Ancient Rite Liturgy
Ancient Rite
of the Orthodox Church in Russia
It is best to read
this on the monitor screen set at 120%.
This is the
English translation of the Slavonic version from Greek predating the changes
introduced after 1666.
Father
Theodore Jurewicz sent an e-mail letter to Jerusalem 251
East Front Street , Erie , Pennsylvania 16507 USA
By copying the
text from the PDF file as a continuous text instead, it can be used both by the
officating and laity.
In the
Prayer Book, the incomplete text of the Liturgy takes is presented from pages 109
to 139 as copied here below, and is copied here as follows by including the
entire text from the PDF file, pages 1-135. The terms used for designating the
various parts of the Liturgy as found in other books eneables one to refer to
each part of the Divine Service, such as LITANY, ANTIPHON, etc. Within brackets {…}
are a few short texts common to all old editions in the original Greek in order not to scandalise people in
the Holy Land .
Here is one instance after the faithful have received Communion -
{Choir: We
have seen the true Light…
It was necessary to correct the error “prothesis” to
be “proskomide”. The prothesis is the Greek name of the table itself on which
the proskomide is performed. In some
translations to English proskomide is rendered as “setting forth” or
“arranging”.
An
Instruction to priests before the divine and holy service. By our Father among
the Saints,Basil the Great, Archbishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia ,
how it behooves a priest to serve with a deacon.
Give
heed to thyself, O priest, to all that thou wouldst teach. Guard the ministry
which thou hast received, that thou mayest fulfill it. For not to an earthly
ministry art thou committed, but a heavenly; not a human service, but an
angelic one. Haste thou to present thyself before the Lord not as an husbandman
who is ashamed, but as one who rightly divideth the word of His truth. Never stand
at the assembly while bearing enmity toward anyone, lest thou drive the
Comforter away. On the day of the assembly quarrel not, neither argue, but
rather pray and read in private until the hour of the service. Guard thyself
from evil thoughts, insofar as thou art able. Moreover, stand with fear before
the holy altar, without looking around at anyone else, and do not abbreviate thy
prayers with haste. Make no distinction of persons, but rather look to the King
Who is present before thee, lest, being a respecter of persons, thou givest the
Holy Body where it ought not to be given. Make thyself worthy of the rules
concerning priests, and do not serve together with such as reject those rules. Watch
therefore, how thou standest; how thou
ministerest; how and to whom thou givest [Communion]; and how thou keepest [the
Holy Gifts.] Take care that thou not forget the Lord’s command: Give not that which
is holy to the dogs. Do not be seized by fear of men; do not betray the Son of
God into the hands of the unworthy. Be not intimidated by the mighty of the
earth, nor even by him that weareth a royal diadem;
be not afraid in such an hour. Watch how thou givest the Gifts to them that wish
to receive Them in their homes. See thou, I have nothing. See that thou not
give [the Gifts] to such as are forbidden by the divine canons [to receive
Them] for they are reckoned as pagans, and woe to those who give them
[Communion] before their conversion. Take care also, that no mouse or any such
thing touch the Divine Mysteries. Do not by negligence let them get wet or
mouldy, nor may they be handled by those not in holy orders. Keep these rules
and others like them, and thou wilt save thyself and those in thy charge.
(From
the Sluzhebnik of the 5th year of the Patriarchate of Joseph) A.D. 1642-52.
The Order of the Divine Service
of
the Most Holy and Blessed Archbishop of Constantinople, the New Rome
The voice of rejoicing
and salvation is in the tents of the righteous; it ascendeth to heaven on high with
glory, to the church
of Christ
My steps are directed to
righteousness. I have known the Lord, and I was glad because of them that said
unto me: Let us go into the house of the Lord. But as for me, in the multitude
of Thy mercy shall I go into Thy house; I shall worship toward Thy holy temple
in fear of Thee. I glorify in One Godhead Three Persons, the Father and the Son
and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Psalm
of David, 14
O Lord, who shall abide
in Thy tabernacle? And who shall dwell in Thy holy mountain? He that walketh
blameless and worketh righteousness, speaking truth in his heart, who hath not
spoken deceitfully with his tongue, neither hath done evil to his neighbour,
nor taken up a reproach against those near him.
In his sight he that worketh evil is set at nought, but He glorifieth
them that fear the Lord. He giveth oath to his neighbour, and forsweareth not. He
hath not lent his money on usury and hath not received bribes against the
innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be shaken.
Psalm
of David, 22.
The Lord is my Shepherd,
and I shall not want. In a place of green pasture, there hath He made me to
dwell; beside the water of rest hath He nurtured me. He hath converted my soul,
He hath led me on the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. For though I
should walk in the midst of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for Thou
art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff, they have comforted me. Thou hast prepared of
them that afflict me. Thou hast anointed my head with oil, and Thy cup which
filleth me, how excellent it is. And Thy mercy shall pursue me all the days of
my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord unto length of days.
They
enter the church and make three bows, each saying to himself silently:
God, be merciful to me a
sinner.
God cleanse me a sinner,
and have mercy on me.
I have sinned
immeasurably: Lord, forgive me.
Then: It is truly meet to bless
thee, O Theotokos, the ever-blessed and most immaculate, and the Mother of our
God. More honourable than the Cherubim and truly more glorious than the
Seraphim; thee who without defilement gavest birth to God the Word, true Mother
of God, thee do we magnify.
Glory.., Now and ever...
Lord have mercy. twice. Lord, bless.
Through the prayers of
Thy most pure Mother, (if
in a church of the Mother of God or on her feast, say: of her honourable and glorious N.,) by the power of the
precious and life-giving Cross, and of my holy Guardian Angel, (and
of Saint N., whose temple this is, and of Saint N., whose day it is,) and of all the Saints:
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.
Standing
before the royal doors, the priest puts on the epitrachelion. If there is a
deacon, he says:
Bless,
Master.
The priest: Blessed is our God,
always, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
And
they say, each to himself:
O Heavenly
King, Comforter, Spirit of truth, Who art everywhere present and fillest all,
the Treasury of good things and Giver of life: come and dwell in us, and
cleanse us from every impurity, and save our souls, O Good One.
Trisagion. Our Father. The priest says: For Thine is the kingdom.
Lord have mercy. twelve times. Glory…, Now and ever...
Come let us worship God,
our King. bow
Come let us worship
Christ, our King and our God. bow
Come let us worship and
fall down before the very Lord Jesus Christ, our King and our God. bow
Then these troparia:
Rejoice door of God.
Rejoice most pure holy Virgin. Rejoice, O Mistress and Mediatrix of the world. Rejoice,
wall and refuge and protection of our city.
Under thy mercy we take
refuge, O Virgin Mother of God. Despise not our prayers in our afflictions, but
deliver us from woes, O Thou who alone art pure and blessed.
O Lord, take away mine
iniquities and my transgressions from me, that I may worthily enter into the portion
of Thy holy temple.
O impassible door,
mystically sealed, blessed Virgin Mother of God, accept our prayers and present
them to Thy Son and our God, that through thee He may save our souls.
And
together they make three bows toward the east: before the holy royal doors and
to the holy icons on both sides. [The priest] bows to the right and says:
Glory.., As I enter into Thy
house, I worship Thee, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, undivided in
essence, and I glorify one God in three Persons.
Now and ever… We have known God
incarnate of thee, O Virgin Mother of God. Entreat Him for the salvation of our
souls.
Then
he bows to the left and says:
O Lord, open my lips for
prayer, and enlighten the mystical eyes of my soul; for I am a wanderer upon the
earth. Hide not from me Thy commandments, always, now and ever, and unto the
ages of ages, Amen.
Then
this Troparion, in the second Tone:
We venerate Thy most pure
image, O Good One, and ask forgiveness for our transgressions, O Christ our
God. For of Thine own will Thou wast pleased to ascend the Cross, that Thou
mightest deliver from the bondage of the enemy them that Thou didst fashion.
Wherefore we cry to Thee thankfully: Thou didst fill all things with joy, O our
Saviour, when Thou camest to save the world. Then:
In thee rejoiceth all
creation, O thou who art full of grace: the assembly of archangels and the race
of men. O hallowed church, mystical aradise, glory of virgins, of whom God, our
God, before all ages, took flesh and became a child. For He made thy body a
throne, and thy womb He made more spacious than the heavens, O Virgin. In thee
rejoiceth all creation, O thou who art full of grace: glory to thee.
And
a bow to the ground. If it be Sunday, say the Troparion of the Resurrection in
the current Tone. Then the Troparion of the Annunciation, 4th Tone.
Today is the beginning of
our salvation and the manifestation of the eternal mystery. The Son of God becometh
the Son of the Virgin, and Gabriel announceth the good tidings of grace;
therefore, let us also cry out with him to the Mother of God: Rejoice, O thou
that art highly favoured; the Lord is with thee.
Then
say the Troparion of the day or of the feast, the Troparion and Kontakion of
the temple and to Saint John
Troparion to St. John
Shining forth from thy
mouth like the bright rays of the dawn, thy God-given grace hath illumined the whole
world. Thou didst gain for the world a treasure of not being greedy for gain,
and didst show us the heights of humility. As by thy words thou instructed us,
O Father John Chrysostom, beseech Christ God, that our souls may be saved.
And
his Kontakion, in the 6th Tone:
From heaven hast thou
received grace divine, and by thy lips thou dost teach all to worship the One God
in Trinity. O all-blessed and godly John
Chrysostom, rightly do we
praise thee, for thou art a teacher, revealing things divine.
Then
kissing the image of the Saviour on the pillar of the royal doors, he says this
verse, the composition of St. Germanos, Patriarch of Constantinople :
Lord Jesus Christ, Who
didst appear on earth in this image for the sake of our salvation, Who of Thine
own will didst choose to nail Thy hands and feet to the Cross; and Who gavest
us Thy Cross to drive out every enemy and adversary: Have mercy on us who trust
in Thee.
And
kissing the image of the most-pure Lady on the other pillar, he says:
Holy Mother of God,
forget not thy people, for we the faithful have thee as our protectress and helper.
Through thee we hope to receive forgiveness of sins and to obtain salvation.
Kissing
the Annunciation to the most-pure Lady and the Archangel
on the royal doors, he says the Troparion,
Today is the beginning of
our salvation,
as
given above. They also kiss the other icons, and say the Troparia and Kontakia.
Kissing
the Cross, he says:
By the power and
protection of Thy precious Cross, O Lord, have mercy on me, and help me, a
sinner.
To
St. John the Forerunner:
Holy and great John,
prophet, forerunner and baptist of the Lord, pray that we may be delivered from
the future flames and from terrible and unendurable torment.
To
an Archangel :
Holy archangel of Christ N., guard me by thy divine protection,
and pray that I be saved from temptations to come.
To
an Apostle:
Holy apostle N., who broughtest the ends
of the earth unto God, beseech Him to save us and to deliver us from the
torments of hell.
To
a Prophet:
Holy prophet N., who from afar didst
foresee the message ordained by the Lord, and who hast great boldness before
Him, beseech Him on our behalf, that we may be saved.
To
a Hierarch:
Hierarch of Christ N., who didst diligently
perform the Lord’s will and statutes, and who hast boldness before Him, beseech
Him that we be saved.
To a Monastic:
Venerable N., pleasing to God, who
wast zealous for Him Who commanded [us] to carry the Cross, and who hast
boldness before Him, beseech Him to save us.
To
a Martyr:
Holy martyr N., who didst suffer for
Christ, before Whom thou hast boldness: pray that He save me by thy prayers.
And
if there be other local icons, they kiss them saying the Troparia and Kontakia.
After
this, they enter before the table of oblation by the lesser doors and make
three bows, saying this prayer:
O Lord, stretch forth Thy
hand from Thy holy habitation on high, and strengthen me for Thy service which
lieth ahead of me, that I may stand before Thy dread throne without
condemnation, and perform the Blood less Sacrifice. For Thine is the power unto
the ages of ages, Amen.
Having
entered the sanctuary, each takes his sticharion --the priest with the
epitrachelion, the deacon with the orarion-- and places it on his left shoulder.
They make three bows toward the east before the holy altar, saying to themselves:
God cleanse me a sinner
and have mercy on me.
Thou hast created me: Lord,
have mercy on me.
I have sinned
immeasurably: Lord, forgive me.
They
ask forgiveness, and kiss the holy altar.
The
deacon comes to the priest, holding the sticharion and orarion on his shoulder;
he inclines his head slightly and says softly:
Bless [me], Master, to put
on the holy sticharion.
The
priest blesses the deacon with his hand and says:
Blessed is our God,
always, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.
The
deacon responds:
Amen.
And
thus they take their places. As each puts on his sticharion, he says to
himself:
Let my soul rejoice in
the Lord, for He hath clothed me with the
robe of salvation and
hath put on me the garment of joy; He hath put a
crown on me as on a
bridegroom, and adorned me with comeliness as a
bride.
Then
the priest takes the epitrachelion, kisses it, and puts it on, saying:
Having taken Jesus, they
bound Him and delivered Him to Pontius Pilate the governor.
The
deacon places the orarion on his left shoulder, kisses it, and says:
Holy, Holy, Holy is the
Lord of Sabaoth: heaven and earth are
full of His glory.
The
priest kisses the belt, and girds himself saying:
God hath girded me with
power and hath made my path blameless, Who maketh my feet like the feet of a
hart, and setteth me upon high places.
Placing
a cuff on the right hand, the priest and the deacon say to themselves:
The right hand of the
Lord hath wrought strength, the right hand of the Lord hath exalted me. Thy right
hand, O Lord, hath been glorified in strength. Thy right hand, O Lord, hath
shattered enemies and in the multitude of Thy glory hast Thou ground down the
adversaries.
Placing
a cuff on the left hand, the priest and deacon say:
Thy hands have made me
and fashioned me; give me understanding,
and I will learn Thy
commandments.
Then
the priest puts on the phelonion, saying:
Thy priests shall be
clothed with righteousness, and Thy righteous
shall rejoice.
Then
the priest and the deacon go to the well. Washing their hands, they say to
themselves:
I will wash my hands in
innocency and I will compass Thine altar, O Lord, that I may hear the voice of
Thy praise and tell of all Thy wondrous works. O Lord, I have loved the beauty of
Thy house, and the place where Thy glory dwelleth. Destroy not my soul with the
ungodly, nor my life with men of blood, in whose hands are iniquities; their
right hand is full of bribes. But as for me, in mine innocence have I walked;
redeem me, O Lord, and have mercy on me. My foot hath stood in uprightness; in
the congregations will I bless Thee, O Lord.
The
deacon says to the priest:
Bless,
Master, to arrange aright the holy things. The priest says: Blessed is our God,
always, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.
The
deacon says:
Amen.
Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have mercy.
And he arranges the holy vessels. Having
kissed the holy paten [paten], he places it on the right side of the table of
oblation, opposite his left hand. The chalice he places on the left side,
opposite his right hand. The veils he places on either side. Meanwhile, the
priest goes and stands before the holy altar, and says this prayer for himself,
silently:
O Master, Lord Almighty,
Who desirest not the death of sinners, but hast granted conversion through
Thine Only-begotten Son, our Lord
Jesus Christ, Who showed us a new and holy path; Who presented an image of
repentance to the prodigals, thieves and publicans of old; and Who gave the
sinful woman a fountain of tears: Deal likewise with me, O Master. Remember not
my countless faults, but pass over my transgressions; for Thou alone art
sinless, clement and most merciful; Thou repentest Thee of men’s evil deeds,
and acceptest adoration from all creation; Thou art unceasingly praised by the
heavenly powers; Thou art awesome to the cherubim and seraphim, and receivest their
ineffable service. Moreover, Thou didst offer Thyself on earth as a sacrifice
to Thy Father, Who accepted Thine immolation as that of a blameless Lamb; by
Thy blood Thou didst hallow the whole world; and Thou hast commanded us, Thine
unworthy servants, to offer Thee Thine own of Thine own. Do Thou also now, O
most holy Master, disregard my countless sins; open my mouth, and fill it with
Thy praise. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within
me. Receive me who dare to enter into Thy sanctuary and to offer Thee Thine own
of Thine own, as Thou didst hand down to Thy holy apostles and disciples.
Having received [this service] from them, we also become partakers of Thy dread
Mysteries, not because of our own unworthiness, but on account of Thy
lovingkindness. O Master, wash away the filth from my soul and the defilement from
my flesh, and sanctify me wholly by Thine invisible power. For there is nothing
that can be hidden from Thee; rather, all things are exposed and made manifest
before Thine eyes. I know, O Master, that my deeds not yet done Thine eyes have
seen, and in Thy books, all things are written. There fore, loathe not mine unworthiness, and turn not Thy face from me, lest
I turn away in disgrace, put to shame by Thee, but vouchsafe me to serve Thy
Holy Mysteries. For unto Thee is due all glory, honour and worship, together with
the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
A Prayer for the Priest Who is to Celebrate
the Dread Divine Mystery
O Lord our God, Who alone
art good and lovest man kind; Who alone art holy and restest in the holies; Who
by the vision which was revealed to Thy chief apostle Peter [didst charge him]
to consider nothing defiled or unclean which hath been created by Thee for the
nourishment and pleasure of man; and Who through Thy chosen vessel, the Apostle
Paul, didst charge that unto
the pure all things are pure; Do Thou Thyself, most holy Master, by the
invocation of Thine awesome and most pure Name, and by the sign of the precious
and life-giving Cross, bless me, Thy servant N., and cleanse me who have been defiled of
every hostile spirit, every apparition of the poisonous serpent, every
iniquity, every sorcery, every deceit, every vanity, every illness, every
disease and every adverse evildoing of the devil. And now, in Thy mercy,
vouchsafe me Thine unworthy servant N., to serve Thy most pure Mysteries, but
first
cleanse my soul and
body, O Lord, from all defilements, and forgive me all my sins, willing and
unwilling, those committed with knowledge or in ignorance, which I have
committed all the days of my life, during the day, at night and at every hour,
in deed, word and thought, until the present hour. And grant me also, O Lord,
this awesome service of the heavenly orders and the communion of Thy
life-giving Mystery, not unto judgement or condemnation, but for forgiveness of
sins, for the communion of the Holy Spirit, and for the life of everlasting joy
which Thou hast prepared for Thy true ministers. All powerful Master, keep me
from every wickedness and sin; preserve me undefiled and unspotted from every snare of [our] adversary,
the devil. And grant me to serve Thee, O Lord, in godliness and righteousness until
my last day and hour and breath. For Thou Thyself art He Who blesseth and
sanctifieth all things, O Christ our God, and unto Thee do we send up glory,
together with Thine unoriginate Father and the most holy, good and life-giving
Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
A
Prayer of Pardon, said by a Bishop or Spiritual Father for One Who Is Going to
Partake of the Divine and Life-giving Mysteries. (When a priest is to celebrate
the Divine Liturgy he says this prayer for himself.)
Lord Jesus Christ our
God, Son and Word of the Living God, Shepherd and Lamb Who takest away the sins
of the world; Who forgavest the two debtors their debt and granted the sinful
woman remission of her sins; Who didst bestow healing on the paralytic and
pardon of his sins: Do Thou Thyself, O Lord Who lovest man, absolve, remit and
forgive the sins, offences and transgressions, willing and unwilling, committed
with knowledge and in ignorance, by trespassing and disobedience committed by
me Thine unworthy servant N., and as many sins and offences
as I have committed, inasmuch as I am a man bearing flesh and living in this
world, whether in word, deed, or thought, knowingly or unknowingly, at night or
in the day: if I have fallen under the ban or curse of a bishop, or have fallen
under mine own curse; if I have sworn an oath in God’s name and then broken it; if I have cursed a Christian
with unbecoming anger, or have used swearing and abusive language, or have
slandered or judged anyone; if I have used foul language, or have been envious,
or have lied; if I have remembered wrongs, or have been angry or infuriated; if
I have been proud, or lazy, or deceitful; if I have taken usury, or have been
vainglorious, or have fallen into avarice; if I have vomited from excessive
drinking, or have gone to sorcerers, conjurers and the like, or have been
gluttonous or insatiate; if I have committed fornication, murder, adultery, masturbation,
incest, child molestation, homosexual acts, sodomy, or unnatural acts with
beasts or birds; if I have seized or stolen anything, or have struck anyone;
if, possessed by mercilessness and miserliness, I have not had compassion on
the poor, or did not give to them according to my ability, or if I have reviled
anyone with abuse; if I have remembered impure thoughts, or have defamed
anyone, or have grieved my brother or offended him; if when standing in prayer,
my mind hath wandered over earthly things, or [if I have been possessed by]
self-love, or I have been a slave of my belly, or I have eaten excessively, or
have eaten what is unclean; if I have spoken rashly, or have laughed
mindlessly, or I have seen vain beauty, and my heart was thereby wounded with
desire for it; if I have engaged in idle and useless talk, or have touched
another’s body or mine own and [sinned
thereby]; if I have seen my brother’s sin and laughed, or have condemned [him];
if I have disregarded and ignored my transgressions, or have been lazy in prayer,
or have not kept the directions of my spiritual father; if I have been
despondent, or have spoken shamelessly, imagining myself to be chaste, or have
done any other wicked thing. For the many things I have
recalled and said, for all these evil things and similar ones, for the sins
committed with knowledge or in ignorance by Thy servant N., and for anything else wherein I as a man have sinned
against Thine unutterable goodness, O Lord Who lovest man, forgive me and have
mercy on me. Yea, O Master, Lord our God, hear me Thy sinful servant as I
beseech Thy benignity. As Thou art blameless, regard not all my numberless impure
transgressions, which as a man I have committed or contemplated. For now I
myself, Thy wretched and sinful and unworthy servant, confess before Thy
majesty that I have committed these sins and many others. And for the sake of
Thy mercy hearken unto me, Thine unworthy servant: deliver me from eternal punishment,
and make me an heir of Thine eternal blessings with all who have been pleasing
unto Thee in every age. And vouchsafe me to partake without condemnation of Thy
dread, immortal, life-giving and most pure Mysteries. For Thou hast said, O
Master: whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and
whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. For Thou art
sinless and hast power to remit sins, and unto Thee is due all glory, honour,
dominion, worship, greatness and magnificence, together with Thine unoriginate
Father, and with Thy most holy, good, and life-giving Spirit, now and ever, and
unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Prayer.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of
God, good and most wise, Who lovest mankind and art all-powerful, have pity on
me, and grant all my petitions unto good, and deliver me from every trial.
Teach me, give me understanding; help and save me; defend me; guard me; purify
me; fill my soul with spiritual joy, be the protector of my body, and grant me
forgiveness of my sins, and make me a communicant of Thy most pure Mysteries.
In the day of judgement have mercy, and bless me all the days of my life. For
unto Thee is due all glory, honour and worship, together with Thine unoriginate
Father and with Thy most holy, good and life-giving Spirit, now and ever, and
unto the ages of ages, Amen.
A
Prayer before the Service, for the Priest, after Vesting, for the Living and
the Dead. [In the Sluzhebnik of Patriarch Joseph, this prayer was located after
the chapter concerning the Curtain.]
O Master, Lord Jesus
Christ our God, true King, Who hast heard all who hope in Thee, do Thou now
also incline Thine ear from Thy holy heaven and hearken unto me, the sinful
priest N., as I offer Thee my
prayer for the living, and as for the dead I ask forgiveness of sins according to
Thy good will, that at Thy dread coming they may stand at Thy right hand and
hear Thy blessed voice saying, Come, ye blessed of My Father. And vouchsafe that with
a pure heart I may send up praise to Thee at all times on behalf of all the living,
and the dead who have completed their lives in the Orthodox faith, and who
repent of all their sins. For Thou repentest Thee of all our misdeeds, and Thou
awaitest the conversion of sinners; for Thou alone art wholly without sin, and
unto Thee do we send up glory, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever,
and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
And then the priest says this prayer
over the wine:
O Lord our God, good Lover
of man, look upon this wine and bless it as Thou didst bless Jacob’s well, the
pool of Siloam and the cup of Thy holy apostles. As Thou didst come to Cana of
Galilee and change water into wine, thus revealing Thy glory to Thy disciples,
send also that grace upon this wine, and bless it by Thy Holy Spirit. For
blessed and glorified is Thy most honourable and majestic Name, together with
Thine unoriginate Father, and with the most holy, good, and life-giving Spirit,
now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.
Amen.
And
the priest makes the sign of the Cross over the blessed wine in its vessel.
Then the priest begins the Hours:
Blessed is our God,
always, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.
The
reader: Amen.
And
he says the Hours, according to the Typikon: the Third, Sixth, and Ninth Hours,
and after the Ninth Hour, the psalms: Bless prayer: O Master Lord Jesus Christ our God. Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and Praise the Lord, O my
soul,
are
not said before the Liturgy, because they are said during the Liturgy.
Take
heed, O priest, and be very careful and attentive that you never dare celebrate
the Divine Liturgy without the Hours, lest you come under the anathema of the
holy apostles and the holy fathers.
Let
the Hours be said by a cleric during the Proskomide, which is the preparation
of the Holy Gifts. At the Hours, during the Proskomide, the priest says the
exclamations after the Our Father and the More Honourable, in order, aloud.
The
same Hours which are said after Matins also occur before the Service of Communion
[Preparation For Holy Communion]. At these Communion Hours we say the Troparion
and Kontakion for Communion, and we read the Epistle and Gospel for Communion.
If
it happens that according to the Typicon the regular Epistle and Gospel are to
be read, then at the Hours after Matins we first read the Epistle and Gospel of
the day, and then we read the Epistle and Gospel for Communion. Thus the rule is
carried out according to the tradition of the holy fathers concerning the
Divine Service. The Service for Communion is said after the morning Hours.
Likewise, O priest, do not dare to serve without the Communion Hours. If they
are not said in church, they are said at home without fail, as was indicated
above.
When the priest has begun the Hours,
after their beginning he comes to the table of oblation with the deacon.
Standing before the table of oblation, they both
make three bows, praying and saying to themselves:
God cleanse me a sinner,
and have mercy on me.
Thou hast created me: Lord,
have mercy. on me.
I have sinned
immeasurably: Lord, forgive me.
And
they ask forgiveness.
And
they say this Troparion:
Thou hast redeemed us
from the curse of the Law by Thy precious
blood; having been
nailed to the Cross and pierced in the side by the
spear, Thou hast shed
immortality on men: O our Saviour, glory to Thee.
The deacon says: Bless, Master, the
immolation of the holy Lamb.
The
priest says: Blessed is our God,
always, now and ever, and unto the
ages of ages. Deacon: Amen.
Then
the priest takes a prosphora in his left hand and the holy lance in his right;
with it he makes the sign of the Cross
thrice over the prosphora, saying:
We make the remembrance
of our great Lord, God and Saviour Jesus Christ, thrice.
The
deacon says: Amen. Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have mercy.
Then
the priest thrusts the lance into the prosphora on the right side of the seal
and cuts away from himself, saying:
He was led as a sheep to
the slaughter.
At
each incision the deacon says: Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have mercy.
Cutting
the left side of the prosphora, the priest says:
And as a lamb before his
shearer is dumb, so He openeth not His mouth.
And
cutting the upper portion of the prosphora, he says:
In His humiliation His
judgement was taken away.
Cutting
the lower portion, he says:
And who shall declare His
generation?
Let us pray to the Lord. Take away, Master.
The
priest thrusts the lance into the left side of the prosphora and takes away the
Holy Lamb, saying:
For His life is taken
away from the earth.
And
he places it in his palm with the seal downwards.
The
deacon says: Sacrifice, Master.
The
priest cuts the Lamb crosswise, saying:
Sacrificed is the Lamb of
God That taketh away the sins of the world, for the life and salvation of the
world.
The
deacon says: Place, Master.
The
priest places the Holy Lamb on the holy paten and says:
The Lamb of God is placed
for the life of the world.
The
deacon says: Pierce, Master.
The
priest pierces it on the right side with the holy lance, saying:
One of the soldiers with
a spear pierced His side, and forthwith came
there out blood and
water. And he that saw it bare record, and his
record is true.
The
deacon, taking wine in his right hand and the water in his left, says to the
priest:
Bless Master, the wine
and water.
The
priest says: Blessed is our God,
always now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.
The
deacon says: Amen. He
pours wine and water into the holy chalice and says: Unite, Master.
Blessing
with his hand, the priest says:
The union of the Holy
Spirit. For there are three that bear witness: the
spirit, and the water,
and the blood: and these three are one.
And
the deacon says: Amen.
When
you pour wine and water into the holy chalice, take care to pour out wine
enough for all those who will communicate, but only a little water, because it
will be further diluted with hot water. If the prosphora is warm, the priest places the Holy Lamb with the seal downwards
on the holy paten, on account of the warmth [of the bread]; it so remains until
the great transfer [of the gifts].
In
a monastery, a censing takes place at the proskomide. After the union of the
wine and water in the chalice, the deacon takes the censer, receives a blessing
from the priest and goes out by way of the royal doors; he reverently opens one
half of the royal doors. Turning around, he immediately closes the open half of
the royal doors. He bows to the rector, and then censes the royal doors and the
icons in order, and then the rector, the choirs, and the brethren. While
censing, he says to himself silently the litany for health; he remembers [the
religious and civil authorities] and whomever else he wishes to remember. Then
he enters the sanctuary through the royal doors, opening one half of the royal
doors, and closing it again. He censes only the front of the altar, and the
priest, returns the censer to [its place] the ponomar, and stands before the
table of oblation, where together with the priest he commemorates the departed in
order, as prescribed. In collegiate and cathedral churches, however, there is
no censing during the proskomide; the deacon merely stands with the priest
before the table of oblation and they say what was indicated above. Moreover,
let the deacon not dare to perform any priestly action, according to the
Typicon of the holy fathers, nor let him take out particles from the prosphora.
Then
the priest takes a second prosphora, and says:
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of
God, accept this offering in honour and
remembrance
of our most holy, most pure and most blessed Lady, the
Mother of God and ever-virgin
Mary:
(If
it be the temple or feast of the Mother of God:
of her honourable and
glorious N.) through whose
intercessions do Thou receive, O Lord, this sacrifice upon Thy most heavenly
and noetic altar.
The
deacon says the same. Having taken out a triangular portion with the holy lance
over the holy paten, he places it on the holy paten, on the right side of the
Holy Lamb. He likewise takes out the other portions over the holy paten, while
the deacon responds,
Amen.
Then
the priest takes a third prosphora and says:
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of
God, accept this offering to the honour and glory of the honourable bodiless powers
of heaven, of the honourable and glorious prophet, fore runner and baptist of
the Lord John, and of all the holy prophets; and of the holy, glorious and
all-praised apostles: Peter and Paul, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John the Theologian
and all the holy apostles; and of our fathers among the saints: Basil the Great, Gregory the
Theologian and John Chrysostom, Athanasius and Cyril, Nicholas of Myra, and the
holy Russian wonder-workers Peter, Alexis and Jonah, Nicetas the bishop, and
John, Archbishop of Novgorod, the wonder-workers; Leontius, Bishop of Rostov,
the wonder-worker; Gurias and Barsanuphius of Kazan, the wonder-workers, and of
all the holy hierarchs; and of the holy protomartyr, first server and
archdeacon Stephen, and the holy great martyrs George, Demetrius, Theodore the Recruit,
Theodore the Commander, Nicetas, Procopius, Boris and Gleb, the holy prince
Michael of Chernigov and his boyar Theodore, and all the holy martyrs; and of
our venerable and God-bearing fathers: Anthony, Euthymius, Sabbas, Onuphrius, Athanasius
of Athos, Theodosius the Cenobiarch, John Climacus, John Damascene; and our
venerable fathers, the Russian wonder-workers Anthony
and Theodosius of the Caves, Sergius and Barlaam, Cyril and Nicon, Demetrius of
Priluki, Nicetas of Pereyaslav, Paphnutius of Borovsk, Zosimas and Sabbatius,
of Solovetsky Island
The
deacon says the same. The priest takes out a portion and places it on the left
side of the Holy Lamb.
Then
the priest takes a fourth prosphora and says:
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of
God, accept this offering for the health and salvation of our Patriarch N., [and our Metropolitan N., and of all the Orthodox episcopate,
and of our Arch bishop or Bishop N.,] and of all the Orthodox
episcopate, of the honourable priesthood, the diaconate in Christ, and of all
the priestly order.
The
deacon says the same. And the priest takes out a portion and places it on the
holy paten, below the other portions.
Then
the priest takes
a fifth prosphora, and says:
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of
God, accept this offering for this country and its civil authorities and armed
forces, and for the health and salvation of all Orthodox Christians.
The
priest takes out a portion and places it on the holy paten below [the others].
If
it be a monastery, the priest, taking a sixth prosphora, says:
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of
God, accept this offering for the health and salvation of Thy servant, our
father and archimandrite (or abbot) N., and for the priests and
deacons who serve, and for all our brethren and servers, whom Thou hast called
unto Thy communion in Thy compassion, O most good Master.
Then
the priest and deacon remember by name such of the living as they wish. If the
priest wishes to take out a portion of a prosphora for someone’s health, he
says:
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of
God, accept this offering for the health and salvation of Thy servant N., whom Thou hast called
into Thy communion in Thy compassion, O most good Master.
If
he takes out a portion of a prosphoron for the health of a woman, he says:
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of
God, accept this offering for the health, salvation and remission of sins of Thy
handmaid N., whom Thou hast called
into Thy communion in Thy compassion, O most good Master.
In
like manner he also takes out portions of prosphora for others, and carefully
places them below with the others on the holy paten.
Then
he commemorates each and himself.
Remember also, O Lord,
according to Thy great mercy, me, Thine unworthy servant N., and forgive me every
transgression, voluntary and involuntary.
The
priest takes a portion and places it with the others on the lower part of the
holy paten.
Then
the priest takes a seventh prosphora and says:
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of
God, accept this offering in commemoration and for the remission of the sins of
the blessed founders of this (holy dwelling) temple, and of the blessed
and ever-memorable kings and queens, oecumenical patriarchs, and the most
reverend metropolitans, and right-believing great princes and grand duchesses,
and God-loving archbishops and bishops, and right-believing princes and princesses,
and archimandrites and abbots, and the whole priestly and monastic order, and
all Orthodox Christians.
Here
the priest remembers his departed parents by name, and whomever he wishes.
Likewise
he takes out other portions for the departed whom he wishes [to remember],
saying:
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of
God, accept this offering* in commemoration and
for the remission of the sins of Thy departed servant N., and establish his soul in the dwellings of
the righteous, O Lover of mankind.
Or,
if he [wishes to pray] for a woman, he says:
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of
God, accept this offering in commemoration and for the remission of the sins of
Thy departed handmaid N.,
and
establish her soul in the dwellings of the righteous, O Lover of mankind.
Afterwards
he says:
And
for all our fathers and brethren, Orthodox Christians who have already fallen asleep
in the hope of resurrection and eternal life and communion with Thee, and who
have been laid [to rest] here and everywhere. Establish their spirits in the
dwellings of the of the
righteous, O Lord and Lover of mankind.
And
taking a portion, he places it with the other portions in order on the lower
part of the holy paten. If there are crumbs scattered near the holy paten, he
gathers them up also, and adds them to the other portions. He takes a brush and
gathers the crumbs around the Holy Lamb, that they may be kept and not one of
them may fall. The deacon takes the censer, and having placed incense therein,
says to the priest,
Bless Master, the censer
and the incense. Let us pray to the Lord.
The
priest says:
Lord
have mercy.
He
makes the sign of the Cross over the censer and says the prayer of the censer:
Incense do we offer unto
Thee, O Christ our God, for a sweet smelling
savour, which do Thou
accept upon Thy most heavenly altar, and send down upon us the grace of Thy
Most Holy Spirit.
The
deacon says:
Let
us pray to the Lord. Master, place the holy
star upon the holy paten.
The
priest takes the star after the deacon has censed it. He places it over the
Holy Lamb, saying:
Lord have mercy. And the star came and
stood over where the young Child was.
The
deacon says: Amen. Let us pray to the Lord. Master, cover this holy
star.
The
priest takes the first veil and covers [with it] the holy paten and star,
saying:
Lord, have mercy.
And this Psalm of David, 92:
The Lord is King, He is
clothed with majesty; The Lord is clothed with strength and He hath girt
Himself. For He established the world which shall not be shaken. Thy throne is
prepared of old; Thou art from everlasting. The rivers have lifted up, O Lord,
the rivers have lifted up their voices. The rivers will lift up their waves at
the voices of many waters. Wonderful are the surgings of the sea, wonderful on
high is the Lord. Thy testimonies are made very sure. Holiness becometh Thy
house, O Lord, unto length of days.
At
each covering [of the gifts] the deacon censes the veils.
Then
the deacon says: Amen. Let us pray to the Lord. Master, cover this holy
chalice.
The
priest takes the second veil and covers the holy chalice, saying:
Lord have mercy. Thy virtue, O Christ,
covered the heavens, and the earth was full of Thy praise.
The deacon says: Amen. Let us pray to the Lord.
Master, cover both of these holy things.
The
priest says: Lord have mercy.
And
taking the third veil, that is the aer, he covers both saying:
Shelter us with the
shelter of Thy wings, and drive away from us every enemy and adversary. Give
peace to our life, O Lord; have mercy on us and on Thy world, and save our souls,
for Thou art good and lovest mankind.
The
priest places his hands on his breast in the form of a cross and bows
reverently before the table of oblation upon which the holy things have been
placed. He says:
Blessed is God Who hath
willed thus, always, now and ever, and unto
the ages of ages.
The
deacon says: Amen. For the precious Gifts
[here] set forth, let us pray to the Lord.
The
priest says:
Lord
have mercy.
Bowing
his head, he prays thus: Prayer of the Offering
O God, our God, Who didst
send down the heavenly Bread as food for the whole world, even our Lord and God
Jesus Christ, the Saviour and Redeemer and Benefactor Who blesseth and
sanctifieth us: Do Thou Thyself bless this offering, and accept it upon Thy
most heavenly altar. As Thou art good and lovest mankind, remember O Lord, those
that have offered it, and those on whose behalf it is offered; and keep us
uncondemned in the sacred service of Thy Divine Mysteries. For blessed and
glorified is Thy most honourable and majestic name, of the Father, and of the
Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages, Amen.
Then
they say this Troparion:
In the tomb with Thy
flesh, as God in hell with the soul, in paradise with the thief, and on the
throne with the Father and the Spirit wast Thou, O Christ, filling all things,
yet uncircumscribed.
Then
the priest censes the holy things thrice, and the deacon, and he gives the
censer back to the deacon. The deacon takes the censer and censes the priest.
He then goes to the royal doors and opens them. He goes around the holy altar and
censes it crosswise, saying to himself the 50th Psalm, Have mercy on me, O
God, according to Thy great mercy.
The
priest stands to the right of the holy altar and says the same Psalm.
The
deacon censes the holy things and the whole sanctuary. Standing in the doorway
of the royal doors he censes the rector, the right choir, the left choir, and
towards the western doors [of the church]. Turning around, he censes the altar
and
the priest, and surrenders the censer.
Then
the priest standing in the doorway of the royal doors, performs the dismissal.
Facing
east, he says:
Glory to Thee, our God, our
Hope, glory to Thee.
The
chanters say: Glory, Now and ever. Lord have mercy, twice. Lord bless.
Then
the priest turns to the west and performs the dismissal:
May Christ our true God (But
if it be Sunday, he says: May He Who is risen from
the dead, Christ our true God) through the prayers of
His most pure Mother, and of our father among the saints, John Chrysostom,
Patriarch of Constantinople, and for the sake of all the saints, have mercy on
us and save us, for He is good and loveth mankind.
Then
the deacon closes the holy doors. The priest and the deacon turn to the holy
altar and ask forgiveness [of each other]. If the priest is serving alone, he
asks forgiveness of the whole church, before closing the royal doors.
Then
the deacon says in a low voice:
Bless, Master.
The
priest answers:
Blessed
is our God, always, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.
The
deacon:
Amen.
And
they say to themselves the prayer: Heavenly King, Paraclete, Spirit of Truth,
Who art everywhere present and fillest all, Treasury of good things and Giver
of life: come and dwell in us, and cleanse us from every impurity, and save our
souls, O Good One. (entirely, once).
Then: Glory to God in the
highest, and on earth peace, good will among
men, thrice. And
they bow thrice.
O Lord Thou shalt open my
lips and my mouth shall declare Thy
praise, twice.
And they bow twice.
Then
the priest kisses the holy Gospel and the holy altar. The deacon kisses his
orarion and the holy altar. He bows his head to the priest, holding the orarion
with three fingers of his right hand, and he says: It is time to serve the Lord. Bless, Master.
The
priest makes the sign of the Cross over the deacon’s head with his hand,
saying:
Blessed is our God,
always, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.
The
deacon:
Amen.
Pray for me, Master.
The
priest: The Lord direct thy
steps.
The
deacon:
Remember
me, holy Master.
The
priest: The Lord God remember thee
in His kingdom, always, now
and ever, and unto the
ages of ages.
The
deacon: Amen.
Having
bowed, he goes out the holy doors and stands at his usual place in front of the
holy doors. He bows thrice with all reverence, saying to himself:
O Lord, Thou shalt open my
lips, and my mouth shall declare Thy praise.
Concerning
Stale Prosphoras:
That
it is not proper to serve the Divine Liturgy with stale prosphoras. Beware,
O priest, and pay careful attention that you do not dare to perform the
prothesis with prosphoras that were baked earlier than that day on which the
service of Chrysostom or Basil is to take place. But let the prosphoras be
baked on that day on which the divine holy service is to take place, lest you
fall under a curse with the Roman heretics. For they, the wicked ones, serve, as
it were, over a dead human corpse, that is, on unleavened bread. And so, serving
on staleprosphora falls under that same curse. And so again, beware of this and
take heed, and instruct the sacristan not to bring such prosphoras.
Concerning
the curtain of the sanctuary: When it is opened, and when it is closed.
According
to the typicon of the Holy Mountain and of the venerable monasteries of the Imperial City
That
Laymen, apart from the Ponomar, Are not to Enter the Sanctuary
Let
no layman enter the sanctuary except the Orthodox Emperor alone, when he offers
gifts to the Lord, according to the 69th canon of the Council in Trullo.
The
Divine Liturgy of our Father among the Saints,
the
Most Holy and Blessed Archbishop of Constantinople the New Rome
the
Ecumenical Patriarch John Chrysostom
The
deacon begins, aloud:
Bless, Master.
The
priest says:
Blessed is the kingdom of
the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the
ages of ages.
The
chanters say: Amen.
Let
not the priest stretch out his hands or lift them up on high.
THE GEAT LITANY
The
deacon: In peace, let us pray to the Lord.
After
each petition the chanters sing: Lord
have mercy.
When
the deacon says, For the peace from on high…
and
the other prayers, the chanters wait for the words Let
us pray to the Lord
and
then they sing Lord have mercy.
Likewise,
let the deacon not say the petitions at the same time the chanters are singing Lord have mercy.
For the peace from on
high, and for the salvation of our souls, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord
have mercy.
For the peace of the
whole world, for the good estate of the holy churches of God, and for the union
of all, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord
have mercy.
For this holy temple and
them that with faith, reverence and the fear of
God enter herein, let us
pray to the Lord.
Lord
have mercy.
For our Patriarch N., [and for our Metropolitan N., for our Arch bishop N., for our Bishop N.] for the honourable
priesthood, the diaconate in Christ, and for all the clergy and the people, let
us
pray to the Lord.
Lord
have mercy.
For this country, its
civil authorities and its armed forces, let us pray
to
the Lord.
Lord
have mercy.
That He deliver His
people from enemies visible and invisible, and
confirm in us oneness of
mind, brotherly love and piety, let us pray
to the Lord.
Lord
have mercy.
For this city (if
in a monastery: and
for this holy house) and for every city and country and them
that with faith dwell therein, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord
have mercy.
For favourable weather,
for the increase of the fruits of the earth and
for peaceful times, let
us pray to the Lord.
Lord
have mercy.
For them that sail and
them that travel, for the sick, the suffering and the captive, and for their
salvation, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord
have mercy.
That we be delivered from
all tribulation, wrath and need, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord
have mercy.
Help us, save us, have
mercy on us, and keep us, O God, by Thy grace.
Lord
have mercy.
Calling to remembrance
our most holy, pure and most blessed Lady, the
Mother of God and
ever-virgin Mary, with all the Saints, let us commit ourselves and one another
and all our life unto Christ our God.
Choir: To Thee, O Lord.
The priest says the Prayer of the First
Antiphon:
O Lord our God, Thy might
is incomparable and Thy glory unattainable;
Thy mercy is immeasurable
and Thy love toward man ineffable. Do Thou, O Master, in Thy compassion look
down upon us and upon
this holy temple, and
grant us and them that pray with us Thy rich mercies and bounties.
Exclamation: For unto Thee is due all glory,
honour and worship, to the
Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the
ages of ages.
Choir: Amen.
THE FIRST ANTIPHON
The deacon, after completing the litany,
stands at the left side of the holy doors.
After the Amen, the
reader says
Psalm 102.
Bless the Lord, O my
soul, and all that is within me bless His holy Nam Israel
THE LITTLE LITANY
After the Psalm, the deacon bows and
again stands before the holy doors, holding his orarion with three fingers of
his right hand; he says:
Again and again in peace,
let us pray to the Lord.
Chanters: Lord
have mercy.
Help us, save us, have
mercy on us, and keep us, O God, by Thy grace.
Lord
have mercy.
Calling to remembrance
our most holy, pure and most blessed Lady, the
Mother of God and
ever-virgin Mary, with all the saints, let us commit ourselves and one another
and all our life unto Christ our God.
To
Thee, O Lord.
The priest says The Prayer Of The Second
Antiphon:
O Lord our God, save Thy
people and bless Thine inheritance. Preserve the fulness of Thy Church; sanctify
them that love the beauty of Thy house; glorify them by Thy divine power, and
forsake not us who hope in Thee.
Exclamation: For Thine is the dominion, and 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 the ages of ages.
Chanters: Amen.
THE SECOND ANTIPHON
Having bowed, the deacon goes to his
place, as mentioned above.
After the Amen, the reader says Psalm 145:
Praise the Lord, O my
soul. I will praise the Lord in my life, I will chant unto my God for as
long as I have my being. Trust ye not in princes, in the sons of men, in
whom there is no salvation. His spirit shall go forth, and he shall
return unto his earth. In that day all his thoughts shall perish. Blessed
is he of whom the God of Jacob is his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God. Who
hath made heaven and the earth, the sea and all that is therein, Who
keepeth truth unto eternity, Who executeth judgement for the wronged, Who
giveth food unto the hungry, The Lord looseth the fettered; the Lord
maketh wis
And
when he finishes, the choir sings:
Glory…, Now and ever…
O Only-begotten Son and
Word of God, Who art immortal, yet didst deign for our salvation to be
incarnate of the holy Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary, and without change didst
become man, and was crucified, O Christ God, trampling down death by death;
Thou Who art one of the Holy Trinity, glorified with the Father and the Holy
Spirit, save us.
THE LITTLE LITANY
Afterwards, the deacon, standing before
the holy doors and having bowed, says:
Again and again in peace,
let us pray to the Lord.
The chanters sing: Lord
have mercy.
Help us, save us, have
mercy on us, and keep us, O God, by Thy grace.
Lord
have mercy.
Calling to remembrance
our most holy, pure and most blessed Lady, the
Mother of God and
ever-virgin Mary, with all the saints, let us commit ourselves and one another
and all our life unto Christ our God.
Choir: To
Thee, O Lord.
The priest says the Prayer Of The Third
Antiphon:
O Thou Who hast bestowed
upon us these common and concordant
prayers, and Who hast
promised that when two or three are gathered
together in Thy Name
Thou wilt grant their requests: Fulfill now, O Lord, the petitions of Thy
servants, as may be most expedient for them, granting us in the present life
knowledge of Thy truth, and in the world to come, life everlasting.
Exclamation: For Thou art a good God and
lovest mankind and unto Thee
do we send up glory,
with Thine unoriginate Father, and with Thine all holy, good and life-giving
Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.
Choir: Amen.
The
deacon, having bowed, enters the holy sanctuary, stands to the left of the holy
altar, makes three bows before it, kisses it and his orarion, and bows to the
priest.
THE THIRD ANTIPHON
Then the Canonarch says the Beatitudes,
and the choirs sing the Troparia, according to the Typicon.
Remember us, O Lord, when
Thou comest in Thy Kingdom.
Blessed are the poor in
spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they that
mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for
they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are they that
hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure in
heart, for they shall see God.
Blessed are the
peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
Blessed are they that are
persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are ye when men
shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against
you falsely, for my sake.
Rejoice and be exceeding
glad, for great is your reward in heaven.
Glory…, Now and ever…
When the singers start to sing the Glory of
the Beatitudes,
the
priest and deacon bow before the holy altar in good order. The priest takes up
the Holy Gospel and gives it to the deacon. Taking it, the deacon kisses the
priest’s hand, and turns the Gospel around. They go towards the lesser doors.
When they come in front of the table of oblation, the deacon points to it with
his orarion, saying to the priest:
Bless Master, this holy
offering.
The priest blesses the holy things with
his hand cross-wise, saying:
Blessed is the offering
of Thy sacred and divine Mysteries, always, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.
The
Deacon: Amen.
THE LITTLE ENTRANCE
With the Gospel
And
thus they go out through the lesser doors and make the Entrance, standing before
the royal gates. The priest silently says the Prayer
of the entrance.
O Master, Lord our God,
Who hast established armies and ranks of angels and archangels for the service
of Thy glory in heaven: Grant that with our entrance there may be an entrance
of holy angels to minister with us, and with us to glorify Thy goodness. For
unto Thee is due all glory, honour and worship, to the Father, and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.
The
deacon: Amen.
After
the prayer, the deacon with the Holy Gospel turns to the priest, and makes a
bow. The priest kisses the holy Gospel. After the kissing, the deacon moves the
holy Gospel aside slightly to his left, bows his head to the priest and says in
a soft voice:
Bless, Master, the holy
entrance.
The priest makes the sign of the Cross
with his right hand over the deacon’s head, saying secretly:
Blessed is the entrance
of Thy holies, O Lord, always, now and ever,
and unto the ages of
ages. Amen.
If
a bishop be present, the deacon goes to the bishop with the Gospel. The bishop
kisses the Holy Gospel and blesses the deacon. The same order is followed in
the holy monasteries. In this case the priest kisses the Gospel in the
sanctuary.
Then
the deacon elevates the holy Gospel a little, without making the sign of the
Cross. He says in a loud voice:
Wisdom! Upright!
HYMN OF ENTRANCE
Variable
Then
they enter the sanctuary. The deacon places the Holy Gospel on the altar. The chanters
sing:
Come let us worship and
fall down before Christ. O Son of God, Who hast risen from the dead (or: Who art wondrous in the saints), save us
who sing to Thee; Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
THE TROPARIA
Then they say the usual Troparia and Kontakia in
common.
FINAL KONTAKION
O Protection of
Christians, who cannot be put to shame, constant intercessor with the Maker,
despise not the imploring voices of sinners, but in thy goodness go beforehand
to the aid of us who in faith cry out to thee: Hasten to intercede, and make speed
to plead for us, O Forthbringer of God who ever protectest those who honour
thee.
On
Saturday
With the Saints, give
rest, O Christ, to the souls of Thy servants, where there is no pain, no
sorrow, no sighing, but life everlasting.
To Thee O Lord, the Vine
Dresser of Creation, as first-fruits of nature the world offers the God-bearing
Martyrs. By their entreaties, through the Theotokos, preserve Thou Thy Church
in peace profound.
After the troparia, standing before the
altar, the priest says
THE PRAYER OF THE TRISAGION
O holy God, Who restest in
the holies; Who art praised by the seraphim in the thrice-holy hymn; Who art
glorified by the cherubim and worshipped by every heavenly power; Who from
non-being hast brought all things into being; Who hast fashioned man in Thine
image and likeness, and adorned him with Thine every gift; Who givest wisdom and
understanding to him that asketh, and Who despisest not him that sinneth, but
hast appointed repentance unto salvation; Who hast vouchsafed us, Thy lowly and
unworthy servants, even in this hour to stand before the glory of Thy holy
altar, and to offer Thee due worship and glorification: Do Thou, O Master,
accept from the mouths of us sinners the thrice-holy hymn, and visit us in Thy
goodness. Pardon us every transgression, voluntary and involuntary. Sanctify
our souls and bodies, and grant us to serve Thee in holiness all the days of
our life, through the prayers of the most holy Mother of God and of all the
saints who from ages past have been wellpleasing unto Thee.
When
the Glory, Now and ever of
the final Kontakion are begun, the deacon says to the priest in a low voice:
Bless, Master, the time
of the Thrice-holy.
The
priest, facing the altar, says the Exclamation:
For holy art Thou, O our
God, and unto Thee do we send up glory, to the
Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever.
With
his orarion in his hand, the deacon points to those without and says in a loud
voice: And unto the ages of
ages.
THE THRICE-HOLY HYMN
The
chanters respond: Amen, and
they sing the Trisagion.
The
first choir sings it once; then the second choir, once; then the first choir
once again.
Holy God, Holy Mighty,
Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. Thrice.
The
second choir sings Glory, Now and ever, Holy Immortal, have mercy
on us.
Then
the first choir sings the Trisagion again. The choirs sing separately, not all together,
but one choir waiting for the other to finish.
The
priest and the deacon say the Trisagion to themselves secretly, thrice. Each
time they bow together before the holy altar.
CEREMONY OF THE THRONE
After
the completion of the Trisagion, the deacon says to the priest:
Command, Master.
The
priest says:
By
the command of the Lord were the heavens established and all the might of them
by the
Spirit of His mouth.
The
deacon says:
Bless,
Master, our going to the holy place.
The
priest, going toward the high place, says:
Blessed is He that cometh
in the Name of the Lord.
The
deacon says: Bless, Master, the high
throne.
The
priest: Blessed art Thou Who sittest
upon the throne of glory of
Thy kingdom, always, now
and ever, and unto the ages of ages, Amen.
THE
LECTIONS
Prefatory
Psalm Verses Before the Epistle
The deacon says: Let us attend.
The priest: Peace be unto all.
The
reader: And to thy spirit
The
deacon again: Wisdom! Let us attend.
The
reader:
The
prokeimenon, Psalm of David.
He
says the Prokeimenon
of the Epistle.
Thefirst
choir sings the Prokeimenon.
Wisdom.
The Then
the reader says the verse, and the second choir repeats the
Prokeimenon.
The
reader says the Prokeimenon once again, and the first choir again sings it.
If
there is also a Prokeimenon for a saint’s day, the reader says it, the first
choir sings it instead of repeating the Prokeimenon of the day.
The
deacon says: Wisdom.
THE READING
The
reader states the title of the Epistle.
The deacon says: Let us attend.
While
the Epistle is being read, the priest sits, but the deacon stands before him.
While
the Epistle is read, the deacon takes the censer and incense, and comes to the
priest saying:
Bless, Master, the censer
and incense. Let us pray to the Lord. Lord
have mercy.
The
priest blesses the censer, making the sign of the Cross over it with his hand,
and saying the prayer:
Incense do we offer unto
Thee, O Christ our God, for a sweet smelling
savour, which do Thou
accept upon Thy most heavenly altar, and send down upon us the grace of Thy
Most Holy Spirit.
The
deacon censes the altar from the front and all around, as he says to himself
secretly Psalm 50. He then censes the table of oblation, where the holy
things
are, the whole sanctuary, the royal doors, and then the church--the rector
first, then the right choir, the left choir, toward the western doors, and the
rector once again. Turning to the east, he again censes the altar from the
front, and the priest.
ALLELUIA
After
the Epistle, the deacon says: Let us attend.
Having
risen from his place, the priest says: Peace be unto thee.
The
reader: And to thy spirit.
The
deacon: Wisdom, Let us attend.
The
reader: Psalm of David, Alleluia.
The
choirs sing Alleluia.
The
first choir sings it once.
When
it finishes, the reader says the verse.
After
the verse, the second choir sings Alleluia
once.
Then
the reader says the second verse.
After
the verse, the first choir sings Alleluia.
Then
the reader says the verse of the second Epistle.
The
second choir sings Alleluia.
Then
the reader says Alleluia, and
the first choir sings Alleluia for
the third time.
At
this time, the priest, standing before the high place and facing east, says
THE PRAYER BEFORE THE GOSPEL
O Master, make the
unapproachable light of Thy divine knowledge to shine in our hearts, and open the
eyes of our mind to understand the preaching of Thy Gospel. Instill in us also
the fear of Thy divine commandments, that trampling down all bodily desires, we
may pursue a spiritual life, and that we may both think and do always that
which is well pleasing to Thee, for Thou art the enlightenment of our souls, O
Christ our God, and unto Thee do we send up glory, together with Thine
unoriginate Father, and Thy most holy, good and life-giving Spirit, now and ever,
and unto the ages of ages, Amen.
Then the priest says secretly this
Prayer of the Holy Gospel.
O Lord our God, incline
our hearts unto the hearing of Thy divine commands; turn away the eyes of our
thoughts from attachment to the trifling things of this world; rather vouchsafe
that we may behold the beauty of Thy glory; for Thou art our God, the God Who
hast mercy through the prayers of Thy most pure Mother, the most holy Mother of
God, and of the all-praised apostles and evangelists Matthew, Mark, Luke and
John. Through their prayers save and have mercy on us, for Thou art good and
lovest man.
After
the censing, the deacon puts aside the censer. He takes the Holy Cross from the
altar, places it on the orarion in his right hand, and brings it to the priest.
The priest takes the holy Cross, crosses himself with it, and kisses it,
saying:
By the power and
protection of Thy precious Cross, O Lord, have mercy on me, and help me, a
sinner.
Then
he blesses the deacon. The deacon takes the Cross and kisses it, saying the
same words as the priest. He replaces the Cross on the holy altar.
If,
however, a priest serves alone [without a deacon], he himself censes in the
proper order, as was indicated earlier. Then the deacon stands before the holy
altar, makes three bows and says aloud:
Bless, Master, the
proclamation of the good tidings of the holy, glorious,
all-praised, universal,
herald, apostle and evangelist N.
The
deacon takes up the Holy Gospel and stands opposite the priest. Standing at the
high place, the priest says:
May God, through the
prayers of the holy, glorious, all-praised, universal, herald, apostle and
evangelist N., give thee speech to
proclaim the good tidings with great power.
The
deacon having bowed to the priest, goes out by way of the royal doors to the
usual place.
THE READING
Then
the priest says, aloud:
Wisdom,
Upright. Let us hear the Holy Gospel.
The
deacon says:
A reading from the Holy
Gospel according to [Saint] N.
The
choirs sing: Glory to Thee, O Lord.
The
priest says:
Let
us attend.
If
a second deacon is also serving, it is he who says
Wisdom! Upright! Let us hear the Holy Gospel and Let us attend.
When
the Holy Gospel is finished, the choir sings:
Glory
to Thee, O Lord.
The
priest comes from the high place, stands at the holy doors, receives the Holy
Gospel from the deacon, and says to him quietly:
Peace be unto thee.
The
priest kisses the holy Gospel. If there are other concelebrants, they all kiss
the Holy Gospel, and place it on the holy altar, behind the eileton, and they spread
out the eileton on he holy altar where the holy things are to be placed.
The deacon goes and stands at his usual
place opposite the holy doors, then he says
LITANY OF FERVENT SUPPLICATION
Let us all say.
Choir: Lord
have mercy.
With all our soul and all
our mind, let us all say:
Lord
have mercy.
O Lord Almighty, God of
our fathers, we pray Thee.
Lord
have mercy.
Have mercy on us, O God,
according to Thy great mercy; we pray Thee, O Lord, hearken and have mercy.
Chanters: Lord
have mercy, Thrice.
Furthermore we pray for
this country, its civil authorities and armed forces; and for the Orthodox who dwell
therein, and for the remission of their sins; and that the Lord deliver His
people from enemies, visible and invisible, and confirm in us oneness of mind,
brotherly love and piety. Let us all say:
Choir: Lord
have mercy. twelve times.
Furthermore, we pray for
our Patriarch N., [and for our
Metropolitan N., and
for our Archbishop N., or our Bishop N.] for health and for
salvation.
Lord
have mercy. Thrice.
Furthermore, we pray to
the Lord our God, that He have mercy on His servants NN., and that He increase the years of their
lives, and deliver them from all tribulation, wrath and need, and from every
disease of soul and body, and forgive them every transgression, voluntary and
involuntary, let us all say:
Lord
have mercy, twelve times.
Furthermore, we pray for
the prosperity, peace, tranquility, order, and
remission of sins of all
Orthodox Christendom, let us all say:
Lord
have mercy, twelve times.
If
in a monastery, add this petition:
Furthermore, we pray for
our father, Abbot N.; for all our brethren in
Christ; and for their health and salvation.
Lord
have mercy. Thrice.
Furthermore we pray for all
who serve or have served in this holy temple (if
in a monastery: in this holy house) and for their health and
salvation.
Lord
have mercy, Thrice.
Outside
a monastery we add this:
Furthermore, we pray for
the people here present; for them that await of Thee great mercies; and for
their health and salvation.
Lord
have mercy. Thrice.
Furthermore, we pray for
those who give alms; and for their health and salvation.
Lord
have mercy. Thrice.
Furthermore, we pray for
all the brethren and for all Christians; and for their health and salvation.
Lord
have mercy, Thrice.
The priest prays this Prayer of Fervent
Supplication, secretly:
O Lord our God, accept
this fervent supplication from Thy servants, and have mercy on us according to
the multitude of Thy mercies, and send down Thy bounties upon us and upon all
Thy people who await of Thee rich mercy.
Exclamation.
Priest: For Thou art a merciful God
and lovest mankind, 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 the ages of ages. Amen.
If there be a commemoration of the
faithful departed,
the deacon or priest says this
LITANY FOR THE DEPARTED
Have
mercy on us, O God, according to Thy great mercy; we pray Thee, O Lord, hearken
and have mercy.
Chanters:
Lord, have mercy. Thrice.
Furthermore we pray for
the remission of the sins of Thy servants NN., who have departed in blessed memory (for
whom we make this commemoration.)
Lord
have mercy, Thrice.
That they be forgiven
every transgression, voluntary and involuntary.
Lord
have mercy. Thrice.
That the Lord our God
would establish their souls in a place of brightness, a place of green pasture,
a place of rest, in the bosom of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Lord
have mercy. Thrice.
Having implored for them
the mercy of God, the kingdom of heaven and the remission of sins, let us
commit ourselves and one another and all our life unto Christ our God.
Chanters: To
Thee, O Lord.
Deacon: Let us pray to the Lord.
Chanters: Lord
have mercy, 40 times.
The priest says this Prayer for the
Departed, secretly:
O God of spirits and of
all flesh, Who hast trampled down death and defeated the devil and given life
unto all the world: Do Thou Thyself, O Lord, give rest to the souls of Thy
servants, NN., who have departed in
blessed memory, in a place of brightness, a place of green pasture, a place of
rest, whence all sickness, sadness, and sighing have fled away. Inasmuch as
Thou art God, Who art good and lovest mankind, forgive every transgression
committed by them, in word, deed and thought. For there is no man that hath lived
and not sinned against Thee; for Thou alone art without sin; Thy righteousness
is an everlasting righteousness, and Thy word is truth.
Exclamation. Priest: For Thou art the Resurrection and the Life
and the Rest of Thy servants NN.,
who
have departed in blessed memory, whom we are commemorating, O Christ our God, and
unto Thee do we send up glory, with Thine unoriginate Father and Thy most holy,
good and life-giving Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.
If
it is Saturday of Meat-Fare Week, the second, third, or fourth Saturday of
Great Lent, or the seventh Saturday after Pascha, the following petitions are
said instead of those above:
Furthermore we pray for
the remission of sins of Thy servants who have departed in blessed memory: the
most holy ecumenical patriarchs, pious
kings and queens, the
most reverend metropolitans, right-believing great princes, and right believing
great princesses, God-loving archbishops and bishops, right-believing princes
and princesses, archimandrites, abbots and all the priestly and monastic ranks,
our fore fathers, fathers and brethren, Orthodox Christians who lie here and in
every place.
That they be forgiven
every transgression committed by them, in word, deed and thought. For there is
no man that hath lived and not sinned against Thee; for Thou alone art without
sin; Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and Thy word is truth.
And
the priest says the secret prayer O God of spirits...
and
the exclamation as given above. For Thou art the Resurrection…
The chanters sing: Amen.
LITANY FOR THE CATECHUMENS
Then
the deacon says: Ye catechumens, pray to
the Lord.
Choir: Lord
have mercy.
Ye faithful, pray for the
catechumens.
Lord, have mercy.
That the Lord may have
mercy on them.
Lord
have mercy.
That He may instruct them
in the word of truth.
Lord
have mercy.
That He may reveal unto
them the Gospel of righteousness.
Lord
have mercy.
That He may unite them to
His Holy, Catholic and Apostolic
Church
Lord
have mercy.
Save them, have mercy on
them, help them and keep them, O God, by
Thy grace.
Lord
have mercy.
Ye catechumens, bow your
heads unto the Lord.
To Thee, O Lord.
PRAYER FOR THE CATECHUMENS
which the priest says secretly before
the holy oblation.
O Lord our God, Who
dwellest on high and lookest upon the lowly;
Who didst send down the
salvation of the human race, Thine only-begotten
Son, our Lord Jesus
Christ: Look upon Thy servants the catechumens who have bowed down their necks
before Thee, and at a seasonable time vouchsafe unto them the laver of
regeneration, the remission of sins and the garment of incorruption. Unite them
to Thy Holy, Catholic and Apostolic
Church
Exclamation: That with us they also may
glorify Thy most honourable and majestic name, of the Father and of the Son and
of the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.
Choir:
Amen.
The
deacon says: As many as are
catechumens, depart.
If
there be a second deacon,
he
exclaims: Catechumens, depart.
The
first deacon again: As many as are
catechumens, depart. Let none of the
catechumens remain.
THE FIRST LITANY OF THE FAITHFUL
Deacon: As many as are of the
faithful: again and again in peace let us pray to the Lord.
Choir: Lord
have mercy.
Deacon: Help us, save us, have
mercy on us, and keep us, O God, by Thy
grace.
Lord
have mercy.
Deacon: Wisdom.
The priest says the First Prayer of the
Faithful,
after the Eiliton is Spread out.
We give thanks unto Thee,
O Lord God of hosts, Who hast vouchsafed us even now to stand before Thy holy
altar and to fall down before Thy compassion for our sins and for the errors of
the people. Accept, O God, our supplication. Make us worthy to offer unto Thee prayers
and entreaties and bloodless sacrifices for all Thy people. And enable us, whom
Thou hast appointed to this Thy ministry, to call upon Thee in the power of Thy
Holy Spirit, without condemnation or faltering, with the testimony of a clean
conscience, at all times and in all places; that hearing us, Thou mayest be
merciful to us in Thy manifold goodness.
The
exclamation: For unto Thee is due all
glory, honour and worship, to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
now and ever,and unto the ages of ages.
Choir: Amen.
THE SECOND LITANY OF THE FAITHFUL
Deacon: Again and again in peace
let us pray to the Lord.
Lord
have mercy.
For the peace from on
high, and for the salvation of our souls, let us pray
to the Lord.
Lord
have mercy.
For the peace of the
whole world, for the good estate of the holy churches of God, and for the union
of all, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord
have mercy.
For this holy temple and
them that with faith, reverence and the fear of God enter herein, let us pray
to the Lord.
Lord
have mercy.
That we may be delivered
from all tribulation, wrath and need, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord
have mercy.
Help us, save us, have
mercy on us, and keep us, O God, by Thy
grace.
Lord
have mercy.
The
deacon says in a loud voice: Wisdom!
The priest says the Second Prayer of the
Faithful.
Again and oftentimes we
fall down before Thee and entreat Thee, O
Good One Who lovest man,
that Thou wouldst regard our prayer, and
cleanse our souls and
bodies from all defilement of flesh and spirit, and
grant us to stand before
Thy holy altar without guilt or condemnation.
Grant also unto such as
pray with us, O God, an increase of life, faith and
spiritual understanding.
Grant that they may always serve Thee with fear
and love; that they may
receive Thy Holy Mysteries without guilt or condemnation; and that they may be deemed
worthy of Thy heavenly
kingdom.
The priest, looking toward the altar,
says the exclamation:
That, always guarded
under Thy dominion, we may send up glory unto Thee, to the Father and to the
Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.
Chanters: Amen.
The
deacon enters the sanctuary, makes three bows before the holy altar, and asks
forgiveness of the priest. Then, the deacon takes the censer and incense; the
priest blesses them, saying the usual prayer of the censer; The deacon censes
the holy altar, the holy things, and the entire sanctuary, saying silently to
himself Psalm 50, as indicated previously.
Meanwhile,
the priest says this prayer to himself, as the Cherubic Hymn is sung:
PRAYER OF THE VEIL
None is worthy, among them
that are bound by carnal desires and pleasures, to approach Thee, or to draw
nigh and minister before Thee, O King of glory, for to serve Thee is a great
and fearful thing, even for the heavenly powers themselves. Yet in Thine
ineffable and immeasurable love toward man, Thou didst become man, without
change or alteration, and wast made our High Priest, and Thyself hast committed
unto us the sacred rite of this liturgical and
bloodless sacrifice, as
Master of all. For Thou alone, O Lord our God, hast dominion over those in
heaven and those on earth; Who sittest upon the throne of the cherubim; Who art
Lord of the seraphim and King of Israel
most pure Body and Thy
precious Blood. Thee do I approach now with bended neck, and I beseech Thee: Turn
not Thy face from me, neither reject me from among Thy servants, but vouchsafe
that these gifts be offered unto Thee by me, Thy sinful and unworthy servant.
For it is Thou, O Christ our God, Who offerest and art offered, Who receivest
and art distributed, and unto Thee do we send up glory, together with Thine unoriginate
Father and with Thy most holy, good and life-giving Spirit, now and ever, and
unto the ages of ages. Amen.
If
there is no deacon, the priest himself censes.
After
the censing the deacon stands at the left side of the holy altar with great
reverence
awaiting the completion of the prayer. When it has been completed, each says to
himself the Cherubic Hymn, which the Ecumenical
Church
THE CHERUBIC HYMN
Let us, who mystically
represent the cherubim, and who offer the thrice-holy hymn unto the life-giving
Trinity, now cast aside all earthly cares,
As we receive the King of
all, Who is invisibly borne as a gift by ranks of angels. Alleluia.
Then
they make three bows before the holy altar, saying to themselves:
God cleanse me a sinner
and have mercy on me. Thou hast created me:
Lord, have mercy. on me.
I
have
sinned immeasurably: Lord, forgive
me.
And
they ask forgiveness before the altar and kiss the holy altar and go to the
table of oblation.
The
priest takes the censer and censes the holy things and the deacon. He hands the
censer back to the deacon, who censes him, saying:
Deacon: Let us pray to the Lord.
Lift up, Master, the holy things.
The priest responds: Lord have mercy.
The
priest takes the aer and lays it on the deacon’s right shoulder, saying:
Lift up your hands unto
the holies, and bless the Lord.
He
takes the holy paten and places it on top of the deacon’s head. The deacon
receives it with all awe, attentiveness and firmness. The priest takes the holy
chalice, and they make the Great Entrance. The deacon goes first; together with
the paten, he also holds the censer on one finger of his right hand; he walks
erect, not bowing in the least.
THE GREAT ENTRANCE
A
candle-bearer precedes them. As they enter the church, each says to himself,
first the deacon, and after him the priest:
All of you may the Lord
God remember in His kingdom, always, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. The people bow to the waist.
Standing
opposite the western doors, they say:
May the Lord God remember
all of you in His kingdom, always, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. The people bow to the waist.
Then
turning to the south side, they say:
All of you may the Lord
God remember in His kingdom, always, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. The people bow to the waist.
[If
a bishop be present, they say: May the Lord God remember thine episcopate
in His kingdom, always, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.
If it be in a
monastery, and the abbot be present,
they say: May the Lord God remember
thy priesthood in His kingdom, always, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.]
Chanters: Amen. As we receive the King of all, Who is
invisibly born as a gift by the ranks of angels. Alleluia.
As
they enter through the royal doors, they say to themselves silently:
Blessed is He that cometh
in the name of the Lord: God is the Lord and hath appeared unto us.
The
priest first places the holy chalice on the holy altar; then, he takes the holy
paten from the deacon’s head and places it also on the holy altar, to the near
right of the holy chalice, (On the left side of the priest) The deacon closes
the royal doors. The priest removes the small veils and lays them on the holy
altar. He takes the aer and covers the holy things with it saying this Troparion:
The noble Joseph took Thy
most pure Body down from the Cross, wrapped It in a clean shroud with sweet
spices, and laid and closed It in a new tomb, but on the third day the Lord
arose, granting the world great mercy.
Next,
the priest takes the censer and censes the holy things thrice, saying:
Do good, O Lord, in Thy
good pleasure unto Sion, and let the walls of Jerusalem
After
this, he censes the deacon, saying:
The Holy Spirit shall
come upon thee, and the power of the Most High shall
overshadow thee.
The
deacon responds: Thy good Spirit shall
lead me in the land of uprightness.
And
he takes the censer. Then, they make three prostrations before the holy altar
with awe and reverence, as each says to himself:
God cleanse me a sinner,
and have mercy on me. Thou hast created me: Lord,
have mercy on me. I have sinned immeasurably:
Lord forgive me.
Then
they place their hands crosswise on their breasts, bow their heads, and ask
forgiveness, as written above.
Then
the deacon censes the priest, saying:
The Holy Spirit shall
come upon thee, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee.
The
deacon says: Remember me, holy Master.
The priest says: May the Lord God remember
thee in His kingdom, always,
now and ever, and unto
the ages of ages. The Deacon: Amen.
The
deacon bows and goes out into the church through the north doors.
THE LITANY OF THE OBLATION
He stands before the holy doors and says
the Litany:
Let us complete our
prayer to the Lord.
The
Choir sings: Lord
have mercy.
For the precious Gifts
here set forth, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord
have mercy.
For this holy temple and
them that with faith, reverence, and the fear of God enter herein, let us pray
to the Lord.
Lord
have mercy.
That we may be delivered
from all tribulation, wrath and need, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord
have mercy.
Help us, save us, have mercy
on us, and keep us, O God, by Thy grace.
Lord
have mercy.
The Rogations
That the whole day may be
perfect, holy, peaceful and sinless, let us ask
of the Lord.
Grant
this, O Lord.
An angel of peace, a
faithful guide, a guardian of our souls and bodies,
let us ask of the Lord.
Grant
this, O Lord.
Pardon and remission of
our sins and offences, let us ask of the Lord.
Grant
this, O Lord.
Things good and
profitable for our souls, and peace for the world, let us
ask of the Lord.
Grant
this, O Lord.
That we may complete the
remaining time of our lives in peace and repentance, let us ask of the Lord.
Grant
this, O Lord.
A Christian ending to our
life, painless, blameless and peaceful,and a good defence at the dread judgement
of Christ, let us ask.
Grant
this, O Lord.
Calling to remembrance
our most holy, pure and most blessed Lady, the
Mother of God and
ever-virgin Mary, with all the saints, let us commit ourselves and one another
and all our life unto Christ our God.
To
Thee, O Lord.
PRAYER OF THE OBLATION
The priest says this Offertory Prayer
after the transfer of the Holy Gifts to
the holy altar:
O Lord God Almighty, Who
alone art holy, Who dost accept the sacrifice of praise from such as call upon
Thee with their whole heart: accept also the prayer of us sinners, and bring it
to Thy holy altar. And enable us to offer unto Thee gifts and spiritual
sacrifices for our sins and for the errors of the people. And account us worthy
to find grace in Thy sight, that our sacrifice may be acceptable unto Thee, and
that the good Spirit of Thy grace may come upon us, upon these gifts here set forth,
and upon all Thy people.
Exclamation: Through the bountiful mercies
of Thine Only-begotten Son, with Whom Thou art blessed, together with Thy most
holy, good and life-giving Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.
Choir: Amen.
Priest: Peace be unto all.
Choir: And
to thy spirit.
Deacon: Let us love one another,
that with one mind we may confess:
Chanters: The Father, and the Son,
and the Holy Spirit, the Holy Trinity one in essence and undivided.
The
priest standing within, makes three bows, saying to himself thrice:
I will love Thee, O Lord,
my strength; the Lord is my foundation, and my refuge and my deliverer.
KISS OF PEACE
The Prayer Before the Kiss
O Lord Jesus Christ our
God, Author of love and Giver of good things, Who hast given us, Thy servants,
to love one another as Thou hast loved us, that we might be united by the unity
of love: We pray to Thee, we send up praise to Thee, and we shall partake of
Thy holy and most pure Mysteries; for Thou art our Love, and unto Thee do we
send up glory, together with Thine unoriginate Father and Thy most holy, good and
life-giving Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages, Amen.
Then
the priest kisses the holy things, which are veiled. First he kisses the top of
the holy paten, next the top of the holy chalice; finally, the edge of the holy
altar before him. If other priests are concelebrating, they kiss only the holy altar,
and then they kiss the lips of the first priest who kissed the holy things.
Kissing them, he says:
Christ is in our midst.
And
they answer: He
is and shall be. And they stand next to him in a row,
according to their rank, and kiss one another in order. If there are other
deacons, each kisses his own orarion and then they exchange the kiss among
themselves, saying the same words as the priests. The
deacon
who is standing before the holy doors kisses his orarion. e.
And
they stand next to him in a row, according to their rank, and kiss one another
in order. If there are other deacons, each kisses his own orarion and then they
exchange the kiss among themselves, saying the same words as the priests. The
deacon
who is standing before the holy doors kisses his orarion.
Then
he says:
The doors, the doors! In
wisdom let us attend.
The
priest lifts the aer up to his head and holds it over the Holy Gifts as he says
to himself:
THE SYMBOL OF THE FAITH
The Confession of the Orthodox Faith:
Of the First Council.
If
other priests and deacons are also serving, they likewise lift the holy aer over
the Holy Gifts and say the same Creed, which also the people repeat.
I believe in one God, the
Father Almighty, Maker of haven and earth, and of all things visible and
invisible.
And in
one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father
before all ages;
Light of Light, true God
of true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father, by Whom all
things were made;
Who for us men and for
our salvation came down from heaven, and was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and
of the Virgin Mary, and became man;
He was crucified for us
under Po ntius Pilate, and suffered and was
buried, and arose on the third day, according to the scriptures;
And ascended into heaven,
and sitteth at the right hand of the Father;
And He shall come again
with glory to judge the living and the dead, of Whose kingdom there is no end.
Of
the Second Council.
And in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord true and life-giving, Who proceedeth from the Father, Who together
with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified; Who spake by the
prophets.
And in One Holy Catholic
and Apostolic Chu rch.
I confess one baptism for
the remission of sins.
I wait for the
resurrection of the dead,
And the life of the age
to come. Amen.
Then
all the concelebrants kiss the aer, as each says to himself:
Holy God, Holy Mighty,
Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.
And
they place the aer on the holy altar.
THE
ANAPHORA
Deacon: Let us stand aright; let
us stand with fear; let us attend, that we may offer the holy oblation in
peace.
People: Mercy, peace, sacrifice and song.
Exclamation. Priest: The grace of our Lord Jesus
Christ, and the love of God the Father, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be
with you all.
People: And with
thy spirit.
Priest: Let us lift up our
hearts.
People: We lift them up unto the Lord.
Priest: Let us give thanks unto the Lord.
People: It is meet and right.
The
deacon enters the sanctuary, takes his place at the right side of the holy
altar, bows thrice, kisses the holy altar, and asks forgiveness of the priest.
If a second deacon is also serving, they exchange the kiss. The first deacon
says: Christ is in our midst. The
second replies: He is and shall be. Then
they fold the aer and the holy veils and place them to one side of the holy
altar.
EUCHARISTIC PRAYER
The priest, having bowed, prays thus:
It is meet and right to
hymn Thee, to bless Thee, to praise Thee, to thank Thee [and] to worship Thee
in every place of Thy dominion; for Thou art God inexpressible, unknowable, invisible,
unattainable, ever-existing, al ways the same: Thou, and Thine Only-begotten
Son, and Thy Holy Spirit. Thou didst
bring us from non-being
into being; and when we had fallen away, didst raise us up again; and didst not
cease to do all things until Thou hadst lifted us up to heaven and hadst bestowed
upon us Thy kingdom which is to come. For all these things we give thanks unto
Thee, and unto Thine Only-begotten Son, and unto Thy Holy Spirit; for all
things whereof we know and whereof we know
not; for benefits both
manifest and hidden which have been wrought upon us. We give thanks unto Thee also
for this service which Thou hast been pleased to accept from our hands, though
before Thee stood thousands of arch angels and myriads of angels, cherubim and
seraphim, six winged, many-eyed, borne aloft on their wings,
Exclamation: Singing the triumphal hymn,
shouting, crying aloud, and saying:
And
the people: Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord of
Sabaoth; heaven and earth are full of Thy glory. Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.
The
deacon lifts the star and thrice touches it to the holy paten. He wipes it on
the eiliton, kisses it, and places it with the aer. Then he comes and stands at
the left side of the holy altar. If there is a rhipidion, the deacon takes it
and fans the Holy Things gently, with awe and attentiveness, so that no fly or
other such thing settle on top of the Holy Things. If there is no rhipidion, he
uses one of the veils, being careful not to use too much force, lest he hit the
holy chalice and cause it to spill.
Bowing,
the priest prays,
and
at each prayer, the deacon says:
Let us pray to the Lord.
NARRATION OF THE DOMINICAL SUPPER
The priest says the prayer:
With these divine powers,
O Master Who lovest man kind, we also cry out and say: Holy art Thou and most
holy, Thou, and Thine Only-Begotten Son, and Thy Holy Spirit. Holy art Thou and
most holy, and majestic is Thy glory; Who so loved Thy world that Thou gavest Thine
Only-begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth in
Him should not perish but have everlasting life; Who, when He had come and had fulfilled
all the dispensation concerning us, in the night in which He was betrayed, or
rather gave Himself up for the life of the world, took bread with His holy,
most pure and blameless hands, and when He had given thanks, and had blessed
it, and hallowed it, and broken it, He gave it to His holy disciples and
apostles, saying:
Exclamation: Take, eat: This is My Body,
Which is broken for you for the
remission of sins.
People: Amen.
The
priest and the people make a bow to the waist. While the priest is saying these
words, he points with his right hand to the holy paten, while the deacon points
with his orarion and responds:
Amen.
Then
the priest says secretly: And likewise the cup
after supper, saying:
Exclamation: Drink ye all of it; This
is My Blood of the New Testament, which is shed for you and for many, for the
remission of sins.
People: Amen.
The
priest and the people make a bow to the waist..
While
the priest is saying these words, he points with his right hand to the holy chalice,
and the deacon also points with his orarion to the holy chalice. Bowing, the
priest prays :
ANAMNESIS
Mindful, therefore, of
this saving commandment and of all those things which came to pass for us: the Cross,
the Grave, the Resurrection on the third day, the Ascension into heaven, the
Sitting at the right hand, and the Second and Glorious Coming again,
Exclamation: Thine own of Thine own,
we offer unto Thee on behalf of all and for all. Bow.
People: We
hymn Thee, we bless Thee, we give thanks unto Thee, O Lord, and we pray unto Thee,
O our God.
And
the priest points to both Holy Things with his hand, while the deacon does
likewise with his orarion.
INVOCATION
Having
bowed, the priest prays: Moreover, we offer unto
Thee this rational and bloodless sacrifice; we pray and ask and implore Thee:
send Thy Holy Spirit upon us and upon these Gifts set forth.
[When
the priest is about to perform the Invocation of the Holy Spirit, the deacon
puts aside the rhipidion or veil which he has in his hand, and draws near the
priest. They both bow thrice before the holy altar, praying and saying to themselves:
O Lord,
Who at the third hour didst send Thy Most Holy Spirit upon Thine Apostles: take
Him not away from us, O Good One, but rather renew us, who pray unto Thee.
The deacon says these verses: Verse 1: Create
in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
Priest: O Lord,
Who at the third hour didst send Thy Most Holy Spirit upon Thine Apostles: take
Him not away from us, O Good One, but rather renew us, who pray unto Thee.
The deacon, Verse 2: Cast
me not away from Thy presence, and take not Thy
Holy
Spirit from me.
Priest: O Lord,
Who at the third hour didst send Thy Most Holy Spirit upon Thine Apostles: take
Him not away from us, O Good One, but rather renew us, who pray unto Thee.]
Then
the deacon points with his orarion to the holy paten, and says:
Bless, Master, this holy
bread.
The
priest blesses over the holy bread, saying quietly:
And make this bread the
Precious Body of Thy Christ.
Deacon: Amen.
The
deacon points to the holy chalice, and says: Bless, Master, this holy cup.
The
priest blesses over the holy chalice, saying:
And that which is in this
cup, the Precious Blood of Thy Christ.
Deacon: Amen.
The
deacon points with his orarion to the Holy Gifts, and says:
Bless, Master, both of
these Holy Things.
Now
the priest blesses both the holy paten and the holy chalice, saying:
Changing them by Thy Holy
Spirit.
Deacon: Amen. And
bowing his head to the priest, the deacon says: Remember me, holy Master.
Priest: May the Lord God remember
thee in His kingdom, always, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.
Deacon: Amen.
The
deacon returns to his previous place, takes the rhipidion and fans the Holy
Gifts.
The
priest, having bowed, prays thus:
That for such as partake
thereof they may be unto cleansing of soul, unto remission of sins, unto communion
of Thy Holy Spirit, unto the fulfillment of the kingdom of heaven, unto
boldness toward Thee, not unto judgement or condemnation.
INTERCESSION
FOR THE SAINTS
Moreover, we offer unto
Thee this rational service for them that have reposed in faith: the
forefathers, fathers, patriarchs, prophets, apostles, preachers, evangelists, martyrs,
confessors, ascetics, and for every righteous spirit in faith made perfect.
The
deacon puts aside the rhipidion, and takes the censer and incense. He receives
a blessing from the priest, and censes the holy altar.
The
priest exclaims: Especially for our most
holy, most pure and most blessed Lady, the Mother of God and Ever-virgin Mary.
Both
choirs come together in the middle of the church opposite the holy royal doors
and sing:
MEGALYNARION
It is truly meet to bless
the, O Theotokos, the ever-blessed and most immaculate, and the Mother of our
God. More honourable than the Cher ubim and
truly more glorious than the Seraphim, thee who without defilement gavst birth to
God the Word, the true Mother of God, thee do we magnify. prostration
The
deacon censes around the altar, the entire sanctuary, and the priest. While
doing so, he remembers by name silently the founders of the church or monastery
who have departed, whom he may wish to remember. If a priest alone celebrates, he
merely censes the front of the altar thrice.
The priest having bowed, prays thus:
For the holy prophet,
forerunner and baptist John; the holy and all praised
Apostles, and Saint N., whose memory we
keep, and
all the saints, through whose prayers do Thou visit us, O God.
FOR THE DEPARTED
Remember all those who have
fallen asleep in the hope of resurrection and eternal life, NN. Remember them where the
light of Thy countenance watcheth over them.
FOR THE LIVING
Moreover, we beseech
Thee: Remember, O Lord, all the Orthodox episcopate who rightly divide the word
of Thy truth, the whole priesthood, the diaconate in Christ and every sacred
order.
Also we offer unto Thee
this rational Sacrifice for the whole world; for the Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church
life in all godliness
and purity.
Exclamation: Among the first,
remember, O Lord, our lord, the Most Holy Patriarch N., [and our lord, the Most Reverend
Metropolitan N.,
and
our lord the Most Reverend Archbishop N., or Most Reverend Bishop N.], whom do Thou grant unto
Thy holy churches in peace, safety, honour, health and length of days, rightly dividing
the word of Thy truth.
The
deacon commemorates the founders of the church or monastery, if they be alive,
and whomsoever he will. In a monastery, he commemorates the abbot and the
brethren, as well as other of the living as he wishes.
{ Greek
usage: Deacon: And those whom each of us hath in mind, and all
men and women. Choir:
And for each and all. }
The priest having bowed, prays thus:
Remember, O Lord, this
habitation in which we dwell, and every city and country, and the faithful that
dwell therein.
In
a city, the priest says: Remember O Lord, this city in which we
dwell.
Outside
his city, the priest says: Remember O Lord our city
and this place in which we dwell, and every city and country, and those who
with faith dwell therein. Also:
Remember, O Lord, them
that sail and them that travel, the sick, the suffering and the captives, and their
salvation. Remember, O Lord, them
that bear fruit and do good works in Thy holy churches, and them that are mindful
of the poor, and upon us all send down Thy mercies.
The
priest remembers by name such of the living as he will.
Then
he prays for himself:
Remember, O Lord,
according to the multitude of Thy mercies, also mine unworthiness: and forgive mine
every offence, whether voluntary or involuntary; and withhold not because of my
sins the grace of the Holy Spirit from these gifts here set forth.
Exclamation: And grant us with one mouth
and one heart to glorify and hymn Thy most honourable and majestic name, of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages
of ages.
The
people sing:
Amen.
CONCLUSION OF THE ANAPHORA
The priest says: And may the mercies of
our great God and Saviour Jesus
Christ be with you all.
The
people sing: And with thy spirit.
LITANY OF SUPPLICATION
The
deacon kisses the holy altar, bows to the priest and goes out into the church
through the north door. He stands in his usual place and says:
Having remembered all the
saints, again and again in peace let us pray to the Lord.
The chanters sing: Lord have mercy.
For the precious Gifts
here offered and sanctified, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord
have mercy.
That our God, Who loveth
man, having accepted them upon His holy, most heavenly and noetic altar for an odour
of spiritual fragrance, send down upon us the grace and gift of the Holy
Spirit, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord
have mercy.
That we may be delivered
from all tribulation, wrath and need, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord
have mercy
Deacon: Help us, save us, have
mercy on us, and keep us, O God, by Thy
grace.
Lord
have mercy.
ROGATIONS
That the whole day be
perfect, holy, peaceful and sinless, let us ask of the Lord.
Grant
this, O Lord.
An angel of peace, a
faithful guide and guardian of our souls and bodies, let us ask of the Lord.
Grant
this, O Lord.
Pardon and remission of
our sins and offences, let us ask of the Lord.
Grant
this, O Lord.
Things good and
profitable for our souls, and peace for the world, let us ask of the Lord.
Grant
this, O Lord.
That we may complete the
remaining time of our lives in peace and repentance, let us ask of the Lord.
Grant
this, O Lord.
A Christian ending to our
life, painless, blameless and peaceful, and a good defence at the dread judgement
of Christ, let us ask.
Grant
this, O Lord.
Having asked for the
unity of the faith and communion of the Holy Spirit, let us commit ourselves
and one another and all our life unto Christ our God.
To
Thee, O Lord.
The priest, having bowed, prays thus:
Unto Thee do we offer all
our life and hope, O Master Who lovest man, and we pray and ask and implore Thee:
Account us worthy to partake of Thy heavenly and dread Mysteries at this sacred
and spiritual table with a pure conscience, unto the remission of sins, unto
the forgiveness of offences, unto the communion of the Holy Spirit, unto the inheritance
of the kingdom of heaven, unto boldness towards Thee, not unto judgement nor
condemnation.
The
priest exclaims: And vouchsafe, O Master,
that with boldness and without condemnation we may dare to call upon Thee, the
heavenly God, as Father, and to say: He
says quietly: Our Father.
THE DOMINICAL PRAYER
Then
the people say: 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 brea del
The
exclamation of the 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 the ages of
ages.
People: Amen.
Priest: Peace be unto all.
People: And
to thy spirit,
Deacon: Bow your heads unto the Lord.
People: To Thee, O Lord.
The priest, having bowed, prays thus:
We give thanks unto Thee,
O King invisible, for that by Thy measureless might Thou hast created all
things, and in the multitude of Thy mercies Thou hast brought all things from
non-being into being. Do Thou Thyself, O Master, look down from heaven upon them
that have bowed their heads unto Thee, for they have bowed down not to flesh and
blood, but to Thee, the awesome
God. Do Thou, therefore,
O Master, distribute the [Gifts] here set forth for the equal good of us all,
to each according to his need. Voyage with them that sail; journey with them that
travel; and heal the sick, O Thou Physician of souls and bodies.
Exclamation: Through the grace and bounties
and love toward man of Thine Only-begotten Son, with Whom Thou art blessed,
together with Thy most holy, good and life-giving Spirit, now and ever, and
unto
the ages of ages.
Chanters: Amen.
The
priest, having bowed, prays thus:
Attend, O Lord Jesus
Christ our God, from Thy holy dwelling place, and from the glorious throne of
Thy kingdom; and come to sanctify us, O Thou that sittest with the Father on
high, and art invisibly present with us. And with Thy
mighty hand deign to
bestow upon us Thy most Pure Body and Thy Precious Blood, and through us to all
Thy people.
When
the time has come to elevate the Holy Lamb, the deacon bows before the holy
doors and says aloud:
THE ELEVATION
Let us attend.
The
priest, having bowed reverently takes the Holy Bread with three fingers of both
hands and exclaims:
Holy Things unto the
holy.
And
the priest makes the sign of the Cross with the Holy Lamb over the holy paten.
The people sing: One is Holy, one is Lord:
Jesus Christ, to the glory of God the Father. Amen.
Then
the choir sings the Communion Verse of the day while the clergy partake of
Communion within the sanctuary.
Koinonikon
COMMUNION
ANTHEM
[Choir: Praise ye the Lord from heaven: praise Him
in the height. Alleluia.]
THE
FRACTION
The
deacon enters the sanctuary, stands at the left of the holy altar, and he says:
Break, Master, the Holy
Lamb.
With
all care, the priest then breaks the Holy Lamb into four parts, and places them
on the holy paten in the form of a Cross, with the seal of the Cross downward
on the holy paten, and the Sacrifice [i.e., the incision] upward.
Place
the Portion marked IC on
the upper side of the holy paten; XC on the lower side; NI at
your left hand, and KA nearest
to the holy chalice. Take the portion IC to
fill the holy chalice.. Divide the Portion XC among
the priests and deacons.
Break
up the other two holy Portions, NI and KA into
small pieces for the communicants. Make as many pieces as will be sufficient in
your judgement [for all the communicants]. Do not communicate anyone with the
portions in honour
of
the Mother of God or the Saints, or with others on the paten, but only with the
two Portions of the Holy Lamb. When all have received Communion, then the other
portions are placed in the holy chalice.
He says this while he breaks [the Holy
Bread]:
Broken and divided is the
Lamb of God: broken, yet indivisible; ever eaten, yet never consumed.
The
deacon points with his orarion to the holy chalice, saying:
Fill, Master, the holy
cup.
The
priest takes the uppermost Portion with three fingers of both hands, makes the
sign of the Cross with it over the holy chalice, and says:
The fulness of the Holy
Spirit.
And
he places the Portion in the holy chalice.
The
deacon now takes a vessel of hot water, saying to the priest:
Bless, Master, the warm
water.
The
priest blesses it, saying: The warmth of the Holy
Spirit.
Deacon: Amen.
And
he pours the warm water into the holy chalice.
When
you dilute the Divine Blood of the Master with the holy hot water, pour
carefully as much hot water as is necessary for all those who are to receive
Communion. Do not pour in anything else afterward. Then the priest and the
deacon together make three bows before
the holy altar, as each says to himself:
God cleanse me a sinner,
and have mercy on me. Thou hast created me:
Lord, have mercy on me. I have sinned
immeasurably: Lord, forgive me.
Then
they prostrate themselves with all reverence, and together they ask forgiveness
as each says to himself: Forgive me, holy father,
and the rest.
Then
the deacon girds the orarion around himself in the form of a Cross, and stands
back a little.
{Priest: Behold, I draw near to Christ, our Immortal King and God.}
The
priest takes the lower Portion of the Holy Lamb with three fingers of his right
hand and places it in his palm. Holding It in his palm, he says to himself:
The precious and most
honourable Body of our Lord God and Saviour
Jesus Christ is given to
the servant of God, the priest N., from the throne
of our Lord God and
Saviour Jesus Christ, in the temple
of N.
commemoration of Saint N.,
whose day it is; unto the remission of
sins and life
everlasting.
(If it be a church or a feast dedicated to Christ or the Mother of God, then
say: in the temple of N.
The
priest takes another Portion with three fingers of the same right hand, and
says softly to the Deacon: Draw near.
The
deacon draws near, makes a prostration with great reverence, and kisses the
holy altar.
The
priest gives him the Portion, holding it with three fingers and saying:
The precious and most
honourable Body of our Lord, God and Saviour Jesus Christ is given to the
servant of God, the deacon N., from the throne of our
Lord God and Saviour Jesus Christ, in the temple of N.
The
deacon kisses the hand which has given him a Portion of the Holy Bread.
The
priest says to the Deacon: Christ is in our midst. The
deacon replies: He is and shall be.
And
they kiss each other on the lips.
During
Bright Week, the priest says instead: Christ is risen. The
deacon replies: Truly He is risen. The
same is said until the Apodosis (Leave-taking) of Pascha.
The
deacon goes off to one side of the holy altar.
The
priest and the deacon each say this prayer to themselves.
I believe, O Lord, and I
confess that Thou art the Christ, the Son of the
living God, Who didst
come into the world to save sinners, of whom I am
chief. I believe that
this is truly Thine own most pure Body, and this is Thine own precious Blood. Wherefore
I pray Thee: Have mercy on me and forgive me, and absolve my transgressions,
voluntary and involuntary, whether in word or deed, with knowledge or in
ignorance, whether in mind or thought. And count me worthy to partake without condemnation
of Thy most pure
Mysteries unto the
remission of sins and life everlasting; for blessed art
Thou unto the ages,
Amen.
Of Thy mystical supper, O
Son of God, accept me today as a communicant;
for
I will not speak of Thy Mystery to Thine enemies, nor like Judas will I give
Thee a kiss, but like the thief I cry unto Thee in confession: Remember me, O
Lord, when Thou comest in Thy kingdom.
Then
this prayer:
O Master and Lord, Who
lovest mankind, let not the communion of Thy Holy Mysteries be to my condemnation,
but rather unto the cleansing and sanctification of soul and body, and unto the
acquisition of the life and kingdom to come. For blessed art Thou unto the ages.
Amen.
{ May the Communion of Thy
holy mysteries be neither to my judgment nor to my condemnation, O Lord, but to
the healing of both soul and body. }
And
they partake with fear and great reverence of the most pure Body of Christ.
Then they wipe their palms on the eiliton, lest a tiny Pearl
Tremble, O man, as thou
seest the deifying Blood, for it is a live coal, burning the unworthy. The Flesh
of God deifieth and nourisheth me: It deifieth the spirit, while it strangely
and wondrously nourisheth the mind. Tremble, O man,
lest thou shouldst eat
thereof unworthily, for it is a fire, consuming sins: But cleanse me, O Lord,
from every impurity. The deacon also says this prayer.
Now
the priest says:
{ Behold again I draw near unto Christ our
Immortal King and God. }
The precious and
divinely-flowing Blood of our Lord, God and Saviour Jesus Christ, is given to
the servant of God, the priest N., from the throne of our
Lord God and Saviour Jesus Christ, in the temple of N., on the commemoration of St. N., whose day it is; unto the remission of sins
and life everlasting.
The
priest partakes thrice of the holy, most precious and life-giving Blood of the
Lord. He then wipes his lips with the cloth with which he holds the holy
chalice, and wipes also the edge of the holy chalice.
{ This
hath touched my lips and shall take away mine iniquities, and purge away my
sins. }
Next,
he summons the deacon, saying:
Draw near.
The deacon draws near, bows to the
priest and asks forgiveness of him.
The
priest says: The precious and
divinely-flowing Blood of our Lord, God and Saviour Jesus Christ is given to
the servant of God, the deacon N., from the throne of our
Lord God and Saviour Jesus Christ, in the temple of N., on the commemoration of St. N., whose
day it is; unto the remission of
sins and life everlasting.
The
deacon partakes thrice of the Holy Blood from the holy chalice, which the
priest holds with the holy cloth. After communicating, he wipes his lips with
the holy cloth, and kisses the holy chalice and asks forgiveness and says: Let us pray
to the Lord. Lord have
mercy.
Then
the deacon takes the holy paten and the sponge which is kept on the eiliton,
and he lowers all the portions and crumbs which are on the holy paten into the
holy chalice with fear and great caution, so that not one of the tiniest
particles falls off, or remains on the paten and is lost through carelessness. And
he covers the holy chalice with the veil. He places the star and the veils atop
the holy paten. Immediately thereafter, he looses his orarion.
[While
this is being done, the priest, having bowed, says this Prayer of Thanksgiving:
It
is to be said after To
Thee, O Lord.
We give Thee thanks, O
Master, Lover of mankind and Benefactor of our souls, for that in this present
day also Thou hast accounted us worthy of Thy heavenly and immortal Mysteries.
Make straight our ways; establish us all in
Thy fear; guard our
life; make steadfast our steps; through the prayers and supplications of the
most glorious Mother of God and ever-virgin Mary and of all Thy saints.]
COMMUNION OF THE FAITHFUL
Then
the priest takes the censer, [If there are no communicants. -ed.] The deacon
opens the holy doors. He takes the holy chalice, and turning to the west, he
shows it to those standing outside the sanctuary, and he says:
With fear of God and with
faith, draw near.
People: Blessed is He that cometh
in the Name of the Lord. God is the Lord, and hath appeared unto us.
The
deacon turns around and places the holy chalice on the holy altar.
If
there are any who wish to partake of the most pure Mysteries, the priest takes
the chalice and spoon from the deacon, and leaves the sanctuary, saying
I believe, O Lord, and I
confess …
Of Thy mystical supper, …
O Master and Lord …
The
priest gives them Communion, saying:
The precious and most
honourable Body and Blood of our Lord, God and
Saviour Jesus Christ are
given to the servant [handmaid] of God N., unto the remission of
sins, and unto life everlasting.
The
chanters sing: Receive the Body of Christ, and taste of
the Fountain of Immortality, (until
all have communicated.) The final time they sing it with Alleluia.
After
giving Communion, the priest returns to the sanctuary, places the Holy Gifts on
the holy altar, takes the censer, and says:
O God, save Thy people,
and bless Thine inheritance.
{Choir: We have seen the true
Light, we have received the Heavenly Spirit, we have found the True Faith by
worshipping the Undivided Trinity, for He hath saved us.}
{The priest wipes the
remaining particles on the paten into the chalice, saying quietly:
Then the priest covers
the Chalice.
And
he censes the Holy Gifts thrice, saying quietly:
Be Thou exalted above the
heavens, O God, and Thy glory above all
the earth.
He
censes the deacon, and returns the censer to the him. The deacon takes it and
censes the priest.
The
priest places the sacred paten, which has the star covered by the veils, upon
the deacon’s head. The priest himself takes the holy chalice.
The
deacon says quietly: Bless, Master.
Priest: Blessed is our God, Turning
towards the west and standing at the royal doors, he continues in a loud voice: Always, now and ever, and
unto the ages of ages.
People: Amen. Let our mouth be filled
with Thy praise, O Lord, that we may hymn Thy glory; for Thou hast accounted us
worthy to partake of Thy holy, divine, immortal and life-giving Mysteries. And
keep us in Thy holiness, that all
the day long we may
meditate on Thy righteousness. Alleluia.
Thus
they carry the Holy Gifts to the table of oblation, where they place them. The
deacon precedes the priest. The deacon, after censing the Holy Gifts, gives
away the censer and goes out through the royal doors, and stands at his usual place,
and says:
THE LITANY OF THANKSGIVING
Upright! Having received
the divine, holy, most pure, immortal and life-giving Mysteries, let us give thanks
unto the Lord.
Choir: Lord
have mercy.
Help us, save us, have
mercy on us, and keep us, O God, by Thy grace.
Lord
have mercy.
Having asked that this
whole day be perfect, holy, peaceful and sinless, let us commit ourselves and
one another and all our life unto Christ our God.
To
Thee, O Lord.
The priest says this Prayer of
Thanksgiving:
We give Thee thanks, O
Master, Lover of mankind and Benefactor of our souls, for that in this present
day also Thou hast accounted us worthy of Thy heavenly and immortal Mysteries.
Make straight our ways; establish us all in Thy fear; guard our life; make
steadfast our steps; through the prayers and supplications of the most glorious
Mother of God and ever-virgin Mary and of all Thy saints.
Exclamation.
Priest: For Thou art our
sanctification, 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 the ages of ages.
People: Amen.
When
the deacon says Upright! Having
received the priest folds the eiliton on the holy
altar and kisses the holy Gospel, and places it on top of the eiliton, and he
then covers the holy altar and the Holy Gospel with a cloth.
The
deacon says: Let us go forth in peace.
People: In the name of the Lord.
Deacon: Let us pray to the Lord.
People: Lord have mercy.
The
deacon enters the sanctuary. The priest goes out, stands at the customary place
in the middle of the church, and says the Prayer before the Ambo.
Bless them that bless
Thee, O Lord, and sanctify them that put their trust in Thee. Save Thy people and
bless Thine inheritance. Preserve the fullness of Thy Church. Sanctify them
that love the beauty of Thy house; do Thou in turn glorify them by Thy divine
power, and forsake not us that hope in Thee. Grant peace to Thy world, to Thy
churches, to the priests and to all Thy people. For every good gift and every
perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from Thee, the Father of lights;
and unto Thee do we send up glory and thanksgiving, honour and worship, together
with Thine Only-begotten Son and the most holy, good and life-creating Spirit,
now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.
After
this the people say: Amen. Blessed be the name of
the Lord henceforth and forevermore. Thrice
with bows.
Glory…, Now and ever…
Psalm
33
I will bless the Lord at
all times, His praise shall continually be in my mouth. In the Lord
shall my soul be praised; let the meek hear and be glad. O magnify the
Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together. I sought the Lord, and
He heard me, and del del del
PRAYER AT THE SHEWBREAD TABLE FOR
CONSUMING THE GIFTS
When
the Holy Gifts are to be consumed, the priest says this prayer secretly:
Thou Thyself art the
fulfillment of the Law and the prophets, O Christ our God, Who didst fulfill
all the Father’s dispensation. Fill our hearts with joy and gladness always, now
and ever, and unto the ages of ages.
Upon
finishing the prayer, if there be communicants, the priest distributes the
Doron to the people
[N.B.
According to the PEDALION, the Antidoron is given only to those who have not
received Holy Communion during the Liturgy. This rubric is in direct
violation of the holy canons. The bread called Antidoron means “instead of the
Gift” of the Eucharist, so that those who did not receive Communion may at
least have a portion of the bread that was blessed during the Anaphora for
those who would not be receiving the Eucharist.]
THE FINAL BLESSING
{Deacon: Let us pray to the Lord.
People: Lord, have mercy.}
Then
he returns to the sanctuary and turns around to the west, toward the church, [church
means the assembled faithful in the nave] and he exclaims:
The blessing of the Lord
be upon all of you, always, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.
Saying
this, he blesses the people by making the Sign of the Cross over them with his
hand.
After
this, he says:
Through the prayers of
Thy most pure Mother and of all Thy saints, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have
mercy on us.
People: Amen. It is truly meet to bless
thee, O Theotokos, the ever-blesssed and most immaculate, and the Mother of our
God.
Deacon: Wisdom!
Priest: Most holy Lady, Mother of
God, save us.
People: More honourable than the Cherubim
and truly more glorious than the Seraphim, thee who without defilement gavest
birth to God the Word, the true Mother of God, thee do we magnify. prostration.
DISMISSAL
The
priest facing east, says: Glory to Thee, our God, our
Hope, glory to Thee.
People: Glory…, Now and ever… Lord have mercy. Twice. Lord, Bless.
The
priest while facing the church then says the dismissal in
the usual manner, according to the current day or feast.
May Christ our true God (on
Sunday: Who is risen from the dead,) by the intercessions of His immaculate and
all-blameless holy Mother, by the power of the honoured and life-giving Cross,
by the protection of the venerable, heavenly Bodiless Powers, by the
supplications of the venerable glorious Prophet, Forerunner, and Baptist John,
of the holy glorious and all-famed Apostles, of the holy, glorious victorious
Martyrs, of our righteous and God-bearing Fathers, of (the
Saint to whom the temple is dedicated), of the holy and righteous divine
ancestors Joachim and Anna, of Saint N. (of
the day),
whose memory we celebrate [and of our Father among
the Saints, John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople, (or our Father among the
Saints, Basil the Great, Archbishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia) whose Liturgy we have
celebrated,] and of all the Saints,
may He have mercy on us and save us, for His gracious and loveth mankind
And
he says it in the usual manner, according to the current day or feast.
After
the dismissal prayer, the people respond: Amen.
For many years, preserve
[us], O Lord, and have mercy.
Lord, have mercy. thrice.
Then
the chanters sing the verse at the kissing of the Cross, and the priest
distributes the antidoron. {To those who have not received Holy Communion.}
Tone 6:
We who are walled about
by the Cross are ranged against the enemy, not fearing his devices and
ambushes, for the proud one hath been destroyed and trampled underfoot by the
power of Christ crucified on the Tree.
The
Reader says the prayers after Holy Communion
(pages 329-336)
After
the deacon has said, Wisdom, he
receives a blessing from the priest, goes to the
table of oblation, and consumes the Holy Gifts with all care and caution. And
when he guards the Holy Gifts, he washes the holy chalice three times with wine
and water, and then drinks it. Lastly he wipes the holy chalice with a sponge,
so that no
moisture
remains in it, and then they consume the Antidoron, the prosphora of the Mother
of God and the Forerunner, and the others. When the deacon has taken care of
the Holy Gifts and put the sacred liturgical vessels in order, they wash their
hands and lips in the appointed place.
Each
says to himself the Prayer of St. Simeon the Receiver of God:
Lord, now lettest Thou
Thy servant depart in peace, according to Thy Word: for mine eyes have seen Thy
salvation, which Thou has prepared before the face of all peoples: a Light to
enlighten the Gentles, and the glory of Thy people Israel
Trisagion. Our Father. After
Our Father,
the Troparia and Kontakia of the church
and
of the day. Also, the Troparion to St.
John
Shining forth from thy
mouth like the bright rays of the dawn, thy God-given grace hath illumined the whole
world. Thou didst gain for the world a treasure of not being greedy for gain,
and didst show us the heights of humility. As by thy words thou instructed us,
O Father John Chrysostom, beseech Christ God, that our souls may be saved.
And his kontakion, in
the 6th Tone:
From heaven hast thou
received grace divine, and by thy lips thou dost teach all men to worship the One
God in Trinity. O all-blessed and godly John Chrysostom, rightly do we praise
thee, for thou art a teacher, revealing things divine.
Glory…, Now and ever… Theotokion. Then: More honourable than the
cherubim: Glory…, Now and ever... Lord have mercy, twice. Lord, bless.
They
say the customary dismissal to themselves. They take off the sacred vestments;
each bows and prays silently; they ask forgiveness of one another;
and
they leave the church, giving thanks to God.
Комментарии
Отправить комментарий