THE DIVINE LITURGY OF OUR FATHER AMONG THE SAINTS BASIL THE GREAT
THE DIVINE LITURGY OF OUR FATHER AMONG THE SAINTS BASIL THE GREAT
Note: that thisDivine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great is not celebrated always, but atappointed times, that is, on the Sundays of the Great 40-day Fast, excepton Palm Sunday, and on Holy Great Thursday and Great Saturday, on the eveof the Nativity of Christ and of Theophany, when these eves are not onSaturday or Sunday, on the Feasts of the Nativity of Christ and Theophany, when they fall on Sunday or Monday, and on the day of the Feast of St.Basil.
The arrangement and rulesfor its celebration are the same as those of the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom.
The deacon, standing on the ambo, exclaims:
Bless, Master.
The priest, exclaiming, says:
BLESSED is the kingdom of the Father, and of theSon, and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.
Choir: Amen.The deacon says the litany(but if there is no deacon, the priest himself):
In peace let us pray to the Lord.
Choir: Lord,have mercy.For the peace from above and for the salvation ofour souls, let us pray to the Lord.
Choir: Lord,have mercy.For the peace of the whole world, for the good estateof the holy churches of God, and for the union of all men, let us prayto the Lord.
Choir: Lord,have mercy.For this holy house, and for those who with faith,reverence. and fear of God enter therein, let us pray to the Lord.
Choir: Lord,have mercy.For our [lord, the MostBlessed] Metropolitan N.,for our [lord, the Most Reverend]Archbishop N., (and/or[the Right Reverend] Bishop N.,)for the honorable presbytery, the diaconate in Christ, and for all theclergy and the people, let us pray to the Lord.
Choir: Lord,have mercy.For the President (or title of the highest civilauthority), for all civil authorities, and for the armed forces, let uspray to the Lord.
Choir: Lord,have mercy.(That He may aid them and subdue under their feetevery enemy and adversary, let us pray to the Lord.
Choir: Lord,have mercy.)For this city (or this village), for every city andcountry, and for those who in faith dwell therein, let us pray to the Lord.
Choir: Lord,have mercy.For favorable weather, for abundance of the fruitsof the earth, and for peaceful times, let us pray to the Lord.
Choir: Lord,have mercy.For travelers by land, by sea, and by air, for thesick and the suffering, for captives, and for their salvation, let us prayto the Lord.
Choir: Lord,have mercy.For our deliverance from all tribulation, wrath,danger, and necessity, let us pray to the Lord.
Choir: Lord,have mercy.Help us, save us, have mercy on us, and keep us,O God, by thy grace.
Choir: Lord,have mercy.Remembering our all-holy, immaculate, most blessed,and glorious Lady, Theotokos and Ever-virgin Mary with all the Saints,let us commend ourselves and each other and all our life unto Christ our God.
Choir: To thee,O Lord.The priest says secretlythe Prayer of the First Antiphon:
O Lord our God, whose might is incomparable, whoseglory is incomprehensible, whose mercy is infinite, and whose love of manis ineffable, do thou thyself, O Master, in thy tender heartedness lookdown upon us and upon this holy house, and grant us and those who praywith us thy rich mercies and compassion.
Exclamation:
For to thee belong all glory, honor and worship,to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, andunto ages of ages.
Choir: Amen.After the litany, the choirsings the First Antiphon of the Typika, saying Bless the Lord, O my soul...and the rest in order.
The priest says the prayersecretly inside the sanctuary at the time that the deacon says the litanyoutside the sanctuary. If there is no deacon,the priest after the prayer and antiphon, says the
litany:Again and again in peace let us pray to the Lord.
Choir: Lord,have mercy.Help us, save us, have mercy on us, and keep us, O God, by thy grace.
Choir: Lord,have mercy.Remembering our all-holy, immaculate, most blessed,and glorious Lady, Theotokos and Ever-virgin Mary with all the Saints,let us commend ourselves and each other and all our life unto Christ ourGod.
Choir: To thee,0 Lord.The priest says the Prayerof the Second Antiphon:
O Lord our God, save thy people and bless thine inheritance;preserve the fullness of thy Church; sanctify those who love the beautyof thy house; glorify them in return by thy divine power; and forsake usnot who hope in thee.
Exclamation:
For thine is the strength, and thine are the kingdom,and the power, and the glory of the Father, and of the Son, and of theHoly Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.
Choir: Amen.After the second litany,the choir sings the second antiphon of the Typika.
The deacon says:
Again and again in peace let us pray to the Lord.
Choir: Lord,have mercy.Help us, save us, have mercy on us, and keep us,O God, by thy grace.
Choir: Lord,have mercy.Remembering our all-holy, immaculate, most blessed,and glorious Lady Theotokos, and Ever-virgin Mary with all the Saints,let us -commend ourselves and each other and all our life unto Christ ourGod.
Choir: To thee,0 Lord.The Prayer of the ThirdAntiphon:
O thou who hast bestowed on us these common and accordantprayers, and dost promise that when two or three are gathered togetherin thy name, thou wilt grant their requests, fulfil even now the requestsof thy servants as is expedient for them, granting us in this present agethe knowledge of thy truth, and in that to come, life eternal.
Exclamation:
For thou art a good God who lovest man, and untothee do we send up glory, to the Father, and to the Son and to the HolySpirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.
Choir: Amen.And here thechoir sings again as at the Liturgy of Chrysostom. Also the priestand the deacon say and do the same.
Prayer of the Entrance withthe Holy Gospels, said secretly:
O Master, Lord our God, who hast appointed in heavenranks and hosts of angels and archangels for the service of thy glory,make there to be with our entrance an entrance of holy angels serving withus, and with us glorifying thy goodness. For to thee belong all glory, honor and worship,to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, andunto ages of ages. Amen.
Then they make the entrance.The deacon says:
Wisdom. Attend.
And they enter the sanctuary.When the troparia are being said, the priest says the Prayer of the Trisagion:
O holy God, who restest in thy Saints, who art hymned by the Seraphimwith thrice-holy voice, and art glorified by the Cherubim, and worshippedby all the heavenly Powers, and who from non-being hast brought all thingsinto being, who hast created man after thine image and likeness, and hastadorned him with thine every gift, who givest to him that asketh wisdomand understanding, and who despisest not him that sinneth, but hast setforth repentance unto salvation, who hast vouchsafed us, thy humble andunworthy servants, even at this hour, to stand before the glory of thyholy Altar, and to offer thee due worship and glorification, thyself, 0Master, accept even from the mouths of us sinners the Thrice-holy Hymnand visit us in thy loving kindness. Pardon us every offense, voluntaryand involuntary, sanctify our souls and bodies, and grant us to serve theein holiness all the days of our life, through the intercessions of theholy Theotokos, and all the Saints, who from everlasting have been well-pleasingunto thee.
When the singers come tothe last troparion, the deacon says to the priest:
Bless, Master, the time of the Thrice-holy.
The priest, signing him, exclaims:
For holy art thou, O our God, and unto thee do wesend up glory, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, nowand ever,
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When the troparion is concluded, the deacon(says:
O Lord, save the pious, and hear us.
Then he) comes forth saying to those whostand without in a loud voice:
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And unto ages of ages.
Choir: Amen.
And the Trisagion is sungby the choir: Glory . . . Now and . .. The priest and the deacon sav the Trisagion.
Then the deacon says to the priest:
Command, Master.
And they go forth to theHigh Place, and, as they go, the priest says:
Blessed is he that cometh in the name of theLord.
Deacon:
Bless, Master, the throne on high.
Then the priest:
Blessed art thou on the glorious throne of thy kingdom,thou that sittest upon the Cherubim, always, now and ever, and unto agesof ages.
After the completion ofthe Trisagion, the deacon, having come before the holy doors, says:
Let us attend.
The priest then exclaims:
Peace be to all.
And the reader says: And tothy spirit.
And again the deacon: Wisdom.
And the reader reads theprokeimenon, from the Psalms of David.
Then the deacon says: Wisdom.
And the reader reads the title of theEpistle lesson:
The reading from the Epistle of the holy ApostlePaul to the Hebrews, or to the Colossians,or to the
Corinthians, or to the Romans.And again the deacon: Let usattend.
At the conclusion of the Epistle, thepriest says:
Peace be to thee.
Reader: And to thy spirit.
Deacon: Wisdom.
Reader: Alleluia, withverses.
During the singing of Alleluiaor the reading of the Epistle, the deacon takes the censer and incenseand approaches the priest, and receiving the blessing from him, censesthe holy table round about and the whole sanctuary, and the priest. The priest, standing beforethe holy table, says this prayer:
The Prayer before the Gospel
Make shine in our hearts, 0 Master who lovest man,the incorrupt light of thy divine knowledge, and open the eyes of our mindto the comprehension of the preaching of thy Gospel. Instill in us alsothe fear of thy blessed commandments that, trampling down all carnal desires,we may pursue a spiritual way of life, both considering and doing all thingswell-pleasing unto thee. For thou art the enlightenment of our souls andbodies, 0 Christ God, and unto thee do we send up glory, together withthy Father, who is without beginning, and thine all-holy, and good, andlife-creating Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
The deacon, having put thecenser away in its customary place, approaches the priest and bows hishead before him, holding his orarion with the tips of his fingers and pointingto the Book of the Holy Gospels. Then he says:
Bless, Master, him that proclaimeth the Gospel ofthe Holy Apostle and Evangelist Name.
The priest, signing him, says:
May God, through the intercessions of the holy, glorious,all-laudable Apostle and Evangelist Name,grant utterance with great power unto thee that proclaimest the good tidingsunto the fulfilling of the Gospel of His beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
And he gives him the Book of the HolyGospels.
The deacon then says Amen,and having reverenced the Book of the Holy Gospels, receives it, and, comingoutof the holy doors, preceded by candies, comes forth and stands on theambo or the place prepared.
The priest then, standingbefore the holy table and turning toward the west, says:
Wisdom. Attend. Let us hear the holy Gospel. Then:Peace be to all.
Choir: And tothy spirit.Deacon:
The reading from the holy Gospel according to Name.
Choir: Glory to thee, O Lord,glory to thee.
Priest: Let us attend.
If two deacons serve, the first says:
Wisdom. Attend. And then: Letus attend.
When the Gospel is concluded, the priestsays:
Peace be to thee that proclaimest the Gospel.
Choir: Glory to thee, O Lord,glory to thee.
The deacon, coming thenup to the holy doors, gives the Book of the Holy Gospels to the priest,and the holy doors are again closed. The deacon, standing inthe accustomed place, begins thus:
Let us all say with all our soul and with all ourmind, let us say:
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
O Lord Almighty, the God of our fathers, we praythee, hearken and have mercy.
Choir: Lord,have mercy.
Have mercy on us, 0 God, according to thy great mercy,we pray thee, hearken and have mercy.
Choir: Lord,havemercy.thrice
[Again we pray for pious Orthodox Christians.
Choir: Lord,havemercy.thricel
Again we pray for our [ lord, the Most Blessed] MetropolitanN., for our [ lord, the Most Reverend] Archbishop N., (and/or for our [lord, the Right Reverend] Bishop N .), and for all our brethren in Christ.
The Prayer of Fervent Supplication
O Lord our God, accept this fervent supplicationfrom thy servants and have mercy on us according to the multitude of thymercies, and send down thy compassion upon us and upon all thy people,who await from thee a rich mercy.
Again we pray for the President of (ortitle of the highest civil authority), for all civil authorities,and for the armed forces.
Choir: Lord, have mercy. thriceAgain we pray for our brethren, the priests, thehieromonks, the hierodeacons, and for all our brotherhood in Christ.
Choir: Lord,have mercy. thriceAgain we pray for the blessed and ever-memorablemost holy Orthodox Patriarchs, the founders of this holy Church (orMonastery) and for all our fathers and brethren,the Orthodox gone to rest before us, who lie here and everywhere.
Choir: Lord, have mercy.thriceAgain we pray for mercy, life, peace, health, salvation,visitation, pardon and forgiveness of the sins of the servant(s)of God, NN., and of our brethren of this holytemple.
Choir: Lord, have mercy.thriceAgain we pray for those who bear fruit and do goodworks in this holy and revered temple, for those who labor and those whosing, and for the people present who await of thee a great and rich mercy.
Choir: Lord,have mercy. thriceExclamation:
For thou art a merciful God who lovest man, and untothee do we send up glory, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the HolySpirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.
Choir: Amen.Deacon:
Pray ye unto the Lord, ye catechumens.
Choir: Lord,have mercy.Ye faithful, pray for the catechumens,
Choir: Lord,have mercy.That the Lord may have mercy on them,
Choir: Lord,have mercy.That He may instruct them in the Word of truth,
Choir: Lord,have mercy.That He may reveal unto them the Gospel of righteousness.
Choir: Lord,have mercy.That He may unite them unto His holy Catholic andApostolic Church.
Choir: Lord,have mercy.Save them, have mercy on them, help them, and keepthem, 0 God, by thy grace.
Choir: Lord,have mercy.Bow your heads unto the Lord, ye catechumens.
Choir: To thee,0 Lord.Prayer for the Catechumens
O Lord our God, who dwellest in the heavens, andlookest down upon all thy works, look down upon thy servants, the catechumens,who have bowed their necks before thee, and grant them the light yoke.Make them honorable members of thy holy Church, and vouchsafe unto themthe laver of regeneration, the forgiveness of sins, and the robe of incorruption,unto the knowledge of thee, our true God.
Exclamation:
That with us they also may glorify thine all-honorableand magnificent name, of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,now and ever, and unto ages of ages.
Choir: Amen.
And the priest spreads out the antimension.
Deacon:
As many as are catechumens, depart.
If there is a second deacon, he exclaimsthus:
Catechumens, depart.
And again the first:
As many as are catechumens, depart. Let no catechumensremain. As many as are of the faithful, again and again in peace let uspray to the Lord.
Choir: Lord,have mercy.If there is but one deacon,or if the priest serve without a deacon, then he says:
As many as are catechumens, depart. Catechumens,depart. As many as are catechumens, depart. Let no catechumen remain. Asmany as are of the faithful, again and again in peace, let us pray to the Lord.
Choir: Lord,have mercy.First Prayer of the Faithful
Thou, O Lord, hast shown us this great mystery ofsalvation. Thou hast vouchsafed us, thy humble and unworthy servants, tobe the ministrants of thy holy Altar. Make us sufficient with the powerof thy Holy Spirit for this service, that, standing uncondemned beforethy holy glory, we may offer thee a
sacrifice of praise, for thou art Hethat worketh all things in all men. Grant, 0 Lord, that our sacrifice forour own sins and for the ignorance of thy people, may be acceptable andwell-pleasing before thee.While the priest prays,the deacon (if there is one) says the litany outside the sanctuary.
Help us, save us, have mercy on us, and keep us,O God, by thy grace.
Choir: Lord,have mercy.Deacon: Wisdom.
Exclamation:
For to thee belong all glory, honor and worship,to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, andunto ages of ages.
Choir: Amen.And again the deacon:
Again and again in peace let us pray to the Lord.
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
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When the priest servesalone, the following are not said:
For the peace from above and for the salvation ofour souls, let us pray to the Lord.
Choir: Lord,have mercy.For the peace of the whole world, for the good estateof the holy churches of God, and for the union of all men, let us prayto the Lord.
Choir: Lord,have mercy.For this holy house, and for those who with faith,reverence, and fear of God enter therein, let us pray to the Lord.
Choir: Lord,have mercy.For our deliverance from all tribulation, wrath, danger, and necessity,let us pray to the Lord.
Choir: Lord,have mercy.
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Second Prayer of the Faithful
O God, who in mercy and compassion hast looked uponour humility, who has set us, thy humble, and sinful, and unworthy servants,before thy holy glory, to minister at thy holy Altar, strengthen us bythe power of thy Holy Spirit for this service, and grant us utterance inthe opening of our mouths to call the grace of thy Holy Spirit upon thegifts which are about to be set forth.
Deacon (in whose absencethe priest says):
Help us, save us, have mercy on us, and keep us,O God, by thy grace.
Choir: Lord,have mercy.Deacon: Wisdom.
Exclamation:
That being kept always under thy might, we may sendup glory unto thee, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,now and ever, and unto ages of ages.
Choir: Amen.And the holy doors are opened.
Then, while the CherubimHymn is being sung, the deacon, taking the censer and putting incense therein,goes to the priest, and, having received his blessing, censes the holytable round about, the sanctuary, and the iconostasis, then the priest,the choirs and the people, saying Psalm 50 and penitential troparia, ashe may see fit.
The priest then says thispraver secretly:
None is worthy among those that are bound with carnaldesires and pleasures to approach or draw nigh or to minister to thee,0 King of glory, for to serve thee is a great and fearful thing even untothe heavenly Powers. Nevertheless, through thine ineffable and immeasurablelove of man, without change or alteration, thou didst become man and didsttake the name of our High Priest, and deliver unto us the priestly riteof this liturgical and bloodless sacrifice, for thou art Master of all.Thou alone, 0 Lord our God, art Master over those in heaven and on earth,Who on the throne of the Cherubim art borne, Who art Lord of the Seraphimand King of Israel, Who alone art holy and restest in the Saints. I implorethee, therefore, who alone art good and ready to listen, look down uponme a sinner and thine unprofitable servant, and purify my soul and heartfrom an evil conscience, and by the power of thy Holy Spirit, enable mewho am clothed with the grace of the priesthood, to stand before this thyholy table and perform the sacred rite of thy holy, immaculate Body andprecious Blood. For thee do I approach, and bowing my neck I pray thee,turn not away thy face from me, neither cast me out from among thy children,but make me, thy sinful and unworthy servant, worthy to offer unto theethese gifts, for thou thyself art He that offereth and is offered, thataccepteth and is distributed, 0 Christ our God, and unto thee do we sendup glory, together with thy Father, who is without beginning, and thineall-holy, and good, and life-creating Spirit, now and ever, and unto agesof ages. Amen.
When the prayer and thecensing are completed, the priest and the deacon, standing before the holytable, say the Cherubim Hymn thrice; at the end of each they make a reverence.
Priest:
We, the Cherubim mystically representing, and tothe life-creating Trinity the thrice-holy hymn with them singing, all life'scares now lay aside . . .
Deacon:
That the King of all we may receive, by angelic hostsinvisibly escorted.
Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.And on Great Thursday thisis sung:
Of thy mystical supper, O Son of God, accept me todayas a communicant, for I will not speak of thy mystery to thine enemies,neither will I give thee a kiss as did Judas, but like the thief will Iconfess thee, remember me, O Lord, in thy kingdom.
And on Great Saturday theysing this:
Let all mortal flesh keep silent, and with fear andtrembling stand, and ponder nothing earthly within itself, for the Kingof Kings and the Lord of Lords cometh to be slain, and to give Himselfto be the food of the faithful. And before Him also come the archangelicchoirs with all dominion and authority, the many-eyed Cherubim, and thesix-winged Seraphim, covering their faces and crying aloud the song, Alleluia,Alleluia, Alleluia.
Then the priest and thedeacon go forth to the prothesis table, and the priest censes the holyThings, praying within himself:
O God, cleanse thou me a sinner.
The deacon says to the priest:
Lift, Master.
And the priest, liftingthe aer, lays it on the deacon's left shoulder,
saying:In peace lift up your hands in the sanctuaries andbless the Lord.
Then, taking the holy diskos,he sets it on the deacon's head with all heed and reverence, the deaconmeanwhile holding the censer with one finger of his right hand. The priesthimself takes the chalice in his hands, and they both go forth on the northside, praying, and preceded by candle-bearers with candies.
The deacon says:
The Lord God remember us all in His kingdom, always,now and ever, and unto
ages of ages.Then the priest:
Our [lord, the MostBlessed (or Most Reverend)Name,] Metropolitan (orArchbishop) of Title,our [lord, the Right Reverend Name,]Bishop of Title, the Lord Godremember them (or him)in His kingdom always, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.
The deacon says:
The President (or titleof the highest civil authority) of Country,all civil authorities, and the armed
forces, the Lord God remember themin His kingdom always, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.Then the priest:
All you Orthodox Christians, the Lord God rememberyou in His kingdom, always, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.
As the priest enters, thedeacon says to him:
The Lord Good remember thy priesthood in His kingdom.
And the priest to him:
The Lord God remember thy diaconate in His kingdom,always, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.
The priest then sets theholy chalice down on the holy table, and taking the holy diskos from thedeacon's head, sets it down on the holy table also, saying:
The noble Joseph, taking down thine immaculate Bodyfrom the Tree, wrapped it in clean linen with spices, and mourning, placedit in a new tomb. In the grave bodily, but in Hell with the soul asGod, in Paradise with the thief, and on the throne wast thou, 0 Christ,with the Father and the Spirit, filling all things, thyself uncircumscribed. As life-bearing, as more beautiful than Paradise,and truly brighter than any kingly chamber is shown forth thy grave, 0Christ, the fountain of our resurrection.
Then taking the veils fromthe holy diskos and from the holy chalice, he lays them on one side ofthe holy table; then taking the aer from the deacon's shoulder, and havingcensed it, he covers the holv Things with it, saying:
The noble Joseph, taking down thine immaculate Bodyfrom the Tree, wrapped it in clean linen with spices, and mourning, placedit in a new tomb.
And taking the censer fromthe deacon's hands, he censes the holy Things, thrice, Saying:
Do good, O Lord, in thy goodwill unto Zion, and letthe walls of Jerusalem be built. Then thou shalt be pleased with the sacrificeof righteousness, ablations, and burntofferings; then shall they lay bullocksupon thine altar.
And giving up the censer,and bowing his head, he says to the deacon:
Remember me, brother and concelebrant.
And the deacon, to him:
The Lord God remember thy priesthood in His kingdom.
And the priest:
Pray for me, my concelebrant.
And then the deacon, bowinghis head, and holding his orarion the while with three fingers of his righthand, says to the priest:
The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the powerof the Most High shall overshadow thee.
The priest:
The same Spirit shall serve with us all thedays of our life.
And the deacon to him:
Remember me, holy Master.
The priest:
The Lord God remember thee in His kingdom, always, nowand ever, and unto ages of ages.
Deacon: Amen.
And having kissed the priest'sright hand, he goes out the north door, and standing in the customary place,says:
Let us complete our prayer unto the Lord.
Choir: Lord,have mercy.For the honorable Gifts now offered, let us prayto the Lord.
Choir: Lord,have mercy.For this holy house, and for those who with faith,reverence, and fear of God enter herein, let us pray to the Lord.
Choir: Lord,have mercy.For our deliverance from all tribulation, wrath,danger, and necessity, let us pray to the Lord.
Choir: Lord,have mercy.Prayer of the Prothesis,after placing the divine Gifts on the holy table:
O Lord our God, who hast created us, and hast broughtus into this life, who hast shown us the way to salvation, and hast bestowedupon us the revelation of heavenly mysteries, thou art He who hath placedus in this service by the power of thy Holy Spirit. Be pleased, therefore,0 Lord, that we may be servitors of thy new Covenant, ministers of thyholy Mysteries. Accept us who draw nigh to thy holy Altar, according tothe multitude of thy mercy, that we may be worthy to offer unto thee thisrational and bloodless sacrifice for our sins and for the ignorance ofthy people, which do thou accept upon thy holy, and most heavenly, andideal Altar for an odor of sweetness, and send down upon us in return thegrace of thy Holy Spirit. Look down upon us, 0 God, and behold this ourworship, and accept it as thou didst accept the gifts of Abel, the sacrificesof Noah, the whole burntofferings of Abraham, the priestly offices of Mosesand Aaron, the peace-offerings of Samuel. Even as thou didst accept fromthe holy Apostles this true worship, so also do thou in thy loving-kindness,0 Lord,
accept from the hands of us sinners these gifts, that having beenvouchsafed blamelessly to minister at thy holy Altar, we may find the rewardof faithful and wise stewards, in the fearful day of thy just retribution.Deacon:
Help us, save us, have mercy on us, and keep us,O God, by thy grace.
Choir: Lord,have mercy.That the whole day may be perfect, holy, peaceful,and sinless, let us ask of the Lord.
Choir: Grantthis, O Lord.An angel of peace, a faithful guide and guardianof our souls and bodies, let us ask of the Lord.
Choir: Grantthis, O Lord.Pardon and forgiveness of our sins and offenses,let us ask of the Lord.
Choir: Grantthis, O Lord.All things good and useful for our souls and peacefor the world, let us ask of the Lord.
Choir: Grantthis, O Lord.That we may end the remaining time of our life inpeace and repentance, let us ask of the Lord.
Choir: Grantthis, O Lord.A Christian ending to our life, painless, unashamed,peaceful, and a good defense before the fearful judgment seat of Christ,let us ask.
Choir: Grantthis, O Lord.Remembering our all-holy, immaculate, most blessed,and glorious Lady, Theotokos and Ever-virgin Mary with all the Saints,let us commend ourselves and each other and all our life unto Christ ourGod.
Choir: To thee,O Lord.Through the compassions of thine only-begotten Son,with whom thou art blessed, together with thine all-holy, and good, andlife-creating Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.
Choir: Amen.Priest: Peace be to all.
Choir: And to thy spirit.
Deacon:
Let us love one another that with one accordwe may confess:
Choir:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the Trinity, One in essence and undivided.
And the priest makes threereverences, saying secretly:
I will love thee, O Lord, my might; the Lord is myfoundation, my refuge, and my deliverer. thrice
And he Kisses the holy Things,which remain covered, thus: first the top of the holy diskos, then thetop of the holy cup, and the edge of the holy table in front of him. Ifthere are two or more priests, they all kiss the holy Things and each otheron the shoulder.
The celebrant says:
Christ is in our midst.
And the one he kisses answers:
He is and shall be.
And then the deacons, ifthere are two or three, kiss their oraria where the cross is depicted,and each other, saying just what the priests have said. The deacon, ifthere is but one, similarly, makes reverences, standing in his place, kisseshis orarion where the cross is depicted, and then exclaims:
The doors, the doors! In wisdom let us attend.
The priest lifts the aerand holds it overthe holy Gifts. If several priests are serving, then theyI ift the holy aer and hold it over the holy Gifts and wave it saying tothemselves the Confession of Faith, as do the people.
I believe in one God the Father almighty, Maker ofheaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. And in one LordJesus Christ, the Son of God, the onlybegotten, begotten of the Fatherbefore all ages, Light of Light, true God of true God, begotten, not made,of one essence with the Father, by whom all things were made, Who for usmen and for our salvation came down from heaven, and was incarnate of theHoly Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became man; and was crucified alsofor us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered and was buried; and the thirdday He rose again according to the Scriptures; and ascended into heavenand sitteth at the right hand of the Father. And He shall come again withglory to judge the living and the dead; of His kingdom there shall be noend. And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of life, Who proceedethfrom the Father, Who with the Father and the Son together is worshippedand glorified, Who spake by the prophets. In one Holy Catholic and ApostolicChurch; I acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins; I look forthe resurrection of the dead, and the life of the age to come. Amen.
Deacon:
Let us stand aright. Let us stand with fear. Letus attend, that we may offer the holy Oblation in peace.
Choir:A mercy of peace, a sacrifice of praise.
The priest, having takenthe aer from off the holy Things, kissed it, and laid it to one side, says:The grace of our...
The deacon, having madea reverence, goes into the sanctuary, and taking a fan, devoutly fans theholythings. If there are no fans, he does this with one of the veils:
Exclamation:
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the loveof God the Father, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
Choir: And withthy spirit.The priest, facing east:
Let us lift up our hearts.
Choir: We lift them up untothe Lord.
Priest:
Let us give thanks unto the Lord.
Choir:
It is meet and right to worship Father, Son, andHoly Spirit, the Trinity one in essence and undivided.
The priest prays:
O thou who art, Master, Lord God, Father Almightyadorable, it is truly meet and right, and befitting the magnificence ofthy holiness that we should praise thee, hymn thee, bless thee, worshipthee, give thanks unto thee and glorify thee, the only truly existing God,and offer unto thee with a broken heart and the spirit of humility thisour rational worship, for thou art He that hath bestowed upon us the knowledgeof thy truth. And who is sufficient to speak of thy mighty acts, to makeall thy praises to be heard, or to declare all thy wonders at every time?0 Master of all, Lord of heaven and earth, and of all creation both visibleand invisible, who sittest upon the throne of glory, and lookest upon thedepths, who art without beginning, invisible, incomprehensible, uncircumscript,immutable, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, our great God and Savior,our hope, who is the image of thy goodness, the seal of equal type, inHimself showing forth thee, the Father, Living Word, true God, the Wisdombefore the ages, the Life, Sanctification, Power, the true Light, throughwhom the Holy Spirit was revealed, the Spirit of truth, the Gift of adoption,the Pledge of an inheritance to come, the
First-fruits of eternal goodthings, the life-creating Power, the Fountain of sanctification, by whomenabled, every rational and intelligent creature doth worship thee, andsend up to thee everlasting doxology, for all things are thy servants.Yea, Angels and Archangels, Thrones, Dominions, Principalities, Authorities,Powers, and the many-eyed Cherubim praise thee. Round about thee standthe Seraphim, one with six wings and another with six wings, and with twainthey cover their faces, and with twain their feet, and with twain theyfly, calling out to one another with unceasing voices and unending doxologies:And the deacon, taking theholy star from the holy diskos, makes the sign of the cross above it, andhaving kissed it, he lays it aside.
The priest exclaims:
Singing the hymn of victory, crying, calling, and saying:
Choir:
Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord of Sabaoth, heaven and earthare full of thy glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is He that comethin the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.
Then the deacon comes andstands on the right side, and taking a fan in his hand, waves it quietlywith all heed and fear over the holy Gifts, so that flies or other insectsmight not settle on them.
The priest prays:
With these blessed Powers, 0 Master, Lover of man, we sinners also docry out and say, Holy art thou, in truth, and all-holy, and there is nomeasure to the magnificence of thy holiness, and holy art thou in all thyworks, for in righteousness and true judgment hast thou brought about allthings for us. When thou hadst fashioned man, taking dust from the earth,and hadst honored him with thine own image, 0 God, thou 'didst set himin a paradise of plenty, promising him life immortal and the enjoymentof eternal good things in the observance of thy commandnients. But whenhe disobeyed thee, the true God, who had created him, and was led astrayby the deceit of the serpent, and was slain by his own trespasses, thoudidst banish him, in thy righteous judgment, 0 God, from Paradise intothis world, and didst turn him back to the earth from which he was taken,dispensing salvation for him through regeneration, which is in thy ChristHimself. Yet thou didst not turn thyself away till the end from thy creaturewhich thou hadst made, 0 Good One, neither didst thou forget the work ofthy hands, but thou didst look upon him in divers manners, through thytenderhearted mercy. Thou didst send forth prophets; thou hast wroughtmighty works through the saints who in every generation have
been well-pleasingunto thee; thou didst speak to us by the mouths of thy servants the prophets,who foretold to us the salvation which was to come; thou didst give theLaw as an help; thou didst appoint guardian angels. And when the fulnessof time was come, thou didst speak unto us through thy Son Himself, bywhom also thou madest the ages; Who, being the brightness of thy glory,and the express image of thy person, and upholding all things by the wordof His power, deemed it not robbery to be equal to thee, the God and Father.But albeit He was God before the ages, yet He appeared upon earth and sojournedamong men; and was incarnate of a holy Virgin, and did ' empty Himself,taking on the form of a servant, and becoming conformed to the body ofour humility, that He might make us conformed to the image of His glory.For as by man sin entered the world, and by sin death, so thine Only-begottenSon, Who is in thy bosom, God and Father, was well-pleased to be born ofa woman, the holy Theotokos and Ever-virgin Mary, to be born under theLaw, that He might condemn sin in His flesh, that they who were dead inAdam might be made alive in thy Christ Himself, and, becoming a citizenin this world, and giving ordinances of salvation, He removed from us thedelusion of idols and brought us unto a knowledge of thee, the true Godand Father, having won us unto Himself for His own people, a royal priesthood,a holy nation, and being purified with water, and sanctified by the HolySpirit, He gave Himself a ransom to Death, whereby we were held, sold undersin. And having descended into hell through the Cross, that He might fillall things with Himself, He loosed the pains of death, and rose again fromthe dead on the third day, making a way for all flesh unto the resurrectionfrom the dead - for it was not possible that the Author of life shouldbe holden of corruption - that He might be the first-fruits of those whohave fallen asleep, the first-born from the dead, that He might be all,being first in all. And, ascending into heaven, He sat down at the righthand of thy majesty on high, and He shall return to render unto everyoneaccording to his works. And He hath left with us as remembrances of Hissaving Passion these Things which we have set forth according to His commandment.For when He was about to go forth to His voluntary, and celebrated, andlife-creating death, in the night in which He gave Himself up for the lifeof the world, He took bread in His holy and immaculate hands, and whenHe had shown it unto thee, the God and Father, and given thanks, and blessedit, and hallowed it, and broken itAnd exclaiming, he says this:He gave it to His holy disciples and apostles, saying,Take, eat, this is my Body, which is broken for you for the forgivenessof sins.
The choir sings:Amen.
While this is being said,the deacon shows the priest the holy diskos, holding his orarion with threefingers of his right hand, and in like manner when the priest says: Drinkye all of this. . . he shows him the holychalice.
The priest, secretly:
Likewise, having also taken the cup of the fruitof the vine, and mingled it, and given thanks, and blessed and hallowedit,
And again he exclaims this:
He gave it to His holy disciples and apostles, saying,Drink ye all of this; this is my Blood of the New Testament, which is shedfor you and for many, for the forgiveness of sins.
The choir sings:Amen.The priest, bowing his head, prays:
Do this in remembrance of me, for as often as yeshall eat this Bread and drink of this Cup, ye do proclaim my death andconfess my resurrection. Wherefore, 0 Master, we also remembering His savingPassion and life-creating Cross, His three-day burial, and resurrectionfrom the dead, His ascension into heaven, and sitting down at thy righthand, God and Father, and His glorious and fearful second coming,
The priest exclaims:
Thine own of thine own we offer unto thee on behalfof all and for all.
While this is being said,the deacon puts aside the fan, and crossing his arms, elevates the holydiskos and the holy chalice, and makes a devout reverence.
Choir:
We hymn thee, we bless thee, we give thanks untothee, O Lord, and we pray unto thee, 0 our God.
The priest, bowing his head, prays:
Because of this, O all-holy Master, we also, thysinful and unworthy servants, whom thou hast made worthy to minister atthy holy Altar, not through our own righteousness, for we have done nothinggood upon the earth, but because of thy mercies and compassion, which thouhast richly poured out upon us, dare to draw nigh to thy holy Altar, and,presenting unto thee the antitypes of the holy Body and Blood of thy Christ,we pray thee and call upon thee, 0 Holy of Holies, by the favor of thygoodness, that thy Holy Spirit may come upon us and upon these Gifts hereset forth, and bless them and hallow them, and show.
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And the deacon sets asidethe fan which he holds or [the veil, and draws near to the priest, andthey both make] three references before the holy table praying within themselves,O God, cleanse thou me a sinner,and saying:
Priest:
O Lord, who at the third hour didst send down thineall-holy Spirit upon thine Apostles, take not the same from us, O GoodOne, but renew Him in us who pray unto thee.
Deacon: (the verse)
A clean heart create in me, 0 God, and a right spiritrenew in my inmost parts.
Again the priest:
O Lord, who at the third hour. . .
Deacon: (the verse)
Cast me not away from thy face, and take not thyHoly Spirit from me.
And again the priest:
O Lord, who at the third hour ...
Then bowing his head and pointing to the holy Breadwith his orarion, the deacon says:
Bless, Master, the holy Bread.
And the priest then signing the holy Breadsays:
This Bread to be itself the precious Body of our Lord,and God, and Savior, Jesus Christ.
` Deacon: Amen.And again the deacon:
Bless, Master, the holy cup.
And the priest blessing, says:
And this Cup to be itself the precious Blood of ourLord, and God, and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Deacon: Amen.Priest: Shedfor the life of the world.
Deacon: Amen.And again the deacon, showingboth the holy Things, says:
Bless, Master, both.
The priest, blessing boththe holy Things, says:
Changing them by thy Holy Spirit.)
Deacon: Amen. Amen. Amen.
And, bowing his head beforethe priest, the deacon
Remember me, a sinner, holy Master.
And the priest says:
May the Lord God remember thee in His kingdom always,now and ever, and unto ages of ages.
The deacon says, Amen,and goes forth to where he was before, and taking a fan, waves it overthe holy Things, as before:
The priest prays:
And as for us all, partakers of the one Bread andof the Cup, do thou unite to one another unto communion of the one HolySpirit, and make none of us to partake of the holy Body and Blood of thyChrist unto judgment or unto condemnation, but that we may find mercy andgrace with all the Saints who- have ever been well-pleasing unto thee:Forefathers, Fathers, Patriarchs, Prophets, Apostles, Preachers, Evangelists,Martyrs, Confessors, Teachers, and with every righteous spirit in faithmade perfect,
And taking the censer, the priest exclaims:
Especially our all-holy, immaculate, most blessed,glorious Lady, Theotokos and Ever-virgin Mary.
And he censes before theholy table thrice.
Then the deacon censesthe holy table round about and he remembers whom he will of the livingand the dead.The choir sings:
In thee rejoiceth, O thou who art full of grace,all creation, the assembly of the angels and the race of man, O SanctifiedTemple and rational Paradise, Boast of Virgins, of whom God was incarnateand became a child, even our God, who is before the ages, for He made ofthy body a throne and thy womb did He form more spacious than the heavens.In thee rejoiceth, O thou who art full of grace, all creation. Glory tothee.
If it is on Great Thursdayor Great Saturday, then they sing the Hermos of the 9th Ode for that day.
The priest prays:
With the holy Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist John,the holy glorious and all-laudable Apostles, Saint(s)Name(s), whose memory we celebrate, and all thy Saints, at whosesupplications do thou look upon us, 0 God. And remember all those who have fallen asleep heretoforein the hope of resurrection unto life eternal.
And he remembers whom hewill of those who have fallen asleep by name:
(For the repose andf orgiveness of the soul of thy servant, name, in a place of light whencesorrow and sighing are fled away. Give them rest, O our God,. . .)
And give them rest where the light of thy face watchethover them.
Again we pray thee, remember, O Lord, the Holy Catholicand Apostolic Church, which is from one end of the world to the other,and give peace to Her whom thou hast purchased with the precious Bloodof thy Christ, and establish thou this holy house, even unto the consumationof the age. Remember, O Lord, those who have offered unto thee these Gifts,and those for whom, and through whom, and the ends whereunto they are offered.Remember, O Lord, those who bear fruit and do good works in thy holy churches,and who remember the needy; requite them with thy rich and heavenly gifts;give them things heavenly for things earthly, things eternal for thingstemporal, things
incorruptible for things corruptible. Remember, O Lord,those in the deserts, the mountains, and in the caverns and pits of theearth. Remember, O Lord, all those who continue in virginity and devotion,and in asceticism and a sober way of life. Remember, O Lord, the President(or title of the highest civil authority),all civil authorities, and the armed forces; grant them peaceful times,that we also in their tranquility may lead a calm and quiet life in allpiety and sobriety. In thy goodness guard those that are good, and makegood those that are evil, by thy lovingkindness. Remember, O Lord, thepeople present, those that for good cause are absent, and have mercy onthem and on us, according to the multitude of thy mercies. Fill their garnerswith every good thing; guard their marriage bond in peace and in onenessof mind; rear the infants; train the young; support the aged; encouragethe fainthearted; gather together the scattered, and lead back those whowander astray, and join them to thy Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.Free those who are vexed by unclean spirits; travel with those that journeyby land, by sea, and by air; protect the widows; defend the orphans; deliverthe captives; heal the sick. And those that are under trial, in the mines,in exile, in bitter bondage, in every tribulation, necessity, and danger,do thou remember, O God. And all those that are in need of thy great goodnessof heart, and those also who love us, and those who hate us, and thosewho have commanded us the unworthy to pray for them, do thou remember,O Lord our God, and all thy people, and upon all pour out thy rich mercy,granting to all their petitions which are unto salvation. And those whomwe through ignorance or forgetfulness or the multitude of names have notremembered, do thou thyself remember, O God, who knowest the age and nameof each, and knowest every man even from his mother's womb. For thou artthe Helper of the helpless, the Hope of the hopeless, the Savior of thestorm-tossed, the Haven of the voyager, the Physician of the sick. Be thouthyself all things to all men, O thou who knowest every man, his petitions,each house and its need. Deliver, O Lord, this city and every city (orthis village, or this abode), and country from famine, pestilence, earthquake,flood, fire, the sword, foreign invasion, and civil war.And the priest exclaims:
Among the first, remember, O Lord, our [lord,the Most Reverend (or Most Blessed)Name, Archbishop of City and/or]Metropolitan of jurisdiction, our [lord, theRight Reverend Name,] Bishop of City,whom do thou grant unto thy holy churches in peace, safety, honor, health,and length of days, rightly dividing the word of thy truth.
The deacon remembers the living.
The singers sing: And all mankind.
The priest prays:
Remember, O Lord, every bishop of the Orthodox, rightlydividing the word of thy truth.
Remember, O Lord, according to the multitude ofthy compassions, my unworthiness, pardon me every offense both voluntaryand involuntary, and withhold not, because of my sins, the grace of thyHoly Spirit from these Gifts here set forth.
Remember, O Lord, the priesthood, the diaconatein Christ, and every priestly rank, and put not to confusion any one ofus that stand about thy holy Altar. Look upon us with thy loving-kindness,0 Lord; reveal thyself unto us in thy rich compassions; grant us temperateand prosperous seasons; give peaceful showers upon the earth unto fruitfulness;bless the crown of the year in thy loving-kindness; make schisms in theChurch to cease; quench the ragings of the nations; speedily destroy, bythe power of thy Holy Spirit, uprisings of heresies; receive us all intothy kingdom, showing us to be children of the light and of the day; andgrant unto us thy peace and thy love, 0 Lord our God, for all things hastthou bestowed upon us.And he remembers by namewhom he will of the living.
Exclamation:
And grant us with one mouth and one heart to glorifyand hymn thine all-honorable and magnificent name, of the Father, and ofthe Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.
Choir: Amen.The priest, turning towardthe doors and blessing, says:
And the mercies of our great God and Savior JesusChrist be with you all. Choir: And withthy spirit.
The deacon, taking the priest'sleave, comes out and, standing in the usual place, says:
Having remembered all the saints, again and againin peace, let us pray to the Lord.
Choir: Lord,have mercy.For the precious Gifts set forth and sanctified,let us pray to the Lord.
Choir: Lord,have mercy.That our God, the Lover of man, accepting them uponHis holy, most heavenly, and ideal Altar for an odor of spiritual sweetness,might send down upon us in return the divine grace and the gift of theHoly Spirit, let us pray.
Choir: Lord,have mercy.For our deliverance from all tribulation, wrath,danger and necessity, let us pray to the Lord.
Choir: Lord,have mercy.The priest prays:
O our God, the God of salvation, do thou teach ushow we may worthily give thanks unto thee, for thy benefits, which thouhast done and which thou dost do for us. Do thou, 0 our God, who acceptestthese Gifts, purify us from every polution of flesh and spirit, and teachus to perfect holiness in thy fear; that we, in the witness of a pure conscience,receiving a portion of thy Holy Things, may be made one with the holy Bodyand Blood of thy Christ; and that having received them worthily, we mayhave Christ dwelling in our hearts and may become a temple of thy HolySpirit. Yea, 0 our God, make none of us blameworthy of these thy dreadand heavenly Mysteries, or infirm in soul or in body, by partaking unworthilyof them, but grant us even unto our last breath, worthily to receive aportion of thy Holy Things, as provision on the way to life eternal, asan acceptable defense at the fearful judgment seat of thy Christ, thatwe also, together with all the Saints, who in all ages have been well-pleasingunto thee, may be made partakers of thine eternal good things, which thouhast prepared for those who love thee, O Lord.
Deacon:
Help us, save us, have mercy on us, and keep us,O God, by thy grace.
Choir: Lord,have mercy.That the whole day may be perfect, holy, peaceful,and sinless, let us ask of the Lord.
Choir: Grantthis, O Lord.An angel of peace, a faithful guide and guardianof our souls and bodies, let us ask of the Lord.
Choir: Grantthis, O Lord.Pardon and forgiveness of our sins and offenses,let us ask of the Lord.
Choir: Grantthis, O Lord.All things good and useful for our souls and peacefor the world, let us ask of the Lord.
Choir: Grant this, O Lord.That we may end the remaining time of our life inpeace and repentance, let us ask of the Lord.
Choir: Grantthis, O Lord.A Christian ending to our life, painless, unashamed,peaceful, and a good defense before the fearful judgment seat of Christ,let us ask.
Choir: Grantthis, O Lord.Having asked for the unity of the faith and the communionof the Holy Spirit, let us commend ourselves and each other and all ourlife unto Christ our God.
Choir: To thee,O Lord.The priest exclaims:
And vouchsafe, O Master, that with boldness and withoutcondemnation we may dare to call upon thee, the heavenly God and Father,and to say:
The people:
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.Thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give usthis day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.The priest exclaims:
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and theglory, of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever,and unto ages of ages.
Choir: Amen.Priest: Peace be to all.
Choir: And to thy spirit.Deacon:
Bow your heads unto the Lord.
Choir: To thee,O Lord.
The priest prays:
O Master, Lord, the Father of compassion and theGod of all comfort, bless, sanctify, guard, fortify, empower those whohave bowed their heads unto thee; withdraw from them every evil work; jointhem to every good work; and vouchsafe that without condemnation, theymay partake of these thine immaculate and life-creating Mysteries, untothe forgiveness of their sins, and unto communion
of the Holy Spirit.Exclamation:
Through the grace and compassion and love of manof thine only-begotten Son, with whom thou art blessed, together with thineall-holy, and good, and life-creating Spirit, now and ever, and unto agesof ages.
Choir: Amen.The priest prays:
Attend, O Lord Jesus Christ our God, from thy holydwelling place and from the glorious throne of thy kingdom, and come tosanctify us, 0 thou that sittest with the Father above, and that art invisiblypresent here with us. And vouchsafe, by thy strong right hand, to impartto us thine immaculate body and thy precious blood, and through us, toall the people.
While this prayer is beingsaid, the deacon, standing before the holy doors, binds the orarion abouthim crosswise. Then the priest, and likewisethe deacon in the place where he stands, bows and says silently thrice:
O God, cleanse thou me a sinner and have mercy. onme.
When the deacon sees thepriest stretch out his hands and touch the holy Bread in order to makethe holy elevation, he exclaims:
Let us attend.
The priest then, elevating the holy Bread,exclaims:
Holy Things are for the holy.
Choir:
One is holy, One is Lord, Jesus Christ, to the gloryof God the Father. Amen.
And the choirs sing thekoinonikon of the day or of the saint.
The deacon then enters thesanctuary and, standing at the right of the priest, says:
Break, Master, the holy Bread.
The priest, breaking itinto four parts with heed and reverence, says:
Broken and divided is the Lamb of God, which is brokenand not disunited, which is ever eaten and never consumed, but sanctifieththose that partake thereof.
The priest should know that,on breaking the holy Lamb, he is to place the side with the sign of theCross downward to the holy diskos, the cut side upward as before, whenit was sacrificed. The portion IC,then, he places toward the upper part of the holy diskos, that is to theEast; XC,then, toward the lower part, which is to the West, and the NIto the north side, and KAto the south side, as shown here:
IC
NI KA
XC
Taking the portion IC,he fills the holy cup, XCis divided among the priests and deacons, and those two remaining portions,NI andKA, aredivided into small portions, so many as he shall consider to be sufficientfor the communicants.
The deacon, then, showingthe holy chalice with the orarion, says:
Fill, Master, the holy chalice.
The priest, then, takingthe portion that is on the upper side of the diskos, that is,IC, makes the sign of the Cross with it abovethe holy chalice, saying:
The fulness of the cup, of the faith, of the Holy Spirit.
And then he puts it intothe holy cup.
Deacon: Amen.
And taking the warm water,he says to the priest:
Bless, Master, the warm water.
The priest blesses, saying:
Blessed is the warmth of thy saints always, now andever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
And the deacon pours a littleinto the chalice crosswise, saying:
The warmth of the faith, full of the Holy Spirit.Amen.
And setting aside the warmwater, he stands a little way off.
The priest then says:
Deacon, draw near.
And the deacon, having approached,makes a reverence, asking forgiveness.
The priest then, takingthe holy Bread, gives it to the deacon. And the deacon, having kissed thehand with which he gives it to him, receives the holy Bread, saying:
Impart unto me, Master, the precious and holy Bodyof our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ.
The priest then says:
To thee, the deacon Name,is imparted the precious, and holy, and immaculate Body of our Lord andGod and Savior Jesus Christ, unto forgiveness of thy sins and unto lifeeternal.
And the deacon withdrawsbehind the holy table, and bowing his head, he prays, as does the priestalso, saying:
I believe, O Lord... andthe rest (see below)
Similarly the priest also,taking one portion of the holy Bread, says:
The precious and all-holy Body of our Lord and Godand Savior Jesus Christ is imparted unto me, the priest, Name,unto forgiveness of my sins, and unto life eternal.
And, bowing his head, heprays, saying:
I believe, O Lord, and I confess, that thou art trulythe Christ, the Son of the living God, who didst come into the world tosave sinners, of whom I am first. And I believe that this is thine ownimmaculate Body, and that this is thine own precious Blood. Wherefore,I pray thee, have mercy on me, and pardon my trespasses, voluntary andinvoluntary, in word, or in deed, in knowledge and in ignorance, and makeme worthy without condemnation to partake of thine immaculate mysteriesunto forgiveness of sins and unto life eternal.
Then:
Of thy mystic supper, O Son of God, accept me todayas a communicant, for I will not speak of thy mystery to thine enemies,neither will I give thee a kiss as did Judas, but like the thief will Iconfess thee, remember me, O Lord, in thy kingdom.
Not unto judgment nor unto condemnation be my partakingof thy holy Mysteries, O Lord, but unto healing of soul and body.
Thus they partake of thatwhich they hold in their hands with fear and all wariness.
Then the priest, rising,takes the holy chalice in both hands with the veil and partakes of it thrice,saying:
The precious and holy Blood of our Lord and God andSavior Jesus Christ is imparted unto me, the servant of God, the priest,Name, unto forgiveness of my sins andunto life eternal. Amen.
Then, wiping his lips andthe edge of the chalice with the cloth that he holds in his hand, he says:
This hath touched my lips and shall take away mytransgressions and cleanse my sins.
Then he calls the deacon,saying:
Deacon, draw near again.
And the deacon approachesand makes a reverence, saying:
Again I draw near to our immortal King and God. Impart unto me, Master, the precious and holy Bloodof our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ, unto forgiveness of my sinsand unto life eternal.
And the priest says:
Unto thee, the servant of God, the deacon, Name,is imparted the precious and holy Blood of our Lord and God and SaviorJesus Christ, unto forgiveness of thy sins .and unto life eternal.
When the deacon has partaken,the priest says:
This hath touched thy lips, and shall take away thytransgressions and cleanse thy sins.
It should be noted that,if there are those who wish to communicate of the holy Mysteries, the priestdivides the two remaining portions, that is NI andKA, into small pieces, so that therewill be enough for all the communicants. And then he places them in theholy chalice, and he covers the holy chalice with the veil. Similarly,he lays the star-cover and the veils on the holy diskos. Then they open the doorsof the sanctuary, and the deacon, making a reverence, takes the chalicefrom the priest with devotion, approaches the doors, and elevating theholy chalice, shows it to the people, saying: With fear of God, with faithand love, draw near.
Choir:
Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.Godis the Lord that hath revealed Himself unto us.
Those who wish to communicateshall then approach. They come one by one, and they make a reverence withall. contrition and fear, holding their hands folded on their breast. Thuseach receives the divine Mysteries.
The priest says on communicatingeach one:
The servant of God, Name,partakes of the precious and holy Body and Blood of our Lordand God and Savior Jesus Christ unto forgiveness of his sins and unto lifeeternal.
And the deacon wipes thelips of each with the cloth.
The communicant, havingpartaken, shall kiss the holy chalice, make a reverence, and withdraw.Thus all communicate.
After communion, the priestenters the sanctuary, and sets the holy Things down on the holy table.
The deacon, then, holdingthe holy diskos over the holy chalice, says these hymns of the Resurrection:
Having beheld the Resurrection of Christ, let usbow down before the holy Lord Jesus, the only sinless One. Thy Cross dowe worship, O Christ, and thy holy Resurrection we hymn and glorify, forthou art our God; we know no other than thee; thy name do we name. Come,all ye faithful, let us worship Christ's holy Resurrection, for, behold,through the Cross joy hath come into all the world. Ever blessing the Lord,let us hymn His Resurrection. By enduring the Cross for us, by death hathHe abolished death. Shine, shine, 0 New Jerusalem, for the glory ofthe Lord hath risen upon thee. Dance and rejoice, 0 Zion, and, thou, 0pure Theotokos, exult in the rising of Him thou didst bear. O great and holiest Pascha, Christ, ) Wisdom andWord of God and Power, grant us truly to partake of thee in the day withoutevening of thy kingdom.
He wipes the diskos thoroughlywith the holy sponge, with heed and reverence, saying these words:
Wash away, O Lord, the sins of all those here commemoratedby thine precious Blood, through the prayers of thy Saints.
The priest blesses the people,exclaiming:
O God, save thy people, and bless thine inheritance.
And turning to the holytable, the priest censes it thrice, saying:
Be thou exalted above the heavens, 0 God, and aboveall the earth thy glory.
The choir sings:
We have seen the true Light. We have received theheavenly Spirit. We have found the true Faith, worshipping the undividedTrinity, for He hath saved us.
The priest then, takingthe holy diskos, sets it on the deacon's head. And the deacon, taking itreverently, looks toward the holy doors, saying nothing, and goes forthto the prothesis table and sets it down. And the priest, having made areverence, takes the holy chalice, turns toward the doors, and, lookingtoward the people, says secretly:
Blessed is our God,
And he exclaims:
Always, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.
And he goes forth to theholy prothesis table, and there sets down the holy Things.
Choir: Amen.
Let our mouths be filled with thy praise, O Lord,that we may hymn thy glory, for thou hast made us worthy to partake ofthy holy, immortal and life-creating (immaculatein Greek) Mysteries. Preserve us in thy holiness,that all the day long we may meditate on thy righteousness. Alleluia. Alleluia.Alleluia.
And the deacon, unbindinghis orarion, comes forth by the north door, and standing in his usual place,says:
Attend. Having partaken of the divine, holy, immaculate,immortal, heavenly, and dread Mysteries of Christ, let us worthily givethanks unto the Lord.
Choir: Lord,have mercy.Help us, save us, have mercy on us, and keep us,O God, by thy grace.
Choir: Lord,have mercy.Having asked that the whole day be perfect, holy,peaceful, and sinless, let us commend ourselves, and each other, and allour life unto Christ our God.
Choir: To thee,0 Lord.The Prayer of Thanksgiving
We give thanks unto thee, 0 Lord our God for theparticipation in thy holy, immaculate, immo;tal and heavenly Mysteries,which thou hast given unto us for the benefit and sanctification and healingof our souls and bodies. Do thou thyself, 0 Master of all, grant that thecommunion of the holy Body and Blood of thy Christ may be for us unto faithunashamed, unto love without hypocrisy, unto fullness of wisdom, unto thehealing of soul and body, unto the averting of every adversary, unto theaccomplishment of thy commandments, unto an acceptable defense at the fearfuljudgment seat of Christ.
The priest, having foldedthe antimension, and holding upright the holy Gospel Book, makes the signof the Cross with it over the antimension.
Exclamation:
For thou art our sanctification and unto thee dowe send up glory, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,now and ever, and unto ages of ages.
Choir: Amen.Priest: Let usdepart in peace.
Choir: In thename of the Lord.Deacon: Let uspray to the Lord.
Choir: Lord,have mercy.The Prayer behind the Ambo
Blessing those that bless thee, O Lord, and sanctifyingthose that trust in thee, save thy people and bless thine inheritance,preserve the fullness of thy Church, sanctify those that love the beautyof thy house. Glorify them in return by thy divine power, and forsake usnot that hope in thee. Give peace to thy world, to thy churches, to thepriests, to all civil authorities, and to all thy people. For every goodgift, and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from thee,the Father of lights, and unto thee do we send up glory, thanksgiving,and worship, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, nowand ever, and unto ages of ages
Choir: Amen.Then:
Blessed be the name... thrice,and Psalm 33, 1 will bless the Lord . . .
The prayer is said, the deacon standing to the rightbefore the icon of Christ the Master, holding his orarion, and with hishead bowed until the end of the prayer. Having finished the prayer, thepriest enters through the holy doors and goes forth to the prothesis tableand says the following prayer:
Prayer said on Consumingthe Holy Things:
Completed and perfected, so far as is in our power,O Christ our God, is all the mystery of thy dispensation, for we have hadthe memorial of thy death, we have seen the type of thy Resurrection, wehave been filled with thine unending life, we have enjoyed thine inexhaustiblebounty, which also in the age to come be pleased to vouchsafe us all, throughthe grace of thy Father, who is without beginning, and of thy holy, andgood, and life-creating Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
The deacon, having enteredthrough the north door, consumes the holy Things with fear and all wariness.The priest, having come forth, gives the people the antidoron.
After the conclusion ofthe Psalm and the distribution of the antidoron, he says:
The blessing of the Lord and His mercy be upon you,through His grace and love of man, always, now and ever, and unto agesof ages.
Choir: Amen.Priest:
Glory to thee, O Christ God, our Hope, glory to thee.
Choir: Glory . . . Now and . . .,Lord, have mercy. thrice, Bless.
Priest:
May Christ our true God, through the intercessionsof His all-immaculate Mother (and the rest),of our father among the Saints, Basil the Great, Archbishop of Caesariain Cappodocia, and of names of the saint of theday and of the temple, and of all the Saints, have mercy onus and save us, for He is good and the Lover of man.
The choir sings the Many Years.
The priest, having enteredthe sanctuary, says the prayers of thanksgiving.
Then: Lord, nowlettest thou . . ., the Trisagion, and after OurFather . . .
Priest: For thine is the kingdom. . .
The Dismissal Troparion in Tone 1
Into all the earth is thy sound gone out, for ithath received thy word. Thereby didst thou teach divine doctrine and makeclear the nature of that which doth exist, and didst order the habits ofmen, 0 venerable Father, Royal Priesthood, intercede with Christ our God,(Gr. that we may be granted great mercy,Slav, to save our souls.)
Glory, Kontakion, Tone 1,Similar to Thou hast shown . . .
Thou didst appear as an unshakable foundation ofthe Church, bequeathing an inviolate dominion to all mortals, and sealingit with thy doctrines, 0 revealer of heaven, Venerable Basil.
Both now. . ., the Theotokion:
O Protection of Christians that is not put to shame, unchanging Mediationbefore the Creator, despise not the voice of the sinners' prayer, but inthat thou art good, come quickly to help us who call upon thee in faith,make speed to intercede and make haste to supplicate, 0 Theotokos, whodost ever protect those that honor thee.
Or, if he wishes, he saysthe troparion of the day.
Lord, have mercy. 12 times.More honorable than the Cherubim . . ., Glory . . . Now and ...
And he gives the dismissal.
End of the Divine Liturgy of Saint Basil the Great
