The All-Night
Vigil
As
a Reader Service
Note: The translation used is primarily that of
Fr. Lawrence of Jordanville. The order of
service is based primarily on the Reader Service Typikon by Bishop Daniel (the
Old Rite Bishop of the
Vespers
Senior Reader:
Through the prayers of our holy Fathers, O Lord Jesus Christ our God,
have mercy on us.
Reader: Amen.
Senior Reader:
O come, let us worship God our King.
O come, let us worship and fall down before Christ our King and
God.
O come, let us worship and fall down before Christ Himself, our
King and God.
Choir:
Bless the Lord, O my soul. Blessed art Thou, O Lord. Bless the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, Thou
hast been magnified exceedingly.
Refrain: Blessed art
Thou, O Lord.
Confession
and majesty hast Thou put on.
Refrain: Blessed art Thou, O Lord.
Upon
the mountains shall the waters stand.
Refrain: Wondrous are Thy works, O Lord.
Between
the mountains will the waters run.
Refrain: Wondrous are Thy works, O Lord.
In
wisdom hast Thou made them all, hast Thou made them all.
Refrain: Glory to Thee, O Lord, Who
hast made them all, Who hast made them all.
Glory to the Father
and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and unto the ages of
ages. Amen.
Alleluia,
alleluia, alleluia. Glory to Thee, O
God. Thrice.
Choir: Lord, have mercy. Twelve Times
Senior
Reader: Glory
to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and
unto the ages of ages.
Choir: Amen.
If
it is a Sunday vigil (Saturday evening), we sing the first stasis of the first
kathisma and the other two stases are read.
If a feast of vigil rank coincides with the Sunday vigil, we still
follow the normal Sunday order. However,
according to current Russian parish practice, only the selected verses are sung
on Saturday evenings. When a feast falls on other days of the week, usually,
only the select verses of “Blessed is the man…” are sung.
Choir: Blessed is the man that hath not walked in the counsel
of the ungodly. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
For the Lord knoweth
the way of the righteous, and the way of the ungodly shall perish. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Serve ye the Lord
with fear, and rejoice in Him with trembling.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are all that
have put their trust in Him. Alleluia,
alleluia, alleluia.
Arise, O Lord, save
me, O my God. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Salvation is of the
Lord, and Thy blessing is upon Thy people.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Glory to the
Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and unto
ages of ages. Amen. Alleluia, alleluia,
alleluia.
Alleluia, alleluia,
alleluia. Glory to Thee, O God. Thrice
Choir: Lord, have mercy. Thrice
Senior
Reader: Glory
to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and
unto the ages of ages.
Choir: Amen.
And
immediately we sing “Lord, I have cried” in the tone of the first appointed
sticheron.
Reader: In the ___
Tone: Lord, I have cried unto Thee, hearken unto me.
Choir: Lord, I have cried unto Thee, hearken unto
me. * Hearken unto me, O Lord. * Lord, I have cried unto Thee, hearken unto me;
* attend to the voice of my supplication, * when I cry unto Thee. * Hearken
unto me, O Lord.
Let
my prayer be set forth * as incense before Thee, * the lifting up of my hands *
as an evening sacrifice. * Hearken unto me, O Lord.
And
the rest of the verses are read (they can be sung at a vigil) down to the
beginning of the stichoi, i.e. the point at which the
stichera are inserted.
Set, O Lord, a watch before my mouth, and a door of
enclosure round about my lips.
Incline
not my heart unto words of evil, to make excuse with excuses in sins.
With
men that work iniquity; and I will not join with their chosen.
The
righteous man will chasten me with mercy and reprove me; as for the oil of the
sinner, let it not anoint my head.
For
yet more is my prayer in the presence of their pleasures; swallowed up near by
the rock have their judges been.
They
shall hear my words, for they be sweetened; as a clod of earth is broken upon
the earth, so have their bones been scattered nigh unto hades.
For
unto Thee, O Lord, O Lord, are mine eyes, in Thee have I hoped; take not my
soul away.
Keep
me from the snare which they have laid for me, and from the stumbling-blocks of
them that work iniquity.
The
sinners shall fall into their own net; I am alone until I pass by.
With
my voice unto the Lord have I cried, with my voice unto the Lord have I made
supplication.
I
will pour out before Him my supplication, mine affliction before Him will I
declare.
When
my spirit was fainting within me, then Thou knewest my paths.
In
this way wherein I have walked they hid for me a snare.
I
looked upon my right hand, and beheld, and there was none that did know me.
Flight
hath failed me, and there is none that watcheth out for my soul.
I
have cried unto Thee, O Lord; I said: Thou art my hope, my portion art Thou in
the land of the living.
Attend
unto my supplication, for I am brought very low.
Deliver
me from them that persecute me, for they are stronger than I.
If
there are 10 stichera (Saturday evenings and Liturgies of the Presanctified):
Reader: (10) Bring my soul out of prison: Choir: that I may confess Thy name. And then is sung the first stichera,
and likewise are sung the rest of the stichoi.
(9)
The righteous shall wait
patiently for me * until Thou shalt reward me.
If
there are 8 stichera (services of vigil or polyeleos rank):
(8)
Out of the depths have I cried unto Thee, O Lord; * O Lord, hear my
voice.
(7)
Let Thine ears be attentive * to the voice of my supplication.
If
there are 6 stichera (all services of doxology rank, and all simple services,
i.e., 6 stichera from the Menaion, or 3 from the Octoechos and 3 from the
Menaion):
(6)
If Thou shouldest mark
iniquities, O Lord, O Lord, who shall stand? *
For with Thee there is forgiveness.
(5)
For Thy name’s sake have I patiently waited for Thee, O Lord; my soul
hath patiently waited for Thy word, * my soul hath hoped in the Lord.
If
there are 4 stichera (only at Small Vespers):
(4)
From the morning watch until night, from the morning watch * let
(3)
For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him is plenteous redemption;
* and He shall redeem
(2)
O praise the Lord, all ye nations; * praise Him, all ye peoples.
(1)
For He hath made His mercy to prevail over us, * and the truth of the
Lord abideth forever.
Glory
to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Sticheron
(Doxasticon) from the Menaion, if there is one.
If there is a feast of the Lord or of the Theotokos: “Glory… Both now…”
and the Theotokion of the feast.
Both
now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.
Amen.
And
we then sing the Dogmatic Theotokion of the tone, or as appointed in the
Menaion.
Senior Reader: O
Gladsome Light.
Choir: O
Gladsome Light of the holy glory of the immortal, heavenly, holy, blessed
Father, O Jesus Christ: Having come to the setting of the sun, having beheld
the evening light, we praise the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit:
God. Meet it is for Thee at all times to
be praised with gladsome voices, O Son of God, Giver of life. Wherefore, the world doth glorify Thee.
Reader: The
Prokimenon in the ___Tone.
THE
DAILY PROKIMENA
On Saturday evening, the Sixth Tone:
The Lord is King, He
is clothed with majesty.
Stichos
1: The Lord is clothed with
strength and He hath girt Himself.
Stichos
2: For He established the world
which shall not be shaken.
Stichos
3: Holiness becometh Thy house,
O Lord, unto length of days.
On Sunday evening, the Eighth Tone:
Behold
now, bless ye the Lord, all ye servants of the Lord.
Stichos:
Ye that stand in the house of
the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God.
On Monday evening, the Fourth Tone:
The
Lord will hearken unto me when I cry unto Him.
Stichos: When I called
upon Thee, O God of my righteousness, Thou didst
hearken unto me.
On Tuesday evening, the First Tone:
Thy
mercy, O Lord, shall pursue me all the days of my life.
Stichos: The Lord is my
shepherd, and I shall not want. In a
place of green pasture, there hath He made me to dwell.
On Wednesday evening, the Fifth Tone:
O
God, in Thy name save me, and in Thy strength do Thou judge me.
Stichos: O God, hearken unto my prayer, give ear unto
the words of my mouth.
On Thursday evening, the Sixth Tone:
My
help cometh from the Lord, Who hath made heaven and
the earth.
Stichos: I have lifted up mine eyes to the Mountains,
from whence cometh my help.
On Friday evening, the Seventh Tone:
O
God, my helper art Thou, and Thy mercy shall go before me.
Stichos: Rescue me from
mine enemies, O God, and from them that rise up against me redeem me.
If there are Scriptural readings
appointed for a feast:
Reader: The
Then, after the reading (or after the
Prokimenon, if there is no reading):
Choir:
Lord, have mercy. Forty Times.
Senior Reader: Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy
Spirit, both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.
Choir: Amen.
Reader: Vouchsafe, O
Lord, to keep us this evening without sin.
Blessed art Thou, O Lord, the God of our fathers, and praised and
glorified is Thy name unto the ages.
Amen.
Let
Thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, according as we have hoped in Thee. Blessed art Thou, O Lord, teach me Thy
statutes. Blessed art Thou, O Master,
give me understanding of Thy statutes.
Blessed art Thou, O Holy One, enlighten me by Thy statutes.
O
Lord, Thy mercy endureth forever; disdain not the work of Thy hands. To Thee is due praise, to Thee is due a song,
to Thee glory is due, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.
Amen.
Choir:
Lord, have mercy. Twelve Times.
Senior Reader: Glory to the
Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and unto the
ages of ages.
Choir: Amen.
[If there is a Litia: sing the stichera
for the Litia as appointed; Instead of “O Lord, save Thy people…” “Lord, have
mercy.” Forty times, Thirty times, and Fifty times, “Glory… Both now…” and then
the Aposticha]
Then we sing the Aposticha. If it is a Saturday evening, we sing the
Aposticha of the Resurrection, with these stichoi:
Stichos
1: The Lord is King, * He is clothed with
majesty.
Stichos
2: For He established the world
* which shall not be shaken.
Stichos
3: Holiness becometh Thy house,
O Lord, * unto length of days.
If there is a polyeleos (other than
Saturday evening), we sing the Aposticha of the saint from the Menaion, with
its stichoi.
If the service is a great feast of the Lord, we sing the Aposticha
appointed for the feast with its stichoi, no matter
what day it falls on.
Then, after the Aposticha, the prayer
of St. Symeon:
Reader [or the Choir]: Now lettest
Thou Thy servant depart in peace, O Master, according to Thy word, for mine
eyes have seen Thy salvation, which Thou hast prepared before the face of all peoples;
a light of revelation for the Gentiles, and the glory of Thy people Israel.
Reader: Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on
us. Thrice.
Glory
to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and
unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O
Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. O Lord, blot out our sins. O Master,
pardon our iniquities. O Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities for Thy name's
sake.
Lord
have mercy. Thrice.
Glory
to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and
unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Our
Father, Who art in the Heavens, hallowed be Thy Name.
Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is
in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we
forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the
evil one.
Senior Reader: O Lord, Jesus
Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us.
Choir: Amen. Then
we sing the Dismissal Troparion (or Troparia). If it is a regular Sunday Vigil,
we sing “O Theotokos and Virgin…” thrice.
If it is one of the twelve feasts, we sing the dismissal troparion
thrice. If it is some other vigil, and
it is not a Sunday, we sing the dismissal troparion of the saint twice, and “O
Theotokos and Virgin…” once. If it is a
Sunday coinciding with some other feast, we sing “O Theotokos and Virgin”
twice, and the dismissal troparion of the Saint once.
Tone 4: O Theotokos and Virgin, rejoice, O Mary, full
of grace; the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women, and blessed is
the Fruit of thy womb, for thou hast borne the Savior of our souls.
Choir:
Blessed be the name of the Lord from henceforth and
for evermore. Thrice.
And the first ten
verses of the 33rd Psalm are sung:
Choir:
I will bless the Lord at
all times, * His praise shall continually be in my mouth. *In the Lord shall my
soul be praised; * let the meek hear and be glad.
O magnify the Lord
with me, * and let us exalt His name together. * I sought the Lord, and He
heard me, * and delivered me from all my tribulations.
Come unto Him, and
be enlightened, * and your faces shall not be ashamed. * This poor man cried,
and the Lord heard him, * and saved him out of all his tribulations.
The angel of the
Lord will encamp round about them that fear Him, * and will deliver them. * O
taste and see that the Lord is good; * blessed is the man that hopeth in Him.
O fear the Lord, all
ye His saints; * for there is no want to them that fear Him. * Rich men have
turned poor and gone hungry; * but they that seek the Lord shall not be
deprived of any good thing.
Senior Reader: Through the prayers of our holy fathers, O Lord Jesus
Christ our God, have mercy on us.
Choir: Amen.
Matins
The Six Psalms
We
begin Matins with the Six Psalms, listening in silence and with compunction
(standing, with no moving about). And
the reader, with reverence and fear of God, says:
Glory to God in the
highest, and on earth peace, good will among men. Thrice. (With
the sign of the Cross and a bow from the waist each time.)
O Lord, Thou shalt open my lips, and my mouth shall declare Thy
praise. Twice.
Psalm
3
O Lord, why are they
multiplied that afflict me? Many rise up against me. Many say unto my soul:
There is no salvation for him in his God. But Thou, O Lord, art my helper, 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 mountain. I laid me down and slept; I awoke, for the
Lord will help me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands
of people that set themselves against me round about. Arise, O Lord, save me, O
my God, for Thou hast smitten all who without cause are mine enemies; the teeth
of sinners hast Thou broken. Salvation is of the Lord, and Thy blessing is upon
Thy people.
I laid me down and
slept; I awoke, for the Lord will help me.
Psalm
37
O Lord, rebuke me
not in Thine anger, nor chasten me in Thy wrath. For Thine arrows are fastened in
me, and Thou hast laid Thy hand heavily upon me. There is no healing in my
flesh in the face of Thy wrath; and there is no peace in my bones in the face
of my sins. For mine iniquities are risen higher than my head; as a heavy
burden have they pressed heavily upon me. My bruises
are become noisome and corrupt in the face of my folly. I have been wretched
and utterly bowed down until the end; all the day long I went with downcast
face. For my loins are filled with mockings, and there is no healing in my flesh.
I am afflicted and humbled exceedingly, I have roared from the groaning of my
heart. O Lord, before Thee is all my desire, and my groaning is not hid from Thee. My heart is troubled, my strength hath failed
me; and the light of mine eyes, even this is not with me. My friends and my
neighbors drew nigh over against me and stood, and my nearest of kin stood afar
off. And they that sought after my soul used violence; and they that sought
evils for me spake vain things, and craftinesses all the day long did they
meditate. But as for me, like a deaf man I heard them not, and was as a
speechless man that openeth not his mouth. And I became as a man that heareth
not, and that hath in his mouth no reproofs. For in Thee have I hoped, O Lord;
Thou wilt hearken unto me, O Lord my God. For I said: Let never mine enemies
rejoice over me; yea, when my feet were shaken, those men spake boastful words
against me. For I am ready for scourges, and my sorrow is continually before
me. For I will declare mine iniquity, and I will take heed concerning my sin.
But mine enemies live and are made stronger than I, and they that hated me
unjustly are multiplied. They that render me evil for good slandered me,
because I pursued goodness. Forsake me not, O Lord my God, depart not from me.
Be attentive unto my help, O Lord of my salvation.
Forsake me not, O
Lord my God, depart not from me. Be attentive unto my help, O Lord of my
salvation.
Psalm
62
O God, my God, unto
Thee I rise early at dawn. My soul hath thirsted for Thee; how often hath my
flesh longed after Thee in a land barren and untrodden and unwatered. So in the sanctuary have I appeared before Thee to see Thy
power and Thy glory. For Thy mercy is better than lives; my lips shall praise
Thee. So shall I bless Thee in my life, and in Thy
name will I lift up my hands. As with marrow and fatness let my soul be filled,
and with lips of rejoicing shall my mouth praise Thee. If I remembered Thee on
my bed, at the dawn I meditated on Thee. For Thou art become my helper; in the
shelter of Thy wings will I rejoice. My soul hath cleaved after Thee, Thy right hand hath been quick to help me. But as for these,
in vain have they sought after my soul; they shall go into the nethermost parts
of the earth, they shall be surrendered unto the edge of the sword; portions for
foxes shall they be. But the king shall be glad in God, everyone shall be
praised that sweareth by Him; for the mouth of them is stopped that speak
unjust things.
At the dawn I
meditated on Thee. For Thou art become my helper; in the shelter of Thy wings
will I rejoice. My soul hath cleaved
after Thee, Thy right hand hath been quick to help me.
Glory to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and unto the ages of
ages. Amen.
Alleluia, alleluia,
alleluia. Glory to Thee, O God. Thrice, with the sign of the Cross, but
without bows.
Lord. have mercy. Thrice.
Glory to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and unto the ages of
ages. Amen.
Psalm
87
O Lord God of my
salvation, by day have I cried and by night before Thee. Let my prayer come
before Thee, bow down Thine ear unto my supplication. For filled with evils is
my soul, and my life unto hades hath drawn nigh. I am counted with them that go
down into the pit; I am become as a man without help, free among the dead. Like
the bodies of the slain that sleep in the grave, whom Thou rememberest no more,
and they are cut off from Thy hand. They laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness
and in the shadow of death. Against me is Thine anger made strong, and all Thy
billows hast Thou brought upon me. Thou hast removed my friends afar from me;
they have made me an abomination unto themselves. I have been delivered up, and
have not come forth; mine eyes are grown weak from poverty. I have cried unto
Thee, O Lord, the whole day long; I have stretched out my hands unto Thee. Nay,
for the dead wilt Thou work wonders? Or shall physicians raise them up that
they may give thanks unto Thee? Nay, shall any in the grave tell of Thy mercy,
and of Thy truth in that destruction? Nay, shall Thy wonders be known in that
darkness, and Thy righteousness in that land that is forgotten? But as for me,
unto Thee, O Lord, have I cried; and in the morning shall my prayer come before
Thee. Wherefore, O Lord, dost Thou cast off my soul and turnest Thy face away
from me? A poor man am I, and in troubles from my youth; yea, having been exalted,
I was humbled and brought to distress. Thy furies have passed upon me, and Thy
terrors have sorely troubled me. They came round about me like water, all the
day long they compassed me about together. Thou hast removed afar from me
friend and neighbor, and mine acquaintances because of my misery.
O Lord God of my
salvation, by day have I cried and by night before Thee. Let my prayer come
before Thee, bow down Thine ear unto my supplication.
Psalm
102
Bless the Lord, O my
soul, and all that is within me bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and forget not all that He hath done for thee, Who is gracious unto all thine
iniquities, Who healeth all thine infirmities, Who redeemeth thy life from
corruption, Who crowneth thee with mercy and compassion, Who fulfilleth thy
desire with good things; thy youth shall be renewed as the eagle's. The Lord
performeth deeds of mercy, and executeth judgment for all them that are
wronged. He hath made His ways known unto Moses, unto the sons of
In every place of
His dominion, bless the Lord, O my soul.
Psalm
142
O Lord, hear my
prayer, give ear unto my supplication in Thy truth; hearken unto me in Thy
righteousness. And enter not into judgment with Thy servant, for in Thy sight
shall no man living be justified. For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he
hath humbled my life down to the earth. He hath sat me in darkness as those
that have been long dead, and my spirit within me is become despondent; within
me my heart is troubled. I remembered days of old, I meditated on all Thy
works, I pondered on the creations of Thy hands. I stretched forth my hands
unto Thee; my soul thirsteth after thee like a waterless land. Quickly hear me,
O Lord; my spirit hath fainted away. Turn not Thy face away from me, lest I be
like unto them that go down into the pit. Cause me to hear Thy mercy in the
morning; for in Thee have I put my hope. cause me to know, O Lord, the way
wherein I should walk; for unto Thee have I lifted up my soul. Rescue me from
mine enemies, O Lord; unto Thee have I fled for refuge. Teach me to do Thy
will, for Thou art my God. Thy good Spirit shall lead me in the land of
uprightness; for Thy name's sake, O Lord, shalt Thou quicken me. In Thy
righteousness shalt Thou bring my soul out of affliction, and in Thy mercy
shalt Thou utterly destroy mine enemies. And Thou shalt cut off all them that
afflict my soul, for I am Thy servant.
Hearken unto me, O
Lord, in Thy righteousness, and enter not into judgment with Thy servant. Twice.
Thy good Spirit
shall lead me in the land of uprightness.
Glory to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever and unto the ages of
ages. Amen.
Alleluia, alleluia,
alleluia. Glory to Thee, O God. Thrice, with the sign of the Cross
and a bow each time.
Choir:
Lord, have mercy. Twelve
Times.
Senior Reader: Glory to the
Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and unto the
ages of ages.
Choir: Amen.
Reader: In the __Tone:
God is the Lord and hath appeared unto us.
Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. O give
thanks unto the Lord, for He is good, for His mercy endureth forever.
Choir: God is the
Lord and hath appeared unto us. Blessed
is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
Reader: Surrounding
me they compassed me, and by the name of the Lord I warded them off.
Choir: God is the
Lord and hath appeared unto us. Blessed
is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
Reader: I shall not
die, but live, and I shall tell of the works of the Lord.
Choir: God is the
Lord and hath appeared unto us. Blessed
is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
Reader: The stone
which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner. This is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous
in our eyes.
Choir: God is the
Lord and hath appeared unto us. Blessed
is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
For the order of the
Troparia that are sung after God is the Lord, consult the Order of Divine
Services, or the Rubrics Page of the Orthodox Liturgical Text and Resources web
site.
The Sunday (Resurrectional) Troparia of the Eight
Tones:
Tone 1: When
the stone had been sealed by the Jews,* And the
soldiers were guarding Thine immaculate Body,* Thou didst arise on the third
day, O Savior, * granting life unto the world. * Wherefore, the Hosts of the Heavens cried out
to Thee, O Life-giver: * Glory to Thy Resurrection, O Christ. * Glory to Thy
kingdom. * Glory to Thy dispensation, O only Lover of mankind.
Tone 2: When Thou didst descend unto death, O Life Immortal, * then didst Thou slay Hades with the lightning of Thy Divinity. * And when Thou didst also raise the dead out of the nethermost depths, * all the Hosts of the heavens cried out: * O Life-giver, Christ our God, glory be to Thee.
Tone 3: Let the heavens be glad; let earthly things rejoice; * for the Lord hath wrought might with His arm. * He hath trampled down death by death; * the first-born of the dead hath He become. * From the belly of Hades hath He delivered us * and Hath granted to the world great mercy.
Tone 4: Having
learned the joyful proclamation of the Resurrection from the angel, * and
having cast off the ancestral condemnation, * the women disciples of the Lord
spake to the apostles exultantly: * Death is despoiled and Christ God is risen,
* granting to the world great mercy.
Tone 5: Let us, O faithful, praise and worship the Word * Who is co-unoriginate with the Father and the Spirit, * and Who was born of the Virgin for our salvation; * for He was pleased to ascend the Cross in the flesh * and to endure death, * and to raise the dead by His glorious Resurrection.
Tone 6. Angelic hosts were above Thy tomb, * and they that guarded
Thee became as dead. And Mary stood by
the grave seeking Thine immaculate body. * Thou didst despoil hades and wast
not tempted by it. * Thou didst meet the Virgin and didst grant us life. * O Thou Who didst rise from the dead, O
Lord, glory be to Thee.
Tone 7. Thou didst destroy death by Thy Cross, * Thou didst open
paradise to the thief. * Thou didst change the lamentation of the
Myrrh-bearers, * and Thou didst command Thine Apostles to proclaim * that Thou
didst arise, O Christ God, * and grantest to the world great mercy.
Tone 8: From on high didst Thou descend, O
compassionate One; * to burial of three days hast Thou submitted * that Thou
mightest free us from our passions. * O our Life and Resurrection, O Lord,
glory be to Thee.
Then:
THE FIRST KATHISMA
Choir: Lord, have mercy. Thrice. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to
the Holy Spirit.
Reader: Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
The
first appointed kathisma from the Psalter is read. On Sundays it is always the Second Kathisma.
The
first and second stasis are concluded as follows:
Reader: Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to
the Holy Spirit.
Choir: Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. Glory to Thee, O God. Thrice.
Lord, have mercy.
Thrice.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy
Spirit.
Reader: Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
And
then the next stasis is read. The final
stasis is concluded as follows:
Reader: Glory
to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and
unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Alleluia,
alleluia, alleluia. Glory to Thee, O
God. Thrice.
Choir: Lord, have mercy. Thrice.
Senior Reader: Glory to the Father, and to the
Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.
Choir: Amen.
Then
the Sessional Hymns of the tone or of the feast are sung (or read). Then:
Choir: Lord, have mercy. Thrice. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to
the Holy Spirit.
Reader: Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
THE SECOND KATHISMA
(Which is often not done in parish practice)
The
second appointed kathisma is read. On
Sundays it is always the Third Kathisma.
The first
and second stasis are concluded as follows:
Reader: Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to
the Holy Spirit.
Choir: Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. Glory to Thee, O God. Thrice.
Lord, have mercy.
Thrice.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy
Spirit.
Reader: Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
And
then the next stasis is read.
The
final stasis is concluded as follows:
Reader: Glory
to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and
unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Alleluia,
alleluia, alleluia. Glory to Thee, O
God. Thrice.
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
Thrice.
Senior Reader: Glory to the Father, and to the
Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.
Choir: Amen.
Then
the Sessional Hymns of the tone or of the feast are sung (or read).
Then
we sing the Polyeleos (Psalm 134 and 135), but usually only the following four
verses (the first and last verses of each psalm), on all Sundays from September
21 until December 20 and from January 14 through Cheese-Fare Sunday. Beginning on the First Sunday of Great Lentil
until the Sunday after September 21, there is no Polyeleos on Sundays, except
for Palm Sunday and Pentecost, unless appointed by the Menaion, and we sing (or
read) “The Blameless,” i.e. Psalm 118 [119 in non-Orthodox translations], followed
by the Evlogitaria. In some Russian
parish, it is the practice to always sing the Polyeleos on Sunday. More commonly, however, if a Polyeleos is not appointed
neither the Polyeleos nor Psalm 118 are sung, instead the Evlogitaria are sung
alone.
THE POLYELEOS
(Select
verses):
Choir: Praise ye the name of the Lord; O ye servants,
praise the Lord. Alleluia, alleluia,
alleluia.
Blessed
is the Lord out of
O
give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy endureth forever. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
O
give thanks unto the God of heaven; for His mercy endureth forever. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
[On the Sunday of the Prodigal Son, Meat-Fare, and
Cheese-Fare Sundays, after the Polyeleos we sing Psalm 136: “By the rivers of
Then,
in Slavic practice, the Megalynarion of the feast is
sung, if there is one, with the selected psalm verses. However, if it is a Sunday, the Megalynarion is usually sung only once (in general parish
practice), without psalm verses, unless it is a Great feast of the Lord.
THE EVLOGITARIA (On Sundays)
Blessed
art Thou, O Lord, * teach me Thy statutes.
The
assembly of angels was amazed, * beholding Thee numbered among the dead; * yet,
O Savior, * destroying the stronghold of death, * and with Thyself raising up
Adam, * and freeing all from hades.
Blessed
art Thou, O Lord, * teach me Thy statutes.
Why
mingle ye myrrh with tears of pity, * O ye women disciples? * Thus the radiant angel within the tomb * addressed the
myrrh-bearing women; * behold the tomb and understand, * for the Savior is
risen from the tomb.
Blessed
art Thou, O Lord, * teach me Thy statutes.
Very
early * the myrrh-bearing women hastened * unto Thy tomb, lamenting, * but the
angel stood before them and said: * the time for lamentation is passed, weep
not, * but tell of the Resurrection to the apostles.
Blessed
art Thou, O Lord, * teach me Thy statutes.
The
myrrh-bearing women, * with myrrh came to Thy tomb, O Savior, bewailing, * but
the angel addressed them, saying: * Why number ye the living among the dead, *
for as God * He is risen from the tomb.
Glory
to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Spirit.
Let
us worship the Father, * and His Son, and the Holy Spirit, * the Holy Trinity,
* one in essence, * crying with the Seraphim: * Holy, Holy, Holy art Thou, O
Lord.
Both
now and ever, * and unto the ages of ages.
Amen.
In
bringing forth the Giver of life, * thou hast delivered Adam from sin, O
Virgin, * and hast brought joy to Eve * instead of sorrow; * and those fallen
from life * have thereunto been restored, * by Him Who of thee was incarnate,
God and man.
Alleluia,
alleluia, alleluia. Glory to Thee, O
God. Thrice.
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
Thrice
Senior Reader: Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy
Spirit, both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.
Choir: Amen.
If
it is Sunday, the Hypakoe is read (if feast of the Theotokos or of saints fall
on Sunday, their sessional hymns are read after the Hypakoe. Feast of the Lord which fall on Sunday
replace the Octoechos entirely).
Then,
on Sundays the Hymns of Ascents of the tone are sung. On feasts of the Lord and at vigils on other
days only the first antiphon of the 4th tone is sung, as follows:
Choir: From my youth * do many passions war against me; * but
do Thou Thyself defend * and save me, O my Savior.
Ye
haters of
Glory
to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Spirit, * both now and ever, *
and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
In
the Holy Spirit, * every soul is quickened, * and, through cleansing, is
exalted * and made radiant by the Triple Unity in a hidden sacred manner.
Reader: The Prokimenon in the ___ Tone:
And he reads the Prokimenon of the
Sunday tone, or of the feast. The choir
sings it; he then reads the stichos; the choir repeats the Prokimenon; he then
reads the first half of the Prokimenon (down to the asterisk), and the choir
sings the remaining portion.
The Prokimena for Sunday Matins:
Tone 1: Now will I arise, saith the Lord; I will
establish them in salvation, * I will be manifest therein.
Stichos: The words of the Lord are pure words.
Tone 2: Arouse Thyself, O Lord my God, in the
commandment which Thou hast enjoined, * and a congregation of peoples shall
surround Thee.
Stichos:
O Lord my God, in Thee have I
put my hope; save me.
Tone 3: Say among the nations that the Lord is king; * for He
hath established the world which shall not be shaken.
Stichos:
O sing unto the Lord a new song,
sing unto the Lord all the earth.
Tone 4: Arise, O Lord, help us, * and redeem us for Thy name’s
sake.
Stichos: O God, with our ears have we heard, for our
fathers have told us.
Tone 5: Arise, O Lord my God, let Thy hands be lifted
high; * for Thou shalt be king forever.
Stichos: I will confess Thee, O Lord, with my
whole heart, I will tell of all Thy wonders.
Tone 6: O Lord, stir up Thy might * and come to save us.
Stichos: O Shepherd of
Tone 7: Arise, O Lord my God, let Thy hand be lifted
high; * forget not Thy paupers to the end.
Stichos:
I will confess Thee, O Lord,
with my whole heart, I will tell of all Thy wonders.
Tone 8: The Lord shall be king unto eternity; * thy
God, O Zion, unto generation and generation.
Stichos:
Praise the Lord, O my soul. I will praise the Lord in my life.
Senior Reader: O Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us.
Choir: Amen.
Reader: Let every breath praise the Lord.
Choir: Let every breath praise the Lord.
Reader: Praise ye God in His saints, praise Him in the
firmament of His power.
Choir: Let every breath praise the Lord.
Reader: Let every breath.
Choir: Praise the Lord.
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
Thrice.
Senior Reader: The reading is from the Holy Gospel according to Saint
_____.
Choir: Glory to Thee, O Lord, glory to Thee.
Then
the Senior reader reads the appointed Gospel, in a normal tone of voice, facing
the altar. At the conclusion of the
reading:
Choir: Glory to Thee, O Lord, glory to Thee.
And
on Sundays (except Palm Sunday and Pentecost), and on Ascension, and on the Exaltation
of the Cross, and on any weekday or Saturday vigil of the Paschal period, once (but on
Thomas Sunday and the rest of the Sundays of the Paschal period through the Sunday
of the Blind Man, thrice):
Choir: Having beheld the Resurrection of Christ, * let us
worship the holy Lord Jesus, * the only sinless One. * We venerate Thy Cross, O
Christ, * and Thy holy Resurrection we hymn and glorify. * For Thou art our
God, * and we know none other beside Thee; * we call upon Thy name. * O come,
all ye faithful, * let us worship Christ’s holy Resurrection, * for, behold,
through the Cross joy hath come to all the world. * Ever blessing the Lord, *
we hymn His Resurrection; * for, having endured crucifixion, * He hath
destroyed death by death.
Reader: Psalm 50
Have mercy on me, O God, according to Thy great mercy;
and according to the multitude of Thy compassions blot out my transgression.
Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I know
mine iniquity, and my sin is ever before me. Against Thee only have I sinned
and done this evil before Thee, that Thou mightest be justified in Thy words,
and prevail when Thou art judged. For behold, I was conceived in iniquities,
and in sins did my mother bear me. For behold, Thou
hast loved truth; the hidden and secret things of Thy wisdom hast Thou made
manifest unto me. Thou shalt sprinkle me with hyssop, and I shall be made
clean; Thou shalt wash me, and I shall be made whiter than snow. Thou shalt
make me to hear joy and gladness; the bones that be humbled, they shall
rejoice. Turn Thy face away from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me
not away from Thy presence, and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto
me the joy of Thy salvation, and with Thy governing Spirit establish me. I
shall teach transgressors Thy ways, and the ungodly shall turn back unto Thee.
Deliver me from blood-guiltiness, O God, Thou God of my salvation; my tongue
shall rejoice in Thy righteousness. O Lord, Thou shalt
open my lips, and my mouth shall declare Thy praise. For if Thou hadst desired
sacrifice, I had given it; with whole-burnt offerings Thou shalt not be
pleased. A sacrifice unto God is a broken spirit; a heart that is broken and
humbled God will not despise. Do good, O Lord, in Thy good pleasure unto
If
it is a feast of the Lord or The Entry of the Theotokos into the
Choir: Glory
to the Father, and to the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Through
the prayers of the apostles (or the Theotokos, on her feasts, or Saint N., if it is not a
Sunday vigil), O Merciful One, * blot out the multitude of our
transgressions.
Both
now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Through
the prayers of the Theotokos, * O Merciful One, * blot out the multitude of our
transgressions.
Have
mercy on me, O God, * according to Thy great mercy; * and according to the
multitude of Thy compassions, * blot out my transgressions.
And
if there is a festal sticheron appointed at this place (for feasts of the Lord
and the Theotokos, on any day, including Sundays; for saints, on weekdays
only), it is sung. Otherwise, on Sundays
outside the Lenten cycle we sing:
Jesus
having risen from the grave, * as He foretold, * hath given us life eternal, *
and great mercy.
But
beginning with the Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee and continuing
through the 5th Sunday of Lent, immediately after the 50th
Psalm we sing, instead of the preceding verses, the following:
Tone
8: Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to
the Holy Spirit.
The
doors of repentance do Thou open to me, O Giver of life, * for my spirit waketh
at dawn toward Thy holy temple, * bearing a temple of the body all defiled. *
But in Thy compassion cleanse it * by the loving-kindness of Thy mercy.
Both
now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.
Amen.
Theotokion: Guide me in the paths of salvation, O
Theotokos, * for I have defiled my soul with shameful sins, * and have wasted
all my life in slothfulness, * but by thine intercessions * deliver me from all
uncleanness.
Tone
6: Have mercy on me, O God, *
according to Thy great mercy; * and according to the multitude of Thy
compassions, * blot out my transgressions.
When I think of the multitude of
evil things I have done, * I, a wretched one, * I tremble at the fearful day of
judgment; * but trusting in the mercy of Thy loving-kindness, * like David do I
cry unto Thee: * Have mercy on me, O God, * according to Thy great mercy.
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
Twelve Times.
Senior Reader: O Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, have
mercy on us.
Choir: Amen.
Then
we begin the canon. After the 3rdand
6th odes:
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
Thrice
Senior Reader: Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy
Spirit, both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.
Choir: Amen.
After
the 8th Ode of the canon, we sing:
Choir: We praise, we bless, we worship the Lord,
praising and supremely exalting Him unto all ages. And then the appointed katavasia.
And
we sing the Song of the Most Holy Theotokos (the Magnificat) (on great feasts
special megalynaria are sung instead of the
Magnificat):
Choir: My
soul doth magnify the Lord, * and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior.
And
after each verse, the refrain:
More honorable than the Cherubim, * and beyond compare more glorious
than the Seraphim; * who without corruption gavest birth to God the Word, * the
very Theotokos, thee do we magnify.
For
He hath looked upon the lowliness of His handmaiden; * for behold, from
henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. Refrain.
For
the Mighty One hath done great things to me, * and holy is His name; * and His
mercy is on them that fear Him * unto generation and generation. Refrain.
He
hath showed strength with His arm, * and He hath scattered the proud in the
imagination of their heart. Refrain.
He
hath put down the mighty from their seat, * and exalted them of low degree; *
He hath filled the hungry with good things, * and the rich He hath sent empty
away. Refrain.
He
hath holpen His servant
After the 9th ode:
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
Thrice
Senior Reader: Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy
Spirit, both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.
Choir: Amen.
Then,
if it is Sunday (but not on Pascha, Pentecost, or any Sunday coinciding with
Transfiguration or the Exaltation of the Cross):
Reader: Holy is the Lord our God.
Choir: Holy is the Lord our God.
Reader: For holy is the Lord our God.
Choir: Holy is the Lord our God.
Reader: Above all peoples is our God.
Choir: Holy is the Lord our God.
After
this, the Exapostilaria of the Resurrection and / or the feast.
The
Lauds (the Praises) in the tone of the first appointed sticheron:
Choir: Let every breath praise the Lord. * Praise the Lord
from the heavens, * praise Him in the highest. * To Thee is due praise, O God.
Praise
Him, all ye His angels; * praise Him, all ye His hosts. * To Thee is due
praise, O God.
Praise
Him, O sun and moon; praise Him all ye stars and light.
Praise
Him, ye heavens of heavens, and thou water that art above the heavens.
Let
them praise the name of the Lord; for He spake, and they came to be; He
commanded, and they were created.
He
established them for ever, yea, for ever and ever; He hath set an ordinance,
and it shall not pass away.
Praise
the Lord from the earth, ye dragons, and all ye abysses.
Fire,
hail, snow, ice, blast of tempest, which perform His word.
The mountains
and all the hills, fruitful trees, and all cedars.
The
beasts and all the cattle, creeping things and winged birds.
Kings
of the earth, and all peoples, princes and all the judges of the earth.
Young
men and virgins, elders with the younger; let them praise the name of the Lord,
for exalted is the name of Him alone.
His
praise is above the earth and heaven, and He shall exalt the horn of His people.
This
is the hymn for all His saints, for the sons of
Sing
unto the Lord a new song; His praise is in the church of the saints.
Let
Israel be glad in Him that made him, let the sons of Zion rejoice in their King.
Let
them praise His name in the dance; with the timbrel and the psaltery let them chant
unto Him.
For
the Lord taketh pleasure in His people, and He shall exalt the meek with salvation.
The
saints shall boast in glory, and they shall rejoice upon their beds.
The high
praise of God shall be in their throat, and two-edged swords shall be in their
hands.
To
do vengeance among the heathen, punishments among the peoples.
To
bind their kings with fetters, and their nobles with manacles of iron.
If
there are 6 (or 8) stichera appointed, they are sung after the following verse,
otherwise it is read or sung as the above verses down to the place were we would begin when 4 stichera are appointed:
Reader: To do among them the judgment that is written.
Choir: This glory shall be to all His saints. And then the first sticheron is sung.
Praise ye God in His saints, * praise Him in the
firmament of His power. Sticheron.
If
there are 4 stichera appointed, they begin after the following verse:
Praise
Him for His mighty acts, * praise Him according to the multitude of His
greatness. Sticheron.
Praise
Him with the sound of trumpet, * praise Him with the psaltery and harp. Sticheron.
Praise Him with timbrel and dance, * praise him with
strings and flute. Sticheron.
Praise Him with tuneful cymbals, praise Him with
cymbals of jubilation. * Let every breath praise the Lord. Sticheron.
On
Sundays, when there is always a minimum of 8 stichera appointed (unless it is a
great feast of the Lord) these two stichoi are added
(when all the stichera are from the Octoechos, otherwise we use two psalm
verses for saint or feast of the day, usually taken from the verses at the
aposticha in the menaion):
Arise,
O Lord my God, let Thy hands be lifted high; * forget not Thy paupers to the
end. Sticheron.
I will confess Thee, O Lord, with my whole heart, * I
will tell of all Thy wonders. Sticheron.
Reader: Glory in the ___ Tone.
Choir: Glory to the
Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
If
it is a Sunday, the Gospel sticheron is sung, unless there is a Doxasticon from
the Menaion, the Triodion, or the Pentecostarion.
Both
now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.
Amen.
Theotokion,
Tone 2: Most blessed art Thou, O
Virgin Theotokos, * for through Him Who became incarnate of Thee is hades led
captive, * Adam recalled, the curse annulled, Eve set free, * death slain, and
we are given life. * Wherefore, we cry aloud in praise: * Blessed is Christ God
Who hast been so pleased, glory to Thee.
Note:
In Greek practice, the choir always sings the first line of the Great
Doxology. I am placing that in brackets,
and those who would prefer the choir not sing it can simply omit it entirely:
The Great Doxology
[Glory to Thee Who hast shown forth the light.] Glory to God in the highest, and on earth
peace, good will among men. We praise Thee,
we bless Thee, we worship Thee, we glorify Thee, we give thanks to Thee for Thy
great glory. O Lord, heavenly King, God the Father Almighty; O Lord, the
only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ; and O Holy Spirit. O Lord God, Lamb of God,
Son of the Father, that takest away the sin of the world; have mercy on us;
Thou that takest away the sins of the world, receive our prayer; Thou that
sittest at the right hand of the Father, have mercy on us. For Thou only art
holy; Thou only art the Lord, O Jesus Christ, to the glory of God the Father.
Amen.
Every day will I bless Thee, and I will praise Thy
Name forever, yea, forever and ever.
Vouchsafe,
O Lord, to keep us this day without sin.
Blessed art Thou, O Lord, the God of our fathers, and praised and
glorified is Thy name unto the ages.
Amen.
Let
Thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, according as we have hoped in Thee.
Blessed
are Thou, O Lord, teach me Thy statutes.
Thrice
Lord, thou hast been our refuge in generation and
generation. I said: O Lord, have mercy on me, heal my soul, for I have sinned
against Thee.
O Lord, unto Thee have I fled for refuge, teach me to
do Thy will, for Thou art my God. For in Thee is the fountain of life, in Thy
light shall we see light. O continue Thy mercy unto them that know Thee.
Holy
God, Holy mighty, Holy Immortal have mercy on us. Thrice
Glory
to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and
unto the ages of ages. Amen. Holy Immortal have mercy on us.
Holy
God, Holy mighty, Holy Immortal have mercy on us.
If
it is a Sunday and a feast of the Lord coincides with it, we sing the troparion
of the feast. If it is a vigil on any
other day of the week, we sing the troparion of the feast. But if it is a
regular Sunday, even if it is a feast of the Theotokos or of a saint, we sing
one of the following troparia.
If
it is a 1st, 3rd, 5th, or 7th Tone
Sunday, we sing:
Tone
1: Today is salvation come unto the
world; * let us sing praises to Him that arose from the tome, * and is the
Author of our life. * For, having destroyed death by death, * He hath given us
the victory and great mercy.
If
is a 2nd, 4th, 6th, or 8th Tone
Sunday, we sing:
Tone
2: Having risen from the tomb, and
having burst the bonds of hades, * Thou hast destroyed the sentence of death, O
Lord, * delivering all from the snares of the enemy. * Manifesting Thyself to
Thine apostles, Thou didst send them forth to preach;
* and through them hast granted Thy peace to the world, * O Thou Who alone art
plenteous in mercy.
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
Forty Times
Senior Reader: Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy
Spirit, both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.
Choir: Amen.
The Reader Service Typikon calls for saying “Lord,
have mercy” twelve more times, followed by “Glory… Both now…” in place of the
second litany which would be done were a priest serving. This seems a bit tedious to do back to back,
but those who wish to follow this rubric may do so.
Choir: Establish, O God, the holy Orthodox Faith of Orthodox
Christians unto the ages of ages.
More
honorable than the Cherubim, and beyond compare more glorious than the
Seraphim; who without corruption gavest birth to God the Word, the very Theotokos,
thee do we magnify.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy
Spirit, both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Lord have mercy. Thrice.
O Lord, Bless.
Senior Reader (Facing the East, rather than facing the
people):
If it be
Sunday: Thou that didst rise from
the dead, O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, for the sake of the prayers of Thy
most pure Mother, of our holy and God-bearing fathers, of _____ (The Patron
of the Temple ), of _____ (saints of the day), and all the saints,
have mercy on us and save us, for Thou art good and the Lover of mankind.
If not: O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, for the sake
of the prayers of Thy most pure Mother, of our holy and God-bearing fathers, of
_____ (The Patron of the Temple ), of _____ (saints of the day),
and all the saints, have mercy on us and save us, for Thou art good and the
Lover of mankind.
Choir: Amen.
The Many Years
Our Great Lord and Father N.,/
the Most-holy Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia; /
our Lord the Very Most Reverend Metropolitan N.;
/
First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad, /
our Lord the Most Reverend Archbishop (or Bishop) N.;
/
the brotherhood of this holy temple, and all Orthodox
Christians: //
preserve, O Lord, for many years.
And
the First Hour is read:
The First Hour
Reader: O
come, let us worship God our King.
O come, let us worship and fall down before Christ our
King and God.
O come, let us worship and fall down before Christ
Himself, our King and God.
Psalm 5
Unto my words give ear, O Lord, hear my cry. Attend
unto the voice of my supplication, O my King and my God; for unto Thee will I
pray, O Lord. In the morning shalt Thou hear my voice. In the morning shall I
stand before Thee, and Thou shalt look upon me; for not a God that wiliest
iniquity art Thou. He that worketh evil shall not dwell near Thee nor shall
transgressors abide before Thine eyes.
Thou hast hated all them that work iniquity; Thou shalt destroy all them
that speak a lie. A man that is bloody
and deceitful shall the Lord abhor. But
as for me, in the multitude of Thy mercy shall I go into Thy house; I shall
worship toward Thy holy temple in fear of Thee.
O Lord, guide me in the way of Thy righteousness; because of mine
enemies, make straight my way before Thee, For in
their mouth there is no truth; their heart is vain. Their throat is an open
sepulcher, with their tongues have they spoken deceitfully; judge them, O
God. Let them fall down on account of
their own devisings; according to the multitude of their ungodliness, cast them
out, for they have embittered Thee, O Lord. And let all them be glad that hope
in Thee; they shall rejoice, and Thou shalt dwell among them. And all shall
glory in Thee that love Thy name, for Thou shalt bless the righteous. O Lord,
as with a shield of Thy good pleasure hast Thou crowned us.
Psalm 89
Lord, Thou hast been our
refuge in generation and generation.
Before the mountains came to be and the earth was formed and the world,
even from everlasting to everlasting art Thou. Turn not man away unto lowliness; yea, Thou hast said: Turn back ye sons of men. For a thousand years in Thine eyes, O Lord,
are but as yesterday that is past, and as a watch in the night. Things of no
account shall their years be; in the morning like grass shall man pass away. In the morning shall he bloom and pass away.
In the evening shall he fall and grow withered and dry. For we have fainted away in Thy wrath, and in
Thine anger have we been troubled. Thou
hast set our iniquities before us; our lifespan is in the light of Thy
countenance. For all our days are faded
away, and in Thy wrath are we fainted away; our years have, like a spider, spun
out their tale. As for the days of our
years, in their span, they be threescore years and ten. And if we be in strength, mayhap fourscore
years; and what is more than these is toil and travail. For mildness is come upon us, and we shall be
chastened. Who knoweth the might of Thy
wrath? And out of fear of Thee, who can recount Thine anger? So make Thy right
hand known to me, and to them that in their heart are instructed in
wisdom. Return, O Lord; how long? And be
Thou entreated concerning Thy servants.
We were filled in the morning with Thy mercy, O Lord, and we rejoiced
and were glad. In all our days, let us
be glad for the days wherein Thou didst humble us, for the years wherein we saw
evils. And look upon Thy servants, and
upon Thy works, and do Thou guide their sons.
And let the brightness of the Lord our God be upon us, and the works of
our hands do Thou guide aright upon us, yea, the works of our hands do Thou
guide aright.
Psalm 100
Of mercy and judgment will I sing to Thee, O Lord; I
will chant and have understanding in a blameless path. When wilt Thou come unto
me? I have walked in the innocence of my
heart in the midst of my house. I have
no unlawful thing before mine eyes; the workers of transgressions I have
hated. A crooked heart hath not cleaved
unto me; as for the wicked man who turned from me, I knew him not. Him that privily talked against his neighbor
did I drive away from me. With him whose
eye was proud and his heart insatiate, I did not eat. Mine eyes were upon the faithful of the land,
that they might sit with me; the man that walked in the blameless path, he
ministered unto me. The proud doer dwelt
not in the midst of my house; the speaker of unjust things prospered not before
mine eyes. In the morning I slew all the
sinners of the land, utterly to destroy out of the city of the Lord all them
that work iniquity.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy
Spirit, both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. Glory to Thee, O God. Thrice.
Lord, have mercy. Thrice.
If there be two troparia, we say the first one
here. If not, we continue:
Glory
to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. And we say the second troparion, if any,
or the only troparion. Then:
Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Theotokion:
What shall we call thee, O thou who art full of grace? Heaven, for from thee
hast dawned forth the Sun of Righteousness.
My steps do Thou direct according to thy saying, and
let no iniquity have dominion over me. Deliver me from the false accusations of
men, and I will keep Thy commandments. Make Thy face to shine upon Thy servant,
and teach me Thy statutes.
Let my mouth be filled with Thy praise, that I may
hymn Thy glory and Thy majesty all the day long.
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on
us. Thrice.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy
Spirit, both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
O Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. O Lord, blot
out our sins. O Master, pardon our iniquities. O Holy One, visit and heal our
infirmities for Thy name's sake.
Lord have mercy. Thrice.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy
Spirit, both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Our Father, Who art in the
Heavens, hallowed be Thy Name. Thy Kingdom come, Thy
will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into
temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
Senior Reader: O Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of
God, have mercy on us.
Reader: Amen. And we read the appointed Kontakion. If there be two kontakia, we read the one
that was chanted after the 3rd Ode of the canons at Matins. Then:
Lord, have mercy. Forty times. And the Prayer of the Hours:
Thou Who at all times and at every hour, in heaven and
on earth, art worshipped and glorified, O Christ God, Who art long-suffering,
plenteous in mercy, most compassionate, Who lovest the righteous and hast mercy
on sinners; Who callest all men to salvation through the promise of good things
to come: Receive, O Lord, our prayers at this hour, and guide our life toward
Thy commandments. Sanctify our souls, make chaste our bodies, correct our
thoughts, purify our intentions, and deliver us from every sorrow, evil, and
pain. Compass us about with Thy holy angels,
that, guarded and guided by their array, we may attain to the unity of the
faith and to the knowledge of Thine unapproachable glory: For blessed art Thou
unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Lord, have mercy. Thrice.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy
Spirit, both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
More honorable than the cherubim and beyond compare
more glorious than the seraphim; who without corruption gavest birth to God the
Word, the very Theotokos, thee do we magnify.
Senior Reader:
Through the prayers of our holy fathers, O Lord Jesus Christ our God, have
mercy on us.
Reader: Amen. Then the Prayer of the First Hour:
Reader: O Christ, the True Light, Who enlightenest and
sanctifiest every man that cometh into the world: Let the Light of Thy
countenance be signed upon us, that in it we may see the Unapproachable Light,
and guide our steps in the doing of Thy commandments, through the intercessions
of Thy most pure Mother, and of all Thy saints.
Amen.
Choir: Tone 8: To Thee, the Champion Leader, we Thy servants dedicate
a feast of victory and of thanksgiving as ones rescued out of sufferings, O Theotokos:
but as Thou art one with might which is invincible, from all dangers that can
be do Thou deliver us, that we may cry to Thee: Rejoice, Thou Bride Unwedded!
Glory
to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and
unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Lord,
have mercy. Thrice.
O Lord, bless.
Senior Reader (Facing the East, rather than facing the
people):
If
it be Sunday: Thou that didst rise from the dead, O Lord
Jesus Christ, Son of God, for the sake of the prayers of Thy most pure Mother,
our holy and God-bearing fathers, and all the saints, have mercy on us and save
us, for Thou art good and the Lover of mankind.
If not: O Lord Jesus
Christ, Son of God, for the sake of the prayers of Thy most pure Mother, our
holy and God-bearing fathers, and all the saints, have mercy on us and save us,
for Thou art good and the Lover of mankind.
Choir: Amen.
Lord, have mercy. Thrice
The End of the All-Night Vigil