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THE HOLY AND DIVINE LITURGY
OF THE
PRESANCTIFIED GIFTS
INTRODUCTORY NOTE
There are numerous small
differences between the various Typica for the service of the Presanctified,
particularly at the end of the Ninth Hour and end of the Typika. The arrangement
given here represents, in the main, the use of the Holy Mountain, as given in
the editions of the Holy Monastery of Simonos Petra, prepared with the assistance
of Professor Phountoulis.
Those who use non-Orthodox
versions of Holy Scripture, that is most current versions, should note that the
Church‘s text of the prayer of the
Thief in St Luke‘s Gospel is ‘Remember
me, Lord, when you come in your kingdom‘, not ‘into your kingdom‘. The reference
is to the Lord‘s Second Coming ‘in glory with the holy Angels‘. In the
view of many non-Orthodox scholars this is the correct text.
In the troparia following the
Beatitudes I have put ‘Lord Sabaoth‘,
not ‘Lord of Sabaoth‘, or ‘Lord of hosts‘, because the Fathers, among
them St Basil the Great, although they know the meaning of the Hebrew, point out
that this is one of the Hebrew words that the translators of the Septuagint did
not translate, and regard it as a sacred title of God.
In the Litany for those to be
Enlightened I follow Professor Phountoulis in reading the invitation to them as ‘Draw
near‘, in Greek proselthete, and not ‘Depart‘, in Greek proelthete;
a difference of a single letter.
The Triodion, in its long
rubric after Monday of the First Week, describes the ritual for the
Presanctified and it specifies ‘Three
metanias‘ at ‘Blessed be the name of the Lord‘ after the prayer behind the
Ambo. I have therefore included it here.
It is also interesting to
note that the same long rubric says, on the subject of the Litany for those
preparing for Enlightenment, quite clearly,
‘It is to be known that the Diakonika for those to be enlightened and the
prayer are started from the Wednesday of the Mid-Fast and said until Great
Wednesday, not only at the Presanctified, but also on Saturdays and Sundays at
the Liturgies of Saint John Chrysostom and Saint Basil‘. The Slavonic
Triodion, on the other hand, in a rubric for the Wednesday of the Fourth Week,
expressly excludes Saturdays and Sundays. The rubric in the Greek Triodion is
likely to be the more ancient.
NINTH HOUR AND TYPIKA
About the ninth hour the Lamplighter strikes the ninth hour and we assemble
in the Church.
After the Blessing by the Priest the Reader [in
Athonite use the Superior] begins:
Amen. Glory to you, our God, glory to you.
Heavenly King, Paraclete, Spirit of truth, present everywhere, filling all
things, Treasury of blessings and Giver of life, come and dwell in us, cleanse
us from every stain, and, O Good One, save our souls.
Reader: Holy God, Holy Strong, Holy
Immortal, have mercy on us (three
times).
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; both now and for
ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.
All-holy Trinity, have mercy on us. Lord, cleanse us from our sins. Master,
pardon our iniquities. 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 to the Holy Spirit; both now and for
ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen
Our Father, in heaven, may your name be hallowed; your kingdom come; your
will be done on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread, and forgive
us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but
deliver us from the evil one.
Priest: For
yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory, of the Father, the Son and the
Holy Spirit, now and for ever, and to the ages of ages.
Reader: Amen. Lord, have mercy (x12),
Glory. Both now.
Come, let us worship and fall down before the King, our God.
Come, let us worship and fall down before Christ the King, our God.
Come, let us worship and fall down before Christ himself, the King, our God.
3 Metanias, then the Psalms.
Psalm 83
How beloved are your dwellings, O Lord
of hosts; my soul longs and faints for the courts of the Lord. My heart and my
flesh have rejoiced in the living God. For the sparrow has found itself a house,
and the dove a nest for herself, where she may place her nestlings. Your altars,
O Lord of hosts, my King and my God. Blessed are those who dwell in your house,
they will praise you for ever and ever. Blessed the man whose help is from you;
he has placed ascents in his heart, to the valley of weeping, to the place he
has set. For the lawgiver will give blessings; they will go from strength to
strength, the God of gods will appear in Sion. O Lord God of hosts hear my
prayer, give ear, O God of Jacob. O God our shield see; and look on the face of
your Christ. For one day in your courts is far better than thousands. I have
chosen to be cast aside in the house of my God, rather than to dwell in the
tents of sinners. O Lord God of hosts, blessed the man who hopes in you.
Psalm 84
You have been well pleased with your land, O Lord, you have turned away the
captivity of Jacob. You have forgiven your people their iniquities, you have
covered all their sins. You have made all your anger cease, you have turned away
from the anger of your rage. Turn us back again, O God of our salvation, and
turn away your rage from us. Will you be angry with us for ever? Or will you
prolong your wrath from generation to generation? O God, when you have turned us
back you will make us live, and your people will rejoice in you. O Lord, show us
your mercy, and grant us your salvation. I shall hear what the Lord will say in
me; for he will speak peace to his people, to his holy ones, to those who turn
their hearts back to him. But his salvation is near those who fear him, that
glory may dwell in our land. Mercy and truth have met, justice and peace have
kissed. Truth has dawned from the earth, and righteousness has leaned down from
heaven. For the Lord will give goodness, and our earth will give its fruit.
Justice will walk before him, and set his steps in the way.
Psalm 85
Incline your ear, O Lord, and hear me,
for I am poor and needy. Guard my soul, for I am holy; O my God, save your
servant who hopes in you. Have mercy on me, Lord, for I shall cry to you all the
day; give joy to the soul of your servant, for I have lifted up my soul to you.
For you, Lord, are good and gentle, and full of mercy to all who call on you.
Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer; and attend to the voice of my supplication. In
the day of my trouble I called to you, for you have heard me. There is none like
you among the gods, O Lord; none whose works are as yours. All the nations whom
you made will come and worship before you, O Lord, and call upon your name. For
you are great and do wondrous things; you alone are God. Guide me, Lord, in your
way, and I shall walk in your truth; make my heart glad to fear your name. I
shall give you thanks, O Lord, my God, with my whole heart; and I shall glorify
your name for ever. For your mercy is great towards me, and you have delivered
my soul from the lowest hell. O God, the lawless rose up against me, and an
assembly of mighty ones sought my soul, and did not set you before them. And
you, Lord, are pitying and merciful, long-suffering and full of mercy and true.
Look on me and have mercy on me; give your might to your servant and save the
son of your maidservant. Make for me a sign for good, and let those who hate me
see it and be shamed; for you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.
And again:
Make for me a sign for good, and let those who hate me see it and be shamed;
for you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.
Glory. Both now. Alleluia ( x3).
Lord, have mercy (x3).
And we read one Kathisma of the Psalter. At each Antiphon we make 3
prostrations and after the completion of the Kathisma we chant the following
Troparion.
Tone 8.
Christ our God, who at the ninth hour tasted death in the flesh for our
sakes, slay our carnal will and save us.
And as we repeat it we make a prostration to the ground, and likewise at the
following two Verses.
Verse 1: May my supplication come
into your presence, O Lord, according to your word give me understanding.
Verse 2: Let my petition come into
your presence, O Lord, according to your word save me.
Glory. Both now. Theotokion.
O Good One, you were born of a Virgin for our sakes and endured crucifixion;
you despoiled death by death and as God revealed resurrection, do not despise
those whom you fashioned with your own hand; show your love for mankind, O
Merciful; accept the Mother of God who bore you, as she intercedes for us, and
save, O Saviour, a people in despair.
And immediately we read from The Ladder.
And after the reading:
For your holy name’s sake do not finally reject us, do not annul your
covenant, do not take your mercy from us for the sake of Abraham, your beloved,
and for the sake of Isaac, your servant, and Israel, your holy one.
Then the Trisagion etc.
And the following Troparia
The Thief seeing the prince of life hanging on the Cross, said: If he who is
crucified with us were not God incarnate, the sun would not have hidden its
rays, nor would the shaken earth be quaking. But you who bear all things,
Remember me, Lord, in your kingdom.
Glory.
Between two thieves your Cross became the scales of justice: the one was
dragged down to hell by the weight of his blasphemy, but the other lightened of
his faults was raised to the knowledge of the things of God. Christ God, glory
to you.
Both now.
Seeing the Lamb and Shepherd and Saviour of the world on the Cross, she who
bore Him said weeping: The world rejoices, for it receives redemption; but my
inward parts burn as I see your crucifixion, which you endure for all mankind, O
my Son and my God.
Then: Lord, have
mercy. (x40).
Glory. Both now, Greater in honour than the Cherubim, and beyond compare more
glorious than the Seraphim, without corruption you gave birth to God the Word,
truly Mother of God we magnify you. In the name of the Lord, bless, Father.
Priest: May God take pity on us.
And having made only 3 full metanias with the Prayer of St Ephrem we stand up
again in order in the Choirs and begin the Beatitudes, with melody in a loud
voice and slowly, singing after each one in the 8th Tone:
Remember us, O Lord, when you come in your Kingdom.
Likewise after the Glory
and the
Both now. We
make a small prostration after each
Remember.
The Beatitudes. [Matthew
5:3-12]
In your kingdom remember us, O Lord, when you come in your kingdom.
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after justice, for they shall be
filled.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for justice’s sake, for theirs is the
kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when men shall revile you and persecute you and say all
manner of evil against you falsely for my sake.
Rejoice and be glad, for great is your reward in heaven.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Both now and for ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
The Choirs unite, and the following are sung more solemnly and we make a full
metania at each one.
Remember us, O Lord, when you come in your kingdom.
Remember us, O Master, when you come in your kingdom.
Remember us, O Holy One, when you come in your kingdom.
The heavenly choir hymns you and says: Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord Sabaoth, heaven
and earth are full of your glory.
Verse: Come to him and be
enlightened, and your faces shall not be ashamed.
The heavenly choir hymns you and says: Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord Sabaoth, heaven
and earth are full of your glory.
Glory.
The choir of holy Angels and Archangels with all the heavenly Powers hymns
you and says: Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord Sabaoth, heaven and earth are full of your
glory.
Both now.
I believe in one God, Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all
things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten from the
Father before all ages. Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten not
made, consubstantial with the Father; through him all things were made; for our
sake and for our salvation he came down from heaven, and was incarnate from the
Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and became man; he was crucified also for us
under Pontius Pilate, and suffered and was buried; he rose again on the third
day, in accordance with the Scriptures, and ascended into heaven and is seated
at the right hand of the Father; he is coming again in glory to judge the living
and the dead; and his kingdom will have no end.
And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of life, who proceeds from the
Father, who together with Father and Son is worshipped and together glorified;
who spoke through the Prophets. In one, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church; I
confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins. I await the resurrection of the
dead and the life of the age to come. Amen.
Then
Remit, forgive, pardon, O God, our offences, willing and unwilling, in deed
and in word, in knowledge and in ignorance, of the day and of the night, in mind
and in thought; pardon them all, as you are good and love mankind.
Then Our Father. For yours.
After this we say the Kontakion of the Transfiguration. Tone
7.
You were transfigured on the mountain, Christ God, and your disciples saw
your glory, as far as they were able; so that when they saw you crucified, they
might understand that your Passion was voluntary, and proclaim to the world that
you are truly the brightness of the Father.
Then on Monday. Of the Angels. 2nd Tone.
Chief captains of God, ministers of divine glory, guides of mankind, and
princes of the Bodiless hosts, intercede for what is for our good and for great
mercy, as chief captains of the Bodiless hosts.
On Tuesday. Of the Forerunner. 2nd Tone.
Prophet of God and Forerunner of grace, having found your Head, as a most
sacred rose, we ever receive gifts of healing; for once again, as of old, you
are proclaiming repentance.
On Wednesday and Friday. Of the Cross. 4th Tone.
Lifted up on the Cross of your own will, grant your mercies, O Christ God, to
the new commonwealth called by your name. Make your faithful people glad by your
power, giving them victory over their enemies. May they have your help in
battle, a weapon of peace, an invincible trophy.
On Thursday. Of the Apostles. 2nd Tone.
You have taken, Lord, the sure, the God-inspired heralds, the high peak of
your Disciples, for the enjoyment of your good things and for repose; for you
accepted above every offering their toils and their death, you who alone know
what is in the heart.
And of Saint Nicholas. 3rd Tone.
In Myra, holy one, you were proved a true priest, for you fulfilled,
venerable Father, the gospel of Christ, you laid down your life for you people,
you saved the innocent from death; therefore you have been hallowed as a great
initiate of God’s grace.
Every day the Kontakion of the Church.
Kontakion. 2nd Tone. Nor tomb, nor death.
Let us sing the praise of God’s herald, whose name means ‘courage’, the
First-called of the Saviour’s disciples, the brother of Peter; because as to
him of old, so now to us he cries, ‘Come, we have found the one so longed for’.
Then the Martyrikon of the Tone, followed by
Glory. Of
the Departed. Tone 8.
With the saints give rest, O Christ, to your servants, where there is no
toil, nor grief, nor sighing, but life everlasting.
Both now. Theotokion.
Tone 2.
Protection of Christians that cannot be put to shame, unfailing mediation
with the Maker, do not despise the voices of us sinners as we pray; but, in your
love, be quick to help us who cry to you with faith: Hasten to intercede, make
speed to entreat, O Mother of God, for you ever protect those who honour you.
Then: Lord, have
mercy. (x40)
At every time and at every hour, in heaven and on earth worshipped and
glorified, Christ God, long-suffering, great in mercy, great in compassion,
loving the just and merciful to sinners, calling all to salvation by the promise
of the blessings to come; do you, Lord, yourself accept our entreaties at this
hour, and direct our lives to your commandments. Sanctify our souls, purify our
bodies, correct our thoughts, cleanse our ideas and deliver us from every
distress, evil, and pain. Wall us about with your holy Angels, that protected
and guided by their host we may reach the unity of the faith and the knowledge
of your unapproachable glory; for you are blessed to the ages of ages. Amen.
Lord, have mercy ( x3).
Glory. Both now. Greater in honour than the Cherubim, and beyond compare more
glorious than the Seraphim, without corruption you gave birth to God the Word,
truly the Mother of God we magnify you. In the name of the Lord, bless, Father.
Priest: May God take pity on us…
We say the Prayer of St Ephrem with 4 full and 12 small metanias. Then
Trisagion, All-holy Trinity, Our
Father. For yours. Lord, have mercy (x12)
and the Superior says
the following prayer:
Prayer of Saint Basil the Great
Master, Lord Jesus Christ, our God, who have long endured our transgressions,
and brought us to this hour in which hanging on the life-giving tree you showed
the good Thief the way into Paradise and destroyed death by death, have mercy
also on us sinners and your unworthy servants. For we have sinned and trespassed
and are not worthy to raise our eyes and look on the height of heaven; because
we have abandoned the way of your justice and walked in the will of our hearts.
But we implore your unbounded goodness: spare us, O Lord, according to the
multitude of your mercy, and save us for your holy name’s sake, for our days
have been wasted in vanity. Rescue us from the hand of our opponent, forgive us
our sins, slay our carnal will, that we, having put off the old man, may put on
the new, and live for you, our Master and benefactor; and that thus following
your precepts we may reach eternal rest, where those who rejoice have their
dwelling. For you are the true joy and gladness of those who love you, Christ
our God, and to you we give glory, together with your Father who has no
beginning, and your all-holy, good and life-giving Spirit, now and always and to
ages of ages. Amen.
Then the Lamplighter goes out and strikes the large simandron. After the
Prayer of Saint Ephrem, Trisagion, All-holy
Trinity…, Our Father, Lord, have mercy, (x12)
and this prayer:
All-holy Trinity, consubstantial Might, indivisible Kingship, Cause of all
blessings, be favourable even to me a sinner; strengthen and give understanding
to my heart and rid me of every defilement; enlighten my mind, that I may ever
glorify, praise, worship and say: One is Holy, one is Lord, Jesus Christ, to the
glory of God the Father. Amen.
Reader: It is truly right to call
you blessed, who gave birth to God, ever-blessed and most pure and the Mother of
our God. Greater in honour than the Cherubim and beyond compare more glorious
than the Seraphim, without corruption you gave birth to God the Word. Truly the
Mother of God, we magnify you. In the name of the Lord bless, Father.
Priest: May God be take pity on us….
Glory to you, Christ God our hope, glory to you.
Reader: Glory. Both now. Lord, have
mercy (x3)
And the Dismissal
VESPERS
The priest gives the blessing:
Blessed is the Kingdom of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,
now and always, and to ages of ages.
The appointed monk or the Superior reads the Opening Psalm as follows:
Amen.
Come, let us worship and fall down before the King, our God.
Come, let us worship and fall down before Christ the King, our God.
Come, let us worship and fall down before Christ himself, the King and our God.
Psalm 103
Bless the Lord, my soul! O Lord my
God, you have been greatly magnified. You have clothed yourself with
thanksgiving and majesty, wrapping yourself in light as in a cloak, stretching
out the heavens like a curtain, roofing his upper chambers with waters, placing
clouds as his mount, walking on the wings of the wind, making spirits his Angels
and a flame of fire his Ministers, establishing the earth on its sure base; it
will not be moved to age on age. The deep, like a cloak, is its mantle; waters
will stand upon the mountains. At your rebuke they will flee; they will quail at
the voice of your thunder. The mountains rise and the plains descend to the
place which you established for them. You fixed a limit that they will not pass,
nor will they return to cover the earth. You send out springs into the valleys;
waters will run between the mountains. They will give drink to all the beasts of
the field; the wild asses will await them to quench their thirst. Beside them
the birds of the air will make their dwelling: and sing among the rocks. He
waters the mountains from his upper chambers; the earth will be filled from the
fruit of your works. He makes grass spring up for the cattle, and green herb for
the service of mankind; to bring food out of the earth, and wine makes glad the
human heart; to make the face cheerful with oil, and bread strengthens the human
heart. The trees of the plain will be satisfied, the cedars of Lebanon that you
planted. There the sparrows will build their nests; the heron’s dwelling is at
their head. The high mountains are for the deer; rocks a refuge for hares. He
made the moon to mark the seasons; the sun knew the hour of its setting. You
appointed darkness, and it was night, in which all the beasts of the forest will
prowl; young lions roaring to plunder and to seek their food from God. The sun
rose and they were gathered together and they will lie down in their dens. Man
will go out to his labour; and to his labouring until evening. How your works
have been magnified, O Lord. With wisdom you have made them all, and the earth
has been filled with your creation. Also this great, wide sea; there there are
creeping things without number, living creatures small and great. There ships go
to and fro; this dragon which you fashioned to sport in it. All things look to
you to give them their food in due season. When you give it them, they will
gather it. When you open your hand all things will be filled with goodness. But
when you turn away your face they will be troubled. You will take away their
spirit, and they will perish and return to their dust. You will send forth your
spirit, and they will be created, and you will renew the face of the earth. May
the glory of the Lord endure to the ages. The Lord will rejoice at his works. He
looks upon the earth and makes it tremble. He touches the mountains, and they
smoke. I will sing to the Lord while I live; I will praise my God while I exist.
May my words be pleasing to him. While as for me, I shall rejoice in the Lord. O
that sinners might perish from the earth, and the wicked, so that they are no
more. Bless the Lord, my soul!
And again
The sun knew the hour of its setting: you made darkness, and it was night.
How your works have been magnified, O Lord. With wisdom you have made them all!
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Both now and for ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia. Glory to you, O God. ( x3)
When the Opening Psalm is completed the Priest says the:
Litany of Peace
Priest: In peace, let us pray to
the Lord.
People: Lord, have mercy. And
so after each petition.
Priest: For the peace from on high
and for the salvation of our souls, let us pray to the Lord.
For the peace of the whole world, for the welfare of the holy Churches of
God, and for the union of all, let us pray to the Lord.
For this holy house, and for those who enter it with faith, reverence and the
fear of God, let us pray to the Lord.
For our Archbishop N.,
for the honoured order of presbyters, for the diaconate in Christ, for all the
clergy and the people, let us pray to the Lord.
[For our Sovereign Lady, Queen Elizabeth, the Royal Family, her Government,
and all in authority, let us pray to the Lord.]
For our father and superior, Priest-monk N.,
and all our brotherhood in Christ, let us pray to the Lord.
For this holy monastery, for every monastery, city, town and village, and for
the faithful who dwell in them, let us pray to the Lord.
For favourable weather, an abundance of the fruits of the earth, and
temperate seasons, let us pray to the Lord.
For those who travel by land, air or water, for the sick, the suffering, for
those in captivity, and for their safety and salvation, let us pray to the Lord.
For our deliverance from all affliction, wrath, danger and constraint, let us
pray to the Lord.
Help us, save us, have mercy on us, and keep us, O God, by your grace.
Commemorating our all-holy, pure, most blessed and glorious Lady, Mother of
God and Ever-Virgin Mary, with all the Saints, let us entrust ourselves and one
another and our whole life to Christ our God.
People: To you, O Lord.
The Priest in a low voice says the
1st Prayer at the Lighting of the Lamps
O Lord, compassionate and merciful, long-suffering and full of mercy, listen
to our prayer and attend to the voice of our supplication. Make for us a sign
for good. Guide us in your way, to walk in your truth. Make glad our hearts to
fear your holy Name, because you are great and do wondrous things. You alone are
God, and there is none like you, O Lord, among gods: powerful in mercy and
loving in strength to help and to console and to save all who hope in your holy
Name.
Priest, aloud: For
to you belong all glory, honour and worship, to the Father, the Son and the Holy
Spirit, now and for ever, and to the ages of ages.
People: Amen.
After the Litany, the appointed Kathisma of the Psalter is read by one
Reader.
KATHISMA EIGHTEEN
Psalm 119
A Song of Ascents.
When I was afflicted I called to the Lord, and he heard me. O Lord, deliver
my soul from unjust lips and from a deceitful tongue. What should be given you,
what added to you against a treacherous tongue? The sharpened arrows of the
powerful, with the coals of desolation. Woe is me! For my sojourning has been
prolonged, I have camped among the encampments of Kedar; my soul has long been a
sojourner. With those who hate peace I was peaceable; when I spoke with them,
they made war on me for nothing.
Psalm 120
A Song of Ascents.
I have lifted up my eyes to the mountains. From where will my help come? My
help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. Do not let your foot waver;
may he who guards you not slumber. See, he who guards Israel will neither
slumber nor sleep. The Lord will guard you, the Lord is protection for you on
your right hand. By day the sun will not scorch you, nor the moon by night. The
Lord will guard you from every evil, the Lord will guard your soul. The Lord
will guard your coming in, and your going out, from now and for ever more.
Psalm 121
A Song of Ascents.
I rejoiced at those who said to me: we shall go to the house of the Lord. Our
feet were standing in your courts, O Jerusalem. Jerusalem built as a city,
shared by all together. For there the tribes went up, the tribes of the Lord, a
testimony for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the Lord. For there thrones
were set for judgement, thrones over the house of David. Ask then for the things
which are for Jerusalem’s peace, and prosperity for those who love you. May
there be peace then in your power and prosperity in your citadels. For the sake
of my brethren and neighbours, I have spoken peace concerning you. For the sake
of the house of the Lord our God, I have sought good things for you.
Psalm 122
A Song of Ascents.
I have lifted my eyes to you who dwell in heaven. Behold, as the eyes of
servants look to their lords’ hands; as the eyes of a maid to her mistress’s
hands, so do our eyes to the Lord our God, until he take pity on us. Have mercy
on us, Lord, have mercy on us, for we have had our fill of contempt, our soul
has been filled to overflowing. Let reproach be for the prosperous, and contempt
for the proud.
Psalm 123
A Song of Ascents.
If the Lord had not been among us, let Israel now say: if the Lord had not
been among us when men rose up against us, they would have swallowed us down
alive. When their fury raged against us; the water would have drowned us, our
soul would have passed through the torrent; our soul would have passed through
irresistible water. Blessed is the Lord, who has not given us as a prey to their
teeth. Our soul was delivered like a sparrow from the snare of the hunters; the
snare was shattered, and we were delivered. Our help is in the name of the Lord
who made heaven and earth.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Both now and for ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia. Glory to you, O God. ( x3)
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Both now and for ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Priest: Again
and again in peace, let us pray to the Lord.
People: Lord, have mercy.
Priest: Help us, save us, have
mercy on us and keep us, O God, by your grace.
People: Lord, have mercy.
Priest: Commemorating our all-holy,
pure, most blessed and glorious Lady, Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary, with
all the Saints, let us entrust ourselves and one another and our whole life to
Christ our God.
People: To you, O Lord.
The Priest in a low voice says the
2nd Prayer at the Lighting of the Lamps
Lord, do not rebuke us in your anger, nor chastise us in your wrath, but deal
with us in accordance with your kindness, physician and healer of our souls.
Guide us to the harbour of your will. Enlighten the eyes of our hearts to the
knowledge of your truth and grant that the rest of the present day and the whole
time of our life may be peaceful and without sin, at the prayers of the holy
Mother of God and of all the Saints.
Priest, aloud: For
yours is the Might, and yours is the Kingdom, the Power and the Glory, of the
Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and always and to ages of ages.
People: Amen
Psalm 124
A Song of Ascents.
Those who trust in the Lord are as Mount Sion; one who dwells in Jerusalem
will never be shaken. Mountains encircle her, and the Lord encircles his people
from now and for ever. For the Lord will not leave the rod of sinners upon the
heritage of the just, lest the just stretch out their hands in iniquities. Do
good, Lord, to the good and to the honest in heart. But the Lord will drive away
with those who work iniquity those who turn aside to extortions; peace upon
Israel.
Psalm 125
A Song of Ascents.
When the Lord turned back the captivity of Sion, we became as those who are
comforted. Then was our mouth filled with joy and our tongue with rejoicing.
Then they will say among the nations: the Lord has done great things with them.
The Lord has done great things with us, we have become joyful. Turn back our
captivity, O Lord, like streams in the south. Those who sow with tears, will
reap with joy. They went and as they went they wept, while they sowed their
seed. But when they come they will come with joy, as they gather up their
sheaves.
Psalm 126
A Song of Ascents.
Unless the Lord build the house, the builders have toiled for nothing. Unless
the Lord guard the city, the watchman has kept vigil for nothing. Your getting
up at dawn is for nothing, your rising after sitting, you who eat the bread of
sorrow, when he gives sleep to his beloved; see, sons are the Lord’s
inheritance , the reward of the fruit of the womb. As arrows in the hand of a
powerful man, so are the sons of the rejected. Blessed the man who satisfies his
desire with them; they will not be shamed when they speak with their enemies in
the gates.
Psalm 127
A Song of Ascents
Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in his ways. You will eat the
toils of your fruits; you are blest, and it will be well with you. Your wife
like a luxuriant vine against the sides of your house. Your sons like new olive
shoots around your table. See, that is how one who fears the Lord will be
blessed. The Lord bless you from Sion, and may you see the good things of
Jerusalem all the days of your life. And may you see your children’s children.
Peace upon Israel.
Psalm 128
A Song of Ascents
Many times they have made war on me since my youth, let Israel now say. Many
times they have made war on me since my youth, and yet they have not prevailed
over me. The sinners have wrought upon my back, they have prolonged their
iniquity. The Lord is just, he has broken the sinners’ necks. Let all those
who hate Sion be shamed and turned back. Let them become like grass on the
housetops, which withers before it is uprooted: The reaper has not filled his
hand with it, nor the one who gathers the sheaves his bosom. Nor have the
passers-by said: The Lord’s blessing be on you. We have blessed you in the
name of the Lord.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Both now and for ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia. Glory to you, O God. ( x3)
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Both now and for ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Priest: Again and again in peace,
let us pray to the Lord.
People: Lord,
have mercy. .
Priest: Help us, save us, have
mercy on us and keep us, O God, by your grace.
People: Lord, have mercy.
Priest: Commemorating
our all-holy, pure, most blessed and glorious Lady, Mother of God and
Ever-Virgin Mary, with all the Saints, let us entrust ourselves and one another
and our whole life to Christ our God.
People: To you, O Lord.
The Priest in a low voice says the
3rd Prayer at the Lighting of the Lamps
Lord our God, remember us, sinners and your unprofitable servants, as we call
upon your holy Name, and do not put us to shame from the expectation of your
mercy, but graciously grant us, Lord, all the requests that are for salvation,
and count us worthy to love and to fear you from our whole heart, and in all
things to do your will.
Priest, aloud: For yours is the
Might, and yours is the Kingdom, the Power and the Glory, of the Father, the Son
and the Holy Spirit, now and always and to ages of ages.
People: Amen.
Psalm 129
A Song of Ascents
Out of the depths I have cried to you, O Lord; Lord, hear my voice; let your
ears be attentive to the voice of my supplication. If you note our iniquities,
Lord Lord, who will survive? Because forgiveness is with you. For your name’s
sake I have waited for you, O Lord; my soul has waited for your word, my soul
has hoped in the Lord. From the morning watch until night, from the morning
watch, let Israel hope in the Lord. Because with the Lord there is mercy and
with him abundant redemption; and he will redeem Israel from all his iniquities.
Psalm 130
A Song of Ascents
Lord, my heart has not been exalted, nor have my eyes become lofty, I have
neither walked among great affairs, nor among marvels beyond me. If I had not
been humble-minded but exalted my soul, like a weaned child towards its mother,
so You will requite my soul. Let Israel hope in the Lord, from now and for ever.
Psalm131
A Song of Ascents
Lord remember David and all his meekness, how he swore to the Lord, made a
vow to the God of Jacob, I shall not enter the shelter of my house, climb into
my bed, give sleep to my eyes, slumber to my eyelids and rest to my temples,
until I find a place for the Lord, a tabernacle for the God of Jacob. See, we
heard of it in Ephrata, we found it in the woodland fields. We shall enter his
tabernacles, we shall worship towards the place where his feet have stood.
Arise, Lord, into your rest, you and the ark of your sanctification. Your
priests clothe themselves with justice, and your holy ones will rejoice. For
David, your servant’s sake, do not turn away the face of your Christ. The Lord
has sworn truth to David and he will not annul it, ‘From the fruit of your
womb I shall place on your throne. If your sons keep my covenant and these
testimonies of mine which I shall teach them, their sons too will sit on your
throne for ever. For the Lord has elected Sion, has chosen her as a dwelling for
himself. ‘This is my resting-place for age on age; here I shall dwell, for I
have chosen her. Her door I shall bless abundantly, her poor I shall fill with
bread. Her priests I shall clothe with salvation, and her holy ones will rejoice
with great joy. There I shall make the horn of David flourish; I have prepared a
lamp for my Christ. I shall clothe his enemies in shame, my sanctification will
flower upon him’.
Psalm 132
A Song of Ascents
See how good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together. Like sweet
ointment on the head which runs down upon the beard, Aaron’s beard, which runs
down to the hem of his garment; like the dew from Hermon, which runs down upon
the mountains of Sion; for there the Lord has commanded the blessing: life for
ever more.
Psalm 133
A Song of Ascents
Come, now bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord, who stand in the
house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God. Lift up your hands by
night to the Holy Place, and bless the Lord. May the Lord bless you from Sion,
he who made heaven and earth.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Both now and for ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia. Glory to you, O God. ( x3)
Short Litany
Priest: Again
and again in peace, let us pray to the Lord.
People: Lord, have mercy.
Priest: Help us, save us, have
mercy on us, and keep us, O God, by your grace.
People: Lord, have mercy.
Priest: Commemorating
our all-holy, pure, most blessed and glorious Lady, Mother of God and
Ever-Virgin Mary, with all the Saints, let us entrust ourselves and one another
and our whole life to Christ our God.
People: To you, O Lord.
The Priest in a low voice says the
4th Prayer at the Lighting of the Lamps
O Lord, who are praised by the holy Powers with never silent hymns and
unceasing songs of glory, fill our mouth with your praise to give majesty to
your holy Name, and give us a part and an inheritance with all who fear you in
truth and who keep your commandments, at the prayers of the holy Mother of God
and of all your Saints.
Priest: For
you are our God, a God of mercy and salvation, and to you we give glory, to the
Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever, and to the ages of ages.
People: Amen.
Then we begin Lord,
I have cried in the
appropriate tone, while the Priest censes the Sanctuary and the whole Church.
Psalm 140
[ A]
Lord, I have cried to you, hear me; hear me, O Lord. Lord, I have cried to you,
hear me. Give heed to the voice of my supplication when I cry to you. Hear me, O
Lord.
[ B]
Let my prayer be directed like incense before you; the lifting up of my hands be
an evening sacrifice. Hear me, O Lord.
[ A]
Set a guard, O Lord, on my mouth, and a strong door about my lips.
[ B]
Do not incline my heart to evil words; to make excuses for my sins.
[ A]
With those who work iniquity, let me not unite with their elect.
[ B]
The just will chastise me with mercy and reprove me; but let not the oil of
sinners anoint my head.
[ A]
For yet my prayer shall be in their pleasures; their judges have been swallowed
up near the rock.
[ B]
They will hear my words for they are sweet. As a clod of earth is crushed upon
the ground, their bones have been scattered at the mouth of Hell.
[ A]
For my eyes look to you, O Lord, my Lord. I have hoped in you, do not take away
my soul.
[ B]
Keep me from the snare that they have hidden for me, and from the traps of
evil-doers.
[ A]
The sinners will fall into their own net. I am alone until I pass by.
[ B]
With my voice I cried to the Lord. With my voice I entreated the Lord.
[ A]
I will pour out my entreaty before him, and tell him all my trouble.
[ B]
When my spirit was faint, you knew my path.
[ A]
In the way where I walked they had hidden a snare for me.
[ B]
I looked to my right hand and saw, but there was none who knew me.
[ A]
Escape is gone from me, and there is none who seeks for my soul.
[ B]
I cried to you, Lord, I said, ‘You are my hope; my portion in the land of the
living.’
[ A]
Give heed to my supplication, for I am brought very low.
[ B]
Deliver me from those who persecute me, for they are too strong for me.
For 10 Verses.
10. Bring my soul out of prison,
that I may confess your name.
Idiomel from the Triodion .
9.
The just will await me, until you reward me.
Idiomel from the Triodion repeated.
8. Out of the depths I have cried
to you, O Lord. Lord hear my voice.
Martyrikon from the Triodion.
7. O let your ears be attentive, to
the voice of my supplication.
1st Prosomion from the Triodion.
6. If
you, Lord, should mark iniquities, Lord, who will stand? But there is
forgiveness with you.
2nd Prosomion from the Triodion.
5. For
your name’s sake I have waited for you, O Lord. My soul has waited on your
word. My soul has hoped in the Lord.
3rd Prosomion from the Triodion.
4. From the morning watch until
night, from the morning watch, let Israel hope in the Lord.
1st Prosomion from the Menaion.
3. For
with the Lord there is mercy, and with him plentiful redemption, and he will
redeem Israel from all his iniquities.
1st Prosomion from the Menaion, repeated.
2. Praise
the Lord, all you nations. Praise him all you peoples.
2nd Prosomion from the Menaion.
1.
For his mercy has been mighty towards us, and the truth of the Lord endures to
the ages.
3rd Prosomion from the Menaion.
Glory. Both now.
Theotokion from the Menaion.
During the Theotokion, the Entrance with the censer. The priest says the
Prayer of the Entrance in a low voice.
Prayer of the Entrance
At evening, at morning and at midday we praise, bless and give thanks, and we
pray to you, Master of all things, Lord who love mankind: Direct our prayer
before you like incense, and do not incline our hearts to words or thoughts of
evil, but deliver us from all that hunt down our souls. For our eyes look to
you, O Lord, our Lord, and we have hoped in you.
For to you belong all glory, honour and worship, to the Father, the Son and
the Holy Spirit, now and for ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.
He censes the holy icons and the People and waits for the end of the
troparion. When it is finished, he raises the censer, making the sign of the
Cross, and exclaims:
Wisdom. Stand upright.
Then we sing
Thanksgiving at the Lighting of the Lamps
An ancient poem, or, as some say, by the martyr Athenogenes.
O joyful light of the holy glory of the immortal, heavenly, holy, blessed
Father, O Jesus Christ. Now that we have come to the setting of the sun and see
the evening light, we sing the praise of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It is
right at all times to hymn you with holy voices, Son of God, giver of life.
Therefore the world glorifies you.
Priest (facing the People): Let us
attend. Peace to all.
Reader: And to your spirit.
Priest: Wisdom!
Reader: Prokeimenon. Tone … Psalm
… [from the Triodion]
Priest: Wisdom!
Reader: The
reading is from Genesis.
Priest: Let us attend.
After the reading:
Priest: Wisdom!
Reader: Prokeimenon.
Tone …. Psalm …
After the Prokeimenon the Reader says in a loud voice:
Command!
Priest: Wisdom!
Stand upright!
The Light of Christ shines for all!
Reader: The reading is from
Proverbs.
Priest: Let us attend.
After the reading:
Priest: Peace
to you.
Reader: And
to your spirit.
Priest: Wisdom!
Priest: Let
my prayer be directed like incense before you; the lifting up of my hands be an
evening sacrifice.
People: Let my prayer be directed
like incense before you; the lifting up of my hands be an evening sacrifice.
Reader: Lord,
I have cried to you, hear me; give heed to the voice of my supplication when I
cry to you.
People: Let my prayer be directed
like incense before you; the lifting up of my hands be an evening sacrifice.
Reader: Set a guard, O Lord, on my
mouth; and a strong door about my lips.
People: Let my prayer be directed
like incense before you; the lifting up of my hands be an evening sacrifice.
Reader: Let
not my heart incline to evil words; to make excuses for my sins.
People: Let my prayer be directed
like incense before you; the lifting up of my hands be an evening sacrifice.
Priest: Let my prayer be directed
like incense before you …
People: The lifting up of my hands
be an evening sacrifice.
Then the Prayer of St Ephrem, once.
Litany of Fervent Supplication
Priest: Let us all say, with all
our soul and with all our mind, let us say.
People: Lord, have mercy.
Priest: Lord almighty, the God of
our fathers, we pray you, hear and have mercy.
People: Lord, have mercy.
Priest: Have mercy on us, O God,
according to your great mercy, we pray you, hear and have mercy.
People: Lord, have mercy. (Three
times. And so after the remaining petitions)
Priest: Also we pray for our
Archbishop N.
[Also we pray for our Sovereign Lady, Queen Elizabeth, the royal family, her
government and all in authority.]
Also we pray for our father and superior, Priest-monk N.,
the Priests, Priest-monks, Deacon-monks and all our brotherhood in Christ.
Also we pray for mercy, life, peace, health, salvation, visitation, pardon
and forgiveness of sins for the servants of God, all devout and Orthodox
Christians, the benefactors, helpers, worshippers and pilgrims in this holy
monastery; [and for the servants of God N.
& N. (Here the Priest may name those for whom he has been asked to pray),
and all who have asked for our prayers, unworthy though we are.]
Also we pray for the blessed and ever-remembered founders of this holy
monastery, and for all our departed brothers and sisters, Orthodox believers,
who have gone to their rest before us and who here and in all the world lie
asleep in the Lord; [and for the servants of God N.
& N. (Here the Priest may name those for whom he has been asked to pray),
and that they may be pardoned all their offences, both voluntary and
involuntary.]
Also we pray for those serve, or who have served in this holy monastery, and
for all our brothers and sisters of the monastic order, who await your great and
rich mercy.
The Priest, in a low voice, says the following
Prayer of Supplication
Lord, our God, accept this fervent supplication from your servants, and have
mercy on us according to the multitude of your mercy; and send down your pity on
us and on all your people, who await your rich mercy.
Priest, aloud: For you, O God, are
merciful and love mankind, and to you we give glory, to the Father and to the
Son and to the holy Spirit, now and for ever, and to the ages of ages.
People: Amen.
Priest: Catechumens,
pray to the Lord.
People: Lord, have mercy. And
so to each petition as the Priest is praying.
Priest: Believers, let us pray for
the catechumens.
That the Lord will have mercy on them.
Instruct them in the word of truth.
Reveal to them the Gospel of justice.
Unite them to his Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.
Save them, have mercy on them, help them and keep them, O God, by your grace.
Catechumens, bow your heads to the Lord.
People: To
you, O Lord.
Priest, in a low voice, says the
Prayer for the Catechumens
God, our God, creator and maker of all things, who wish all to be saved and
come to the knowledge of the truth, look upon your servants the catechumens, and
deliver them from the ancient error and trickery of the foe Call them to eternal life, enlightening their souls and bodies and numbering
them with your rational flock, on which your holy named has been invoked.
Priest, aloud: That they also, with
us, may glorify your all-honoured and majestic name, of Father, Son and Holy
Spirit, now and always, and to ages of ages.
People: Amen.
Priest: As many as are Catechumens,
depart. Catechumens, depart.
Litany for those Preparing for Enlightenment
From the Wednesday of the 4th week of the Fast after
Catechumens, depart the
Litany for those Preparing for Enlightenment added.
Priest: As
many as are preparing for Enlightenment, draw near. Those who are preparing for
Enlightenment pray to the Lord.
People: Lord,
have mercy. (And so
after the following petitions)
Priest: Believers, for our brothers
who are preparing for holy Enlightenment, let us pray to the Lord.
That the Lord our God may give them strength and power.
Enlighten them with the light of knowledge and true religion.
Count them worthy in due time of the bath of rebirth, the forgiveness of sins
and the garment of incorruption.
Give them rebirth through water and Spirit.
Grant them the perfection of the Faith.
Number them with his holy and chosen flock.
Save them, have mercy on them, help them and keep them, O God, by your grace.
Those for Enlightenment, bow your heads to the Lord.
People: To
you, O Lord.
Prayer for those preparing for Enlightenment
Manifest your countenance, Master, to those preparing for holy Enlightenment
and who long to shake off the defilement of sin. Illumine their understanding;
confirm them in the Faith; establish them in Hope, perfect them in Love; show
them to be honourable members of your Christ, who gave himself as a ransom for
our souls.
( Aloud)
For you are our enlightenment, and to you we give glory, to the Father and to
the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever, and to the ages of ages.
People: Amen.
Priest: As many as are for
Enlightenment, depart. Those who are for Enlightenment, depart.
As many as are Catechumens, depart. None of the Catechumens. As many as are
Believers. Again and again, in peace, let us pray to the Lord.
People: Lord,
have mercy.
Priest: Help
us, save us, have mercy upon us and keep us, O God, by your grace.
People: Lord, have mercy.
Priest: Wisdom.
First Prayer of the Faithful, after the unfolding of the
Antimension
O God, who are great and to be praised, who have brought us from corruption
to incorruption by the life-giving death of your Christ, free all our senses
from the death of the passions, setting over them as a good leader the thought
that comes from within. Let the eye abstain from every evil sight, the hearing
give no entrance to idle words, the tongue be cleansed of unfitting speech.
Purify our lips, Lord, that praise you. Make our hands keep from base actions,
to perform only such things as are well-pleasing to you, making all our limbs
and our mind secure by your grace.
( Aloud)
For to you are due all glory, honour and worship, Father, Son and Holy
Spirit, now and always, and to ages of ages.
People: Amen.
Priest: Again
and again, in peace, let us pray to the Lord.
People: Lord
have mercy.
Priest: Help
us, save us, have mercy upon us and keep us, O God, by your grace.
People: Lord, have mercy.
Priest: Wisdom.
Second Prayer of the Faithful
Holy Master, supremely good, we implore you, the One rich in mercy, to take
pity on us sinners and make us worthy of the reception of your only begotten Son
and our God, the king of glory. For see, his most pure Body and life-giving
Blood, that are entering at this present hour, are about to be set forth on this
mystical table, invisibly escorted by a multitude of the heavenly host. Grant us
communion in them that is without condemnation, so that, with the eye of our
mind illumined through them, we may become children of the light.
( Aloud):
According to the gift of your Christ, with whom you are blessed, together
with your all-holy, good and life-giving Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of
ages.
People: Amen.
Instead of the Cherubic Hymn the following is sung.
Now the hosts of heaven invisibly worship with us; for see, the King of Glory
enters. See, the perfected mystical sacrifice is being borne in.
After the Entrance, during which all prostrate to the ground:
With faith and love, let us draw near that we may become partakers of
everlasting life. Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.
Then the Prayer of St Ephrem, once.
Priest: Let
us complete our evening prayer to the Lord.
People: Lord, have mercy.
For the precious gifts here set forth and presanctified, let us pray to the
Lord.
That our God, who loves mankind, having accepted them on his holy, heavenly
and spiritual altar, as a sweet-smelling savour of spiritual fragrance would
send down upon us his divine grace and the gift of the Holy Spirit, let us pray.
For our deliverance from all tribulation, wrath, danger and constraint, let
us pray to the Lord.
Help us, save, have mercy on us and keep us, O God, by your grace.
That the whole evening may be perfect, holy, peaceful and sinless, let us ask
the Lord.
People: Grant this, O Lord.
Priest: An Angel of peace, faithful
guide, guardian of our souls and bodies, let us ask of the Lord.
Pardon and remission of our sins and offences, let us ask of the Lord.
Things that are good, and profitable for our souls, and peace in the world,
let us ask of the Lord.
That the rest of our life may be spent in peace and repentance, let us ask of
the Lord.
A Christian end to our life, without pain, without shame and peaceful, and a
good defence before the dread judgement seat of Christ, let us ask.
Commemorating our all-holy, pure, most blessed and glorious Lady, Mother of
God and Ever-Virgin Mary, with all the Saints, let us entrust ourselves and one
another and our whole life to Christ our God.
People: To you, O Lord.
The priest bows and says the following prayer after setting the Holy Gifts on
the holy table.
O God of ineffable and unseen mysteries, with whom are the hidden treasures
of wisdom and knowledge, who have revealed to us the service of this ministry
and through your great love for humankind appointed us sinners to offer you
gifts and sacrifices for our own sins and those committed in ignorance by the
people, do you, invisible king, who do great and unfathomable things, things
glorious an extraordinary that are without number, look upon us, your unworthy
servants, who stand before this your holy altar, as before the throne of the
Cherubim, on which, though the dread mysteries here set forth, rests your Son
and our God. And, having freed us and your faithful people from all uncleanness,
sanctify the souls and bodies of us all with a sanctification that cannot be
taken away, so that receiving communion of these divine and holy things with a
pure conscience, a face unashamed, an enlightened heart and being given life
them, we may be united to your Christ, our true God, who said, ‘One who eats
my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me and I in them’. So that, with your
Word, Lord, dwelling in us and living among us, we may become a temple of your
holy and adorable Spirit, having been rescued from every wile of the devil
effected by word or deed or in the mind; and that we may obtain the good things
promised to us, with all your Saints, who have been well-pleasing to you since
time began.
(Aloud): And count us worthy, O
Master, with boldness and without condemnation, to dare to call upon you, the
God of heaven, as Father, and to say
The Superior, or the designated monk, or the people:
Our Father in heaven, may your name be hallowed, your kingdom come, your will
be done on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread, and forgive us our
debts, as we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but
deliver us from the evil one.
Priest: For
yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory, of the Father, the Son and the
Holy Spirit, now and for ever, and to the ages of ages.
People: Amen.
Priest: Peace
to all.
People: And with your spirit.
Priest: Let
us bow our heads to the Lord.
People: To you, O Lord.
Priest:
Prayer at the Bowing of Heads
O God, alone good and compassionate, who dwell on high and watch over lowly
things, with a compassionate eye look upon all your people, guard them and make
us all worthy to partake uncondemned of these your life-giving mysteries. For to
you we have bowed our heads, awaiting from you rich mercy.
( Aloud):
Through the grace and mercy and love for mankind of your only-begotten Son,
with whom you are blessed, together with your all-holy, good and life-giving
Spirit, now and always and to ages of ages.
People: Amen.
Priest
Give heed, Lord Jesus Christ our God, from your holy dwelling-place and from the
glorious throne of your kingdom; and come to sanctify us, you who are enthroned
on high with the Father and invisibly present here with us. And with your mighty
hand grant communion in your most pure Body and precious Blood to us, and
through us to all the people.
Let us attend. The presanctified Holy Things for the holy.
People: One is Holy, one is Lord,
Jesus Christ, to the glory of God the Father. Amen.
Communion Chant:
Taste and see that the Lord is good. Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.
Priest: With
fear of God, with faith and love, draw near.
People: Blessed is he who comes in
the name of the Lord. The Lord is God and has appeared to us.
After the people have received Communion:
Priest: O
God, save your people and bless your inheritance.
People: I will bless the Lord at
all times; his praise shall always be in my mouth. Taste the heavenly Bread and
the Cup of life, and see that the Lord is good. Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.
Priest: now and for ever and to
ages of ages.
People: Amen. [In
Athonite use: Amen. Amen. For
forgiveness of sins and everlasting life.] Let our mouth be filled with your
praise, O Lord, that we may sing your glory, for you have allowed us to share in
your holy, divine, immortal and life-giving mysteries. Keep us in your holiness,
that we may meditate on your justice all the day long. Alleluia. Alleluia.
Alleluia.
Priest: Stand upright. Having
received the divine, holy, pure, immortal, heavenly, life-giving and dread
Mysteries of Christ, let us give worthy thanks to the Lord.
People: Lord, have mercy. [Or,
according to Athonite use: Glory
to you, O God, glory to you.]
Priest: Help
us, save us, have mercy upon us and keep us, O God, by your grace.
People: Lord, have mercy.
Priest: Having asked that the whole
evening may be perfect, holy, peaceful and sinless, let us entrust ourselves and
one another and our whole life to Christ our God.
People: To you, O Lord.
Priest:
Prayer after Communion
We thank you, God the Saviour of all things, for all the good things you have
granted us and for the communion of the holy Body and Blood of your Christ. And
we pray you, Master who love mankind, guard us under the shadow of your wings
and grant us, until our last breath, to partake worthily of your holy gifts, for
enlightenment of soul and body and for inheritance of the kingdom of heaven.
( Aloud):
For you are our sanctification, and to you we give glory, Father, Son and Holy
Spirit, now and always and to ages of ages.
People: Amen.
Priest: Let
us go forth in peace.
People: In the name of the Lord.
Priest: Let
us pray to the Lord.
People: Lord, have mercy.
Priest:
Prayer behind the Ambo
Master almighty, who fashioned creation with wisdom and through your
ineffable forethought and great goodness have brought us to these most holy days
for the cleansing of souls and bodies, for mastery of the passions, for hope of
resurrection; who through forty days entrusted to your servant Moses the Tables
of the Law in letters divinely traced, grant us also, good Master, to fight the
good fight, to finish the course of the fast, to keep the faith intact, to smash
the heads of invisible serpents and without condemnation to reach and to worship
your holy Resurrection.
( Aloud):
For blessed and glorified is your all-honoured
and majestic name, of Father, Son and Holy Spirit, now and for ever, and to the
ages of ages.
After the prayer behind the Ambo:
Amen. Blessed be the name of Lord, from this time forth and for evermore. (Three
times)
The Prayer of Saint Ephrem once.
The Priest goes to the Prothesis and says the following prayer
in a low voice:
Lord our God, who have brought us to these most holy days, and have made us
communicants of your dread mysteries, join us to your rational flock and declare
us to be heirs of your kingdom, now and for ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Then, while the Priest distributes the Antidoron, the Reader says:
Glory. Both now.
Psalm 33
I will bless the Lord continually, his praise will always be in my mouth. My
soul will be praised in the Lord; let the meek hear it and rejoice. Magnify the
Lord with me, let us exalt his name together. I sought the Lord and he heard me,
and delivered me from all my afflictions. Come to him and be enlightened, and
your faces will not be ashamed. This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and
saved him from all his afflictions. The angel of the Lord will encamp round
those who fear him, and deliver them. Taste and see that the Lord is good.
Blessed the one who puts their hope in him! Fear the Lord, all you his saints,
for those who fear him never want. The rich have become poor and gone hungry,
but those who seek the Lord will not be deprived of any good. Come, children,
listen to me, I will teach you the fear of the Lord. Who is there who wants
life, loves to see good days? Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from
speaking deceit. Turn away from evil and do good, seek peace and pursue it. The
eyes of the Lord are on the just, and his ears towards their supplication. The
Lord’s face is set against those who do evil, to destroy their memory from the
earth. The just cried and the Lord heard them, and delivered them from all their
afflictions. The Lord is close to those who are broken-hearted, and will save
the humble in spirit. The afflictions of the just are many, but the Lord will
deliver them from them all. The Lord guards all their bones, not one of them
will be broken. The death of sinners is evil, and those who hate the just will
go astray. The Lord will rescue the souls of his servants, and no one of those
who hope in him will go astray.
Priest: The blessing of the Lord be
upon you, through his divine grace and love for mankind, always, now and ever,
and to ages of ages.
Reader: Amen.
Priest: Glory
to you, O God, our hope, glory to you.
Reader: Glory. Both now. Lord, have
mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Holy Father, bless.
And the Dismissal
Glory to you, Christ God, our hope, glory to you.
Reader: Glory. Both now. Lord, have
mercy (x3).
Give the blessing.
And the Priest continues:
May Christ our true God, at the prayers of his most pure and holy Mother; of
the holy, glorious and all-praised Apostles; of Saint N.
[the
patron of the church], of Saint N.,
whose memory we celebrate; of the holy and righteous forebears of God, Joachim
and Anne and of all the Saints, have mercy on us and save us, for he is good and
loves mankind.
Turning to the East, he says,
Through the prayers of our holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have
mercy on us.
People: Amen.
NOTE
Many books follow Psalm 33 with Psalm 144. The latter is not, strictly, part
of the Liturgy of the Presanctified, but the opening of Grace before Meals,
since in monasteries the single meal on a fast day is eaten immediately after
Vespers and the Liturgy of the Presanctified. For completeness sake, we add it
here as an appendix.
PSALM 144
Praise for David.
I will exalt you, my God, my King; and I will bless your name for ever and to
age on age. Every day I will bless you; and praise your name for ever and to age
on age. The Lord is great and highly to be praised; and there is no limit
to his greatness. Generation after generation will praise your works; and will
declare your power. They will tell of the majesty of the glory of your holiness;
and will recount your wonders. They will speak of the power of your dread deeds;
and will recount your greatness. They will proclaim the memory of the multitude
of your goodness; and rejoice in your justice. The Lord is compassionate and
merciful; long-suffering and full of mercy. The Lord is good to all; and his
acts of compassion are for all his works. May all your works confess you, Lord;
and all your holy ones bless you. They will speak of the glory of your kingdom;
and tell of your power. To make known your power and of the glory the majesty of
your kingdom to the children of mankind. Your kingdom is a kingdom for all the
ages, and your dominion for every generation. The Lord is faithful in all his
words, and holy in all his works. The Lord supports all who are falling, and
sets upright all who are broken down. The eyes of all hope in you, and you give
them their food in due season. You open your hand, and fill every living thing
with your good pleasure. The Lord is just in all his ways, and holy in all his
works. The Lord is close to those who call on him, to all who call on him in
truth. He will do the will of those who fear him, and hear their supplication
and save them. The Lord guards all who love him, and all sinners he will
destroy. My mouth will tell the praise of the Lord, and let all flesh bless his
holy name for ever and to age on age. |