The Divine Liturgy (5 of 5)

Blessed is our God!

Then, aloud:

Always, now, and ever, and unto ages of ages.

Choir. Amen.

Let our mouths be filled with thy praise, O Lord, that we may extol thy glory, for that thou hast deigned to make us partakers of thy holy, divine, immortal and life-giving Mysteries. Establish us in thy Sanctification, that all the day long we may meditate upon thy righteousness. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

At Eastertide:

Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down Death by death, and upon those in the tomb bestowing life.

And the Deacon, coming forth through the north door, and standing in his accustomed place, saith:

Having received the divine, holy, pure, immortal, heavenly, life-giving and terrible Mysteries of Christ, O believers, let us worthily give thanks unto the Lord.

Choir. Lord, have mercy.

Succour us, save us, have mercy upon us, and keep us, O God, by thy grace.

Choir. Lord, have mercy.

Beseeching that this whole day may be perfect, holy, peaceful and sinless, let us commend ourselves, and each other, and all our life unto Christ our God.

Choir. To thee, O Lord.

Then the Priest, folding the corporal (antimíns), shall make over it, with the book of the Holy Gospels, the sign of the cross.

Exclamation.

Priest. For thou art our sanctification, and unto thee we ascribe glory, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now, and ever, and unto ages of ages.

Choir. Amen.

Priest. Let us depart in peace.

Choir. In the Name of the Lord.

Deacon. Let us pray to the Lord.

Choir. Lord, have mercy.

Then the Junior Priest cometh forth, and, standing at the foot of the Tribune, readeth the Prayer before the Tribune.

O Lord, who blessest those who bless thee, and sanctifiest those who put their trust in thee: Save thy people and bless thine inheritance. Preserve the fulness of thy Church; sanctify those who love the beauty of thy house; glorify them in recompense with thy divine might, and forsake not us who set our hope on thee. Give peace to thy world, and to thy Churches, and to thy Priests: and (if in Russia, to our most God-fearing Sovereign, N., the Emperor of All the Russias), to the Army and Navy, and to all thy people. For every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh from thee, the Father of Lights. And unto thee we ascribe glory, and thanksgiving, and worship, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now, and ever, and unto ages of ages.

Choir. Amen. Blessed be the Name of the Lord henceforth and forever. (Thrice.)

The Deacon shall stand at the right side of the image-screen (ikonostás), before the holy picture (ikóna) of our Lord Christ, holding his stole in his hand, and with bowed head, until the conclusion of the Prayer before the Tribune. And when this hath been said, the Priest shall enter through the Holy Door, and going to the Table of Oblation, he shall say, secretly, the following Prayer:

Thou who art the fulfilling of the Law and the Prophets, O Christ our God, and hast accomplished all the dispensation of the Father: Fill thou our hearts with joy and gladness always, now, and ever, and unto ages of ages.

And the Deacon, entering through the north door, shall consume the Holy Gifts, with all reverence and awe.

Reader. Psalm xxxiv. I will alway give thanks unto the Lord: Come, ye children, and hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the Lord. What man is he that lusteth to live, and would fain see good days? Keep thy tongue from evil, and do good: seek peace, and ensue it. The eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers. The countenance of the Lord is against them that do evil, to root out the remembrance of them from the earth. The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth them, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a contrite heart, and will save such as be of an humble spirit. Great are the troubles of the righteous, but the Lord delivereth him out of all. He keepeth all his bones, so that not one of them is broken. But misfortune shall slay the ungodly, and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate. The Lord delivereth the souls of his servants, and all they that put their trust in him shall not be destitute.

At Eastertide:

Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down Death by death, and upon those in the tomb bestowing life.

When the Deacon hath consumed the Holy Elements, so that no smallest morsel of the broken Bread is allowed to fall or remain; and hath poured into the holy chalice of the water and the wine, and hath wiped away with the sponge all the moisture, he shall lay the holy vessels together, and set them in their accustomed place, saying, secretly: Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart: . . .

And when the Psalm hath been read, the Priest shall say:

The blessing of the Lord, through his grace and love towards mankind, be upon you always, now, and ever, and unto ages of ages.

Choir. Amen.

Priest. Glory to thee, O Christ our God; glory to thee.

Choir. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now, and ever, and unto ages of ages. Lord, have mercy. (Thrice.) Master, bless.

At Eastertide:

Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down Death by death, and upon those in the tomb bestowing life.

(The Bishop or) the Priest saith the Benediction.*

May (Sunday: he who rose from the dead) Christ, our true God, through the prayers of his all-holy Mother (Wednesday and Friday: through the might of the precious and life-giving Cross), (Monday: through the intercessions of the honourable Bodiless Powers of Heaven), (Tuesday: of the honourable and glorious Prophet and Forerunner and Baptist, John), of the holy, glorious and all-laudable Apostles (Saturday: of the holy, glorious and right victorious Martyrs; of our reverend and God-bearing Fathers); (according to the Liturgy used: of our Father among the Saints, Basil the Great or John Chrysostom), (Thursday: of our Father among the Saints, Nicholas, Archbishop of Myra in Lycia, the Wonder-worker), of Saint N. (of the Temple), of Saint N. (of the day), of the holy and righteous Ancestors of God, Joachim and Anna, and of all the Saints, have mercy upon us and save us, for he is good and loveth mankind.

At a Pontifical Service:

Choir. Eis pollá éti, Déspota.

Choir. Preserve, O Lord (if in Russia: our most God-fearing Sovereign, N., the Emperor of All the Russias; and all the Reigning House; the Most Holy Governing Synod), our Master, the Right Reverend N., Bishop of N., and all Orthodox Christians, for many years.

* For Benedictions at the Feasts, see Special Services of the Feasts.

The Priest holdeth the cross for the People to kiss, and distributeth the antidóron, after which he withdraweth to the Sanctuary, and the Holy Door is closed. And (if he have celebrated without a Deacon) the Priest consumeth the Holy Gifts; after which he reciteth the Post-Communion Prayers.

Post-Communion Prayers

Glory to thee, O God. (Thrice.)

I thank thee, O Lord my God, that thou hast not rejected me, a sinner, but hast deemed me worthy to become a partaker of thy Holy Things. I thank thee that thou hast graciously granted unto me, though unworthy, to receive thy pure and heavenly Gifts. But, O Master who lovest mankind, who for our sake didst die, and didst rise again, and hast graciously bestowed upon us these terrible and life-giving Mysteries, for the blessing and sanctification of our souls and bodies: Vouchsafe that they may be efficacious for me also unto the healing of my soul and body, unto the averting of everything contrary thereto; unto the enlightenment of the eyes of my heart; unto the peace of my spiritual powers; unto faith invincible; unto love unfeigned; unto the fulfilling of wisdom; unto the keeping of thy commandments; unto the increase of thy divine grace and the attainment of thy kingdom: that by thee preserved in thy holiness I may ever bear in mind thy grace, and live not unto myself, but unto thee, our Master and Benefactor. And so, this life ended in the hope of life everlasting, I may come unto that rest eternal, where the voice of those who keep high festival ceaseth never, and where endless is the sweetness of those who behold the beauty inexpressible of thy countenance. For thou art the true desire and the happiness unutterable of those who love thee, O Christ our God, and every created being shall laud thee unto ages of ages. Amen.

A Prayer of St. Basil the Great.

O Lord Christ, God, King of the Ages, and Maker of all men, I thank thee for all the good things which thou hast bestowed upon me, and for this Communion of thy most pure and life-giving Mysteries. Therefore I entreat thee, O Good One who lovest mankind, keep me in thy tabernacle and under the shadow of thy wings; and grant that, with a pure conscience, even unto my uttermost breath, I may worthily partake of thy Holy Things, unto the remission of my sins, and unto life eternal. For thou art the Bread of Life, the Fountain of all holiness, the Giver of good things; and unto thee we ascribe glory, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now, and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

A Prayer of St. Simeon Metaphrastis.

O thou who, of thine own good will, dost give me thy body as my food; thou who art a Fire consuming the unworthy: Consume me not, O my Creator. But enter thou rather into my members, into my whole being, all my joints, my reins, my heart. Consume thou the thorns of all mine iniquities. Cleanse my soul. Sanctify my thoughts. Make stable my knees, and my bones likewise. Enlighten my five simple senses. Knit me wholly to the fear of thee. Ever cover me, guard me and keep me from every word and deed which may hurt the soul. Purify me and wash me clean, and bring me into concord. Adorn me, give me understanding and enlighten me. Manifest me as the dwelling of thy one Spirit, and in nowise as the dwelling of sin. That being made thy tabernacle through the reception of thy holy Communion every evil thing, every carnal passion may flee away from me. I offer unto thee as intercessors all the Saints, the Chieftains of the Bodiless Powers, thy Forerunner, the wise Apostles, and joined with them thy Mother pure and undefiled; whose prayers do thou accept, in thy tender loving-kindness, O my Christ, and make thy servant to be a child of the light. For thou art the only sanctification and splendour of our souls, O Good One, and unto thee, as God and Lord over all, do we, as it behooveth us, every day ascribe all glory.

Another Prayer.

May thy holy Body, O Lord Jesus Christ our God, profit me unto life eternal, and thy precious Blood unto the remission of my sins. May this Eucharist be unto me for joy, and health, and gladness, and render me, a sinner, worthy to stand at the right hand of thy glory in thy terrible and second Coming-again; through the intercessions of thine all-pure Mother, and of all the Saints.

Another Prayer, to the Most Holy Birth-giver of God.

O all-holy Lady, Birth-giver of our God, of my darkened soul the light, hope, shelter, refuge, the consolation and the joy: I thank thee that thou hast deemed me, all unworthy as I am, worthy to be a partaker of the pure Body and precious Blood of thy Son. O thou who didst bring forth the true Light, enlighten the intellectually-discerning eyes of my heart; O thou who didst bear the Fountain of Immortality, quicken thou me, who lie dead in sin. O compassionately loving Mother of the merciful God, have mercy upon me, and grant unto me repentance and contrition of heart, and humbleness of mind, and deliverance from bondage to evil thoughts. And vouchsafe that even unto my last breath I may, without condemnation, receive the sanctification of these Holy Mysteries, unto the healing of both soul and body. And grant me tears of penitence and of confession, that I may laud and glorify thee all the days of my life. For blessed art thou and all-glorified unto all the ages. Amen.

Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word. For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people. To be a light to lighten the Gentiles, and to be the glory of thy people Israel.

O Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal One, have mercy upon us.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now, and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

O all-holy Trinity, have mercy upon us. O Lord, wash away our sins. O Master, pardon our transgressions. O Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities, for thy Name's sake.

Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, As it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; But deliver us from the Evil One:

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now, and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

The Hymn (Tropár) of Dismissal, in Tone V.:

The grace of thy lips, shining forth like a beacon-fire, hath illumined the universe, and hath bestowed upon the world the treasure of non-avariciousness, and hath shown us the height of humility. But as thou instructest us with thy words, O Father John Chrysostom, so also intercede thou with Christ our God, that our souls may be saved.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Collect-Hymn (Kondák), in Tone VI.:

From heaven hast thou received grace divine, and with thy lips dost thou teach all men to adore the One God in three Persons. O John Chrysostom, all-blessed Saint, we rightly praise thee: for thou art our Teacher, in that thou dost reveal things divine.

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

[But if the Liturgy of St. Basil the Great hath been used, this Hymn (Tropár), in Tone I.:

Thy voice is gone out into all the world, in that it hath received thy word, wherewith thou hast taught in manner well pleasing unto God, hast expounded the nature of existing things, and hast adorned the customs of mankind. O Royal Priesthood, Sainted Father, pray thou unto Christ our God that our souls may be saved.

Collect-Hymn (Kondák), in Tone IV.:

Thou hast shown thyself a foundation immovable of the Church, dispensing unto all men the dominion inviolate, sealing it with thy decrees, O Saint Basil, who wast manifested from heaven.]

Hymn to the Holy Birth-giver of God (Bogoróditchen)

O Protection of Christians that maketh not ashamed, O Mediatrix never-failing with the Creator: Despise not the sinners' voice of supplication; but in that thou art good, come speedily to the aid of us who faithfully call upon thee; make haste to our petition and further our prayer, O Birth-giver of God, who ever protectest them that do thee honour.

The Priest and Deacon wash their hands at the appointed place; and having done reverence together, the Priest shall pronounce the Dismissal. And giving thanks unto God for all things, they shall say, also, the proper Hymn for the Day. Then: Lord, have mercy. (Twelve times.)

More honourable than the Cherubim, and beyond compare more glorious than the Seraphim, thou who without defilement barest God the Word, true Birth-giver of God, we magnify thee.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now, and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.