The priest, having put on theepitrachelion, standing before the holy table, and holding the censer inhis right hand, begins:
BLESSED is our God always, now and ever, and untoages or ages.
And he censes the holy table,the prothesis, the sanctuary, and the whole church and the people.
The reader, if it is duringthe Great Fast, reads the Trisagion, but, ifnot, he says immediately: Come, let us worship. . . thrice,and the Psalms:The Lord hear thee . . . and O Lord,in thy strength. . . Glory. . . Now and ... theTrisagion and Our Father . . . Thisis read without haste.
When the priest comes beforethe holy doors, he says:
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and theglory, of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever,and unto ages of ages.
Then the reader reads thesetroparia: O Lord, save thy people. . . Glory . . . O thou who wast lifted up upon the cross . . . , Both now . . . O Protection fearful. . .
Then the priest, havingcome into the sanctuary, says this litany:
Have mercy on
us, O God, according to thy great mercy,we pray thee, hearken and have mercy.
Choir: Lord,have
mercy. thrice
Again we pray
for our [lord,the Most Blessed] Metropolitan N.,and for our [lord,
the Right Reverend]Bishop N.
Choir: Lord,have
mercy. thrice
Again we pray
for all the brethren and for all Christians.
Choir: Lord,have
mercy. thrice
Exclamation:
For thou art a
merciful God who lovest man, and untothee do we send up glory, to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the HolySpirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.
Choir: Amen.
And immediately they say:
In the name of the Lord, bless, Father.
The
priest, making the signof the cross with the censer, standing before the holy
table, exclaims:
GLORY to the holy, consubstantial, life-creating,and
undivided Trinity always, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.
Choir: Amen.
Then we say the Six Psalms with all heed and godly fear, as if conversing with Christ ourGod Himself invisibly, and praying for our sins. After the third Psalm,the priest says the Matins Prayers, standing with head uncovered beforethe holy doors.
First Prayer
We give thanks unto thee, O Lord our
God, who hast raisedus up from our beds, and hast put into our mouths the word
of praise thatwe may worship and call upon thy holy name. We pray, by thy
compassionwhich thou hast always exercised in our life, send forth now also
thineaid upon those who stand before the presence of thy holy glory, and
awaitthe rich mercy which is from thee. And grant that they always with fearand
love may adore, praise and hymn thee, and worship thine indescribablegoodness.
For to thee belong all glory, honor, and worship,to the
Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, andunto ages of
ages. Amen.
Second Prayer
By night our spirit riseth early unto
thee, O our God,for thine ordinances are a light upon the earth. Make us to
understandthe perfection of righteousness and holiness in thy fear. We glorify
thee,O our God, who dost truly exist. Bow down thine ear and hear us;
rememberby name, O Lord, all those that are with us and pray with us, and
savethem by thy power. Bless thy people and sanctify thine inheritance.
Givepeace to thy world, to thy churches, to the priests, (to the
authorities,)and to all thy people.
For blessed and glorified is thine all-honorableand
magnificent name, of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,now and
ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Third Prayer
By night our spirit riseth early unto
thee, O God, forthine ordinances are a light. Teach us, O God, thy
righteousness, thy commandments,and thy statutes; enlighten the eyes of our
intelligence that we may neverfall asleep unto death in sin. Drive out all
gloom from our hearts. Grantunto us the Sun of Righteousness, and keep our life
unassailed by the sealof thy Holy Spirit. Direct our steps in the way of peace.
Give us the morning. and the day in joy, that we may send up morning prayers
unto thee.
For thine is the strength, and thine are the kingdom,and the
power, and the glory, of the Father, and of the Son, and of theHoly Spirit, now
and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Fourth Prayer
O Master, God, holy and unsearchable,
who didst commandthe light to shine forth from the darkness; who hast given us
rest in thesleep of the night, and hast raised us up to the glorification and
supplicationof thy goodness; we implore thy tenderheartedness, accept us also
now whoworship thee and give thanks unto thee according to our power; and
grantus all our petitions which are unto salvation. Show us to be sons of
thelight and of the day, and heirs of thine eternal good things. Remember,O
Lord, in the multitude of thy compassions, all thy people who are presentand
who pray with us, and all our brethren on land and on the sea and inall places
of thy dominion, who are in need of thy love toward man andof thy help; and
grant unto all thy great mercy, that, always remainingin safety of soul and
body, we may with boldness glorify thy won drousand blessed name.
For thou art the God of mercies, and of compassion,and of
love of man, and to thee do we send up glory, to the Father, andto the Son, and
to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.Amen.
Fifth Prayer
O Treasury of good things,
ever-flowing fountain, holyFather, wonderworker, all-powerful, almighty, we all
worship thee and prayunto thee, calling thy mercies and compassion to the help
and succor ofour humility. Remember, O Lord, thy suppliants; accept the morning
prayersof us all as incense before thee; and let not one of us be made
unfit,but encompass us all with thy compassion. Remember, O Lord, those who
watchand those who sing to thy glory, and to that of thine only-begotten Sonand
our God, and of thy Holy Spirit. Be thou their helper and succor. Acceptthou
their supplications upon thy most heavenly and ideal altar.
For thou art our God, and unto thee do we send upglory, to
the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever,and unto ages
of ages. Amen.
Sixth Prayer
We thank thee, O Lord God of our
salvation, for thoudoest all things for the welfare of our life, that we may
always set ourgaze upon thee, the Savior and Benefactor of our souls. For thou
hast givenus rest in that part of the night which is past, and hast roused us
upfrom our beds, and hast set us in the worship of thine honorable
name.Wherefore, we pray thee, O Lord, give us grace and power that we may
befound worthy to sing unto thee with wisdom and pray unto thee unceasinglyin
fear and trembling, accomplishing our own salvation with the succorof thy
Christ. Remember, O Lord, also those that cry out in the night untothee, hear
them, and have mercy. Crush under their feet invisible and warringenemies.
For thou art the King of peace and the Savior ofour souls,
and unto thee do we send up glory, to the Father, and to theSon, and to the
Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Seventh Prayer
O God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, who hastraised us from our beds, and hast gathered us together at the
hour of prayer,give us grace in the opening of our mouths, and accept the
thanks thatwe give according to our ability, and teach us thy statutes. For we
knownot how to pray as we ought, if thou, O Lord, by thy Holy Spirit, dostnot
lead us. Wherefore, we pray thee, remit, forgive, pardon whatsoeversins we have
committed until this present hour, in word, in deed, or inthought; for if thou
wilt regard transgression, O Lord, Lord, who shallstand? For with thee is
deliverance. For thou art holy, a helper, and thestrong defender of our life,
and our song shall always be of thee.
Blessed and glorified is the might of thy kingdom,of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever, andunto ages of
ages. Amen.
Eighth Prayer
O Lord our God, who hast banished
from us the slothfulnessof sleep and hast summoned us by a holy bidding, that
also in the nightwe may lift up our hands and confess unto thee the judgments
of thy righteousness,accept our prayers, supplications, confessions, and
nocturnal worship,and grant us, O God, faith unashamed, firm hope, and love
without hypocrisy.Bless our goings out and our comings in, our deeds, works,
words, and thoughts.And grant us to reach the beginning of the day praising,
singing, and blessingthe ineffable beneficence of thy goodness.
For blessed is thine all-holy name, and glorifiedis thy
kingdom, of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,now and ever,
and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Ninth Prayer
Make shine in our hearts, O Master
who lovest man, theincorrupt light of thy divine knowledge, and open the eyes
of our mindto the comprehension of the preaching of thy Gospel. Instill in us
alsothe fear of thy blessed commandments that, trampling down all carnal
desires,we may pursue a spiritual way of life, both considering and doing all
thingswell-pleasing unto thee.
For thou art the sanctification and the enlightenmentof our
souls and bodies, and unto thee do we send up glory, together withthy Father,
who is without beginning, and thine all-holy and good and life-creatingSpirit,
now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Tenth Prayer
O Lord our God, who hast granted
forgiveness unto menthrough repentance, and hast shown, as an example unto us
of the knowledgeof sins and confession, the repentance of the Prophet David
unto pardon,do thou thyself, O Master, in the manifold and great offenses into
whichwe have fallen, have mercy according to thy great mercy, and accordingto
the multitude of thy compassions, blot out our transgressions; for againstthee
have we sinned, O Lord, who knowest both the hidden and secret thingsof the
heart of man, and alone hast authority to forgive sins; inasmuchas thou hast
created a clean heart in us, and with thy guiding Spirit hastthou established us,
and hast made known unto us the joy of thy salvation,cast us not away from thy
face; but be graciously willing for us to offerunto thee even until our last
breath a sacrifice of righteousness and anoffering upon thy holy altars.
Through the mercies and compassion and love of manof thine
only-begotten Son, with whom thou art blessed, together with thineall-holy and
good and life-creating Spirit, now and ever, and unto agesof ages. Amen.
Eleventh Prayer
O God our God, who by thy will hast brought into being
intelligent andrational powers, we pray thee and supplicate thee, accept the
glorificationwhich together with all thy creatures we offer according to our
ability,and reward us with the rich gifts of thy goodness. For unto thee
everyknee doth bow, whether in heaven, on earth, or in the infernal regions,and
every breath and every creature doth sing thine unsearchable glory.For thou
alone art the true and most merciful God.
For all the powers of heaven praise thee, and untothee do we
send up glory, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the HolySpirit, now and
ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Twelfth Prayer
We praise thee, we hymn thee, we
bless thee, we givethanks unto thee, O God of our fathers, that thou hast
brought us throughthe shadows of the night and hast again shown us the light of
day. Butwe pray of thy goodness, cleanse us from our sins and accept our
prayersin thy great tenderness of heart. For we take refuge in thee, the
mercifuland all-powerful God. Illumine in our hearts the true Sun of thy
righteousness,enlighten our minds and guard all our senses, that, as in the
day, walkingnobly in the way of thy commandments, we may attain unto life
eternal,for with thee is the fountain of life, and that we may be vouchsafed
tocome to the enjoyment of thine unapproachable light.
For thou art our God, and unto thee do we send upglory, to
the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever,and unto ages
of ages. Amen.
The deacon, or the priest,standing in the usual place, says the Great Litany:
In peace let
us pray to the Lord.
Choir: Lord,have
mercy.
For the peace
from above and for the salvation ofour souls, let us pray to the Lord.
Choir: Lord,have
mercy.
For the peace
of the whole world, for the good estateof the holy churches of God, and for the
union of all men, let us prayto the Lord.
Choir: Lord,have
mercy.
For this holy
house and for those who with faith,reverence and fear of God enter therein, let
us pray to the Lord.
Choir: Lord,have
mercy.
For our [lord, the MostBlessed]
Metropolitan N.,for our [lord, the Most Reverend]Archbishop
N., (and/or
[theRight Reverend] Bishop N.,)for the
honorable presbytery, the diaconate in Christ, and for allthe clergy and the
people, let us pray to the Lord.
Choir: Lord,have
mercy.
For the
President of (ortitle of the highest civil
authority), for all civil authorities,and for the armed forces, let
us pray to the Lord.
Choir: Lord,have
mercy.
(That He may
aid them and subdue under their feetevery enemy and adversary, let us pray to
the Lord.
Choir: Lord,have
mercy.)
For this city
(or this village), for everycity and country, and for those who in faith
dwell therein, let us prayto the Lord.
Choir: Lord,have
mercy.
For favorable
weather, for abundance of the fruitsof the earth, and for peaceful times, let
us pray to the Lord.
Choir: Lord,have
mercy.
For travelers
by sea, by land, and by air, for thesick and the suffering, for captives, and
for their salvation, let us prayto the Lord.
Choir: Lord,have
mercy.
For our
deliverance from all tribulation, wrath,danger, and necessity, let us pray to
the Lord.
Choir: Lord,have
mercy.
Help us, save
us, have mercy on us, and keep us,O God, by thy grace.
Choir: Lord,have
mercy.
Remembering
our all-holy, immaculate, most blessed,and glorious Lady, Theotokos and
Ever-virgin Mary with all the Saints,let us commend ourselves and each other,
and all our life unto Christ ourGod.
Choir: To thee,O
Lord.
Exclamation:
For to thee
belong all glory, honor, and worship,to the Father, and to the Son, and to the
Holy Spirit, now and ever, andunto ages of ages.
Choir: Amen.
And they begin to sing:
God is the Lord and hath revealed Himself unto us;blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
According to the tone ofthe troparion of the day. And we say these verses, Psalm 117:
Verse: O confessunto the Lord, for He is good,
for His mercy is forever.
Verse:
Theyencompassed me round about, and in the name of the Lord have I kept
themback.
Verse: I shallnot
die but live and declare the works of the Lord.
Verse: The
stonewhich the builders rejected is become the head of the corner; this is
ofthe Lord, and it is wondrous in our eyes.
God is the
Lord is sungfour times. After exclaiming God
is the Lord withits verses, the deacon goes into
the sanctuary.
Then the proper troparionis
said twice and the theotokion in the same tone. And if there are twoproper
troparia, the first is always said twice, then the second and thenthe
theotokion.
If it is an Alleluiaseason, or the Great 40-day Fast, after the litanywe sing Alleluiafour times in the proper tone of the Octoechos
We say these verses fromIsaiah 26:
Verse: By nightmy spirit riseth early unto
thee, O Lord, for thine ordinances are a lightupon the earth.
Verse: Learnrighteousness,
ye that dwell upon the earth.
Verse: Envyshall
take hold of an untaught people.
Verse: Add
evilsupon them, O Lord, add evils upon the glorious of the earth.
Then the usual kathisma.After its completion, the deacon or the priest says the little litany:
Again and
again in peace let us pray to the Lord.
Choir: Lord,have
mercy.
Help us, save
us, have mercy on us, and keep us,O God, by thy grace.
Choir: Lord,have
mercy.
Remembering
our all-holy, immaculate, most blessed,and glorious Lady, Theotokos and
Ever-virgin Mary with all the Saints,let us commend ourselves and each other,
and all our life unto Christ ourGod.
Choir: To thee,O
Lord.
Exclamation:
For thine is
the strength, and thine are the kingdom,and the power, and the glory, of the
Father, and of the Son, and of theHoly Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of
ages.
Choir: Amen.
After the second kathisma,Again and again . . . and the rest.
Exclamation:
For thou art a
good God who lovest man, and untothee do we send up glory, to the Father, and
to the Son, and to the HolySpirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.
Choir: Amen.
After the 17thKathisma, i.e., Blessed are the undefiled . . . , thereis no litany, but the choir immediately sings the Resurrectional Troparia,The Angelic Council ... The priest then, wearingthe phelonion, censes the sanctuary and the whole temple, accompanied bythe deacon with a candle. If the Polyeleonis sung, Praise ye the name of the Lord, and O confessunto the Lord, the 17th Kathisma is omitted. [Accordingto the rule, strictly, the Polyeleon is sung on all Sundays between September22 and December 20 and from January 14 up to and including the Sunday ofthe Prodigal Son, but from Cheese-Fare Sunday to the dismissal of the Elevationof the Cross on September 21, the 17th Kathisma is used.] After the troparia,The Angelic Council, the little litanyand the exclamation:
For blessed is
thy name, and glorified is thy kingdom,of the Father, and of the Son, and of
the Holy Spirit, now and ever, andunto ages of ages.
Choir: Amen.
Hypacoe and Anabathmoi of the Tone
When the All-night Vigil iscelebrated, on the great feasts and on major saints' days, during the singingof the Polyeleon, the icon is placed on the analogion in the center ofthe church, and the celebrant and concelebrants, coming forth from thesanctuary through the holy doors, and standing before the holy icon, atthe end of the Polyeleon, sing the Megalynarion of the feast once, thenboth choirs sing it several times. And the celebrant, accompanied by thedeacon, censes the icon of the feast on the analogion. Then, entering thesanctuary, he censes the holy table, the whole sanctuary, and the iconostasis,the concelebrants in the order of their rank, both choirs, the whole temple,the people, and again the holy doors and the two principal icons, and theicon of the feast on the analogion. Then the concelebrants once again singthe Megalynarion. Then the little Iitany is said by the deacon and thekathisma (sedalen)of the feast is sung.
After the anabathmoi, the deacon then:
Let us attend. Wisdom. Let us attend.
And then the prokeimenon of the tone.
The Sunday Prokeimena:
First Tone:
Now will I
arise, saith the Lord. I will set myselffor salvation; I will speak boldly
thereof.
Verse: The wordsof
the Lord are pure words.
Second Tone:
Rise up, O
Lord my God, in the precept which thouhast commanded, and the congregation of
the people shall compass thee.
Verse: O Lordmy
God, in thee have I hoped, save me.
Third Tone:
Say it among the nations: that the
Lord hath becomeKing; for He hath set aright the world, which shall not be
moved.
Verse: O singunto
the Lord a new song; O sing unto the Lord, all the earth.
Fourth Tone:
Arise, O Lord,
help us, and redeem us for thy name'ssake.
Verse: O God,we
have heard with our ears, and our fathers have declared it unto us.
Fifth Tone:
Arise, O Lord
my God, let thine hand be lifted up,for thou art King unto the ages.
Verse: I
willconfess thee, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will declare all thy wonders.
Sixth Tone:
O Lord, arouse
thy power, and come to save us.
Verse: O
Shepherdof Israel, attend, thou that guidest Joseph like a sheep.
Seventh Tone:
Arise, O Lord
my God, let thine hand be lifted up;forget not thy needy ones till the end.
Verse: I
willconfess thee, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will declare all thy wonders.
Eighth Tone:
The Lord shall
be King forever, thy God, O Zion,from generation to generation.
Verse: Praisethe
Lord, O my soul; I will praise the Lord in my life.
Again the deacon:
Let us pray to the Lord.
The priest exclaims:
For holy art
thou, O our God, who restest in theSaints, and unto thee do we send up glory,
to the Father, and to the Son,and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto
ages of ages.
Choir: Amen.
Deacon:
Let every breath praise the Lord.
The choir sings: Let everybreath praise the Lord.
The deacon then says the verse:
Praise ye God
in His Saints; praise ye Him in theestablishment of His power.
Choir: Let
everybreath praise the Lord.
Deacon: Letevery
breath
Choir: praisethe
Lord.
And then the deacon exclaims:
And that He may vouchsafe unto us to hear the holyGospel, let us pray to the Lord God.
Choir: Lord,have mercy. thrice
Deacon:
Wisdom.Attend. Let us hear the holy Gospel.
And the priest:Peace
be to all.
The people: Andto
thy spirit.
And then:
Thereading from the holy Gospel according to Name.
Choir: Gloryto
thee, O Lord, glory to thee.
Deacon: Letus
attend. And the priest reads the Matins Gospel.
After the reading of theGospel, the priest brings the Gospel Book to the center of the church,preceded by the deacon with a lighted candle, and places it on the analogion,having kissed it together with the deacon. And the choir sings:The Resurrection of Christ . . . The readerreads Psalm 50, and the rest. Then thedeacon, in the usual place, says the prayer:
O God, save
thy people and bless thine inheritance.Look upon thy world in mercy and
compassion. Exalt the horn of OrthodoxChristians, and send down upon us thy
rich mercies, through the intercessionsof our all immaculate Lady, the
Theotokos and Ever-virgin Mary; throughthe power of the precious and life-creating
Cross; through the protectionof the honorable bodiless Powers of heaven; of the
honorable, gloriousProphet, Forerunner, and Baptist John; of the holy, glorious
and all-laudableApostles (or of the
holy Apostle andEvangelist, Name, and
of the otherholy, glorious and all-laudable Apostles);of
our Fathers among the Saints, Ecumenical Great Teachers and Hierarchs,Basil the
Great, Gregory the Theologian, and John Chrysostom; of our Fatheramong the
Saints, Nicholas, Archbishop of Myra in Lycia, the Wonderworker;the Holy Equals
of the Apostles, Methodius and Cyril, Teachers of the Slavs,[the holy Orthodox Equal of the Apostles,the Great
Prince Vladimir, of the Blessed Great Princess of Russia, Olga;of our fathers
among the Saints, the Wonderworkers of all Russia, Michael,Peter, Alexis,
Jonah, Philip, Macarius, Demetrius, Metrophanes, Tikhon,Theodosius, Josaphat,
Hermogenes, Pitirim, Innocent, and John;]of
the holy, glorious, and right-victorious Martyrs; of the holy, gloriousgreat
Martyr, the victorious and wonderworking George; of the holy, greatMartyr and
healer Panteleimon; of the holy great Martyr Barbara; [ofthe
holy Orthodox Russian Princes and Passion-bearers Boris, Gleb, andIgor; of our
venerable and God-bearing Fathers, Anthony and Theodosiusand the other
Wonderworkers of the Caves; of our venerable and God-bearingFathers, Sergius,
Hegumen, Wonderworker of Radonezh, and Seraphim, Wonderworkerof Sarov;] of our Father among the Saints,the Venerable
Herman of Alaska, the Wonderworker; and of Saint (nameof
the Saint of the Temple and of the Day); of the holy andrighteous
Forebears of God, Joachim and Anne; and of all the Saints, wepray thee, O Lord,
great in mercy, hearken unto us sinners who pray untothee, and have mercy on
us.
Choir: Lord, have mercy. twelvetimes
The priest exclaims:
Through the
mercy and compassion and love of manof thine only-begotten Son, with whom thou
art blessed, together with thineall-holy, and good, and life-creating Spirit,
now and ever, and unto agesof ages.
Choir: Amen.
When the All-night Vigil iscelebrated, on the great feasts and on major saints' days, the proper prokeimenonis said, and the celebrant reads the Gospel in the center of the church.After the reading, he kisses the icon of the feast on the analogion, asdo all the concelebrants, and they then go into the sanctuary and takeoff their priestly vestments; only the celebrant remains vested. The choirsings the stichera of the feast. Then the deacon says:O God, save thy people ...
And we begin the canons: ofthe Resurrection, of the Cross and Resurrection, of the Theotokos, andfrom the Menaion. After the 3rd Ode, the deacon or the priest says thelittle litany:
Again and again . . . Help us... Remembering ...
Exclamation:
For thou art
our God, and unto thee do we send upglory, to the Father, and to the Son, and
to the Holy Spirit, now and ever,and unto ages of ages.
Choir: Amen.
Then the kathisma from theMenaion. After the 6th Ode, the litany:
Again and again . . . Help us.. . Remembering...
Exclamation:
For thou art
the King of peace and the Savior ofour souls, and to thee do we send up glory,
to the Father, and to the Son,and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto
ages of ages.
Choir: Amen.
The kontakion and the oikos.Then the reading from the Synaxarion.
After the kissing of theHoly
Gospel by the brethren and the people, the priest takes it back tothe
sanctuary, blessing the people with it from the holy doors. At thebeginning of
the 8th Ode, the deacon, taking the censer, and receivingthe blessing of the
priest, censes the sanctuary. After the completionof the katabasia of the 8th
Ode, standing before the icon of the Motherof God, he exclaims: The
Theotokos and Mother of the Light,let us magnify in song. And he censes the choirsand the whole temple, and, having
finished the censing, enters the sanctuary.
After the 9th Ode, if itis not Sunday, Meet is it. . .;if it is Sunday, after the Hiermos, the litany:
Again and again . . . Help us. . . Remembering. ..
Exclamation:
For all the
powers of heaven praise thee, and untothee do we send up glory, to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the HolySpirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.
Choir: Amen.
Then the deacon says:
Verse: Holy isthe Lord our God.
The choir sings:Holy
is the Lord our God.
Verse:For holy is
the Lord our God.
The choir sings:Holy
is the Lord our God.
Verse:Over all
peoples is our God.
The choir sings:Holy
is the Lord our God.
The Exaposteilarion of the Resurrection
At the Ainos,the stichera according to the rule, Glory,and the proper Gospel Sticheron;Both now . . . and Most blessedart thou . . .
At Both now. . . thedeacon opens the holy doors. The priest, wearing the phelonion, standsbefore the altar, and the deacon stands to the right side of the priest.At the conclusion of the last sticheron, the priest exclaims with a loudvoice:
GLORY to thee who hast shown us the light.
TheGreat Doxology. Then we say the troparion as usual. Then the deaconor the priest says the litany:
Have mercy on
us, O God, according to thy great mercy,we pray thee, hearken and have mercy.
Choir: Lord,have
mercy. thrice
Again we pray
for our [ lord, the Most Blessed] MetropolitanN., for our [lord,the
Most Reverend] Archbishop N.,(and/or
for our [lord,the Right Reverend] Bishop N.)and for all our brethren in Christ.
Choir: Lord,have
mercy. thrice
Again we pray
for the President of (orthe highest civil
authority), for all civil authorities, andfor the armed forces.
Choir: Lord,have
mercy. thrice
Again we pray
for the blessed and ever-memorablemost holy Orthodox Patriarchs, the founders
of this holy church (orMonastery) and all our fathers and brethrenthe Orthodox
gone to rest before us, who lie here and everywhere.
Choir: Lord,have
mercy. thrice
Again we pray
for mercy, life, peace, health, salvation,visitation, pardon, and forgiveness
of sins of the servants of God, ourbrethren of this holy temple (if it is a monastery:of this holy
monastery.)
Choir: Lord,have
mercy. thrice
Again we pray
for those who bear fruit and do goodworks in this holy and revered temple, for
those who labor and those whosing, and for the people present who await of thee
a great and rich mercy.
Choir: Lord,have
mercy. thrice
The priest exclaims:
For thou art a
merciful God who lovest man, and untothee do we send up glory, to the Father,
and to the on, and to the HolySpirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.
Choir: Amen.
Then the deacon, or the priest:
Let us
complete our morning prayer unto the Lord.
Choir: Lord,have
mercy.
Help us, save
us, have mercy on us, and keep us,O God, by thy grace.
Choir: Lord,have
mercy.
That the whole
day may be perfect, holy, peaceful,and sinless, let us ask of the Lord.
Choir: Grantthis,
O Lord.
An angel of
peace, a faithful guide and guardianof our souls and bodies, let us ask of the
Lord.
Choir: Grantthis,
O Lord.
Pardon and
forgiveness of our sins and offenses,let us ask of the Lord.
Choir: Grantthis,
O Lord.
All things
good and useful for our souls and peacefor the world, let us ask of the Lord.
Choir: Grantthis,
O Lord.
That we may
end the remaining time of our life inpeace and repentance, let us ask of the
Lord.
Choir: Grantthis,
O Lord.
A Christian
ending to our life, painless, unashamed,peaceful, and a good defense before the
fearful judgment seat of Christ,let us ask.
Choir: Grantthis,
O Lord.
Remembering
our all-holy, immaculate, most blessed,and glorious Lady, Theotokos and
Ever-virgin Mary with all the Saints,let us commend ourselves and each other,
and all our life unto Christ ourGod.
Choir: To thee,O
Lord.
The priest exclaims:
For thou art
the God of mercies and compassion andof love of man, and unto thee do we send
up glory, to the Father, and tothe Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever,
and unto ages of ages.
Choir: Amen.
Priest: Peacebe to all.
Choir: And tothy
spirit.
Deacon: Let usbow our heads unto the Lord.
Choir: To thee,O
Lord.
And the priest says thisprayer secretly:
O holy Lord, who dwellest on high and lookest uponthe humble, and who with thine all-seeing eye lookest down upon all creation,unto thee have we bowed the neck of our soul and body, and we pray thee,O Holy of Holies, stretch forth thine invisible hand from thy holy dwellingplace and bless us all. And if in aught we have sinned, either willinglyor unwillingly, pardon us, inasmuch as thou art a good and man-loving God,granting unto us thy good things in this world and beyond this world.
He exclaims:
For thine it
is to have mercy on us and to save us,O our God, and unto thee do we send up
glory, to the Father, and to theSon, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and
unto ages of ages.
Choir: Amen.
Deacon: Wisdom.
Choir: Bless.
Priest:
He Who is, is
blessed, even Christ our God, always,now and ever, and unto ages of ages.
Choir: Amen.
Establish, O God, the holy Orthodox Faith, and
OrthodoxChristians, unto ages of ages.
Priest: Mostholy
Theotokos, save us.
Choir:More
honorable than the Cherubim ...
Priest: Gloryto
thee, O Christ God, our Hope, glory to thee.
Choir: Glory...Now
and ... Lord, have mercy. thrice Bless.
The priest gives the dismissalof the day or of the feast, if one is appointed.
After the dismissal andthe Many Years, the reader reads First Hour immediately:Come, let us worship . . . and the Psalms.After Our Father, the priest,For thine is the kingdom . . . At Inthe name of the Lord, bless, Father, the priestwearing the epitrachelion, and standing before the holy doors, exclaims:
O God, be
compassionate unto us, and bless us, andmake the light of thy face to shine
upon us, and have mercy on us.
Reader: Amen.
Then the priest prays:
O Christ the true Light, who illuminest and sanctifiestevery man that cometh into the world, let the light of thy face be a signupon us, that in it we see the unapproachable Light. Direct our steps inthe performance of thy commandments, through the intercessions of thineall immaculate Mother, and of all thy Saints. Amen.
After the prayer, the choirsings: O Chosen Leader . . .
Priest:
Glory to thee,
O Christ God, our Hope, glory to thee.
Choir:Glory . . .
Now and . . . Lord, have mercy. thriceBless.
The priest gives the lesser dismissal:
May Christ our true God, through the intercessionsof His immaculate Mother, of our venerable and God-bearing Fathers, andof all the Saints, have mercy on us and save us, for He is good and lovethman.