THE ENTRANCE PRAYERS AND THE VESTING CONTENT When the priest desires to celebrate the Divine Mystery, he must first be at peace with all and hold nothing against any person, The Entrance Prayers .......................................................................... 2 keep his heart, insofar as he is able, from deceitful distractions, and keep himself in abstention and sobriety from the prior evening, Divine Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom .......................................... 7 even to the time of the sacred service. When the time comes, he enters the temple, and together with the deacon, facing east, they Prayers in Preparation for Holy Communion ................................... 65 bow before the Royal Doors three times, and say: DEACON: Bless, Master. Prayers of Thanksgiving ................................................................... 74 PRIEST: Blessed is our God, always, now and ever, The Third Hour ................................................................................. 77 and unto ages of ages. DEACON: Amen. The Sixth Hour.................................................................................. 88 О Heavenly King, the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth; Who art everywhere and fillest all things. Treasury of Blessings, and Giver of Life: Come and abide in us, and cleanse us from every impurity, and save our souls, О Good One. Holy God! Holy Mighty! Holy Immortal! Have mercy on us! (3) Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen. Most Holy Trinity have mercy on us; Lord, cleanse our sins; Master, pardon our trans- gressions; Holy One, visit and heal our infirmi- ties, for Thy Name’s sake. Lord, have mercy. (3) Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen. 1 2 Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be They go before the icon of Christ, and kissing it, say: Thy Name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy Will We venerate Thy Most Pure Image, О Good be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us One, and ask forgiveness of our transgres- this day our daily bread; and forgive us our sions, О Christ God. Of Thy good will Thou trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass wast pleased to ascend the Cross in the flesh against us, and lead us not into temptation, and deliver Thy creatures from the bondage but deliver us from the evil one. of the enemy. Therefore with thankfulness we cry aloud to Thee: Thou hast filled all PRIEST: For Thine is the Kingdom, and the power, with joy, О our Savior, for Thou didst come and the glory; of the Father, and of the Son, to save the world. and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. They also kiss the icon of the Theotokos, saying: DEACON: Amen. Make us worthy of mercy, О Theotokos, Foun- tain of tenderness. Look on us sinful people Have mercy on us, О Lord, have mercy on us, and reveal your power as always, for we have for laying aside all excuse, we sinners offer to put our hope in you. Rejoice! we cry to you, as Thee, as to our Master, this supplication: have once did Gabriel, the leader of the bodiless hosts. mercy on us. Standing before the Royal Doors, the priest bows his head and Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to recites this prayer: the Holy Spirit. O Lord, stretch forth Thy hand from Thy holy dwelling place on high, and strengthen me for О Lord, have mercy on us, for in Thee have this, Thine appointed service, that standing we put our trust. Do not be angry with us, nor uncondemned before Thine awesome throne, remember our iniquities, but look down on us I may offer the bloodless sacrifice. For Thine even now, since Thou art compassionate, and is the power and the glory unto ages of ages. deliver us from our enemies; for Thou art our Amen. God, and we are Thy people; we are all the work of Thy hands, and we call on Thy Name. They turn and bow to the people, then enter the sanctuary through the south deacon’s door saying: Now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen. I will enter Thy house, I will worship toward О blessed Theotokos, open the doors of com- Thy holy temple in the fear of Thee. Lead passion to us whose hope is in you, that we me, О Lord, in Thy righteousness because of may not perish but be delivered from adver- my enemies; make my way straight before sity through you, who are the salvation of the Thee. For there is no truth in their mouth; Christian people. their heart is destruction, their throat is an 3 4 open sepulchre, they flatter with their tongue. DEACON: Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down Judge them, О God; let them fall by their death by death, and upon those in the tombs own counsels; because of their many transgres- bestowing life! (3) sions cast them out, for they have rebelled When they came before the dawn with Mary against Thee. But let all who take refuge in and found the stone rolled away from the tomb, Thee rejoice, let them always sing for joy; they heard from the angel: “Why seek among and do Thou dwell in them, that those who the dead Him Who abides in everlasting light? love Thy Name may exult in Thee. For Thou Behold the graveclothes! Go quickly, and pro- blessest the righteous, О Lord, Thou coverest claim to the world that the Lord is risen, and has us good will as with the shield. slain death. For He is the Son of God, who saves mankind!” Having come into the sanctuary, they bow three times before the Holy Table, kiss the Holy Gospel and the Holy Table. Then In the tomb with the body, in Hades with the soul, each takes his stikharion (robe) and, bowing three times towards as God; in paradise with the thief, and on the the east, prays silently: Throne with the Father and the Spirit, wast Thou, О Christ, filling all things, Thyself infinite. О God, cleanse me a sinner, and have mercy Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the on me. (3) Holy Spirit. Thy tomb has shone forth as giving life more * * * splendid than paradise, and more radiant than On Great and Holy Saturday, the Entrance Prayers are any royal chamber, О Christ, the fountain of our said before the Plashchanitsa (Epitaphion). After О blessèd resurrection! Theotokos.... The deacon says: The noble Joseph..., then Now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen. as usual, they go before the icon of Christ, and kissing it, Rejoice, О hallowed divine abode of the Most say: We venerate Thy Most Pure Image..., and the rest, as High! For through you, О Theotokos, joy is given usual. to those who cry aloud to you: Blessèd are you among women, О Lady most pure! * * * When the Entrance Prayers are read preceding the Mid- They go before the icon of Christ, and kissing it, say: We night Service prior to the Paschal Matins on the first day venerate Thy Most Pure Image...” and the rest, as usual. of Holy Pascha, “O Heavenly King...” is not said, but im- mediately Holy God... (3),” and the rest, as usual. * * * From St. Thomas Sunday until the Leavetaking of Pascha, after the opening blessing, “O Heavenly King...” is not said, * * * but immediately the following: During Bright Week and on the Leavetaking of Pascha, after the opening blessing, “O Heavenly King...” is not said, Christ is risen from the dead... (3) but immediately the following: Holy God... (3), and the rest, as usual 5 6 DIVINE LITURGY OF SAINT JOHN CHRYSOSTOM DEACON: For this country, its President (or title of the highest civil authority), for all civil authorities, DEACON: (aloud) Bless, Master. and for the armed forces everywhere, let us pray to the Lord. The priest kisses the Holy Gospel, lifts it up with both hands, and lowering it, blesses the Holy Table cross-wise, saying: CHOIR: Lord, have mercy. PRIEST: Blessed is the Kingdom of the Father, and of DEACON: For this city (or village, or holy habitation), for the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever, every city and country, and for the faithful and unto ages of ages. dwelling in them, let us pray to the Lord. CHOIR: Amen. CHOIR: Lord, have mercy. GREAT LITANY DEACON: For seasonable weather, for abundance of the fruits of the earth, and for peaceful times, DEACON: In peace let us pray to the Lord. let us pray to the Lord. CHOIR: Lord, have mercy. CHOIR: Lord, have mercy. DEACON: For the peace from above and for the salvation of our souls, let us pray to the Lord. DEACON: For travelers by land, by sea, and by air; for the sick and the suffering; for captives and CHOIR: Lord, have mercy. their salvation, let us pray to the Lord. DEACON: For the peace of the whole world, for the welfare of the holy churches of God, and for CHOIR: Lord, have mercy. the union of all, let us pray to the Lord. DEACON: For our deliverance from all affliction, wrath, CHOIR: Lord, have mercy. danger, and necessity, let us pray to the Lord. DEACON: For this holy temple and for those who enter CHOIR: Lord, have mercy. with faith, reverence, and the fear of God, let us pray to the Lord. DEACON: Help us, save us, have mercy on us, and keep us О God, by Thy grace. CHOIR: Lord, have mercy. CHOIR: Lord, have mercy. DEACON: For our lord His Beatitude, the Most blessed Metropolitan _____________, for our lord His Emi- DEACON: Commemorating our most holy, most pure, nence, the Most reverend Archbishop (His most blessed and glorious Lady Theotokos Grace, the Right reverend Bishop) _____________, for and Ever-Virgin Mary with all the saints, let the honorable priesthood, the diaconate in us commend ourselves and each other, and Christ, for all the clergy and the people, let all our life unto Christ our God.