St. Michael the Archangel
Orthodox Christian Community
Pickens, South Carolina
Akathist to the Saints of North America
All the Saints who have shone forth in these lands
read within
SMALL COMPLINE
Arranged as a Reader’s Service
(Plain chanted or read, simply and reverently)
Leader: In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Glory to You, our God, glory to You!
People: O Heavenly King, the Comforter, Spirit of Truth, everywhere present and filling all things. Treasury of blessings and Giver of life, come and dwell in us, cleanse us from every impurity and save our souls, O Good One.
Trisagion
Holy God. Holy Mighty. Holy Immortal. Have mercy on us. (3 times)
Glory… now and ever ... Amen.
Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. Lord, cleanse us from our sins. Master, pardon our transgressions. Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities, for Your name's sake.
Lord have mercy. (3 times)
Glory… now and ever ... Amen.
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
Leader: Through the prayers of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us.
People: Amen.
Lord have mercy. (12 times)
Come, let us worship God our King!
Come, let us worship and bow down before Christ, our King and our God!
Come, let us worship and bow down before Christ Himself, our King and our God!
Psalm 50
Have mercy on me, God, in Your great loving-kindness and in Your abundant compassion blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.
For I know my transgressions; and my sin is continually before me.
Against You alone have I sinned and done evil before You: so that You are justified in Your sentence and blameless in Your judgment.
Behold, I was brought forth into iniquity and in sins did my mother conceive me. Behold, You love truth in the inner being; therefore, teach me wisdom in my secret heart.
Sprinkle me with hyssop and I shall be clean: wash me and I shall be whiter than snow.
You will make me hear joy and gladness and my afflicted bones shall rejoice. Turn Your face away from my sins and blot out all my iniquities.
Create in me a clean heart, God and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from Your presence and take not Your holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation. Uphold me with a willing spirit.
Then I will teach transgressors Your ways; and sinners will return to You.
Deliver me from blood guiltiness, God, the God of my salvation and my tongue shall joyfully declare Your deliverance.
Lord, open my lips and my mouth shall proclaim Your praise.
For You have no delight in sacrifice, if I would give burned offerings, you would not be pleased.
The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; and broken and contrite heart, God, You will not despise.
Lord, do good to Zion in Your good pleasure and rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.
Then shall You be pleased with a sacrifice of righteousness, with offerings and whole burnt offering. Then they will offer calves upon Your altar.
Psalm 69
Be pleased, Lord, to deliver me; Lord make haste to help me.
Let those be put to shame and confusion who seek my life. Let those who desire evil for me be turned back and brought to dishonor. Let those who say Aha, Aha! be turned back because of their shame.
Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You. Let those who love Your salvation say evermore: God is great! But I am poor and needy; hasten to me, O God! You are my help and deliverer; Lord, do not delay.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia! Glory to You, O God! (3 times)
Psalm 142
Hear my prayer, Lord; give ear to my supplications! In Your faithfulness answer me, in Your righteousness!
Enter not into judgment with Your servant; for no man living is righteous before You. For the enemy has pursued me; he has crushed my life to the ground; he has made me sit in darkness like those long dead.
Therefore my spirit faints within me; my heart within me is appalled. I remember the days of old, I meditate on all that You have done; I muse on what Your hands have wrought. I stretch out my hands to You; my soul thirsts for You like a parched land.
Make haste to answer me, Lord! My spirit fails! Hide not Your face from me, lest I be like those who go down to the Pit.
Let me hear in the morning of Your steadfast love, for in You I put my trust. Teach me the way I should go, for to You I lift up my soul.
Deliver me, Lord, from my enemies! I have fled to You for refuge! Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God.
Let Your good Spirit lead me on a level path. For Your name's sake, Lord, You will give me life; in Your righteousness you will bring my soul out of trouble. And in Your steadfast love You will cut off my enemies and destroy all who afflict my soul, for I am Your servant.
The Lesser Doxology
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will towards mankind. We praise You, we bless You, we worship You, we glorify You, we give thanks to You for Your great glory.
Lord God, Heavenly King, God the Father Almighty, Lord, the only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.
Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, Who takes away the sin of the world, have mercy on us.
You, Who takes away the sin of the world: receive our prayer.
You, Who sits at the right hand of God the Father: have mercy on us.
For You alone are Holy, You alone are Lord. You alone, Jesus Christ, are Most High in the glory of God the Father. Amen.
Every night will I give thanks to You and praise Your name for ever and ever. Lord, You have been our refuge from generation to generation. I said: Lord, be merciful to me. Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You.
Lord, I flee to You. Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God. For with You is the fountain of Life and in Your light shall we see light. Continue Your mercy to those who know You.
Count us worthy, Lord, of passing this night without sin Blessed are You, Lord God of our Fathers; may Your Name be praised and glorified unto the ages. Amen.
Let Your mercy be upon us, Lord, for we have placed our hope in You.
Blessed are You, Lord, teach me your commandments.
Blessed are You, Master, grant me understanding of Your statutes.
Blessed are You, Holy One, enlighten me by Your precepts.
Lord, Your mercy endures to the ages; despise not the work of Your Hands.
To You belongs worship, to You belongs praise, to You belongs glory; to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
The Creed
I believe in One God, the 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, being of one essence with the Father, by Whom all things were made.
Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and became Man;
Who was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate and suffered and was buried;
And on the third day He rose from the dead in accordance with the Scriptures;
And ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father;
And He will come again with glory to judge the living and the dead; and His Kingdom will have no end.
And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of Life, Who proceeds from the Father, Who together with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, Who spoke through the prophets.
In One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.
I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins.
I look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the age to come. Amen.
THE AKATHIST
The akathist is read here, at the place appointed for a canon or reading.
Troparion, Tone 8
All: As the bountiful harvest of Thy sowing of salvation, the lands of North America offer to Thee, O Lord, all the saints who have shone in them. By their prayers keep the Church and our land in abiding peace through the Theotokos, O most Merciful One.
Kontakion 1
Leader: With glad and grateful hearts we honor you, All Saints of North America. You are the first fruits of Christ’s bountiful harvest in the new world. You gave your lives as an offering of love. You labored faithfully in the Vineyard of the Lord’s holy Church. Through your prayers we enter into the joy of the Orthodox Way. As we assemble today to honor you we cry:
All: Rejoice, All Saints of North America!
Ikos 1
Leader: We glorify the Lord Who has glorified you, holy men, women and children of these North American lands. We stand in awe before the miracles you have worked, revealed to us by our heavenly Father. Together with the bodiless choirs, we offer you these words of loving praise:
All: Rejoice, hierarch Tikhon, humble shepherd of your American flock!
Rejoice, venerable Herman, defender and heavenly intercessor!
Rejoice, father Innocent, evangelizer of Siberia and Alaska!
Rejoice, martyr Juvenal, courageous witness to the gospel!
Rejoice, bishop Nicholas, teacher of heavenly theology!
Rejoice, father Alexis, defender of the Orthodox way!
Rejoice, wonderworker John of San Francisco!
Rejoice, Raphael, first bishop of Brooklyn!
Rejoice, All Saints of North America!
Kontakion 2
Leader: Holy new martyrs of North America, we honor your lives by pondering the sufferings that led to your deaths. You were faithful to the end, having been crowned by the Lord as His faithful witnesses. Through your prayers we are delivered from the snares of the evil one, so that we might sing an everlasting: Alleluia!
All: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.
Ikos 2
Leader: The Church of North America is renewed through the shedding of your blood, holy martyrs. Through your sufferings you strengthen those who follow your footsteps down the hard and narrow way. Seeing you clothed in white robes and glorifying the Lord of Hosts, we sing to you these words of loving praise:
All: Rejoice, holy Tikhon, long-suffering confessor of the Orthodox Church!
Rejoice, hieromartyr Alexander, passion-bearer of St. Petersburg!
Rejoice, father John, first martyr of the Bolshevik revolution!
Rejoice, holy Juvenal, zealous preacher of divine grace!
Rejoice, blessed Peter, star of the Aleutian peoples!
Rejoice, martyrs overcoming the power of darkness!
Rejoice, patrons of the North American Church!
Rejoice, good soldiers striving to the very end!
Rejoice, All Saints of North America!
Kontakion 3
Leader: Having led your people to the homeland of God’s Kingdom, you defended the faith entrusted to you, confessors and defenders of the North American Church. Having rightly directed the word of the truth, you preserve us from the injury of false teachings. You gave yourself to imprisonment, sufferings and death, remaining faithful all the while to the One Who is Himself Faithful and True. Seeing your steadfastness in times of affliction, we sing to God an everlasting: Alleluia!
All: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.
Ikos 3
Leader: The adversary and enemy of our souls never ceases his ferocious attacks against Christ’s holy Church. Hating the light of the Father’s radiance that shines from your lives, the children of the evil one condemned you to imprisonment and death. As your grateful children, we offer to you these words of loving praise:
All: Rejoice, righteous Tikhon, protector of the sacred treasures of the Church!
Rejoice, valiant preachers of the Wisdom, Word, and the Power of God!
Rejoice, holy Nicholas, defender of your people in times of oppression!
Rejoice, comfort of those persecuted for the sake of righteousness!
Rejoice, inspired teachers of the royal way of Orthodox theology!
Rejoice, father John, loyal priest and intercessor for the faithful!
Rejoice, faithful guides leading us on the path of salvation!
Rejoice, guardians of the Tradition of the Holy Apostles!
Rejoice, All Saints of North America!
Kontakion 4
Leader: As imitators of the twelve apostles, you traveled from the Pacific to the Atlantic in order to make disciples of North America’s many peoples. You gave us an Indication of the Way into the Kingdom of Heaven. You taught us with The Word of salvation. In this way you ministered to your people so that we might sing an everlasting: Alleluia!
All: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.
Ikos 4
Leader: With love and zeal you tilled the soil of the North American lands with the divine seed of the gospel. Through the sowing of Christ’s word, the fruits of the Spirit were cultivated in this new land. You uprooted the tares of false teachings and brought forth a great harvest of faith. Together with the holy apostles we offer to you these words of loving praise:
All: Rejoice, visionaries of the Orthodox Church in America!
Rejoice, dispellers of spiritual darkness and ignorance!
Rejoice, inexhaustible treasuries of Divine Wisdom!
Rejoice, zealous defenders of the one true faith!
Rejoice, faithful guardians of the holy mysteries!
Rejoice, chosen successors of the Holy Apostles!
Rejoice, living icons of the evangelical life!
Rejoice, teachers of Orthodox doctrine!
Rejoice, All Saints of North America!
Kontakion 5
Leader: The Lord sent you to this new land in order to enlighten its peoples with the knowledge of God. Through your words you have overcome the darkness of error and unbelief. Through your deeds you have shown us how to live a virtuous way of life. Inspired by your labors and your preaching of the gospel, we sing to God an everlasting: Alleluia!
All: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.
Ikos 5
Leader: After His resurrection the Son of God made man sent His twelve apostles to the ends of the earth in order to declare His name among all nations. In these latter days, the Lord has sent you, as Equals to the Apostles, in order to teach us the commandments of the gospel. Following in your footsteps, apostles and evangelists of North America, we sing to you these words of loving praise:
All: Rejoice, hierarch Tikhon, pioneer of Orthodoxy in North America!
Rejoice, father Innocent, master of native American languages!
Rejoice, Sebastian, founder of many churches in the West!
Rejoice, Raphael, patron of learning for all the faithful!
Rejoice, good stewards of the Household of the Lord!
Rejoice, blessed John, reconciliation of your children!
Rejoice, laborers in the vineyard of the Church!
Rejoice, preachers of Christ’s resurrection!
Rejoice, All Saints of North America!
Kontakion 6
Leader: In obedience to the will of God, you left your ancestral homelands, hierarchs of North America. In order to fulfill your episcopal work you sailed the great oceans and crossed vast continents. With diligence you sought after your scattered flock and guided them to the shelter of the Lord’s Church. As loving fathers you fed your children with the teachings of the gospel, so that we might sing an everlasting: Alleluia!
All: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.
Ikos 6
Leader: Holy hierarchs of North America, you endured many wants and hardships in order to fulfill your episcopal work here in this new land. Through your lowliness, we have been exalted in Christ. Through your poverty, we have become rich in Spirit. As models of virtue, we sing to you these words of loving praise:
All: Rejoice, father Innocent, evangelizer of the Northern peoples!
Rejoice, patriarch Tikhon, defender of the Apostolic Tradition!
Rejoice, wonderworker John, pious exemplar of forgiveness!
Rejoice, blessed Raphael, teacher of Orthodox children!
Rejoice, holy Mardarius, intercessor before the ever merciful Christ!
Rejoice, bishop Nicholas, co-sufferer of Dachau!
Rejoice, humble servants of the Holy Trinity!
Rejoice, clarions of the gospel of grace!
Rejoice, All Saints of North America!
Kontakion 7
Leader: Guided by the Holy Spirit, you sailed over vast oceans in order to fulfill your apostolic witness, holy missionaries of North America. Following the example of the blessed Cyril and Methodius, you translated the scriptures and divine services into the tongues of the local peoples and established schools for the training of native clergy. All of this you have done so that we might sing an everlasting: Alleluia!
All: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.
Ikos 7
Leader: Burning with the love of Christ, you traversed the breadth of this new continent in order to nurture and edify the Church which God obtained through the blood of His own Son. As successors of your work, sanctified hierarchs and evangelists, we sing to you these words of loving praise:
All: Rejoice, imitators of the chosen apostles Peter and Paul!
Rejoice, trustworthy guides on the road to eternal life!
Rejoice, teachers of the first principles of the gospel!
Rejoice, noble preachers of the grace of Jesus Christ!
Rejoice, living icons of righteousness and holiness!
Rejoice, good shepherds of the Church in America!
Rejoice, zealous instructors of Orthodox theology!
Rejoice, humble servants following the will of God!
Rejoice, All Saints of North America!
Kontakion 8
Leader: Following the example of the Holy Fathers, you gave yourselves over to many labors and struggles, blessed monastics and ascetics of the new world. You have revealed to us the fruits of true holiness. Your obedience to the will of God has confirmed the promises of the Gospel. Your humility has shone forth as an example for all the inhabitants of North America. Seeing you clothed in glory and exalted with Christ, we sing an everlasting: Alleluia!
All: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.
Ikos 8
Leader: By observing the commandments of the gospel, you have shown us the path to righteousness and holiness, venerable and God-bearing monastics. Working together with the grace of God, we imitate your purity of heart, so that we might sing these words of loving praise:
All: Rejoice, father Herman, founder of monasticism in America!
Rejoice, wonderworking John, holy ascetic of San Francisco!
Rejoice, champions of Orthodoxy here in the new world!
Rejoice, conversers with the angels and the Theotokos!
Rejoice, treasury of the Orthodox Church in America!
Rejoice, wondrous ascetics, comfort of the afflicted!
Rejoice, well-springs of holiness in North America!
Rejoice, protectors of the poor and dispossessed!
Rejoice, All Saints of North America!
Kontakion 9
Leader: Forsaking the vanity of this world, blessed ascetics of North America, you became disciples of the Divine Teacher by acquiring the gifts of the Holy Spirit. You fought the demons and overcame their power by the power of the sign of the Cross. Through self-denial and abstinence you have shown forth the inward beauty of holiness and righteousness. Emulating your life of repentance, we sing to God an everlasting: Alleluia!
All: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.
Ikos 9
Leader: As living vessels of the grace of Jesus Christ, you sanctify this new land, our venerable fathers and mothers of the North American Continent. You offer to God a sacrifice of loving intercession for those who follow your way. As we assemble to honor your memory, we sing to you these words of loving praise:
All: Rejoice, blessed ones whose names are written in the Book of Life!
Rejoice, valiant soldiers who fought the enemies of Christ!
Rejoice, speedy defenders of those suffering injustice!
Rejoice, restoration of those fallen into grievous sins!
Rejoice, partakers of the heavenly manna!
Rejoice, freedom from the insanity of evil!
Rejoice, fountain of healing for the sick!
Rejoice, passionate lovers of virtue!
Rejoice, All Saints of North America!
Kontakion 10
Leader: Your blameless way of life is a source of amazement to the angels, you righteous ones, known and unknown, of North America. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, you established the Orthodox Faith in this new land. With patience and diligence you built upon a foundation laid long ago with Christ Himself as the Chief Cornerstone. Having received from you the riches of faith, we sing to God an everlasting: Alleluia!
All: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.
Ikos 10
Leader: Doing all things for the glory of God and the love of your neighbor, you fulfilled your calling to perfect holiness, righteous ones of North America. You accomplished the tasks given to you, according to the measure of grace given to you by God. You fished the great waters of the Alaskan North; you tilled the fertile soils of the Canadian and Midwestern plains; you labored under harsh conditions in the mines and mills; you toiled day and night in the factories of the American cities, all so that we might sing to you these words of loving praise:
All: Rejoice, faithful who took up your crosses and followed Christ!
Rejoice, honored citizens of the heavenly Kingdom!
Rejoice, royal priesthood of the New Jerusalem!
Rejoice, holy nation of the Prince of Peace!
Rejoice, chosen vessels of the Holy Spirit!
Rejoice, pillars of Orthodoxy in America!
Rejoice, eternal city of the living God!
Rejoice, pious teachers of children!
Rejoice, All Saints of North America!
Kontakion 11
Leader: The Wisdom, Word and Power of God, begotten from His Father before the beginning of time, was born in time and in these latter days from His Holy Mother, the Theotokos and ever-virgin Mary. Through the grace of the Spirit, blessed ones of North America, you became partakers of the divine nature, having perfected within yourselves the Image of the One Who is the express Image of the Father. Together we sing to our Lord an everlasting: Alleluia!
All: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.
Ikos 11
Leader: The King of Heaven and earth humbled himself by taking the form of a servant in order to become the least and the last of His brethren. In His never-ending love for man, He poured Himself out fully, so that we might be filled with all the fullness of His grace. Following His example, righteous ones of North America, you served those to whom you were sent: you healed the sick, you gave aid to the poor, you sought out the lost, you raised infants, you guided the youth, you cared for the elderly, all so that we might sing to you these words of loving praise:
All: Rejoice, gracious adornments of the Church in North America!
Rejoice, benefactors of believers living in the new world!
Rejoice, blessed ascetics, wonder of the angelic hosts!
Rejoice, venerable Fathers, guides for the fallen!
Rejoice, illumination of those living in darkness!
Rejoice, bright stars of the Northern heavens!
Rejoice, holy mothers, life of your children!
Rejoice, bearers of the saving word of God!
Rejoice, All Saints of North America!
Kontakion 12
Leader: Surrounded by your heavenly glory, hierarchs, martyrs, apostles, monastics and all righteous men and women of North America, known and unknown, we beseech you, as your spiritual children, to intercede for us before Christ for the forgiveness of our sins. We worship the Lord Who has given you to us as heavenly patrons and guardians for the protection and salvation of our souls and bodies. Together with the bodiless hosts, we sing to God an everlasting: Alleluia!
All: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.
Ikos 12
Leader: We celebrate your great works, All Saints of North America. We offer thanks to Christ for the wondrous deeds you have accomplished through Him for the enlightenment of all men, women, and children living in this new land. Together with God’s elect, we sing to you these words of loving praise:
All: Rejoice, exultation of the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific West!
Rejoice, beacons of the Great Lakes and the Midwestern plains!
Rejoice, adornment of New England and the Atlantic states!
Rejoice, wondrous aurora of Alaska and the Arctic North!
Rejoice, heavenly constellation of Canada and Quebec!
Rejoice, shining stars of the North American continent!
Rejoice, bright flowers of the Southwestern deserts!
Rejoice, fragrant blossoms of the American South!
Rejoice, All Saints of North America!
Kontakion 13 (said three times)
Leader: Holy luminaries of North America, look down upon your sinful servants and accept this present supplication. Entreat the Lord Jesus Christ that He will bestow upon us His many mercies. Be a refuge and a protection for us that we might be delivered from all physical and spiritual harm. Guide us into the heavenly Kingdom, so that we might sing to God an everlasting: Alleluia!
All: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.
Kontakion 13 is said three times; then Ikos 1 and Kontakion 1 are repeated below.
Ikos 1 (repeated)
Leader: We glorify the Lord Who has glorified you, holy men, women and children of these North American lands. We stand in awe before the miracles you have worked, revealed to us by our heavenly Father. Together with the bodiless choirs, we offer you these words of loving praise:
All: Rejoice, hierarch Tikhon, humble shepherd of your American flock!
Rejoice, venerable Herman, defender and heavenly intercessor!
Rejoice, father Innocent, evangelizer of Siberia and Alaska!
Rejoice, martyr Juvenal, courageous witness to the gospel!
Rejoice, bishop Nicholas, teacher of heavenly theology!
Rejoice, father Alexis, defender of the Orthodox way!
Rejoice, wonderworker John of San Francisco!
Rejoice, Raphael, first bishop of Brooklyn!
Rejoice, All Saints of North America!
Kontakion 1 (repeated)
Leader: With glad and grateful hearts we honor you, All Saints of North America. You are the first fruits of Christ’s bountiful harvest in the new world. You gave your lives as an offering of love. You labored faithfully in the Vineyard of the Lord’s holy Church. Through your prayers we enter into the joy of the Orthodox Way. As we assemble today to honor you we cry:
All: Rejoice, All Saints of North America!
Prayer to the Saints of North America
Leader: Blessed and wise saints of God, who have been sanctified in North America by your holy deeds, and having left your relics as seeds of the Orthodox faith, you now stand before the throne of God in ceaseless prayer for our land. We sinners made bold on this day offer to you these hymns of praise. We exalt your great and holy deeds, spiritual warriors of Christ, who with patience and courage have vanquished the enemy, delivering us from his craft and cunning. We bless your holy lives, lamps of God, who have shown the light of grace and virtue and have illumined our minds and hearts with the knowledge of God. We glorify your great miracles, flowers of paradise, who have blossomed in our land, spreading the sweet fragrance of your gifts and wonders. We praise your love that reflects God’s own love, defenders and intercessors, and trusting in your help, we fall down before you and cry:
Holy Hierarchs and Enlighteners of North America — Innocent, Tikhon, Raphael, John, Nicholas, Alexis, Sebastian, and Mardarius — help us the faithful here in this new land to preserve steadfastly the Orthodox faith that you have planted in us as a seed that, watered by divine rain, will bring forth fruit a hundredfold. Confirm the Church here by your prayers, and gather the scattered sheep into one flock, preserving it safe from all harm.
Holy Father Herman of Alaska, first sanctified in this new land, keep us from the delusions of this transitory life, that denying ourselves and taking up our cross, we may follow Christ, crucifying our flesh with its sins and passions, and bearing each other’s burdens.
Saints known and unknown, who have shone through the history of this land, remember our weakness and hardship, and by your prayers beseech Christ our God, that we, having successfully crossed the sea of this life, may reach the harbor of eternal salvation together with you who have served Him throughout the ages. Through the grace and compassion and love of mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, to Whom together with the Eternal Father and the Most Holy Spirit be never-ending glory and worship by all creation unto ages of ages.
All: Amen.
Hymn to the Birth-Giver of God
It is right, in truth, to glorify you, the Birth-Giver of God, the Ever-Blessed, wholly immaculate, and the Mother of our God.
More honorable than the Cherubim and beyond compare more glorious than the Seraphim.
You, Who without defilement did bare God the Word, true Birth- Giver of God, we magnify You.
Trisagion
Holy God. Holy Mighty. Holy Immortal. Have mercy on us. (3 times)
Glory… now and ever ... Amen.
Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. Lord, cleanse us from our sins. Master, pardon our transgressions. Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities, for Your name's sake.
Lord have mercy. (3 times)
Glory… now and ever ... Amen.
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
Leader: Through the prayers of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us.
People: Amen.
Lord have mercy. (12 times)
Come, let us worship God our King!
Come, let us worship and bow down before Christ, our King and our God!
Come, let us worship and bow down before Christ Himself, our King and our God!
Hymns
Lighten my eyes, O Christ God, that I may not sleep in death; lest my enemy say: I have prevailed against him.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Be the Defender of my soul, O God, for I walk in the midst of many snares. Deliver me and save me, O Good One, for You are the Lover of mankind!
Now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
As there is no boldness in us because of the multitude of our sins, Virgin Birth-Giver of God, intercede with the Son Whom you have borne, for the entreaty of a mother has great power to win the favor of the Master. Do not despise the prayers of sinners, all-venerable Lady, for He Who took upon Himself to suffer for our sake is merciful and strong to save.
Prayers
O God of our fathers, Who always deals with us according to Your meekness; take not Your mercy from us, but by their prayers direct our lives in peace.
Adorned in the blood of Your martyrs throughout all the world as in purple and fine lines, Your Church scries out to You through them, O Christ God: send down Your compassions to Your people, grant peace to Your habitation, and grant mercy to our souls.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
O Christ, rest the souls of Your servant with the saints, where there is no pain, sorry, or sighing, but life everlasting.
Now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Through the prayers of the Birth-Giver of God and of all the saints, O Lord, grant us Your peace and have mercy on us, for You alone are compassionate.
Lord have mercy. (forty times)
Prayer of the Hours
Christ our God, at every season and every hour, in heaven and on earth, You are worshipped and glorified.
You are long-suffering, merciful and compassionate, loving the just and showing mercy to the sinner; calling all to salvation through the promise of blessings to come.
Lord, in this hour receive our supplications and direct our lives according to Your commandments.
Sanctify our souls, hallow our bodies, correct our thoughts, cleanse our minds. Deliver us from all tribulations, evil and distress.
Surround us with Your holy angels, that guided and guarded by them, we may come to the unity of the faith and to the knowledge of Your unapproachable glory, for You are blessed unto ages of ages. Amen.
Lord have mercy. (3 times)
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
More honorable than the cherubim and more glorious beyond compare than the seraphim; without corruption you gave birth to God the Word: true Birth-Giver of God, we magnify you!
Leader: Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God have mercy on us and save us.
People: Amen.
The Supplicatory Prayer to the Most Holy Birth-Giver of God
O undefiled, untainted, uncorrupted, most pure, chaste Virgin, Bride of God and Sovereign Lady, united the Word of God to mankind through your most glorious birth giving, and linked the apostate nature of our race with the heavenly; who is the only hope of the hopeless, the helper of the struggling, the ever-ready protection of all who flee to you, and the refuge of all Christians:
Do not shrink with loathing from me a sinner, defiled, who with polluted thoughts, words, and deeds have made myself utterly unprofitable, and through slothfulness of mind have become a slave to the pleasures of life. But as the Birth-Giver of God who loves mankind, show your love for mankind and mercifully have compassion upon me a sinner and prodigal, and accept my supplication, which is offered to you out of my defiled mouth; and making use of your motherly boldness, entreat your Son and our Lord that He may be pleased to open for me the depths of His loving kindness and graciousness to mankind, and, disregarding my numberless offenses, will turn me back to repentance, and show me to be a well-skilled worker of His commandments.
And, in your mercy and compassion, always stand before me in this present life as a fervent intercessor and helper, repelling the assaults of adversaries and guiding me to salvation; and at the time of my departure taking care of my miserable soul, and driving far away from it the dark countenances of the evil demons; lastly, at the dreadful day of judgment delivering me from torment eternal and showing me to be an heir of the ineffable glory of your Son and our God. This be my lot, O my Sovereign Lady, most holy Birth-Giver of God, in virtue of your intercession and protection; through the grace and love toward mankind of you only begotten Son, our Lord and God and Savior, Jesus Christ, to Whom is due all glory, honor and worship, together with His unoriginate Father, and His Most Holy and good and life-giveing Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
A Prayer to our Lord Jesus Christ, by Antiochus the monk
And grant unto us, O Master, in the coming sleep, rest for body and soul, and preserve us from the gloomy slumber of sin, and from every dark and nocturnal sensuality. Subdue the impulses of passions, extinguish the fiery darts of the evil one that are cunningly hurled against us, assuage the rebellions of our flesh, and every earthly and fleshly subtlety of ours lull to sleep. And grant unto us, O God, a watchful mind, chaste thought, a sober heart, a sleep gentle and free from every satanic illusion. Raise us up at the time of prayer firmly grounded in Thy judgments. All the night long grant us a doxology, that we may hymn and bless and glorify Your most honorable and majestic name: of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Lord, have mercy. (Three times.)
O Lord, bless.
Leader: (facing the East, rather than facing the people): *O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, for the sake of the prayers of Your most pure Mother, of our holy and God-bearing fathers, and all the saints, have mercy on us and save us, for Your are good and the Lover of mankind.
People: Amen.
O God, remit, pardon, forgive, our offenses, both voluntary and involuntary, in deed and word, in knowledge and ignorance, by day and by night, in mind and thought; forgive us all things, for You are good and the Lover of mankind. Amen.
Leader: O Lord, Lover of mankind, forgive those that hate and wrong us. Do good to those that do good.
Grant our brothers and sisters and kindred their saving petitions and life eternal; visit the infirm and grant them healing.
Guide those at sea. Journey with them that travel.
Help Orthodox Christians to struggle.
To those that serve and are kind to us grant remissions of sins.
To those who have asked us, unworthy though we be, to pray for them, have mercy according to your great mercy.
Remember, O Lord, our fathers, mothers, brothers, and sisters who have departed this life before us, and grant them rest where the light of Your countenance shines.
Remember, O Lord, those in captivity, and deliver them from every misfortune.
Remember, O Lord, those that bear fruit and do good works in Your holy churches, and grant them their saving petitions and life eternal.
Remember also, O Lord, us Your lowly, sinful and unworthy servants, and enlighten our minds with the light of Your knowledge, and guide us in the way of Your commandments; through the intercessions of our most pure Lady, the Birth-Giver of God and Ever-Virgin Mary, and of all your saints, for blessed art You to the ages of ages. Amen.
Lord, have mercy. Lord have mercy. Lord have mercy. Through the prayers of our holy Fathers, O Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us.
People: Amen.
Community Forgiveness
It is customary for all to ask forgiveness of each other individually at the end of the service. The usual form is to give the kiss of peace and say "Forgive me, brother/sister", with the response being "God forgives."