Prayer Services & Liturgics

Liturgical Services & Prayers

Order of Renouncing Heresy (Small Beginning)

From a debate between A.A. Antipin and Pomor apologist V.A. Voykin

God, be merciful unto me, a sinner. (Bow)

O Lord, who created me, have mercy on me. (Bow)

I have sinned without number, O Lord, have mercy on me, and forgive me, a sinner. (Bow)

It is worthy, for in truth to bless thee, O God-bearer, ever blessed and most unblemished, and the mother of our God. More honourable than the Cherubim, and truly more glorious than the Seraphim, without corruption, having borne God the Word; who art the God-bearer, thee do we magnify. (Prostration)

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost. (Bow)

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. (Bow)

Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, Lord, bless. (Bow)

O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, for the sake of the prayers of thy Most-Pure Mother, by the power of the Honourable and Life-giving Cross, and of my holy guardian Angel, and for the sake of all the saints, have mercy and save me a sinner, for thou art Good, and the Lover of mankind. (Prostration without the sign of the cross)

Through the prayers of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us. Amen. (Bow to the waist)

O Heavenly King, Comforter, True Spirit, which art everywhere and fillest all, Treasury of blessings and giver of life: come and dwell in us; and cleanse us from every defilement, and save our souls, O Good One.

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (Thrice with bows)

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost. Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. O Lord, cleanse us of our sins. O Master, pardon our transgressions. O Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities for thy names sake.

Lord have mercy. (Thrice) Glory. Now and ever.

Our Father, which art in the heavens, hallowed may thy name be. May thy kingdom come. May thy will be done, as in heaven, so on earth. Give us this day our essential bread. And forgive us our debts, even as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us. (Bow) Amen.

Lord have mercy. (12 times) Glory. Now and ever.

Come, let us worship the King, our God. (Bow)

Come, let us worship Christ, the King and our God. (Bow)

Come, let us worship and fall down before the very Lord Jesus Christ, the King and our God. (Bow)

Psalm 50. Have mercy on me, O God, by thy great mercy. And by thine abundant compassions, cleanse my transgression. Above all, wash me from my transgression, and cleanse me from my sin. For I know mine iniquity, and my sin is ever before me. Unto thee alone have I sinned, and before thee I did evil. That thou mightest be shown righteous in thy words, and prevail when thou judgest. For behold, I was conceived in iniquities, and in sins did my mother bare me. For behold, thou hast loved truth; thy hidden and secret wisdom hast thou revealed to me. Thou shalt sprinkle me with hyssop and I shall be cleansed. Thou shalt wash me, and I shall be whitened beyond snow. Thou shalt give joy and gladness to mine ear; the humbled bones shall rejoice. Turn thy face from my sins, and cleanse all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit in my being. Cast me not from thy face, and take not thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation, and strengthen me with a sovereign spirit. I shall teach the iniquitous in thy way; and the impious shall return unto thee. Deliver me from bloodguilt O God, O God of my salvation; my tongue shall rejoice in thy righteousness. O Lord, thou shalt open my lips, and my mouth shall proclaim thy praise. For if thou didst will sacrifice, I would surely have given it; thou delightest not in burnt offerings. A sacrifice to God is a broken spirit; a broken and humbled heart God will not despise. Do good, O Lord, in thy goodwill unto Sion, and let the walls of Jerusalem be builded. Then shalt thou delight in the sacrifice of righteousness, offering, and burnt sacrifices. Then shall they lay a bullock upon thine altar.

Then, the following prayers and Symbol of Faith are read three times in full:

I, [name], this day come forth from the Nikonian heresy into the Orthodox Christian Faith, which was preached, taught, and established by the holy fathers. I come of my own good will, with the desire of my heart, from the depths of my soul — not for any bodily comfort, but solely for the salvation of my soul. I renounce all heretics: the Nikonians and all others, and I desire to have no communion with them whatsoever; and in this conviction I desire to spend all the days of my life.

I believe in the Holy Trinity — the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost — and in confirmation of this my promise, I recite the confession of the Orthodox faith:

I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and of all the visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the only-begotten, who from the Father is begotten before all ages. Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, but not created, of one essence with the Father; by him all things came to be. For us men and for our salvation he came down from the heavens, and was made flesh of the Holy Ghost and of the Virgin Mary became man. Who was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, suffered, and was buried. And resurrected on the third day according to the Scriptures. And ascended into the heavens, and sitteth at the right hand of the Father. And is coming again with glory to judge the living and the dead; whose kingdom has no end.

And in the Holy Ghost, the Lord, True and Life-giving, who proceedeth from the Father, who with the Father and the Son art worshipped and glorified, who spake the prophets. And in one holy, conciliar, and apostolic Church. I confess one Baptism unto remission of sins. I await the resurrection for the dead. And of the life of the age to come. Amen.

O Merciful Lord, look upon Thy servant, [name], who hath come unto Thee: save him and have mercy on him. (Bow)

Lord, have mercy (40 times with three bows). Glory. Now and ever.

Psalm 31: Blessed are they to whom iniquities were forgiven and to whom sins were covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin, neither is guile upon his lips. For I kept silent, my bones waxed old as I cried out all the day long. For day and night thy hand pressed sore upon me. I was turned unto affliction, while a thorn hath pierced me. I knew mine iniquity and I hid not my sin. I said, I will confess upon me mine iniquity unto the Lord, and thou hast forgiven the ungodliness of my heart. For this shall pray every venerable man in a well-suited time. Yet, in the flood of many waters, they shall not come nigh unto him. Thou art my refuge from the tribulation that overtaketh me. O my joy, save me from those that have compassed me about. I shall give thee understanding and lead thee on the way wherein thou shalt go; mine eyes shall I set upon thee. Be not like a horse, a mule in which is no understanding. With bit and bridle thou shalt bind their jaws, that draw not near unto thee. Many are the wounds of the sinner, but he that hopeth on the Lord, shall mercy encompass. Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, ye righteous, and exult, all ye upright of heart. (This psalm may be read once or thrice).

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost.

Tropar: Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us, for on thee have we hoped. Be not exceedingly wroth with us, neither remember our iniquities. But look upon us as merciful, and deliver us from our enemies. For thou art our God, and we are thy people. And all (are) the works of thy hand, and we call upon thy name.

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen

The doors of mercy open unto us, O blessed Virgin God-bearer. Those hoping in thee shall not perish. But let us be delivered by thee from misfortunes. For thou art the salvation of the Christian race.

Now lettest thou thy servant depart, O Master, in peace, according to thy word, for mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all peoples; a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.

From this point, the one being received begins to pray together with the faithful:

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (Thrice with bows)

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost. Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. O Lord, cleanse us of our sins. O Master, pardon our transgressions. O Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities for thy names sake.

Lord have mercy. (Thrice) Glory. Now and ever.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us. (Bow) Amen.

Tropar: When being baptized in the Jordan, O Lord, Trinitarian worship was revealed, for the voice of the Father bore witness unto thee, naming thee the beloved Son. And the Spirit in the form of a dove, made known the certainty of the words. O Christ God, who hast appeared and enlightened the world, glory to Thee.

O Lord, save thy people, and bless thine inheritance. Grant victories to the Russian realm over adversaries, and by the Cross, preserving thy people.

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost.

Thou didst appear today unto the world, and thy light, O Lord, hath been signed upon us, in the understanding of those praising thee: the Light unapproachable hath come and hath been revealed.

Now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Thou who wast lifted up upon the Cross of thine own will, to thy namesake dwelling now, grant thy mercies, O Christ God. Gladden our realm by thy power, granting it victories over adversaries; having for aid thy weapon of peace, an invicible victory.

Then the one coming makes three prostrations, saying twice:

Glory, O Lord, to Thy precious Cross.

Then kisses the Cross. Then one more prostration:

Glory, O Lord, to Thy precious Cross.

Then venerate all the icons: the Savior, the Cross, the God-bearer, and the saints (as available).

O Merciful Lord, look upon Thy servant, [name], who hath come unto Thee: save him and have mercy on him. (Bow)

Lord, have mercy (40 times with three bows).

Thou who at every time and every hour, in heaven and on earth, art worshipped and glorified, O gracious God; O Lord, do thou thyself receive our prayers at this hour, and in goodness make straight our life unto thy commandments. Sanctify our soul and purify our bodies; set aright our reasonings, and cleanse our thoughts. Make chaste and sober the mind, and deliver us from every sorrow, evil, and pain, and the passions of the soul; and surround us with thy holy angels, so that guarded and guided by their host, we may attain unto the unity of faith, and unto the understanding of thine unapproachable glory. For thou art blessed unto the ages. Amen

Lord have mercy (Thrice) Glory. Now and ever.

More honourable than the Cherubim, and truly more glorious than the Seraphim, without corruption, having borne God the Word; who art the God-bearer, thee do we magnify. (Bow)

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. (Bow)

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen. (Bow)

Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, Lord, bless. (Bow)

And the dismissal.

Sunday Vespers for Serving Without a Priest

Begin with the entrance bows:

God, be merciful unto me, a sinner. (Bow)

O Lord, who created me, have mercy on me. (Bow)

I have sinned without number, O Lord, have mercy on me, and forgive me, a sinner. (Bow)

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost. (Bow)

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. (Bow) Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, Lord, bless. (Bow)

God, be merciful unto me, a sinner. (Bow)

O Lord, who created me, have mercy on me. (Bow)

I have sinned without number, O Lord, have mercy on me, and forgive me, a sinner. (Bow)

After the Entrance Bows, (waist, always):

Elder: Through the prayers of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us. (Bow)

Psalmist: Amen.

From Pascha until Pentecost, “O Heavenly King” is not read. Until the Leavetaking of Pascha, it is replaced by singing “Christ Resurrected”, thrice. After the Leavetaking, it is ommited. Christ resurrected from the dead, by death he trod upon death, and to those in the tombs he bestowed life.

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (Thrice with bows)

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost. Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. O Lord, cleanse us of our sins. O Master, pardon our transgressions. O Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities for thy names sake.

Lord have mercy. (Thrice) Glory. Now and ever.

Our Father, which art in the heavens, hallowed may thy name be. May thy kingdom come. May thy will be done, as in heaven, so on earth. Give us this day our needful bread. And forgive us our debts, even as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

Elder: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us. (Bow)

Psalmist: Amen. Lord have mercy. (12 times) Glory. Now and ever.

Come, let us worship the King, our God. (Bow)

Come, let us worship Christ, the King and our God. (Bow)

Come, let us worship and fall down before the very Lord Jesus Christ, the King and our God. (Bow)

Psalm 103: Bless the Lord, O my soul; O Lord my God, thou art greatly magnified. In confession and majesty hath he clothed himself. Thou deckest thyself with light as with a garment, who spreadest out the heaven as a hide. Who covereth his high places with waters, setting clouds upon his ascent, walking upon the wing of the wind. Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flaming fire. Who foundeth the earth upon his foundation; it shall not be moved unto the age of the age. The deep – like a garment is her covering; the waters shall stand upon the hills. From thy rebuke they fled; from the voice of thy thunder shall they be afraid. The hills rise up, and the fields sink down, unto the place which thou hast established for them. He hath set a term which they shall not pass, neither shall they return to cover the earth. He sendeth springs into the valleys; the waters shall flow through the hills. They give drink to all beasts of the field; the wild asses wait in their thirst. Upon thee do the birds of the heavens dwell; from the midst of the rocks shall they give voice. Who watereth the hills from his lofty places; the earth shall be filled from the fruit of thy works. Who groweth forth pastures for cattle, and herb for the service of men, to bring forth bread from the earth. And wine maketh glad the heart of man, to anoint the face with oil. And bread shall strengthen the heart of man. The trees of the field shall be filled; the cedars of Lebanon which thou hast planted. There shall the birds nest; the house of the heron dwelleth therein. The high hills are for the harts, and the rock a refuge for the hares. Thou hast made the moon for seasons; the sun knew his setting. He set darkness and there was night, in which all the beasts of the forest go forth. The young lions roareth to seize, and beggeth their food from God. The sun arose, and they gathered, and in their lairs shall they lie. Man shall go forth unto his work, and unto his labor until the evening. How magnified are thy works, O Lord; in wisdom hast thou made all things, the earth is filled with thy creation. Lo, the sea, great and wide; therein are creeping things of which there is no number; living things, the small with the great. There do the ships sail; this dragon which he created to frolic before him. All things wait upon thee, to give them food in good time; when thou givest to them, they shall gather. When thou openest thine hand, all things shall be filled of goodness. But when thou turnest away thy face they shall be troubled; thou shalt take away their spirits, and they shall perish, and into their dust shall they return. Thou shalt send forth thy spirit, and they shall be made, and thou shalt renew the face of the earth. Let the glory of the Lord be unto the ages; the Lord shall rejoice over his works. Who looketh upon the earth, and maketh her to quake, who toucheth the hills, and they shall smoke. I shall sing unto the Lord in my life; I sing unto my God as long as I am. Let my speech be sweet unto him, and over him shall I rejoice. The sinners shall perish from the earth, and the iniquitous as if they be not. Bless the Lord, O my soul.

Glory. Now and ever. Alleluia, alleluia, glory to thee, O God. (Thrice with bows)

Sing: Lord have mercy. (12 times) Glory. Now and ever.

Kathisma I

Psalm 1. Blessed is the man, that hath not walked in the counsel of the ungodly, and stood not in the way of sinners, and sat not in the seat of the spoilers. But his will is in the law of the Lord, and on his law will he ponder day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the flowing waters, that shall bring forth his fruit in his time. And his leaf shall not fall away: and all things whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. Not so are the ungodly, not so: but as the dust which the wind scattereth away from the face of the earth. Therefore, the ungodly shall not rise in the judgment, neither the sinners in the counsel of the righteous. For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous, and the way of the ungodly shall perish.

Psalm 2. Why have the heathen raged, and the peoples plotted vain things? The kings of the earth stood forth. And the princes took counsel together against the Lord, and against his Christ. Let us break their bonds asunder, and cast away their yoke from us. He that dwelleth in the heavens shall scorn them, and the Lord shall revile them. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and confound them in his fury. But I am ordained of him a king upon Sion his holy hill, declaring the decree of the Lord. The Lord said unto me: Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the terms of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt shepherd them with a rod of iron, as a potter’s vessels shalt thou shatter them. And now, O ye kings, take heed: be instructed, all ye that judge the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice unto him with trembling. Take hold of chastising, lest the Lord be angry, and ye perish from the righteous way; when his fury shall burn forth, blessed are all they that trust in him.

Psalm 3. O Lord, how greatly are they multiplied that trouble me? Many rise up against me. Many say of my soul: There is no salvation for him in his God. But thou, O Lord, art my defender, my glory, and the lifter up of my head. I cried unto the Lord with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. I laid me down and slept; I arose, for the Lord shall defend me. I shall not be afraid for ten thousands of the people, that fall upon me me round about. Arise, O Lord; save me, O my God. For thou hast smitten all who in vain are mine enemies, thou hast broken the teeth of sinners. Salvation is of the Lord, and thy blessing is upon thy people.

Glory. Now and ever. Alleluia, alleluia, glory to thee, O God. (Thrice with bows)

Lord have mercy (Thrice). Glory. Now and ever.

Psalm 4. When I called, thou didst hear me, O God of my righteousness; In distress thou hast enlarged me. Have mercy upon me, and hearken unto my prayer. O ye sons of men, how long will ye be heavy of heart; why do ye love vanity, and seek after leasing? And know that the Lord hath made marvelous his holy one; the Lord shall hear me when I cry unto him. Be angry, and sin not; for what ye speak in your hearts, show compunction upon your beds. Offer the sacrifice of righteousness, and hope upon the Lord. Many say, who will shew us good things? The light of thy face, O Lord, hath been signed upon us, thou hast put gladness in my heart. From the fruit of their wheat, wine, and oil, are they increased. In peace I shall both lay me down and sleep. For thou, O Lord, alone hast made me dwell in hope.

Psalm 5. Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my cry. O hearken thou unto the voice of my prayer, my King, and my God. For unto thee will I pray, O Lord; in the morning, hear my voice. In the morning I shall stand before thee, and thou shalt see me, for thou art a God that willeth not iniquity. The wicked man shall not come nigh thee, nor also shall transgressors abide before thine eyes. Thou hast hated all them that work iniquity; thou shalt destroy all them that speak leasing. The Lord abhorreth the man of blood and deceit. But I, in the multitude of thy mercy shall enter into thy house; I shall worship toward thy holy temple in thy fear. Lead me, O Lord, in thy righteousness; because of mine enemies make straight my way before thee. For there is no truth in their mouth; their heart is vain. Their throat is an opened sepulchre, they deceived with their tongues; judge them, O God. Let them fall down from their own thoughts; after the multitude of their ungodliness, cast them out, for they have provoked thee, O Lord. And all that hope on thee shall be gladdened; they shall ever rejoice, and thou shalt dwell in them. They that love thy name shall give praise unto thee, for thou shalt bless the righteous. O Lord, as with a shield of thy goodwill hast thou crowned us.

Psalm 6. O Lord, let not thy wrath rebuke me: nor yet chasten me in thine anger. Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak; heal me, O Lord, for my bones were shaken. My soul also was sore shook, but thou, O Lord, how long? Turn thee, O Lord, and deliver my soul; save me for thy mercy’s sake. For in death is none remembrance of thee, and in Hades who shall confess thee? I am wearied in my groaning; in every night shall I wash my bed, I shall water my couch with my tears. Mine eye was troubled from wrath; I waxed old among all mine enemies. Away from me all ye that work iniquity, for the Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping. The Lord hath heard my petition, the Lord hath received my prayer. Let all mine enemies be ashamed and troubled; let them turn back and be greatly put to shame swiftly.

Glory. Now and ever. Alleluia, alleluia, glory to thee, O God. (Thrice with bows)

Lord have mercy (Thrice). Glory. Now and ever.

Psalm 7. O Lord my God, in thee have I hoped; save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me. Be it not when he snatch away my soul like a lion, there be none to deliver nor to save. O Lord my God, if I have done this, if there be unrighteousness in my hand; if I have returned to them that rendered me evil, let me fall down empty before mine enemies. Let then mine enemy pursue my soul, and overtake it; and tread down my life upon the earth, and lay mine honour in the dust. Arise, O Lord, in thy wrath, exalt thyself in the bounds of thine enemies. And rise up, O Lord my God, in the commandment which thou hast ordained, and a congregation of people shall encompass thee. And for that return on high; the Lord doth judge the people. Judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness, and according to mine innocency that is upon me. Let the wickedness of sinners come to an end, and thou shalt set aright the righteous, O God that triest the hearts and reins. My righteous help is from God, that saveth the right of heart. God is a righteous judge, both strong and longsuffering, and bringeth not his wrath every day. If ye turneth not back, he shall sharpen his weapon; he hath bent his bow, and made it ready. And therein hath he prepared the instruments of death; his arrows he fashioned with flames. Behold, he travailed unrighteousness; he hath conceived pain, and begat iniquity. He hath digged a ditch and hollowed it, and hath fallen into the pit which he made. His travail shall turn upon his head, and his unrighteousness shall fall upon his pate. I will confess unto the Lord according to his righteousness, and I will sing unto the name of the Lord most high.

Psalm 8. O Lord, our Lord, how wonderful is thy name over all the earth. For thy majesty is lifted above the heavens. From the mouths of babes and sucklings hast thou perfected praise, for thine enemies, to destroy the enemy and the avenger. For I shall see the heavens, the works of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast founded. What is man, that thou rememberest him, or the son of man, that thou visitest him? Thou madest him less by a little than the angels; with glory and honor hast thou crowned him, and thou hast set him over the works of thy hand. All things hast thou subjected under his foot, all sheep and oxen, yea and the beasts of the field. The birds of the heavens, the fish of the sea, passing through the paths of the sea. O Lord, our Lord, how wonderful is thy name over all the earth.

Glory. Now and ever. Alleluia, alleluia, glory to thee, O God. (Thrice with bows)

Lord have mercy (Thrice). Glory. Now and ever.

Psalm 140. O Lord, I cried unto thee; hear me. Attend unto the voice of my prayer when I cry unto thee. Let my prayer be set forth as incense before thee; the lifting up of my hand, an evening sacrifice. Set a guard to my mouth, O Lord, and a door of defense upon my lips. Incline not my heart unto words of wickedness, to care not for excuses about sins. With men that worketh iniquity, I am numbered not with their chosen. The righteous man shall guide me in mercy, and reprove me; but let not the oils of the sinner anoint my head. For yet also is my prayer in their good pleasure. Their judges were were devoured before the rock. My words shall be heard, for they prevailed. As a clod of earth sank into the ground, their bones were scattered before Hades. For unto thee, O Lord, O Lord, are mine eyes; in thee have I hoped, O take not my soul. Keep me from the snare which they set against me, and from the stumbling-block of them that work iniquity. The sinners shall fall into their own net; I am alone, until I pass.

Psalm 141. I cried unto the Lord with my voice, with my voice shall I pray unto the Lord. I shall pour out my prayer before him, my sorrow before him shall I declare. When my spirit fadeth away, thou knewest my path. On this path along which I walked, they hid a snare for me. I looked to the right, and beheld, there was none that knew me. Flight hath failed from me, and there is none that seeketh after my soul. I cried unto thee, O Lord; I said thou art my hope, thou art my lot in the land of the living. Attend unto my prayer, for I am humbled greatly. Deliver me from those that persecute me, for they are strengthened beyond me. Lead my soul out of prison, to confess thy name. The righteous shall wait for me, until thou shalt recompense me.

Psalm 129. Out of the deep, I cried unto thee, O Lord; O Lord, hear my voice. Let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my prayer. If thou shalt mark iniquities, O Lord, O Lord, who shall stand; for cleansing is from thee. For thy name’s sake have I suffered thee, O Lord; my soul hath suffered in thy word, my soul hath hoped on the Lord. From the morning watch until night, from the morning watch, let Israel hope on the Lord. For mercy is from the Lord, and from him is abundant deliverance; and he shall deliver Israel from all his iniquities.

Psalm 116. O praise the Lord, all ye heathen; exalt him, all ye peoples. For his mercy was made firm upon us, and the truth of the Lord endureth forever.

Then the stichera of the day. On Sundays, there are always 10.

Glory. Now and ever. (According to the Ustav)

Elder: O Gentle Light.

Sing: Of the holy glory of the immortal heavenly Father; of the holy blessed Jesus Christ, Son of God; the sun having come to the west, having seen the evening light, we praise the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost, God. Thou art worthy to be sung at all times with venerable voices, O Son of God, who givest life to all the world, for whose sake the whole world doth glorify thee.

Elder: The Prokeimen from the Psalm of David. The Lord was enthroned, enrobed in majesty.

Sing: The Lord was enthroned, enrobed in majesty.

Elder: The Lord hath robed himself in might, and girded himself.

Sing: The Lord was enthroned, enrobed in majesty.

Elder: For he hath made steadfast the world, which shall not be shaken.

Sing: The Lord was enthroned, enrobed in majesty.

Elder: Holiness becometh thine house, O Lord, forever.

Sing: The Lord was enthroned, enrobed in majesty.

Elder: The Lord was enthroned, enrobed in majesty.

Sing: The Lord was enthroned, enrobed in majesty.

Sing: Lord have mercy. (40 times) Glory. Now and ever.

Psalmist: Amen. Vouchsafe, O Lord, that we be preserved this evening without sin. (Bow) Blessed art thou, O Lord God of our fathers. (Bow) And praised and glorified is thy name unto the ages, amen. (Bow) Let thy mercy be upon us, as we have hoped upon thee. Blessed art thou, O Lord, teach us in thy statutes. Blessed art thou, O Master, give us understanding in thy statutes. Blessed art thou, O Holy One, enlighten us in thy statutes. O Lord, thy mercy is unto the ages, despise not the works of thy hand. To thee is due praise. To thee is due song. To thee is glory due, to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Sing: Lord have mercy. (12 times) Glory. Now and ever.

Then the stikhera at the verses in the tone of the week, with the following verses:

The Lord was enthroned, enrobed in majesty.

For he hath made steadfast the world, which shall not be shaken.

Holiness becometh thine house, O Lord, forever

Glory. Now and ever. (According to the Ustav)

Psalmist: Now lettest thou thy servant depart, O Master, in peace, according to thy word, for mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all peoples; a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (Thrice with bows)

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost. Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. O Lord, cleanse us of our sins. O Master, pardon our transgressions. O Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities for thy names sake.

Lord have mercy. (Thrice) Glory. Now and ever.

Elder: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us. (Bow)

Psalmist: Amen.

Then the tropars. First, the Resurrectional Tropar, in the tone of the week.

Glory.

Then the tropar to the saint of the day, or the feast. If there is none, then: Glory. Now and ever.

Now and ever.

Then the bogorodichen in the tone of the last-read tropar.

Sing: More honourable than the Cherubim, and truly more glorious than the Seraphim, without corruption, having borne God the Word; who art the God-bearer, thee do we magnify. (Bow)

Glory. (Bow) Now and ever. (Bow)

Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, Lord, bless. (Bow)

Elder: Resurrected from the dead, O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, for the sake of the prayers of thy most pure Mother, of the holy, glorious, and all-priased apostles, and (the saints of the day – e.g. “and our father(s) among the saints…”), and of all the saints, have mercy on us, and save us, for thou art good and the lover of mankind.

Sing: Amen. Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy.

God, be merciful unto me, a sinner. (Bow)

O Lord, who created me, have mercy on me. (Bow)

I have sinned without number, O Lord, have mercy on me, and forgive me, a sinner. (Bow)

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost. (Bow)

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. (Bow)

Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, Lord, bless. (Bow)

Canon to the Venerable Serapion of Cheremshan

Tropar to the Venerable One, Tone 1, in the melody “In birthgiving thou didst preserve thy virginity…”

Thou wast on earth an angel and in heaven a man, O wise Serapion, a rule of virtues; with love thou didst ascend unto the True Life, and by thy prayers do thou deliver our souls from death.

Canon, Tone 2, with acrostic: “I shall praise the holy Serapion.” (Серапиона восхвалю святаго)

Ode 1

Irmos: The Lord, mighty in battle, hath opened a path through the deep and led His people forth upon the dry land, submerging their adversaries therein; for He hath been glorified.

Refrain: Venerable Father Serapion, pray to God for us. (bow)

Grant me utterance, O Lord, that I may dare to hymn the venerable Serapion, ever-memorable lamp of Cheremshan.

Venerable Father Serapion, pray to God for us.

Obeying the voice of the Gospel, he truly denied himself for the sake of Christ the Master, and, taking up the cross of his ascetic struggle, he ran after Him.

Glory. Leaving the house of thy parents and thy kinsmen, O venerable one, from thy youth thou didst pass through the desert habitations; and for thy life equal to the angels, thou wast made worthy of the angelic image.

Now & ever. Bogorodichen: Though thou didst give birth to God in the flesh, O God-childing Virgin, thou didst remain a Virgin still. O most glorious wonder wrought in thee, O all-blessed one!

Katavasia: Deliver thy servants from afflictions, O venerable father and confessor Serapion; for after God we all take refuge in thee, for thou prayest for us unto Christ our God. (bow)

Lord, have mercy (thrice, with bows).

Ode 3

Irmos: The wilderness hath blossomed as a lily, O Lord, the Gentile Church once barren, at Thy coming; for her sake hast Thou established my heart.

Refrain: Venerable Father Serapion, pray to God for us.

Thou didst blossom like a fragrant lily, O father, and like David’s palm tree, bringing forth a hundredfold fruit unto the Master, in whom thy heart was established.

Venerable Father Serapion, pray to God for us.

The Lord, Shepherd of the New Israel, chose thee, O wondrous father, and set thee as a pastor, strengthening the hearts of monastics.

Glory. O Serapion, heeding not the fear of persecution, thou didst return again to the borders of Rus’, and didst find a place by flowing waters, where thou didst establish thy dwelling.

Now & ever. Bogorodichen: Having borne the Lord incorruptibly and ineffably, rejoice, O Most Hymned Mother, and vouchsafe incorruptible joy to them that ever hymn thee.

Katavasia: Deliver thy servants from afflictions, O venerable father and confessor Serapion; for after God we all take refuge in thee, for thou prayest for us unto Christ our God. (bow)

Lord, have mercy (thrice, with bows).

Sedalen, Tone 4

(To the melody: “Quickly go before…”): O radiant lamp of the truth of Christ, thou didst preserve the unerring faith unto the end, O godly-voiced father; thou didst reject the heresies of blasphemous unbelievers and didst quench the flame of carnal passions. Wherefore, as a favorite of Christ, thou enlightenest all.

Glory, now & ever. Bogorodichen: O Most Pure Virgin, having given birth to the supremely rich God, cease not to pray with the bodiless hosts, that He grant us remission of sins and amendment of life before the end, to us who with faith and love sing to thee our due praises, O thou alone Most Praised.

Ode 4

Irmos: Having come forth from the Virgin, not as an intercessor nor angel, but Thou Thyself, O Lord, didst become incarnate, and didst save me, the whole man; therefore I cry unto Thee: Glory to Thy power!

Refrain: Venerable Father Serapion, pray to God for us.

Imitating the Lamb of God, Who taketh away the sins of the world, in meekness, mercy, and perpetual forgiveness, O Father Serapion, thou wast made worthy of His mercy.

Venerable Father Serapion, pray to God for us.

Soaring ever in thy purified mind toward the Throne of the Most High, O Serapion, equal to the angels, thou now standest with the angels before Him in the heavens.

Glory. With the fire of thy love for the Lord, thou didst consume the thorns of sin, and didst make thy soul fruitful; thus thou didst offer a hundredfold harvest of virtues unto the Master.

Now & ever. Bogorodichen: By the counsel of the Unoriginate Father, and the operation of the Most Holy Spirit, thou didst conceive the Eternal Son, O most glorious Virgin, and gavest birth unto Him Who hath opened to us the gate of salvation.

Katavasia: Deliver thy servants from afflictions, O venerable father and confessor Serapion; for after God we all take refuge in thee, for thou prayest for us unto Christ our God. (bow)

Lord, have mercy (thrice, with bows).

Ode 5

Irmos: O Christ, my Savior, Enlightenment to those who sit in darkness and Salvation to the hopeless: unto Thee I rise early, O King of peace; illumine me with Thy radiant light, for beside Thee we know no other God.

Refrain: Venerable Father Serapion, pray to God for us.

Becoming a partaker in the radiance of Christ’s illumination, O Serapion, through prayer and purity, and through daily service in dread of the divine Mysteries, thou hast been made to dwell in the unapproachable light.

Venerable Father Serapion, pray to God for us.

By thy continual vigils through the night, thy many labors, thy unceasing almsgiving, and thy teaching of divine doctrines, O Serapion, thou didst appear a wondrous favorite of God.

Glory. The sacred confessor Arkady, and the wondrous martyrs Gennady and Konon, living sufferers of Suzdal, laid the relics of the ancient martyrs, consecrating the church which thou, O father, hadst built.

Now & ever. Bogorodichen: Thou didst ineffably contain in thy womb Him who is uncontainable, the Creator of all creation; and thou didst nourish with thy virginal milk Him who feedeth all beneath the sun. O what a supernatural mystery is wrought in thee, O Bride of God!

Katavasia: Deliver thy servants from afflictions, O venerable father and confessor Serapion; for after God we all take refuge in thee, for thou prayest for us unto Christ our God. (bow)

Lord, have mercy (thrice, with bows).

Ode 6

Irmos: Held fast in the abyss of sin, I cry unto the unfathomable abyss of Thy mercy: raise me up from corruption, O my God.

Refrain: Venerable Father Serapion, pray to God for us.

O wise instructor of the young, guide me, who am childish in understanding, along the paths of virtue, O father Serapion.

Venerable Father Serapion, pray to God for us.

A shining lamp is not to be hidden beneath a bushel; and thus the Lord hath revealed thy relics, O Serapion, as incorrupt.

Glory. Grant that I, who am a partaker in all the evil of this world, may, through thy prayers, O father, be delivered from the filth of my sins and made worthy to partake of the incorruptible food.

Now & ever. Bogorodichen: With my unworthy tongue, how dare I hymn thee, whom all generations bless, as thou thyself didst foretell?

Katavasia: Deliver thy servants from afflictions, O venerable father and confessor Serapion; for after God we all take refuge in thee, for thou prayest for us unto Christ our God. (bow)

Lord, have mercy (thrice, without bows).

Kontakion, Tone 4: (To the melody: “Thou hast been lifted upon the Cross…”): Having followed willingly Him Who was crucified, thou didst forsake all the beauties of this world, desiring only the beauty of Christ. Now enjoying His goodness in the heavens, and having great boldness before Him, entreat peace for the world and great mercy for all Christians.

Ikos: Submitting thy whole nature to God and enkindled with divine love, thou didst rise like a spark to heaven, O wise Serapion. There, in the unapproachable light, thou beholdest clearly the Holy Trinity. Having great boldness before Him, entreat peace for the world and great mercy for all Christians.

Ode 7

Irmos: The faithful youths, having entered the burning furnace, were refreshed with the dew-bearing breath of the Spirit, and were unharmed; and the descent of the Angel of God preserved them. Therefore, amidst the flames, they sang with thanksgiving: Blessed art Thou, O Lord God of our fathers!

Refrain: Venerable Father Serapion, pray to God for us.

The affliction of imprisonment, O venerable one, thou didst drink as a cup of honey, strengthened in patience by Him Who cooled the fiery furnace for the children, who sang with thanksgiving: Blessed art Thou, O Lord God of our fathers!

Venerable Father Serapion, pray to God for us.

Though thy body, O passion-bearer Serapion, was at times confined within a prison, yet with a free spirit thou didst unceasingly glorify thy Maker, crying out as a youth: Blessed art Thou, O Lord God of our fathers!

Glory. By thy voluntary sufferings, O Serapion, thou becamest a partaker in the passions of the Lord; and thy prison was transformed into a radiant church, where with the multitude of the faithful thou didst glorify the risen Christ, singing: Blessed art Thou, O Lord God of our fathers!

Now & ever. Bogorodichen: Be thou my guide unto the haven of windless calm, O Mother of Jesus, who by His word stillest the storms and winds; that I may ever sing unto thee: Blessed art Thou, O Lord God of our fathers!

Katavasia: Deliver thy servants from afflictions, O venerable father and confessor Serapion; for after God we all take refuge in thee, for thou prayest for us unto Christ our God. (bow)

Lord, have mercy (thrice, with bows).

Ode 8

Irmos: The Babylonian furnace revealed a wondrous mystery, pouring forth dew; for it prefigured how the immaterial Fire would descend into it, and how the Jordan would endure in the flesh the Creator being baptized therein. Him do the people bless and exalt supremely unto all ages.

Refrain: Venerable Father Serapion, pray to God for us.

Thou didst appear, O Serapion, as an inexhaustible wellspring of mercy: comforting the sorrowful, visiting the sick, and supplying the needs of the poor. Thus didst thou become like unto thy Creator, whom the people bless and exalt supremely unto all ages.

Venerable Father Serapion, pray to God for us.

Thy holy tomb, O venerable one, was wondrously enriched with the gift of miracles and poureth forth healings; a stream of water by it refresheth those who come with faith. Pray thou to the Lord for them that honor thee—Him whom the people bless and exalt supremely unto all ages.

Glory. As a most excellent healer of souls, a guide to the erring, an unceasing intercessor before Christ, a minister of His Mysteries, and an adamant of faith, hath the Lord revealed thee, O Serapion—Him whom the people bless and exalt supremely unto all ages.

Now & ever. Bogorodichen: The mystery hidden from before time received its fulfillment through thee, O immaculate Virgin; for the Eternal and Incorporeal One received flesh from thee in time: the Son of God became the Son of Man—Him whom the people bless and exalt supremely unto all ages.

Katavasia: Deliver thy servants from afflictions, O venerable father and confessor Serapion; for after God we all take refuge in thee, for thou prayest for us unto Christ our God. (bow)

Lord, have mercy (thrice, with bows).

Ode 9

Irmos: Every tongue is at a loss to praise thee worthily, and every mind is confounded in striving to understand thy birthgiving, O Theotokos. Yet in thy goodness, accept our faith, for thou knowest our God-inspired love: thou art the protectress of Christians, and we magnify thee.

Refrain (with a bow): Venerable Father Serapion, pray to God for us.

Having desired the joy which is on high from thy youth, O blessed one, thou didst compel thyself to turn away from every delight of the world. Thou becamest a true monk and wast revealed as a father to monastics and an intercessor for them that honor thee.

Venerable Father Serapion, pray to God for us.

Thy spiritual garments, O Serapion, have been shown to be whiter than snow, by the purity of thy life, by fasting and unceasing prayer, and by incorruptible love. Wherefore, O wondrous father, thou wast made worthy of the heavenly bridal chamber.

Glory. Despise not this supplication offered thee from defiled and unworthy lips, O sacred father, but in thy mercy receive this uncomely hymn from me, the sinner, and pray to the all-merciful Father, that He grant me remission of sins.

Now & ever. Bogorodichen: O thou who wast betrothed to Joseph according to the law, yet wast revealed to be the Bride of the Most High beyond speech and thought, the dwelling-place of the Word of God, whom the seraphim dare not behold, yet whom thou didst bear in thine arms—the One ever borne upon the cherubim.

Katavasia: Deliver thy servants from afflictions, O venerable father and confessor Serapion; for after God we all take refuge in thee, for thou prayest for us unto Christ our God. (bow)

Lord, have mercy (thrice, with bows).

Dismissal: O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, through the prayers of Thine all-pure Mother, and of our venerable and God-bearing father and confessor Serapion, archimandrite of Cheremshan and new wonderworker, and of all the saints: have mercy on us and save us, for Thou art good and the Lover of mankind. Amen.

Canon to the Holy Hieromartyr and Confessor Pavel, Bishop of Kolomna

Tropar, Tone 8: O Hierarch Pavel, confessor and bishop of Kolomna, who didst denounce delusion and wast slain by the savage Nikon: thou art a firm hope unto the oppressed. Do thou deliver and save us who faithfully celebrate thy radiant memory. (Twice)

Glory, both now and ever. Bogorodichen: O Thou who for our sake wast born of a Virgin and didst endure the Cross, O Good One, who by Thy death didst overthrow death and as God didst manifest the resurrection: despise not the work of Thine own hands, but in Thy mercy, receive her who gave birth unto Thee—the God-bearer—who prayeth for us, and save, O our Saviour, Thy people who have sinned.

Canon, Tone 2

Ode I. Irmos: In the deep of old was drowned the whole host of Pharaoh, wielding their arms; but the Word, incarnate, hath utterly destroyed the sin that warreth against us. Gloriously hath the Lord been glorified!

Refrain with bow: O holy hieromartyr and confessor Pavel, pray unto God for us.

Strengthen, O Christ, the power of my mind, and grant me a word of divine wisdom, that I may hymn Thine ever-faithful servant and pleaser, the hierarch Pavel.

Refrain. Zealous for the Church of God, thou didst dare to expose the treachery of apostates at their assembly, who then cast thee into exile; but thou didst sing unto the Lord: Gloriously hath He been glorified!

Glory: On that day wherein Christ accomplished the bloodless sacrifice, on Great and Holy Thursday, thou, O confessor, wast consumed in fire like a sacrifice well-pleasing unto God.

Both now: More glorious than the cherubim and beyond compare more honourable than the seraphim, art thou shown to be, O Ever-Virgin, who gavest birth unto God the Word, beyond all mind and speech. Wherefore all the faithful do magnify thee.

Katavasia: Deliver from tribulations Thy servants, O holy hieromartyr and confessor Pavel; for after God do we all flee unto thee, for thou dost intercede for us before Christ our God. (Bow)

Lord, have mercy. (Thrice, with bows)

Ode III. Irmos: The wilderness hath blossomed as the lily, O Lord, the Gentile barren one hath become the Church, through Thy coming, wherein is established my heart.

Refrain: O holy hieromartyr and confessor Pavel, pray unto God for us.

Adorned with the rank of the episcopate, living a life well-pleasing unto God, and lawfully suffering for the truth, thou didst appear as an invincible bulwark of the Church, wherein was established thy heart.

Refrain. Observing the divine Gospel, thou didst not fear them that slay the body; and after thy fiery end, thou didst ascend into the heavens, to join chorus with the saints.

Glory. Shining with noble character, thou wast filled with wisdom and spiritual strength; and now thou dost shine with the glory of thy sufferings, for which thou hast received a hundredfold reward.

Both now. The Lord hath reigned over the nations, having clothed Himself in flesh from thee, O Most Pure One, delivering them from the bondage of the enemy and enlightening them with the wisdom of the Gospel.

Katavasia.

Lord, have mercy. (Thrice, with bows)

Sessional Hymn (Sedalen), Tone 7: Celebrating thy radiant memory, O wondrous hierarch of Christ Pavel, we entreat thee, as a great intercessor and comforter: beseech Christ God to grant unity of mind unto His Church, salvation unto us Christians, and great mercy.

Glory, both now and ever. Bogorodichen: He who is incomprehensibly begotten of the Father did not depart from His bosom, but became incarnate of thee, O Virgin Mary, for the salvation of the world; and even after birth, He did preserve thee as a Virgin. O God-bearer, entreat Him to deliver us from the arrows of sin and to save those who glorify thee in faith.

Ode IV. Irmos: Not a mediator nor an angel, but Thou Thyself, O Lord, didst come forth from the Virgin and wast incarnate, and didst save the whole of me, man; to Thee I cry: Glory to Thy power, O Lord!

Refrain. Thou didst proclaim the Unity of the Pre-Eternal Trinity, which thou didst serve in faith and love, O hieromartyr; and now do thou pray that worldly tumults may be stilled, and that those who hymn thee may be saved.

Refrain. Worthy of praise is the memory of the righteous; for thou didst live righteously and wast slain by the unrighteous, and hast received thy reward from the Righteous Judge.

Glory. Thou didst emulate the zeal of Elias, O hierarch, reproving delusion and teaching all not to depart from the right faith of Christ, which is more precious than all things.

Both now. Daniel beheld thee as the mountain unhewn, O God-bearer, for from thee was cut without hands the Stone, Christ, who hath shattered the deception of the demons and filled the whole earth with the knowledge of God in truth.

Katavasia.

Lord, have mercy. (Thrice, with bows)

Ode V. Irmos: Thou wast made the Mediator between God and men, O Christ our God; for through Thee, O Master, we have found a path to the Father, the Origin of Light, having been led from the night of ignorance.

Refrain. Brighter than the sun hath thy memory shone forth, O confessor; and keeping feast thereon, we glorify thy struggles, asking Christ to grant us, through thee, forgiveness of sins.

Refrain. Who would not marvel at thy humility and courage, O glorious one? For thou alone didst dare to expose wicked schemes at the council, fearing neither torments nor death.

Glory. Thou didst purify thy soul through abstinence, prayer, and grace; cleanse our souls, we pray thee, of sinful passions and every stumbling-block, by thy prayers, O holy hieromartyr.

Both now. We confess thee alone to be the God-bearer, for thou alone didst give birth to the one Christ God. Entreat Him in behalf of all who call upon thee in faith and love.

Katavasia.

Lord, have mercy. (Thrice, with bows)

Ode VI. Irmos: Held fast in the abyss of sin, I cry unto the unfathomable abyss of Thy mercy, O God: lead me up from corruption.

Refrain. Thou didst endure bitter exile, unlawfully cast down from the episcopal throne; yet thou wast found worthy to stand before the throne of the glory of God, with hierarchs and martyrs.

Refrain. Following after Christ in apostolic manner, thou didst confess His Gospel teaching before the tormentor, O hierarch Pavel, fearing neither fetters, nor prison, nor death.

Glory. Thou didst liken thyself unto the true Shepherd, Christ, laying down thy life for thy sheep, confirming them in piety both by word and by deed, and leading them not away from the pasture of righteousness.

Both now. Let all the race of man rejoice, O Most Pure One, and let assemblies of the faithful chant thy praises; for thou hast borne Christ the Savior, the Deliverer of our souls.

Katavasia.

Lord, have mercy. (Thrice, without bows)

Glory… Both now…

Kontakion, Tone 3: Like a northern star unmoved, thou shinest upon the firmament of the Church, revealing the rule of faith, for the sake of which thou didst suffer, O hieromartyr Pavel. Wherefore Christ hath given thee unto His Church as a guide and teacher, and as a boast and confirmation unto all the faithful.

Ikos: Desiring ever to behold Christ, the Light eternal and unwaning, thou didst meekly endure suffering like a lamb, at the hands of a spiritual wolf clothed in the vesture of a shepherd. Unable to bear thy zeal for the holy Faith, he tore at thee in the midst of the council, stripping from thee thy holy omophorion, and casting thee into exile, where thou didst suffer and die as a martyr, O hierarch. Wherefore we honor thee with love as a teacher of the Church, and a boast and confirmation unto all the faithful.

Ode VII. Irmos: The ungodly command of the lawless tyrant once raised the flame on high against God, but Christ stretched forth a spiritual dew unto the pious children, for He is blessed and exceedingly glorified.

Refrain. Thou wast not terrified by threats of torment and death, but didst boldly withstand the distortion of the apostolic tradition, crying aloud unto God: Blessed art Thou and exceedingly glorified.

Refrain. A steadfast pillar of the Church wast thou revealed to be, for neither beatings, nor wounds, nor even the threat of death could shake thee, as thou didst cry unto Christ: Blessed art Thou and exceedingly glorified.

Glory. Thy zeal, O hieromartyr, became a two-edged sword against the enemies of God, striking them down not with carnal might, but by the power of Christ our God, who is blessed and exceedingly glorified.

Both now. O Christ, who dost cast down the proud and exalt the humble, still the enemies who rise up against us, and save our souls through the prayers of Her who gave Thee birth.

Katavasia.

Lord, have mercy. (Thrice, with bows)

Ode VIII. Irmos: The fiery furnace in Babylon once divided its operation by God’s command: for it consumed the Chaldeans, but refreshed the faithful, who sang: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord.

Refrain. Thy blood, dripping upon the earth, became spiritual seed, from which sprang forth hosts of martyrs, multitudes of the faithful, and ranks of priests and bishops crying aloud: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord.

Refrain. O all ye faithful, come, let us worship Christ (bow), giving thanks, for in these latter days He hath revealed such an intercessor and advocate—Pavel the hieromartyr—crying: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord.

Glory. To us who honor thee with love, O hierarch, grant remission of sins by thy prayers unto the All-Holy Trinity, whom we glorify in one essence, singing: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord.

Both now. Having thee as our Protectress and mighty Helper, O God-bearer, we pray thee: deliver us from every evil circumstance, as we cry: Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord.

Katavasia.

Lord, have mercy. (Thrice, with bows)

Ode IX. Irmos: The Son of the Father without beginning, God and Lord, became incarnate of the Virgin, appearing unto us to enlighten those in darkness and to gather the dispersed. Therefore, we magnify the all-praised God-bearer.

Refrain (with a bow). Thou wast named after the Chief Apostle, and didst emulate him, with steadfast faith and sufferings for the word of God; with him now pray thou also on our behalf.

Refrain. He who unjustly cast thee from the episcopal throne fled of his own accord from his own see, driven by no man, but only by the providence of God; and rightly was he stripped of rank and honor, but thee hath the Lord glorified as a hieromartyr.

Glory. Thou wast revealed to be a great intercessor for us sinners, having finished thy life as a true hierarch and dying as a martyr and confessor; and now thou dost rejoice with the saints in triumph.

Both now. Thou hast been exalted above all the ranks of the heavenly powers, O God-bearer, for thou didst bear the Son who before the morning star shone forth from God the Father. To Him do we bow in worship (bow), and thee, the all-praised God-bearer, do we magnify.

Katavasia:

Dismissal: O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, through the prayers of Thine all-pure Mother, and of the holy hieromartyr and confessor Pavel, bishop of Kolomna, and of all the saints, have mercy on us and save us, for Thou art good and the Lover of mankind. Amen.

Morning and Evening Prayers

In the morning, having risen from sleep, still lying in bed, make the sign of the cross and say the prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”

Having risen from bed and washed your face, and likewise in the evening before sleep, stand reverently before the holy icons, and, looking upon them and directing your thoughts toward the invisible God and His saints, devoutly and without haste, making the sign of the cross and bowing, say with compunction the prayer of the publican:

God, be merciful unto me, a sinner. (Bow)

O Lord, who created me, have mercy on me. (Bow)

I have sinned without number, O Lord, have mercy on me, and forgive me, a sinner. (Bow)

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost. (Bow)

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. (Bow)

Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, Lord, bless. (Bow)

These prayers are called the “Beginning,” or Entrance and Departure bows, because they are performed at the beginning and after every rule of prayer.

After this, repeat the prayer of the publican with bows:

God, be merciful unto me, a sinner. (Bow)

O Lord, who created me, have mercy on me. (Bow)

I have sinned without number, O Lord, have mercy on me, and forgive me, a sinner. (Bow)

And with reverence begin the prayers.

Through the prayers of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us. Amen. (Bow to the waist)

These prayers are only said in the morning.

Making the sign of the cross, say:

Glory to thee, our God, glory to thee for the sake of all things. (Thrice)

O God, cleanse me a sinner, for never have I done good before thee. (Bow)

But deliver me from the evil one, and let thy will be in me. (Bow)

That without condemnation, I may open mine unworthy mouth, and praise thy holy name, of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen. (Bow)

Make the sign of the cross and say:

During the Paschal season, “O Heavenly King is replaced with “Christ Resurrected”:

Christ resurrected from the dead, by death he trod upon death, and to those in the tombs he bestowed life.

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (Thrice with bows)

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost. Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. O Lord, cleanse us of our sins. O Master, pardon our transgressions. O Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities for thy names sake.

Lord have mercy. (Thrice) Glory. Now and ever.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us. (Bow) Amen.

Lord have mercy. (12 times)

In the morning, say this prayer:

Having risen from sleep, I thank thee, O All-Holy Trinity, as, for the sake of thy great goodness and long-sufferance, thou wast not angered at me, thy sinful and slothful servant; and thou hast not destroyed me with mine iniquities, but didst show love for mankind. And lying in despair hath he raised me to keep the morning office and to glorify thine invincible dominion. And now, O Master, O Most Holy God, enlighten the eyes of my heart, and open my lips to be instructed in thy words, and to understand thy commandments; to do thy will, and to sing to thee in heartfelt confession, even to sing forth and glorify thy most honorable and glorious name: of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages, amen.

In the evening, say:

Glory. Now and ever.

Come, let us worship the King, our God. (Bow)

Come, let us worship Christ, the King and our God. (Bow)

Come, let us worship and fall down before the very Lord Jesus Christ, the King and our God. (Bow)

Fortifying ourselves reverently with the sign of the cross, we pronounce with deep attention the words of the holy Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council.

Then the words of the fathers of the Second Ecumenical Council.

O Virgin God-bearer, rejoice, O Mary, made joyous, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the Fruit of thy womb, for thou barest Christ the Savior, the Deliverer of our souls. (Thrice with bows)

O All-praised Mother, that didst bear of all the holies, the holiest Word; having received the present offering, deliver all from every affliction, and snatch away from approaching torments those crying out to thee, Alleluia. (Thrice with prostrations)

Invincible and divine might of the honourable and life-giving Cross of the Lord, forsake me not, a sinner, who hopeth on thee. (Bow)

O my most holy mistress God-bearer, have mercy on me, and save me; and help me now in this life, and at the departure of my soul, and in the age to come. (Bow)

All heavenly powers, holy angels and archangels, cherubim and seraphim, have mercy on me, and pray for me, a sinner, unto the Lord God, and help me now in this life, and at the departure of my soul, and in the age to come. (Bow)

Angel of Christ, my holy guardian, have mercy on me, and pray for me, a sinner, unto the Lord God, and help me now in this life, and at the departure of my soul, and in the age to come. (Bow)

Holy great John, prophet and Forerunner of the Lord, have mercy on me, and pray for me, a sinner, unto the Lord God, and help me now in this life, and at the departure of my soul, and in the age to come. (Bow)

Holy glorious apostles, prophets and martyrs, hierarchs, the venerable and righteous, and all saints, have mercy on me, and pray for me, a sinner, unto the Lord God, and help me now in this life, and at the departure of my soul, and in the age to come. (Bow)

Then say these prayers thrice each with bows:

Most Holy Trinity, our God, glory to Thee.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

Glory, O Lord, to thine honourable Cross.

Most holy lady God-bearer, save me, thy sinful servant.

Angel of Christ, my holy guardian, save me thy sinful servant.

Holy archangels and angels, pray to God for me, a sinner.

Holy great John, prophet and Forerunner, Baptist of the Lord, pray to God for me, a sinner.

Holy glorious prophet Iliya, pray to God for me, a sinner.

Holy forefathers, pray to God for me, a sinner.

Holy prophets, pray to God for me, a sinner.

Holy apostles, pray to God for me, a sinner.

Holy glorious apostles and evangelists Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John the Theologian, pray to God for me, a sinner.

Holy glorious chief apostles Peter and Paul, pray to God for me, a sinner.

Holy three great hierarchs: Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, and John the Golden-mouth, pray to God for me, a sinner.

Hierarch of Christ Nikola, pray to God for me, a sinner.

Venerable father Sergiy, pray to God for me, a sinner.

Holy hieromartyr and confessor Avvakum, pray to God for me, a sinner.

Hierarch of Christ and confessor Ambrose, pray to God for me, a sinner.

Our venerable and God-bearing fathers, shepherds and teachers of all the world, pray to God for me, a sinner.

All ye saints, pray to God for me, a sinner.

After this, pray to the saint whose name you bear, and to the saint commemorated on this day, as well as to any other saints you wish. Don’t forget to also fulfill any penance—such bows as your spiritual father has assigned to you.

Then pray for the well-being of the ruling bishop, your spiritual father, your parents, relatives, and loved ones, saying the following three times with bows (fifteen bows in total):

O merciful Lord, save and have mercy on thy servant(s) (Name them and bow)

Deliver them (him/her) from every affliction, wrath, and necessity. (Bow)

From every sickness of soul and body. (Bow)

And forgive them (him/her) every sin, voluntary and involuntary. (Bow)

And grant what is beneficial unto our souls. (Bow)

Then pray for the repose of the souls of spiritual fathers, parents, loved ones, and anyone for whom you have heartfelt concern, saying the following three times with bows:

Grant rest, O Lord to the soul(s) fallen asleep of thy servant(s) (name them and bow).

And in this life, inasmuch as they have (he/she has) sinned as men (man), yet thou as God, the Lover of mankind, forgive them (him/her) and have mercy. (Bow)

Deliver them (him/her) from eternal torments. (Bow)

Make them (him/her a) communicant(s) of thy heavenly kingdom. (Bow)

And grant what is beneficial unto our souls. (Bow)

Then, completing the prayers, say:

O Lord, whether by word, or by deed, or by thought, I have sinned in all my life; have mercy on me and forgive me for the sake of thy mercy. (Prostration)

All my hope do I lay upon thee, O Mother of God; preserve me under thine own shelter. (Prostration)

My hope is God, and my refuge is Christ, and my protector is the Holy Ghost. (Prostration)

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost. (Bow)

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. (Bow)

Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, Lord, bless. (Bow)

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, for the sake of the prayers of thy Most-pure Mother and our venerable and God-bearing fathers, and of all the saints, have mercy and save me, a sinner, for thou art Good, and the Lover of mankind. Amen.

And, bowing down to the ground without making the sign of the Cross, read the prayer of forgiveness:

Loose, pardon, and remit my sins, O God: voluntary and involuntary, which are in word and in deed, in knowledge and in ignorance, in the mind and in thought, in the day and in the night, forgive me all, for thou art Good and the Lover of mankind. Amen.

Rising back up, read these prayers, each with bows:

O Lord, Lover of mankind, forgive those who hate and those who offend us. To those who do good, render good; to our brethren and all our kinsmen who have secluded, grant them all petitions which are unto salvation and life eternal. (Bow)

Visit and heal those who are in sickness, free those who are in confinement, be a guide to those sailing over the seas, set straight and prosper those journeying on paths. (Bow)

Remember also, O Lord, our enslaved brethren of the same Orthodox faith, and deliver them from every evil circumstance. (Bow)

Have mercy, O Lord, on those who have given us charity, and who have commanded us unworthy ones to pray for them; forgive them and have mercy. (Bow)

Have mercy, O Lord, on those who toil, and who serve us; who are merciful and who nourish us, and grant them all petitions which are unto salvation and life eternal. (Bow)

Remember, O Lord, our fathers and brethren who have already departed, and settle them where shineth the light of thy face. (Bow)

Remember also, O Lord, our wretchedness and lowliness, and enlighten our mind with the light of understanding of thy holy Gospel, and guide us on the path of thy commandments, by the prayers of thy Most-pure Mother and of all thy saints. Amen. (Bow)

These prayers conclude with the customary seven-bow beginning:

God, be merciful unto me, a sinner. (Bow)

O Lord, who created me, have mercy on me. (Bow)

I have sinned without number, O Lord, have mercy on me, and forgive me, a sinner. (Bow)

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost. (Bow)

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. (Bow)

Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, Lord, bless. (Bow)

At the end of the prayers, both in the morning and in the evening, making the sign of the Cross with your baptismal cross, say:

O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, bless, sanctify, and preserve me by the power of thy life-giving Cross. (After this, kiss the cross)

In the evening, before sleep, read the prayer to the Cross (making the sign of the Cross):

May God arise, and his enemies be scattered, and let those that hate him flee from his face. As smoke vanisheth, let them vanish. As wax melteth from the face of the flame, so may the demons perish from the face of those who love God, and who mark themselves with the sign of the Cross. And let us be exceeding glad, saying: Rejoice, O Cross of the Lord, that drivest away demons by the power of our Lord Jesus Christ crucified upon thee, who descended into Hades and trampled upon the power of the devil, and gave us his honourable Cross for the repelling every adversary. O most honourable and life-giving Cross of the Lord, help me, with the most holy Lady, the God-bearer, and with with all the holy heavenly powers, always, and now and ever, and unto the ages of ages, amen.

During Great Lent, except on Saturdays, Sundays, and feast days, after the prayer “O Heavenly King” in the evening and morning prayers, a full prostration is made. And all bows during this time should be full prostrations.

Also during Great Lent, before the dismissal, the prayer “More honorable than the Cherubim” is read in full, followed by a full prostration. Then say:

In the name of the Lord, bless, father.

Through the prayers of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us. Amen. (Always followed by a bow to the waist.)

Then the prayer of Saint Ephraim the Syrian is read:

O Lord and Master of my life, the spirit of dejection, negligence, silver-lust, and idle talk, banish from me. (Prostration)

But the spirit of whole-mindedness, lowliness, long-suffering, and love, vouchsafe me, thy servant. (Prostration)

Yea, O Lord the King, vouchsafe me to behold my transgressions, and that I condemn not my brother, for blessed art thou unto the ages. Amen. (Prostration)

Then 12 prostrations with the prayers:

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner (Twice)

O God, be merciful to me, a sinner.

O God, cleanse my sins, and have mercy on me.

O Lord, who created me, have mercy on me.

I have sinned without number, O Lord, forgive me.

Repeat the six prostrations for a total of 12, followed by the prayer of St. Ephraim in full, followed by one more prostration:

O Lord and Master of my life, the spirit of dejection, negligence, silver-lust, and idle talk, banish from me. But the spirit of whole-mindedness, lowliness, long-suffering, and love, vouchsafe me, thy servant. Yea, O Lord the King, vouchsafe me to behold my transgressions, and that I condemn not my brother, for blessed art thou unto the ages. Amen. (Prostration)

Glory. Now and ever. Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, Lord bless.

Then the dismissal and forgiveness.

Prayers at Meals

He who sincerely gives thanks to God in prayer both at the beginning and at the end of a meal will not fall into drunkenness or disorder, will never suffer the consequences of gluttony, but, restraining his thoughts with the expectation of prayer as with a bridle, will partake of all that is offered in due measure—and thus bring great benefit to both soul and body. A table that begins and ends with prayer will never lack, but will bring forth every blessing more abundantly than a fountain. Let us not neglect such benefit!
—St. John Chrysostom

Prayers Before the Noon Meal

Standing before the holy icons, after preparing the meal, say:

Through the prayers of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us. Amen. (Bow)

Glory. (Bow) Now and ever. (Bow) Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, Lord, bless. (Bow)

Through the prayers of thy most-pure Mother and all thy saints, Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us. Amen. (Bow)

O God, be merciful unto me, a sinner. (Bow)

O Lord who created me, have mercy on me. (Bow)

I have sinned without number, O Lord, have mercy and forgive me, a sinner. (Bow)

Sit at the table with reverence. Before beginning the meal, the eldest should say the Jesus Prayer aloud, and those present should respond: “Amen.”

Then should be said by those present: “Bless us to eat.” The eldest replies: “God will bless.” And they eat in silence and with prayer, to the glory of God. If it happens that a fellow Christian enters the room during the meal, he should say: “An angel is at the table.”
Those at the table respond: “He standeth invisibly.”

Prayers After the Noon Meal

At the end of the meal, make the sign of the Cross and leave the table; standing before the holy icons, say:

Through the prayers of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us. Amen. (Bow)

Glory. (Bow) Now and ever. (Bow) Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, Lord, bless. (Bow)

Through the prayers of thy most-pure Mother and all thy saints, Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us. Amen. (Bow)

And 12 bows with the Jesus Prayer:

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

Next, pray for the health and salvation of those who show mercy and provide for us, saying the following three times with bows:

O merciful Lord, save and have mercy on thy servant(s), who show mercy, and give nourishment (Name them and bow).

Deliver them (him/her) from every affliction, wrath, and necessity. (Bow)

From every sickness of soul and body. (Bow)

And forgive them (him/her) every sin, voluntary and involuntary. (Bow)

And grant what is beneficial unto our souls. (Bow)

Then three bows with the prayer of the Publican:

God, be merciful unto me, a sinner. (Bow)

O Lord, who created me, have mercy on me. (Bow)

I have sinned without number, O Lord, have mercy on me, and forgive me, a sinner. (Bow)

After this, give thanks for the meal and say: “May Christ save you and preserve you for many years!”

In some places, there is a custom: after the prayer “For the health and salvation,” they sing three times “And preserve them for many years,” and then make three bows with the prayer of the publican, and give thanks for the meal.

Prayers Before the Evening Meal

Through the prayers of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us. Amen. (Bow)

The poor shall eat and be satisfied, and them that seek after the Lord shall praise him, their hearts shall live unto the ages of ages.

Glory. (Bow) Now and ever. (Bow) Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, Lord, bless. (Bow)

Through the prayers of thy most-pure Mother and all thy saints, Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us. Amen. (Bow)

O God, be merciful unto me, a sinner. (Bow)

O Lord who created me, have mercy on me. (Bow)

I have sinned without number, O Lord, have mercy and forgive me, a sinner. (Bow)

Prayers After the Evening Meal

Through the prayers of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us. Amen. (Bow)

Glory. Now and ever. Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, Lord, bless. (Without bows)

Thy womb became a holy table, bearing Christ the heavenly Bread; all that eateth from him dieth not, as spake the Sustainer of all things, O God-bearer. More honourable than the Cherubim, and truly more glorious than the Seraphim, without corruption, having borne God the Word; who art the God-bearer, thee do we magnify. (Bow)

Thou hast gladdened me, O Lord, in thy creation, and in the works of thy hand, I shall rejoice. The light of thy face, O Lord, hath been signed upon us; thou hast put gladness in my heart. From the fruit of their wheat, wine, and oil, are they increased. In peace I shall both lay me down and sleep. For thou, O Lord, alone hast made me dwell in hope.

Glory. (Bow) Now and ever. (Bow) Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, Lord, bless. (Bow)

Through the prayers of thy most-pure Mother and all thy saints, Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us. Amen. (Bow)

And 12 bows with the Jesus Prayer:

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

Next, pray for the health and salvation of those who show mercy and provide for us, saying the following three times with bows:

O merciful Lord, save and have mercy on thy servant(s), who show mercy, and give nourishment (Name them and bow).

Deliver them (him/her) from every affliction, wrath, and necessity. (Bow)

From every sickness of soul and body. (Bow)

And forgive them (him/her) every sin, voluntary and involuntary. (Bow)

And grant what is beneficial unto our souls. (Bow)

Then three bows with the prayer of the Publican:

God, be merciful unto me, a sinner. (Bow)

O Lord, who created me, have mercy on me. (Bow)

I have sinned without number, O Lord, have mercy on me, and forgive me, a sinner. (Bow)

What the Prayer “The Poor Shall Eat” Reminds Us Of

The words of the prayer recall one of the Beatitudes: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
It is they who shall glorify the Lord, for they will have found what they sought. Likewise, it is fitting for us to seek not only bodily nourishment, but spiritual as well.

What the Words “Thy Womb Became” in the Prayer Mean

The Greek word trapeza can be translated as table. The womb of the God-bearer became a holy table which bore the heavenly Bread — Christ. From Him (that is, from Christ), whoever eats shall not die, as the Giver of all sustenance, Christ Himself, has said.
The Most Holy God-bearer, in bearing the Incarnate Word of God, became the vessel of the Life-giving Bread — of which the One born of her, our Lord Jesus Christ, said: “This is the Bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die… He that eateth My flesh and drinketh My blood hath eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:50, 54).

Thus, in this prayer we give thanks to God for the nourishment of our bodies and at the same time recall the nourishment of the soul — which is the partaking of the Body and Blood of Christ in the Mystery of Communion.

Liturgical Articles

Order of Renouncing Heresy (Small Beginning)

From a debate between A.A. Antipin and Pomor apologist V.A. Voykin

God, be merciful unto me, a sinner. (Bow)

O Lord, who created me, have mercy on me. (Bow)

I have sinned without number, O Lord, have mercy on me, and forgive me, a sinner. (Bow)

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost. (Bow)

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. (Bow)

Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, Lord, bless. (Bow)

Through the prayers of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us. Amen. (Bow to the waist)

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (Thrice with bows)

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost. Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. O Lord, cleanse us of our sins. O Master, pardon our transgressions. O Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities for thy names sake.

Lord have mercy. (Thrice) Glory. Now and ever.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us. (Bow) Amen.

Lord have mercy. (12 times) Glory. Now and ever.

Come, let us worship the King, our God. (Bow)

Come, let us worship Christ, the King and our God. (Bow)

Come, let us worship and fall down before the very Lord Jesus Christ, the King and our God. (Bow)

Then, the following prayers and Symbol of Faith are read three times in full:

I believe in the Holy Trinity — the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost — and in confirmation of this my promise, I recite the confession of the Orthodox faith:

O Merciful Lord, look upon Thy servant, [name], who hath come unto Thee: save him and have mercy on him. (Bow)

Lord, have mercy (40 times with three bows). Glory. Now and ever.

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost.

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen

From this point, the one being received begins to pray together with the faithful:

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (Thrice with bows)

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost. Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. O Lord, cleanse us of our sins. O Master, pardon our transgressions. O Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities for thy names sake.

Lord have mercy. (Thrice) Glory. Now and ever.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us. (Bow) Amen.

O Lord, save thy people, and bless thine inheritance. Grant victories to the Russian realm over adversaries, and by the Cross, preserving thy people.

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost.

Thou didst appear today unto the world, and thy light, O Lord, hath been signed upon us, in the understanding of those praising thee: the Light unapproachable hath come and hath been revealed.

Now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Then the one coming makes three prostrations, saying twice:

Glory, O Lord, to Thy precious Cross.

Then kisses the Cross. Then one more prostration:

Glory, O Lord, to Thy precious Cross.

Then venerate all the icons: the Savior, the Cross, the God-bearer, and the saints (as available).

O Merciful Lord, look upon Thy servant, [name], who hath come unto Thee: save him and have mercy on him. (Bow)

Lord, have mercy (40 times with three bows).

Lord have mercy (Thrice) Glory. Now and ever.

More honourable than the Cherubim, and truly more glorious than the Seraphim, without corruption, having borne God the Word; who art the God-bearer, thee do we magnify. (Bow)

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. (Bow)

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen. (Bow)

Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, Lord, bless. (Bow)

And the dismissal.

Sunday Vespers for Serving Without a Priest

Begin with the entrance bows:

God, be merciful unto me, a sinner. (Bow)

O Lord, who created me, have mercy on me. (Bow)

I have sinned without number, O Lord, have mercy on me, and forgive me, a sinner. (Bow)

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost. (Bow)

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. (Bow) Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, Lord, bless. (Bow)

God, be merciful unto me, a sinner. (Bow)

O Lord, who created me, have mercy on me. (Bow)

I have sinned without number, O Lord, have mercy on me, and forgive me, a sinner. (Bow)

After the Entrance Bows, (waist, always):

Elder: Through the prayers of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us. (Bow)

Psalmist: Amen.

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (Thrice with bows)

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost. Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. O Lord, cleanse us of our sins. O Master, pardon our transgressions. O Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities for thy names sake.

Lord have mercy. (Thrice) Glory. Now and ever.

Elder: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us. (Bow)

Psalmist: Amen. Lord have mercy. (12 times) Glory. Now and ever.

Come, let us worship the King, our God. (Bow)

Come, let us worship Christ, the King and our God. (Bow)

Come, let us worship and fall down before the very Lord Jesus Christ, the King and our God. (Bow)

Glory. Now and ever. Alleluia, alleluia, glory to thee, O God. (Thrice with bows)

Sing: Lord have mercy. (12 times) Glory. Now and ever.

Kathisma I

Glory. Now and ever. Alleluia, alleluia, glory to thee, O God. (Thrice with bows)

Lord have mercy (Thrice). Glory. Now and ever.

Glory. Now and ever. Alleluia, alleluia, glory to thee, O God. (Thrice with bows)

Lord have mercy (Thrice). Glory. Now and ever.

Glory. Now and ever. Alleluia, alleluia, glory to thee, O God. (Thrice with bows)

Lord have mercy (Thrice). Glory. Now and ever.

Psalm 116. O praise the Lord, all ye heathen; exalt him, all ye peoples. For his mercy was made firm upon us, and the truth of the Lord endureth forever.

Then the stichera of the day. On Sundays, there are always 10.

Glory. Now and ever. (According to the Ustav)

Elder: O Gentle Light.

Elder: The Prokeimen from the Psalm of David. The Lord was enthroned, enrobed in majesty.

Sing: The Lord was enthroned, enrobed in majesty.

Elder: The Lord hath robed himself in might, and girded himself.

Sing: The Lord was enthroned, enrobed in majesty.

Elder: For he hath made steadfast the world, which shall not be shaken.

Sing: The Lord was enthroned, enrobed in majesty.

Elder: Holiness becometh thine house, O Lord, forever.

Sing: The Lord was enthroned, enrobed in majesty.

Elder: The Lord was enthroned, enrobed in majesty.

Sing: The Lord was enthroned, enrobed in majesty.

Sing: Lord have mercy. (40 times) Glory. Now and ever.

Sing: Lord have mercy. (12 times) Glory. Now and ever.

Then the stikhera at the verses in the tone of the week, with the following verses:

The Lord was enthroned, enrobed in majesty.

For he hath made steadfast the world, which shall not be shaken.

Holiness becometh thine house, O Lord, forever

Glory. Now and ever. (According to the Ustav)

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (Thrice with bows)

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost. Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. O Lord, cleanse us of our sins. O Master, pardon our transgressions. O Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities for thy names sake.

Lord have mercy. (Thrice) Glory. Now and ever.

Elder: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us. (Bow)

Psalmist: Amen.

Then the tropars. First, the Resurrectional Tropar, in the tone of the week.

Glory.

Then the tropar to the saint of the day, or the feast. If there is none, then: Glory. Now and ever.

Now and ever.

Then the bogorodichen in the tone of the last-read tropar.

Sing: More honourable than the Cherubim, and truly more glorious than the Seraphim, without corruption, having borne God the Word; who art the God-bearer, thee do we magnify. (Bow)

Glory. (Bow) Now and ever. (Bow)

Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, Lord, bless. (Bow)

Sing: Amen. Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy.

God, be merciful unto me, a sinner. (Bow)

O Lord, who created me, have mercy on me. (Bow)

I have sinned without number, O Lord, have mercy on me, and forgive me, a sinner. (Bow)

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost. (Bow)

Now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. (Bow)

Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, Lord, bless. (Bow)

Preparing Leaven and Dough for Prosphora

Pour one mug (400 ml) of warm, unboiled spring or well water into a glass jar (with a capacity of at least 1 liter) or an enamel container. Do not use chlorinated tap water, as chlorine kills the leaven and dough made with such water will not rise. Dissolve 1–2 teaspoons of salt in the water. Sift premium wheat flour (with a high gluten content). While stirring with a spoon, add the sifted flour into the water gradually, until you obtain a mixture with the consistency of sour cream. Cover the top of the container with a clean cloth and tie it tightly. Let it stand in a warm place for 2–3 days.

After this, add another half mug (200 ml) of warm salted water (with ½–1 teaspoon of salt), stir it into the dough, and mix in a bit more sifted flour. This is the first “feeding” for the leaven. Leave it in a warm place for another 1–2 days. Then repeat the same “feeding” once more.

On the following day, knead more sifted flour into the now-fermented dough until you achieve a rather firm dough, similar to that used for pirozhki (filled buns). Form the desired number of prosphora loaves from the dough. This is done differently in various communities. For example, for large prosphora, you can roll out the dough to a thickness of 3–4 cm and then cut out circles using a special cutter. For small prosphora, the dough should be rolled to about 2 cm thick.

After cutting out the prosphora, there will be many dough scraps left. Gather them into a single mass, add more sifted flour to the table, and knead it into the dough. The result should be a stiff dough, similar in consistency to that used for dumplings or homemade noodles. For convenience, divide this stiff dough into 3–4 parts and roll each part into flat rounds 2–3 mm thick. From this thin dough, cut out circles for the prosphora seals (matching the size of large and small prosphora), and then imprint canonical designs using dorniki (prosphora stamps).

After rolling out the dough sheet, it should be lifted from the table and allowed to slightly contract before being laid back down and stamped. Otherwise, the seals will be distorted. Similarly, each circle must be gently lifted from the table before stamping, to prevent sticking and deformation.

IMPORTANT! The prosvírnik (baker of prosphora) must know from experience how stiff the dough should be. Dough that is too soft will cause the seal impressions to blur. Dough that is too stiff is difficult to knead. Sometimes the dough consistency causes the imprinted seals to “shrink” during proofing, reducing in size by about one and a half times, which is also undesirable.

The leftover scraps of stiff dough from cutting out the seals should be placed in a clean glass jar, covered with a plastic lid, and stored in the refrigerator. This will become the new starter for the next baking.

Cover the shaped prosphora and sealed disks resting on the table or a special board with a clean cotton cloth, then with plastic wrap, and then with a towel (to prevent drying out). Let them rise in a warm place for 4–6 hours. It is very important to let the dough rise properly: if the prosphora does not have enough time to rise, the baked loaves will crack and deform, sometimes even taking on a mushroom-like shape.

NOTE: Some prosphora bakers allow only the lower parts of the loaves (“bottoms”) to rise, while the firm dough for the seals is left in an enamel pot, sprinkled with a small amount of flour (to prevent it from forming a crust due to drying), and covered with a clean cloth. Then, just before baking, the dough is rolled out and the seals are made as described above. This method has several advantages: first, the seals do not dry out, which can happen when they are left out for a long time in finished form; second, the image does not blur, which sometimes occurs during prolonged proofing; third, if the seals stand for too long, they can thicken considerably, which is also undesirable.

Once the prosphora has risen for 4 to 6 hours, you can proceed to attach the seals and begin baking. Take a small dish and pour a little water into the bottom (tap water may be used here). Preheat the oven (set the temperature to 200–210°C / 392–410°F) and place clean baking sheets inside to warm.

IMPORTANT! Baking sheets should be washed or at least rinsed with boiled water and dried thoroughly to prevent the prosphora from sticking during baking. If sticking persists, sprinkle the baking sheet with table salt and heat it on high. Then, rub the entire surface with a dry cloth, scrubbing the salt into it, and shake off the excess. This should resolve any sticking issues.

While the oven and trays are heating, begin attaching the seals to the prosphora in the following manner. Take the edge of a seal disk between two fingers, gently and quickly dip the underside of the seal into the water at the bottom of the dish (do not get the top wet!), then immediately place the seal on the prosphora. With dry fingers, gently tap the center and edges of the seal to press its entire bottom surface firmly against the loaf. This ensures a tight bond and removes any air trapped beneath the seal—air bubbles under the seals are absolutely unacceptable. When the priest removes the central portion during the Proskomedia, any trapped bubble beneath may cause the section to split into two, which must be avoided at all costs.

Once all the seals are attached to the prosphora, make 2–3 small piercings in each with a fine needle and then gently press the seals down again by tapping with your fingers (to release any remaining air and ensure the seal is well-adhered). A convenient method is to make one piercing above the cross and two to either side of Golgotha (this is the area depicting Adam’s skull, which will be removed during the service—so it is particularly important that no air bubbles form there).

Now the prosphora are ready for baking. Remove the preheated tray from the oven and, while it’s still hot, carefully place the prosphora on it (gently lifting them from the table or board to avoid deforming them). Then remove the second tray and place more loaves in the same manner—and so on.

Place the trays with the prosphora into the oven. Baking times will vary depending on the oven, so you will need to determine the best method through experience. Most often, the following method works well: bake for 10–20 minutes at high or medium heat (200–210°C), then the same amount of time at low heat (about 140°C / 284°F). Large prosphora may need to bake a little longer.
Another practical tip: begin lowering the temperature when you notice a distinct aroma of baked bread in the room. If the prosphora are well baked, they will feel light. Well-risen dough bakes quickly, while poorly risen dough takes longer. Be careful not to overdry the prosphora, as dry, hardened seals make it very difficult for the priest to perform the Proskomedia properly.

After baking, the finished prosphora should be placed in a basket (or pot) that has been lined inside with cotton wool, covered with plastic and a layer of cotton fabric. On top of this lining, place a dry towel, then a damp towel (well wrung out—not waffle or terry cloth, but plain linen), and over that, a dry white cotton cloth (smooth, without any pattern or texture).

The hot prosphora are then placed into the prepared basket (or pot), preferably with the seals facing down against the towels (so that the moisture from the cloth softens them). Cover the top with a dry cloth, then a damp and wrung-out towel (again, not waffle-textured but smooth), and a layer of plastic on top. Cover the basket with another towel and something warm over it (like a clean special blanket or a cushion). It is best to leave the prosphora to soften for 1–2 hours, after which they can be brought to the altar.
Some prosphora bakers first lay out the loaves on a table, cover them with a dry cloth, then a damp cloth, then plastic, and place a cushion on top (so they firm up slightly and don’t deform in the basket), and only afterward transfer them to the basket using the same layering method.

When it comes time to bake again, remove the jar with the leftover dough from the fridge and begin the leavening process. For 2 mugs (800 ml) of warm spring water, dissolve 1 tablespoon of salt, add the saved dough, and stir in sifted flour until the mixture reaches the consistency of a thin batter (similar to pancake batter). Cover with cloth, secure the top, and leave in a warm place for 3–5 hours. Then once again knead the dough and shape the prosphora as described above. Place the leftover dough back into the jar, cover with a lid, and refrigerate. Repeat the same process for the next baking.

IMPORTANT! The leaven reaches its full strength only after 2–3 months of regular use.
Do not forget to add salt to the water! Prosphora may not be baked without salt, according to Church canons, for salt symbolizes reason, just as leaven symbolizes the soul (life). Moreover, salt protects the leaven from spoilage—preventing harmful microbes and decay.

If Matins is served in the evening, it is convenient to begin preparing the starter either before Vespers or during the reading of the Kathismata at Matins. Then, by the end of the service, the dough can be kneaded and shaped, and baking can begin around 4 a.m. Once baked, the prosphora should be wrapped warmly as described above, and by 7 a.m. they will be ready to bring to the service.

IMPORTANT! Prosphora that have not rested long enough after baking are difficult to use during the service, because the crusts have not yet softened (they crumble excessively and are very difficult to cut).

The Sluzhebnik commands that prosphora be baked during the night immediately before the Divine Liturgy and strictly forbids the use of stale loaves. The History of the Vetka Church states that prosphora brought for the service must be fresh and still warm to the touch, as this symbolizes the living sacrifice of Christ (for a cold body is a corpse, but a warm one is alive).

It is also convenient to shape and bake loaves for upcoming Vigil services at the same time as the prosphora. These loaves, unlike prosphora, are not forbidden to be stored for several days. They may be wrapped in a dry cloth, placed in a tightly sealed plastic bag, and stored in the refrigerator, where they will stay fresh for a week or more.

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The Flowery Triode

The feast of the Resurrection of the Righteous Lazarus opens a new liturgical season of the year — the Flowery Triode. The term Triode comes from the word tripesnets (three-ode canon) — the earliest compositions in this book were canons consisting of just three odes, dedicated to the Passion of Christ. Over time, additional canons were added, and the Triode period came to span nine weeks before Lazarus Saturday (Lenten Triode) and nine weeks from Lazarus Saturday to the Sunday of All Saints (Flowery Triode).

The Flowery Triode
The Flowery Triode is a book containing services for each day of the Triode period. It is of interest not only to those who strive to observe the daily services at home, but also to those who wish to pray during a great feast not only with the canon from the Canon Book by the first composer, but also with the second canon for the feast, the three-ode canon (tripesnets) read at Compline, and to read the Synaxarion.

The book includes services for such great feasts as Pascha, the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem, the Ascension of the Lord, and Pentecost. It contains three-ode canons for each day of Holy Week. The Sunday and major festal services include instructional readings explaining the history and meaning of the feast — the Synaxarion.

The Old Ritualist edition of the Flowery Triode does not begin with the Paschal service, as is customary in post-reform editions, but according to ancient tradition begins with Lazarus Saturday.

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The Liturgical Cycle and Consecrated Time in Christian Culture

Fr. Alexander Pankratov, Priest of the Russian Orthodox Old-Rite Church (RPSC)

Church services hold a very great significance in Christianity: they are a communal, conciliar communication of believers with God, carried out according to special prayer books and rules that have developed over centuries of history. However, the foundations that determined the order of performing divine services were laid at the very dawn of Christianity—by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself and the apostles—and certain features of the church service, such as the time of its performance, go back to Old Testament times.

Thus, already King David sang in the Psalter: “Seven times a day do I praise thee because of thy righteous judgments” (Ps. 118:164). David prayed seven times a day: in the middle of the night: “At midnight I arose to give thanks unto thee” (Ps. 118:62); at the end of the night and beginning of the morning: “O God, my God, unto thee will I rise early” (Ps. 62:2); and also: “In the morning shalt thou hear my voice; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up” (Ps. 5:4); at midday: “Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice” (Ps. 54:18); and in the evening, when going to sleep: “I will wash my couch every night; I will water my bed with my tears” (Ps. 6:7).

References to calling upon God at these specific times of day by Christ Himself and the apostles are frequently found in the books of the New Testament. The subsequent development of spiritual life in the Christian Church, as well as the liturgical creativity of the holy fathers—who composed all the ecclesiastical rites and statutes—led, by approximately the 8th century after the Birth of Christ, to the formation of a clearly defined structure of Orthodox worship, known as the daily liturgical cycle.

Let us recall that the foundation of every church’s architectural plan, as we have learned, is the cross in combination with the circle of the dome and the semicircles of the altar apse. The circle is a symbol of eternity, as it has neither beginning nor end, just as Christ says in Revelation: “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end.” But the circle is not a motionless figure—it has the capacity to rotate, to move, and this is the principle of the wheel. In this way, the liturgical cycle is a kind of wheel, making continuous motion through time, directed from earth toward heaven.

We have now mentioned time, whereas in speaking of the church building we had only addressed space. Here the two are brought together: the church sanctifies space through the grace given to it at its construction and consecration, while the services performed within the church sanctify time itself—every hour of the day.

We already mentioned the seven praises of King David, which were also observed by Christ and the apostles. Accordingly, the Orthodox liturgical cycle also includes seven services. The first of them is Vespers, because the liturgical day begins in the evening of the preceding calendar day. Thus, if according to the calendar the Feast of the Nativity of Christ falls on December 25 (Old Style), then the festal Vespers will be served on the eve—on the 24th. This custom likewise goes back to Old Testament times, but in Christianity it has a special spiritual meaning. As St. Symeon of Thessalonica says:

“For this reason, we begin to sing the praise of the saints in the evening—because they, having lived through the day of this life in the light of God’s grace and having completed that day, now abide with their souls in unapproachable light, while their bodies remain under the power of death, awaiting the last and never-ending day, when, having received their bodies again at the sound of the trumpet and risen with us, they will appear with us there also in the flesh.”

After Vespers comes the second service, called Compline (Pavechernitsa), which is performed after Vespers. According to St. Symeon of Thessalonica, it is “a thanksgiving for the approaching night, for rest from labors, and a reminder of death, which follows us at every step; likewise, it is a thanksgiving for the beginning of the night, for it too is a gift of God and one of His creations—for our sake and for the sake of the rest of creation—and a prayer that we may pass through the night without temptation from hostile demons.”

In the middle of the night, Midnight Office (Polunoschnitsa) is performed. In monasteries, the monks were summoned to it by striking a semantron—a wooden or metal board. This was done, as St. Symeon notes, “as an image of the last trumpet, which shall announce the Second Coming of Christ, which, according to Church tradition, is to occur at midnight. Therefore, the midnight prayer was established, so that Christ, when He comes, may find His followers watching and praying, and not asleep in sloth.” According to St. Symeon, the Midnight Office is also performed “because of the silence and peace of mind during divine praise, for the glory of the Lord’s Resurrection, since He rose (from the tomb) ‘very early on the first day of the week.’” And Christians likewise rise to pray from sleep, which is a likeness and shadow of death.

Following the Midnight Office is Morning Office (Utrenya)—“because of the coming of the day and in thanksgiving to Him who produced the light, scattered the darkness of delusion, and sent us the light of piety.” Matins is immediately followed by the First Hour —“for the beginning of the day,” and as thanksgiving to God “for all creatures being illumined by the light.”

The daytime liturgical cycle begins with the Third Hour, which is celebrated because the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles at the third hour on the day of Pentecost, and also because the first quarter of the day (morning) has passed. After another three hours comes the Sixth Hour—“because another quarter of the day has passed in the four-part world, each quarter being three hours and forming exactly half of the day” [i.e., 12 o’clock, or noon in modern reckoning]. At this sixth hour, Christ was crucified, suffering for the whole human race (St. Symeon).

Three more hours later, the Ninth Hour is served, in thanksgiving to God that another three hours have passed, and for the approaching end of the day. But especially it is served “because at this hour the Savior died in the flesh upon the Cross, offering the perfect sacrifice on our behalf.”

Three hours after that—essentially at the twelfth hour—Vespers is again performed, as mentioned above. It is worth concluding here with the words of St. Symeon of Thessalonica about Vespers, which in essence apply to all liturgical services:

“We give thanks [to God] for our life, for food, thoughts, words, and deeds; and we ask for a peaceful night, without sin and free from temptations—a night which prefigures the end of our life, for death comes to us like night.”

Among the church services listed, it is not by accident that the most important one—the Divine Liturgy—has not yet been named, for it does not have a fixed time attachment. In ancient times, the Liturgy was celebrated either after the Sixth or the Ninth Hour. The Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts during Great Lent, and the Liturgy of St. Basil the Great on the eves of great feasts of Christ, were served together with Vespers—that is, at the close of the day. Thus, if we compare the liturgical cycle to a wheel, with each service being a segment of that wheel, then the Liturgy is the axle—the center of the circle—which can be connected to any of its parts.

Regarding the unique place of the Liturgy, St. Symeon of Thessalonica says:

“This most divine and most sacred of services is not counted among the seven praises, but is a distinct service, an institution of the One Jesus, and the work of priests… It is something preeminent, the supreme work of God, and it is performed not by anyone else, but only by God’s priests.”

Indeed, according to the Church Ustav (Rule), all of the services listed above may be performed in the absence of a priest by laypeople—of course, omitting the particular priestly prayers and actions. But the celebration of the Divine Liturgy is the exclusive right of the priest, who by virtue of his special ordination (cheirotonia) possesses the gift of invoking upon the bread and wine on the altar the grace of the Holy Spirit, which mystically transubstantiates them into the true Body and true Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The seven principal church services each have different significance, duration, and structure. Some of them—Midnight Office, Little Compline, and the First Hour—were in ancient times performed in the narthex of the church, with the main sanctuary doors closed. This practice emphasized the difference in the importance of the services: the narthex (the outer part of the church) symbolizes the earth, while the church itself symbolizes heaven. Thus, the less significant and shorter services were performed “on earth before heaven,” while the more significant and lengthier ones (Vespers, Morning Office, the Hours—except for the First Hour—and the Divine Liturgy) were conducted in the main sanctuary, as if in the invisible spiritual heavens. Memorial services such as lityas and panikhidas also took place in the narthex, as these included prayers for the souls of the departed, whose bodies remain in the earth until the General Resurrection.

It is also important to note that according to Church rules, those present during services in the narthex were typically people who, for specific reasons, could not enter the main part of the church. These included catechumens—those who had not yet been baptized—and penitents, Christians temporarily excommunicated from communion and participation in the sacred mysteries due to various sins. Thus, the narthex had considerable significance in antiquity: separate services were held there, and it often contained a large number of people. Accordingly, when we look at the floor plans of Byzantine and pre-Mongol Russian churches, we see that the narthexes were built quite large, sometimes occupying nearly half the church’s total area.

Over the centuries, however, changes took place in ancient Russian church architecture: narthexes were either reduced to minimal size (in large cathedrals), becoming mere entrance vestibules or porches—and sometimes disappeared altogether—or (in parish churches, especially in the 17th century) were expanded into full “trapeza halls” (refectories), sometimes with additional side chapels. In either case, the original meaning of the narthex as the threshold of “heaven above” was gradually lost. This change reflects broader shifts in church life over the course of Russian history. In the early years after the Baptism of Rus’, there were still many unbaptized adults, for whom large narthexes were necessary. But as Christianity became more deeply rooted in the people’s way of life—especially with the spread of infant baptism—the practical need for the narthex diminished. Most people were now baptized from infancy, meaning they were already part of the faithful, and the rite of catechumens disappeared.

At the same time, those excommunicated for grievous sins, or non-Orthodox seekers desiring to learn about the Orthodox faith, would typically stand inside the church near the doors, not proceeding forward toward the altar—or, in certain cases, they still stood outside the main sanctuary, either in a small narthex or on the outer porch or papert (a gallery surrounding many ancient churches).

As for memorial services, due to the large number of worshippers present on days of remembrance for the departed, it became customary to serve them not in the narthex, but in the center of the church, or slightly west of the church’s geometric midpoint.

Regarding the daily cycle services that were formerly held in the narthex, these came to be performed directly inside the church, in the kliroses (choir areas) near the iconostasis. This change coincided with the shifting of service times, which in antiquity were rigorously tied to specific hours of the day. For example, Compline began to be performed immediately after Vespers, without dispersing the congregation. In general, performing entire services in the small narthexes of post-Mongol Russian churches proved impractical.

Further changes also affected the timing of the Hours: they came to be served one after another in succession, without intervals, forming a kind of “preface” to the main church service—the Divine Liturgy. This was largely due to Russia’s geographical situation. Unlike Palestine or Byzantium, it lies in latitudes where sunrise and sunset times vary greatly throughout the year. Consequently, it is quite difficult to tie the beginning of a service to a specific hour of the day. Thus, the following pattern of the daily cycle became customary in ancient Rus’:

Vespers and Compline;
Midnight Office, Morning Office, and the First Hour;
the Third, Sixth, and Ninth Hours, followed by the Liturgy (always after the Ninth Hour).

The order of services described here does not apply to the great feast days, of which there are twelve that commemorate important events from Sacred History—mostly from the earthly life of Christ and the God-bearer (Mother of God). These are called the Twelve Great Feasts.

In addition to these twelve, other feasts are ranked with them in importance: two feasts in honor of St. John the Baptist, two in honor of St. John the Theologian (the Apostle), the day commemorating the Holy Chiefs of the Apostles Peter and Paul, and the feast of the saint in whose honor a church is dedicated (known as the altar feast or patronal feast). On these days (as well as on every Sunday of the year), the Church Typikon prescribes the celebration of the All-Night Vigil—that is, prayer extending through the entire night. In such cases, on the eve of the feast, there is first a Little Vespers, then a Great Vespers, followed by Morning Office and the First Hour, while on the feast day itself, the Hours and Divine Liturgy are served.

On feast days, Compline and Midnight Office, according to the Church Typikon, were either omitted or (in monasteries) performed privately in one’s cell. Later, when the Vigil service ceased to last the entire night and was shortened to approximately half the night (this happened around the 17th century), Compline and Midnight Office began to be performed in church during the vigil itself—Compline after Little Vespers, and Midnight Office before Great Vespers. At present, in most churches—both Old Rite and Patriarchal—the prevailing custom is to serve Matins or the entire All-Night Vigil in the evening. This practice arose at the beginning of the 20th century and became especially widespread from the 1920s onward—thus, it is quite a late development.

The daily liturgical cycle is only the first link in the Orthodox system of “sanctified time,” which has been formed over centuries of spiritual life. Every day in the church calendar commemorates a saint or an event from Sacred History. The individual days form weeks, and the spiritual center and focal point of each week is Sunday—the Lord’s Day—dedicated to God according to His commandment.⁴ Weeks form into months, within which special significance is given to the days of the great feasts, most of which have fixed dates in the church calendar. A feast is usually preceded by one or more days of forefeast—a time of spiritual preparation—and followed by a period called the afterfeast, which may last a week or less. This is a continuation of the festal celebration, which concludes with the leave-taking (otdaniye) of the feast—a kind of formal “farewell,” when the festal service is repeated in abbreviated form, and for the last time that year, the festal hymns and prayers are heard.

The central place in the liturgical year is held by the Feast of the Resurrection of Christ—Holy Pascha. It does not have a fixed calendar date, because, according to the 7th canon of the Holy Apostles and other church regulations, “it must be celebrated on the first Sunday after the vernal equinox and the full moon, and in no case may it coincide with the Jewish Passover.” As a result, this feast falls on different dates in the spring months—there are altogether 35 possible dates on which Bright Pascha can occur.

Several periods of the liturgical year that vary in length are tied to the date of Pascha: Great Lent, which begins forty days plus one week before Pascha; the Feast of the Ascension (on the 40th day after Pascha); the Feast of the Holy Trinity or Pentecost (on the 50th day after Pascha); and the Sunday of All Saints (the Sunday following Pentecost). During this moveable portion of the year, special liturgical books called Triodia are used: the Lenten Triodion, whose services begin four weeks before the start of Great Lent and end on Friday of the sixth week of Lent; and the Flowery Triodion, which begins on Lazarus Saturday (the day before Palm Sunday) and ends on the ninth Sunday after Pascha—the Sunday of All Saints.

This moveable Triodion cycle, lacking fixed dates, overlays itself each year upon the immoveable calendar of saints’ days (menaion)—the fixed-date commemorations of saints and sacred events. The result is that each church year takes on a unique appearance. The Church Typikon specifies the order of services for all such combinations. Years themselves form a broader cycle known as the Great Indiction, which repeats every 532 years. This “cycle of world harmony” is tied to the variation of Pascha’s calendar dates, to the lunar cycle (which returns to its original sequence every 19 years), and to the repetition of weekdays aligning with the same calendar dates (every 28 years, weekdays fall on the same calendar days in both common and leap years). This cycle was used to calculate the date of Pascha—not only to determine when it would be celebrated in future years, but also to find out what day it fell on in the past.

There are even longer cycles in Orthodox time reckoning than the Great Indiction—such as the so-called Cycle of Indictions (a cycle of 1,980 years) and others—but a detailed examination of those lies beyond the scope of our present discussion.

It is fundamentally important to emphasize that at the foundation of ancient liturgical practice, timekeeping, architecture, and other forms of art lies the union of two symbolic figures: the circle, as the symbol of eternity, the universe, and of God Himself—Beginningless and Endless—and the cross, which is the symbol of the redemptive suffering of the Son of God, the sign of sanctification and ordering, the subjection of all being to a certain order, or, in the language of the Church, to a Rite, a Typikon, immovably established by the Holy Spirit through the holy fathers for all time.

All of ancient Christian culture can be envisioned as a complex movement of circles under the shadow of the Cross, where smaller circles revolve while moving along larger ones, forming various combinations—many in number, yet all precisely defined. Moreover, this movement has two directions:

an ideal one—from earth toward heaven—with the unchanging goal of spiritually elevating the human person who participates in it, and
a concrete-historical one—depending on the moment in history when one or another circle “revolves.”

These moments may correspond to times of spiritual ascent or decline, which naturally affect the artistic quality of the various phenomena of spiritual life and culture. Thus, for example, the icon of the Holy Trinity painted by St. Andrei Rublev is immeasurably greater in both spiritual and artistic depth than the icon with the same subject (and the same purpose—to adorn the church, especially on the Feast of the Holy Trinity) by Simon Ushakov, because the two were created in different historical periods. The first appeared during a period of spiritual flourishing and the blossoming of Russian monasticism under St. Sergius of Radonezh, in the 14th century. The second was created during the era of Patriarch Nikon’s reforms in the second half of the 17th century, when the entire structure of the spiritual life that had given the world St. Sergius and St. Andrei with his marvelous icons was being systematically dismantled, and the adherents of ancient piety suffered cruel persecutions and executions.

Similar examples can be found in other spheres of ecclesiastical life and art. In secular literature since the 17th century, the replacement of the greater by the lesser, the lowering of the spiritual level of culture, has been described as a natural and inevitable phenomenon. Secularization—the transformation of the spiritual and heavenly into the bodily and earthly—is simply called a change of artistic styles. Everything appears differently from the Christian point of view. In the Orthodox understanding, the entire history of our era is a movement “from Christ toward the end.” The spiritual center of our present time lies not in the foreseeable future, which contains only the approaching last times and the coming Antichrist, but rather in the already accomplished past—in the events of the earthly life, death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, in which the true meaning of time and of human life was revealed to the world. Christianity thus proclaims a kind of reverse spiritual perspective, akin to the reverse perspective found in iconography.

In other words, the inner meaning of Christian worship and Orthodox artistic culture lies in the continual renewal and reliving of the sacred events of the New Testament through the Church’s services and the various arts connected with them. At the center of this, without doubt, stands the mystical commemoration of the Gospel event of the Last Supper of Jesus Christ and the apostles, which is enacted in the Divine Liturgy.

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The Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts

One of the distinguishing features of Great Lent is the absence of the full Divine Liturgy on weekdays. The celebration of the Liturgy is an expression of spiritual joy and triumph, which, according to the Holy Fathers, is not entirely compatible with the penitential sorrow over sins characteristic of the Lenten season. The Divine Liturgy is served every Saturday and Sunday, but these days are not, in the full sense, considered fasting days. Because of the special veneration of Saturday, already recognized in the Old Testament, and the great event of Christ’s Resurrection, these two days differ from the rest of Lent: no full prostrations (earthly bows) are performed during the services, food with oil is permitted at meals, and the divine services follow the usual, customary order. Thus, the days that are truly considered fasting days include all weekdays except Saturday and Sunday.

The early Christians had the custom of partaking of the Body and Blood of Christ at every Divine Liturgy. A whole week without Communion seemed to them too great an interval. Out of their ardent desire to receive Communion more frequently, the Holy Fathers composed a special service—the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts.

Strictly speaking, this service is not a full Liturgy, as it does not include the consecration of the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. Instead, at the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, the faithful receive Communion from Gifts that were consecrated in advance—at a previous full Liturgy of either St. Basil the Great or St. John Chrysostom.

The practice of celebrating the service in this manner dates back to the earliest centuries of Christianity. The rite as we have it today was composed by St. Gregory the Dialogist, Bishop of Rome, who lived in the 6th century. This Liturgy is celebrated on Wednesdays and Fridays during the first six weeks of Lent, on the first three days of Holy Week, and also on feast days of great saints when the service includes a polyeleos (a festive segment of Matins).

The Order of the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts

The Church Ustav follows a certain logic: the stricter the fasting discipline of the day, the later in the day the Liturgy is celebrated. In ancient times, the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts was served in the evening—after the faithful had already prayed the Third, Sixth, and Ninth Hours, as well as Vespers for the following day. In modern practice, these Hours and Vespers have been combined into a single service, followed immediately by the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts.

Vespers takes the place of the Liturgy of the Catechumens and concludes with the final litanies of the Liturgy. After this, the Liturgy of the Faithful follows in an abbreviated form, omitting those parts that pertain to the consecration of the Holy Gifts.

After the reading of the Hours, the Obednitsa prayers are read. This portion of the service was traditionally used by monastic hermits to compensate for their inability to attend the Divine Liturgy. During Great Lent, part of this service includes the chanting of the Beatitudes—the Gospel verses on blessedness—accompanied by the prayer of the repentant thief: “When Thou comest into Thy Kingdom, remember us, O Lord.”

The Vespers, which is combined with the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, begins with the exclamation from the full Divine Liturgy: “Blessed is the Kingdom.” This is followed by the reading of Psalm 103, the Great Litany, and the reading of a kathisma with three small litanies at each Glory. After the kathisma, the hymn “Lord, I have cried” is chanted with accompanying stichera.

During the chanting of the stichera at “Lord, I have cried”, the priest takes the Presanctified Lamb, which has been stored in the tabernacle on the Holy Table, already infused with the Holy Blood. He then places it on the diskos, which is set upon the prothesis (table of oblation). After this, he pours wine and water into the chalice to facilitate the distribution of the Holy Gifts to the faithful and covers both the diskos and the chalice with veils. During this, he says nothing except the brief prayer: “Through the prayers of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us.” This is because all the necessary prayers for consecration were already pronounced at the previous full Liturgy.

The clergy then perform the Little Entrance. On ordinary days, this is simply a procession with the censer, while on feast days of certain saints and on the first three days of Holy Week, the entrance is made with the Gospel book. After the entrance and the prokeimen, two readings (paremias) are usually read: the first from the Book of Genesis, recounting the fall of the first ancestors, their expulsion from Paradise, and subsequent events; the second from the Book of Proverbs, exhorting the faithful to love and seek divine wisdom.

After the reading of the first paremia, the Royal Doors are opened. The deacon proclaims: “Wisdom, let us attend.” At this moment, the priest, holding the censer in one hand and three interwoven lit candles in the other, makes the sign of the cross while facing east, proclaiming: “The Light of Christ”; then, turning to the people in the west, he makes the sign of the cross again over the congregation, saying: “enlightens all.”

In ancient times, this ritual held particular significance. During Great Lent, the church would be filled with catechumens preparing for Holy Baptism on the eve of Pascha. These catechumens would be blessed with the lighted candle before the Liturgy of the Faithful, symbolizing the grace of illumination they would soon receive in Baptism. This blessing was performed with the Royal Doors open. However, because the catechumens were not permitted to look upon the sanctuary, they would bow to the ground in humility, recognizing their unworthiness. In penitential days of Lent, all the faithful now take part in this prostration, preserving the spirit of repentance.

After the priest’s exclamation, “enlightens all,” the reader announces the title of the second paremia. The deacon proclaims: “Let us attend,” and the reader proceeds with the reading. After the second paremia, a verse from Psalm 140 is sung: “Let my prayer be set forth before Thee as incense”, along with three verses:

“Lord, I have cried unto Thee…”
“Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth, and a door of enclosure about my lips.”
“Incline not my heart to words of evil, to contrive excuses for my sins.”

During this moment, the faithful in the church pray while making a full prostration, while the priest, standing before the Holy Table, offers incense as a sign of the prayers rising up to God. Before the singing of “Let my prayer be set forth”, the Royal Doors are opened and remain open until the transfer of the Holy Gifts to the Holy Table.

Following the chanting of these verses, the priest recites the prayer of St. Ephraim with full prostrations. This marks the conclusion of the Vespers portion of the service. What follows is the actual Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts.

The Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts begins either with the reading of the Gospel, if the Typikon prescribes it for that day, or with the Augmented Litany. After the Augmented Litany follows the Litany for the Catechumens. Starting from Wednesday of the fourth week of Lent, a special additional Litany for Those Preparing for Illumination, that is, for baptism, is also included. After the prayers for the catechumens, two litanies are recited on behalf of the faithful, just as in the full Divine Liturgy. During these litanies, the priest quietly prays that those about to commune may receive the Body and Blood of Christ, which are already prepared upon the prothesis (table of oblation), without condemnation.

Instead of the usual Cherubic Hymn, a special hymn is sung, its content adapted to the already consecrated Gifts:

“Now the hosts of heaven (that is, the holy angels) invisibly worship with us; for behold, the King of Glory enters. Behold, the mystical sacrifice is accomplished (the Gifts have already been consecrated) and is carried forth (solemnly transferred). Let us draw near with faith and fear, that we may be partakers of eternal life. Alleluia.”

Before the words “Let us draw near with faith and fear…”, as in the full Liturgy before “As the King of all”, the Gifts are transferred through the northern doors from the prothesis to the Holy Table. The deacon carries the diskos with the Holy Lamb on his head, while the priest carries the chalice with the wine in his right hand and proclaims, as in the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom: “May the Lord God remember all of you…” and so forth. At each exclamation, the faithful make a full prostration. The choir completes the interrupted hymn: “Let us draw near with faith and fear…”

After the Holy Gifts are placed upon the Holy Table, the preparation of the faithful for Communion follows, including the breaking of the Holy Lamb, the actual Communion, thanksgiving prayers, and the dismissal. All this takes place in the same order as in the full Divine Liturgy. However, the elevation of the Body of Christ at the words “The Holy Things are for the Holy” does not take place, since the consecration was already performed at the previous full Liturgy. Instead, the priest simply touches the Holy Lamb, proclaiming: “The Presanctified Holy Things for the holy.”

The Communion Hymn at the Presanctified Liturgy is always the same:

“O taste and see that the Lord is good. Alleluia.”

Instead of “Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord”, the following is sung:

“I will bless the Lord at all times.”

Afterwards, the priest comes out to recite a special Prayer Behind the Ambo: “O Master Almighty”. In this prayer, he entreats the Lord to help us preserve the true faith, overcome sin, and reach the glorious celebration of Christ’s Resurrection in purity of heart.

Following the reading of Psalm 33 and the distribution of antidoron, the Liturgy concludes with the usual full dismissal.

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The Kissing of Icons and the Gospel

In an Old Rite Orthodox church, the kissing of icons takes place at a specific moment during the service—when the magnification (величание) of the feast is sung during the polyeleos. The faithful approach the icon in order and according to seniority. First, the senior-most clergyman (bishop or priest) approaches the icon, then ascends the ambo and bows at the waist to those praying, saying: “Christ is in our midst.” (If he is a bishop, he also blesses those present.) All those in the church respond by making a full prostration to the ground, without making the sign of the cross, and answering: “He is and shall be.”

After this, the junior clergy (priests, deacons, and readers, if present) approach the icon two by two, followed by the laypeople, first the men, then the women.

The faithful approach the icon in pairs, perform two full prostrations to the ground with the sign of the cross, and say a prayer appropriate to the feast. For example, on feasts of the Most Holy God-bearer: “Most Holy Lady God-bearer, save us!” or on the feast of St. Nicholas: “O Christ’s hierarch Nicholas, pray to God for us!”

The same order is followed when kissing the Holy Gospel. Those approaching the Holy Book say the following prayer:
At the first prostration: “With fear and love I draw near unto Thee, O Christ, and I believe Thy words.”
At the second prostration: “With fear, because of sin; and with love, for the sake of salvation.”
Then, after making the sign of the cross, they kiss the image of the crucified Savior—on the right foot—while praying the Jesus Prayer. After this, they again make a full prostration to the ground, saying: “I believe, O Lord, in Thy Holy Gospel, O Christ God; help me and save me.” Then they bow to the priest and to one another.

Afterward, one should make the sign of the cross, fold one’s hands on the chest in the form of a cross with the two fingers (right hand over left), and kiss the icon. Typically, a church attendant stands by the icon with a candle to point out the exact spot to be kissed. The parishioner standing on the right usually kisses the icon first—this is generally the elder.

After kissing the icon, the faithful again perform a full prostration before the image, making the sign of the cross and repeating the appropriate prayer. Then, without crossing themselves, they bow to the ground saying: “Forgive me for the sake of Christ, honorable father,” or “holy master,” to the priest or bishop standing to the right of the icon. They then bow to each other, again without making the sign of the cross, positioning themselves so that each stands at the other’s right hand. The one on the right (who approached the icon first) says: “Christ is in our midst,” and the one on the left replies: “He is and shall be.”

During the period from the Bright Resurrection of Christ (Pascha) until the leave-taking (apodosis) of the Feast of Holy Pascha, instead of the above greeting and response, the Paschal greeting is used:
“Christ resurrected!” — “Truly He resurrected!”
This applies also to the clergy.

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On the Lighting of Candles and Prayer

Deacon Alexander Govorov:

Today, I will explain when and which candles are lit, when they are extinguished, and why this is necessary.

Saint Arseny of the Urals, who lived just a hundred years ago, traveled across our dioceses, visited various parishes, and gathered liturgical data everywhere. As a result, he published his Typikon, which explains different church services. It also contains a section titled On the Lighting of Candles in Church.

In the time of Saint Arseny, Old Believer monasteries still existed, and thus he describes how candles were lit in monastic settings as well. We must keep in mind that there is a difference between a monastery and a parish church. For example, the Typikon states that at Small Vespers, only two candles are to be lit—one before the icon of the Savior and one before the icon of the God-bearer. However, here in a parish setting, people come in haste—they may have an urgent matter, even a scheduled operation. They rush in, light a candle, offer a prayer, and leave. Naturally, some leniency must be shown, and thus, a relaxation of the rule is permitted.

The fundamental rule is as follows (we shall take the Sunday service as an example): on Saturday at three o’clock in the afternoon, Small Vespers begins. All oil lamps are lit. An oil lamp is the lamp that hangs before an icon. It burns with oil and has a wick. The oil lamp remains burning throughout the entire service and is only extinguished at its conclusion. As for candles, the directive for Small Vespers is to light only a minimal number—one candle before the icon of the Savior and one before the icon of the God-bearer at the Royal Doors. The same applies to Small Compline, which follows Small Vespers. Then, when Great Vespers begins, more candles should be lit—that is, before additional icons. However, in our parish, as well as at Rogozhskoye Cemetery, it is customary at this moment to light all the candles placed in the candelabra. Lighting all the candles signifies the greater solemnity of Great Vespers. The candles should be extinguished before the Six Psalms.

Thus, we transition smoothly into Matins, which begins with the reading of the Six Psalms. At this moment in the service, only one candle remains lit on each candelabrum. The candles are extinguished to create a fitting atmosphere in the church, as the Six Psalms should be read and listened to with a penitential disposition. A large number of burning candles, on the other hand, symbolizes not repentance, but a kind of festivity.

Candles are not lit during the reading of the Kathismata. After the Kathismata, the Polyeleos begins. The word Polyeleos can be translated as “much oil,” meaning that at the beginning of the Polyeleos, all the candles in the church are lit, except for the panikadilo. The panikadilo is only lit on special Great Feasts of the Twelve. Now, all the candles in the church burn until the third ode of the canon.

Then, the candles are extinguished again, except for one candle on each candelabrum. The canon is prayed almost without candles. They are relit at the ninth ode of the canon and continue burning until the Great Doxology. After the Doxology, the candles should again be extinguished, and they are not relit until the end of the service.

There is, however, one exception: in parish and cathedral churches, many candles are brought as offerings, so they are sometimes kept burning beyond the prescribed times. Additionally, on great feast days, we light candles and hold them in our hands, which also emphasizes the festal nature of the occasion. Likewise, at funerals, it is customary to hold burning candles in our hands. However, this depends on the devotion and spiritual fervor of those participating in the burial rite.

In all cases, the directives of the Typikon of Saint Arseny of the Urals should be observed. This also ensures that the candles last longer. If they are not extinguished at the proper times, they burn out quickly, and by the time of the Polyeleos, there will be no lit candles left in the church. Yet, at the Polyeleos, the church should be fully illuminated.

Question: In the church at Belorusskaya, for example, all the candles are extinguished when the First Hour begins. When does the Typikon explicitly prescribe that all candles must be fully extinguished?

Deacon Alexander Govorov: There is no sin in extinguishing all the candles entirely. The fact is that the Typikon does not mandate that any candles remain burning during the Hours—oil lamps are sufficient. I repeat: according to the Typikon, after the Great Doxology, all candles should be extinguished, even those held in hand. However, in our parish, this is not the custom. It is very difficult to convince people that leaving candles burning is a violation of the Typikon, especially since by that point, they do not have much time left to burn. It is simpler to let them burn out naturally rather than disrupt the atmosphere of prayer in the church.

I would also like to note that during the most solemn moments of the service, such as the Polyeleos, it is undesirable to light candles. I myself have been in situations where, while singing the Polyeleos, someone steps onto the solea, lights candles, and then bows three times before each icon. This greatly distracts from communal prayer. If one arrives too late to light a candle, it is best simply to hand it to the kliros. There, they are collected in a special pouch and placed on the candelabra at an appropriate moment.

Lighting candles should not be a distraction to those in prayer, because candles are not the most important thing in the church. What matters most is that we ourselves burn with zeal for the Lord. A candle is merely a symbol of our spiritual burning, of our faith. Why do we light candles? Does the Lord need our candles? He does not. Candles are meant to remind us of what we ourselves should be: souls burning in prayer, pliant to the will of the Lord. Therefore, there is nothing grievous if someone fails to light a candle. What is needed is fervent and sincere prayer so that we ourselves might correspond to the meaning of this symbol. This is the offering that the Lord expects from us.

Often, we encounter people who take pride in being “true-born Old Believers.” They consider this an achievement, elevating themselves above others—especially those who are “not native” Old Believers. This is a mistaken attitude. Today’s Gospel reading confirms this very point. Before God, there are no “native” and “non-native” people. The Lord does not look at our lineage, even if we have saints among our ancestors. He looks at our hearts—at what we ourselves have become. If we lead an unworthy life, unbecoming of a Christian, no praise will be due to us, even if our parents were martyrs. On the contrary, we will face even greater condemnation.

This is why the Canaanite woman, though a pagan, demonstrated a faith greater than that of the Jews and surpassed them.

The Lord deliberately delayed His response, wishing to reveal this woman’s faith to all. He allowed this pearl to shine forth as an example for us, teaching us to be persistent in prayer. Yet how often do we act differently? We pray for a day, two days, a week, and expect results. If they do not come, we conclude that the Lord does not hear us. And if that is the case, we reason, why waste time on prayer? We decide it is better to spend our time on other things. This is how weak our faith is.

The Canaanite woman, however, acted differently. She cried out, calling upon the Lord. But the Lord seemed to ignore her, walking on His way. In reality, He heard her perfectly well and was already showing mercy to her in His heart. He did not answer her immediately because He wanted to reveal her faith to His disciples. He heard her just as He hears each of us now. Wherever we are, the Lord fills all things with His presence. If He knows every thought of our hearts, then He surely hears our prayers—but He does not always hasten to fulfill them.

Moreover, even the apostles began to intercede with the Lord on her behalf. Yet He declined their request, explaining that He was sent not to the Gentiles, but to the lost sheep of Israel—the children of God. But she persisted in faith, falling at His feet and pleading for mercy, for she was suffering from the torment of her demon-possessed daughter. Even then, the Lord seemingly rejected her, addressing her directly: “It is not right to take the children’s bread and cast it to the dogs.” (Matt. 15:26).

Any other woman in her place would have taken offense and left. But this woman possessed great humility. Seeing this, the Lord had mercy on her: “And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.” (Matt. 15:28).

For us, this is a beautiful example of how persistent we must be in our prayers to God. We should approach Him not merely with our routine rule, but with fervent prayer. Everything used in our divine services carries symbolic meaning. The censer is no exception. When we place incense on hot coals, it melts and transforms into fragrant smoke. If we place it on cold coals, nothing happens. The same is true of prayer: if we pray with soul and heart, it rises to God like sweet incense. But if we pray with a cold heart, merely “reading through” the rule, nothing happens. And before prayer, it is good to first “warm up” our hearts. After all, we warm food for children so that it may be pleasant to eat.

How, then, should we “warm” our hearts? By recalling our sins. By reflecting on how the Lord endures us with great patience and how many mercies He shows us. The late Bishop Alimpy also advised that one should not begin a prayer rule without first making several full prostrations. Reading the writings of the Holy Fathers is also beneficial. Nothing else can so clearly illuminate our dimmed vision and soften our hearts. These texts are now widely available on the internet. However, in the beginning, one should avoid reading the works of modernist theologians, as they often contain heretical ideas. Here, one must be very cautious and read only trusted pre-schism or our own Old Believer saints. For example, the writings of Bishop Mikhail (Semyonov) are ideal reading.

All these are means to prepare us for prayer, so that we stand before God consciously, repentantly, attentively, and not mechanically. Let the prayer be short, but let it be correct. We must strive not for quantity, but for quality. As the Apostle Paul said: “Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.” (1 Cor. 14:19). However, in the beginning, quantity is also necessary to develop the habit of prayer.

Even a small, but sincere, prayer will eventually grow into something greater. When a person truly prays, he desires to pray even more, to continue his communion with God, to preserve this state of soul, and to return to it again. But if a person has never truly prayed, he cannot understand what the true fruit of prayer is. Such a prayer benefits no one.

These are the conclusions that can be drawn from today’s Gospel passage. We must not take pride in our lineage. The Jews did the same, calling themselves the descendants of Abraham. This is a mistaken attitude. Far more astonishing are those whom the Lord draws to Himself from godless or heretical backgrounds. They are often even stronger in faith than the so-called “native-born.” This is why the Lord requires not “native” heritage, but a fervent soul and heart. This alone makes us Christians.

Question: Some people pray at such a speed that it is hard to imagine their prayer as a heartfelt address to God. What is the optimal pace for prayer?

Deacon Alexander Govorov: Praying too quickly is, of course, not good. But excessively slow prayer can also be harmful to us. Therefore, we should adopt a moderate pace. Just as we normally speak with people, so too should we pray—at a speed that allows us to understand the words of the prayer and pass them through our hearts. Each person must determine this pace for themselves.

In communal prayer at church, the text should be read clearly, distinctly, and without haste, so that every worshipper understands what is being read and has time to pray along. In public prayer, one should not go back and reread lines. However, when praying alone, this is permissible.

Transcript prepared by Evgeny Khebnev.

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How to Light Candles in Church

The custom of lighting lamps began a very long time ago, in the earliest centuries of Christianity. Christians, being persecuted for confessing their faith, gathered secretly at night to pray. At first, candles were lit simply to illuminate the place of prayer. But very soon, they came to be lit not only for light, but also to express spiritual joy and festivity.

At the beginning of the church service, only two or three candles are burning: one before the icon of the Savior, another before the icon of the God-bearer near the Royal Doors, and a third before the festal icon in the center of the church.

All the candles are lit at Great Vespers before the censing and the singing of the verses at “O Lord, I have cried.” Then they are extinguished at the end of Vespers. They are lit again after the kathismas, extinguished at the third ode of the canon, then lit once more at the end of the eighth ode—before the singing of “My soul doth magnify the Lord”—and left burning until the Great Doxology. At Matins, the candles are lit after the Ninth Hour at the beginning of the Divine Liturgy, which begins with the priest’s exclamation: “Blessed is the Kingdom of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost,” and remain burning until the end of the service.

We light a candle before the icon of the Lord or His saints with a prayer to the one depicted, and in hope of God’s help and the intercession of the saints. The candle is our offering to God and His saints; therefore, we must handle it with care and reverence.

Short Prayers Before the Icons

Before the icon of the Savior:
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner!

Before the memorial table (for the departed):
O Lord, give rest to the souls of Thy departed servants!

Before the Cross:
Glory, O Lord, to Thy precious Cross!

Before the icon of the God-bearer:
Most holy Lady God-bearer, save us!

Before the icon of the Guardian Angel:
O Angel of Christ, my holy guardian, save me, a sinful servant of thine!

Before the icon of a saint:
Saint [Name], pray to God for us!

When to Hold Candles #

On great feasts and in some other special services, the faithful themselves stand holding candles in their hands:

On the Twelve Great Feasts, the feasts ranked with them, and the parish’s patronal feast: from the polyeleos until the 3rd ode of the canon, after which candles are extinguished. They are lit again after the 8th ode and held until the end of the Great Doxology.
On Great Thursday, during the Service of the Holy Passion of Christ, while the Twelve Gospels are read.
At the Paschal service, from the procession until the end of the First Hour—when all greet one another with “Christ Resurrected!”
During the funeral service for the departed.

The need to light candles or to remove burnt-down stubs from a candelabrum is not considered a valid reason to walk around the church at times when movement is prohibited by the Church’s Ustav (Rule). Our offering is pleasing and acceptable to God only when it is made without violating the order and reverence required of Christian worship.

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The Cherubic Hymn and Its Meaning

The Cherubic Hymn is an important part of the Divine Liturgy. It is sung by both choirs of cantors as they descend to the center of the church. The rest of the faithful stand with bowed heads. It is forbidden to move about the church during the singing of the Cherubic Hymn.

The text of the Cherubic Hymn appears in the service only once and is sung, which makes it difficult to immediately grasp the words as a coherent text:

“Let us who mystically represent the Cherubim, and who sing the thrice-holy hymn to the life-giving Trinity, now lay aside all earthly cares. That we may receive the King of all, who comes invisibly upborne by the angelic hosts. Alleluia.”

The hymn is divided into two parts, between which the Great Entrance takes place—the clergy carry the Holy Gifts from the table of oblation to the altar, where they will become the true Body and Blood of Christ. The priest takes the bread, which still lies separately on the diskos, and the wine in the chalice, both covered with veils, and stands before the worshippers, saying three times the prayer:

“May the Lord God remember you all in His Kingdom.”

All present in the church make three bows to the Holy Gifts, praying:

Remember me, O Lord, when Thou comest in Thy Kingdom. (bow from the waist)
Remember me, O Master, when Thou comest in Thy Kingdom. (bow from the waist)
Remember me, O Holy One, when Thou comest in Thy Kingdom. (full prostration)

After this, the priest passes through the royal doors into the altar, and the doors are closed behind him.

In The Mystical Vision of Church Things, St. Germanus writes:

“The noetic powers, beholding during the Cherubic Hymn the transfer of the precious Gifts—which form the Body of the Lord Jesus—from the Place of the Skull to the tomb, sing with us invisibly: Alleluia. For this reason, at the carrying out of the Gifts, the priest and the people pray with the prayer of the thief ‘at the Place of the Skull’: ‘May the Lord God remember you all in His Kingdom.’”

The journal Church, 1913, No. 19, interprets the meaning of the words of the Cherubic Hymn as follows:

“After the transfer of the Gifts, the following is read in the altar: ‘The noble Joseph took down Thy most pure Body from the Cross…’ etc.—that is, a burial prayer. The Cherubic Hymn, sung at that moment, contains a summons, indicating with what disposition we ought to behold this procession of the Lord in the Holy Gifts. ‘Let us who mystically represent the Cherubim…’—that is, we who now mystically portray the cherubim, who accompany Christ the King, and offer the thrice-holy hymn as a gift to the Life-Giving Trinity, let us cast away, let us reject all anxiety and care about worldly things, so that we may, together with the clergy, receive the King of all, whom the angels bear invisibly in the Holy Gifts.”

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