in the man of
But it is not enough to make this profession of faith; it is not enough to believe. The devils also believe and tremble (James 2:I9). Faith is not sufficient to work salvation, it must lead to the right relationship with God; and so, having professed, in its integrity, sharply and clearly, our faith in the Lordship and in the Person, in the historicity and in the divinity of Christ, we put ourselves face to face with Him, in the right state of mind: 'Have mercy on me, a sinner'.
These words 'have mercy' are used in all the
In the New Testament, in the parable of the good Samaritan, olive oil is poured to soothe and to heal. In the anointing of kings and priests in the Old Testament, it is again oil that is poured on the head as an image of the grace of God that comes down and flows on them (Ps I33:2) giving them new power to fulfil what is beyond human capabilities. The king is to stand on the threshold, between the will of men and the will of God, and he is called to lead his people to the fulfilment of God's will; the priest also stands on that threshold, to proclaim the will of God and to do even more: to act for God, to pronounce God's decrees and to apply God's decision.
The oil speaks first of all of the end of the wrath of God, of the peace which God offers to the people who have offended against him; further it speaks of God healing us in order that we should be able to live and become what we are called to be; and as he knows that we are not capable with our own strength of fulfilling either his will or the laws of our own created nature, he pours his grace abundantly on us (Rom 5:20). He gives us power to do what we could not otherwise do.
The words milost and pomiluy in Slavonic have the same root as those which express tenderness, endearing, and when we use the words eleison, 'have mercy on us', pomiluy, we are not just asking God to save us from His wrath - we are asking for love.
If we turn back to the words of the Jesus Prayer, 'Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner', we see that the first words express with exactness and integrity the gospel faith in Christ, the historical incarnation of the Word of God; and the end of the prayer expresses all the complex rich relationships of love that exist between God and his creatures.
The Jesus Prayer is known to innumerable Orthodox, either as a rule of prayer or in addition to it, as a form of devotion, a short focal point that can be used at any moment, whatever the situation.
Numerous writers have mentioned the physical aspects of the prayer, the breathing exercises, the attention which is paid to the beating of the heart and a number of other minor features. The Philokalia is full of detailed instructions about the prayer of the heart, even with references to the Sufi technique. Ancient and modern Fathers have dealt with the subject, always coming to the same conclusion: never to attempt the physical exercises without strict guidance by a spiritual father.
What is of general use, and God given, is the actual praying, the repetition of the words, without any physical endeavour - not even movements of the tongue - and which can be used systematically to achieve an inner transformation. More than any other prayer, the Jesus Prayer aims at bringing us to stand in God's presence with no other thought but the miracle of our standing there and God with us, because in the use of the Jesus Prayer there is nothing and no one except God and us.
The use of the prayer is dual, it is an act of worship as is every prayer, and on the ascetical level, it is a focus that allows us to keep our attention still in the presence of God.
It is a very companionable prayer, a friendly one, always at hand and very individual in spite of its monotonous repetitions. Whether in joy or in sorrow, it is, when it has become habitual, a quickening of the soul, a response to any call of God. The words of St Symeon, the New Theologian, apply to all its possible effects on us: 'Do not worry about what will come next, you will discover it when it comes'.
from Living Prayer
Templegate PublishersSpringfield , IL
Templegate Publishers
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PRAYER of St. Efrem the Syrian
O Lord and Master of my life, give me not
the spirit of sloth, idle curiosity (meddling), lust for power and idle talk.
But grant unto me, Thy servant, a spirit
of chastity (integrity), humility, patience and love.
Yea, O Lord and King, grant me to see mine own faults
and not to judge my brother. For blessed art Thou unto the ages of ages. Amen
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