GOA Digital Chant Stand Services for Friday, Jan 30, 2026
Midnight Office → Matins → Divine Liturgy → Vespers, in one continuous scroll
Midnight Office · Memory of the Holy Three Hierarchs
PRIEST
Blessed is our God always, now and ever and to the ages of ages.
READER: Amen.
PRIEST
Glory to You, our God, glory to You.
Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of Truth, present in all places and filling all things, treasury of good things and giver of life: come; take Your abode in us; cleanse us of every stain, and save our souls, O Good one.
READER
Trisagion Prayers.
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (3)
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Both now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
All-holy Trinity, have mercy on us. Lord, forgive our sins. Master, pardon our transgressions. Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities for Your name’s sake.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Both now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
PRIEST
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to ages of ages.
READER
Amen. Lord, have mercy. (12)
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Both now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Come, let us worship and bow down before God our King.
Come, let us worship and bow down before Christ God our King.
Come, let us worship and bow down before Him, Christ our King and God.
Psalm 50 (51).
Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your great mercy; and according to the abundance of Your compassion, blot out my transgression. Wash me thoroughly from my lawlessness and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my lawlessness, and my sin is always before me. Against You only have I sinned and done evil in Your sight; that You may be justified in Your words, and overcome when You are judged. For behold, I was conceived in transgressions, and in sins my mother bore me. Behold, You love truth; You showed me the unknown and secret things of Your wisdom. You shall sprinkle me with hyssop, and I will be cleansed; You shall wash me, and I will be made whiter than snow. You shall make me hear joy and gladness; my bones that were humbled shall greatly rejoice. Turn Your face from my sins, and blot out all my transgressions. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me with Your guiding Spirit. I will teach transgressors Your ways, and the ungodly shall turn back to You. Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, the God of my salvation, and my tongue shall greatly rejoice in Your righteousness. O Lord, You shall open my lips, and my mouth will declare Your praise. For if You desired sacrifice, I would give it; You will not be pleased with whole burnt offerings. A sacrifice to God is a broken spirit, a broken and humbled heart God will not despise. Do good, O Lord, in Your good pleasure to Zion, and let the walls of Jerusalem be built; then You will be pleased with a sacrifice of righteousness, with offerings and whole burnt offerings; then shall they offer young bulls on Your altar.
If the Lity was not sung at Vespers, sing the following:
CHOIR
Idiomela. For the Saints.
Mode 2.
Come, O worshipers of the Trinity in heaven, let us praise the trinity on earth, namely that of the holy hierarchs: Gregory, who is called the Theologian, Basil, whose name means kingdom, and John rightly named after grace. They are the seas of the wisdom, the ocean currents of the Spirit, the ever-flowing springs that pour forth living water, the lustrous pearls, the luminaries on earth, the pilots of the Church, the trees bearing bright fruit, the stewards of grace, the mouth of my Christ and champions of the Trinity. by which they are directly illumined. And they unceasingly pray on behalf of our souls.
Mode 2.
They are embers, lit by the unbearable fire, and through them we have been illumined. Therefore let us faithfully extol them. They were set afire through union with that divine fire, and they became luminaries for the world, vivifying power for us who are poor. They proclaimed the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, in Orthodox theology. Let us salute them and say: “Rejoice, O divinely wise trinity of the Trinity!”
Mode pl. 2.
Let us faithfully extol the wise hierarchs Basil the Great, the divine Gregory, and John Chrysostom. They are likened to David’s sling of three cords, Solomon’s scarlet thread, and the triply-plaited whip of the Word. By Christ, the Chief Corner-stone, they cast down the spiritual Goliath, and they led us to unanimity in the Faith, setting a wall around it with the scarlet Blood of Christ. With their words, they cast far from the enclosures of Christ’s divine flock those leaders of heresy who made merchandise of the things of God. And now they strengthen the Faith, and they intercede with the Lord that He have mercy on our souls.
Mode pl. 4.
The grace of God has appeared to all men. Through these three teachers, it instructs us to adorn our manners and to better our way of life, so that our mind may be illumined with the light of divine knowledge. So, let us cry out in prayer: “O Holy Trinity, Lord of all, by the prayers of Your three shepherds, preserve this Your flock in peace, in safety, and free of sorrow; and save us, in Your love for humanity.
Mode pl. 2.
O worshipful Holy Trinity, glory to Your wise providence! For You have given to humanity the three great luminaries from among men; they shine with the light of Your knowledge and the radiance of Your saving and divine desires! Thereby the whole world, enriched with the light of spiritual knowledge, has been made splendid by Your glory, and it hastens to You blessed kingdom, and it convinces us to heed to their divine teachings. And now we pray You, O Holy Trinity, hear their supplications on our behalf, and as God most compassionate, save our souls, in You love for humanity.
Mode pl. 2.
O fans of the Church’s feasts, let us come together and with songs of praise let us extol the holy hierarchs of Christ, the glory of the fathers, the pillars of the Faith, the teachers and preservers of the faithful, and let us say: “Rejoice, O all-wise Basil, beacon and indestructible tower of the Church! Rejoice, O Gregory the Theologian, celestial mind and greatest among hierarchs! Rejoice, O solid gold John of golden eloquence, preacher of repentance! O fathers who are thrice honored, never cease in your supplications to Christ on behalf of those who with faith and love observe your most sacred and divine celebration.”
Mode pl. 2.
O fans of the Church’s feasts, let us come together and with songs of praise let us extol the only Theotokos, the beauty of virginity, the joy of the Bodiless hosts, the firm rampart of the faithful, and let us say: “Rejoice, O pure Virgin Mother, radiant lamp and gate of heaven! Rejoice, O most pure one, sacred tabernacle that contained God in your womb! Rejoice! You are incomparably superior to all celestial hierarchies! Therefore, O Virgin Mother, our Lady, never cease to protect your servants, who ever extol you with faith and love, and who revere your seedless childbirth.”
READER
Trisagion Prayers.
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (3)
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Both now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
All-holy Trinity, have mercy on us. Lord, forgive our sins. Master, pardon our transgressions. Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities for Your name’s sake.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Both now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
PRIEST
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to ages of ages.
READER: Amen.
Apolytikion.
Mode 1.
Those three magnificent luminaries of the tri-solar Godhead, who lit up the whole world with rays of divine doctrines; those mellifluent rivers of wisdom, who irrigated all creation with the waters of the knowledge of God; Basil the Great, and Gregory the Theologian, and the illustrious John, whose tongue produced golden words! Let all of us who are enamored of their words come together and sing hymns to honor them. For they are ever interceding with the Trinity on our behalf.
Lord, have mercy. (40)
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Both now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Greater in honor than the Cherubim, and in glory greater beyond compare than the Seraphim; you without corruption gave birth to God the Word, and are truly Theotokos. You do we magnify.
In the name of the Lord, Father, bless!
PRIEST
May God have compassion on us and bless us; may his face shine upon us and have mercy on us.
READER
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Both now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Holy father, bless.
PRIEST
May Christ our true God, through the intercessions of His all-pure and all-immaculate holy Mother, (local patron saint); of the holy and righteous ancestors of God Joachim and Anna, and of all the saints, have mercy on us and save us, as He is good, benevolent, and merciful God.
Let us pray for the peace of the world.
READER (intoned after each petition)
Lord, have mercy.
PRIEST
For the pious and Orthodox Christians.
For our our Archbishop (name).
For our nation.
For the armed forces.
For our absent fathers, brothers and sisters.
For those who help us and those who serve us.
For those who hate us and those who love us.
For those who have asked us, the unworthy, to pray for them.
For the release of the captives.
For those sailing the seas.
For those laid up with illnesses.
Let us also pray for the abundance of the fruits of the earth.
And for all our fathers and brethren departed this life, those who lie here in peace, and the Orthodox everywhere.
Let us say for ourselves, also: Lord, have mercy; Lord, have mercy; Lord, have mercy.
Through the prayers of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us.
READER: Amen.
Matins
CHOIR
Mode 1.
God is the Lord, and He revealed Himself to us. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Verse 1: Give thanks to the Lord and call upon His holy name.
Verse 2: All the nations surrounded me, but in the name of the Lord I defended myself against them.
Verse 3: And this came about from the Lord, and it is wonderful in our eyes.
Apolytikion.
Mode 1.
Those three magnificent luminaries of the tri-solar Godhead, who lit up the whole world with rays of divine doctrines; those mellifluent rivers of wisdom, who irrigated all creation with the waters of the knowledge of God; Basil the Great, and Gregory the Theologian, and the illustrious John, whose tongue produced golden words! Let all of us who are enamored of their words come together and sing hymns to honor them. For they are ever interceding with the Trinity on our behalf.
Mode 4.
As like-mannered to the Apostles and Teachers of the Christian world, intercede with the Master of all, to grant peace to the whole world, and great mercy to our souls.
Mode 4.
O Theotokos, revealed through you to us on earth was the mystery, that was hidden for ages and unknown by the angels. God became incarnate, uniting natures without confusion, and for us He voluntarily accepted crucifixion, through which He resurrected the first-formed man, and He saved our souls from death.
PRIEST
Again and again in peace let us pray to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
PRIEST
Help us, save us, have mercy on us, and protect us, O God, by Your grace.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
PRIEST
Remembering our all-holy, immaculate, most blessed, and glorious Lady, the Theotokos and ever-virgin Mary, with all the saints, let us commend ourselves and one another and our whole life to Christ our God.
CHOIR: To You, O Lord.
PRIEST
For Yours is the dominion, and Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory, of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages.
CHOIR: Amen.
Kathisma I.
Mode 4. Come quickly.
To the melody, “Come quickly.”
Most radiant luminaries of the Church of Christ, * O Fathers made wise by God, you have enlightened the world * with your teachings and discourses, * refuting every error and heretical teaching, * extinguishing the fiery commotions of blasphemers. * And now as Hierarchs of Christ, * intercede with Him to save our souls.
Mode 4. Come quickly.
O Mother of Christ our God, all-lauded Virgin most pure, * perpetually virgin Mary, as the help and the hope * of Christian believers all, * rescue us from all danger and from various hardships. * With ardent faith and longing, we rely on your protection, * O Lady Theotokos, the only Bride of God.
Kathisma II.
Mode 4. Joseph marveled.
To the melody, “Joseph was amazed.”
Like the bees that fly among the many flowers in the field * make their honey from the best, you have selected what is best * from writings secular and sacred to make the honey * of teachings that you offer to believers all, * providing them together as a banquet for us. * And therefore we, who have enjoyed the sweetness * of your writings, sing to you with gladness, * “Although deceased now, come and be with us * who extol you, O blessed Hierarchs.”
Mode 4. Joseph marveled.
Sinful passions like a storm violently rattle me, * the ungrateful one, and yet I call to you for help. * Since you gave birth to God, the ocean of mercy, * please do not give up on me, the wretch that I am, * for except for you I have no other hope. * May I not become the laughing-stock of demons, * O Lady, for I put my trust in you, * and you are able to do what you wish, * as the Mother of the God of all.
Kathisma III.
Mode 4. You revealed yourself today.
To the melody, “You appeared today.”
We the faithful magnify the learned Teachers * of the whole wide world today, for while on earth they glorified * the God of all by their words and deeds; * and they contribute to saving humanity.
Mode 4. You revealed yourself today.
To the melody, “You appeared today.”
On this day the Church of Christ is celebrating * with great joy the memory of the three holy Hierarchs; * for they supported and strengthened her * by their divine words and teachings inspired by God.
Mode 4. You revealed yourself today.
As the unassailable defense and shelter * of believers in distress, who trust in you to comfort them, * deliver me from adversity, * O Theotokos, for you are the helper of all.
PRIEST
Again and again in peace let us pray to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
PRIEST
Help us, save us, have mercy on us, and protect us, O God, by Your grace.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
PRIEST
Remembering our all-holy, immaculate, most blessed, and glorious Lady, the Theotokos and ever-virgin Mary, with all the saints, let us commend ourselves and one another and our whole life to Christ our God.
CHOIR: To You, O Lord.
PRIEST
For blessed is Your name, and glorified is Your kingdom, of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages.
CHOIR: Amen.
CHOIR
Antiphon 1.
Mode 4.
From my youth, many passions war against me. O my Savior, I implore You, uphold me and save me. (2)
You who hate Zion, be shamed by the Lord; for you will be withered like grass in the fire. (2)
By the Holy Spirit every soul is animated, and when purified, it is mystically uplifted and brightened by the triune Godhead.
From the Holy Spirit the streams of grace well forth; they water all creation, so that life be engendered.
Prokeimenon. Psalms 131, 48.
O Lord, Your priests shall clothe themselves in righteousness; Your saints shall greatly rejoice. (2)
Verse: My mouth shall speak wisdom, and the meditation of my heart, understanding.
O Lord, Your priests shall clothe themselves in righteousness; Your saints shall greatly rejoice.
Stand for the Gospel reading.
DEACON: Let us pray to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
PRIEST
For You, our God, are holy, and You rest among the holy ones, and to You we offer up glory, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages.
CHOIR: Amen.
Mode 2.
Let everything that breathes praise the Lord. (2) Let everything that breathes praise the Lord.
DEACON
Let us pray to the Lord our God that we may be made worthy to hear the holy Gospel.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy. (3)
DEACON
Wisdom. Arise. Let us hear the holy Gospel.
PRIEST: Peace be with all.
CHOIR: And with your spirit.
PRIEST
The reading is from the holy Gospel according to John.
DEACON: Let us be attentive.
CHOIR
Glory to You, O Lord, glory to You.
PRIEST (from the gate)
Jn. 10:9 – 16
The Lord said, “I am the door; if any one enters by me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hireling and not a shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hireling and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd; I know my own and my own know me, as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep, that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will heed my voice. So there shall be one flock, one shepherd.”
CHOIR
Glory to You, O Lord, glory to You.
READER
Psalm 50 (51).
Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your great mercy; and according to the abundance of Your compassion, blot out my transgression. Wash me thoroughly from my lawlessness and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my lawlessness, and my sin is always before me. Against You only have I sinned and done evil in Your sight; that You may be justified in Your words, and overcome when You are judged. For behold, I was conceived in transgressions, and in sins my mother bore me. Behold, You love truth; You showed me the unknown and secret things of Your wisdom. You shall sprinkle me with hyssop, and I will be cleansed; You shall wash me, and I will be made whiter than snow. You shall make me hear joy and gladness; my bones that were humbled shall greatly rejoice. Turn Your face from my sins, and blot out all my transgressions. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me with Your guiding Spirit. I will teach transgressors Your ways, and the ungodly shall turn back to You. Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, the God of my salvation, and my tongue shall greatly rejoice in Your righteousness. O Lord, You shall open my lips, and my mouth will declare Your praise. For if You desired sacrifice, I would give it; You will not be pleased with whole burnt offerings. A sacrifice to God is a broken spirit, a broken and humbled heart God will not despise. Do good, O Lord, in Your good pleasure to Zion, and let the walls of Jerusalem be built; then You will be pleased with a sacrifice of righteousness, with offerings and whole burnt offerings; then shall they offer young bulls on Your altar.
CHOIR
At the intercession of the holy Teachers, O Lord of mercy, blot out my many offenses.
At the intercession of the Theotokos, O Lord of mercy, blot out my many offenses.
Idiomelon. Mode pl. 2.
Verse: Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your great mercy; and according to the abundance of Your compassion, blot out my transgression.
Grace was poured upon your lips, O devout Fathers, and you became shepherds of the Church of Christ, teaching the reasonable sheep to believe in the Trinity, coessential, in one Divinity.
PRIEST
We beseech you, only merciful Lord, hear us sinners who pray to you and have mercy on us.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy. (12)
PRIEST
Through the mercy, compassion, and love for humankind of Your only-begotten Son, with whom You are blessed, and Your all-holy, good and life-creating Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages.
CHOIR: Amen.
READER
Kontakion.
Mode 2. N/M (You have taken.)
To the melody, “The sure and God-inspired heralds.”
You have taken to yourself, O Lord, the pinnacles among Teachers, those sacred theologians and preachers, to enjoy Your blessings and repose. For You accepted their labors and their toil as being higher than any whole-burnt offering, for only You glorify Your Saints.
Oikos.
Who is fit to open his lips and move his tongue to speak about these men who breathed fire in the power of Word and Spirit? Yet I will dare to say this much, that these three men excelled beyond all human nature in their many and great spiritual gifts, and in the active life as well as in contemplation they surpassed even those who have proved illustrious in both. Therefore You counted them worthy of the greatest gifts, since they were Your faithful servants; for only You glorify Your Saints.
Stand for the reading of the Synaxarion.
Synaxarion
From the Menaion.
On January 30, we commemorate our fathers among the saints and Ecumenical Teachers, Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, and John Chrysostom.
On this day was the contest of the holy Hieromartyr Hippolytus, Pope of Rome, and those with him: Censurinus, Sabainus, Chryse, and the rest.
On this day was the contest of the holy Martyr Theophilos the New.
The holy Neomartyr Theodore, who was from Mytilene and also witnessed there in the year 1784, died by hanging.
By their holy intercessions, O God, have mercy on us. Amen.
CHOIR
Katavasias of the Meeting
Ode i. Mode 3.
Sunlight once hovered over the abyssal plain that was rendered dry of old. * For the water like a wall on either side became solid, * and people walked across on dry land and sang an ode, pleasing to God, * “Sing to the Lord, who triumphed; for He is greatly glorified.”
Ode iii.
As the firm support of those who hope in You firmly, * O Lord and our Savior, support us, Your holy * Church You purchased * with Your most precious blood, O Christ.
Ode iv.
The heavens were covered by Your virtue, O Christ. * For coming forth from the Ark of Your holiness, Your Mother who sustained no corruption, * You appeared today in Your glorious Temple, as an infant held in arms. * And the entire creation was filled with Your praise.
Ode v.
Isaiah had a mystical vision of God * sitting on a throne lifted up, * and around Him stood the glorious Seraphim. * The Prophet cried out, “Woe is me! * With my eyes I have foreseen incarnate God; * and He is the Master of never-setting light and peace.”
Ode vi.
To You, the Elder cried out, on seeing * with his own eyes the salvation that You prepared for all people, * “God from God are You, Christ my Savior.”
Ode vii.
Servants in the furnace spoke of God. * You bedewed them, O God the Logos; * and You dwelt in the womb of the immaculate, holy Virgin. We praise You * and sing to You devoutly: * Blessed are You, O Lord, the God of our fathers.
Ode viii.
We praise and we bless and we worship the Lord.
Unharmed were the young men, who were champions * of belief in God, when they were thrown into the furnace * and they faced unbearable fire; and they sang a hymn to God: * “All you works of the Lord, bless the Lord, * and exalt Him beyond measure unto all the ages.”
Stand for the singing of Ode ix.
DEACON
Let us honor and magnify in song the Theotokos and the Mother of the light.
CHOIR
Ode ix.
The Magnificat. Mode 2.
Verse: My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
Greater in honor than the Cherubim, and in glory greater beyond compare than the Seraphim; you without corruption gave birth to God the Word, and are truly Theotokos. You do we magnify.
Verse: For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; for behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.
Greater in honor than the Cherubim, and in glory greater beyond compare than the Seraphim; you without corruption gave birth to God the Word, and are truly Theotokos. You do we magnify.
Verse: For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name. And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation.
Greater in honor than the Cherubim, and in glory greater beyond compare than the Seraphim; you without corruption gave birth to God the Word, and are truly Theotokos. You do we magnify.
Verse: He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
Greater in honor than the Cherubim, and in glory greater beyond compare than the Seraphim; you without corruption gave birth to God the Word, and are truly Theotokos. You do we magnify.
Verse: He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty.
Greater in honor than the Cherubim, and in glory greater beyond compare than the Seraphim; you without corruption gave birth to God the Word, and are truly Theotokos. You do we magnify.
Verse: He has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy, as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed forever.
Greater in honor than the Cherubim, and in glory greater beyond compare than the Seraphim; you without corruption gave birth to God the Word, and are truly Theotokos. You do we magnify.
Canon for the Theotokos.
Mode 2. Heirmos.
Τὸν ἐκ Θεοῦ Θεὸν Λόγον.
Being from God, God the Logos * with ineffable wisdom * came to make Adam new who fell through food * into corruption unhappily. * From an all-holy Virgin * ineffably He took on flesh for us. * We the faithful extol Him concordantly and magnify. (2)
Troparia.
Most-holy Theotokos, save us.
Divinely blest holy Maiden, * I entrust my petitions * and all my hopes wholeheartedly to you. * Save me, O Mother of genuine life; * and make earnest entreaty * that I be filled with everlasting joy, * for with faith I extol you and longingly I magnify.
Most-holy Theotokos, save us.
By your appearance, O Virgin, * as the gate of divine light, * illuminate the darkness of my soul * with immaterial flashes of your light. * I entreat you, O Pure One, * to rescue me from everlasting fire, * for with faith I extol you and longingly I magnify.
Most-holy Theotokos, save us.
As you observe us in sickness * of the soul and the body * and bedridden with painful suffering, * O Lady, being compassionate * grant the cure and release us * from sorry troubles now besetting us, * so that we may extol you unceasingly and magnify.
Most-holy Theotokos, save us.
Before the ages the Father * from the womb did beget Him, * the Son who dwelt within your virgin womb * and has become truly perfect man. * O all-pure Theotokos, * he gave you as a fount of gifts for us * who with faith duly worship your ineffable childbirth.
For the Saints.
Mode 2. To us was revealed.
To the melody, “The Son of the unoriginate Father.”
O my soul, magnify those three great luminaries among the Church’s Hierarchs.
Since we are your rational and veritable farm and flock, * for the sake of whom you in your life went to great pains, * behold, we assemble in one group * and we include the three of you together * and hold your sweet unity * as a reason for communal praise.
O my soul, magnify the threefold shining lights of the Church of Christ the true Light.
Against those opposing her has grace pulled out her cutting sword * which has not merely two edges but indeed has three; * a single sword founded in heaven * and furnished with three sharp cutting edges, * it champions the Divinity * that shines with threefold radiance.
O my soul, magnify those men who put in order the Church of Christ the Master.
O glorious Hierarchs, while wearing your unspotted flesh, * yet your citizenship was in heaven all the same. * Genuinely dwelling therein now, * do intercede for us who are ruling, * that we set our minds on things * above and act accordingly.
O my soul, magnify her who is greater in honor and in glory than the armies of heaven
The breadth of your mighty deeds, O Lady, has confounded me, * suffocating the discourse beneath its density. * And it paradoxally happens * that I am at a loss in front of plenty. * And therefore we glorify the Lord who magnified you so.
Another Canon.
For the Saints.
Mode pl. 4. The heavens were astounded.
Ἐξέστη ἐπὶ τούτῳ.
O my soul, magnify the three holy Shepherds of the all-holy Trinity.
The virtue of the Trinity is upraised; * it has filled with its glory the universe, for unto us * it has brightly shone forth another light * of threefold splendor like its own * effulgence, the heavenly mystagogues. * Through them we who are pious * and Orthodox are guided * to contemplation of the Trinity.
O my soul, magnify the three great Luminaries from the tri-solar Godhead.
There is no second best in these sacred three. * Each is thought to be foremost in precedence and to prevail * over his corrivals of equal rank. * But rather each with joy has made * his own the success of the other two. * There is no room among them * to envy one another * and thus destroy their unanimity.
O my soul, magnify the power of the Godhead that is three hypostases and also undivided.
Orthodoxy has brought forth her firstborn sons, * namely these holy Fathers, through whom she now is giving birth * unto her legitimate undefiled * children who are perfected by * the Spirit who spoke in them of true life. * And now she is entreating * that peace endure forever, * since she received it as their legacy.
O my soul, magnify her who is higher in honor than the heavenly armies.
The summit of the wise Teachers of the Church * clearly preached that your Son is the Son of the living God. * Their initiation into this truth * was by a revelation from * the eternal Father, not flesh and blood. * They taught that you, a Virgin, * were nonetheless a Mother * and Theotokos; whom they magnified.
Ode ix. Katavasia. Mode 3.
Theotokos, as the hope of us Christians, one and all, * guard and shelter and protect those who put their hope in you.
In the shadow and the letter of the Law, * we the faithful perceive the decree: * Consecrate to God every male, the first-born opening the womb. * Now the unoriginate Father’s first-born Logos and Son * is also first-born of a virgin Mother, and we magnify Him.
PRIEST
Again and again in peace let us pray to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
PRIEST
Help us, save us, have mercy on us, and protect us, O God, by Your grace.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
PRIEST
Remembering our all-holy, immaculate, most blessed, and glorious Lady, the Theotokos and ever-virgin Mary, with all the saints, let us commend ourselves and one another and our whole life to Christ our God.
CHOIR: To You, O Lord.
PRIEST
For all the powers of heaven praise You, and to You they offer up glory, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages.
CHOIR: Amen.
Exaposteilarion.
Mode 3. Having embellished heaven.
To the melody, “O You who adorned the heaven with stars.”
Let us honor and extol * those chosen vessels of the Light * those radiant bolts of lightning, * the holy hierarchs, Basil the Great, * Gregory the Theologian, * and also John the Golden Mouth.
Another.
Mode 3. Having embellished heaven.
To the melody, “O You who adorned the heaven with stars.”
O unitary Godhead, * Father and Son and Spirit, * at the divine intercessions * of Basil and Gregory and John * and of the pure Theotokos, * may we never lose Your glory.
Theotokion.
Mode 3. Having embellished heaven.
O Tower fashioned of pure gold, * and City which has a twelvefold wall, * O Throne aglitter with sunshine, * magnificent Chair of the King, * incomprehensible wonder, * how did you nurse the Master?
Lauds. Mode 2.
Let everything that breathes praise the Lord. Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise Him in the highest. It is fitting to sing a hymn to You, O God.
Praise Him, all you His angels; praise Him, all you His hosts. It is fitting to sing a hymn to You, O God.
Praise Him, sun and moon; praise Him, all you stars and light.
Praise Him, you heavens of heavens, and you waters above the heavens. Let them praise the Lord’s name.
For He spoke, and they were made; He commanded, and they were created.
He established them forever and unto ages of ages; He set forth His ordinance, and it shall not pass away.
Praise the Lord from the earth, you dragons and all the deeps.
Fire and hail, snow and ice, stormy wind, which perform His word.
Mountains and all the hills, fruitful trees and all cedars.
Wild animals and all cattle, creeping things and flying birds.
Kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all judges of the earth.
Young men and maidens, elders with younger, let them praise the Lord’s name, for His name alone is exalted.
His thanksgiving is in earth and heaven. And He shall exalt the horn of His people.
A hymn for all His saints, for the children of Israel, a people who draw near to Him.
Sing to the Lord a new song, His praise in the assembly of His holy ones.
Let Israel be glad in Him who made him, and let the children of Zion greatly rejoice in their King.
Let them praise His name with dance; with tambourine and harp let them sing to Him.
For the Lord is pleased with His people, and He shall exalt the gentle with salvation.
The holy ones shall boast in glory, and they shall greatly rejoice on their beds.
The high praise of God shall be in their mouth and a two-edged sword in their hand.
To deal retribution to the nations, reproving among the peoples.
To shackle their kings with chains and their nobles with fetters of iron.
To fulfill among them the written judgment: this glory have all His holy ones.
Praise God in His saints; praise Him in the firmament of His power.
Stichera. For the Saints.
Mode 2. How shall we honor.
Ποίοις εὐφημιῶν στέμμασιν.
Praise Him for His mighty acts; praise Him according to the abundance of His greatness.
How shall we praise the three Teachers today? * Let us crown them with wreaths of laudations. * Although they were physically separate, * yet in the Spirit they were unified. * And they are the chiefs of the God-bearers: * the servants * and numeric equals of the Trinity; * they shone forth * as luminaries of the universe. * And they are the Church’s pillars; * and with crowns of glory * these three holy men have been crowned * as victors by Christ our God, * the Lord who possesses great mercy.
Praise Him with the sound of trumpet; praise Him with the harp and lyre.
How shall we praise the three God-bearing Saints? * Let us sing florid hymns that extol them. * They are known as heaven’s initiates * and renowned as preachers of sound doctrine; * unadulterated Theologians: * Saint Basil * the great expositor and hierophant; * and also * the divine herald of God, Gregory; * and also John who is famous, * for his tongue was golden. * These were glorified as is meet * by the Holy Trinity, * the Lord who possesses great mercy.
Praise Him with timbrel and dance; praise Him with strings and flute.
How shall we praise the three Hierarchs? * Let us utter words of admiration. * Peers of the Apostles are they in grace, * and equal sharers in the Spirit’s gifts. * They are the destroyers of false doctrine, * the saviors * and trusty guides in word and actual deed, * the shepherds * who by their faith have imitated Christ. * They were on earth virtual Angels * and heavenly mortals. * They were greatly honored by Christ, * the glorious King of all, * the Lord who possesses great mercy.
Praise Him with resounding cymbals; praise Him with triumphant cymbals; let everything that breathes praise the Lord.
How shall we praise the three Hierarchs? * Let us crown them with our hymns, extolling * Chrysostom and Basil and Gregory, for they were the Spirit’s receptacles. * And they were the Faith’s strong defenders; * the pillars of the Church; believers’ firm support; * assuagement and also advocates for all who sin; * the wells effusing the water * that we draw and drink from * and are sweetened in our souls, * while earnestly praying for * forgiveness of sins and great mercy.
Mode 2.
Today the souls of those born on earth are exalted from things earthly. Today they become heavenly, in the memorial of the Saints. For the gates of the heavens are lifted up, and the affairs of the Master are made known to us. The words proclaim the words, and the tongues sing of the miracles. And we cry out to the Savior: “Glory to You, O Christ our God; for through them has peace been made among the Faithful.”
Mode 2.
Today in the Temple, Christ is brought as an infant. Today, He who gave the Law to Moses comes under the Law himself. The armies of Angels are struck with awe, seeing that He who holds the universe together is being held in the arms of an old man. Symeon, filled with reverence and joy cries out: “Now You release me, O Savior, from this mortal life to one that never ends; for I have seen You and I am glad.”
Stand for the Great Doxology.
Great Doxology
Glory be to You who showed the light. Glory in the highest to God. His peace is on earth, His good pleasure in mankind.
We praise You, we bless You, we worship You, we glorify You, we give thanks to You for Your great glory.
Lord King, heavenly God, Father, Ruler over all; Lord, only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ; and You, O Holy Spirit.
Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, who take away the sin of the world, have mercy on us, You who take away the sins of the world.
Accept our supplication, You who sit at the right hand of the Father, and have mercy on us.
For You alone are holy, You alone are Lord, Jesus Christ, to the glory of God the Father. Amen.
Every day I will bless You, and Your name will I praise to eternity, and to the ages of ages.
Vouchsafe, O Lord, this day, that we be kept without sin.
Blessed are You, O Lord, the God of our fathers, and praised and glorified is Your name to the ages. Amen.
Let Your mercy be on us, O Lord, as we have set our hope on You.
Blessed are You, O Lord. Teach me Your statutes.
Blessed are You, O Lord. Teach me Your statutes.
Blessed are You, O Lord. Teach me Your statutes.
Lord, You have been our refuge from generation to generation. I said: Lord, have mercy on me. Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You.
Lord, I have fled to You. Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God.
For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light we shall see light.
Continue Your mercy to those who know You.
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (3)
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Both now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.
Apolytikion.
Mode 4.
As like-mannered to the Apostles and Teachers of the Christian world, intercede with the Master of all, to grant peace to the whole world, and great mercy to our souls.
Divine Liturgy · Memory of the Holy Three Hierarchs
DEACON
Master bless.
PRIEST
Blessed is the kingdom of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages.
CHOIR: Amen.
DEACON
In peace let us pray to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
For the peace from above and for the salvation of our souls, let us pray to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
For the peace of the whole world, for the stability of the holy churches of God, and for the unity of all, let us pray to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
For this holy house and for those who enter it with faith, reverence, and the fear of God, let us pray to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
For pious and Orthodox Christians, let us pray to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
For our Archbishop (name), for the honorable presbyterate, for the diaconate in Christ, and for all the clergy and the people, let us pray to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
For our country, the president, all those in public service, and for our armed forces everywhere, let us pray to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
For the Holy and Great Church of Christ of Constantinople, for our Sacred Archdiocese, [for this Holy Metropolis,] for this city and parish, for every city and land, and for the faithful who live in them, let us pray to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
For favorable weather, for an abundance of the fruits of the earth, and for peaceful times, let us pray to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
For those who travel by land, sea, and air, for the sick, the suffering, the captives and for their salvation, let us pray to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
For our deliverance from all affliction, wrath, danger, and distress, let us pray to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
Help us, save us, have mercy on us, and protect us, O God, by Your grace.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
Remembering our all-holy, immaculate, most blessed, and glorious Lady, the Theotokos and ever-virgin Mary, with all the saints, let us commend ourselves and one another and our whole life to Christ our God.
CHOIR: To You, O Lord.
PRIEST (in a low voice)
Lord, our God, whose dominion is incomparable and glory incomprehensible; whose mercy is immeasurable, and love for humankind ineffable: Look upon us and upon this holy house in Your loving-kindness, and grant to us and to those who pray with us Your abundant mercy and compassion.
PRIEST (aloud)
For to You belong all glory, honor, and worship, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages.
CHOIR: Amen.
Antiphon 1. Mode 2.
Verse 1: Bless the Lord, O my soul, and everything within me, bless His holy name.
Through the intercessions of the Theotokos, Savior, save us.
Verse 2: Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His rewards.
Through the intercessions of the Theotokos, Savior, save us.
Verse 3: The Lord prepared His throne in heaven, and His Kingdom rules over all.
Through the intercessions of the Theotokos, Savior, save us.
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Both now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Through the intercessions of the Theotokos, Savior, save us.
Small Litany
DEACON
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 protect us, O God, by Your grace.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
Remembering our all-holy, immaculate, most blessed, and glorious Lady, the Theotokos and ever-virgin Mary, with all the saints, let us commend ourselves and one another and our whole life to Christ our God.
CHOIR: To You, O Lord.
PRIEST (in a low voice)
Lord, our God, save Your people and bless Your inheritance. Protect all the members of Your Church. Sanctify those who love the beauty of Your house. Glorify them in return by Your divine power, and forsake us not who have set our hope in You.
PRIEST (aloud)
For Yours is the dominion, and Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory, of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages.
CHOIR: Amen.
Antiphon 2. Mode 2.
Verse 1: Praise the Lord, O my soul! I shall praise the Lord while I live; I shall sing to my God as long as I exist.
Save us, O Son of God, who are wondrous in the saints. We sing to You, Alleluia.
Verse 2: Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob; his hope is in the Lord his God.
Save us, O Son of God, who are wondrous in the saints. We sing to You, Alleluia.
Verse 3: The Lord shall reign forever; your God, O Zion, to all generations.
Save us, O Son of God, who are wondrous in the saints. We sing to You, Alleluia.
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Both now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Only-begotten Son and Logos of God, being immortal, You condescended for our salvation to take flesh from the holy Theotokos and ever-virgin Mary and, without change, became man. Christ, our God, You were crucified and conquered death by death. Being one of the Holy Trinity, glorified with the Father and the Holy Spirit: Save us.
Small Litany
DEACON
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 protect us, O God, by Your grace.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
Remembering our all-holy, immaculate, most blessed, and glorious Lady, the Theotokos and ever-virgin Mary, with all the saints, let us commend ourselves and one another and our whole life to Christ our God.
CHOIR: To You, O Lord.
PRIEST (in a low voice)
Lord, You have granted us to offer these common prayers in unison and have promised that when two or three agree in Your name, You will grant their requests. Fulfill now, O Lord, the petitions of Your servants as may be of benefit to them, granting us in the present age the knowledge of Your truth, and in the age to come eternal life.
PRIEST (aloud)
For You are good and benevolent God, and to You we offer up glory, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages.
CHOIR: Amen.
Antiphon 3.
Mode 1.
Verse 1: The holy ones shall boast in glory, and they shall greatly rejoice on their beds.
Verse 2: O Lord, Your priests shall clothe themselves in righteousness; Your saints shall greatly rejoice.
Apolytikion.
Mode 1.
Those three magnificent luminaries of the tri-solar Godhead, who lit up the whole world with rays of divine doctrines; those mellifluent rivers of wisdom, who irrigated all creation with the waters of the knowledge of God; Basil the Great, and Gregory the Theologian, and the illustrious John, whose tongue produced golden words! Let all of us who are enamored of their words come together and sing hymns to honor them. For they are ever interceding with the Trinity on our behalf.
As the Third Antiphon is being sung (with its verses), the Priest and Deacon bow three times before the holy Table. Then the Priest gives the holy Gospel to the Deacon, who kisses the Priest’s hand as he receives it, and then circles the holy Table with the Priest following him. Preceded by altar servers holding candles and fans, they exit through the north door for the so-called Small Entrance. When there is no Deacon, the Priest takes the holy Gospel and holds it up in front of his face. When they reach the center of the church, they stop and bow their heads, and the Deacon says in a low voice:
DEACON (in a low voice)
Let us pray to the Lord. Lord, have mercy.
PRIEST (in a low voice)
Master, Lord our God, who has established the orders and hosts of angels and archangels in heaven to minister to Your glory, grant that holy angels may enter with us, that together we may celebrate and glorify Your goodness. For to You belong all glory, honor, and worship, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
DEACON (in a low voice)
Master, bless the holy entrance.
PRIEST (in a low voice)
Blessed be the entrance of Your holy ones always, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
DEACON (aloud)
Wisdom. Arise.
CHOIR
Entrance Hymn. Mode 2.
Come, let us worship and bow down before Christ. Save us, O Son of God, who are wondrous in the saints.
We sing to You, Alleluia.
Hymns after the Entrance.
CHOIR
Apolytikion.
Mode 1.
Those three magnificent luminaries of the tri-solar Godhead, who lit up the whole world with rays of divine doctrines; those mellifluent rivers of wisdom, who irrigated all creation with the waters of the knowledge of God; Basil the Great, and Gregory the Theologian, and the illustrious John, whose tongue produced golden words! Let all of us who are enamored of their words come together and sing hymns to honor them. For they are ever interceding with the Trinity on our behalf.
The Apolytikion of the parish church is sung. Then:
Kontakion.
Mode 1.
You sanctified the womb of the Virgin by Your birth, and by Your presentation You blessed the hands of Symeon, when You came, and You saved us, O Christ our God. Now we pray You give peace to Your world at war, and let love for Your people prevail in all, O only benevolent Lord.
DEACON: Let us pray to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
PRIEST (in a low voice)
O Holy God, who is resting among the holy ones, praised by the Seraphim with the thrice-holy voice, glorified by the Cherubim, and worshiped by every celestial power, You have brought all things into being out of nothing. You have created man according to Your image and likeness and adorned him with all the gifts of Your grace. You give wisdom and understanding to the one who asks, and You overlook not the sinner, but have set repentance as the way of salvation. You have granted us, Your humble and unworthy servants, to stand even at this hour before the glory of Your holy Altar of sacrifice and to offer to You due worship and praise. Master, accept the Trisagion Hymn also from the lips of us sinners, and visit us in Your goodness. Forgive all our voluntary and involuntary transgressions, sanctify our souls and bodies, and grant that we may worship You in holiness all the days of our lives, through the intercessions of the holy Theotokos and of all the saints who have pleased You throughout the ages.
PRIEST (aloud)
For You, our God, are holy, and to You we offer up glory, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever…
DEACON
and to the ages of ages.
CHOIR: Amen.
Trisagios Hymn
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (3)
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Both now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.
DEACON
Dynamis.
DEACON (in a low voice)
With your blessing, Master.
PRIEST (in a low voice)
Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.
DEACON (in a low voice)
Master, bless the throne on high.
PRIEST (in a low voice)
Blessed are You upon the throne of the glory of Your kingdom, enthroned upon the Cherubim always, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
CHOIR
Dynamis.
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.
The Epistle
DEACON
Let us be attentive.
READER
Verse: The heavens declare the glory of God.
DEACON
Wisdom.
READER
The reading is from Paul’s Letter to the Hebrews.
DEACON
Let us be attentive.
READER
Heb. 13:7 – 16
Brethren, remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God; consider the outcome of their lives, and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and for ever. Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings; for it is well that the heart be strengthened by grace, not by foods, which have not benefited their adherents. We have an altar from which those who serve the tent have no right to eat. For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp. So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. Therefore let us go forth to him outside the camp and bear the abuse he endured. For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city which is to come. Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.
PRIEST
Peace be with you the reader.
CHOIR
Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.
(Alleluia is sung thrice. Verses may be found in the Liturgy - Variable Parts of the day.)
The Holy Gospel
PRIEST (in a low voice)
Shine in our hearts, O benevolent Lord, the pure light of Your divine knowledge, and open the eyes of our mind that we may comprehend the proclamations of Your Gospels. Instill in us the fear that Your blessed commandments inspire, so that, crushing carnal desires, we may seek the spiritual citizenship, thinking and doing all those things that are pleasing to You. For You, Christ our God, are the illumination of our souls and bodies, and to You we offer up glory, and to Your Father, who is without beginning, and Your all-holy, good, and life-creating Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
DEACON
Wisdom. Arise. Let us hear the holy Gospel.
PRIEST
Peace be with all.
CHOIR
And with your spirit.
DEACON
The reading is from the holy Gospel according to Matthew.
PRIEST
Let us be attentive.
CHOIR
Glory to You, O Lord, glory to You.
DEACON
Mt. 5:14 – 19
The Lord said to his disciples, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Whoever then relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but he who does them and teaches them shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”
PRIEST
Peace be with you who read the Gospel.
CHOIR
Glory to You, O Lord, glory to You.
(The litanies of Supplication and for the Catechumens and the First Prayer of the Faithful have been omitted.)
PRIEST (in a low voice)
Again and countless times we fall down before You, and we implore You, O good and benevolent Lord: That You, having regarded our prayer, may cleanse our souls and bodies from every defilement of flesh and spirit, and grant to us to stand before Your holy Altar of sacrifice, free of guilt and condemnation. Grant also, O God, to those who pray with us, progress in life, faith, and spiritual understanding. Grant that they always worship You with awe and love, partake of Your holy sacrament without guilt or condemnation, and be deemed worthy of Your celestial kingdom.
PRIEST (aloud)
That, ever guarded by Your might, we may ascribe glory to You, to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages.
CHOIR: Amen.
The Cherubic Hymn.
Let us, who mystically represent the Cherubim and who sing the thrice-holy hymn to the life-creating Trinity, now lay aside every worldly care. So that we may receive the King of all.
PRIEST (in a low voice)
No one bound by carnal desires and pleasures is worthy to approach, draw near, or minister to You, the King of Glory. For to serve You is great and awesome even for the heavenly powers. Yet, because of Your ineffable and immeasurable love for humankind, You impassibly and immutably became man. You, as the Master of all, became our high priest and delivered unto us the sacred service of this liturgical and bloodless sacrifice. Indeed, Lord our God, You alone reign over the celestial and the terrestrial; borne aloft on the cherubic throne, Lord of the Seraphim and King of Israel, the only holy and resting among the holy ones. I now beseech You, who alone are good and inclined to hear: Look down upon me, Your sinful and unprofitable servant, and cleanse my soul and heart of a wicked conscience. Vested as I am with the grace of priesthood by the power of Your Holy Spirit, make me sufficient to stand before Your holy Table and perform the sacrament of Your holy and pure Body and Your precious Blood. I come before You, with my head bowed, and I implore You: Turn not Your face away from me, nor reject me from among Your children, but make me, Your sinful and unworthy servant, worthy to offer these gifts to You. For You are the One who both offers and is offered, the One who is received and is distributed, O Christ our God, and to You we offer up glory, and to Your Father, who is without beginning, and Your all-holy and good and life-creating Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Let us, who mystically represent the Cherubim and who sing the thrice-holy hymn to the life-creating Trinity, now lay aside every worldly care. * So that we may receive the King of all. Who is invisibly escorted by the angelic hosts. Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia. (3)
DEACON
May the Lord God remember all of you in His kingdom always, now and ever and to the ages of ages.
CHOIR: Amen.
Who is invisibly escorted by the angelic hosts. Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.
DEACON
Let us complete our prayer to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
For the precious Gifts here presented, let us pray to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
For this holy house and for those who enter it with faith, reverence, and the fear of God, let us pray to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
For our deliverance from all affliction, wrath, danger, and distress, let us pray to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
Help us, save us, have mercy on us, and protect us, O God, by Your grace.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
That the whole day may be perfect, holy, peaceful, and sinless, let us ask the Lord.
CHOIR: Grant this, O Lord.
DEACON
For an angel of peace, a faithful guide, a guardian of our souls and bodies, let us ask the Lord.
CHOIR: Grant this, O Lord.
DEACON
For pardon and remission of our sins and transgressions, let us ask the Lord.
CHOIR: Grant this, O Lord.
DEACON
For that which is good and beneficial for our souls, and for peace for the world, let us ask the Lord.
CHOIR: Grant this, O Lord.
DEACON
That we may complete the remaining time of our life in peace and repentance, let us ask the Lord.
CHOIR: Grant this, O Lord.
DEACON
And let us ask for a Christian end to our life, peaceful, without shame and suffering, and for a good defense before the awesome judgment seat of Christ.
CHOIR: Grant this, O Lord.
DEACON
Remembering our all-holy, immaculate, most blessed, and glorious Lady, the Theotokos and ever-virgin Mary, with all the saints, let us commend ourselves and one another and our whole life to Christ our God.
CHOIR: To You, O Lord.
PRIEST (in a low voice)
Lord God Almighty, You alone are holy. You accept the sacrifice of praise from those who call upon You with their whole heart, even so, accept from us sinners our supplication, and bring it to Your holy Altar of sacrifice. Make us sufficient to offer You gifts and spiritual sacrifices for our own misdeeds and those committed in ignorance by the people. Deem us worthy to find grace in Your sight, that our sacrifice may be well pleasing to You, and that the good Spirit of Your grace may rest upon us and upon these gifts presented and upon all Your people.
PRIEST (aloud)
Through the mercies of Your only-begotten Son, with whom You are blessed, and Your all-holy, good, and life-creating Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages.
CHOIR: Amen.
PRIEST: Peace be with all.
CHOIR: And with your spirit.
DEACON
Let us love one another, that with oneness of mind we may confess:
CHOIR
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: Trinity, one in essence and undivided.
Or, for concelebrations:
I will love You, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my foundation, my refuge, my deliverer.
DEACON
The doors! The doors! In wisdom, let us be attentive!
PEOPLE
The Creed
I believe in one God, Father Almighty, Creator of heaven 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 created, of one essence with the Father, through 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 the Virgin Mary and became man. He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered and was buried; And He rose on the third day, according to the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father; And He will come again with glory to judge the living and the dead. His kingdom shall have no end. And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Creator of life, Who proceeds from the Father, Who together with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, Who spoke through the prophets. In one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. I confess one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the age to come.
CHOIR: Amen.
DEACON
Let us stand aright! Let us stand in awe! Let us be attentive, that we may present the Holy Offering in peace.
CHOIR
A mercy of peace, a sacrifice of praise.
PRIEST
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God and Father, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.
CHOIR
And with your spirit.
PRIEST
Let us lift up our hearts.
CHOIR
We lift them up to the Lord.
PRIEST
Let us give thanks to the Lord.
CHOIR
It is proper and right.
PRIEST (in a low voice)
It is proper and right to hymn You, to bless You, to praise You, to give thanks to You, and to worship You in every place of Your dominion. For You, O God, are ineffable, inconceivable, invisible, incomprehensible, existing forever, forever the same, You and Your only-begotten Son and Your Holy Spirit. You brought us out of nothing into being, and when we had fallen away, You raised us up again. You left nothing undone until you had led us up to heaven and granted us Your kingdom, which is to come. For all these things, we thank You and Your only-begotten Son and Your Holy Spirit: for all things we know and do not know, for blessings manifest and hidden that have been bestowed on us. We thank You also for this Liturgy, which You have deigned to receive from our hands, even though thousands of archangels and tens of thousands of angels stand around You, the Cherubim and Seraphim, six-winged, many eyed, soaring aloft upon their wings,
PRIEST (aloud)
Singing the triumphal hymn, exclaiming, proclaiming, and saying…
CHOIR
Holy, holy, holy, Lord Sabaoth, heaven and earth are filled with Your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.
PRIEST (in a low voice)
Together with these blessed powers, benevolent Master, we also exclaim and say: Holy are You and most holy, You and Your only‐begotten Son and Your Holy Spirit. Holy are You and most holy, and sublime is Your glory. You so loved Your world that You gave Your only-begotten Son so that everyone who believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. When He had come and fulfilled for our sake the entire plan of salvation, on the night in which He was delivered up, or rather when He delivered Himself up for the life of the world, He took bread in His holy, pure, and blameless hands, and, giving thanks and blessing, He hallowed and broke it, and gave it to His holy disciples and apostles, saying:
PRIEST (aloud)
Take, eat, this is my body, which is broken for you for the remission of sins.
CHOIR: Amen.
PRIEST (in a low voice)
And likewise the cup after supper, saying:
PRIEST (aloud)
Drink of it, all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the remission of sins.
CHOIR: Amen.
PRIEST (in a low voice)
Remembering, therefore, this saving commandment and everything that was done for our sake: the Cross, the tomb, the Resurrection on the third day, the ascent into the heavens, the seating at the right hand, and the glorious coming again,
PRIEST (aloud)
Your own of Your own we offer to You, in all and for all.
CHOIR
We praise You. We bless You. We give thanks to You, O Lord; and we pray to You, our God.
PRIEST (in a low voice)
Once again we offer to You this spiritual worship without the shedding of blood, and we beseech and pray and entreat You: Send down Your Holy Spirit upon us and upon the gifts here presented,
DEACON (in a low voice)
Bless, Master, the Holy Bread.
PRIEST (in a low voice)
And make this Bread the precious Body of Your Christ.
DEACON (in a low voice)
Amen.
Bless, Master, the holy Cup.
PRIEST (in a low voice)
And that which is in this Cup, the precious Blood of Your Christ.
DEACON (in a low voice)
Amen.
Bless, Master, both the Holy Gifts.
PRIEST (in a low voice)
Changing them by Your Holy Spirit.
DEACON (in a low voice)
Amen. Amen. Amen.
PRIEST (in a low voice)
So that they may be for those who partake of them for vigilance of soul, remission of sins, communion of Your Holy Spirit, fullness of the kingdom of Heaven, boldness before You, not for judgment or condemnation. Again, we offer You this spiritual worship for those who have reposed in the faith: forefathers, fathers, patriarchs, prophets, apostles, preachers, evangelists, martyrs, confessors, ascetics, and for every righteous spirit made perfect in faith,
PRIEST (aloud)
Especially for our most holy, pure, blessed, and glorious Lady, the Theotokos and ever-virgin Mary.
CHOIR
Hymn to the Theotokos.
It is truly right to bless you, Theotokos, ever blessed, most pure, and Mother of our God. More honorable than the Cherubim, and beyond compare more glorious than the Seraphim, without corruption you gave birth to God the Logos. We magnify you, the true Theotokos.
PRIEST (in a low voice)
For Saint John the Prophet, Forerunner, and Baptist; for the holy, glorious, and most praiseworthy apostles; for Saint(s) (name), whose memory we celebrate; and for all Your saints, through whose supplications, visit us, O God. And remember all who have fallen asleep in the hope of the resurrection to life eternal (here the Priest commemorates by name those departed whom he wishes). Grant them rest, where the light of Your countenance keeps watch. Again we beseech You, Lord, remember all Orthodox bishops who rightly teach the word of Your truth, the presbyterate, the diaconate in Christ, and every priestly order. Again we offer You this spiritual worship for the whole world, for the holy, catholic, and apostolic Church, and for those living pure and reverent lives. For civil authorities and our armed forces, grant that they may govern in peace, Lord, so that in their tranquility we, too, may live calm and serene lives, in all piety and virtue.
PRIEST (aloud)
Among the first remember, Lord, our Archbishop (name): grant him to Your holy churches in peace, safety, honor, and health, unto length of days, rightly teaching the word of Your truth.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
And remember those whom each one of us has in mind, and all the people.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
PRIEST (in a low voice)
Remember, Lord, Your Holy Great Church of Constantinople, our Sacred Archdiocese, [this Holy Metropolis], this city in which we live, and every city and land, and the faithful who live in them. Remember, Lord, those who travel by land, sea, and air; the sick; the suffering; the captives; and their salvation. Remember those who bear fruit and do good works in Your holy churches and those who are mindful of the poor, and upon us all send forth Your mercies.
PRIEST (aloud)
And grant that with one voice and one heart we may glorify and praise Your most honorable and majestic name, of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages.
CHOIR: Amen.
PRIEST
And the mercies of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, be with you all.
CHOIR
And with your spirit.
DEACON
Having commemorated all the saints, again and again, in peace, let us pray to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
For the precious Gifts here presented and consecrated, let us pray to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
That our benevolent God, having accepted them at His holy and celestial and mystical altar as an offering of spiritual fragrance, may in return send down upon us the divine grace and the gift of the Holy Spirit, let us pray.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
(The rest of this litany, which was previously said above, is nowadays usually and correctly omitted.)
DEACON
For our deliverance from all affliction, wrath, danger, and distress, let us pray to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
Help us, save us, have mercy on us, and protect us, O God, by Your grace.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
That the whole day may be perfect, holy, peaceful, and sinless, let us ask the Lord.
CHOIR: Grant this, O Lord.
DEACON
For an angel of peace, a faithful guide, a guardian of our souls and bodies, let us ask the Lord.
CHOIR: Grant this, O Lord.
DEACON
For pardon and remission of our sins and transgressions, let us ask the Lord.
CHOIR: Grant this, O Lord.
DEACON
For that which is good and beneficial for our souls, and for peace for the world, let us ask the Lord.
CHOIR: Grant this, O Lord.
DEACON
That we may complete the remaining time of our life in peace and repentance, let us ask the Lord.
CHOIR: Grant this, O Lord.
DEACON
And let us ask for a Christian end to our life, peaceful, without shame and suffering, and for a good defense before the awesome judgment seat of Christ.
CHOIR: Grant this, O Lord.
DEACON
Having asked for the unity of the faith and for the communion of the Holy Spirit, let us commend ourselves and one another and our whole life to Christ our God.
CHOIR: To You, O Lord.
PRIEST (in a low voice)
We entrust to You, benevolent Master, our whole life and hope, and we beseech, pray, and implore You: Grant us to partake of Your heavenly and awesome sacraments from this sacred and spiritual table with a clear conscience for the remission of sins, the forgiveness of transgressions, the communion of the Holy Spirit, the inheritance of the kingdom of Heaven, and boldness before You, not unto judgment or condemnation.
PRIEST (aloud)
And grant us, Master, with boldness and without condemnation, to dare call You, the heavenly God, Father, and to say:
PEOPLE
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
PRIEST
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to ages of ages.
CHOIR: Amen.
PRIEST: Peace be with all.
CHOIR: And with your spirit.
DEACON
Let us bow our heads to the Lord.
CHOIR: To You, O Lord.
PRIEST (in a low voice)
We give thanks to You, invisible King, who by Your boundless power fashioned the universe, and in the multitude of Your mercy brought all things from nothing into being. Look down from heaven, O Master, upon those who have bowed their heads before You, for they have not bowed before flesh and blood, but before You, the awesome God. Therefore, O Master, make smooth and beneficial for us all, whatever lies ahead, according to the need of each: Sail with those who sail, travel with those who travel, heal the sick, Physician of our souls and bodies.
PRIEST (aloud)
Through the grace, compassion, and love for humankind of Your only-begotten Son, with whom You are blessed, and Your all-holy, good, and life-creating Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages.
CHOIR: Amen.
PRIEST (in a low voice)
Hearken, O Lord Jesus Christ our God, from Your holy dwelling place and from the throne of glory of Your kingdom, and come to sanctify us, You who are enthroned with the Father on high and are present among us invisibly here. And with Your mighty hand, grant Communion of Your most pure Body and precious Blood to us, and through us to all the people.
DEACON: Let us be attentive.
PRIEST
The Holy Gifts for the holy people of God.
CHOIR
One is Holy, one is Lord, Jesus Christ, to the glory of God the Father. Amen.
PEOPLE
The selection and text of the following prayers may be different from what is used in your parish.
I believe and confess, Lord, that You are truly the Christ, the Son of the living God, who came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the first. I also believe that this is truly Your pure Body and that this is truly Your precious Blood. Therefore, I pray to You, have mercy on me and forgive my transgressions, voluntary and involuntary, in word and deed, in knowledge or in ignorance. And make me worthy, without condemnation, to partake of Your pure sacrament for the remission of sins and for eternal life. Amen.
As I am about to receive holy communion, * O Maker, I pray You not burn me partaking, * since You are fire consuming the unworthy, * but rather purge me of any defilement.
Receive me, today, O Son of God, as a partaker of Your mystical Supper. I will not reveal Your mystery to Your enemies, nor will I give You a kiss, as did Judas. But like the Robber I confess to You. Remember me, O Lord, when You come in Your kingdom.
Seeing the deifying Blood, O human, shudder, * for it is a live coal that burns the unworthy. * The Body of God both deifies my spirit * and feeds my mind in extraordinary manner.
You have enraptured me, O Christ, * with Your longing and transformed me with love divine. * I pray, completely consume * with immaterial fire all my sins. * And count me worthy to be filled * fully with the delight in You, * that I may magnify * both Your Comings, O good Master, exultantly.
How shall I enter into the splendor of Your saints since I am unworthy? For if I dare to enter the wedding hall along with them, my garment will betray me, for it is not fit for the wedding; and then I shall be bound and cast out by the Angels. I pray You to wash away the stains on my soul, and save me, O benevolent Lord.
Benevolent Master, Lord Jesus Christ, my God, let not these Holy Gifts be to my judgment because I am unworthy, but rather for the purification and sanctification of both soul and body and the pledge of the life and kingdom to come. It is good for me to cleave unto God and to place in Him the hope of my salvation.
Receive me, today, O Son of God, as a partaker of Your mystical Supper. I will not reveal Your mystery to Your enemies, nor will I give You a kiss, as did Judas. But like the Robber I confess to You. Remember me, O Lord, when You come in Your kingdom.
CHOIR
Communion Hymn. Psalm 18.
Their proclamation went forth into all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world. Alleluia.
DEACON
With the fear of God, faith, and love, draw near.
The people come up to receive Holy Communion. The Priest receives the holy chalice from the hands of the Deacon and begins communing the people, saying to each one: The Body and Blood of Christ, for the remission of sins and life eternal.
PRIEST
Save, O God, Your people, and bless Your inheritance.
CHOIR
Hymn after Holy Communion.
Mode 2.
We have seen the true light; we have received the heavenly Spirit; we have found the true faith, worshiping the undivided Trinity, for the Trinity has saved us.
DEACON (in a low voice)
Exalt, Master.
PRIEST (in a low voice)
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, and let Your glory be over all the earth. (3)
Blessed is our God.
PRIEST (aloud)
Always, now and ever and to the ages of ages.
CHOIR: Amen.
DEACON
Arise! Having partaken of the divine, holy, pure, immortal, heavenly, life-creating, and awesome Mysteries of Christ, let us worthily give thanks to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
Help us, save us, have mercy on us, and protect us, O God, by Your grace.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
Having prayed for a perfect, holy, peaceful, and sinless day, let us commend ourselves and one another and our whole life to Christ our God.
CHOIR: To You, O Lord.
PRIEST (in a low voice)
We give thanks to You, benevolent Master, benefactor of our souls, that even on this very day You have made us worthy of Your heavenly and immortal sacraments. Make straight our path, fortify us in Your fear, guard our life, make secure our steps, through the prayers and supplications of the glorious Theotokos and ever virgin Mary and of all Your saints.
PRIEST (aloud)
For You are our sanctification, and to You we offer up glory, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages.
CHOIR: Amen.
PRIEST: Let us go forth in peace.
DEACON: Let us pray to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
PRIEST
O Lord, who blesses those who bless You and sanctifies those who put their trust in You, save Your people and bless Your inheritance. Protect the whole body of Your Church. Sanctify those who love the beauty of Your house. Glorify them in return by Your divine power, and forsake us not who have set our hope in You. Grant peace to Your world, to Your churches, to the clergy, to our civic leaders, to the armed forces, and to all Your people. For every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from You, the Father of lights. To You we offer up glory, thanksgiving, and worship, to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages.
CHOIR: Amen.
Blessed be the name of the Lord, from this time forth and to the ages. (3)
PRIEST (in a low voice)
Christ our God, You are the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets. You have fulfilled the Father’s entire plan of salvation. Fill our hearts with joy and gladness always, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Memorial Service
CHOIR
Evlogetaria for the Dead
Mode pl. 1.
Blessed are You, O Lord, teach me Your commandments.
The choir of Saints has found the fountain of life and the door of Paradise. May I also find the way through repentance. I am the lost sheep: O Savior, call me back and save me.
Blessed are You, O Lord, teach me Your commandments.
Of old, You created me from nothing and honored me with Your divine image. But when I disobeyed Your commandment, You returned me to the earth from which I was taken. Lead me back again to Your likeness, so that the ancient beauty may be refashioned.
Blessed are You, O Lord, teach me Your commandments.
I am an image of Your ineffable glory, though I bear the scars of my transgressions. Take pity on me, the work of Your hands, Master, and cleanse me by Your compassion. Grant me the desired homeland for which I long, making me again a citizen of Paradise.
Blessed are You, O Lord, teach me Your commandments.
Give rest, O God, to Your servant(s), and place him (her, them) in Paradise where the choirs of the Saints and the righteous, O Lord, will shine as the stars of heaven. To Your departed servant(s) give rest, O Lord, overlooking all his (her, their) offenses.
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Let us devoutly praise the threefold radiance of the one God as we sing: Holy are You, the Father without beginning, the co-eternal Son, and the divine Spirit. Illumine us who worship You in faith and deliver us from the eternal fire.
Both now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Rejoice, gracious Lady, who gave birth to God in the flesh for the salvation of all, and through whom the human race has found salvation. Through you, pure and blessed Theotokos, may we find Paradise.
Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia. Glory to You, O God.
Kontakion. Mode pl. 4.
With the Saints give rest, O Christ, to the soul(s) of Your servant(s) where there is no pain, no sorrow, no sighing, but life everlasting.
Among the spirits of the righteous perfected in faith, give rest, O Savior, to the soul(s) of Your servant, keeping it (them) in the blessed life which is from You, O loving One.
In your place of rest, O Lord, where all Your saints repose, give rest also to the soul of Your servant, for You alone are immortal.
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
You are our God who descended into Hades and loosened the pains of those who were held captive. Grant rest also, O Savior, to the soul of Your servant.
Both now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
You the only pure and spotless Virgin, who ineffably gave birth to God, intercede for mercy and forgiveness of the soul of your servant(s).
DEACON
Have mercy on us, O God, according to Your great mercy, we pray You, hear us and have mercy.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy. (3)
DEACON
Again we pray for the repose of the soul of the departed servant of God (name), who has fallen asleep, and for the forgiveness of all his (her) sins, voluntary and involuntary.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy. (3)
DEACON
May the Lord God place their souls where the righteous repose. Let us ask for the mercies of God, the kingdom of Heaven, and the forgiveness of their sins from Christ our immortal king and God.
CHOIR: Grant this, O Lord.
DEACON
Let us pray to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
PRIEST
O God of spirits and of all flesh, You trampled upon death and abolished the power of the devil, giving life to Your world. Give rest to the soul(s) of Your departed servant(s) (name) in a place of light, in a place of green pasture, in a place of refreshment, from where pain, sorrow, and sighing have fled away. As good and benevolent God, forgive every sin he (she, they) has (have) committed in word, deed, or thought, for there is no one who lives and does not sin. You alone are without sin. Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and Your word is truth.
DEACON
Let us pray to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
PRIEST
For You are the resurrection, the life, and the repose of Your departed servant(s) (name), Christ our God, and to You we offer up glory, and to Your Father, who is without beginning, and Your all-holy, good, and life-creating Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages.
CHOIR: Amen.
PRIEST
Eternal be your memory, brother worthy of blessedness and everlasting memory. (3)
CHOIR
Mode 3.
Eternal be his memory. Eternal be his memory. Eternal be his memory. (3)
DEACON: Let us pray to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
PRIEST
May the blessing and the mercy of the Lord come upon you by His divine grace and love for humankind, always, now and ever and to the ages of ages.
CHOIR: Amen.
PRIEST
Glory to You, our God, glory to You.
May Christ our true God, through the intercessions of His all-pure and all-immaculate holy Mother, the power of the precious and life-giving Cross, the protection of the honorable, bodiless powers of heaven, the supplications of the honorable, glorious prophet and forerunner John the Baptist, of the holy, glorious, and praiseworthy apostles, of the holy, glorious, and triumphant martyrs, of our righteous and God-bearing fathers, (local patron saint); of the holy and righteous ancestors of God Joachim and Anna, our fathers among the saints, great Ecumenical Teachers and Hierarchs, Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom, whose memory we celebrate; and of all the saints, have mercy on us and save us, as He is good, benevolent, and merciful God.
CHOIR
Lord, protect for many years the one who blesses and sanctifies us.
PRIEST
Through the prayers of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us.
CHOIR: Amen.
Vespers · Octoechos - Mode pl. 4.
PRIEST
Blessed is our God always, now and ever and to the ages of ages.
CHOIR: Amen.
Stand for the reading of the Introductory Psalm.
While the Introductory Psalm is being read, the Priest stands in front of the holy Table and reads the so-called Lamp-lighting Prayers.
READER
Come, let us worship and bow down before God our King.
Come, let us worship and bow down before Christ God our King.
Come, let us worship and bow down before Him, Christ our King and God.
Psalm 103 (104).
Bless the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, You are magnified exceedingly; You clothe Yourself with thanksgiving and majesty, who cover Yourself with light as with a garment, who stretch out the heavens like a curtain; You are He who covers His upper chambers with water, who makes the clouds His means of approach, who walks on the wings of the winds, who makes His angels spirits and His ministers a flame of fire. He established the earth on its stable foundation; it shall not be moved unto ages of ages. The deep like a garment is His covering; the waters shall stand upon the mountains; at Your rebuke they shall flee; at the sound of Your thunder, they shall be afraid. The mountains rise up, and the plains sink down to the place You founded for them. You set a boundary they shall not pass over; neither shall they return to cover the earth. You are He who sends springs into the valley; the waters shall pass between the mountains; they shall give drink to all the wild animals of the field; the wild asses shall quench their thirst; the birds of heaven shall dwell beside them; they shall sing from the midst of the rocks. You are He who waters the mountains from His higher places; the earth shall be satisfied with the fruit of Your works. You are He who causes grass to grow for the cattle, and the green plant for the service of man, to bring forth bread from the earth; and wine gladdens the heart of man, to brighten his face with oil; and bread strengthens man’s heart. The trees of the plain shall be full of fruit, the cedars of Lebanon, which You planted; there the sparrows shall make their nests; the house of the heron takes the lead among them. The high mountains are for the deer; the cliff is a refuge for the rabbits. He made the moon for seasons; the sun knows its setting. You established darkness, and it was night, wherein all the wild animals of the forest will prowl about; the young lions roar and snatch their prey, and seek their food from God. The sun arises, and they are gathered together; and they shall be put to bed in their dens. Man shall go out to his work and to his labor until evening. O Lord, Your works shall be magnified greatly; You made all things in wisdom; the earth was filled with Your creation. There is this great and spacious sea: the creeping things are there without number; the living things are there, both small and great; there the ships pass through; there is this dragon You formed to play therein. All things wait upon You, that You may give them food in due season. When You give it to them, they shall gather it; when You open Your hand, all things shall be filled with Your goodness. But when You turn Your face away, they shall be troubled; when You take away their breath, they shall die and return again to their dust. You shall send forth Your Spirit, and they shall be created, and You shall renew the face of the earth. Let the glory of the Lord be forever; the Lord shall be glad in His works; He looks upon the earth and makes it tremble; He touches the mountains, and they smoke. I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing to my God as long as I exist; may my words be pleasing to Him, and I shall be glad in the Lord. May sinners cease from the earth, and the lawless, so as to be no more. Bless the Lord, O my soul.
The sun knows its setting. You established darkness, and it was night.
O Lord, Your works shall be magnified greatly; You made all things in wisdom.
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Both now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia. Glory to You, O God. (3)
Our hope, O Lord, glory to You.
DEACON
In peace let us pray to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
For the peace from above and for the salvation of our souls, let us pray to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
For the peace of the whole world, for the stability of the holy churches of God, and for the unity of all, let us pray to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
For this holy house and for those who enter it with faith, reverence, and the fear of God, let us pray to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
For pious and Orthodox Christians, let us pray to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
For our Archbishop (name), for the honorable presbyterate, for the diaconate in Christ, and for all the clergy and the people, let us pray to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
For our country, the president, all those in public service, and for our armed forces everywhere, let us pray to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
For the Holy and Great Church of Christ of Constantinople, for our Sacred Archdiocese, [for this Holy Metropolis,] for this city and parish, for every city and land, and for the faithful who live in them, let us pray to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
For favorable weather, for an abundance of the fruits of the earth, and for peaceful times, let us pray to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
For those who travel by land, sea, and air, for the sick, the suffering, the captives and for their salvation, let us pray to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
For our deliverance from all affliction, wrath, danger, and distress, let us pray to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
Help us, save us, have mercy on us, and protect us, O God, by Your grace.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
Remembering our all-holy, immaculate, most blessed, and glorious Lady, the Theotokos and ever-virgin Mary, with all the saints, let us commend ourselves and one another and our whole life to Christ our God.
CHOIR: To You, O Lord.
PRIEST
For to You belong all glory, honor, and worship, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages.
CHOIR: Amen.
CHOIR
Mode 4.
Lord, I have cried to You; hear me. Hear me, O Lord. Lord, I have cried to You; hear me. Give heed to the voice of my supplication when I cry to You. Hear me, O Lord.
Let my prayer be set forth before You as incense, the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice. Hear me, O Lord.
Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth, a door of enclosure about my lips.
Incline not my heart to evil words, to make excuses in sins.
With men who work lawlessness; and I will not join with their choice ones.
The righteous man shall correct me with mercy, and he shall reprove me; but let not the oil of the sinner anoint my head.
For my prayer shall be intense in the presence of their pleasures. Their judges are swallowed up by the rock.
They shall hear my words, for they are pleasant. As a clod of ground is dashed to pieces on the earth, so their bones were scattered beside the grave.
For my eyes, O Lord, O Lord, are toward You; in You I hope; take not my soul away.
Keep me from the snares they set for me, and from the stumbling blocks of those who work lawlessness.
Sinners shall fall into their own net; I am alone, until I escape.
I cried to the Lord with my voice, with my voice I prayed to the Lord.
I shall pour out my supplication before Him; I shall declare my affliction in His presence.
When my spirit fainted within me, then You knew my paths.
For on the way I was going, they hid a trap for me.
I looked on my right, and saw there was no one who knew me.
Refuge failed me, and there was no one who cared for my soul.
I cried to You, O Lord; I said, “You are my hope, my portion in the land of the living.”
Attend to my supplication, for I was humbled exceedingly.
Deliver me from my persecutors, for they are stronger than I.
Bring my soul out of prison to give thanks to Your name, O Lord.
The righteous shall wait for me, until You reward me.
Out of the depths I have cried to You, O Lord; O Lord, hear my voice.
Let Your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplication.
Stichera. For the Saints.
Mode 4. To a brave one.
To the melody, “As one valiant among the Martyrs.”
If You, O Lord, should mark transgression, O Lord, who would stand? For there is forgiveness with You.
O most valorous martyr saints, * as physicians whom God approved, * blessed John and Cyrus renowned throughout the world, * you once destroyed the ungodly pride of tyrants, so therefore now * shatter the unruly thoughts * that oppress me tyrannically, * also heal my soul * of its passions, and rescue me from future condemnation by your prayers * on my behalf to the Savior Christ.
Because of Your law, O Lord, I waited for You; my soul waited for Your word. My soul hopes in the Lord.
O most valorous martyr saints, * as physicians whom God approved, * blessed John and Cyrus renowned throughout the world, * you once destroyed the ungodly pride of tyrants, so therefore now * shatter the unruly thoughts * that oppress me tyrannically, * also heal my soul * of its passions, and rescue me from future condemnation by your prayers * on my behalf to the Savior Christ.
From the morning watch until night; from the morning watch until night, let Israel hope in the Lord.
I entreat you to rescue me * from the storm now besetting me * and from the confusion of trials troubling me; * assuage the aches of my bodily afflictions, O blessed Saints, * and the woes that vex my soul, * which assail it both visibly * and invisibly, * so that I may with faith and love extol you, the august and holy duo * that stood and died for the Trinity.
For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him is abundant redemption; and He shall redeem Israel from all his transgressions.
I entreat you to rescue me * from the storm now besetting me * and from the confusion of trials troubling me; * assuage the aches of my bodily afflictions, O blessed Saints, * and the woes that vex my soul, * which assail it both visibly * and invisibly, * so that I may with faith and love extol you, the august and holy duo * that stood and died for the Trinity.
Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles; praise Him, all you peoples.
Holy Cyrus and John, you were * gorgeous temples God, and thus * you have made your temple and shrine to be a source * of cures and healings; and therefore now * I go to it and I pray * that you grant me to be free * of diseases of any kind, * and that you bring peace * to my soul, which has woefully submitted to immoral thoughts and actions, * and now is vexed by the enemy.
For His mercy rules over us; and the truth of the Lord endures forever.
Holy Cyrus and John, you were * gorgeous temples God, and thus * you have made your temple and shrine to be a source * of cures and healings; and therefore now * I go to it and I pray * that you grant me to be free * of diseases of any kind, * and that you bring peace * to my soul, which has woefully submitted to immoral thoughts and actions, * and now is vexed by the enemy.
Mode pl. 4.
The pair of martyrs, miracle-working Cyrus and John, ⁄ shine on us today, curing our spiritual infirmities. ⁄ They both, as equal to the angels, bring healing. ⁄ They lived until the end as if with one life ⁄ and were joined to Christ by their martyred blood! ⁄ Both, having appeared to the gathered soldiers, ⁄ have been enrolled as citizens of the heavenly armies. ⁄ Therefore they grant healings and pray for the souls ⁄⁄ of those of us who celebrate their memory with faith!
The First Theotokion of the Mode.
The King of heaven appeared on earth and lived among men, in His benevolence towards humanity. He assumed flesh from the pure Virgin, and, with the human nature that He assumed, He was born from her. Now twofold in nature, He is but one person, the Son. So we confess and correctly profess that fully divine and fully human He is one and the same, Christ our God. We pray you, His virgin Mother, entreat Him to have mercy on our souls.
(No Entrance)
Stand for the hymn.
READER
Gladsome light of holy glory of the holy, blessed, heavenly, immortal Father, O Jesus Christ: arriving at the hour of sunset and having seen the evening light, we praise the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, God. It is worthy for You to be praised at all times with happy voices, O Son of God and Giver of life; * and therefore the world glorifies You.
DEACON
The evening Prokeimenon!
CHOIR
Prokeimenon. Grave Mode.
You are my protector, O God. Your mercy shall go before me. (2)
Verse: Rescue me from my enemies, O God, and redeem me from those who rise up against me.
You are my protector, O God. Your mercy shall go before me.
Stand for the reading of prayer.
READER
O Lord, keep us this evening without sin. Blessed are you, O Lord, God of our fathers, and praised and glorified is your name to the ages. Amen. O Lord, let your mercy be upon us for we have set our hope in you. Blessed are you, O Lord, teach me your commandments. Blessed are you, Master, grant me understanding of your commandments. Blessed are you, Holy One, enlighten me with your commandments. Lord, your mercy is forever. Do not despise the works of your hands. To you is due praise, to you is due song, to you is due glory, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and to the ages of ages.
CHOIR: Amen.
DEACON
Let us complete our evening prayer to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
Help us, save us, have mercy on us, and protect us, O God, by Your grace.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
That the whole evening may be perfect, holy, peaceful, and sinless, let us ask the Lord.
CHOIR: Grant this, O Lord.
DEACON
For an angel of peace, a faithful guide, a guardian of our souls and bodies, let us ask the Lord.
CHOIR: Grant this, O Lord.
DEACON
For pardon and remission of our sins and transgressions, let us ask the Lord.
CHOIR: Grant this, O Lord.
DEACON
For that which is good and beneficial for our souls, and for peace for the world, let us ask the Lord.
CHOIR: Grant this, O Lord.
DEACON
That we may complete the remaining time of our life in peace and repentance, let us ask the Lord.
CHOIR: Grant this, O Lord.
DEACON
And let us ask for a Christian end to our life, peaceful, without shame and suffering, and for a good defense before the awesome judgment seat of Christ.
CHOIR: Grant this, O Lord.
DEACON
Remembering our all-holy, immaculate, most blessed, and glorious Lady, the Theotokos and ever-virgin Mary, with all the saints, let us commend ourselves and one another and our whole life to Christ our God.
CHOIR: To You, O Lord.
PRIEST
For You are good and benevolent God, and to You we offer up glory, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages.
CHOIR: Amen.
PRIEST: Peace be with all.
CHOIR: And with your spirit.
DEACON
Let us bow our heads to the Lord.
CHOIR: To You, O Lord.
PRIEST (in a low voice)
Lord our God, who inclined the heavens and came down for the salvation of humankind, look upon Your servants and Your inheritance; for they have bowed their heads and bent their necks to You, the fearsome yet compassionate Judge, not expecting human help, but awaiting Your mercy and anticipating Your salvation. Guard them at all times, this evening and the coming night, from every enemy, from all demonic activity against them, from unprofitable reflections, and from wicked thoughts.
PRIEST (aloud)
Blessed and glorified be the majesty of Your kingdom, of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages.
CHOIR: Amen.
Aposticha of the Octoechos.
Mode pl. 4.
Martyrs of the Lord, you sanctify every locality, and you heal every infirmity. And now we pray you to intercede that our souls be delivered from the snares of the enemy.
Verse: God is wondrous in His saints.
I grieve and I lament when I think about death, and when I see the beauty, which God made for us in His image, lying formless in the grave, without glory and unsightly. Amazing! What is this mystery that happened to us? How were we given over to decay and coupled with death? Indeed, as it is written, this is all by the command of God, who grants repose to those who have passed away.
Verse: To the saints on His earth, in them the Lord magnified all His will.
O Lord, Your death gave rise to immortality; for if You had not been enclosed in a tomb, then Paradise would not have been opened. Therefore grant repose to the departed, O benevolent God.
Mode 2.
Assembly of the faithful, ⁄ let us gather today! ⁄ Let us crown Cyrus and John with hymns! ⁄ They are soldiers of grace who grant it abundantly to those who ask! ⁄ They have been revealed to all, in various ways, ⁄⁄ as brilliant physicians who pray for our souls.
Mode 2. Joseph took You down.
To the melody, “When from the Tree.”
You are for us Christians everywhere * helper and protection and mighty shelter, O Mother of God. * Never cease to vigilantly pray and intercede * with the Savior on our behalf, * both now and forever, * that He rescue us your servants from all evils and woes. * Lady, after God, all we Christians * have you as our holy protection; * and in all our troubles we rely on you.
Stand for the reading of prayers
PRIEST
Song of Simeon
PEOPLE
Trisagion Prayers.
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (3)
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit; both now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
All-holy Trinity, have mercy on us. Lord, forgive our sins. Master, pardon our transgressions. Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities for Your name’s sake.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit; both now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
PRIEST
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to ages of ages.
CHOIR: Amen.
Apolytikion.
Mode pl. 1.
You have given us the miracles of Your holy Martyrs as an impregnable fortress, O Christ our God. At their entreaties, frustrate the plots of foreign enemies, and strengthen our nation, for You alone are good and benevolent.
Mode pl. 1. As the Father and Spirit.
Hail, gate of the Lord, through which no man has passed! * Wall and shelter of all who rely on you, rejoice! * Port and haven undisturbed by any tempest, rejoice! * You gave birth to your Creator and God in the flesh, * ever remaining a virgin. * Never cease interceding for us who worship and extol your Son.
(The “ektenia” litany has been omitted.)
DEACON: Wisdom.
READER: Master bless.
PRIEST
Blessed is Christ our God, the One who is, always, now and ever and to the ages of ages.
CHOIR: Amen.
HIERARCH or READER
The Lord God make firm the holy and pure faith of the pious Orthodox Christians, together with the Holy and Great Church of Christ of Constantinople, our Sacred Archdiocese, [this Holy Metropolis,] and this city, to the ages of ages.
CHOIR: Amen.
PRIEST
Glory to You, our God, glory to You.
May Christ our true God, through the intercessions of His all-pure and all-immaculate holy Mother, the power of the precious and life-giving Cross, the protection of the honorable, bodiless powers of heaven, the supplications of the honorable, glorious prophet and forerunner John the Baptist, of the holy, glorious, and praiseworthy apostles, of the holy, glorious, and triumphant martyrs, of our righteous and God-bearing fathers, (local patron saint); of the holy and righteous ancestors of God Joachim and Anna, the holy Unmercenaries Cyrus and John, the Wonder-workers, whose memory we celebrate, and of all the saints, have mercy on us and save us, as He is good, benevolent, and merciful God.
Through the prayers of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us.
CHOIR: Amen.