Evening Service rn and......................2
Morning Service eni........................12
Proskomedia..............................23
Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom...............29
Prayers after Holy Communion...............47
Liturgy of St. Basil the Great.................50
Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts..............65
Litany Service............................148
Prayer of Dismissal........................142
Prayer for the Consecration of the Artos.......143
Prayer for the Blessing of the Grapes..........144
Prayer Over All Fruits.....................145
Upon entering the church and putting on the epitrachelion, the priest, standing before the Royal Doors, proclaims:
Blessed be our God always, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.
Reader: Amen. Glory to You, our God, glory to You.
Heavenly King: The Holy Trinity. Glory, and now: Most Holy Trinity: Lord, have mercy. (3) Glory, and now: Our Father:
The priest proclaims: For Thine 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 ages of ages.
Reader: Amen. Lord, have mercy. (12) Glory be, and now: Come, let us worship: (3), and the 9th Hour is read.
There is no dismissal after this, but the opening invocation of Vespers is immediately pronounced: 1
Blessed be our God always, now and ever and unto ages of ages.
Reader: Amen. Come, let us worship: (3) and Psalm 103 2
[If Vespers begins the All-Night Vigil, the altar is incensed with the Royal Doors open.
Then the deacon proclaims: Arise!
Choir: Bless.
Priest (making the sign of the cross with the censer): Glory be to the Holy, Consubstantial, Life-giving, and Indivisible Trinity, always: now and ever, and unto ages of ages.
Choir: Amen.
The priest, together with those in the sanctuary, sings: “Come, let us worship”: (3) “Come, let us worship and bow down before Him!”
Then a full incensation of the church is performed while Psalm 103 (or selected verses from it) is sung.]
The priest, standing with his head uncovered before the Royal Doors, reads the lamp-lighting prayers.
O Lord, generous and merciful, long-suffering and abounding in mercy! Hear our prayer and listen to the voice of our supplication. Grant us a sign for our good; guide us in Your way, that we may walk in Your truth; gladden our hearts, that we may fear Your holy name. For You are great and work wonders, You, the One God, and there is none like You among the gods, O Lord, mighty in mercy and good in power, to help, comfort, and save all who hope in Your holy name.
For all glory, honor, and worship are due to You, to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and forever and ever. Amen.
O Lord, do not rebuke us in Your wrath, nor punish us in Your anger, but deal with us according to Your mercy, O Physician and Healer of our souls. Lead us to the haven You desire, enlighten the eyes of our hearts to know Your truth, and grant us the remainder of this day to be peaceful and sinless, as well as the rest of our lives, through the intercession of the Holy Mother of God and all the saints.
For Yours is the power, and Yours is the Kingdom, and the strength, and the glory, of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Lord, our God, remember us, Your sinful and unworthy servants, when we call upon Your name, and do not put us to shame as we hope in Your mercy, but grant us, O Lord, all that we ask for our salvation, and make us worthy to love and fear You with all our hearts and to fulfill Your will in all things.
For You are a good and merciful God, and to You we send up glory—to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit—now and always, and forever and ever. Amen.
You who are praised by the holy Powers with unceasing songs and constant doxologies, fill our lips with praise to You, that Your holy name may be exalted. And grant us a share and a portion with all who truly fear You and keep Your commandments, through the intercession of the Holy Mother of God and all Your saints.
For all glory, honor, and worship are due to You, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and forever and ever. Amen.
O Lord, O Lord, who holds all things in Your most pure hand, who is long-suffering toward us all and has compassion on our afflictions! Remember Your compassion and Your mercy; visit us with Your goodness and grant us (through Your mercy) to avoid the various wiles of the evil one for the remainder of this day, and preserve our lives in safety from his schemes through the grace of Your All-Holy Spirit.
Through the 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 forever and ever. Amen.
O great and wondrous God, who governs all things with inexpressible goodness and abundant providence! You have bestowed upon us the blessings of this world and betrothed us to the promised Kingdom through the blessings already given to us by Your mercy! You have enabled us to avoid all evil during the past part of this day; grant us, then, to spend the remainder of it blamelessly in the presence of Your holy Glory, singing Your praises, O our one good and loving God.
For You are our God, and to You we send up glory—to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit—now and always, and forever and ever. Amen.
O great and most high God, the only One who possesses immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, who created all things with wisdom, who separated light from darkness and set the sun to rule the day, and the moon and the stars to rule over the night, who have deemed us sinners worthy, even at this hour, to stand before Your face with praise and to offer You evening praise! You Yourself, O philanthropic Lord, direct our prayer like incense before Your face and accept it as a pleasing fragrance; grant us a peaceful evening and night to come, clothe us in the armor of light, deliver us from the fear of the night and from every danger lurking in the darkness, and make the sleep You have granted for the repose of our frailty free from all devilish temptations. Yes, Lord [of all], Giver of all good things—may we, as we lie in our beds, remember Your name at night and, enlightened by meditation on Your commandments, rise with joy in our souls to glorify Your goodness, offering supplications and prayers to You, the Merciful One, for our sins and those of all Your people, whom You graciously visit through the intercession of the Holy Mother of God.
For You are a good and merciful God, and we give glory to You—to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—now and always, and forever and ever. Amen.
At the conclusion of the introductory psalm, the priest—or the deacon, if present—exits through the north doors and, standing as usual at the ambo, recites the following ektenia:
Deacon: Let us pray to the Lord in peace.
Choir [after each petition]: O Lord, have mercy.
Let us pray to the Lord for peace from on high and for the salvation of our souls.
Let us pray to the Lord for peace throughout the world, for the prosperity of God’s holy Churches, and for the unity of all.
For this holy temple and for all who enter it with faith, reverence, and the fear of God, let us pray to the Lord.
Let us pray to the Lord for our Great Lord and Father, His Holiness the Patriarch (name), and for our lord, His Eminence the Metropolitan (or: Archbishop, or: Bishop—name), the venerable presbytery, the diaconate in Christ, the entire clergy, and the people of God.
Let us pray to the Lord for our God-protected country, its authorities, and its armed forces.
Let us pray to the Lord for this city (or: this settlement, or: this holy monastery), for every city and country, and for those who live in them by faith.
Let us pray to the Lord for favorable weather, for an abundance of the earth’s fruits, and for times of peace.
Let us pray to the Lord for those at sea, those traveling, the sick, the suffering, the captives, and for their salvation.
Let us pray to the Lord for deliverance from all sorrow, anger, [danger], and need.
Defend, save, have mercy on, and preserve us, O God, by Your grace.
Having commemorated our Most Holy, Most Pure, Most Blessed, and Glorious Lady, the Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary, together with all the saints, let us entrust ourselves, one another, and our entire lives to Christ our God.
Choir: To You, O Lord.
The priest proclaims: For all glory, honor, and worship are due to You, to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and forever and ever.
Choir: Amen.
And we shall chant the regular kathisma from the Psalter.
[On Saturday evening, we sing the three antiphons of the first kathisma; on feasts of the Mother of God and of the great saints, the first antiphon of the first kathisma; on Sunday evening and on the great feasts of the Lord (except for Saturday and Sunday evenings), there is no stichera.]
At the conclusion of the kathisma [or its first antiphon], the deacon, having gone out through the north doors, recites the Small Ektenia:
Deacon: Let us pray to the Lord again and again in peace.
Choir [after each petition]: O Lord, have mercy.
Defend, save, have mercy on, and preserve us, O God, by Your grace.
Having commemorated our Most Holy, Most Pure, Most Blessed, and Glorious Lady, the Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary, together with all the saints, let us entrust ourselves, one another, and our whole life to Christ our God.
Choir: To You, O Lord.
The Priest proclaims: For Yours is the power, and Yours is the Kingdom, and the strength, and the glory, of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages.
Choir: Amen.
[On Saturday evening, after the second and third atifons of the ektenia, the small ektenias conclude with the exclamations “For You are a good and merciful God, and to You we send up glory:” and “For You are our God, and to You we send up glory:,” respectively.]
Then we sing “O Lord, I have cried out:” (Psalms 140, 141, 129, 116) in the tone of the stichera and the stichera themselves; [at this time, the deacon performs a full incensation of the church.
On feast days, during the singing of the final stichera, the Royal Doors are opened and the procession with the censer takes place.
In the evening, in the morning, and at noon, we praise, bless, give thanks to, and pray to You, Sovereign of all, O God who loves mankind! Direct our prayer like incense before Your face, and do not let our hearts stray toward wicked words or thoughts, but deliver us from all that ensnares our souls; for to You, O Lord, O Lord, our eyes look, and in You we trust; do not put us to shame, O our God.
For all glory, honor, and worship are due to You, to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and forever and ever. Amen.
[Deacon: Bless, Your Grace, the holy entrance!
Priest: Blessed is the entrance of Your saints always, now and ever, and to the ages of ages.]
The deacon, making the sign of the cross with the censer, proclaims: Wisdom! Let us stand in reverence!
The choir sings:
The joyful light of the holy glory / of the immortal Heavenly Father, / the holy and blessed Jesus Christ! / As the sun sets and we behold the evening light, / we sing of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, God. / It is fitting to sing of You at all times / with joyful voices, / O life-giving Son of God, /—for this reason the world glorifies You.
After entering and making the customary bow, the deacon—or, if there is no deacon, the priest—proclaims the prokeimenon of the day:
[Deacon: Let us listen.
Priest: Peace be with all.
Choir: And to your spirit.
Deacon: Wisdom. Prokeimenon, tone (such-and-such).]
Bless the Lord now, / all you servants of the Lord.
Verse: You who stand in the temple of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God. Psalm 133:1
The Lord will hear me / when I call upon Him.
Verse: When I called, the God of my righteousness heard me. Psalm 4:4, 2
Your mercy, O Lord, / will follow me all the days of my life.
Verse: The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures—there He has made me lie down. Ps 22:6a, 1–2a
O God, save me by Your name / and vindicate me by Your power.
Verse: O God, hear my prayer; give ear to the words of my mouth. Ps 53:3, 4
My help comes from the Lord, / who made heaven and earth.
Verse: I lift up my eyes to the mountains—from where will my help come? Psalm 120:2, 1
God, You are my defender, / and Your mercy will soon meet me.
Verse: Deliver me from my enemies, O God, and redeem me from those who rise up against me.
Cf. Ps 58:10b–11a, 2
The Lord has taken his seat on the throne; / he is clothed in splendor.
Verse: The Lord has clothed Himself with strength and girded Himself.
Verse: For He has established the world, and it shall not be moved.
Verse: Holiness befits Your house, O Lord, for all time. Ps 92:1, 5b
Alleluia. (3)
Verse: O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your wrath, nor chastise me in Your anger.
Verse: And forever and ever. Psalm 37:2
Alleluia. (3)
Verse: Exalt the Lord, our God, and worship at His feet, for they are holy.
Verse: And forever and ever. Psalm 98:5
Alleluia. (3)
Verse: Their voice has gone out into all the earth, and their words to the ends of the universe.
Verse: And forever and ever. Psalm 18:5
Alleluia. (3)
Verse: Blessed are those whom You have chosen and brought near, O Lord, and their memory endures from generation to generation.
Verse: Their souls shall dwell among the blessed.]
[On feast days with a polyeleos, parimias (usually three) are read after the prokeimenon; before each one, we proclaim:
Deacon: Wisdom.
Reader: (name of the book) reading.
Deacon: Let us listen.
And the parimias are read.]
The priest stands [at the high place] with his hands clasped, facing west, until the end of the prokeimenon, then returns to his place. The deacon, upon the conclusion of the prokeimenon [or parimias], exits through the north doors (while the priest remains standing before the Holy Altar) and proclaims:
Deacon: Let us all cry out with all our hearts and with all our minds.
Choir [after each petition]: O Lord, have mercy.
O Lord Almighty, God of our fathers, we pray to You: hear us and have mercy.
Have mercy on us, O God, according to Your great mercy; we pray to You, hear us and have mercy.
Choir: O Lord, have mercy (three times—here and throughout).
We also pray for our Great Lord and Father, His Holiness the Patriarch (name), and for our Lord, His Eminence the Metropolitan (or: Archbishop, or: Bishop—name), and for all our brotherhood in Christ.
We also pray for our God-protected country, its authorities, and its armed forces, that we may lead a peaceful and serene life in all piety and purity.
We also pray for the blessed and ever-memorable founders of this holy temple (or: this holy monastery), and for all our fathers and brothers who have departed before us, both here and everywhere, who are Orthodox.
We also pray for mercy, life, peace, health, salvation, God’s visitation, forgiveness, and the remission of sins for the servants of God, the brethren {and parishioners} of this holy temple (or: this holy monastery).
We also pray for those who offer gifts and do good deeds in this holy and most sacred church, for those who labor here, for the singers, and for the people standing before You, who await Your great and abundant mercy.
The priest proclaims: For You are a merciful and loving God, and to You we send up glory, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and forever and ever.
Choir: Amen.
Then [the prayer is read (or sung)] “Grant us, O Lord, this evening:”
Deacon: Let us offer our evening prayer to the Lord.
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
Defend, save, have mercy on, and preserve us, O God, by Your grace.
We ask the Lord for this evening to be perfect, holy, peaceful, and sinless.
Choir: Grant it, O Lord.
We ask the Lord for the Angel of Peace, our faithful guide and guardian of our souls and bodies.
We ask the Lord for forgiveness and the remission of our sins and transgressions.
We ask of the Lord for what is good and beneficial to our souls and for peace in the world.
We ask the Lord to allow us to spend the remainder of our lives in this world in repentance.
We ask for a Christian death—painless, honorable, and peaceful—and for a favorable judgment at Christ’s Last Judgment.
Having commemorated our Most Holy, Most Pure, Most Blessed, and Glorious Lady, the Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary, together with all the saints, let us entrust ourselves, one another, and our entire lives to Christ our God.
Choir: To You, O Lord.
The Priest proclaims: For You are a good and merciful God, and we send up glory to You, to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and forever and ever.
Choir: Amen.
Priest: Peace be with you all.
Choir: And to your spirit.
Deacon: Let us bow our heads before the Lord.
Choir: To You, O Lord.
O Lord our God, who bowed down the heavens and came down for the salvation of the human race! Look upon Your servants and Your inheritance, for before You, the awesome and merciful Judge, Your servants have bowed their heads and submitted themselves to You, not trusting in human help, but awaiting Your mercy and hoping for salvation from You. Preserve them at all times, and this evening and throughout the coming night, from every enemy, from every opposing work of the devil, from vain thoughts and deceitful memories.
The priest proclaims: May the power of Your Kingdom be blessed and glorified, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and always, and forever and ever.
Choir: Amen.
[On days when the All-Night Vigil is celebrated,] we proceed to the narthex of the church, singing the [litany] stichera of the church (for Sunday) or of the feast, to perform the litany. The priest and deacon, carrying the censer and preceded by two altar servers, exit [from the altar] through the north doors and stand [in the narthex. The deacon censes the holy icons in the narthex, the rector, the singers, and the congregation]. Upon the conclusion of the singing of the stichera, the deacon (or, if there is no deacon, the priest) recites the following prayers:
Save, O God, Your people and bless Your inheritance; visit Your world with mercy and bountiful gifts; exalt the horn of the Orthodox Christians and bestow upon us Your abundant mercies: through the intercession of our all-pure Lady, the Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary, by the power of the holy and life-giving Cross; through the intercession of the holy, incorporeal heavenly hosts, [through the prayers] of the holy and glorious Prophet, Forerunner, and Baptist John, the holy, glorious, and all-praised Apostles; our holy fathers, [the great] hierarchs and universal teachers Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, and John Chrysostom; our holy father Nicholas, Archbishop of Myra in Lycia, the Wonderworker; the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Methodius and Cyril, teachers of the Slavs; the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Prince Vladimir and Grand Princess Olga; our holy fathers and All-Russian Wonderworkers Peter, Alexius, Jonah, Philip, and Hermogenes; the holy, glorious, and victorious martyrs, our venerable and God-bearing fathers, the holy and righteous God-parents Joachim and Anna, (the holy temple and the holy day) and all Your saints: we beseech You, O Most Merciful Lord, hear us sinners who pray to You, and have mercy on us.
Chorus: O Lord, have mercy. (40)
We also pray for {our God-protected country, its pious people, and its authorities}, for their strength, victory, prosperity, peace, health, and salvation, and that the Lord our God may assist them even more and grant them success in all things, and subdue every enemy and adversary under their feet.
Chorus: Lord, have mercy. (30)
We also pray for our Great Lord and Father, His Holiness the Patriarch (name), and for our Lord, His (Most) Eminent Metropolitan (or: Archbishop, or: Bishop—name), [in this monastery: and for our abbot (or archimandrite) (name)], and for our entire brotherhood in Christ; and for every Christian soul who is grieving and in distress, in need of God’s mercy and help; for the preservation of this city (or: this village; or: this holy monastery) and those living in it (or: in her), for peace and tranquility throughout the world; for the prosperity of God’s holy Churches; for the salvation and assistance of our fathers and brothers who labor and serve with zeal and the fear of God; for those remaining here and those who are away; for the healing of those lying infirm; for the repose, blessed memory, and remission of sins of all our fathers and brothers who have departed [in piety] before us, whether lying here or elsewhere, who are Orthodox; for the deliverance of those held captive; and for our brothers who remain in ministry, and for all who serve and have served in this holy monastery (or: in this most holy temple), let us cry out:
Chorus: O Lord, have mercy. (50)
We also pray for the preservation of this city (or: this settlement; or: this holy monastery), and of every city and country, from famine, pestilence, earthquake, flood, fire, the sword, invasion by foreign tribes, and civil war; may our good and merciful God be gracious, favorable, and forgiving toward us; may He turn away all wrath directed against us, deliver us from His righteous punishment that threatens us, and have mercy on us.
Chorus: Lord, have mercy. (3)
We also pray that the Lord God may hear the voice of our supplication, we who are sinners, and have mercy on us.
Chorus: Lord, have mercy. (3)
He also commemorates, if he wishes, the living and the departed, in secret.
Priest: Hear us, O God, our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of those far out at sea; be merciful, O Lord, be merciful toward our sins, and have mercy on us. For You are a merciful and loving God, and to You we send up glory, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and forever and ever.
Choir: Amen.
Priest: Peace be with you all.
Choir: And to your spirit.
Deacon: Let us bow our heads before the Lord.
Choir: To You, O Lord.
Everyone bows their heads and prostrates themselves to the ground, while the priest recites the prayer:
Most Merciful Lord, Jesus Christ, our God, through the intercession of our all-pure Lady, the Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary, by the power of the holy and life-giving Cross, through the protection of the holy, incorporeal heavenly hosts, [through the intercession] of the holy and glorious Prophet, Forerunner, and Baptist John, the holy, glorious, and all-praised Apostles, the holy, glorious, and victorious martyrs, and our reverend and God-bearing Fathers; our holy fathers, the [great] hierarchs and universal teachers Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, and John Chrysostom; our holy father Nicholas, Archbishop of Myra in Lycia, the Wonderworker; the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Methodius and Cyril, teachers of the Slavs, the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Prince Vladimir and Grand Princess Olga; our holy fathers and all-Russian miracle-workers Peter, Alexius, Jonah, Philip, and Hermogenes; the holy and righteous God-parents Joachim and Anna (of the holy temple and holy day); and all Your saints: make our prayer acceptable, grant us forgiveness of our sins, cover us with the shelter of Your wings, drive away from us every enemy and adversary, bring peace to our lives, O Lord, have mercy on us and grant Your peace, and save our souls, as You are good and love mankind.
Then we begin the stichera at the psaltery, and as we sing them, we enter the church. After the concluding stichera [the following is read or sung
The Prayer of St. Simeon the God-Receiver] “Now You let us go:”
The Trisagion. Glory, and now: Most Holy Trinity: O Lord, have mercy. (3) Glory, and now: Our Father:
The priest proclaims: For Thine 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 ages of ages.
Choir: Amen.
And we sing [the closing troparion of the feast three times. On Sundays:]
Rejoice, O Virgin Mother of God: (3)
[While the hymn is being sung] the deacon censes [three times] around the table on which five loaves of bread, wheat, and two vessels—one with wine and one with oil—are placed for consecration, and finally, the abbot. The priest, taking one loaf of bread, makes the sign of the cross with it over the other loaves and pronounces the following prayer aloud:
When he says, “Bless this yourself,” he points with his right hand to the loaves, wheat, wine, and oil that have been presented.
[Deacon: Let us pray to the Lord.
Choir: O Lord, have mercy.]
Lord Jesus Christ, our God, who blessed the five loaves [in the wilderness] and fed the five thousand [men]! Bless these loaves, wheat, wine, and oil Yourself, and multiply them in this city (or: in this village, or: in this holy monastery) and throughout Your whole world, and sanctify the faithful who partake of them. For You bless and sanctify all things, Christ our God, and to You we send up glory, together with Your Father without beginning and Your all-holy, good, and life-giving Spirit, now and always, and forever and ever.
Chorus: Amen.
And immediately: May the name of the Lord be blessed from now on and forever. (3)
And we sing: “I will bless the Lord at all times,” up to the words: “they shall not lack any good thing.” [Ps. 33:2–11.]
The priest, having stepped forward, stands before the Royal Doors. At the conclusion of the psalm, [blessing the people,] he proclaims:
“May the Lord’s blessing be upon you, through His grace and love for mankind, always: now and ever, and to the ages of ages.”
[Chorus: Amen.]
And immediately the reading begins. [Afterward, we begin Matins with the Six Psalms.]
Let it be known that the blessed bread protects against all evil, if received with faith.
On days when there is no feast, Vespers is celebrated as follows:
After the Great Ektenia, the regular kathisma. Then the Small Ektenia. And at “Lord, I have cried out,” the stichera. “Joyful Light” and the prokeimenon of the day or the Alleluia. Then “Grant us, O Lord, this evening,” and the Ektenia: “Let us fulfill our evening prayer.” Then the stichera from the stichera stand, followed by “Now You dismiss us.” The Trisagion. Then the troparia according to the order of service. And then the ektenia: “Have mercy on us, O God.”
After the exclamation, the priest proclaims: “Wisdom.”
Choir: Bless.
Priest: Blessed is He who is—Christ, our God, always: now and ever and unto ages of ages.
Choir: Amen. Strengthen, O God, the holy Orthodox faith and the Orthodox Christians, forever and ever.
Priest: Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
Choir: With the highest honor of the Cherubim:
Priest: Glory to You, Christ our God, our hope; glory to You.
Choir: Glory, and now. Lord, have mercy. (3)
The priest, standing at the Royal Doors, turns westward toward the congregation and pronounces the dismissal, in which he commemorates the saint to whom the church is dedicated and the saint for whom the service is being celebrated.
[Great Vespers, celebrated separately from Matins, also ends in this way.]
The priest pronounces the dismissal:
[(Risen from the dead,) Christ, our true God, through the prayers of His Most Pure Mother, the holy, glorious, and all-praised Apostles, the saints (names of the church’s patron saints and the day’s saints), the holy and righteous God-bearing parents Joachim and Anna, and all the saints, may He have mercy on us and save us, as the Good and Lover of Mankind.]
The choir sings “Many Years.”
[Great Vespers, celebrated separately from Matins, also ends in this way.
[On fast days, when “Alleluia” is sung, we conclude Vespers as follows: after the “Our Father,” the troparia are sung with prostrations: “Rejoice, O Virgin Mother of God,” and so on.
Reader: Lord, have mercy. (40) Glory, and now: With the highest honor of the Cherubim: Bless in the Name of the Lord, Father.
Priest: Blessed is Christ, our God, always: now and ever and unto ages of ages.
Reader: Amen. Heavenly King, of the Orthodox Christians:
Lord and Master of my life, do not deliver me to the spirit of idleness, vanity, lust for power, and idle talk. (Bow)
But grant me, Your servant, the spirit of chastity, humility, patience, and love. (Bow)
Yes, O Lord and King, grant that I may see my own sins and not condemn my brother, for You are blessed forever and ever. Amen. (Bow)
Also, 12 small bows with the prayer: O God, cleanse me, a sinner.
And again, the entire prayer: O Lord and Master of my life: and 1 bow.
Reader: The Trisagion. Glory, and now: Most Holy Trinity: Lord, have mercy. (3) Glory, and now: Our Father:
The priest proclaims: For Thine 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 ages of ages.
Choir: Amen. Lord, have mercy. (12) If it is Great Lent, we read: Most Holy Trinity, consubstantial Lordship: May the name of the Lord be blessed from now on and forever. (3) Glory, and now: Psalm 33 (in full). Priest: Wisdom. Choir: It is truly meet: Priest: Most Holy Mother of God, save us. Choir: With the highest honor of the Cherubim: Priest: Glory to You, Christ God, our hope, glory to You. Choir: Glory, and now. Lord, have mercy. (3)
The priest pronounces the dismissal.
If the Alleluia is sung during another fast, after the Trisagion—Lord, have mercy. (12) Glory to You, Christ God: and the rest, and the dismissal.]
(1) DuringGreat Lent, when Vespers is preceded by the Iconic Hymns, the opening acclamation is not recited.
2 If Vespers was not preceded by the Ninth Hour, the opening prayers are read in full.
The Priest, beginning the censing at the altar: Blessed be our God always, now and ever and unto ages of ages.
Reader: Amen.
And if it is Great Lent, we begin the Trisagion without bowing: The Trisagion. Glory, and now: Most Holy Trinity: O Lord, have mercy. (3) Glory, and now: Our Father: Priest: For Thine is the Kingdom: Reader: Amen. Lord, have mercy. (12) Glory, and now:
If it is not Great Lent: Come, let us worship: (3) and the psalms [19]: “May the Lord hear you:” and [20]: “O Lord, by Your power:”. Glory, and now: The Holy Trinity. Glory, and now: Most Holy Trinity: O Lord, have mercy. (3) Glory, and now: Our Father: Priest: For Thine is the Kingdom: Reader: Amen.
And the troparia: Save, O Lord, Your people: Glory: Who was voluntarily lifted up on the Cross: And now: A mighty and unashamed protection:
Also the priest, [censing the holy altar]: Have mercy on us, O God, according to Your great mercy; we pray to You, hear us and have mercy.
Choir [after each petition]: O Lord, have mercy. (3)
We also pray for our Great Lord and Father, His Holiness the Patriarch (name), and for our lord, His Eminence the Metropolitan (or: Archbishop, or: Bishop—name), and for all our brotherhood in Christ.
We also pray for our God-protected country, its authorities, and its armed forces, that we may lead a peaceful and tranquil life in all piety and purity.
We also pray for the entire brotherhood and for all Christians.
The priest proclaims: For You are a merciful and loving God, and to You we send up glory—to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit—now and always, and forever and ever.
Choir: Amen. Bless us in the name of the Lord, Father.
The priest, [making the sign of the cross with the censer before the altar]:
Glory be to the Holy, Consubstantial, Life-giving, and Indivisible Trinity, always: now and ever, and to the ages of ages.
Choir: Amen.
And let us begin the Six Psalms with all attention and the fear of God, as if conversing with Christ Himself, who is invisibly [present], and praying for our sins. Upon the completion of the three psalms, the priest steps out before the Royal Doors and, with his head uncovered, reads the morning prayers.
We give thanks to You, O Lord our God, who have raised us from our beds and placed words of praise in our mouths, that we may worship and call upon Your holy name, and we pray, taking refuge in Your bounties, which You have always shown us in our lives. And now, send Your help to those who stand before the face of Your holy glory and await Your abundant mercy, and grant that they may always serve You, praise You, sing Your praises, and worship Your inexpressible goodness with reverence and love.
For all glory, honor, and worship are due to You, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and forever and ever. Amen.
From night until dawn, our spirit longs for You, our God, for the light of Your commandments shines upon the earth. Grant us the wisdom to perform works of righteousness and sanctification in the fear of You, for we glorify You, our truly existing God. Incline Your ear and hear us, and remember, O Lord, by name all those present and praying with us, and save them by Your power. Bless Your people and sanctify Your inheritance. Grant peace to Your world, to Your churches, to the priests, [to our kings], and to all Your people.
For blessed and glorified is Your all-holy and majestic Name, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and always, and forever and ever.
From night until dawn our spirit longs for You, O God, for the light of Your commandments. Teach us, O God, Your truth, Your commandments, and Your statutes; enlighten the eyes of our minds, lest we fall asleep in our sins with a deadly slumber. Drive away all darkness from our hearts; reveal to us the Sun of Righteousness, and preserve our lives in safety with the seal of Your Holy Spirit. Guide our steps along the path of peace; grant that we may greet the morning and the day with joy, so that we may offer our morning prayers to You.
For Yours is the power, and Yours is the Kingdom, and the strength, and the glory, of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, now and always, and forever and ever. Amen.
O Lord God, holy and incomprehensible, who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who gave us rest in our nightly sleep, and who raised us up to praise and pray to Your goodness! You who heed our supplications in Your mercy, accept us who now worship You and give You thanks as best we can, and grant us all that we ask for our salvation; make us sons of light and of the day and heirs to Your eternal blessings. Remember, O Lord, in Your abundant mercy, all Your people: those present and praying with us, and all our brothers and sisters who are on land, at sea, and in every place under Your dominion, who are in need of Your love for humanity and Your help; and bestow Your great mercy upon all, so that we, always saved in both soul and body, may boldly glorify Your wondrous and blessed name.
For You are the God of mercy, generosity, and love for mankind, and to You we send up glory—to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—now and always, and forever and ever. Amen.
Treasure House of Goodness, Inexhaustible Source, Holy Father, Wonder-Worker, Almighty Ruler of All! We all worship You and pray to You, calling upon Your mercy and generosity for help and intercession on behalf of us, the lowly. Remember, O Lord, those who implore You; accept our morning prayers as incense before Your face, and do not allow any of us to fail the test, but preserve us all through Your generosity. Remember, O Lord, those who keep vigil and sing to Your glory, and Your only-begotten Son and our God, and Your Holy Spirit. Be their helper and defender; accept their prayers upon Your heavenly and incorporeal altar.
For You are our God, and to You we send up glory—to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit—now and always, and forever and ever. Amen.
We give thanks to You, O Lord, God of our salvation, for You do all things for the good of our lives, so that we may always turn our gaze toward You, the Savior and Benefactor of our souls; for You have granted us rest during the past hours of the night, raised us from our beds, and set us to worship Your holy name. Therefore, we ask You, O Lord: grant us the grace and strength to be worthy to sing Your praises with understanding and to pray unceasingly, working out our salvation with fear and trembling, through the intercession of Your Christ. Remember, O Lord, those who cry out to You in the night; hear them and have mercy on them, and crush under their feet their invisible and attacking enemies.
For You are the King of the world and the Savior of our souls, and to You we send up glory—to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit—now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has raised us from our beds and gathered us together at the hour of prayer! Grant us grace when we open our lips, accept our humble thanksgiving, and teach us Your commandments—for we cannot pray as we ought unless You, O Lord, do not guide us by Your Holy Spirit. Therefore, we ask You: if we have sinned in any way up to this very hour—in word, deed, or thought, willingly or unwittingly—forgive us, pardon us, and grant us Your mercy. For if You, O Lord, were to take account of our transgressions—O Lord, who could stand? For in You is salvation. You alone are the Holy One, the Helper, the mighty Defender of our lives, and to You our song is ever directed.
May the power of Your Kingdom be blessed and glorified, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and always, and forever and ever. Amen.
Lord, our God, who has driven away from us slumber and lethargy and called us by a holy calling, that we may lift up our hands even at night and glorify You for Your righteous judgments! Accept our petitions, intercessions, praises, and nightly worship, and grant us, O God, unashamed faith, steadfast hope, and sincere love. Bless our comings and goings, our deeds, works, words, and thoughts, and grant that we may reach the dawn of the day, praising, singing, and blessing Your ineffable goodness and kindness.
For blessed is Your all-holy Name, and glorified is Your Kingdom—of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—now and always, and forever and ever. Amen.
Kindly kindle in our hearts, O loving Lord, the imperishable light of Your divine knowledge, and open the eyes of our minds to understand Your Gospel message! Instill in us also reverence for Your blessed commandments, so that, having overcome all carnal desires, we may lead a spiritual life, thinking of and doing all that is pleasing to You.
For You are the sanctification and enlightenment of our souls and bodies, Christ our God, and to You we send up glory, together with Your eternal Father and Your all-holy, good, and life-giving Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
O Lord, our God, You have granted people the forgiveness of sins through repentance and have shown us—through the repentance of the prophet David—an example of acknowledging our sins and confessing them for their forgiveness! You Yourself, O Lord, have mercy on us, who have fallen into many and great sins, through Your great mercy, and blot out our iniquities through the abundance of Your goodness; for we have sinned before You, O Lord, You who know the hidden and secret things of the human heart and are the Only One who has the power to forgive sins. Having created a pure heart within us, having strengthened us with Your sovereign Spirit, and having revealed to us the joy of Your salvation, do not cast us away from Your presence, but be pleased, as the Good and Lover of mankind, to allow us, until our last breath, to offer to You a sacrifice of righteousness and an offering upon Your holy altars.
Through the mercy, generosity, 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 ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
O God, our God, who has arranged the incorporeal and rational Powers according to Your will, we beseech and implore You: accept our humble praise, along with that of all Your creatures, and reward us with the abundant gifts of Your goodness, for before You every family in heaven, on earth, and in the underworld bows the knee, and every living and created thing sings of Your incomprehensible glory, for You alone are the true and most merciful God.
For all the heavenly powers praise You, and we send up glory to You, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and always, and forever and ever. Amen.
We praise, sing, bless, and thank You, God of our fathers, for You have removed the shadow of night and shown us the light of day once more! But we implore Your goodness—be merciful toward our sins and accept our prayer according to Your great mercy, for we take refuge in You, the merciful and almighty God. Kindle in our hearts the true sun of Your righteousness, enlighten our minds, and preserve all our senses, so that, walking blamelessly by day in the path of Your commandments, we may attain eternal life—for in You is the source of life—and be made worthy to enjoy Your inaccessible light.
For You are our God, and to You we send up glory—to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit—now and ever, and to the ages of ages.
Then the priest or deacon recites the Great Ektenia:
Deacon: Let us pray to the Lord in peace.
Choir [after each petition]: O Lord, have mercy.
Let us pray to the Lord for peace from on high and for the salvation of our souls.
Let us pray to the Lord for peace throughout the world, for the prosperity of God’s holy Churches, and for the unity of all.
For this holy temple and for all who enter it with faith, reverence, and the fear of God, let us pray to the Lord.
Let us pray to the Lord for our Great Lord and Father, His Holiness the Patriarch (name), and for our Lord, His (Most) Eminent Metropolitan (or: Archbishop, or: Bishop—name), the venerable presbytery, the deacons in Christ, the entire clergy, and the people of God.
Let us pray to the Lord for our God-protected country, its authorities, and its armed forces.
Let us pray to the Lord for this city (or: this settlement, or: this holy monastery), for every city and country, and for those who live in them by faith.
Let us pray to the Lord for favorable weather, for an abundance of the earth’s fruits, and for times of peace.
Let us pray to the Lord for those at sea, those traveling, the sick, the suffering, the captives, and for their salvation.
Let us pray to the Lord for deliverance from all sorrow, anger, [danger], and need.
Defend, save, have mercy on, and preserve us, O God, by Your grace.
Having commemorated our Most Holy, Most Pure, Most Blessed, and Glorious Lady, the Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary, together with all the saints, let us entrust ourselves, one another, and our whole life to Christ our God.
Chorus: To You, O Lord.
The priest proclaims: For all glory, honor, and worship are due to You, to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and forever and ever.
Choir: Amen.
And we begin to sing: “God is the Lord:” in the tone of the day’s troparion:
God is the Lord, and He has appeared to us; blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. (4)
Verse 1: Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy endures forever.
Verse 2: They surrounded and encircled me, but I stood against them in the name of the Lord.
Verse 3: I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord.
Verse 4: The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes. Psalm 117:27a, 26a, 1, 11, 17, 22–23
“God is the Lord” is sung four times. Then the troparion of the feast is sung twice, followed by “Glory,” and “Now”: the Theotokion in the same tone. If there are two troparia, we sing the first one twice, then: “Glory,” the second troparion, and “Now”: the Theotokion in the same tone as the second troparion.
If, however, it is Great Lent [Monday through Friday] or another fast and it is prescribed to sing “Alleluia,” then after the ektenia we sing “Alleluia” four times, three times each, in the tone of the Octoechos that applies. We then proclaim the following stiches:
Stichos 1: From night until dawn my spirit longs for You, O God, for the light of Your commandments is upon the earth.
Stich 2: Learn righteousness, you who dwell on earth.
Verse 3: Zeal will overtake the uninstructed people.
Stich 4: Add afflictions to them, O Lord; add afflictions to the proud of the earth. Isaiah 26:9, 11b, 15
And we sing the Troparia of the Trinity in the tone of [the week].
[If, however, the service is for the repose of the departed, we sing “Alleluia” (3) in the tone of the troparion, with the verses:
Stanza 1: Blessed are those whom You have chosen and brought near, O Lord.
Stanza 2: Their memory endures from generation to generation.
Stanza 3: Their souls shall dwell among the blessed. Cf. Ps. 64:5; 101:13; 24:13
And the troparion for the repose of the departed (2), Glory, and now: The Theotokos.]
After [the troparia], the customary chanting [of two or three kathismas according to the rule]; upon the conclusion of the chanting, the deacon or priest recites the Small Ektenia.1
Deacon: Let us pray to the Lord again and again in peace.
Choir [after each petition]: O Lord, have mercy.
Defend, save, have mercy on, and preserve us, O God, by Your grace.
Having commemorated the Most Holy, Most Pure, Most Blessed, and Glorious Lady, our Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary, together with all the saints, let us entrust ourselves, one another, and our whole life to Christ our God.
Choir: To You, O Lord.
Exclamation: For Yours is the power, and Yours is the Kingdom, and the strength, and the glory, of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages.
Choir: Amen.
[And we read the sedalnia.] After the stichera of the second kathisma: Again and again:
The priest proclaims: For You are a good and merciful God, and to You we send up glory, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and forever and ever.
Choir: Amen.
[And the sedalnia.] Then, after the Immaculate Ones 2 [or the Polyeleos and the troparia] “Blessed are You, O Lord:” [Again and again:]
The priest proclaims: For blessed is Your name and glorified is Your Kingdom, of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, now and always, and forever and ever.
Choir: Amen.
The Ipakoí and [antiphons] of the tone [on Sunday. On feast days—the sedalnia and 1 antiphons of the 4th tone]
The Sunday prokimen of the tone, or of the feast.
[Deacon: Let us listen.
Priest: Peace be with you all.
Choir: And to your spirit.
Deacon: Wisdom. Prokeimenon, tone (such-and-such):
“Now I will arise,” says the Lord, / “I will reveal salvation in Myself; I will proclaim it clearly.”
Verse: The words of the Lord are pure words. Ps 11:6b, 7a
Awake, O Lord, my God, according to the command You have given; / and the assembly of the nations will surround You.
Antiphon: O Lord, my God! I trust in You; save me. Ps 7:7b–8a, 2a
Proclaim among the nations that the Lord has reigned, / for He has established the world, and it shall not be moved.
Verse: Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth. Ps 95:10a, 1
Arise, O Lord, help us, / and deliver us for the sake of Your name.
Verse: O God, we have heard with our ears, and our fathers have told us. Ps 43:27, 2a
Arise, O Lord my God; let Your hand be exalted, / for You reign forever.
Antiphon: I will praise You, O Lord, with all my heart; I will proclaim all Your wonders. Cf. Ps 9:33a, 37, 2
Lord, raise up Your power / and come to save us.
Verse: Shepherd of Israel, hear us, You who lead us like the sheep of Joseph. Ps 79:3b, 2a
Arise, O Lord my God, and let Your hand be exalted; / do not forget Your poor forever.
Antiphon: I will praise You, O Lord, with all my heart; I will proclaim all Your wonders. Ps 9:33, 2
The Lord will reign forever, / your God, O Zion, from generation to generation.
Verse: Praise the Lord, O my soul. I will praise the Lord all my life.] Ps 145:10, 1b–2a
Deacon: Let us pray to the Lord.
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
The Priest proclaims: For You are holy, our God, and You dwell among the saints, and to You we send up glory, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and forever and ever.
Choir: Amen.
Deacon: Let everything that breathes praise the Lord.
Verse: Praise God in His holy ones; praise Him in the firmament of His power.
Deacon: That we may be deemed worthy to hear the Holy Gospel, let us pray to the Lord God.
Choir: Lord, have mercy. (3)
Deacon: Wisdom! Let us stand in reverence. Let us hear the Holy Gospel.
Priest: Peace be with you all.
Choir: And to your spirit.
Priest: A reading from the Holy Gospel according to (name of the evangelist).
Choir: Glory to You, O Lord, glory to You.
Deacon: Let us listen.
And the priest reads the morning [Sunday] Gospel, if it is a Sunday.
We also [sing]: “Having seen the Resurrection of Christ:” and Psalm 50.
Glory: Through the prayers of the Apostles: and so on; on feast days, the stichera of the feast.
After the kissing of the Gospel, the deacon proclaims:
Save, O God, Your people and bless Your inheritance; visit Your world with mercy and bountiful gifts; exalt the horn of the Orthodox Christians and pour out upon us Your abundant mercies: through the intercession of our all-pure Lady, the Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary, by the power of the holy and life-giving Cross; through the intercession of the holy, incorporeal heavenly hosts, [through the prayers] of the holy and glorious Prophet, Forerunner, and Baptist John, the holy, glorious, and all-praised Apostles; our holy fathers, [the great] hierarchs and universal teachers Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, and John Chrysostom; our holy father Nicholas, Archbishop of Myra in Lycia, the Wonderworker; the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Methodius and Cyril, teachers of the Slavs; the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Prince Vladimir and Grand Princess Olga; our holy fathers and All-Russian Wonderworkers Peter, Alexius, Jonah, Philip, and Hermogenes; the holy, glorious, and victorious martyrs, our venerable and God-bearing fathers, the holy and righteous God-parents Joachim and Anna, (the holy temple and the holy day) and all Your saints: we beseech You, O Most Merciful Lord, hear us sinners who pray to You, and have mercy on us.
[Chorus: O Lord, have mercy. (12)]
The priest proclaims: Through the mercy, generosity, 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 ever and to the ages of ages.
[Chorus: Amen.]
And the choir begins the canons—[on Sunday:] the Sunday Canon, the Canon of the Cross, the Canon to the Mother of God, and the Menaion. After the third song, the deacon or priest recites the Small Ektenia:
[Deacon:] Again and again: Protect, save: The Most Holy, the Most Pure:
[Priest] proclaims: For You are our God, and to You we send up glory, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and forever and ever.
[Choir: Amen.]
Then the sedalen from the Menaion.
After the sixth hymn, the ektenia:
[Deacon:] Again and again: Protect and save: the Most Holy, the All-Pure:
[Priest] proclaims: For You are the King of the world and the Savior of our souls, and to You we offer glory, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever.
Choir: Amen.
Kontakion and ikos. And a reading from the Synaxarion.
[After the 8th song, the katavasia.
Deacon: Let us exalt the Mother of God and Mother of Light in song.
Hymn of the Most Holy Theotokos: My soul magnifies the Lord: And the 9th ode of the canon.]
At the end of the 9th ode [of the canon, if it is a weekday,] we sing: It is truly meet:
After the [katavasia] of the 9th hymn [or “It is Truly Meet”:]
[Deacon:] Again and again: Protect, save: The Most Holy, the Most Pure:
[Priest] proclaims: For all the heavenly powers praise You, and we send up glory to You, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and forever and ever.
[Choir: Amen.]
[The Hymn of the Day or Feast.
On Sunday, the deacon proclaims, and the choir repeats three times:]
Holy is the Lord our God.
[Verse: For holy is the Lord our God.
Stich: Our God is above all people.]
Then the Sunday Exapostilarion and that of the celebrated saint. And further [on feast days, we begin to sing the Psalms of Praise in the appropriate tone] and the stichera “On the Praises.” [On Sundays]—4 Sunday stichera and 4 Anatolian stichera. We also add the following stichera:
Stich 1: Arise, O Lord my God, and let Your hand be exalted; / do not forget Your poor ones to the end. Ps. 9:33
Stichos 2: I will praise You, O Lord, with all my heart; / I will proclaim all Your wonders. Psalm 9:2
Glory: Ordinary Gospel stichera.
And now, O Mother of God, Tone 2: Blessed are You, O Virgin Mother of God:
[Priest: Glory to You, who has shown us the light.]
The Great Doxology. And we sing the troparia according to the order of the service. Then the deacon or priest recites the ektenia:
Deacon: Have mercy on us, O God, according to Your great mercy; we pray to You, hear us and have mercy.
Choir: O Lord, have mercy (three times—here and throughout).
We also pray for our Great Lord and Father, His Holiness the Patriarch (name), and for our Lord, His Eminence the Metropolitan (or: Archbishop, or: Bishop—name), and for all our brotherhood in Christ.
We also pray for our God-protected country, its authorities, and its armed forces, that we may lead a peaceful and serene life in all piety and purity.
We also pray for the blessed and ever-memorable founders of this holy church (or: this holy monastery), and for all our fathers and brothers who have departed before us, both here and everywhere, who are Orthodox.
We also pray for mercy, life, peace, health, salvation, divine visitation, forgiveness, and the remission of sins for the servants of God, the brethren {and parishioners} of this holy church (or: this holy monastery).
We also pray for those who offer gifts and do good deeds in this holy and most sacred church, for those who labor, sing, and stand in worship here, awaiting Your great and abundant mercy.
The priest proclaims: For You are a merciful and loving God, and to You we send up glory, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and forever and ever.
Choir: Amen.
Then the deacon or priest [says]:
Deacon: Let us offer our morning prayer to the Lord.
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
Defend, save, have mercy on, and preserve us, O God, by Your grace.
We ask the Lord for a day that is perfect, holy, peaceful, and sinless.
Chorus: Grant us this, O Lord.
We ask the Lord for the Angel of Peace, our faithful guide and guardian of our souls and bodies.
We ask the Lord for forgiveness and the remission of our sins and transgressions.
We ask the Lord for what is good and beneficial to our souls and for peace in the world.
We ask the Lord to allow us to spend the remainder of our lives in this world in repentance.
We ask for a Christian death—painless, honorable, and peaceful—and for a favorable judgment at Christ’s Last Judgment.
Having commemorated our Most Holy, Most Pure, Most Blessed, and Glorious Lady, the Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary, together with all the saints, let us entrust ourselves, one another, and our entire lives to Christ our God.
Choir: To You, O Lord.
The Priest proclaims: For You are the God of mercy, generosity, and love for mankind, and to You we send up glory—to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit—now and always, and forever and ever.
Choir: Amen.
Priest: Peace be with you all.
Choir: And to your spirit.
Deacon: Let us bow our heads before the Lord.
Choir: To You, O Lord.
Holy Lord, who dwells on high and looks down upon the earth, and with Your all-seeing eye beholds all creation! We bow before You in body and soul and pray to You, Holy of Holies: stretch out Your invisible hand from Your holy dwelling and bless us all; and if we have sinned in any way, willingly or unwittingly, may You, as a good and merciful God, forgive us, granting us Your temporal and eternal blessings.
The priest proclaims: For You have mercy on us and save us, our God, and to You we send up glory, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and forever and ever.
Choir: Amen.
Deacon: Wisdom.
Choir: Bless us.
Priest: Blessed is Christ, our God, always: now and ever and to the ages of ages.
Choir: Amen. Strengthen us, O God:
Priest: Most Holy Mother of God, save us.
Choir: With the highest honor of the Cherubim:
Priest: Glory to You, Christ our God, our hope; glory to You.
Choir: Glory; and now, O Lord, have mercy. (3) Bless us.
The priest pronounces the dismissal:
[(Risen from the dead,) Christ, our true God, through the prayers of His Most Pure Mother, the holy, glorious, and all-praised Apostles, the saints (names of the saints of the church and the day), the holy and righteous God-bearing parents Joachim and Anna, and all the saints, will have mercy on us and save us, as the Good and Lover of Mankind.]
The choir sings “Many Years.” [And we begin the first hour.]
On days other than feasts, the days preceding and following feasts, and Saturdays, there are no ektenias after the kathismas. After the kathismas, Psalm 50 and the canons are sung. After the 3rd and 6th odes and “It is truly meet,” the small ektenias are sung.
After “Glory to God in the Highest” and “Grant us, O Lord, on this day”: the litany: “Let us complete our morning prayer”:
And the stichera at the psalter. After the Trisagion and the troparia, the ektenia: “Have mercy on us, O God”:
After the exclamation: “Wisdom.”
Choir: Bless.
Priest: Blessed is Christ, our God, always, now and ever and unto ages of ages.
Choir: Amen. Strengthen us, O God:
And the reader begins the First Hour: “Come, let us worship,” and the psalms.
[After the exclamation: “O God, have mercy on us and bless us; let the light of Your face shine upon us and be merciful to us,” the priest, stepping out from the altar, reads the prayer before the icon of the Savior:]
Christ, the True Light, who enlightens and sanctifies every person who comes into the world! Imprint upon us the light of Your face, that we may behold in it the unapproachable light, and direct our steps toward the fulfillment of Your commandments, through the prayers of Your Most Pure Mother and all Your saints. Amen.
After the prayer [and, according to tradition, the kontakion to the Mother of God]:
Priest: Glory to You, Christ God, our hope; glory to You.
Choir: Glory; and now, O Lord, have mercy. (3) Bless us.
And the priest pronounces the dismissal according to custom, commemorating the saints of the church and of the day. After the dismissal, the choir sings the “Many Years.”
If, however, it is a fast day and the “Alleluia” was sung, then after the three kathismas and sedalnia: “Lord, have mercy.” (3) “Glory, and now”: Psalm 50, “Save, O God, Your people”: “Lord, have mercy.” (12) And we begin the canon with verses from the Holy Scriptures. After “It is truly meet,” and the Small Ektenia, we sing the luminous hymns of the tone. Then follow the Psalms of Praise, the Daily Doxology, and the rest according to the order of the service.
We conclude Matins as follows: read twice: “It is good to praise the Lord”: (2) The Trisagion. Glory, and now: “Most Holy Trinity”: “Lord, have mercy.” (3) Glory, and now: “Our Father”: “Priest”: “For Thine is the Kingdom”:
Reader: Amen. Standing in the temple of Your glory: O Lord, have mercy. (40) Glory, and now: With the highest honor of the Cherubim: Bless in the name of the Lord, Father.
Priest: Blessed is He who is—Christ, our God, always: now and ever and unto ages of ages.
Reader: Amen. Heavenly King, strengthen the Orthodox Christians:
The priest recites the prayer of St. Ephrem the Syrian with bows; see above. And we begin the 1st Hour.
1 If the Small Ektenia is not prescribed, “Lord, have mercy” is recited in its place. (3)
2 During certain periods of the year, at the All-Night Vigil on the eve of Sunday, according to the liturgical rule, the “Polielai” is not sung, but rather “The Immaculate Ones,” that is, Psalm 118 .
The priest, preparing to celebrate the Divine Liturgy, must first be at peace with everyone and hold no grudge against anyone; he must keep his heart, as far as possible, free from evil thoughts and observe abstinence and sobriety from the evening until the time of the Divine Liturgy. At the appointed time, he enters the church and, together with the deacon, makes three bows toward the east before the Holy Doors.
Then the deacon proclaims: “Bless, Your Grace.”
Priest: Blessed be our God always, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.
Deacon: [Amen.]
And he begins to read [the opening prayers: Glory to You, our God, glory to You.]
Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of Truth, who dwells everywhere and fills all things, Treasure of good things and Giver of life, come and dwell within us, and cleanse us from every defilement, and save, O Good One, our souls.
Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us.
Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us.
Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us; O Lord, cleanse us of our sins; O Lord, forgive our transgressions; O Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities, for the sake of Your name.
Lord, have mercy. (3)
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and always, and forever and ever. Amen.
Our Father, who art in heaven! Hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
Priest: For Thine 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 ages of ages.
Then [the deacon] reads:
Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us, for finding no excuse for ourselves, we sinners offer this prayer to You as our Lord: have mercy on us.
Glory: O Lord, have mercy on us, for we put our hope in You; do not be greatly angered against us, nor remember our iniquities; but look upon us now as the Merciful One and deliver us from our enemies. For You are our God, and we are Your people; we are all the work of Your hands, and we call upon Your name.
And now: Open to us the gates of mercy, O Blessed Mother of God, so that, trusting in You, we may not be put to shame, but may be delivered from our troubles through Your prayers, for You are the salvation of the Christian race.
Then they approach the icon of Christ, kissing it and saying: We worship Your most pure image, O Good One, asking for forgiveness of our sins, Christ our God. For You willingly chose to ascend the Cross in the flesh, to deliver those You created from the bondage of the enemy. Therefore, we cry out to You in gratitude: “You have filled all things with joy, our Savior, who came to save the world!”
They also kiss the icon of the Mother of God while reciting the troparion: “O Source of Mercy, grant us compassion, O Mother of God; look upon those who have sinned, and manifest Your power as You always have, for, placing our hope in You, we cry out to You: ‘Rejoice,’ as Gabriel, the commander of the incorporeal hosts, once did.”
Then, bowing his head, the priest says: O Lord, send down Your hand from the height of Your holy dwelling and strengthen me for the service I am about to perform for You, so that, without incurring condemnation, I may stand before Your awesome throne and perform the bloodless sacrifice. For Yours is the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
{Also, according to custom: Relent, forgive, and pardon, O God, our sins—both voluntary and involuntary, committed in deed and word, knowingly and in ignorance, by night and by day, in mind and thought—forgive us all, as You are Good and Lover of mankind.}
And they bow [to one another,] to the choir [and to the congregation, asking for forgiveness.] And they enter the sanctuary, reciting [the psalm]: I will enter Your house; I will worship before Your holy temple in reverence of You. O Lord, lead me in Your truth for the sake of my enemies; direct my path before You. For there is no truth in their mouths; their hearts are vain; their throats are open graves; with their tongues they have deceived. Condemn them, O God, that they may be turned back from their schemes; drive them out because of their many iniquities, for they have grieved You, O Lord. And may all who hope in You rejoice; may they be glad forever; and You will dwell among them, and those who love Your name will boast in You. For You bless the righteous, O Lord; You have shielded us with Your favor as with a weapon.
Upon entering the sanctuary, they bow three times before the holy altar and kiss the Holy Gospel and the holy altar.
Then each one takes his sticharion, and they make three bows toward the east, saying silently:
O God, cleanse me, a sinner, and have mercy on me. (3)
Then the deacon approaches the priest, holding the sticharion with the orarion in his right hand, and, bowing his head before him, says:
Bless, Father, the sticharion with the orarion.
Blessed be our God always, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.
And the deacon, stepping aside, puts on the sticharion, praying thus:
My soul rejoices in the Lord, for He has clothed me in the robe of salvation and wrapped me in the garment of joy; He has set a crown upon my head as upon a bridegroom, and adorned me with finery as a bride.
And, having kissed the plowshare, he places it on his left shoulder. Then, putting the armguard on his right arm, he says:
“Your right hand, O Lord, is glorified in power; Your right hand, O Lord, has crushed the enemies, and with the abundance of Your glory You have crushed Your adversaries.”
And on the left:
Your hands have fashioned me and formed me; enlighten me, and I will learn Your commandments.
Then, approaching the altar, he prepares the sacred vessels. He places the holy diskos on the left side and the chalice—that is, the holy cup—on the right, along with the other items.
The priest vestes as follows: taking his sticharion [undergarment] in his left hand and bowing three times toward the east, as prescribed, saying:
Blessed be our God always, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.
And he vestes himself, saying: “My soul shall rejoice in the Lord, for He has clothed me in the robe of salvation and adorned me with the garment of joy; He has set a crown upon my head as upon a bridegroom, and has adorned me with the finery of a bride.”
Then, taking the epitrachelion and making the sign of the cross over it, he puts it on, saying: “Blessed is God, who pours out His grace upon His priests, like myrrh upon the head, running down upon the beard, the beard of Aaron, running down upon the hem of his garments.”
Then, taking the sash, he girds himself, saying: “Blessed be God, who girds me with strength and makes my way blameless; He makes my feet like those of a deer and sets me upon the heights.”
As for the armbands—as stated above:
[On the right arm: “Your right hand, O Lord, is glorified in power; Your right hand, O Lord, has crushed the enemies, and with the abundance of Your glory You have crushed Your adversaries.”
On the left arm: Your hands have fashioned me and formed me; give me understanding, and I will learn Your commandments.]
Then, taking the loincloth, if he has one, and blessing it and kissing it, he says:
Gird Your sword to Your thigh, O Mighty One, in Your perfection and Your beauty; be strengthened, prosper, and reign for the sake of truth, meekness, and righteousness; and may Your right hand guide You marvellously, always, now and forever and ever. Amen.
He also takes the phelonion, blesses it, kisses it, and puts it on, saying: “Your priests, O Lord, shall be clothed in righteousness, and Your saints shall rejoice in joy forever, now and always, and from age to age. Amen.”
Then, stepping up to the altar, they wash their hands, saying:
“I will wash my hands among the innocent and go around Your altar, O Lord, so that I may hear the voice of Your praise and tell of all Your wonders. O Lord, I love the splendor of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.” Do not destroy my soul with the wicked, nor my life with the bloodthirsty, whose hands are full of iniquity, whose right hand is full of unjust gain. But I have walked in my integrity; deliver me, O Lord, and have mercy on me. My foot has stood on the straight path; in the assemblies I will bless You, O Lord.
And after making three bows before the altar, saying: “O God, cleanse me, a sinner, and have mercy on me.” (3)
[They kiss the sacred vessels, reciting the troparion]: You have redeemed us from the curse of the Law / with Your precious Blood: / nailed to the Cross and pierced by a spear, / You have bestowed immortality upon mankind. / Our Savior, glory to You!
Then the deacon proclaims: Bless, Your Grace.
And the priest begins:
Blessed be our God always, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.
Deacon: Amen.
And the priest takes the prosphora in his left hand, and with his right hand traces the sign of the cross three times with the spear over the seal of the prosphora, saying: In remembrance of our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ. (3)
And he cuts the right side of the seal with the spear, saying: “Like a lamb led to the slaughter, He was brought.”
[While cutting] the left [side of the seal]: “And like a lamb without blemish before its shearer, He does not open His mouth.”
[While cutting] the top side of the seal: In His humiliation, He was denied justice.
[Cutting] the lower side [of the seal]: But who can describe His generation?
The deacon, gazing reverently at this sacred rite, proclaims with each incision: “Let us pray to the Lord,” holding the plow in his hand.
Then he proclaims: “Lift it up, Your Grace.”
The priest, having pierced the prosphora from below on the right side with the holy spear, lifts up the Lamb, saying: “For His life is taken from the earth.”
And, placing it on the holy diskos with the seal facing down, after the deacon’s words: “Slay it, Your Grace.”
He makes a cross-shaped incision in it, saying: “The Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, is being slain for the life of the world and for salvation.”
And he turns it so that the seal faces upward. The deacon then proclaims: “Pierce Him, Lord.”
The priest, piercing the right side [of the lamb] with a spear, says: “One of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water flowed out. And the one who saw it has testified, and his testimony is true.”
The deacon, taking the wine and water, turns to the priest: “Bless, Lord, this holy mixture.”
[Priest: Blessed is the communion of Your saints always, now and ever, and to the ages of ages.]
And, having received the blessing, the deacon pours the wine and water into the holy chalice:
The priest, taking the second prosphora, says: “In honor and memory of our most blessed and glorious Lady, the Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary, through whose intercession, O Lord, accept this offering upon Your altar that is higher than the heavens.”
And, taking a piece, he places it to the right of the holy bread, near its center, saying: The Queen stands at Your right hand, clothed in a robe of gold, adorned.
Then, taking the third prosphora, he says: “To the holy and glorious prophet, Forerunner, and Baptist John.” [Greek: “In honor and memory of the greatest military leaders, Michael and Gabriel, and all the incorporeal heavenly powers.”]
And, taking the first piece, he places it to the left of the Holy Bread, beginning the first row.
He also says: “The holy and glorious prophets: Moses and Aaron, Elijah and Elisha, David and Jesse, the three holy youths and the prophet Daniel, and all the holy prophets.” [Greek: The holy and glorious prophet, John the Forerunner and Baptist, the holy and glorious prophets:]
And, after removing a particle, it places it below the first one, in order.
Then he continues:
The glorious and all-praised apostles: Peter and Paul, [the Twelve, the Seventy], and all (the other) holy apostles.
And he places the third particle below the second, completing the first row.
Then he says:
Our holy fathers, the [great] hierarchs and universal teachers: Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, and John Chrysostom, Athanasius and Cyril, Nicholas of Myra, (Peter, Alexius, Iona, Philip, and Hermogenes of Moscow; Nikita, Bishop of Novgorod; Leontius, Bishop of Rostov;) and all the holy hierarchs.
And, taking the fourth particle, he places it next to the first, beginning the second row.
And he continues:
Saint Stephen, the Holy Apostle, First Martyr, and Archdeacon; the Holy Great Martyrs: Demetrius, George, Theodore (Tyrone, Theodore the Stratelates), and all the holy martyrs and (martyresses: Thecla, Barbara, Cyriacus, Euphemia, Paraskeva, Catherine, and all the holy) martyresses.
And, taking the fifth particle, he places it below the first in the second row.
And he continues:
Our venerable and God-bearing fathers: Anthony, Euthymius, Savvas, Onuphrius, Athanasius of Mount Athos, (Anthony and Theodosius of the Caves, Sergius of Radonezh, Barlaam of Khutyn), and all the venerable fathers and (venerable mothers: Pelagia, Theodosius, Anastasia, Eupraxia, Fevronia, Theodulia, Euphrosyne, Mary of Egypt, and all the venerable) mothers.
Then, taking the sixth particle, he places it below the second, completing the second row.
After that, he says:
The holy miracle-workers and unmercenaries: Cosmas and Damian, Cyrus and John, Panteleimon and Hermolaus, and all the holy unmercenaries.
Then, taking the seventh particle, he places it at the top, beginning the third row.
And he continues:
The holy and righteous God-parents Joachim and Anna, and the saints (of the church and the day—their names), (the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Methodius and Cyril, teachers of the Slavs, the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Prince Vladimir and Grand Princess Olga,) and all the saints, through whose prayers, O God, visit us.
And he places the eighth particle below the previous one, in order.
And he continues:
Our holy father John, Archbishop of Constantinople, Chrysostom
if his Liturgy is being celebrated. If, however, the Liturgy of Basil the Great is being celebrated, he commemorates him: [Our Holy Father Basil the Great, Archbishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia.]
And so, taking the ninth particle, he places it last, at the end of the third row.
Then, taking the fourth prosphora, he says: Remember, O Lord, Lover of Mankind, (the most holy Orthodox patriarchs and our great lord and father, His Holiness the Patriarch (name), and) the entire Orthodox episcopate, our Most Reverend Lord (name and title of the local bishop), the venerable presbyterate, the diaconate in Christ, and all other sacred orders; (in monasteries: the archimandrite or abbot—[name]), our brothers and fellow ministers: priests, deacons, and all our brothers whom You have called into Your fellowship through Your mercy, All-Good Lord.
And, taking a small portion, he places it beneath the Holy Bread.
[He also commemorates our country, saying the following:
Remember, O Lord, our God-protected country {Russia, and the devout} Orthodox Christians living in it, {its people and all those in authority, so that we too may lead a quiet and peaceful life in all piety and purity.}]
He then commemorates the living by name, taking a particle for each one, saying: Remember, O Lord, {Your servants:} (names).
And taking the particles, he places them beneath the holy bread.
Then, taking the fifth prosphora, he says: “In memory of and for the forgiveness of the sins of the (most holy {Orthodox} patriarchs and) the blessed founders of this holy temple (or: this holy monastery).”
And he commemorates the bishop who ordained him, [if he has departed this life], and other departed souls, whomever he wishes, by name, saying: “Remember, O Lord, {Your servants}: (names [of the departed]),”
At the end, he says:
And all who have fallen asleep in the hope of the resurrection and eternal life, in communion with You, our Orthodox fathers and brothers, O merciful Lord.
And he takes out a particle, [placing it beneath those previously removed]. After that, he says:
Remember, O Lord, my unworthiness, and forgive me every sin, whether willful or unwitting.
And he takes a particle [from the fourth prosphora]. Then, taking a sponge, he gathers the particles beneath the Holy Bread onto the diskos so that none of them fall.
The deacon, taking the censer and placing incense in it, turns to the priest:
Bless the censer, Your Grace.
Deacon: Let us pray to the Lord.
And the priest blesses the censer with a prayer: We offer this incense to You, Christ our God, as a fragrant offering of spiritual fragrance; having received it upon Your altar above the heavens, send down upon us the grace of Your Most Holy Spirit.
Deacon: Let us pray to the Lord.
The priest, having incensed the star, places it above the Holy Bread, saying: “And the star came and stood over the place where the Infant was.”
Deacon: Let us pray to the Lord.
The priest, having incensed the first veil, covers the diskos with the Holy Bread, saying:
The Lord has ascended; He is clothed in splendor; the Lord is clothed in strength and girded Himself, (for He has established the universe, and it shall not be shaken. From of old Your throne has been established; You are from of old. The rivers have lifted up their voices, O Lord; the rivers have lifted up their voices; the rivers will lift up their streams from the roar of many waters. The waves of the sea are mighty; the Lord is mighty on high. Your testimonies are very sure; holiness befits Your house, O Lord, for all time.)
Deacon: Let us pray to the Lord. Cover it, Your Grace.
The priest, having incensed the second veil, covers the holy chalice, saying: Your glory, O Christ, has covered the heavens, and the earth is full of Your praise.
Deacon: Let us pray to the Lord. Cover it, Your Grace.
The priest, having incensed the air—that is, the large veil—and covering both [the holy diskos and the chalice] with it, says: Cover us with the shelter of Your wings; drive away from us every enemy and adversary; bring peace to our lives, O Lord; have mercy on us and grant us Your peace; and save our souls, O Good and Lover of Mankind.
Then, taking the censer, the priest censes the altar, saying three times: “Blessed is our God, who has so graciously willed this; glory to You.”
The deacon concludes each time:
Always, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
And both bow reverently three times.
Then the deacon says:
Let us pray for the Holy Gifts offered to the Lord.
The priest, taking the censer, recites the prayer of presentation:
O God, our God, heavenly Bread, food for the whole world—our Lord and God Jesus Christ, who sent Him as Savior, Redeemer, and Benefactor, who blesses and sanctifies us—bless this offering Yourself and accept it upon Your altar above the heavens. Remember, as the Good and Lover of Mankind, those who have brought it and those for whom it was brought, and preserve us from condemnation in the celebration of Your divine Mysteries. For holy and glorious is Your all-holy and majestic Name, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and always, and forever and ever. Amen.
And then he performs the dismissal, saying:
Glory to You, Christ our God, our hope; glory to You.
Deacon: Glory, and now: Lord, have mercy. (3) Bless us.
And the priest pronounces the dismissal:
On Sunday: He who rose from the dead:
On other days: Christ, our true God, through the prayers of His Most Pure Mother, our holy father John, Archbishop of Constantinople, Chrysostom [and all the saints], will have mercy on us and save us, as the Good and Lover of Mankind.
If, however, the Liturgy of St. Basil the Great is celebrated, the following is said: St. Basil the Great, Archbishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia.
Deacon: Amen.
After the dismissal, the deacon censes the holy altar and then the holy throne all around, in the shape of a cross, saying to himself:
In the tomb in the flesh, and in Hades with the soul as God, / yet in Paradise with the thief and on the throne You were, Christ, with the Father and the Spirit, / filling all things, boundless.
And then Psalm 50.
And, having incensed the sanctuary and the entire church, he re-enters the altar and incenses the holy throne and the priest. Then, setting the censer in its place, he approaches the priest. And, standing together before the holy throne, they bow three times, praying silently.
[The priest, raising his hands,] says: Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of Truth, who dwells everywhere and fills all things, Treasure of all good things and Giver of life, come and dwell within us, and cleanse us from every defilement, and save, O Good One, our souls.
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men. (2)
Lord, You will open my lips—and my lips will proclaim Your praise!
And the priest kisses the Holy Gospel, and the deacon kisses the holy altar. Then the deacon, bowing his head before the priest and holding the orarion with three fingers of his right hand, says:
It is time for the Lord to act; Lord, bless.
The priest, blessing him, says:
Blessed be our God, always, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
The deacon then says: “Pray for me, holy father.”
The priest: May the Lord direct your steps.
And again the deacon: Remember me, holy Lord.
Priest: May the Lord God remember you in His Kingdom, always, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.
The deacon: Amen.
And, after bowing, he exits through the north gate, since the Royal Gate is not opened until he approaches the entrance. And, standing in his usual place before the Royal Gate, he bows three times with reverence, saying to himself:
“Lord, open my lips, and my lips will proclaim Your praise.”
And then he begins: “Bless, O Lord.”
And the priest recites [the opening acclamation of the Divine Liturgy:] “Blessed is the Kingdom:”
It should be noted that a priest celebrating without a deacon does not recite the deacon’s words during the Proskomedia: “Pierce, O Lord,” and “It is time to act.” Likewise, during the Liturgy, he does not recite the words before the Gospel—“Bless, O Lord”—nor the response to it, [nor anything similar], but only the ektenias and the entire sequence. If, however, several priests are celebrating, only one of them performs the Proskomedia rite, carrying out all that is prescribed.
Deacon: Bless us, Your Grace!
Priest: Blessed be the Kingdom of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever.
Choir: Amen.
Deacon: Let us pray to the Lord in peace.
Choir [after each petition]: Lord, have mercy.
Let us pray to the Lord for peace from on high and for the salvation of our souls.
Let us pray to the Lord for peace throughout the world, for the prosperity of God’s holy Churches, and for the unity of all.
For this holy temple and for all who enter it with faith, reverence, and the fear of God, let us pray to the Lord.
Let us pray to the Lord for our Great Lord and Father, His Holiness the Patriarch (name), and for our Lord, His Eminence the Metropolitan (or: Archbishop, or: Bishop—name), the venerable presbytery, the diaconate in Christ, the entire clergy, and the people of God.
Let us pray to the Lord for our God-protected country, its authorities, and its armed forces.
Let us pray to the Lord for this city (or: this settlement, or: this holy monastery), for every city and country, and for those who live in them by faith.
Let us pray to the Lord for favorable weather, for an abundance of the earth’s fruits, and for times of peace.
Let us pray to the Lord for those at sea, those traveling, the sick, the suffering, the captives, and for their salvation.
Let us pray to the Lord for deliverance from all sorrow, anger, [danger], and need.
Defend, save, have mercy on, and preserve us, O God, by Your grace.
Having commemorated our Most Holy, Most Pure, Most Blessed, and Glorious Lady, the Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary, together with all the saints, let us entrust ourselves, one another, and our entire lives to Christ our God.
Chorus: To You, O Lord.
O Lord our God, whose power is incomparable and whose glory is incomprehensible, whose mercy is boundless and whose love for mankind is inexpressible! Look upon us and upon this holy temple, O Lord, in Your goodness, and grant us and those praying with us Your inexhaustible mercies and Your bountiful graces.
Exclamation: For to You alone belong all glory, honor, and worship, to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and forever and ever.
Chorus: Amen.
And the singers sing the first antiphon.
[Bless the Lord, O my soul:] Ps 102
The deacon, having bowed, steps away from his place and stands before the icon of the Savior, holding the orarion with three fingers of his right hand.
At the end of the antiphon, returning to his usual place and bowing, the deacon proclaims:
Let us pray to the Lord again and again in peace.
Choir at [each petition]: O Lord, have mercy.
Defend, save, have mercy on, and preserve us, O God, by Your grace.
Having commemorated our Most Holy, Most Pure, Most Blessed, and Glorious Lady, the Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary, together with all the saints, let us entrust ourselves, one another, and our entire lives to Christ our God.
Choir: To You, O Lord.
O Lord, our God, save Your people and bless Your inheritance; preserve the fullness of Your Church, and sanctify those who love the splendor of Your house! Glorify them with Your divine power, and do not forsake us who hope in You.
Acclamation: For Yours is the dominion, and 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 to the ages of ages.
Chorus: Amen.
And the singers sing the second antiphon.
[Praise the Lord, O my soul:] Ps 145
Glory, and now: The Only-Begotten Son:]
The deacon proceeds in the same manner as during the singing of the first antiphon.
Deacon: Let us pray to the Lord again and again in peace.
Choir [after each petition]: O Lord, have mercy.
Defend, save, have mercy on, and preserve us, O God, by Your grace.
Having commemorated our Most Holy, Most Pure, Most Blessed, and Glorious Lady, the Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary, together with all the saints, let us entrust ourselves, one another, and our whole lives to Christ our God.
Choir: To You, O Lord.
You, who have granted us these common and united prayers, and who have promised to grant what is asked of You by two or three who pray in Your name, fulfill now the petitions of Your servants for their good, granting us in this life the knowledge of Your truth, and bestowing upon us eternal life in the age to come.
Exclamation: For You are the good and merciful God, and to You we send up glory, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and forever and ever.
Chorus: Amen.
Here the Royal Doors are opened for the Small Entrance.
Remember us in Your Kingdom, O Lord:
When the cantors singing the third antiphon (or, on Sunday, the “Blessed ones”) reach the words “Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,” the priest and deacon bow three times before the holy altar. Then, the priest, taking the Holy Gospel, gives it to the deacon, and both proceed from the altar to the right, circling around it from behind. And so, exiting through the north doors, preceded by the candle-bearers, they perform the Small Entrance. And, standing in their usual places, both bow their heads; the deacon says:
[Deacon:] Let us pray to the Lord.
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
The priest then recites the entrance prayer:
O Lord, our God, who has established in heaven the ranks and hosts of angels and archangels to serve Your Glory! Grant that with our entrance may come the entrance of the holy angels, who minister with us and glorify Your goodness. For to You belongs all glory, honor, and worship, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and forever and ever.
At the conclusion of the prayer, the deacon, pointing eastward with his right hand holding the orarion, says to the priest: “Bless, Your Grace, the holy entrance!”
The priest, while blessing, says: “Blessed is the entrance of Your saints, always, now and ever, and to the ages of ages.”
Then the deacon presents the Holy Gospel to the priest for veneration.
At the conclusion of the last troparion, the deacon, standing in front of the priest at the Royal Doors, raises the Holy Gospel and, showing it to the congregation, proclaims in a loud voice:
Wisdom! Let us stand in reverence!
And, after bowing, he enters the Holy Altar, followed by the priest. The deacon places the Holy Gospel on the Holy Altar, while the chanters sing:
Chorus: Come, let us worship and bow down before Christ. Save us, O Son of God, wondrous among the saints, as we sing to You: Alleluia.
On Sunday: Save us, O Son of God, Risen from the dead:
Then [the choir sings] the troparia [and kondakia] according to the order of the service, while the priest reads the following prayer:
Holy God, who dwells among the saints, praised by the Seraphim with the Trisagion and glorified by the Cherubim, and to whom all the heavenly hosts offer worship! You, who brought all things into being from nothing, who created man in Your image and likeness and adorned him with all Your gifts, who grant wisdom and understanding to those who ask, and who do not despise the sinner but have established repentance for salvation. You have deemed us, Your humble and unworthy servants, worthy even at this hour to stand before the glory of Your holy altar and to offer You the worship and praise that are due to You. Accept, O Lord, from the lips of us sinners, the Trisagion, and visit us in Your goodness; forgive us every sin, both voluntary and involuntary; sanctify our souls and bodies; and grant that we may serve You with reverence all the days of our lives, through the intercessions of the Holy Mother of God and all the saints who have pleased You from of old.
When the chanters begin the concluding kontakion, the deacon, bowing his head and holding the orarion as usual, says, addressing the priest:
Bless, Your Grace, the singing of the Trisagion.
The priest, making the sign of the cross over him, says:
For You are holy, our God, and to You we send up glory, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever.
At the conclusion of the last kondak, the deacon exits through the Royal Doors and, first pointing the orarion toward the icon of Christ, proclaims:
Lord, save the devout and hear us.
Choir: O Lord, save the godly and hear us.
He also circles the congregation standing in the church, proclaiming to them in a loud voice:
And forever and ever.
Choir: Amen.
While the hymn is being sung, the priest and deacon recite the Trisagion themselves, making three bows before the Holy Altar.
Then the deacon addresses the priest:
“Let us go, Your Grace.”
And they proceed to the upper place. As they do so, the priest says: Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.
Deacon: Bless, Your Grace, the high place.
The priest, [blessing the upper place]: Blessed are You on the throne of the Glory of Your Kingdom, seated upon the Cherubim, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
[It should be noted that it is not proper for the priest to ascend to the high place or to sit upon it, but rather to sit on the south side of it.]
At the conclusion of the Trisagion, the deacon, approaching the Royal Doors, proclaims:
Let us listen!
The priest then proclaims: Peace be with all!
And the reader responds: And to your spirit.
Deacon: Wisdom!
And the reader: Prokeimenon, (a psalm of David,) tone [such-and-such].
Deacon: Wisdom!
And the reader reads the epistle:
A reading from the Acts of the Holy Apostles; or: a reading from the Epistle of James; or: a reading from the Epistle of Peter; or: a reading from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Romans, or to the Corinthians, or to the Galatians.
Deacon: Let us listen!
During the reading of the Epistle, the deacon, taking the censer and incense, approaches the priest and, having received a blessing, censes the Holy Altar all around, the entire altar, and the priest.
At the conclusion of the reading from the Epistle, the priest says:
[Priest:] Peace be with you!
Reader: And to your spirit.
Deacon: Wisdom!
Reader: Alleluia, [tone such-and-such.
And “Alleluia” is sung three times, with the verses of the Alleluia responsory.]
The priest, standing before the Holy Altar, recites the following prayer:
Kindly kindle in our hearts, O philanthropic Lord, the imperishable light of Your divine knowledge, and open the eyes of our minds to understand Your Gospel preaching! Instill in us also reverence for Your blessed commandments, so that, having overcome all carnal desires, we may lead a spiritual life, thinking of and doing all that is pleasing to You. For You are the enlightenment of our souls and bodies, Christ our God, and to You we send up glory, together with Your eternal Father and Your all-holy, good, and life-giving Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
The deacon, having returned the censer, approaches the priest, bows his head before him, points with the orarion to the Holy Gospel, and says:
“Bless, Your Grace, the holy Apostle and Evangelist [name].”
The priest, making the sign of the cross over him, says:
May God, through the intercession of the holy, glorious, (all-praised) Apostle and Evangelist [name], grant you, the preacher, the word with great power, for the fulfillment of the Gospel of His beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
And he presents the Holy Gospel to him.
The deacon, saying, “Amen,” and bowing before the Holy Gospel, takes it and, going out through the Royal Doors, preceded by the candle-bearers, proceeds and stands at the ambo or at the designated place. The priest, standing behind the Holy Altar facing west, proclaims:
[Priest:] Wisdom. Let us stand in reverence. Let us hear the Holy Gospel.
Also: Peace be with all!
Choir: And to your spirit.
Deacon: A reading from the Holy Gospel of [name].
Choir: Glory to You, O Lord, glory to You!
Priest: Let us listen!
If there are two deacons, one of them shall proclaim: Wisdom. Let us stand in reverence.
Likewise: Let us listen!
And at the conclusion of the Gospel reading, the priest says:
Peace be with you, the one who proclaims the Good News.
Choir: Glory to You, O Lord, glory to You!
Deacon: Let us all cry out with all our hearts and with all our minds.
Choir [after each petition]: Lord, have mercy.
O Almighty Lord, God of our fathers, we pray to You: hear us and have mercy.
Have mercy on us, O God, according to Your great mercy; we pray to You, hear us and have mercy.
Choir: O Lord, have mercy (three times—here and throughout).
We also pray for our Great Lord and Father, His Holiness the Patriarch (name), and for our Lord, His (Most) Eminent Metropolitan (or: Archbishop, or: Bishop—name), and for all our brothers and sisters in Christ.
We also pray for our God-protected country, its authorities, and its armed forces, that we may lead a peaceful and serene life in all piety and purity.
We also pray for our brother priests, monastic priests, [deacons, and monks], and for our entire brotherhood in Christ.
We also pray for the blessed and ever-memorable founders of this holy church (or: this holy monastery), and for all our fathers and brothers who have departed before us, both here and everywhere, who are Orthodox.
We also pray for mercy, life, peace, health, salvation, divine visitation, forgiveness, and the remission of sins for the servants of God, the brethren {and parishioners} of this holy church (or: this holy monastery).
We also pray for those who make offerings and do good deeds in this holy and most sacred church, for those who labor, sing, and stand in worship here, awaiting Your great and abundant mercy.
Lord our God, accept this fervent prayer from Your servants, and have mercy on us according to the abundance of Your mercy; and pour out Your bounty upon us and upon all Your people, who await Your inexhaustible mercy.
The priest proclaims: For You are a merciful and loving God, and to You we send up glory, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and forever and ever.
Choir: Amen.
If there is a commemoration of the departed, the deacon or priest recites the following ektenia:
Deacon: Have mercy on us, O God, according to Your great mercy; we pray to You, hear us and have mercy.
Choir: O Lord, have mercy (three times—here and throughout).
We also pray for the repose of the souls of the departed servants of God (names), and for the forgiveness of all their sins, both voluntary and involuntary.
May the Lord God settle their souls where the righteous rest.
We ask for God’s mercy, the Kingdom of Heaven, and the forgiveness of their sins from Christ, our immortal King and God.
Chorus: Grant this, O Lord.
Deacon: Let us pray to the Lord!
Choir: O Lord, have mercy.
God of spirits and of all flesh, who has conquered death and vanquished the devil, and who has granted life to Your world! You Yourself, O Lord, grant rest to the souls of Your departed servants (names) in a place of light, in a place of bliss, in a place of joy, from which torment, sorrow, and groaning have departed. Forgive every sin they have committed in word, deed, or thought, as a good and merciful God. For there is no one who lives and does not sin; You alone are without sin, Your righteousness is everlasting, and Your word is truth.
The priest proclaims: For You are the Resurrection and the Life and the Rest of Your departed servants (names), Christ our God, and to You we send up glory, together with Your Father without beginning, and Your all-holy, good, and life-giving Spirit, now and always, and forever and ever.
Choir: Amen.
Deacon: Let us pray to the Lord, catechumens!
Chorus: Lord, have mercy.
Deacon: Let us pray for the catechumens, that the Lord may have mercy on them.
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
He has proclaimed the word of truth to them.
He has revealed to them the Gospel of truth.
He has united them with His holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.
Save, have mercy on, protect, and preserve them, O God, by Your grace.
Deacon: Those being catechized, bow your heads before the Lord!
Choir: To You, O Lord.
O Lord our God, who dwells on high and looks down upon the earth, You who sent Your only-begotten Son and God, our Lord Jesus Christ, for the salvation of the human race! Look upon Your catechumens, who have bowed their heads before You, and grant them, in due time, the baptism of rebirth, the forgiveness of sins, and the garment of incorruption. Unite them with Your holy, catholic, and apostolic Church, and count them among Your chosen flock.
Acclamation: So that they, too, may glorify with us Your all-holy and majestic Name—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—now and ever and to the ages of ages.
Chorus: Amen.
And the priest unfolds the antimension.
Deacon: All who are to be announced, come forward!
If there is a second deacon, he also proclaims: Let those who are to be catechized go forth!
Then the first deacon again: All catechumens, go forth!
Let none of the catechumens remain, but only the faithful; let us pray to the Lord again and again in peace!
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
If there is only one deacon, or if the priest is celebrating without a deacon, then he proclaims as follows: All catechumens, go forth! Catechumens, go forth! All catechumens, go forth! Let none of the catechumens, but only the faithful, pray to the Lord again and again in peace!
Chorus: Lord, have mercy.
Defend, save, have mercy on, and preserve us, O God, by Your grace.
Chorus: Lord, have mercy.
Wisdom!
We give thanks to You, O Lord God of Hosts, who have deemed us worthy to stand before Your holy altar and to seek Your mercy, asking for forgiveness of our sins and the sins of the people committed in ignorance! Accept, O God, our prayer; grant that we may be worthy to offer to You prayers, supplications, and bloodless sacrifices on behalf of all Your people, and grant us, whom You have appointed to this service to You, the ability, by the power of Your Holy Spirit, blamelessly and without stumbling, with a clear conscience, to call upon You at all times and in every place, so that, hearing us, You may be merciful to us according to the abundance of Your goodness.
The priest proclaims: For to You belongs all glory, honor, and worship, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and forever and ever.
Choir: Amen.
Deacon: Let us pray again and again to the Lord in peace!
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
(When the priest is celebrating alone, he does not recite the following [four] supplications:
Let us pray to the Lord for peace from above and for the salvation of our souls.
Let us pray to the Lord for peace throughout the world, for the prosperity of God’s holy Churches, and for the unity of all.
Let us pray to the Lord for this holy temple and for all who enter it with faith, reverence, and the fear of God.
Let us pray to the Lord for deliverance from every sorrow, anger, misfortune, and need.)
Defend, save, have mercy on, and preserve us, O God, by Your grace.
Wisdom!
And the deacon enters the sanctuary through the north doors.
Once again and repeatedly we fall down before You, and we beseech You, O Good and Lover of Mankind, that, looking upon this prayer of ours, You may purify our souls and bodies from every defilement of the flesh and spirit, and grant us to stand before Your holy altar blamelessly and without condemnation! Grant, then, O God, that those who pray with us may grow in life, faith, and spiritual understanding. Grant that they may always serve You with reverence and love, partake of Your holy Mysteries without guilt or condemnation, and be made worthy of Your heavenly Kingdom.
The priest proclaims: May we, always preserved by Your power, send up glory to You, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and forever and ever.
Choir: Amen.
And the Royal Doors are opened.
While the Cherubic Hymn is being sung, the deacon, taking the censer and placing incense in it, approaches the priest and, receiving his blessing, censes the holy throne all around, the entire altar, and the iconostasis; he also censes the priest, the choir, and the congregation. He also reads Psalm 50 and as many moving troparia as he wishes. The priest, meanwhile, silently recites the following prayer:
Priest: None who are bound by carnal desires and pleasures are worthy to approach or draw near to You, or to serve You, O King of Glory, for Your service is great and awesome, even to the heavenly Powers themselves! Yet You, by Your ineffable and immeasurable love for mankind, have unchangeably and immutably become man and appeared as our High Priest, and You have entrusted to us, as Lord of all, the sacred rite of this communal service and bloodless sacrifice. For You, O Lord our God, alone reign over all things in heaven and on earth—You, who are borne upon the throne of the Cherubim, Lord of the Seraphim and King of Israel, the One who is Holy and who dwells among the holy ones. But I beseech You, the only Good and Gracious One: look upon me, Your sinful and unworthy servant, and purify my soul and heart from a corrupt conscience, and by the power of Your Holy Spirit make me capable, clothed with the grace of the priesthood, to stand before this holy throne of Yours and to celebrate the sacred mystery of Your holy and most pure Body and precious Blood. For I approach You, bowing my head, and I pray to You: do not turn Your face away from me, and do not cast me out from among Your ministers, but grant that through me, Your sinful and unworthy servant, these Gifts may be offered to You. For You are the One who offers and is offered, who receives and is distributed, Christ our God, and to You we send up glory, together with Your Father without beginning, and Your all-holy, good, and life-giving Spirit, now and always, and forever and ever. Amen.
At the conclusion of the prayer and the censing, the priest and deacon, standing before the Holy Altar, recite the Cherubic Hymn three times, bowing at the end of each recitation.
The priest, [praying with outstretched hands]: As we mysteriously represent the Cherubim and sing the Trisagion to the Life-giving Trinity, let us now set aside all earthly cares.
Deacon: So that we may receive the King of all, invisibly accompanied by the angelic hosts. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. (3)
Then they approach the altar; the priest censes the holy diskos and chalice, praying silently: “God, purify me, a sinner.” (3)
The deacon addresses the priest:
“Lift them up, Your Grace.”
And the priest, taking a breath of air, places it on the deacon’s left shoulder, saying:
Lift up your hands toward the holy gifts and bless the Lord.
He also takes the holy diskos and places it on the deacon’s head with the utmost care and reverence; the deacon holds the censer on one of the fingers of his right hand. The priest himself takes the holy chalice in his hands, and both exit through the north doors, preceded by the candlebearers with their lamps.
The deacon proclaims: “Our great Lord and Father (name), His Holiness the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, and our Lord His (Most) Eminence (name), Metropolitan (or: Archbishop, or: Bishop of [such-and-such—name of the see]), may the Lord God remember him in His Kingdom always, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.”
The priest also prays for: {May the Lord God remember in His Kingdom, always, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages, the Most Reverend Metropolitans, Archbishops, and Bishops, as well as the entire priestly and monastic order, the church clergy, the brethren, and the parishioners of this holy temple (or: this holy monastery).}
May the Lord God remember all of you, [Greek: us] Orthodox Christians, in His Kingdom forever: now and always, and unto the ages of ages.
The deacon, having entered the Royal Doors, stands on the right, and when the priest enters, he says, addressing him:
May the Lord God remember your priesthood in His Kingdom forever, now and always, and unto the ages of ages!
The priest says to him: “May the Lord God remember your diaconate in His Kingdom, always, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.”
Then the priest places the holy chalice on the holy altar, and, removing the holy diskos from the deacon’s head, places it beside it, saying:
Noble Joseph, having taken Your most pure Body down from the tree, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, anointed it with fragrant oils, and laid it in a new tomb.
In the tomb in the flesh, yet in Hades with Your soul as God, and in Paradise with the thief, You were on the throne, Christ, with the Father and the Spirit, filling all things, boundless.
Your tomb, Christ, the source of our resurrection, has appeared as the bearer of life, truly more beautiful than paradise and brighter than any royal palace.
He also removes the covers from the diskos and the chalice, places them on either side of the holy altar, and, taking the veil from the deacon’s shoulder and censing it, covers the sacred vessels, saying: Noble Joseph, having taken Your most pure Body down from the tree, wrapped it in a pure linen cloth, anointed it with fragrant oils, and laid it in a new tomb.
And, taking the censer from the deacon’s hands, he incenses the sacred vessels three times, saying: “Bless, O Lord, Zion in Your favor, and may the walls of Jerusalem be rebuilt—then You will graciously accept the sacrifice of righteousness, the offering, and the burnt offerings; then they will place the young bulls upon Your altar.”
And after returning the censer and bowing his head, he says to the deacon:
“Remember me, brother and fellow minister!”
And the deacon replies: May the Lord God remember your priesthood in His Kingdom.
Likewise, the deacon, bowing his head as well and holding the censer with three fingers of his right hand, says to the priest:
Pray for me, holy lord.
And the priest replies:
May the Holy Spirit come upon you, and may the power of the Most High overshadow you.
And the deacon:
That same Spirit will be with us every day of our lives.
And again, he says:
Remember me, O Holy Lord.
And the priest:
May the Lord God remember you in His Kingdom, always, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.
The deacon then says, “Amen,” and, after kissing the priest’s right hand, exits through the north gate and, standing in his usual place, proclaims:
[Deacon]: Let us offer our prayer to the Lord.
Choir [after each petition]: O Lord, have mercy.
Let us pray for the holy Gifts offered to the Lord.
Let us pray to the Lord for this holy church and for all who enter it with faith, reverence, and the fear of God.
Let us pray to the Lord that He may deliver us from all sorrow, anger, [danger], and need.
Defend, save, have mercy on, and preserve us, O God, by Your grace.
We ask the Lord for this day to be perfect, holy, peaceful, and sinless.
Chorus: Grant this, O Lord.
We ask the Lord for the Angel of Peace, our faithful guide and guardian of our souls and bodies.
We ask the Lord for forgiveness and the remission of our sins and transgressions.
We ask the Lord for what is good and beneficial for our souls and for peace in the world.
We ask the Lord to allow us to spend the remainder of our lives in this world in repentance.
We ask for a Christian death—painless, honorable, and peaceful—and for a favorable judgment at Christ’s Last Judgment.
Having commemorated our Most Holy, Most Pure, Most Blessed, and Glorious Lady, the Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary, together with all the saints, let us entrust ourselves, one another, and our entire lives to Christ our God.
Chorus: To You, O Lord.
Lord, Almighty God, the One Holy One, who accepts the sacrifice of praise from those who call upon You with all their hearts, accept also the prayer of us sinners, bring it before Your holy altar, and make us able to offer You spiritual gifts and sacrifices for our sins and the sins of the people committed in ignorance, and grant us to find favor in Your sight, so that our sacrifice may be pleasing to You, and the Holy Spirit of Your grace may descend upon us, upon these Gifts set before You, and upon all Your people.
The priest proclaims: Through the mercy of Your only-begotten Son, with whom You are blessed, together with Your all-holy, good, and life-giving Spirit, now and always, and forever and ever.
Choir: Amen.
Priest: Peace be with you all!
Choir: And to your spirit.
Deacon: Let us love one another, so that in unity of mind we may confess
Choir: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—the Trinity, consubstantial and indivisible.
And the priest bows three times, saying: I will love You, O Lord, my strength; the Lord is my rock, my refuge, and my deliverer. (3)
And he kisses the holy vessels covered [with a veil]: the holy diskos, then the holy chalice, and the edge of the holy altar. If there are two or more priests, they all kiss the holy vessels and each other on the shoulders.
The presiding priest says: Christ is in our midst!
And the one who kissed him replies: He is, and He will be.
Likewise, if there are two or three deacons, each kisses his own pectoral cross, at the place where the image of the cross is, and each kisses the other on the shoulder, using the same words as the priests. In the same way, the deacon standing at the ambo bows and kisses his pectoral cross where the image of the cross is, and proclaims: “Doors, doors! Let us listen with wisdom!”
The priest, meanwhile, raises the censer and holds it over the Holy Gifts. If there are other officiating priests, they also raise the censer and hold it, waiving it over the Holy Gifts and silently reciting, like the congregation, the Creed:
1 I believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, the Creator of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible. 2 And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the only-begotten, born of the Father before all ages, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one essence with the Father, through whom all things were made. 3 Who for us humans and for our salvation came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became man. 4 Who was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, suffered, and was buried. 5 And rose again on the third day, according to the Scriptures. 6 And ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. 7 And will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and His kingdom will have no end. 8 And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of Life, who proceeds from the Father, who is worshiped and glorified together with the Father and the Son, who spoke through the prophets. 9 In the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. 10 I acknowledge one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins. 11 I look forward to the resurrection of the dead, 12 and the life of the world to come. Amen.
Deacon: Let us stand in reverence, let us stand in awe, let us listen attentively, so that we may offer the Holy Offering in peace!
Choir: The mercy of peace, / the sacrifice of praise.
And the priest, having removed the veil from the Holy [Gifts], kisses it, places it in its place, and proclaims, [blessing the people]: The grace of the Lord:
The deacon, after bowing, enters the holy altar and, taking the ripida, fans the Holy [Gifts] reverently. If there is no ripida, he does so with one of the altar cloths.
Priest: May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God the Father, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all!
Choir: And also with your spirit.
Priest: Let us lift up our hearts!
Choir: We have lifted them up to the Lord.
Priest: Let us give thanks to the Lord!
Choir: It is right and just / (to worship the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, / the Trinity, consubstantial and indivisible).
Priest: It is fitting and right to sing to You, to bless You, to praise You, to thank You, to worship You in every place of Your dominion, for You are the ineffable, unknowable, invisible, incomprehensible, eternally existing God—You, Your only-begotten Son, and Your Holy Spirit. You brought us from non-being into being, restored those who had fallen, and ceaselessly worked until You raised us up to heaven and granted us Your future Kingdom. For all this we give thanks to You, and to Your only-begotten Son and Your Holy Spirit, for all that we know and all that we do not know, for the manifest and hidden blessings bestowed upon us. We also give thanks to You for this communal service, which You have deigned to accept from our hands, even though before You stand thousands of Archangels and myriads of Angels, Cherubim and Seraphim—six-winged, many-eyed, soaring, and winged.
Lifting up our voices [and making the sign of the cross with our fingers over the diskos]: Singing a song of victory, crying out, exclaiming, and saying:
Chorus: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts! / Heaven and earth are full of Your glory! / Hosanna in the highest! / Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! / Hosanna in the highest!
Priest: With these blessed Powers, we too, O Lord, Lover of mankind, cry out and say: Holy and most holy are You: You, Your only-begotten Son, and Your Holy Spirit. Holy and most holy are You, and majestic is Your glory. You, who so loved the world that You gave Your only-begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish but have eternal life. He, having come and fulfilled Your entire plan for us, on the night He was betrayed—or rather, when He Himself gave Himself up for the life of the world—took bread in His holy, most pure, and spotless hands; having given thanks, blessed it, consecrated it, and broken it, He gave it to His holy disciples and apostles, saying:
Raising His voice: “Take, eat; this is My Body, broken for you for the forgiveness of sins.”
Chorus: Amen.
At these words, the deacon points to the holy diskos with the orarion, which he holds with three fingers of his right hand. Likewise, when the priest proclaims, “Drink from it, all of you,” the deacon points to the holy chalice.
Priest: Likewise, he takes the cup after the Supper, saying:
Raising his voice: “Drink from it, all of you; this is My Blood of the New Covenant, poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins.”
Choir: Amen.
Priest: As we recall this saving commandment and all that was accomplished for our sake—the cross, the tomb, the resurrection on the third day, the ascension into heaven, the seating at the right hand, and the second and glorious coming—
At these words, the deacon, placing his hands in the sign of the cross and raising the holy diskos and the holy chalice, bows in reverence.
Priest (raising his voice): We offer to You what is Yours from Yours, for all things and on account of all things.
[Greek: We offer to You what is Yours from Your own, in harmony with all things and for the sake of all things.]
Choir: We sing to You, / We bless You, / We give thanks to You, O Lord, / and we pray to You, our God.
Priest: We also offer to You this verbal and bloodless service, and we ask You, and pray, and beseech You: send down Your Holy Spirit upon us and upon these gifts set before You.
And the deacon hands over the ripida, approaches the priest, and both bow three times before the holy altar, (praying silently and saying:
Priest: O Lord, You who sent Your Most Holy Spirit to Your Apostles at the third hour, do not take Him away from us, O Good One, but renew Him within us who pray to You.
Deacon (verse): Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
The priest again: O Lord, Your Most Holy Spirit:
Deacon’s verse: Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
And again the priest: O Lord, Your Most Holy Spirit:)
Then the deacon, bowing his head and pointing with the censer toward the holy bread, says in a low voice:
Bless, O Lord, this holy bread.
The priest, meanwhile, makes the sign of the cross over the Holy Lamb, saying: And make this bread the precious Body of Your Christ.
Deacon: Amen.
And again, the deacon: Bless, Your Grace, the holy chalice.
The priest, blessing the Holy Chalice, says: And that which is in this chalice—the precious Blood of Your Christ.
Deacon: Amen.
And again the deacon, pointing to both Holy Gifts, says: Bless them both, Your Grace.
The priest, blessing both Holy Gifts together, says: “Transforming them by Your Holy Spirit.”
Deacon: Amen, amen, amen.
And, bowing his head, the deacon says to the priest:
“Remember me, a sinner, O Holy Father.”
The priest then says:
May the Lord God remember you in His Kingdom always, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.
The deacon, having said, “Amen,” returns to the place where he stood before.
Priest: That they may serve those who partake of the Eucharist for the purification of the soul, for the forgiveness of sins, for communion with Your Holy Spirit, for the fullness of the Kingdom of Heaven, and for boldness before You—not for judgment or condemnation.
We also offer this verbal service to You for those who have fallen asleep in the faith: the forefathers, fathers, patriarchs, prophets, apostles, preachers, evangelists, martyrs, confessors, ascetics, and every righteous soul who has departed in the faith.
And, taking the censer, the priest proclaims: “Especially for our most holy, most pure, most blessed, and glorious Lady, the Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary.”
And he censes before the holy altar three times.
Then the deacon censes the holy altar all around and commemorates whomever he wishes—both the living and the departed.
The choir sings: It is truly fitting / to glorify You, O Mother of God, / eternally blessed and immaculate, / and Mother of our God. / With the highest honor of the Cherubim / and the incomparable glory of the Seraphim, / You who virginally gave birth to God the Word, / the true Mother of God—we magnify You.
Priest: O holy John, prophet, Forerunner, and Baptist; O holy, glorious, and all-praised apostles; O holy (their names), whose memory we now celebrate; and O all Your saints—through whose prayers, O God, visit us.
And remember all who have fallen asleep in the hope of the resurrection and eternal life {Your servants:}
And let him commemorate by name any of the faithful departed whom he wishes.
And grant them rest, our God, in the place where all is illuminated by the Light of Your countenance.
We further pray to You: remember, O Lord, every Orthodox episcopate that rightly teaches the word of Your truth, every presbyterate, the diaconate in Christ, and every other sacred order.
We also offer this verbal service to You for the universe, for the holy, catholic, and apostolic Church, for those who live in purity and godly lives, and for our God-protected country {Russia, its people, and all those in authority}. Grant them, O Lord, a peaceful reign, so that we too may lead a calm and serene life in tranquility, in all piety and purity.
And at the conclusion of the singing [It is Truly Meet: or the Zadostoinik], the priest proclaims:
And among the first, O Lord, remember our great Lord and father (name), His Holiness the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, and our lord His (Most) Eminent (name), Metropolitan (or: Archbishop, or: Bishop of [such-and-such—name of the see]), whom grant to Your holy churches throughout the world, unharmed, honored, in good health, long-lived, and faithfully teaching the word of Your truth.
The choir sings: And all men, and all women.
Priest: Remember, O Lord, our city in which we live, (or: our village in which we live, or: this {holy} abode in which we live,) and every city and country, and those who live by faith within them.
Remember, O Lord, those who are at sea, those who are traveling, the sick, the suffering, the captives, and their salvation.
Remember, O Lord, those who offer sacrifices and do good deeds in Your holy churches and who care for the poor, and pour out Your mercies upon us all.
And he commemorates by name those who are alive, as he wishes:
{Remember, O Lord, Your servants: (names of the living faithful), and all Orthodox Christians.}
Raising his voice: And grant that with one voice and one heart we may glorify and sing of Your all-holy and majestic Name, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and always, and forever and ever.
Choir: Amen.
The priest, turning toward the [Royal] Doors and blessing [the congregation], proclaims:
And may the mercy of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ be with you all.
Choir: And with your spirit.
The deacon comes out [of the sanctuary] and, standing in his usual place, proclaims:
Deacon: Having commemorated all the saints, let us pray to the Lord again and again in peace.
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
Let us pray to the Lord for the holy Gifts that have been offered and consecrated.
That our God, the Lover of mankind, having accepted them upon His holy, heavenly, and incorporeal altar as a fragrant spiritual offering, may send down upon us divine grace and the gift of the Holy Spirit; let us pray.
Let us pray to the Lord that He may deliver us from every sorrow, anger, [danger], and need.
Defend, save, have mercy on, and preserve us, O God, by Your grace.
We ask the Lord for a day that is perfect, holy, peaceful, and sinless.
Chorus: Grant it, O Lord.
We ask the Lord for the Angel of Peace, our faithful guide and guardian of our souls and bodies.
We ask the Lord for forgiveness and the remission of our sins and transgressions.
We ask the Lord for what is good and beneficial for our souls and for peace in the world.
We ask the Lord to allow us to spend the remainder of our lives in this world in repentance.
We ask for a Christian death—painless, honorable, and peaceful—and for a favorable judgment at Christ’s Last Judgment.
Having sought unity of faith and communion in the Holy Spirit, let us entrust ourselves, one another, and our entire lives to Christ our God.
Chorus: To You, O Lord.
The priest then prays:
To You we entrust our whole life and hope, O Lord, Lover of Mankind, and we ask You, beseech You, and implore You: grant us to partake of Your heavenly and awesome Mysteries, this sacred and spiritual Supper, with a clear conscience, for the remission of sins, for the forgiveness of transgressions, for communion with the Holy Spirit, for the inheritance of the Kingdom of Heaven, and for boldness before You—not for judgment or condemnation.
The priest proclaims: And grant us, O Lord, the boldness—not for condemnation—to dare to call upon You, the Heavenly God, the Father, and to proclaim:
Congregation: Our Father, who art in heaven! Hallowed be Thy name; Thy Kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors; 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 always, and forever and ever.
Choir: Amen.
Priest: Peace be with you all!
Choir: And to your spirit.
Deacon: Bow your heads before the Lord!
Choir: To You, O Lord.
Priest prays:
We give thanks to You, O invisible King, who by Your immeasurable power created all things and, through Your abundant mercy, brought all things into being from nothing! Look down from heaven, O Lord, upon those who have bowed their heads before You, for they have bowed them not before flesh and blood, but before You, the awesome God. And You, O Lord, grant that what lies before us all may serve our good in equal measure, according to each one’s need: guide those who sail, accompany those who travel, and heal the sick, O Physician of our souls and bodies.
The priest proclaims: Through the grace, 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 forever and ever.
Choir: Amen.
The priest then prays: Hear us, Lord Jesus Christ, our God, from Your holy dwelling place and from the throne of glory of Your Kingdom, and come to sanctify us, You who sit on high with the Father and dwell invisibly here with us. And deign, with Your mighty hand, to bestow upon us Your most pure Body and precious Blood, and through us, upon all the people.
While this prayer is being read, the deacon, standing before the Royal Doors, crosses himself with the orarion. The priest, standing in his place, bows just as the deacon does, saying silently three times:
O God, cleanse me, a sinner, and have mercy on me. (3)
When the deacon sees that the priest is extending his hands to touch the Holy Bread and perform the Holy Elevation, he proclaims:
Let us listen!
The priest, raising the Holy Bread, proclaims: Holy things to the holy!
Choir: One is holy, / one is the Lord, / Jesus Christ, / to the glory of God the Father. Amen.
And the singers sing the communion hymn for the day or the saint [according to the order of service]. The deacon then enters the holy altar and, standing to the right of the priest, says:
“Break the Holy Bread, Your Grace.”
The priest, dividing [the Holy Lamb] into four parts with care and reverence, says:
The Lamb of God is broken and divided, broken yet undivided, always to be partaken of and never exhausted, but sanctifying those who partake.
And he places the four parts on the diskos in a cross-shaped arrangement: the IC portion toward the east, the ХС portion toward the west, the НI portion toward the north, and the КА portion toward the south.
The deacon, pointing with the orarion toward the holy chalice, says: “Fill the holy chalice, Lord.”
The priest, taking the particle of the Holy Body lying on top, traces a cross over the holy chalice with it, saying:
“The fullness of the Holy Spirit.”
And he places it in the holy chalice.
Deacon: Amen.
Then, taking the warm water, he says:
Bless this bread, Your Grace.
The priest then blesses [the water], saying:
Blessed is the warmth of Your holy gifts, always, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
The deacon, pouring the wine into the holy chalice: The wine of faith, filled with the Holy Spirit. Amen.
And, setting the warm water aside, he stands a short distance away.
{The clergy make a prostration, according to custom, saying:
Relent, forgive, and pardon, O God, our sins, both voluntary and involuntary, committed in deed and word, knowingly and in ignorance, by night and by day, in mind and thought, {in this service}—forgive us all, as You are Good and Lover of Mankind.
They also ask for forgiveness from one another and from the congregation.}
The priest then says:
Deacon, come forward.
And the deacon, approaching, reverently bows, {according to custom, saying:
Behold, I come to Christ, the immortal King and my God.}
The priest then takes the Holy Bread and gives it to the deacon. The deacon, having kissed the hand offering it to him, receives the Holy Bread, saying:
Grant me, O Lord, the Precious and Holy Body of the Lord, and our God and Savior, Jesus Christ.
The priest then says:
(To [Name], the deacon), the Precious, Holy, and Most Pure Body of our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ is given for the forgiveness of his sins and for eternal life.
And the deacon departs and, standing behind the holy altar, prays with his head bowed, just as the priest does, reciting the following prayers: “I believe, O Lord, and I confess,” and so on.
Likewise, the priest, taking a particle of the Holy Bread, says:
{Behold, I come to Christ, the immortal King and my God.}
The precious and most holy Body of the Lord, and God, and our Savior Jesus Christ is given to me, (name), the priest, for the forgiveness of my sins and for eternal life.
I believe, O Lord, and I confess that You are truly Christ, the Son of the living God, who came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. I also believe that this is Your most pure Body, and this is Your most precious Blood. I pray to You, therefore: have mercy on me and forgive me my sins, both voluntary and involuntary, committed in word and deed, knowingly and unknowingly, and grant that I may partake of Your most pure Mysteries not to my condemnation, but for the forgiveness of sins and eternal life. Amen.
[Behold, I approach the divine Communion; / Creator, do not cast me away from partaking! / For You are the fire that consumes the unworthy; / but purify me from every defilement.
As a participant in Your mystical Supper / on this day, Son of God, accept me. / For I will not reveal the mystery to Your enemies, / nor will I give You a kiss like that of Judas. / But like the thief, I will confess You: / “Remember me, Lord, in Your Kingdom!”
Tremble, O man, at the sight of the deifying Blood: / for it is a burning coal that scorches the unworthy. / The Body of God both deifies me and nourishes me: / it deifies the spirit, while the mind it nourishes in an incomprehensible way.
You have drawn me to Yourself with love, Christ, / and transformed me with a divine longing for You. / But burn away my sins with an incorporeal fire / and grant that I may be satisfied with delight in You, / so that, rejoicing, I may extol / Your two comings, O Good One.
How can I, unworthy as I am, / enter the radiant assembly of Your saints? / For if I dare to enter the bridal chamber with them, – / my garments will betray me, / for no one goes to the wedding dressed like this, / and, bound, I will be cast out by the Angels. / Cleanse, O Lord, the defilement of my soul / and save me, O Lover of Mankind.
O Lord, Lover of Mankind, Jesus Christ, my God, may this holy place not be a judgment upon me for my unworthiness, but a purification and sanctification of soul and body, and a pledge of the life to come and the Kingdom. For me, it is good to cling to God and to place my hope for salvation in the Lord.]
{And again:} As a participant in Your mysterious Supper / on this day, Son of God, accept me. / For I will not reveal Your secrets to Your enemies, / nor will I give You a kiss like that of Judas. / But like the thief, I will confess to You: / “Remember me, Lord, in Your Kingdom!”
May the partaking of Your most pure Mysteries, O Lord, be for me not for judgment nor condemnation, but for the healing of soul and body.
And they partake of the Most Pure Body of Christ with fear and firm faith. Then the priest {says:
Behold, I come again to Christ, the immortal King and my God.}
And, taking the holy chalice with both hands from the veil, he partakes of it three times, saying:
Priest: I, (name), a servant of God and a priest, partake of the precious and holy Blood of the Lord, and God, and our Savior Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of my sins and for eternal life. Amen.
And so, having wiped his lips and the rim of the holy chalice, [he kisses it and] says: Behold, this has touched my lips; it will take away my iniquities and cleanse me from my sins.
He also calls the deacon, saying:
Deacon, come forward.
And the deacon approaches and bows, saying:
Behold, I come {again} to {Christ,} the immortal King and my God. And: Grant me, Lord, the Precious and Holy Blood of the Lord, and God, and our Savior Jesus Christ.
And the priest says:
The servant of God, the deacon (name), partakes of the Precious and Holy Blood of our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of his sins and for eternal life.
And after the deacon has received Communion, the priest says:
Behold, this has touched your lips; it will take away your iniquities and cleanse you of your sins.
If there are those who wish to receive the Holy Mysteries, the priest breaks the two remaining portions of the Holy Lamb, marked with the letters HI and KA, into small particles, so that there is enough for the communicants, and places them in the holy chalice.
And the priest covers the holy chalice with a veil. [If there are no communicants, the priest immerses all the particles from the Holy Diskos into the Holy Chalice with the prescribed words (see below)] and places the star and the veils on the Holy Diskos. He also recites the prayer: We thank You, O Lord, Lover of mankind: (see below).
And the Royal Doors are opened. The deacon, having made a bow, takes the Holy Chalice and, proceeding out through the Royal Doors, raises the Holy Chalice, showing it to the congregation and proclaiming: “With the fear of God, faith [and love], come forward!”
Choir: Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord; God is the Lord, and He has appeared to us!
{Before the faithful receive Communion, the priest, according to custom, recites the following prayers:
I believe, O Lord, and I confess that You are truly Christ, the Son of the living God, who came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the first. I also believe that this is Your most pure Body, and this is Your most precious Blood. I pray to You, therefore: have mercy on me and forgive me my sins, both voluntary and involuntary, committed in word and deed, knowingly and through ignorance, and grant that I may partake of Your most pure Mysteries not to my condemnation, but for the forgiveness of sins and eternal life. Amen.
As a participant in Your mystical Supper / on this day, Son of God, accept me. / For I will not reveal Your secrets to Your enemies, / nor will I give You a kiss like that of Judas. / But like the thief, I will confess You: / “Remember me, Lord, in Your Kingdom!”
May my partaking of Your most pure Mysteries, O Lord, be not for judgment nor condemnation, but for the healing of soul and body.}
And those who wish to receive Communion approach one by one, bowing with all reverence and fear, their hands folded upon their chests. And each one receives the Divine Mysteries. The priest, as he administers Communion to each one, says:
The servant of God (name) partakes of the precious and holy Body and Blood of the Lord, and God, and our Savior Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of his sins and for eternal life. Amen.
And the deacon wipes the person’s lips with a cloth. Then the person who has received Communion kisses the Holy Chalice and departs with a bow. And so all receive Communion.
{During Communion, according to custom, we sing repeatedly: “Receive the Body of Christ; taste the Source of immortality.”
And at the end: Alleluia. (3)}
After Communion, the priest enters the Holy Altar and places [the Holy Chalice with] the Holy [Gifts] on the Holy Table.
The deacon, taking the Holy Diskos, holds it over the Holy Chalice and, reciting the following Sunday hymns, [immerses all the particles from it into the Holy Chalice].
[Deacon:] Having beheld the Resurrection of Christ, let us worship the holy Lord Jesus, the one and only sinless One. We worship Your Cross, Christ, and we sing of and glorify Your holy Resurrection, for You are our God; we know no other besides You, and we call upon Your name. Come, all you faithful, let us worship the holy Resurrection of Christ, for behold, through the Cross, joy has come to the whole world. Always blessing the Lord, we sing of His Resurrection, for He, having endured the crucifixion, has crushed death by death.
Shine, shine, New Jerusalem, for the glory of the Lord has dawned upon you! Rejoice now and be glad, Zion! And you, O Pure Mother of God, rejoice in the Resurrection of Him whom you bore.
O great and most holy Pascha, Christ! O Wisdom, and Word of God, and Power! Grant that we may be more perfectly united with You in the eternally bright day of Your Kingdom.
And he wipes it carefully with a holy sponge, pronouncing the following words with attention and reverence: (Wash away, O Lord, the sins of those commemorated here with Your precious Blood, through the prayers of Your saints.)
The priest then blesses the people, proclaiming: “Save, O God, Your people and bless Your inheritance.”
Then, turning toward the holy altar, he censes it three times, saying to himself:
“Ascend to heaven, O God, and let Your glory be throughout the earth.” (3)
The choir sings: We have seen the true light, / received the heavenly Spirit, / found the true faith; / we worship the indivisible Trinity, / for It has saved us.
The priest, taking the holy diskos, places it on the deacon’s head; the deacon, receiving it with reverence, looks toward the [Royal] Doors, silently proceeds to the altar, and places the holy diskos upon it. The priest, having bowed and taken the holy chalice, turns to the congregation, saying quietly:
Blessed be our God.
Raising his voice [and showing the Holy Chalice to the congregation]: Always, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.
Choir: Amen.
May our lips be filled / with praise to You, O Lord, / so that we may sing of Your Glory, / for You have deemed us worthy to partake / of Your holy (divine, immortal, and life-giving) Mysteries. / Preserve us in Your sanctification, / so that we may meditate on Your truth all day long. / Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
And, approaching the holy altar, he places upon it [the Chalice with] the Holy [Gifts, and after incensing them, he places a lit candle before them.]
The deacon, having gone out through the north gate and taken his usual place, [recites the ektenia]:
[Deacon:] Let us stand in reverence! Having received the divine, holy, most pure, immortal, heavenly, and life-giving, awe-inspiring Mysteries of Christ, let us give thanks to the Lord in a worthy manner!
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
Defend, save, have mercy on, and preserve us, O God, by Your grace.
Having asked for a day that is perfect, holy, peaceful, and sinless, let us entrust ourselves, one another, and our whole life to Christ our God.
Chorus: To You, O Lord.
Priest: We give thanks to You, O Lord, Lover of Mankind, Benefactor of our souls, that on this day You have deemed us worthy of Your heavenly and immortal Mysteries! Make our path straight, establish us all in Your fear, preserve our lives, and strengthen our feet, through the prayers and intercessions of the glorious Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary and all Your saints.
The priest, having folded the antimension and holding the Holy Gospel upright above it, traces the sign of the cross over the antimension with it, proclaiming:
For You are our sanctification, and to You we send up glory—to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit—now and always, and forever and ever.
Choir: Amen.
Priest: Let us go in peace!
Choir: In the name of the Lord.
Deacon: Let us pray to the Lord!
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
Lord, You who bless those who bless You and sanctify those who hope in You! Save Your people and bless Your inheritance; preserve the fullness of Your Church; sanctify those who love the splendor of Your house! Glorify them with Your divine power, and do not forsake us who hope in You. Grant peace to Your world, to Your churches, to Your priests, to Your army, and to all Your people. For every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from You, the Father of lights; and to You we send up glory, thanksgiving, and worship—to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit—now and always, and forever and ever.
Chorus: Amen.
And further: May the name of the Lord be blessed from now on and forever. (3)
And Psalm 33: I will bless the Lord:
During the [Pre-Communion] prayer, the deacon stands on the right side before the icon of Christ the Lord with his head bowed, holding his orarion, until the end of the prayer. Upon its conclusion, the priest enters [the sanctuary] through the Royal Doors and, approaching the altar, recites the following prayer:
You alone, Christ our God, are the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets, having fulfilled all the Father’s providence; fill our hearts with joy and gladness, always, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.
The deacon, having entered through the northern doors, consumes the Holy [Gifts] with reverence and utmost attention.
The priest, having come out of the altar, distributes the antidoron to the people. Upon the conclusion of the psalm and the distribution of the antidoron, he proclaims:
[Priest:] May the Lord’s blessing [and mercy be] upon you, through His [divine grace] and love for mankind, always, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.
Choir: Amen.
Priest: Glory to You, Christ our God, our hope, glory to You!
Choir: Glory, and now: Lord, have mercy. (3) Bless us.
[On Sunday: He who rose from the dead:]
On other days: Christ, our true God, through the prayers of His Most Pure Mother, the holy, glorious, and all-praised Apostles, the saints (names of the saints of the church and the day), our holy father John, Archbishop of Constantinople, Chrysostom, the holy and righteous God-bearers Joachim and Anna, and all the saints, may He have mercy on us and save us, as the Good and Lover of Mankind.
[Through the prayers of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ, our God, have mercy on us and save us.
Choir: Amen.] And the “Many Years” hymn is sung.
The priest, having entered the Holy Altar, recites the prayers of thanksgiving.
Also: “Now You dismiss us”: the Trisagion. And after the “Our Father”:
The grace of your lips, shining like a fiery light, / has enlightened the universe; / you have gathered the treasure of non-covetousness for the world, / and shown us the heights of humility. / But, instructing us with your words, / Father John Chrysostom, / pray to the Word, Christ our God, for the salvation of our souls.
You received divine grace from heaven / and with Your lips teach all to worship the one God in the Trinity; / John Chrysostom, all-blessed, most reverend, / we rightly praise you: / for you are our teacher, explaining the divine.
The sure protection of Christians, / Unfailing intercession before the Creator! / Do not despise the prayerful voices of sinners, / but come quickly, O Good One, to our aid, / as we call upon You with faith: / “Hasten with Your intercession and hasten Your prayer, O Mother of God, / ever protecting those who honor You!”
Or, if you wish, read the daytime troparion as well.
Lord, have mercy. (12) With the highest honor of the Cherubim: Glory, and now:
And he pronounces the dismissal and removes his sacred vestments.
The deacon, for his part, partakes of the Holy Mysteries with the utmost care, so that not even the smallest crumb falls or remains. Then, after pouring wine mixed with water into the Holy Chalice, partaking of it, and gathering up all the liquid with a sponge, he places the holy vessels together, ties them up, and sets them in their usual place, saying: “Now You dismiss us,” and so on, just as the priest does. He then washes his hands in the usual place, and after bowing together with the priest, they perform the dismissal rite and, giving thanks to God for all things, exit [the church].
End of the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom.
When you are deemed worthy of the grace-filled Communion / the life-giving, mystical Gifts, / sing forth immediately and give thanks earnestly. / And say to God fervently and from the heart:
Glory to You, O God! (3)
I thank You, O Lord my God, that You have not rejected me, a sinner, but have deemed me worthy to partake of Your Holy Gifts. I thank You that You have deemed me, unworthy as I am, worthy to partake of Your most pure and heavenly Gifts. But, O Lord, Lover of Mankind, who died and rose again for our sake, and who granted us these awesome and life-giving Mysteries of Yours for the benefit and sanctification of our souls and bodies, grant that they may also be for me a healing of soul and body, a repelling of every enemy, an enlightenment of the eyes of my heart, for peace in my inner being, for steadfast faith, for sincere love, for being filled with wisdom, for keeping Your commandments, for the increase of Your divine grace, and for the attainment of Your Kingdom. So that, preserved by them in Your sanctification, I may always remember Your mercy and live no longer for myself, but for You, our Lord and Benefactor. And thus, having departed from this life in the hope of eternal life, may I reach the place of eternal rest, where there is the ceaseless voice of those who celebrate and the endless delight of those who behold the ineffable beauty of Your face. For You are the true goal of our striving and the inexpressible joy of those who love You, Christ our God, and all creation sings Your praises forever. Amen.
Lord Christ God, King of the ages and Creator of the entire world! I thank You for all the blessings You have bestowed upon me, and for the communion of Your most pure and life-giving Mysteries. I pray to You, O Good and Loving One, to keep me under Your protection and in the shadow of Your wings, and to grant me, with a clear conscience until my last breath, to partake worthily of Your holy gifts for the forgiveness of sins and eternal life. For You are the Bread of Life, the Source of sanctification, the Giver of all good things, and to You we send up glory, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and forever and ever. Amen.
You who willingly gave me Your flesh as food—You are the fire that consumes the unworthy! Do not burn me, my Creator; rather, enter into the members of my body, into all my joints, into my innermost being, into my heart, and burn away the thorns of all my sins. Purify my soul, sanctify my thoughts, strengthen my knees along with my bones, enlighten my five senses, and nail my whole being to the fear of You. Always defend, protect, and guard me from every deed and word harmful to the soul. Purify, wash, and order me; adorn, instruct, and enlighten me. Make me a dwelling place for Your Holy Spirit, and no longer a dwelling place for sin, so that after receiving Holy Communion, every evildoer and every passion may flee from me as from Your house, as from fire. I present to You, as intercessors for me, all the saints, the Leaders of the incorporeal hosts, Your Forerunner, the wise Apostles, and above them all—Your immaculate, pure Mother. Accept their prayers, O my merciful Christ, and make Your servant a son of light. For You, the One and Only Good One, are the sanctification and the radiance of our souls, and to You, as befits God and Lord, we all send up glory every day.
May Your Holy Body, Lord Jesus Christ our God, be for me eternal life, and Your precious Blood—the forgiveness of sins. May this thanksgiving be for me a source of joy, health, and gladness. And at Your dreadful and second coming, grant me, a sinner, to stand at the right hand of Your glory, through the intercession of Your all-pure Mother and all Your saints. Amen.
Most Holy Lady, Mother of God, light of my darkened soul, my hope, my shield, my refuge, my comfort, my joy! I thank You that You have deemed me, unworthy as I am, worthy to partake of the most pure Body and precious Blood of Your Son. But, O Giver of the true Light, enlighten the spiritual eyes of my heart. You who gave birth to the Source of immortality, revive me, who am deadened by sin. O Mother who loves the mercy of the merciful God, have mercy on me and grant me contrition and humility in my heart, and humility in my thoughts, and a calling to good thoughts when my mind is enslaved. And grant that, until my last breath, I may receive the holy and most pure Mysteries for the healing of soul and body, without condemnation. And grant me tears of repentance and thanksgiving, so that I may sing Your praises and glorify You all the days of my life, for You are blessed and glorified forever. Amen.
End of the prayers after Holy Communion.
Know that this Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great is not always sung, but only at times specified by the liturgical calendar, namely: on Sundays during Great Lent (except for Palm Sunday), on Holy Thursday, on Holy Saturday, on the eve of the Nativity of Christ and the Epiphany, and on the feast day of St. Basil. The order and rite of this sacred service are the same as those of the Liturgy of John Chrysostom.
The deacon, standing at the ambo, proclaims: “Bless, Your Grace!”
Priest: Blessed be the Kingdom of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages.
Choir: Amen.
The deacon (or, if there is no deacon, the priest himself) recites the following ektenia:
Deacon: Let us pray to the Lord in peace.
Choir [after each petition]: Lord, have mercy.
Let us pray to the Lord for peace from on high and for the salvation of our souls.
Let us pray to the Lord for peace throughout the world, for the prosperity of God’s holy Churches, and for the unity of all.
Let us pray to the Lord for this holy church and for all who enter it with faith, reverence, and the fear of God.
Let us pray to the Lord for our Great Lord and Father, His Holiness the Patriarch (name), and for our Lord, His Eminence the Metropolitan (or: Archbishop, or: Bishop—name), the venerable presbytery, the deacons in Christ, the entire clergy, and the people of God.
Let us pray to the Lord for our God-protected country, its authorities, and its armed forces.
Let us pray to the Lord for this city (or: for this settlement, or: for this holy monastery), for every city and country, and for those who live in them by faith.
Let us pray to the Lord for favorable weather, for an abundance of the earth’s fruits, and for times of peace.
Let us pray to the Lord for those at sea, those traveling, the sick, the suffering, the captives, and for their salvation.
Let us pray to the Lord for deliverance from all sorrow, anger, [danger], and need.
Defend, save, have mercy on, and preserve us, O God, by Your grace.
Having commemorated our Most Holy, Most Pure, Most Blessed, and Glorious Lady, the Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary, together with all the saints, let us entrust ourselves, one another, and our entire lives to Christ our God.
Chorus: To You, O Lord.
O Lord our God, whose power is incomparable and whose glory is incomprehensible, whose mercy is boundless and whose love for mankind is inexpressible! Look upon us and upon this holy temple, O Lord, in Your goodness, and grant us and those praying with us Your inexhaustible mercies and Your bountiful graces.
Exclamation: For to You alone belong all glory, honor, and worship, to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and forever and ever.
Chorus: Amen.
And the singers sing the First Antiphon:
[Bless the Lord, O my soul:] Ps 102
And the rest according to the order of service. The priest reads the prayer privately within the altar, while the deacon recites the ektenia outside the altar.
If there is no deacon, the priest, after the prayer and the acclamation, recites the ektenia:
Let us pray to the Lord again and again in peace.
The choir responds to [each petition]: O Lord, have mercy.
Protect, save, have mercy on, and preserve us, O God, by Your grace.
Having commemorated our Most Holy, Most Pure, Most Blessed, and Glorious Lady, the Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary, together with all the saints, let us entrust ourselves, one another, and our whole life to Christ our God.
Choir: To You, O Lord.
Lord, our God, save Your people and bless Your inheritance; preserve the fullness of Your Church; sanctify those who love the splendor of Your house! Glorify them with Your divine power, and do not forsake us who hope in You.
Acclamation: For Yours is the power, and 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 to the ages of ages.
Chorus: Amen.
And after the second ektenia, the choir sings the second antiphon of the Iconoclasts.
The deacon proclaims:
Let us pray to the Lord again and again in peace.
Choir [after each petition]: Lord, have mercy.
Defend, save, have mercy on, and preserve us, O God, by Your grace.
Having commemorated our Most Holy, Most Pure, Most Blessed, and Glorious Lady, the Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary, together with all the saints, let us entrust ourselves, one another, and our whole life to Christ our God.
Choir: To You, O Lord.
You who have granted us these common and united prayers, and who have promised to grant what is asked of You by two or three who pray in Your name, fulfill now the petitions of Your servants for their good, granting us in this life the knowledge of Your truth, and bestowing upon us eternal life in the age to come.
Exclamation: For You are the good and merciful God, and to You we send up glory, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and forever and ever.
Chorus: Amen.
Here the Royal Doors open for the Small Entrance.
Remember us in Your Kingdom, O Lord:
When the cantors singing the third antiphon (or, on Sunday, the “Blessed ones”) reach the words “Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,” the priest and deacon bow three times before the holy altar. Then, the priest, taking the Holy Gospel, gives it to the deacon, and both proceed from the altar to the right, circling it from behind. And so, exiting through the north doors, preceded by the candle-bearers, they perform the small entrance. And, standing in their usual places, both bow their heads; the deacon says:
[Deacon:] Let us pray to the Lord.
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
The priest then recites the entrance prayer:
O Lord, our God, who has established in heaven the ranks and hosts of angels and archangels to serve Your Glory! Grant that with our entrance may come the entrance of the holy angels, who minister with us and glorify Your goodness. For to You belongs all glory, honor, and worship, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and forever and ever.
Then the procession begins. The deacon proclaims:
Wisdom! Let us stand in reverence!
And they enter the holy altar. While the troparia are being sung, the priest recites the Trisagion prayer:
Holy God, who dwells among the saints, praised by the Seraphim with the Trisagion and glorified by the Cherubim, and to whom all the heavenly hosts offer worship! You, who brought all things into being from nothing, who created man in Your image and likeness and adorned him with all Your gifts, who grant wisdom and understanding to those who ask, and who do not despise the sinner but have established repentance for salvation. You have deemed us, Your humble and unworthy servants, worthy even at this hour to stand before the glory of Your holy altar and to offer You the worship and praise that are due to You. Accept, O Lord, from the lips of us sinners, the Trisagion, and visit us in Your goodness; forgive us every sin, both voluntary and involuntary; sanctify our souls and bodies; and grant that we may serve You with reverence all the days of our lives, through the intercessions of the Holy Theotokos and all the saints who have pleased You from of old.
When the chanters begin the concluding kontakion, the deacon, bowing his head and holding the orarion as usual, says, addressing the priest:
Bless, Your Grace, the singing of the Trisagion.
The priest, making the sign of the cross over him, says:
For You are holy, our God, and to You we send up glory, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever.
At the conclusion of the last kondak, the deacon exits through the Royal Doors and, first pointing the orarion toward the icon of Christ, proclaims:
Lord, save the devout and hear us.
Choir: O Lord, save the godly and hear us.
He also traces a circle with the orar around those standing in the church, proclaiming to them in a loud voice:
And forever and ever.
Choir: Amen.
While the hymn is being sung, the priest and deacon recite the Trisagion themselves, making three bows before the Holy Altar.
Then the deacon addresses the priest:
“Let us go, Your Grace.”
And they proceed to the upper place. As they do so, the priest says: Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.
Deacon: Bless, Your Grace, the high place.
The priest, [blessing the upper place]: Blessed are You on the throne of the Glory of Your Kingdom, seated upon the Cherubim, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
[It should be noted that it is not proper for the priest to ascend to the high place or to sit upon it, but rather to sit on the south side of it.]
At the conclusion of the Trisagion, the deacon, approaching the Royal Doors, proclaims:
Let us listen!
The priest then proclaims: Peace be with all!
And the reader responds: And to your spirit.
Deacon: Wisdom!
And the reader: Prokeimenon, (a psalm of David,) tone [such-and-such].
Deacon: Wisdom!
And the reader reads the epistle:
A reading from the Acts of the Holy Apostles; or: A reading from the Epistle of James; or: A reading from the Epistle of Peter; or: A reading from the Epistle of Saint Paul to the Romans; or: A reading from the Epistle of Saint Paul to the Corinthians; or: A reading from the Epistle of Saint Paul to the Galatians.
Deacon: Let us listen!
During the reading of the Epistle, the deacon takes the censer and incense, approaches the priest, and, after receiving a blessing, censes the Holy Altar all around, the entire altar, and the priest.
At the conclusion of the reading from the Epistle, the priest says:
[Priest:] Peace be with you!
Reader: And to your spirit.
Deacon: Wisdom!
Reader: Alleluia, [tone such-and-such.
And “Alleluia” is sung three times, with the verses of the Alleluia responsory.]
The priest, standing before the Holy Altar, recites the following prayer:
Kindly kindle in our hearts, O merciful Lord, the imperishable light of Your divine knowledge, and open the eyes of our minds to understand Your Gospel preaching! Instill in us also reverence for Your blessed commandments, so that, having overcome all carnal desires, we may lead a spiritual life, thinking of and doing all that is pleasing to You. For You are the enlightenment of our souls and bodies, Christ our God, and to You we send up glory, together with Your eternal Father and Your all-holy, good, and life-giving Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
At the conclusion of the [reading] of the Holy Gospel, the deacon recites the litany:
[Deacon:] Let us all cry out with all our hearts and with all our minds.
Choir [after each petition]: Lord, have mercy.
O Lord Almighty, God of our fathers, we pray to You: hear us and have mercy.
Have mercy on us, O God, according to Your great mercy; we pray to You, hear us and have mercy.
Choir: O Lord, have mercy (three times—here and throughout).
We also pray for our Great Lord and Father, His Holiness the Patriarch (name), and for our Lord, His Eminence the Metropolitan (or: Archbishop, or: Bishop—name), and for all our brotherhood in Christ.
We also pray for our God-protected country, its authorities, and its armed forces, that we may lead a peaceful and tranquil life in all piety and purity.
We also pray for our brother priests, monastic priests, [deacons, and monks], and for our entire brotherhood in Christ.
We also pray for the blessed and ever-memorable founders of this holy church (or: this holy monastery), and for all our fathers and brothers who have departed before us, both here and everywhere, who are Orthodox.
We also pray for mercy, life, peace, health, salvation, divine visitation, forgiveness, and the remission of sins for the servants of God, the brethren {and parishioners} of this holy church (or: this holy monastery).
We also pray for those who make offerings and do good deeds in this holy and most sacred church, for those who labor, sing, and stand in worship here, awaiting Your great and abundant mercy.
Lord our God, accept this fervent prayer from Your servants, and have mercy on us according to the abundance of Your mercy; and pour out Your bounty upon us and upon all Your people, who await Your inexhaustible mercy.
The priest proclaims: For You are a merciful and loving God, and to You we send up glory, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and forever and ever.
Choir: Amen.
Then the deacon [proclaims]:
[Deacon:] Pray to the Lord, catechumens!
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
Deacon: Let us pray, faithful, for the catechumens, that the Lord may have mercy on them.
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
He has instructed them with the word of truth.
He revealed to them the Gospel of truth.
He united them with His holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.
Save, have mercy on, protect, and preserve them, O God, by Your grace.
Deacon: You who are being baptized, bow your heads before the Lord!
Choir: To You, O Lord.
O Lord our God, who dwells in heaven and beholds all Your works! Look upon Your catechumens, who have bowed their heads before You, and grant them Your light burden; make them worthy members of Your holy Church and grant them the baptism of rebirth, the remission of sins, and the garment of incorruption, so that they may come to know You, our true God.
Acclamation: So that they, too, may glorify with us Your all-holy and majestic Name—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—now and ever and to the ages of ages.
Chorus: Amen.
After the acclamation, the priest unfolds the antimension according to custom.
Deacon: All who are to be catechized, come forth!
If there is a second deacon, he also proclaims: Let those who are to be catechized go forth!
Then the first deacon again: All catechumens, go forth!
Let none of the catechumens, but only the faithful, pray to the Lord again and again in peace!
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
While the priest is reading the [first] prayer of the faithful, the deacon (if present) recites the litany outside the altar:
Protect, save, have mercy on, and preserve us, O God, by Your grace.
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
Deacon: O Wisdom!
You, O Lord, have revealed to us this great mystery of salvation; You have deemed us, Your humble and unworthy servants, worthy to serve at Your holy altar; By the power of the Holy Spirit, make us capable of this service, so that we may offer You a sacrifice of praise before Your holy glory without coming under judgment; for You are the One who works all things in all; grant, O Lord, that our sacrifice, offered both for our sins and for the sins of the ignorant people, may be pleasing and acceptable before You.
The priest proclaims: For all glory, honor, and worship are due to You, to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and forever and ever.
Choir: Amen.
And again the deacon:
[Deacon:] Let us pray to the Lord again and again in peace!
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
(When the priest is celebrating alone, he does not recite the following [four petitions]:
Deacon: Let us pray to the Lord for peace from on high and for the salvation of our souls.
Let us pray to the Lord for the peace of the whole world, the prosperity of God’s holy Churches, and the unity of all.
For this holy temple and for all who enter it with faith, reverence, and the fear of God, let us pray to the Lord.
Let us pray to the Lord for our deliverance from every sorrow, anger, misfortune, and need.)
The deacon (or, in his absence, the priest) proclaims: Defend, save, have mercy on, and preserve us, O God, by Your grace.
O Wisdom!
And the deacon enters the sanctuary through the north door.
O God, who in Your mercy and compassion have looked upon our humility, and have set us—Your humble, sinful, and unworthy servants—before Your holy glory to serve Your holy altar; Strengthen us with the power of Your Holy Spirit for this service, and grant us the words to speak when we open our mouths, that we may invoke the grace of Your Holy Spirit upon the Gifts offered.
The priest proclaims: That, always preserved by Your power, we may send up glory to You, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and forever and ever.
Choir: Amen.
And the Royal Doors are opened.
While the Cherubic Hymn is being sung, the deacon, taking the censer and placing incense in it, approaches the priest and, receiving his blessing, censes the holy throne all around, the entire altar, and the iconostasis; he also censes the priest, the choir, and the congregation. He also reads Psalm 50 and as many moving troparia as he wishes. The priest, meanwhile, silently recites the following prayer:
Priest: None who are bound by carnal desires and pleasures are worthy to approach or draw near to You, or to serve You, O King of Glory, for service to You is great and awesome, even to the heavenly Powers themselves! Yet You, by Your ineffable and immeasurable love for mankind, have unchangeably and immutably become man and appeared as our High Priest, and You have entrusted to us, as Lord of all, the sacred rite of this communal service and bloodless sacrifice. For You, O Lord our God, alone reign over all things in heaven and on earth—You, who are borne upon the throne of the Cherubim, Lord of the Seraphim and King of Israel, the One who is Holy and who dwells among the holy ones. But I beseech You, the only Good and Gracious One: look upon me, Your sinful and unworthy servant, and purify my soul and heart from a corrupt conscience, and by the power of Your Holy Spirit make me capable, clothed with the grace of the priesthood, to stand before this holy throne of Yours and to celebrate the sacred mystery of Your holy and most pure Body and precious Blood. For I approach You, bowing my head, and I pray to You: do not turn Your face away from me, and do not cast me out from among Your ministers, but grant that through me, Your sinful and unworthy servant, these Gifts may be offered to You. For You are the One who offers and is offered, who receives and is distributed, Christ our God, and to You we send up glory, together with Your Father without beginning, and Your all-holy, good, and life-giving Spirit, now and always, and forever and ever. Amen.
At the conclusion of the prayer and the censing, the priest and deacon, standing before the Holy Altar, recite the Cherubic Hymn [three times].
The priest, [praying with outstretched hands]: As we mysteriously represent the cherubim and sing the Trisagion to the Life-giving Trinity, let us now set aside all earthly cares.
Deacon: So that we may receive the King of all, invisibly accompanied by the angelic hosts. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. (3)
As a participant in Your mystical Supper / on this day, Son of God, accept me. / For I will not reveal Your secrets to Your enemies, / nor will I give You a kiss like that of Judas. / But like the thief, I will confess You: / “Remember me, Lord, in Your Kingdom.” Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Let all human flesh be silent, / and let it stand in fear and trembling, / and let it not think of anything earthly within itself, / for the King of kings and Lord of lords / comes to be sacrificed and to give Himself as food to the faithful. / Before Him march the hosts of angels / with all their principalities and powers, / the many-eyed Cherubim and the six-winged Seraphim, / covering their faces and proclaiming the hymn: / Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.
Then they approach the altar; the priest censes the holy diskos and chalice, praying silently: “O God, purify me, a sinner.” (3)
The deacon addresses the priest:
“Raise them, Your Grace.”
And the priest, taking a breath of air, places it on the deacon’s left shoulder, saying:
Lift up your hands toward the holy things and bless the Lord.
He also takes the holy diskos and places it on the deacon’s head with the utmost care and reverence; the deacon holds the censer on one of the fingers of his right hand. The priest himself takes the holy chalice in his hands, and both exit through the north doors, preceded by the candlebearers with their lamps.
The deacon proclaims: Our great Lord and Father (name), His Holiness the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia and our Lord (His Eminence) (name), Metropolitan (or: Archbishop, or: Bishop of [such-and-such—name of the see]), may the Lord God remember him in His Kingdom forever, now and always, and for ever and ever.
The priest also prays for: {May the Lord God remember in His Kingdom, always, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages, the Most Reverend Metropolitans, Archbishops, and Bishops, as well as the entire priestly and monastic order, the church clergy, the brethren, and the parishioners of this holy temple (or: this holy monastery).}
May the Lord God remember all of you, [Greek: us] Orthodox Christians, in His Kingdom forever: now and always, and unto the ages of ages.
The deacon, having entered the Royal Doors, stands on the right, and when the priest enters, he says, addressing him:
May the Lord God remember your priesthood in His Kingdom forever, now and always, and unto the ages of ages!
The priest replies: May the Lord God remember your diaconate in His Kingdom forever, now and always, and unto the ages of ages.
Then the priest places the holy chalice on the holy altar, and, removing the holy diskos from the deacon’s head, places it beside it, saying:
Noble Joseph, having taken Your most pure Body down from the tree, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, anointed it with fragrant oils, and laid it in a new tomb.
In the tomb in the flesh, yet in Hades with Your soul as God, and in Paradise with the thief, You were on the throne, Christ, with the Father and the Spirit, filling all things, boundless.
Your tomb, Christ, the source of our resurrection, has appeared as the bearer of life, truly more beautiful than paradise and brighter than any royal palace.
He also removes the covers from the diskos and the chalice, places them on either side of the holy altar, and, taking the veil from the deacon’s shoulder and incensing it, covers the sacred vessels, saying: Noble Joseph, having taken Your most pure Body down from the tree, wrapped it in a pure linen cloth, anointed it with fragrant oils, and laid it in a new tomb.
And, taking the censer from the deacon’s hands, he incenses the sacred vessels three times, saying: “Bless, O Lord, Zion in Your favor, and may the walls of Jerusalem be rebuilt—then You will graciously accept the sacrifice of righteousness, the offering, and the burnt offerings; then they will place the young bulls on Your altar.”
And after returning the censer and bowing his head, he says to the deacon:
“Remember me, brother and fellow minister!”
And the deacon replies: May the Lord God remember your priesthood in His Kingdom.
Likewise, the deacon, bowing his head as well and holding the censer with three fingers of his right hand, says to the priest:
Pray for me, holy lord.
And the priest replies:
May the Holy Spirit come upon you, and may the power of the Most High overshadow you.
And the deacon:
May that same Spirit assist us throughout all the days of our lives.
And again, he says:
Remember me, holy lord.
And the priest:
May the Lord God remember you in His Kingdom, always, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.
The deacon then says, “Amen,” and, after kissing the priest’s right hand, exits through the north gate and, standing in his usual place, proclaims:
Priest: Let us offer our prayer to the Lord.
Choir [after each petition]: O Lord, have mercy.
Let us pray for the holy Gifts offered to the Lord.
Let us pray to the Lord for this holy temple and for all who enter it with faith, reverence, and the fear of God.
Let us pray to the Lord that He may deliver us from all sorrow, anger, [danger], and need.
Defend, save, have mercy on, and preserve us, O God, by Your grace.
We ask the Lord for this day to be perfect, holy, peaceful, and sinless.
Chorus: Grant this, O Lord.
We ask the Lord for the Angel of Peace, our faithful guide and guardian of our souls and bodies.
We ask the Lord for forgiveness and the remission of our sins and transgressions.
We ask the Lord for what is good and beneficial for our souls and for peace in the world.
We ask the Lord to allow us to spend the remainder of our lives in this world in repentance.
We ask for a Christian passing from this life—painless, honorable, and peaceful—and for a favorable judgment at Christ’s Last Judgment.
Having commemorated our Most Holy, Most Pure, Most Blessed, and Glorious Lady, the Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary, together with all the saints, let us entrust ourselves, one another, and our entire lives to Christ our God.
Chorus: To You, O Lord.
O Lord our God, who created us and brought us into this life, who showed us the paths to salvation, who granted us the revelation of the heavenly Mysteries; You have appointed us to this ministry by the power of Your Holy Spirit. Grant, therefore, O Lord, that we may become ministers of Your new covenant and celebrants of Your sacraments; accept us as we approach Your holy altar, through the abundance of Your mercy, that we may be worthy to offer to You this verbal and bloodless sacrifice for our sins and for the sins of the ignorant people; accepting it upon Your holy, heavenly, and incorporeal altar as a fragrant offering, and in return, send down upon us the grace of Your Holy Spirit. Look upon us, O God, and behold this service of ours, and accept it, just as You accepted the offerings of Abel, the sacrifices of Noah, the burnt offerings of Abraham, the sacred rites of Moses and Aaron, and the peace offerings of Samuel; just as You accepted this true ministry from Your holy apostles, so accept these gifts from our sinful hands through Your goodness, O Lord, so that, having been deemed worthy to serve Your holy altar blamelessly, we may receive the reward of faithful and prudent stewards on the dreadful day of Your righteous judgment.
Exclamation: Through the mercy of Your only-begotten Son, with whom You are blessed, together with Your all-holy, good, and life-giving Spirit, now and always, and forever and ever.
Chorus: Amen.
Priest: Peace be with you all!
Choir: And to your spirit.
Deacon: Let us love one another, so that with one mind we may confess
Choir: The Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit—the Trinity, consubstantial and indivisible.
And the priest bows three times, saying: I will love You, O Lord, my strength; the Lord is my rock, my refuge, and my deliverer. (3)
And the deacon bows three times, kisses his pectoral cross, and then proclaims:
Open the doors, open the doors! Let us listen with wisdom!
The choir sings: I believe in one God:
And upon the conclusion of the Holy Creed, the deacon proclaims:
Deacon: Let us stand in reverence, let us stand in awe, let us listen, so that we may offer the Holy Elevation in peace!
Choir: The grace of peace, / the sacrifice of praise.
The priest proclaims: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God the Father, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all!
Choir: And with your spirit.
Priest: Let us lift up our hearts!
Chorus: We have directed them to the Lord.
Priest: Let us give thanks to the Lord!
Choir: It is right and just / (to worship the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, / the Trinity, consubstantial and indivisible).
The priest, bowing, prays silently:
O Living One, Lord and God, Almighty Father, who are worshiped! It is truly worthy and just, and in keeping with the splendor of Your holiness, to praise You, to sing Your praises, to bless You, to worship You, to give thanks to You, to glorify You, the one truly existing God, and to offer You this verbal service of ours with a contrite heart and a spirit of humility, for You have granted us knowledge of Your truth. And who is able to utter Your might, to make known all Your praises, or to recount all Your wonders at all times? Ruler of all, Lord of heaven and earth and of all creation, both visible and invisible, seated on the throne of glory and gazing upon the abysses, without beginning, invisible, incomprehensible, indescribable, unchanging, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the great God and Savior, our hope, Who is the image of Your goodness, the exact likeness, revealing You, the Father, in Himself—the living Word, the true God, the eternal Wisdom, life, sanctification, power, and true light—through Whom the Holy Spirit was revealed, —the Spirit of truth, the gift of adoption, the pledge of our future inheritance, the beginning of eternal blessings, the life-giving power, the source of sanctification—by whom, being strengthened, all creation, both the material and the rational, serves You and offers You eternal praise; for all things are subject to You. For the Angels, Archangels, Thrones, Dominions, Principalities, Powers, Virtues, and the many-eyed Cherubim praise You; the Seraphim stand in a circle before You; six wings on one and six wings on the other; with two they cover their faces, with two their feet, and with two they fly, calling out to one another with unceasing lips and in unending praise.
The priest, raising his voice: Singing a song of victory, crying out, exclaiming, and saying:
Choir: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts! / Heaven and earth are full of Your glory! / Hosanna in the highest! / Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! / Hosanna in the highest!
The priest prays in secret: With these blessed Powers, O Lord, lover of mankind, we sinners cry out and say: Truly, You are Holy and most holy, and there is no measure to the splendor of Your holiness, and You are righteous in all Your deeds; for in righteousness and true judgment You have brought all things upon us. For having created man from the dust of the earth and honored him with Your image, O God, You placed him in the sweet paradise, promising him the immortality of life and the enjoyment of eternal blessings if he kept Your commandments; but when he disobeyed You, the true God who created him, and was led astray by the serpent’s deception and brought to ruin by his own sins, You cast him out, O God, by Your righteous judgment from paradise into this world and returned him to the earth from which he was taken, providing him with salvation through rebirth in Your Christ Himself. For You did not turn away forever from Your creation, which You, O Good One, had made, nor did You forget the work of Your hands, but You visited it in many ways through the kindness of Your mercy. You sent prophets, performed miracles through Your saints who pleased You in every generation; You spoke to us through the mouths of Your servants the prophets, foretelling to us the coming salvation; You gave the Law as a guide, and appointed angels as guardians. But when the fullness of time had come, You spoke to us through Your own Son, through whom You also created the ages. He, being the radiance of Your glory and the exact representation of Your being, and upholding all things by the word of His power, did not consider equality with God the Father something to be grasped; yet, though He was God from eternity, He appeared on earth and communed with people; and, having been incarnated of the Holy Virgin, He humbled Himself, taking the form of a servant, becoming in appearance like the body of our humility, so that He might make us also like the image of His glory. For just as sin entered the world through man, and death through sin, so Your Only-Begotten Son, who dwells in Your bosom, God and the Father, was pleased to be born of a woman, the holy Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary, and to be subject to the law, in order to condemn sin in His own flesh, so that those who were dying in Adam might be brought to life in Your Christ Himself; and having lived in this world, giving saving commandments, delivering us from idolatrous delusion, He led us to the knowledge of You, the true God and Father, acquiring us for Himself as a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation; and having cleansed us with water and sanctified us with the Holy Spirit, He gave Himself up to death in our place, from which we were held captive, having been sold into the power of sin; and by descending into Hades through the Cross, to fill all things with Himself, He put an end to the torments of death; and rising on the third day and opening the way for all flesh to the resurrection from the dead—since it was impossible for the Prince of Life to be held by corruption—He became the firstfruits of the dead, the firstborn from the dead, so that He might be preeminent in all things among all; and having ascended into heaven, He sat down at the right hand of Your Majesty on high—and He will come to reward each person according to his deeds. But He has left us these remembrances of His saving suffering—that which we have offered before You according to His commandments. For, intending to undergo His voluntary, ever-memorable, and life-giving death, on that night when He gave Himself up for the life of the world, He took bread in His holy and most pure hands and presented it to You, O God and Father, giving thanks, blessing it, consecrating it, and breaking it.
And, raising His voice, He said to His holy disciples and apostles: “Take, eat; this is My Body, broken for you for the forgiveness of sins.”
The choir sings: Amen.
At these words, the deacon points to the holy diskos with the orarion, which he holds with three fingers of his right hand. Likewise, when the priest proclaims, “Drink from it, all of you,” the deacon points to the holy chalice.
The priest says privately: “In the same way, having taken the cup and mixed the fruit of the vine into it, giving thanks, blessing, and consecrating it.”
And again He proclaims: He gave it to His holy disciples and apostles, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; this is My Blood of the New Covenant, which is poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins.”
The choir sings: Amen.
The priest, bowing his head, prays silently:
“Do this in remembrance of Me; for whenever you eat this Bread and drink this Cup, you proclaim My death and confess My resurrection.” So also we, O Lord, recalling His saving sufferings, His life-giving Cross, His three-day burial, His resurrection from the dead, His ascension into heaven, His sitting at the right hand of God the Father, and His glorious and awesome Second Coming.
At these words, the deacon, placing his hands in the sign of the cross and raising the holy diskos and the holy chalice, bows with reverence.
The priest proclaims: “We offer to You what is Yours, from Yours, for all things and on behalf of all things.”
[Greek: We offer to You what is Yours from Yours, in harmony with all things and for the sake of all things.]
Choir: We sing to You, / We bless You, / We thank You, O Lord, / and we pray to You, our God.
The priest, bowing his head, prays silently:
Therefore, Most Holy Lord, we too, Your sinful and unworthy servants, who have been deemed worthy to serve at Your holy altar—not because of our righteousness, for we have done nothing good on earth, —but by Your mercies and Your compassion, which You have poured out abundantly upon us, we dare to approach Your holy altar, and having offered the representations of the holy Body and Blood of Your Christ, we pray to You and call upon You, Holy of Holies, that by the good pleasure of Your goodness, Your Holy Spirit may come upon us and upon these offerings set before You, and bless them, sanctify them, and make them acceptable.
The deacon places down the ripida he was holding, or the veil, and approaches the priest. And both bow three times before the holy altar, (praying silently: “O God, cleanse me, a sinner, and have mercy on me,” and saying:
Priest: O Lord, You who sent Your Most Holy Spirit to Your Apostles at the third hour, do not take Him away from us, O Good One, but renew Him within us who pray to You.
Deacon’s verse: Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
Priest: O Lord, Your Most Holy Spirit:
Deacon’s verse: Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
Priest: O Lord, Your Most Holy Spirit:)
Then the deacon, bowing his head and pointing with the censer toward the holy bread, says in a low voice:
Bless, O Lord, this holy bread.
The priest, meanwhile, makes the sign of the cross over the Holy Lamb, saying: This bread is the most precious Body of the Lord, and God, and our Savior Jesus Christ.
Deacon: Amen.
And again the deacon: Bless, Your Grace, the holy chalice.
The priest, while blessing [the holy chalice], says: This chalice—with the most precious Blood of the Lord, and God, and our Savior Jesus Christ.
Deacon: Amen.
And again, the deacon, pointing with the orarion toward both Holy Gifts, says: “Bless them together, Your Grace.”
The priest, blessing both Holy Gifts together with his hand, says: “Shed for the life of the world.”
Deacon: Amen, amen, amen.
(In the modern Slavonic tradition:
Priest: And this cup—with the most precious Blood of the Lord, and God, and our Savior Jesus Christ.
Deacon: Amen.
Priest: Poured out for the life of the world.
Deacon: Amen.
And again the deacon, pointing with the orarion toward both Holy Gifts, says: Bless them together, Your Grace.
The priest, blessing both Holy Gifts together with his hand, says: “Transforming them by Your Holy Spirit.”
Deacon: Amen, amen, amen.)
And, bowing his head, the deacon says to the priest:
“Remember me, a sinner, O Holy Father.”
And he returns to the place where he stood before.
The priest then prays: Unite us all, who partake of the one Bread and the one Cup, with one another in the communion of the one Holy Spirit, and grant that none of us may partake of the holy Body and Blood of Your Christ to our judgment or condemnation, but that we may find mercy and grace with all the saints who have pleased You from of old: the forefathers, fathers, patriarchs, prophets, apostles, preachers, evangelists, martyrs, confessors, teachers, and every righteous soul who has departed in the faith.
And, taking the censer, the priest proclaims: Especially with the Most Holy, Most Pure, Most Blessed, and Glorious Lady, our Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary.
And he censes before the holy altar three times.
Then the deacon censes the holy altar all around and commemorates whomever he wishes—both the living and the departed.
The choir sings: All creation rejoices in You, O Full of Grace: / the host of angels and the human race. / You are the sanctified temple and the spiritual paradise, / the glory of virginity, from whom God became incarnate and became a Child— / our God, who existed before all ages. / For He has made Your womb a throne / and Your womb vaster than the heavens. / All creation rejoices in You, O Full of Grace; glory to You!
Through the Lord’s hospitality / and the immortal feast / in a high place with lofty thoughts / let us, the faithful, rejoice, / having heard the highest word from the Word, / Whom we magnify.
Do not weep for Me, Mother, / seeing Your Son in the tomb, / Whom You conceived in Your womb without seed, / for I shall rise again and be glorified, / and in glory I shall exalt, as God, / those who ceaselessly, with faith and love, / magnify You.
The priest, bowing, prays silently:
With Saint John, the prophet, Forerunner, and Baptist; with the holy, glorious, and all-praised apostles; with the saints (their names), whose memory we now celebrate; and with all Your saints, through whose prayers, O God, visit us.
And remember all who have fallen asleep in the hope of the resurrection and eternal life {Your servants:}
(Here the priest commemorates whomever he wishes—both the living and the departed. For the living, he says:
For the salvation, visitation, and forgiveness of the sins of the servants of God (names).
And for the departed, he says:
For the repose of the souls and the remission of the sins of Your servants (names). In that bright place, from which sorrow and lamentation have departed, grant them rest, O our God.)
And grant them rest where all is illuminated by the Light of Your countenance.
Then it continues:
We further pray to You: remember, O Lord, Your holy, catholic, and apostolic Church, which extends from one end of the universe to the other, and grant her peace—the Church which You have purchased with the precious blood of Your Christ—and establish this holy temple until the end of time.
Remember, O Lord, those who have brought You these gifts, and those for whom, through whom, and on whose behalf they have brought them.
{Remember, O Lord, also the salvation, visitation, and forgiveness of the sins of Your servants (names of the living faithful).}
Remember, O Lord, those who offer sacrifices and do good deeds in Your holy churches, and those who care for the poor; reward them with Your abundant and heavenly gifts; grant them the heavenly instead of the earthly, the eternal instead of the temporary, and the imperishable instead of the perishable.
Remember, O Lord, those who dwell in the deserts, and in the mountains, and in the caves, and in the ravines of the earth.
Remember, O Lord, those who live in virginity, piety, asceticism, and a pure life.
Remember, O Lord, our God-protected country {Russia and its faithful people}, grant {us} deep and unbreakable peace; inspire the hearts of {all those in authority} with goodwill toward Your Church and all Your people, so that in their tranquility they may enable us to lead a peaceful and serene life in all piety and purity.
Remember, O Lord, every authority and power, our brothers in service, and the entire army; preserve the good through Your goodness, and transform the wicked into the good through Your kindness.
Remember, O Lord, the people gathered here and those absent for important reasons, and have mercy on them and on us through the abundance of Your mercy; fill their storehouses with every good thing, preserve their marriages in peace and harmony, nurture the infants, instruct the youth, sustain the elderly, comfort the faint-hearted, gather the scattered, bring back the straying, and unite them with Your holy, catholic, and apostolic Church; deliver those tormented by unclean spirits, guide those at sea, accompany those on their journeys, protect widows, defend orphans, free the captives, and heal the sick. Remember, O God, those who are on trial, in mines, in exile, in bitter labor, and in every sorrow, need, and misfortune; and all who are in need of Your great mercy—those who love us, those who hate us, and those who have entrusted us, unworthy as we are, to pray for them. And remember all Your people, O Lord our God, and pour out Your abundant mercy upon all, granting to everyone what they ask for their salvation; and those whom we have not remembered out of ignorance, or forgetfulness, or because of the multitude of names—remember them Yourself, O God, who knows the age and name of each one, who knows each one from his mother’s womb. For You, O Lord, are the help of the helpless, the hope of the hopeless, the Savior of those in distress, the refuge of those who sail the seas, and the Healer of the sick; be You Yourself all things to all, knowing each one, his petition, his home, and his need. Deliver, O Lord, this city (or: this holy monastery) and every city and country from famine, pestilence, earthquake, flood, fire, the sword, invasion by foreign peoples, and civil war.
And the priest proclaims:
And among the first, O Lord, remember our Great Lord and Father (name), His Holiness the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, and our lord His (Most) Eminence (name), Metropolitan (or: Archbishop, or: Bishop of [such-and-such—name of the see]), whom grant to Your holy churches throughout the world, unharmed, honored, in good health, long-lived, and faithfully teaching the word of Your truth.
The choir sings: And all men, and all women.
The priest prays silently:
Remember, O Lord, every Orthodox episcopate that rightly teaches the word of Your truth.
Remember, O Lord, in the abundance of Your compassion, my unworthiness; forgive me every sin, both voluntary and involuntary, and do not, because of my sins, withhold the grace of Your Holy Spirit from the Gifts before us.
Remember, O Lord, the presbyterate, the diaconate in Christ, and all other sacred orders, and do not put any of us who surround Your holy altar to shame.
Visit us in Your goodness, O Lord; appear to us in Your abundant mercies; grant us favorable and beneficial weather; bestow gentle rains upon the earth for its fertility; bless the harvest of the year with Your goodness, O Lord; put an end to divisions in the churches, quench the fury of the pagans, and swiftly destroy the uprisings of heresies by the power of Your Holy Spirit; receive us all into Your Kingdom, revealing us as children of light and children of the day. Grant us Your peace and Your love, O Lord our God; for You have bestowed everything upon us.
The priest proclaims: And grant that with one voice and one heart we may glorify and sing of Your all-holy and majestic Name, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and always, and forever and ever.
Choir: Amen.
The priest, turning toward the [Royal] Doors and blessing [the people], proclaims:
And may the mercy of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ be with you all.
Choir: And with your spirit.
Then the deacon (if there is one; if not, the priest recites the litany) steps out [from the altar] and, standing in his usual place, proclaims:
Deacon: Having commemorated all the saints, let us pray to the Lord again and again for peace.
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
Let us pray to the Lord for the holy Gifts that have been offered and consecrated.
That our God, the Lover of mankind, having accepted them upon His holy, heavenly, and incorporeal altar as a fragrant spiritual offering, may send down upon us divine grace and the gift of the Holy Spirit; let us pray.
Let us pray to the Lord that He may deliver us from every sorrow, anger, [danger], and need.
Defend, save, have mercy on, and preserve us, O God, by Your grace.
We ask the Lord for a day that is perfect, holy, peaceful, and sinless.
Chorus: Grant it, O Lord.
We ask the Lord for the Angel of Peace, our faithful guide and guardian of our souls and bodies.
We ask the Lord for forgiveness and the remission of our sins and transgressions.
We ask the Lord for what is good and beneficial for our souls and for peace in the world.
We ask the Lord to allow us to spend the remainder of our lives in this world in repentance.
We ask for a Christian death—painless, honorable, and peaceful—and for a favorable judgment at Christ’s Last Judgment.
Having sought unity of faith and communion in the Holy Spirit, let us entrust ourselves, one another, and our entire lives to Christ our God.
Chorus: To You, O Lord.
The priest then prays privately:
Our God, God of salvation, teach us to give You worthy thanks for Your blessings, which You have bestowed and continue to bestow upon us; You are our God, who has accepted these gifts; purify us from every defilement of flesh and spirit, and teach us to lead a holy life in the fear of You, so that, with a clear conscience, as we partake of Your holy gifts, we may be united with the holy Body and Blood of Your Christ; and, having received them worthily, may have Christ dwelling in our hearts and become a temple of Your Holy Spirit. Yes, our God, grant that none of us may be guilty of sin against these awesome and heavenly Mysteries of Yours, nor become weak in soul and body through unworthy partaking of them, but grant that until our last breath we may worthily partake of Your Holy Gifts, —as a provision for eternal life, and as a favorable response at the dreadful judgment of Your Christ, so that we too, together with all the saints who have pleased You from of old, may become partakers of Your eternal blessings, which You have prepared for those who love You, O Lord.
The priest proclaims: And grant us, O Lord, the boldness to call upon You, the Heavenly God, the Father, without fear of condemnation, and to proclaim:
Choir: Our Father, who art in heaven! Hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
The priest proclaims: 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 always, and forever and ever.
Choir: Amen.
Priest: Peace be with you all!
Choir: And to your spirit.
Deacon: Bow your heads before the Lord!
Choir: To You, O Lord.
The priest prays:
O Lord, Father of mercy and God of all comfort! Bless, sanctify, preserve, strengthen, and confirm those who have bowed their heads before You; deliver them from every evil deed, and unite them with every good deed; and grant that they may partake of these most pure and life-giving Mysteries of Yours, not to their condemnation, but for the forgiveness of sins and for communion with the Holy Spirit.
The priest proclaims: By the grace, 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 forever and ever.
Choir: Amen.
The priest prays: Hear us, Lord Jesus Christ, our God, from Your holy dwelling place and from the throne of glory of Your Kingdom, and come to sanctify us, You who sit on high with the Father and dwell invisibly here with us. And deign, with Your mighty hand, to bestow upon us Your most pure Body and precious Blood, and through us, upon all the people.
The priest also bows, as does the deacon, standing in his place, whispering three times:
O God, cleanse me, a sinner, and have mercy on me. (3)
When the deacon sees that the priest is extending his hands to touch the Holy Bread and perform the Holy Elevation, he proclaims (if there is no deacon, the priest himself):
Let us listen!
The priest, raising the Holy Bread, proclaims: Holy things to the holy!
Choir: One is holy, / one is the Lord, / Jesus Christ, / to the glory of God the Father. / Amen.
Communion then takes place according to the same rite as specified in the Liturgy of Chrysostom, pp.44 .
After Communion, the priest prays: We thank You, O Lord our God: (see below).
And the Royal Doors are opened. The deacon, having made a bow, takes the Holy Chalice and, going out through the Royal Doors, raises the Holy Chalice, showing it to the congregation and proclaiming: “With the fear of God, faith [and love], come forward!”
Choir: Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord; God is the Lord, and He has appeared to us!
{Before the faithful receive Communion, the priest, according to custom, recites the following prayers:
I believe, O Lord, and I confess that You are truly Christ, the Son of the living God, who came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the first. I also believe that this is Your most pure Body, and this is Your most precious Blood. I pray to You, therefore: have mercy on me and forgive me my sins, both voluntary and involuntary, committed in word and deed, knowingly and through ignorance, and grant that I may partake of Your most pure Mysteries not to my condemnation, but for the forgiveness of sins and eternal life. Amen.
As a participant in Your mystical Supper / on this day, Son of God, accept me. / For I will not reveal Your secrets to Your enemies, / nor will I give You a kiss like that of Judas. / But like the thief, I will confess You: / “Remember me, Lord, in Your Kingdom!”
May my partaking of Your most pure Mysteries, O Lord, be not for judgment nor condemnation, but for the healing of soul and body.}
And those who wish to receive Communion approach one by one, bowing with all reverence and fear, their hands folded upon their chests. And each one receives the Divine Mysteries. The priest, as he administers Communion to each one, says:
The servant of God, (name), partakes of the precious and holy Body and Blood of the Lord, and our God and Savior, Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of his sins and for eternal life. Amen.
And the deacon wipes his lips with a cloth. Then the communicant kisses the Holy Chalice and departs with a bow. And so all receive Communion.
{During Communion, according to custom, we sing repeatedly: “Receive the Body of Christ; taste the Source of immortality.”
And at the end: Alleluia. (3)}
After Communion, the priest enters the Holy Altar and places [the Holy Chalice with] the Holy [Gifts] on the Holy Table.
The deacon, taking the Holy Diskos, holds it over the Holy Chalice and, reciting the following Resurrection hymns, [immerses all the particles from it into the Holy Chalice].
[Deacon:] Having beheld the Resurrection of Christ, let us worship the Holy Lord Jesus, the only sinless One. We worship Your Cross, Christ, and we sing and glorify Your holy Resurrection, for You are our God; we know no other besides You, and we call upon Your name. Come, all you faithful, let us worship the holy Resurrection of Christ, for behold, through the Cross, joy has come to the whole world. Always blessing the Lord, we sing of His Resurrection, for He, having endured the crucifixion, has crushed death by death.
Shine, shine, New Jerusalem, for the glory of the Lord has dawned upon you! Rejoice now and be glad, Zion! And you, O Pure Mother of God, rejoice in the Resurrection of Him whom you bore.
O great and most holy Pascha, Christ! O Wisdom, and Word of God, and Power! Grant that we may be more perfectly united with You in the eternally bright day of Your Kingdom.
And he wipes it carefully with a holy sponge, pronouncing the following words with attention and reverence: (Wash away, O Lord, the sins of those commemorated here with Your precious Blood, through the prayers of Your saints.)
The priest then blesses the people, proclaiming: “Save, O God, Your people and bless Your inheritance.”
Then, turning toward the holy altar, he censes it three times, saying to himself:
“Ascend to heaven, O God, and let Your glory be throughout the earth.” (3)
The choir sings: We have seen the true light, / received the heavenly Spirit, / found the true faith; / we worship the indivisible Trinity, / for It has saved us.
The priest, taking the holy diskos, places it on the deacon’s head; the deacon, receiving it with reverence, looks toward the [Royal] Doors, silently proceeds to the altar, and places the holy diskos upon it. The priest, having bowed and taken the holy chalice, turns to the congregation, saying quietly:
Blessed be our God.
Raising his voice [and showing the Holy Chalice to the congregation]: Always, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.
Choir: Amen.
May our lips be filled / with praise to You, O Lord, / so that we may sing of Your Glory, / for You have deemed us worthy to partake / of Your holy (divine, immortal, and life-giving) Mysteries. / Preserve us in Your sanctification, / so that we may meditate on Your truth all day long. / Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
And, going to the holy altar, he places upon it [the Chalice with] the Holy [Gifts, and after incensing them, places a lit candle before them.]
The deacon, having gone out through the north doors and standing in his usual place, [recites the ektenia]:
Deacon: Let us stand in reverence! Having received the divine, holy, most pure, immortal, heavenly, and life-giving, awe-inspiring Mysteries of Christ, let us worthily give thanks to the Lord!
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
Protect, save, have mercy on, and preserve us, O God, by Your grace.
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
Having asked for a day that is perfect, holy, peaceful, and sinless, let us entrust ourselves, one another, and our whole life to Christ our God.
Choir: To You, O Lord.
We give thanks to You, O Lord our God, for the communion of Your holy, most pure, immortal, and heavenly Mysteries, which You have given us for our benefit, sanctification, and the healing of our souls and bodies. You Yourself, Lord of all, grant that our partaking of the holy Body and Blood of Your Christ may lead us to unashamed faith, sincere love, wisdom in living, healing of soul and body, repulsion of every adversary, observance of Your commandments, and a favorable judgment at the dreadful judgment of Your Christ.
The priest proclaims:
For You are our sanctification, and to You we send up glory—to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit—now and always, and forever and ever.
Choir: Amen.
Priest: Let us go in peace!
Choir: In the name of the Lord.
Deacon: Let us pray to the Lord!
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
O Lord, who blesses those who bless You and sanctifies those who trust in You! Save Your people and bless Your inheritance; preserve the fullness of Your Church; sanctify those who love the splendor of Your house! Glorify them with Your divine power, and do not forsake us who hope in You. Grant peace to Your world, to Your churches, to Your priests, to Your army, and to all Your people. For every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from You, the Father of lights; and to You we send up glory, thanksgiving, and worship—to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit—now and always, and forever and ever.
[Chorus: Amen.]
The Mystery of Your economy has been fulfilled and accomplished, as far as it is in our power, Christ our God: for we have partaken of the memorial of Your death, beheld the image of Your resurrection, been filled with Your endless life, and have tasted Your inexhaustible bliss, which may You deign to grant to all of us in the age to come, through the grace of the Father without beginning, and of Your Holy, Good, and Life-giving Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
The deacon, entering through the north gate, consumes the Holy [Gifts] with reverence and utmost attention.
The priest, having come out of the sanctuary, distributes the antidoron to the people. Upon the conclusion of the psalm and the distribution of the antidoron, he proclaims:
[Priest:] May the Lord’s blessing [and mercy be] upon you, through His [divine grace] and love for mankind, always, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.
Choir: Amen.
Priest: Glory to You, Christ God, our hope, glory to You!
Choir: Glory, and now: Lord, have mercy. (3) Bless us.
[On Sunday: He who rose from the dead:]
On other days: Christ, our true God, through the prayers of His Most Pure Mother, the holy, glorious, and all-praised Apostles, the saints (names of the saints of the church and the day), our holy Father Basil the Great, Archbishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia, the holy and righteous God-bearers Joachim and Anna, and all the saints, will have mercy on us and save us, as the Good and Lover of Mankind.
And the “Many Years” is sung.
The priest, having entered the Holy Altar, recites the prayers of thanksgiving.
After the “Now You Dismiss Us”: the Trisagion. And after the “Our Father”:
Your voice has gone out across the whole earth, / for it has received your word: / through it you have divinely expounded the truths of the faith, / explained the nature of all that exists, / and adorned human customs— / O royal priest, venerable Father, / pray to Christ God for the salvation of our souls.
You appeared as the unshakable foundation of the Church, / bestowing upon all people an inviolable heritage / and sealing it with your teachings, / you who open the gates of heaven, Venerable Basil.
End of the Divine Liturgy of [Saint] Basil the Great.
The deacon, standing at the ambo as is customary, proclaims:
Bless, Your Grace!
The priest, standing before the holy altar as is customary, proclaims:
Blessed be the Kingdom of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages.
Choir: Amen.
[Reader]: Come, let us worship: (3)
And the introductory [103] psalm. After the psalm, the deacon recites the Great Ektenia.
[Deacon:] Let us pray to the Lord in peace.
Choir [after each petition]: Lord, have mercy.
Let us pray to the Lord for peace from on high and for the salvation of our souls.
Let us pray to the Lord for peace throughout the world, for the prosperity of God’s holy Churches, and for the unity of all.
For this holy temple and for all who enter it with faith, reverence, and the fear of God, let us pray to the Lord.
Let us pray to the Lord for our Great Lord and Father, His Holiness the Patriarch (name), and for our Lord, His Eminence the Metropolitan (or: Archbishop, or: Bishop—name), the venerable presbytery, the diaconate in Christ, the entire clergy, and the people of God.
Let us pray to the Lord for our God-protected country, its authorities, and its armed forces.
Let us pray to the Lord for this city (or: this settlement, or: this holy monastery), for every city and country, and for those who live in them by faith.
Let us pray to the Lord for favorable weather, for an abundance of the earth’s fruits, and for times of peace.
Let us pray to the Lord for those at sea, those traveling, the sick, the suffering, the captives, and for their salvation.
Let us pray to the Lord for deliverance from all sorrow, anger, [danger], and need.
Defend, save, have mercy on, and preserve us, O God, by Your grace.
Having commemorated our Most Holy, Most Pure, Most Blessed, and Glorious Lady, the Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary, together with all the saints, let us entrust ourselves, one another, and our entire lives to Christ our God.
Chorus: To You, O Lord.
O Lord, generous and merciful, long-suffering and abounding in mercy! Hear our prayer and listen to the voice of our supplication. Work a sign of blessing upon us; guide us in Your way, that we may walk in Your truth; gladden our hearts, that we may fear Your holy name. For You are great and work wonders, You, the One God, and there is none like You among the gods, O Lord, mighty in mercy and good in power, to help, comfort, and save all who hope in Your holy name.
Acclamation: For all glory, honor, and worship are due to You, to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and forever and ever.
Chorus: Amen.
To the Lord in my distress: (Ps 119–123)
During the reading of the first antiphon, the antimension is unfolded, the diskos is carried to the altar, and adoration is performed; the Holy Lamb is placed on the diskos, and adoration is performed again.}
Deacon: Let us pray to the Lord again and again in peace.
Choir [after each petition]: Lord, have mercy.
Defend, save, have mercy on, and preserve us, O God, by Your grace.
Having commemorated our Most Holy, Most Pure, Most Blessed, and Glorious Lady, the Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary, together with all the saints, let us entrust ourselves, one another, and our whole lives to Christ our God.
Choir: To You, O Lord.
Lord, do not rebuke us in Your wrath, nor punish us with Your anger, but deal with us according to Your mercy, O Physician and Healer of our souls. Lead us to the haven You desire, enlighten the eyes of our hearts to know Your truth, and grant us the remainder of this day to be peaceful and sinless, as well as the rest of our lives, through the intercession of the Holy Mother of God and all the saints.
Acclamation: For Yours is the power, and Yours is the Kingdom, and the strength, and the glory, of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages.
Chorus: Amen.
Those Who Hope in the Lord: (Psalms 124–128)
During the reading of the second antiphon, prostration takes place, followed by the incensing of the altar with a candle, and then prostration again.}
Deacon: Let us pray to the Lord again and again in peace.
Choir [after each petition]: Lord, have mercy.
Defend, save, have mercy on, and preserve us, O God, by Your grace.
Having commemorated our Most Holy, Most Pure, Most Blessed, and Glorious Lady, the Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary, together with all the saints, let us entrust ourselves, one another, and our whole lives to Christ our God.
Choir: To You, O Lord.
Lord, our God, remember us, Your sinful and unworthy servants, when we call upon Your name, and do not put us to shame as we hope in Your mercy, but grant us, O Lord, all that is needed for our salvation, and make us worthy to love and fear You with all our hearts and to fulfill Your will in all things.
Exclamation: For You are a good and merciful God, and to You we send up glory, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and forever and ever.
Chorus: Amen.
From the depths I have cried out to You: (Ps. 129–133)
During the reading of the third antiphon, three bows are made; the Holy Lamb is carried to the altar—at this time the congregation prostrates themselves; wine and water are poured into the chalice; the Holy Gifts are covered; incense is offered; a candle is placed before the Holy Gifts; and worship is offered once more.}
Deacon: Let us pray to the Lord again and again in peace.
Choir [after each petition]: Lord, have mercy.
Defend, save, have mercy on, and preserve us, O God, by Your grace.
Having commemorated our Most Holy, Most Pure, Most Blessed, and Glorious Lady, the Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary, together with all the saints, let us entrust ourselves, one another, and our whole life to Christ our God.
Choir: To You, O Lord.
You who are sung of by the holy Powers with unceasing songs and ceaseless praises, fill our lips with praise to You, that Your holy name may be exalted. And grant us a share and a portion with all who truly fear You and keep Your commandments, through the intercession of the Holy Mother of God and all Your saints.
Acclamation: For You are our God, the God who has mercy and saves; and to You we send up glory—to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit—now and ever, and to the ages of ages.
Chorus: Amen.
[Then] Psalms 140, 141, 129, and 116 are sung with stichera on the refrain “O Lord, I have cried out,” [while at the same time] the deacon performs [a full] incensation of [the church] according to the liturgical order. And the entrance with the censer [or with the Gospel, if it is being read].
In the evening, in the morning, and at noon, we praise, bless, give thanks to, and pray to You, Sovereign of all, O God who loves mankind! Direct our prayer like incense before Your face, and do not let our hearts stray toward wicked words or thoughts, but deliver us from all that ensnares our souls; for to You, O Lord, O Lord, our eyes look, and in You we trust; do not put us to shame, O our God. For all glory, honor, and worship are due to You, to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and forever and ever. Amen.
At the end of the stichera, the deacon (or priest) proclaims:
Wisdom! Let us stand in reverence!
And the choir sings: The joyful light of holy glory:
Deacon: Let us listen.
Priest: Peace be with all.
Choir: And to your spirit.
Deacon: Wisdom.
Reader: Prokeimenon, tone [(such-and-such); and we sing the Prokeimenon from the Triodion.
Deacon: Wisdom.
Reader: A reading from Genesis.
Deacon: Let us listen.]
And [we read] Genesis.
[Deacon: Wisdom.
Reader: Prokeimenon, tone (such-and-such);] and [we sing] the second prokeimenon.
Then the deacon proclaims: “Command!”
After [these words], the priest, holding a candle and a censer in both hands [and making the sign of the cross with them], proclaims, looking toward the east: Wisdom! Let us stand in reverence!
And then, turning westward toward the congregation [prostrate on the ground]: The light of Christ enlightens all!
And the reader reads the [second] parimias: [Reading from the Proverbs.]
If [according to the liturgical order] a [service] with a vigil or polyeleos is scheduled for the following day, the parimias for the feast or saint are also read. And after “May it be directed:,” the deacon recites the [extended] ektenia.
[Deacon: Let us listen.
Reading from the Book of Proverbs.
Priest: Peace be with you.
Reader: And to your spirit.
Deacon: Wisdom.
And we sing, “Let my prayer be directed”: Ps. 140:2, 1, 3–4. During the singing, everyone lies prostrate, while the presider, standing before the altar, censes it and then the altar of sacrifice.
Canonarch: Let my prayer be directed, / like incense, before Your face, / the lifting up of my hands /—like the evening sacrifice.
Choir: Let my prayer be directed:
Canonarch: O Lord, I have called upon You; hear me, / give ear to the voice of my supplication, / when I call upon You.
Chorus: May my prayer rise up:
Canonarch: Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth, / and a barrier over my lips.
Choir: May my prayer be directed:
Canonarch: Do not let my heart turn to wicked words / to invent excuses for my sins.
Chorus: May my prayer be directed:
Canonarch: May my prayer be directed, / like incense, before Your face.
Chorus: The lifting up of my hands / is like the evening sacrifice.
Then, according to custom, we make three bows with a prayer:
Lord and Master of my life, do not deliver me to the spirit of idleness, vanity, lust for power, and idle talk. (Bow)
But grant me, Your servant, the spirit of chastity, humility, patience, and love. (Bow)
Yes, O Lord—King, grant that I may see my own sins and not condemn my brother, for You are blessed forever and ever. Amen. (Bow) ]
If a saint’s feast day or a church feast day falls during a period of [strict] fasting, then the deacon (or priest) proclaims: “Let us listen.” The reader then recites the prokeimenon of the Epistle, the Epistle is read, the Alleluia is sung, and the Gospel is read. Then the following ektenia follows:
Deacon: Let us all cry out with all our hearts and with all our minds.
Choir [after each petition]: O Lord, have mercy.
O Lord Almighty, God of our fathers, we pray to You: hear us and have mercy.
Have mercy on us, O God, according to Your great mercy; we pray to You, hear us and have mercy.
Choir: O Lord, have mercy (three times—here and throughout).
We also pray for our Great Lord and Father, His Holiness the Patriarch (name), and for our Lord, His Eminence the Metropolitan (or: Archbishop, or: Bishop—name), and for all our brotherhood in Christ.
We also pray for our God-protected country, its authorities, and its armed forces, that we may lead a peaceful and tranquil life in all piety and purity.
We also pray for our brother priests, monastic priests, [deacons, and monks], and for our entire brotherhood in Christ.
We also pray for the blessed and ever-memorable founders of this holy church (or: this holy monastery), and for all our fathers and brothers who have departed before us, both here and everywhere, who are Orthodox.
We also pray for mercy, life, peace, health, salvation, divine visitation, forgiveness, and the remission of sins for the servants of God, the brethren {and parishioners} of this holy church (or: this holy monastery).
We also pray for those who make offerings and do good deeds in this holy and most sacred church, for those who labor, sing, and stand in worship here, awaiting Your great and abundant mercy.
Lord our God, accept this fervent prayer from Your servants, and have mercy on us according to the abundance of Your mercy; and pour out Your bounty upon us and upon all Your people, who await Your inexhaustible mercy.
The priest proclaims: For You are a merciful and loving God, and to You we send up glory, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and forever and ever.
Choir: Amen.
And once again the deacon recites the litany:
Deacon: Let us pray to the Lord, catechumens!
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
Deacon: Let us pray, faithful, for the catechumens, that the Lord may have mercy on them.
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
He has proclaimed the word of truth to them.
He has revealed to them the Gospel of truth.
He has united them with His holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.
Save, have mercy on, protect, and preserve them, O God, by Your grace.
Deacon: Those being catechized, bow your heads before the Lord!
Choir: To You, O Lord.
God, our God, Creator and Maker of all things, who desires that all may be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth! Look upon Your catechumens, Your servants, and deliver them from the ancient deception and wiles of the adversary, and call them to eternal life, enlightening their souls and bodies and counting them among Your spiritual flock, upon which Your holy name is invoked.
Acclamation: So that they, too, may glorify with us Your all-holy and majestic Name—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—now and ever and to the ages of ages.
Choir: Amen.
And the deacon proclaims: All catechumens, depart! Catechumens, depart! All catechumens, depart! Let none of the catechumens, but only the faithful, pray to the Lord again and again in peace!
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
This is recited only until the Wednesday of the fourth week of [Great] Lent. But from [that] Wednesday, [that is,] from the middle of Lent, after the priest’s words:
“So that they too may glorify Him with us:”
The deacon recites the following petitions at all Liturgies of the Presanctified Gifts, even on feast days:
Deacon: All who are to be catechized, come forward! Those to be catechized, come forward! All who are preparing for baptism, come forward! Pray, you who are preparing for baptism!
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
Deacon: Let us pray, faithful, for our brothers preparing for Holy Baptism and for their salvation to the Lord.
Choir [after each petition]: Lord, have mercy.
May the Lord our God establish and strengthen them.
May He enlighten them with the light of knowledge and piety.
May He grant them, in due time, the baptism of rebirth, the forgiveness of sins, and the garment of incorruption.
May He regenerate them through water and the Spirit.
May He grant them the perfection of faith.
May He number them among His holy and chosen flock.
Save, have mercy on, protect, and preserve them, O God, by Your grace.
Deacon: You who are preparing for baptism, bow your heads before the Lord!
Choir: To You, O Lord.
Show, O Lord, Your face to those preparing for Holy Baptism and desiring to cast off the stain of sin. Enlighten their minds, strengthen them in faith, establish them in hope, perfect them in love, and make them worthy members of the Body of Christ, who gave Himself as a ransom for our souls.
Acclamation: For You are our light, and to You we send up glory—to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit—now and ever and to the ages of ages.
Chorus: Amen.
Deacon: All who are preparing for instruction, come forward! Those who are preparing for instruction, come forward! All catechumens, come forward! Let none of the catechumens, but only the faithful, pray to the Lord again and again in peace!
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
Here the intercessions, recited only from the middle of the fourth week of Great Lent, come to an end.
Deacon: Protect, save, have mercy on, and preserve us, O God, by Your grace.
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
Deacon: O Wisdom!
O God, great and worthy of praise, who through the life-giving death of Your Christ have brought us from corruption to incorruption! You have freed all our senses from the deadening effects of passion, appointing to them a good guide—inner discernment. May our eyes turn away from every evil gaze, may our ears be closed to idle talk, and may our tongues be cleansed of unseemly speech. Purify our lips that praise You, O Lord; cause our hands to refrain from evil deeds and to do only what is pleasing to You, strengthening all the members of our body and our mind with Your grace.
The priest proclaims: For to You belongs all glory, honor, and worship, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and forever and ever.
Choir: Amen.
Deacon: Let us pray again and again to the Lord in peace!
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
(When the priest is celebrating alone, he does not recite the following [four] petitions:
Let us pray to the Lord for peace from on high and for the salvation of our souls.
Let us pray to the Lord for peace throughout the world, for the prosperity of God’s holy Churches, and for the unity of all.
Let us pray to the Lord for this holy temple and for all who enter it with faith, reverence, and the fear of God.
Let us pray to the Lord for our deliverance from every sorrow, anger, misfortune, and need.)
Defend, save, have mercy on, and preserve us, O God, by Your grace.
O Wisdom!
Holy and Most Blessed Lord! We beseech You, who are rich in mercy, to be merciful to us sinners and to make us worthy to receive Your only-begotten Son and our God, the King of Glory. For behold, His most pure Body and life-giving Blood, entering at this very hour, are to be offered at this mystical banquet, invisibly accompanied by a multitude of the heavenly host. Grant that we may partake of them not to our condemnation, so that, enlightened by them through the eye of the mind, we may become children of light and of the day.
The priest proclaims: Through the gift of Your Christ, with whom You are blessed, together with Your all-holy, good, and life-giving Spirit, now and always, and forever and ever.
Choir: Amen.
And [instead of the Cherubic Hymn, a special hymn is sung]:
Now the Heavenly Powers minister invisibly with us, / for behold, the King of Glory enters; behold, the Sacrifice, mysterious and perfect, is accompanied by them. / Let us approach with faith and love, / that we may become partakers of eternal life. / Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
While this is being sung, the deacon enters the holy altar through the north doors and censes the holy throne, the altar, and the priest. Then [the priest and deacon], standing together, recite three times with raised hands: “Now the heavenly powers”:
And, after bowing three times, they proceed to [the altar] and carry the Holy Gifts according to custom. During the procession, they say nothing. And, upon entering [the sanctuary], the priest places them on the holy throne according to custom and covers them with the veil, saying nothing, but only incenses them.
[After entering the sanctuary, the choir concludes the hymn:
With faith and love let us approach, / that we may become partakers of eternal life. / Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Then, according to custom, the prayer of St. Ephrem the Syrian is recited, accompanied by three bows (see p.66 )]
The deacon then goes to his usual place and recites the supplications:
Deacon: Let us offer our evening prayer to the Lord.
Choir [after each petition]: Lord, have mercy.
Let us pray for the holy Gifts offered and presanctified to the Lord.
That our God, the Lover of mankind, having accepted them upon His holy, heavenly, and incorporeal altar as a fragrant spiritual offering, may send down upon us divine grace and the gift of the Holy Spirit; let us pray.
Let us pray to the Lord that He may deliver us from every sorrow, anger, [danger], and need.
Defend, save, have mercy on, and preserve us, O God, by Your grace.
We ask the Lord for this perfect, holy, peaceful, and sinless Supper.
Choir [after each petition]: Grant it, O Lord.
We ask the Lord for the Angel of Peace, our faithful guide and guardian of our souls and bodies.
We ask the Lord for forgiveness and remission of our sins and transgressions.
We ask of the Lord for what is good and beneficial to our souls and for peace in the world.
We ask the Lord to allow us to spend the remainder of our lives in this world in peace and repentance.
We ask for a Christian death—painless, honorable, and peaceful—and for a favorable judgment at Christ’s Last Judgment.
Having sought unity of faith and communion in the Holy Spirit, let us entrust ourselves, one another, and our entire lives to Christ our God.
Chorus: To You, O Lord.
The priest prays:
God of ineffable and invisible Mysteries, in Whom all the riches of wisdom and knowledge are hidden! You have revealed this service to us and, through Your great love for mankind, have enabled us, sinners that we are, to offer You gifts and sacrifices for our transgressions and for the sins of the people committed in ignorance. You Yourself, the invisible King, who works great and incomprehensible, glorious and wondrous deeds beyond number, look upon us, Your unworthy servants, standing before this holy altar as before Your cherubim-adorned throne, upon which Your Only-Begotten Son and our God rests through the awesome Mysteries set before us. And having freed us and Your faithful people from all impurity, sanctify the souls and bodies of us all with an ineffable sanctification, so that with a clear conscience, with an unashamed face, and with an enlightened heart, as we partake of these divine Holy Gifts and are quickened by them, we may be united with Your Christ Himself, our true God, who said: “Whoever eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood abides in Me, and I in him,” so that, with Your Word dwelling and walking within us, O Lord, may we become a temple of Your All-Holy and worshiped Spirit, having been delivered from every deceit of the devil, whether acting in deed, word, or thought, and may we receive the blessings promised to us, together with all Your saints who have pleased You throughout the ages.
The priest proclaims: And grant us, O Lord, the boldness to call upon You, the Heavenly God, the Father, without fear of condemnation, and to proclaim:
The people: Our Father, who art in heaven! Hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors; 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 always, and forever and ever.
Choir: Amen.
Priest: Peace be with you all!
Choir: And to your spirit.
Deacon: Let us bow our heads before the Lord!
Choir: To You, O Lord.
The priest, bowing, prays:
O God, the only good and merciful One, who dwells on high and looks down upon the earth! Look with a merciful eye upon all Your people and preserve them, and grant that we may all partake of these life-giving Mysteries of Yours without condemnation, for we have bowed our heads before You, awaiting Your inexhaustible mercy.
Acclamation: Through the grace, 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 ever, and to the ages of ages.
Chorus: Amen.
The Priest prays: Hear us, Lord Jesus Christ, our God, from Your holy dwelling place and from the throne of Glory of Your Kingdom, and come to sanctify us, You who sit on high with the Father and dwell invisibly here with us. And deign, with Your mighty hand, to bestow upon us Your most pure Body and precious Blood, and through us, upon all the people.
After the prayer, the priest and deacon bow three times, saying:
O God, cleanse me, a sinner. (3)
The priest, then, placing his hand [in the air] over the Holy Gifts, touches the Life-Giving Bread with reverence and awe. And after the deacon’s exclamation:
Let us listen!
The priest proclaims: The Pre-sanctified Gifts—to the saints!
Choir: One is holy, / one is the Lord, / Jesus Christ, / to the glory of God the Father. / Amen.
Then the priest sets aside the holy veil [and the star] and, according to custom, performs the Holy Communion of the Divine Gifts.
Meanwhile, the choir sings the Communion hymn.
Taste—and see how good the Lord is. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
If [on a feast day] the Epistle and Gospel of the saint or the church were read, another Communion hymn is sung according to the rule.
The deacon enters the holy altar and, standing to the right of the priest, says:
Break, O Lord, the Holy Bread.
The priest breaks [the Holy Lamb] into four parts with great care, saying:
The Lamb of God is broken and divided, broken yet undivided, always to be partaken of and never exhausted, but sanctifying those who partake.
And he places a particle [of the Holy Lamb] into the Holy Chalice without saying a word. [Then he blesses the wine], and the deacon silently pours it into the Holy Chalice. And he stands a short distance away.
The priest then says: “Deacon, come forward.”
And the deacon, approaching, reverently bows, according to custom, saying:
Behold, I come to Christ, the immortal King and my God. Grant me, O Lord, the Precious and Holy Body and Blood of the Lord, and God, and our Savior Jesus Christ.
The priest then says:
(To [Name], the deacon), the Precious, Holy, and Most Pure Body and Blood of our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ are given for the forgiveness of his sins and for eternal life.
And, having kissed the hand that offered him the Holy Mysteries, the deacon departs and, standing behind the holy altar with his head bowed, prays as the priest does, saying: “I believe, O Lord,” and so on.
In the same way, the priest, having taken a portion of the Holy Mysteries, says:
The precious and most holy Body and Blood of our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ are given to me, (name), the priest, for the forgiveness of my sins and for eternal life.
And, bowing his head, he prays, saying: “I believe, O Lord, and I confess: I am a partaker of Your mystical Supper.” And: “May it not be for judgment or condemnation,” and so on until the end.
And he partakes of the Most Pure Body of Christ with reverence and firm faith. Then the priest, taking a sponge, wipes his hand, saying:
Glory to You, O God: three times.
And, after kissing the lip, he places [it] back in its place. He also takes the holy chalice with the veil in both hands and drinks from it without saying a word. Then he wipes his lips and the rim of the holy chalice with the veil and places it on the holy altar. And, having tasted the antidoron, he washes his hands and lips, and, stepping slightly aside, recites the prayer of thanksgiving:
We give thanks to You, O God, Savior of all: (see below, p.80 ) until the end.
The deacon, however, does not drink from the chalice at that time, but [does so] after the prayer behind the ambo and the consumption of the remaining particles of the Holy Mysteries. (If, however, the priest celebrates alone without a deacon, he also does not drink from the chalice after receiving the Holy Mysteries, but [does so] after the conclusion of the Liturgy and the consumption of the Holy Mysteries. For although the wine is consecrated by the insertion of a particle, it is not transubstantiated into the Divine Blood, since the words of consecration were not recited over it, as is the case in the Liturgies of St. Basil the Great and St. John Chrysostom.) The deacon, taking the holy Diskos, holds it over the holy Chalice and dips [the particles] of the Holy [Mystery], without saying anything; and, after bowing three times, he opens the Royal Doors.
Deacon: Approach with the fear of God, with faith [and love]!
The choir sings: I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall ever be on my lips.
{Before the faithful receive Communion, the priest, according to custom, recites the following prayers:
I believe, O Lord, and I confess that You are truly Christ, the Son of the living God, who came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the first. I also believe that this is Your most pure Body, and this is Your most precious Blood. I pray to You, therefore: have mercy on me and forgive me my sins, both voluntary and involuntary, committed in word and deed, knowingly and through ignorance, and grant that I may partake of Your most pure Mysteries not to my condemnation, but for the forgiveness of sins and eternal life. Amen.
As a participant in Your mystical Supper / on this day, Son of God, accept me. / For I will not reveal Your secrets to Your enemies, / nor will I give You a kiss like that of Judas. / But like the thief, I will confess You: / “Remember me, Lord, in Your Kingdom!”
May my partaking of Your most pure Mysteries, O Lord, be not for judgment nor condemnation, but for the healing of soul and body.}
And those who wish to receive Communion approach one by one, bowing with all reverence and fear, their hands folded upon their chests. And each one receives the Divine Mysteries. The priest, as he administers Communion to each one, says:
May the servant of God, (name), partake of the precious and holy Body and Blood of our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of his sins and for eternal life. Amen.
After [Communion], the priest, [blessing the people], proclaims: Save, O God, Your people and bless Your inheritance.
And the choir sings: “Taste the heavenly bread and the cup of life—and you will see that the Lord is good.” Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
And, having incensed the Holy [Gifts] three times, he hands the censer to the deacon. Then he takes the Holy Diskos and places it on the deacon’s head. The deacon, having received it with reverence, looking [through the open Royal] Doors outside the altar, without saying a word, goes to the altar and places [the Holy Diskos upon it]. The priest, having bowed, takes the Holy Chalice and, turning toward the [Royal] Doors, gazes at the congregation and says quietly:
Blessed be our God.
And, raising his voice: “Always, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.”
And he carries the Holy [Gifts] to the altar.
Choir: Amen.
May our lips be filled / with praise to You, O Lord, / so that we may sing of Your Glory, / for You have deemed us worthy to partake / of Your holy (divine, immortal, and life-giving) Mysteries. / Preserve us in Your sanctification, / so that we may meditate on Your truth all day long. / Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
The deacon proclaims:
Let us stand in reverence! Having received the divine, holy, most pure, immortal, heavenly, and life-giving, awe-inspiring Mysteries of Christ, let us worthily give thanks to the Lord!
Choir [after each petition]: O Lord, have mercy.
Protect, save, have mercy on, and preserve us, O God, by Your grace.
Having asked for an evening that is perfect, holy, peaceful, and sinless, let us entrust ourselves, one another, and our whole life to Christ our God.
Choir: To You, O Lord.
Priest: We give thanks to You, God and Savior of all, for all the blessings You have bestowed upon us, and for the communion of the holy Body and Blood of Your Christ. And we pray to You, O Lord, Lover of mankind: preserve us under the shelter of Your wings and grant that, until our last breath, we may worthily partake of Your Holy Gifts, for the enlightenment of soul and body, and for the inheritance of the Kingdom of Heaven.
Antiphon: For You are our sanctification, and to You we send up glory, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and forever and ever.
Choir: Amen.
Priest: Let us go in peace!
Choir: In the name of the Lord.
Deacon: Let us pray to the Lord!
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
Almighty Lord, who created all things with wisdom, and who, through Your ineffable providence and great goodness, has led us into these most holy days—for the purification of our souls and bodies, for abstinence from passions, and for the hope of the Resurrection! You, who forty days later handed the tablets—the divine inscriptions—to Your servant Moses, grant us also O Blessed One, to strive in good deeds, to complete the path of fasting, to preserve undivided faith, to crush the heads of invisible serpents, to appear as victors over sin, and to reach the celebration of the holy Resurrection without condemnation. For blessed and glorified is Your all-holy and majestic Name, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and always, and forever and ever.
Chorus: Amen.
Chorus: May the name of the Lord be blessed from now on and forever. (3)
Glory, and now: Psalm 33: I will bless the Lord:
O Lord our God, who has brought us into these most holy days and made us partakers of Your awesome Mysteries! Join us to Your flock and make us heirs of Your Kingdom, now and always, and forever and ever. Amen.
The priest then exits [the sanctuary] and, standing in his usual place, distributes the antidoron.
[Priest:] May the Lord’s blessing [and mercy] be upon you, through His [divine] grace and love for mankind, always, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.
Choir: Amen.
Priest: Glory to You, Christ God, our hope, glory to You!
Choir: Glory, and now: Lord, have mercy. (3) Bless us.]
Then the priest pronounces the dismissal:
Christ, our true God, through the prayers of His Most Pure Mother, (and so on, according to the day of the week, the saints of the church, and the feast day), our holy father Gregory the Dialogist, Pope of Rome, [the holy and righteous God-bearers Joachim and Anna] and all the saints, may He have mercy on us and save us, as the Good and Lover of Mankind.
This is how the dismissal is recited until Holy Week; during Holy Week, a separate dismissal is recited.
[Through the prayers of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ, our God, have mercy on us and save us.
Chorus: Amen.] And the “Many Years” is sung.}
After the dismissal, prayers of thanksgiving are [read] (see above, p.49 ).
Also: Now You dismiss us: The Trisagion. And after the Lord’s Prayer:
Having received divine grace from on high, / glorious Gregory, from God, / and strengthened by His power, / you desired to walk the path of the Gospel— / therefore, all-blessed one, you received your reward for your labors from Christ— / pray to Him that He may save our souls.
You, Father Gregory, have become an imitator of Christ, the Chief Shepherd, / guiding multitudes of monks into the heavenly court; / therefore, you taught Christ’s sheep His commandments. / Now you rejoice and celebrate with them / in the heavenly abodes.}
A sure protection for Christians, / An unchanging intercession before the Creator! / Do not despise the prayerful voices of sinners, / but come quickly, O Good One, to our aid, / as we call upon You with faith: / “Hasten with Your intercession and hasten Your prayer, O Mother of God, / always protecting those who honor You!”
End of the Divine Liturgy of the Presanctified [Gifts].
The priest proclaims: Blessed be our God always, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.
Reader: Amen. The Trisagion. Glory, and now: Most Holy Trinity: Lord, have mercy. (3) Glory, and now: Our Father:
Priest: For Thine is the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory, of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, now and always, and forever and ever.
Reader: Amen. Lord, have mercy. (12) Glory, and now: Come, let us worship: (3)
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide under the shadow of the God of heaven. He will say to the Lord, “You are my shield and my refuge, my God, in whom I trust.” For He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. He will hide you under His shelter, and you will take refuge under His wings—His truth will surround you like a shield. You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day; nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the destruction that strikes at noon. A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only look on with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. For You, O Lord, are my hope! You have made the Most High your refuge. No evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your tent; for He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways—they will bear you up in their hands, lest you strike your foot against a stone. You will tread upon the asp and the viper; you will trample the lion and the dragon. “For he has trusted in Me, and I will deliver him; I will protect him, for he has known My name. He will call upon Me, and I will answer him; I am with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him; I will satisfy him with long life and show him My salvation.”
Glory, and now: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, glory to You, O God. (3)
With the spirits of the righteous who have departed, / grant rest to the souls of Your servants, O Savior, / preserving them in the blessed life / that is with You, O Lover of mankind.
In Your place of rest, O Lord, / where all Your saints find peace, / grant rest also to the souls of Your servants, / for You alone are the Lover of mankind.
Glory: You are our God, who descended into Hades / and put an end to the torments of the captives; / grant rest, Yourself, to the souls of Your servants.
And now: O One, Pure, and Immaculate Virgin, / who bore God in your womb in a manner beyond words, / intercede for the salvation of the souls of your servants.
Priest: Have mercy on us, O God, according to Your great mercy; we pray to You, hear us and have mercy.
Choir: Lord, have mercy. (three times—here and throughout)
We also pray for the repose of the souls of God’s departed servants (names), and for the forgiveness of all their sins, both voluntary and involuntary.
May the Lord God settle their souls where the righteous find rest.
We ask for God’s mercy, the Kingdom of Heaven, and the forgiveness of their sins from Christ, our immortal King and God.
Choir: Grant this, O Lord.
Priest: Let us pray to the Lord!
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
God of spirits and of all flesh, who has conquered death and vanquished the devil, and who has granted life to Your world! You Yourself, O Lord, grant rest to the souls of Your departed servants (names) in a place of light, in a place of bliss, in a place of joy, from which torment, sorrow, and groaning have departed. Forgive every sin they have committed in word, deed, or thought, as a good and merciful God. For there is no one who lives and does not sin, for You alone are without sin; Your righteousness is everlasting, and Your word is truth.
For You are the resurrection, the life, and the rest of Your departed servants (names), Christ our God, and to You we send up glory, together with Your Father without beginning, and Your all-holy, good, and life-giving Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages.
Chorus: Amen.
Priest: Glory to You, Christ our God, our hope; glory to You.
Choir: Glory, and now: Lord, have mercy. (3) Bless us.
(Who reigns over the living and the dead), Christ, who rose from the dead, our true God, through the prayers of His Most Pure Mother, the holy, glorious, and all-praised Apostles, our venerable and God-bearing Fathers, and all His saints, may He settle the souls of His servants who have departed from us (names) may He settle them in the dwellings of the righteous, grant them rest in the bosom of Abraham, and number them among the righteous; and may He have mercy on us, as the Good and Lover of Mankind.
Chorus: Amen.
Grant eternal rest in blessed repose, O Lord, to Your departed servants (names), and grant them eternal remembrance!
The choir sings three times: “May his memory be eternal.”
Our Lord Jesus Christ, by His divine grace, gift, and authority to bind and loose human sins—which He bestowed upon His holy disciples and Apostles when He said to them: “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven; if you retain anyone’s sins, they are retained”; and: “Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven,” and which has come to us by succession from them, may He grant forgiveness through me, a humble servant, to this spiritual child (name) in everything in which he [or: she] has sinned as a human being before God—in word, deed, or thought, and with all his or her senses—willingly or unwillingly, consciously or out of ignorance. If, however, he [or: she] has been placed under a ban or excommunication by a bishop or priest, or if he [or: she] has brought upon himself [or herself] the curse of his [or her] father or mother, or has fallen under his [or her] own curse, or has broken an oath, or has been bound by any other sins as a human being, but has repented of all this with a contrite heart, may he [or she] be freed from all guilt and bonds. Yet whatever he [or she] has forgotten due to the weakness of human nature, let all that be forgiven him [or: her], for the sake of His love for mankind, through the prayers of our most holy and most blessed Lady, the Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary, the holy, glorious, and all-praised Apostles, and all the saints; amen.
After the prayer behind the ambo, the artos is brought out before the Royal Doors, incensed three times, and the following prayer is recited by the presider:
Almighty God, Lord Almighty! Through Your servant Moses, You commanded that, upon the exodus of Israel from Egypt and the liberation of Your people from the bitter bondage of Pharaoh, a lamb be slaughtered, foreshadowing the Lamb who was willingly sacrificed for us on the Cross, who takes away the sins of the whole world, Your beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have received deliverance and liberation from eternal bondage to the enemy and deliverance from the unbreakable bonds of hell. So we, Your servants, in honor and glory, and in remembrance of the glorious Resurrection of Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, now on this all-luminous, most glorious, and salvific day of Pascha, as we present this bread before Your majesty, humbly beseech You: look upon this bread, bless it, and sanctify it. As for us who have brought it, who kiss it, and who partake of it, make us partakers of Your heavenly blessing, and by Your power remove every sickness and infirmity from us, granting health to all. For You are the source of blessings and the Giver of healing, and to You we send up glory, to the Father without beginning, with Your Only-Begotten Son, and Your Most Holy and Good Life-Giving Spirit, now and always, and forever and ever. Amen.
And he sprinkles the artos three times with holy water, saying: “This artos is blessed and consecrated by the sprinkling of this holy water, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”
Deacon: Let us pray to the Lord.
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
O God, our Savior, who deigned to call Your Only-Begotten Son, our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ, “the true vine,” and through Him granted us the fruit of immortality! Bless this fruit of the vine now as well, and make us, Your servants who partake of it, partakers of the True Vine; preserve our lives in safety, and grant us peace always, and adorn our lives with Your eternal and unchanging gifts, through the prayers of our Most Pure Lady, the Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary, and of all Your saints who have pleased You from of old. For You are the Good and Philanthropic God, and to You we send up glory, to the Beginningless Father, with Your Only-Begotten Son and with Your Most Holy, Good, and Life-Giving Spirit, now and always, and forever and ever. Amen.
Lord, bless this new fruit of the vine, which, under clear skies, through the favorable conditions of the air and the rain, has ripened by Your good pleasure by this time, so that it and its juice may serve us who partake of it, as a joy and a gift offered to You for the forgiveness of our sins, together with the consecrated and Holy Body of Your Christ, with Whom You are blessed, and with Your Most Holy, Good, and Life-giving Spirit, now and always, and forever and ever. Amen.
Deacon: Let us pray to the Lord.
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
Lord, our God, who has ordained that those who believe in You may enjoy Your creations, bless these fruits Yourself with Your word; we pray to You, through the mercy and love for mankind of Your Only-Begotten Son, with Whom You are blessed, together with Your Most Holy, Good, and Life-Giving Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Lord, our God, who has commanded everyone to offer to You willingly what is Yours from what is Yours, and who grants Your eternal blessings as a reward for this! Just as You graciously accepted the widow’s modest offering, so now accept from Your servant (name) what has been offered to You, and may it be worthily placed in the treasury of Your eternal blessings; and grant him abundantly to receive from You earthly blessings along with all that is beneficial to him.
For blessed is Your Name and glorified is Your Kingdom, of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, now and always, and forever and ever. Amen.