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The Order of Vespers on Holy Pentecost

The Kneeling Service

Prepared by

Michael J. Bishop

Baltimore MD

1990

Rev: 26 May 2004, Printed: 26 May 2004

Vespers

 

D:        Arise, Master, give the blessing.

P:        Blessed is our God, always, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.

Pp:      Amen.

R:        Glory to Thee, O God, glory to Thee.

O heavenly King, the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth, Who are ever present and fill all things; the Treasury of blessings and Giver of life; come and abide in us and cleanse us of all our sins, and save our souls, O Good One.

Holy God! Holy Mighty! Holy Immortal! Have mercy on us! (3x)

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 us from our sins. O Master, pardon our transgressions. O Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities for Thy name’s sake.

Lord, have mercy. (3x)

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

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 evil.

P:        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.

R:        Amen.

Lord, have mercy. (12x)

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

Come, let us worship God our King.

Come, let us worship and fall down before Christ our King and our God.

Come, let us worship and fall down before Christ Himself, our King and our God.

The priest comes out before the Royal Doors and starts to read the Lamp-Lighting Prayers (or Prayers of Light, page 35) while the Introductory Psalm is read or sung.

Psalm 104

Praise of God’s Creation

¹Bless the LORD, O my soul!

O LORD my God, thou art very great!

Thou art clothed with honor and majesty,

²who coverest thyself with light as with a garment,

who hast stretched out the heavens like a tent,

³who hast laid the beams of thy chambers on the waters,

who makest the clouds thy chariot,

who ridest on the wings of the wind,

⁴who makest the winds thy messengers,

fire and flame thy ministers.

⁵Thou didst set the earth on its foundations,

so that it should never be shaken.

⁶Thou didst cover it with the deep as with a garment;

the waters stood above the mountains.

⁷At thy rebuke they fled;

at the sound of thy thunder they took to flight.

⁸The mountains rose, the valleys sank down

to the place which thou didst appoint for them.

⁹Thou didst set a bound which they should not pass,

so that they might not again cover the earth.

¹⁰Thou makest springs gush forth in the valleys;

they flow between the hills,

¹¹they give drink to every beast of the field;

the wild asses quench their thirst.

¹²By them the birds of the air have their habitation;

they sing among the branches.

¹³From thy lofty abode thou waterest the mountains;

the earth is satisfied with the fruit of thy work.

¹⁴Thou dost cause the grass to grow for the cattle,

and plants for man to cultivate,

that he may bring forth food from the earth,

¹⁵and wine to gladden the heart of man,

oil to make his face shine,

and bread to strengthen man’s heart.

¹⁶The trees of the LORD are watered abundantly,

the cedars of Lebanon which he planted.

¹⁷In them the birds build their nests;

the stork has her home in the fir trees.

¹⁸The high mountains are for the wild goats;

the rocks are a refuge for the badgers.

¹⁹Thou hast made the moon to mark the seasons;

the sun knows its time for setting.

²⁰Thou makest darkness, and it is night,

when all the beasts of the forest creep forth.

²¹The young lions roar for their prey,

seeking their food from God.

²²When the sun rises, they get them away

and lie down in their dens.

²³Man goes forth to his work

and to his labor until the evening.

²⁴O LORD, how manifold are thy works!

In wisdom hast thou made them all;

the earth is full of thy creatures.

²⁵Yonder is the sea, great and wide,

which teems with things innumerable,

living things both small and great.

²⁶There go the ships,

and Leviathan which thou didst form to sport in it.

²⁷These all look to thee,

to give them their food in due season.

²⁸When thou givest to them, they gather it up;

when thou openest thy hand, they are filled with good things.

²⁹When thou hidest thy face, they are dismayed;

when thou takest away their breath, they die

and return to their dust.

³⁰When thou sendest forth thy Spirit, they are created;

and thou renewest the face of the ground.

³¹May the glory of the LORD endure for ever,

may the LORD rejoice in his works,

³²who looks on the earth and it trembles,

who touches the mountains and they smoke!

³³I will sing to the LORD as long as I live;

I will sing praise to my God while I have being.

³⁴May my meditation be pleasing to him,

for I rejoice in the LORD.

³⁵Let sinners be consumed from the earth,

and let the wicked be no more!

Bless the LORD, O my soul!

Praise the LORD!

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

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Glory to Thee, O God. (3x)

The deacon comes before the Royal Doors for the Litany of Peace and the priest returns to the sanctuary. If there is no deacon serving, the priest remains in front of the Royal Doors.

The Litany of Peace

D:        In peace, let us pray to the Lord.

Pp:      Lord, have mercy.

D:        For the peace from above and for the salvation of our souls, let us pray to the Lord.

Pp:      Lord, have mercy.

D:        For the peace of the whole world, for the welfare of the holy churches of God, and for the union of all, let us pray to the Lord.

Pp:      Lord, have mercy.

D:        For this holy house and for those who enter with faith, reverence, and the fear of God, let us pray to the Lord.

Pp:      Lord, have mercy.

D:        For our great lord and father, the Most holy Patriarch Alekys, [for our Metropolitan ___,] for our most Reverend (Arch)Bishop ___, for the honorable priesthood, the diaconate in Christ, for all the clergy and the people, let us pray to the Lord.

Pp:      Lord, have mercy.

D:        For our divinely protected country, for all civil authorities, and for the armed forces, let us pray to the Lord.

Pp:      Lord, have mercy.

D:        For this city, for every city and country, and for the faithful dwelling in them, let us pray to the Lord.

Pp:      Lord, have mercy.

D:        For seasonable weather, for abundance of the fruits of the earth, and for peaceful times, let us pray to the Lord.

Pp:      Lord, have mercy.

D:        For travelers by land, by sea, and by air; for the sick and the suffering; for captives and their salvation, let us pray to the Lord.

Pp:      Lord, have mercy.

D:        For the people here present who await the grace of the Holy Spirit, let us pray to the Lord.

Pp:      Lord, have mercy.

D:        For those that bow their hearts and their knees before the Lord, let us pray to the Lord.

Pp:      Lord, have mercy.

D:        That He may strengthen us so that we may fulfill those things that are well-pleasing to Him, let us pray to the Lord.

Pp:      Lord, have mercy.

D:        That He may send down the riches of His mercy upon us, let us pray to the Lord.

Pp:      Lord, have mercy.

D:        That He may accept the bending of our knees as incense before Him, let us pray to the Lord.

Pp:      Lord, have mercy.

D:        For those that are in need of His help, let us pray to the Lord.

Pp:      Lord, have mercy.

D:        For our deliverance from all affliction, wrath, danger, and necessity, let us pray to the Lord.

Pp:      Lord, have mercy.

D:        Help us, save us, have mercy on us, and keep us, O God, by Thy grace.

Pp:      Lord, have mercy.

D:        Commemorating our most holy, most pure, most blessed and glorious Lady Theotokos and ever-virgin Mary with all the saints, let us commend ourselves and each other, and all our life unto Christ our God.

Pp:      To Thee, O Lord.

P:        For to Thee belong all glory, honor, and worship, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages.

Pp:      Amen.

The Lamp Lighting Psalms

The Lamp Lighting Psalms are read as if they constitute a single psalm. The priest makes the usual incensing, but without a procession: walking around the holy Table, he incenses its four corners, then goes out through the north door and incenses the choirs, the icons, and the people, and the whole temple according to custom. Returning to the Royal Doors, he incenses once again those in the sanctuary. Finally, he returns the censer to the server and returns to the holy Table. If a deacon is serving, the deacon does the incensing.

Psalm 140 (141)

Tone 4

Pp:      Lord, I call upon Thee; hear me! Hear me, O Lord! Lord, I call upon Thee; hear me! Receive the voice of my prayer when I call upon Thee. Hear me, O Lord.

Let my prayer arise in Thy sight as incense, and let the lifting up of my hands be an evening sacrifice. Hear me, O Lord.

If Thou, O Lord, should mark iniquities, Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with Thee.

Pp:      Today the nations have beheld wondrous things in the city of David,

When the Holy Spirit descended in fiery tongues as the Divine Luke records:

A sound as of mighty rushing wind filled the house

where the disciples of Christ were assembled.

They began uttering strange doctrines in strange words,

strange teachings of the Holy Trinity.

 

R:        For Thy name’s sake I wait for Thee, O Lord; my soul has waited for Thy word; my soul has hoped on the Lord.

 

Pp:      Today the nations have beheld wondrous things in the city of David,

When the Holy Spirit descended in fiery tongues as the Divine Luke records:

A sound as of mighty rushing wind filled the house

where the disciples of Christ were assembled.

They began uttering strange doctrines in strange words,

strange teachings of the Holy Trinity.

 

R:        From the morning watch until night, from the morning watch, let Israel hope on the Lord.

 

Pp:      The Holy Spirit was, is, and ever shall be

without beginning, without an end,

forever united and numbered with the Father and the Son.

He is Life, and life-creating,

the Light, and the Giver of Light,

Good in Himself, the Fountain of goodness,

through Whom the Father is known and the Son glorified.

All acknowledge one Power, one Order,

one worship of the Holy Trinity.

 

R:        For with the Lord there is mercy and with Him is plenteous redemption and He will deliver Israel from all his iniquities.

Pp:      The Holy Spirit was, is, and ever shall be

without beginning, without an end,

forever united and numbered with the Father and the Son.

He is Life, and life-creating,

the Light, and the Giver of Light,

Good in Himself, the Fountain of goodness,

through Whom the Father is known and the Son glorified.

All acknowledge one Power, one Order,

one worship of the Holy Trinity.

 

R:        Praise the Lord, all nations! Praise Him all people.

 

Pp:      The Holy Spirit is Light and Life,

the living Fountain of spiritual gifts:

the Spirit of wisdom, the Spirit of understanding.

He is good, upright, intelligent and ruling.

He purifies us from our sins.

The Spirit is the deifying God;

Fire proceeding from Fire,

speaking, acting, distributing gifts.

By the Spirit the prophets, Divine apostles and martyrs were crowned.

Strange is this report! Strange is this sight.

Fire is divided for the granting of gifts.

 

R:        For His mercy is confirmed on us, and the truth of the Lord endures forever.

Pp:      The Holy Spirit is Light and Life,...

 

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

During the GLORY TO THE FATHER the deacon opens the Royal Doors. Then the priest, preceded by the deacon with the censor, goes around the right side of the altar, and comes out by the north door and stand before the holy doors.

 

Pp:      O 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, O Good One.

The Entrance

The Royal Doors are now opened, the lights are turned on, and the priest and servers make the Entrance as the people sings the Dogmatikon. The deacon carries the censer. The deacon, bowing slightly and holding the orarion with the first three fingers of his right hand, says to the priest:

D:        Let us pray to the Lord.

The priest, bowing also, says secretly the Prayer of the Entrance if he has not already said it:

P:        In the evening, and in the morning, and at noonday, we praise Thee, we bless Thee, we give thanks unto Thee, and we pray Thee, O Master of all, O Lord Who love man, direct our prayer before Thee as incense, and incline not our hearts to words or thoughts of evil, but deliver us from all that seek after our souls. For upon Thee, O Lord, O Lord, are our eyes, and in Thee have we put our hope. Put us not to shame, O our God. For to Thee belong all glory, honor, and worship, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Then the deacon, holding the orarion with three fingers of the right hand and pointing to the East (the Altar) says to the priest in a low voice:

D:        Bless, Master, the holy entrance.

Then the priest blessed toward the East, saying:

P:        Blessed is the entrance of Thy Saints, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.

D:        Amen.

And standing in the holy doors, tracing the sign of the Cross with the censer, he exclaims:

D:        Wisdom! Attend!

Pp:      O Gladsome Light of the holy Glory of the immortal Father, heavenly, holy, blessed Jesus Christ! Now that we have come to the setting of the sun and behold the light of evening, we praise God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. For meet it is at all times to worship Thee with voices of praise, O Son of God and Giver of Life. Therefore all the world doth glorify Thee!

While this hymn is being sung, the deacon censes the Altar, the priest, the icons, and the whole congregation. The deacon and the priest then go to the high place.

Great Prokeimenon

D:

Let us attend!

P: Peace be to all!

D: Wisdom! Let us attend. The Prokeimenon in the Seventh Tone. Who is so great a God as our God; Thou art the God Who dost wonders.

Who is so great a God as our God; Thou art the God Who dost wonders.

D: Thou hast made known Thy power among the peoples.

Pp: Who is so great a God as our God; Thou art the God Who dost wonders.

D: And I said, now have I begun; this is the change of the right hand of the Most High.

Pp: Who is so great a God as our God; Thou art the God Who dost wonders.

D: I remembered the works of the Lord; for from the beginning I will remember Thy wonders.

D: Who is so great a God as our God.

Pp: Thou art the God Who dost wonders.

 

D:        Again and again, on bended knees, let us pray to the Lord.

Pp:      Lord, have mercy. (3x)

Then all kneel down and remain so while the priest, kneeling also in the opened holy doors and facing the people, reads this prayer in the hearing of all:

The First Prayer

P:        O Lord, Who art immaculate, spotless, without beginning, invisible, incomprehensible, inscrutable, unchanging, unsurpassable, immeasurable, forbearing, who alone hast immortality, who dwellest in light unapproachable, Who hast made heaven and earth and the sea, and all created things therein, Who grantest unto all men their petitions before they ask, we pray Thee and beseech Thee, O Master, Who lovest man, the Father of our Lord and God and Savior, Jesus Christ, Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit and of Mary the Ever-virgin and most glorious Theotokos, Who first did teach in words and afterwards did show by deeds, when He endured His saving Passion, Who did give us, Thy humble, and sinful, and unworthy servants, an example, whereby we should offer unto Thee prayers with the bending of the neck and the knees, both for our own sins and for the ignorance of the people; do Thou Thyself, Who art great in mercy and lovest man, hear us in that day when we shall call upon Thee, and especially on this day of Pentecost, on which, after our Lord Jesus Christ had ascended into the heavens, and had sat down at the right hand of Thee, the God and Father, He did send down the Holy Spirit upon His holy disciples and apostles, Which did also sit upon each of them, and they were all filled with His inexhaustible grace, and they spake with other tongues of Thy greatness, and they prophesied. Hearken, therefore, to us now who pray to Thee, and remember us, humble and condemned as we are, and turn again the captivity of our souls, Thou Who hast Thine own compassion as intercessor for us. Receive us who fall down before Thee and cry, We have sinned. We have cleaved unto Thee from our birth, even from our mother’s womb. Thou art our God, but since our days have passed in vanity, we have been stripped of Thine help, we have been deprived of every defense. But emboldened by Thy compassion, we call out, Remember not the sins of our youth and our ignorance and cleanse Thou us of our secret sins, cast us not away in time of old age; when our strength fails, forsake us not. Before we return to the earth, make us worthy to turn again unto Thee, and attend to us in favor and grace. Measure our transgressions according to Thy compassion, set the depth of Thy compassion against the multitude of our offenses. Look down from Thy holy heights, O Lord, upon Thy people here present who await of Thee rich mercy. Visit us in Thy goodness. Deliver us from the power of the Devil. Make firm our lives with Thy holy and sacred laws. Entrust Thy people to a faithful guardian Angel. Gather us all into Thy kingdom. Grant pardon to those that hope in Thee. Forgive them and us our sins. Purify us by the operation of Thy holy Spirit. Destroy the snares set for us by the enemy.

And then he adds this prayer:

Blessed art Thou, O Lord, Master Almighty, Who hast lightened the day with the light of the sun, and hast illuminated the night with flashes of fire, Who hast vouchsafed us to pass through the length of the day and to draw near to the beginning of the night, hearken to our prayer and to that of all Thy people, and having pardoned us all our voluntary and involuntary sins, receive our evening supplications, and send down the multitude of Thy mercies and compassion upon Thine inheritance. Wall us in with Thy holy Angels. Arm us with the armor of Thy righteousness. Make a bulwark about us with Thy truth. Guard us with Thy power. Deliver us from every oppression and every plot of the adversary. Grant us also that the present evening with the coming night, and all the days of our life, may be perfect, holy, peaceful, sinless, without stumbling-blocks, without fantasy, through the intercessions of the holy Theotokos and of all the Saints, who have in all ages been well pleasing unto Thee.

D:        Help us, save us, have mercy on us, raise us up, and keep us, O God, by Thy grace.

Pp:      Lord, have mercy.

D:        Commemorating our most holy, most pure, most blessed and glorious Lady Theotokos and ever-virgin Mary with all the saints, let us commend ourselves and each other, and all our life unto Christ our God.

Pp:      To Thee, O Lord.

P:        For Thine it is to have mercy on us and to save us, O our God, and unto Thee do we send up glory, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.

Pp:      Amen.

The Litany of Fervent Supplication

Ektene

D:        Let us all say with all our soul and with all our mind, let us say.

Pp:      Lord, have mercy.

D:        O Lord almighty, the God of our fathers, we pray Thee, hearken and have mercy.

Pp:      Lord, have mercy.

D:        Have mercy on us, O God, according to Thy great goodness, we pray Thee, hearken and have mercy.

Pp:      Lord, have mercy. (3x)

D:        Again we pray our great lord and father, the Most holy Patriarch Alekys, [for our Metropolitan ___,] for our most Reverend (Arch)Bishop ___, for priests, deacons, and all other clergy; and for all our brethren in Christ.

Pp:      Lord, have mercy. (3x)

D:        Again we pray for our divinely protected country, for all civil authorities, and for the armed forces.

Pp:      Lord, have mercy. (3x)

D:        Again we pray for the blessed and ever-memorable holy Orthodox patriarchs; and for the blessed and ever-memorable founders of this holy house; and for all our fathers and brethren, the Orthodox departed this life before us, who here and in all the world lie asleep in the Lord.

Pp:      Lord, have mercy. (3x)

D:        Again we pray for mercy, life, peace, health, salvation, and visitation for the servants of God ___, and for the pardon and remission of their sins.

Pp:      Lord, have mercy. (3x)

D:        Again we pray for those who bring offerings and do good works in this holy and all-venerable house, for those who labor and those who sing; and for all the people here present, who await Thy great and rich mercy.

Pp:      Lord, have mercy. (3x)

P:        For Thou art a merciful God, and love mankind, 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.

Pp:      Amen.

D:        Again and again, on bended knees, let us pray to the Lord.

Pp:      Lord, have mercy. (3x)

All kneel down as before and the priest reads the second prayer in the hearing of all:

The Second Prayer

P:        O Lord Jesus Christ our God, Who hast given Thy peace to men, and, being present still in this life, dost ever grant the gift of the Holy Spirit to the faithful, as an inheritance that cannot be taken away, Thou didst send down today in manner most clear, this grace upon Thy holy disciples and apostles, and didst open their lips with tongues of fire. Through them every race of man has received, through the hearing of the ear, the knowledge of God in our own languages. We have been enlightened by the light of the Spirit, and we have been freed from delusion as from darkness, and through the distribution of the perceptible tongues of fire, and the wondrous operation of the same, we have been taught the faith that is in Thee, and we have been illumined so as to confess Thee, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, in one Godhead, and power, and authority. For Thou art the brightness of the Father, the express image, inalterable and immovable, of His essence and nature, the fountain of wisdom and of grace. Open Thou the lips of me a sinner and teach me how I ought and for what I must pray. For Thou knowest the multitude of my sins, but Thy tenderness shall overcome the enormity thereof. For lo, in fear I stand before Thee; into the sea of Thy mercy have I cast the desperation of my soul. Order my life, Thou Who orderest all creation with Thy word, and with the unutterable power of Thy wisdom, O tranquil haven of the storm-tossed, and make known to me the way wherein I should walk. Grant to my reasoning the Spirit of Thy wisdom, and give the Spirit of understanding to my foolishness. Overshadow my deeds with the Spirit of Thy fear, and renew a right Spirit in my inmost parts. And with Thy guiding Spirit, establish my faltering mind, that being guided every day by Thy good Spirit toward what is useful, I may be vouchsafed to keep Thy commandments and always to remember Thy glorious coming-again, which shall search out our deeds. Despise me not, lest I be deceived by the corrupting pleasures of this world, but enable me to yearn for the enjoyment of the treasures of that to come. For Thou hast said, O Master, that, whatsoever may be asked in Thy name, shall be freely received of Thy coeternal God and Father. I, a sinner, therefore, at the descent of Thy Holy Spirit, do supplicate Thy goodness, Do Thou render unto me whatsoever I have asked unto salvation. Yea, O Lord, the good and abundant Giver of every benefit, for Thou art He Who grants most abundantly that which we ask. Thou art He Who sinlessly became the compassionate, merciful partaker of our flesh; and to those that bend their knees before Thee, dost Thou graciously bend down and become the propitiation for our sins. Grant then, Lord, Thy compassion to Thy people. Hearken to us from Thy holy heaven. Sanctify them by the power of Thy saving right hand. Shelter them with the shelter of Thy wings. Despise not the work of Thy hands. Against Thee alone do we sin, but Thee alone do we also adore. We know not how to worship a strange god, nor how to stretch forth our hands to any other god, O Master. Forgive us our offenses, and accept our prayers with the bending of our knees; extend to us all the hand of Thine aid, and receive the prayer of all as an acceptable incense, rising before Thy blessed kingdom.

And then he adds this prayer:

O Lord, Lord, Who deliverest us from every arrow that flies by day, deliver us also from everything that walks about in the darkness. Accept the lifting up of our hands as an evening sacrifice. Vouchsafe us also to pass without reproach the course of the night untempted of evil things, and redeem us from every disturbance and dread that comes to us from the devil. Grant unto our souls contrition and unto our thoughts care concerning the trial of Thy fearful and righteous judgment. Nail our flesh to the fear of Thee and mortify our earthly members, that even in the quietness of sleep we may be illumined by the contemplation of Thy judgments. Withdraw from us every unseemly fantasy and injurious desire. Raise us up at the time of prayer confirmed in the faith and progressing in Thy commandments.

D:        Help us, save us, have mercy on us, raise us up, and keep us, O God, by Thy grace.

Pp:      Lord, have mercy.

D:        Commemorating our most holy, most pure, most blessed and glorious Lady Theotokos and ever-virgin Mary with all the saints, let us commend ourselves and each other, and all our life unto Christ our God.

Pp:      To Thee, O Lord.

P:        Through the favor and grace of Thine only-begotten Son, with Whom Thou art blessed, together with Thine all-holy, and good, and life-creating Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.

Pp:      Amen.

Kataxisoon

R:        Vouchsafe, O Lord, to keep us this evening without sin. Blessed are Thou, O Lord God of our fathers, and praised and glorified be Thy name forever. Amen.

Let Thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, as we have set our hope on Thee. Blessed are Thou, O Lord, teach me Thy statutes! Blessed are Thou, O Master, make me to understand Thy commandments! Blessed are Thou, O Holy One, enlighten me with Thy precepts!

Thy mercy, O Lord, endures forever; O despise not the works of Thy hands! To Thee belongs worship, to Thee belongs praise, to Thee belongs glory, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

D:        Again and again, on bended knees, let us pray to the Lord.

Pp:      Lord, have mercy. (3x)

All kneel down again as the priest reads the third prayer:

The Third Prayer

P:        O ever-flowing Fountain of life and light, creative power coeternal with the Father, Who hast most excellently fulfilled the whole dispensation of the salvation of mankind, Christ our God, Who didst burst the indestructible bonds of death and the bolts of Hell, and hast trampled down the multitude of evil spirits; Who didst offer Thyself as a blameless victim, giving Thine immaculate body as a sacrifice, unblemished and inviolate of all sin, and through that dread and indescribable act of sacrifice, bestowed eternal life upon us; Who didst descend into Hell and break down its eternal bars, showing forth the way up to those who sat in the lower world; Who with allurements of divine wisdom, didst entice the author of evil, the dragon of the abyss, and with cords of gloom didst bind him in Hell and in unquenchable fire, and Thou didst confine him in outer darkness by Thine infinite might, Thou Who art the greatly glorified wisdom of the Father, didst manifest Thyself as a great Helper to the oppressed, and didst enlighten those that sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, Thou Lord of eternal glory and beloved Son of the Father most high, Light everlasting of Light everlasting, Sun of righteousness: Hearken to us who pray unto Thee, and give rest to the souls of Thy servants, our fathers and brethren, who have fallen asleep before us, and our other kinsmen after the flesh, and all Thine own who are in the faith, of whom we now make memorial, for in Thee is the power over all, and in Thine hand Thou holdest all the ends of the earth. Almighty Master, God of the fathers and Lord of mercies, Maker of the race of mortals and immortals, and of every nature of man, of that which is brought together and again put asunder, of life and of the end of life, of sojourning here and of translation there, who dost measure the years of life and set the times of death, Who bringest down to Hell and raisest up, binding in infirmity and releasing unto power, dispensing present things according to need, and ordering those to come as in expedient, quickening with the hope of resurrection those that are smitten with the sting of death. Thyself, O Master of all, God our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of those that are far off upon the sea, Who on this last and great and saving day of Pentecost, didst show forth to us the mystery of the Holy Trinity, consubstantial and co-eternal, undivided and unmingled, and didst pour out the descent and presence of Thy holy and life-creating Spirit in the form of tongues of fire, upon Thy holy Apostles, appointing them to be the Evangelists of Thy our pious faith, and showing them to be confessors and preachers of the true theology; Who also on this all-perfect and saving feast, dost deign to receive oblations and supplications for those bound in Hell, and grantest unto us the great hope that respite and comfort will be sent down from Thee to the departed from the grief that binds them. Hearken to us, Thy humble and piteous ones who pray, and give rest to the souls of Thy servants who have fallen asleep before us, in a place of light, in a place of refreshment, in a place of repose, whence all sickness, sorrow, and sighing are fled away; and do Thou place their souls in the tabernacle of the righteous, and make them worthy of peace and repose. For the dead praise Thee not, neither do those in Hell dare to offer Thee confession, but we, the living, bless Thee, and supplicate Thee, and offer them propitiatory prayers and sacrifices for their souls.

And then he adds this prayer:

O God, Who art great and eternal, holy and lovest man, Who hast vouchsafed us also to stand before Thine unapproachable glory, that we may hymn and praise Thy wonders, cleanse us, Thine unworthy servants, and grant grace that with contrite heart and without presumption, we may offer Thee the trice-holy glorification and thanksgiving for Thy great gifts, which Thou hast granted and dost ever grant us. Remember, O Lord, our infirmity, and destroy us not for our transgressions, but be merciful to our humility, that fleeing from the darkness of sin, we may walk in the day of righteousness, and, clothed with the armor of light, may persevere unassailed from every attack of the Evil One, so that with boldness we may glorify Thee in all things, the only true God and Lover of man. For Thine in truth is the great mystery, O Master and Maker of all, both the temporary dissolution of Thy creatures and their restoration thereafter, and of eternal rest. We confess Thy grace in all things, in our coming into this world, and in our going forth therefrom, which things faithfully pledge unto us, through Thine unfailing promise, our hope of the resurrection and of life incorruptible, which we shall receive hereafter at Thy Second Coming. For Thou art both the Author of our resurrection and the impartial Judge of those that have lived, and the Lover of man, and the Master and Lord of recompense, Who didst partake with us, on equal terms, of flesh and blood, through Thine extreme condescension, and of our irreproachable passions, wherein Thou didst willingly submit to temptation, since Thou dost possess tenderness and compassion, and Thyself, having suffered temptation, art become for us who are tempted, the Helper which Thou Thyself hadst promised to be, and therefore Thou hast led us to Thy passionlessness. Accept, therefore, O Master, our prayers and supplications, and give rest to all the fathers and mothers, and children, and brothers and sisters of each of us, and to any others of our kindred and of our people, and to every soul that has gone to rest before in the hope of resurrection unto life eternal. Set their spirits and their names in the book of life, in the bosom of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, in the land of the living, in the kingdom of heaven, in a Paradise of bliss, leading all, by Thy radiant Angels, into Thy holy abode, raising us also with Thee our bodies in the day which hast been appointed according to Thy holy and unfailing promise. There is, therefore, O Lord, no death unto Thy servants, when we go forth from the body and come unto Thee, our God, but a change from things most sorrowful unto things most beneficent and most sweet, and rest and joy. And, though we have sinned against Thee, be gracious unto us and unto them, for none is pure of stain in Thy sight, through his life be but for one day, except Thou alone, who didst reveal Thyself sinless on the earth, O Lord Jesus Christ, of Whom we all hope to obtain mercy and the forgiveness of sins. Do Thou, therefore, as the good God Who lovest man, remit, forgive, pardon them and us of our offenses, voluntary and involuntary, those done with knowledge or in ignorance, those manifest or unnoticed, those of deed, of thought, of word, those of all our acts and movements; and to those who have been taken from us give freedom and respite, and bless us who are here present, granting a good and peaceful ending to us and to all Thy people, and open to us Thy tender mercies and Thy love of man at Thy dread and fearful Coming again, and make us worthy of Thy kingdom.

And then he adds this prayer:

O great and most high God, Who alone hast immortality, and dwellest in light unapproachable, Who hast fashioned all creation in wisdom, Who hast divided the light from the darkness, and hast set the sun to rule the day and the moon and stars to rule the night, Who hast also vouchsafed unto us sinners at this present hour to come before Thy presence with confession and to present unto Thee our evening doxology, do Thou Thyself, O Lord, Lover of man, direct our prayer as incense before Thee, and accept it for an odor of sweet fragrance, and grant that our present evening and coming night be peaceful. Clothe us with the armor of light. Deliver us from the fear of night, and from everything that walks in darkness, and grant that the sleep that Thou hast given for the repose of our infirmity may be free from every fantasy of the Devil, Yea, O Master of all, Leader of the good, may we, being moved to compunction upon our beds, remember Thy name in the night. And, enlightened by the exercise of Thy commandments, may we rise upon joyfulness of soul to the glorification of Thy goodness, and offer supplications and prayers unto Thy tenderness of heart, for our own sins and those of all Thy people, whom do Thou look upon in mercy, through the intercessions of the holy Theotokos.

D:        Help us, save us, have mercy on us, raise us up, and keep us, O God, by Thy grace.

Pp:      Lord, have mercy.

D:        Commemorating our most holy, most pure, most blessed and glorious Lady Theotokos and ever-virgin Mary with all the saints, let us commend ourselves and each other, and all our life unto Christ our God.

Pp:      To Thee, O Lord.

P:        For Thou art the repose of our souls and bodies, and to Thee do we send up glory, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.

Pp:      Amen.

Litany of Supplication (Synapte)

D:        Let us complete our evening prayers to the Lord.

Pp:      Lord, have mercy.

D:        For this holy house and those who enter with faith, reverence, and the fear of God, let us pray to the Lord.

Pp:      Lord, have mercy.

D:        For our deliverance from all affliction, wrath, danger, and necessity, let us pray to the Lord.

Pp:      Lord, have mercy.

D:        Help us, save us, have mercy on us and keep us, O God, by Thy grace.

Pp:      Lord, have mercy.

D:        That the whole day may be perfect, holy, peaceful, and sinless, let us ask of the Lord.

Pp:      Grant it, O Lord.

D:        An angel of peace, a faithful guide, a guardian of our souls and bodies, let us ask of the Lord.

Pp:      Grant it, O Lord.

D:        Pardon and remission of our sins and transgressions, let us ask of the Lord.

Pp:      Grant it, O Lord.

D:        All things that are good and profitable for our souls, and peace for the world, let us ask of the Lord.

Pp:      Grant it, O Lord.

D:        That we may complete the remaining time of our life in peace and repentance, let us ask of the Lord.

Pp:      Grant it, O Lord.

D:        A Christian ending to our life: painless, blameless, and peaceful, and a good defense before the dread judgment seat of Christ, let us ask of the Lord.

Pp:      Grant it, O Lord.

D:        Commemorating our most holy, most pure, most blessed and glorious Lady Theotokos and ever-virgin Mary with all the saints, let us commend ourselves and each other, and all our life unto Christ our God.

Pp:      To Thee, O Lord.

P:        For Thou art a good God and love mankind, 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.

Pp:      Amen.

The Prayer at the Bowing of the Heads:

P:        Peace be unto all.

Pp:      And to your spirit.

D:        Let us bow your heads to the Lord.

Pp:      To Thee, O Lord.

P:        O Lord, our God, Who did bow the heavens and come down for the salvation of the human race, look upon Thy servants and upon Thine inheritance, for to Thee, the awesome judge Who love mankind, have Thy servants bowed their heads and bent their necks; not expecting help from men, but hoping in Thy mercy and looking for Thy salvation. Protect them at all times, especially in this present evening and in the coming night, from every enemy, from every adverse work of the devil, from evil thoughts, and from evil imaginations.

P:        Blessed and most glorified be the majesty of Thy kingdom, of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.

Pp:      Amen.

Aposticha

Tone 3

Pp:      Now the tongues have become a sign to all!

For the Jews, Christ’s ancestors in the flesh were faithless,

fallen from Divine grace.

We of the Gentiles have been granted the Divine Light.

We have been strengthened by the disciples’ words proclaiming the glory of the God of all.

With them let us bend our hearts with our knees.

Let us worship the Holy Spirit in faith,

being confirmed by the Savior of our souls.

 

R:        Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.

 

Pp:      Now the comforting Spirit has been poured out on all flesh.

Beginning with the choir of the Apostles,

He has spread His grace, communicating it to all the faithful.

He gives proof of His mighty descent by distributing the fiery tongues,

to the disciples, for the praise and glory of God.

So now that our hearts have been spiritually enlightened,

strengthened in faith by the Holy Spirit,

let us pray that our souls may be saved.

 

R:        Cast me not away from Thy face, and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me.

 

Pp:      Now the apostles are clothed with the power of Christ from on high,

for the Comforter renews them.

He is renewed in them by a mystical newness of understanding.

They preach to us in strange and exalted voices,

teaching us to worship the eternal yet simple nature,

the Tri-Personal nature of our Benefactor, the God of All!

So being enlightened by their teaching,

let us worship the Father with the Son and the Spirit,

praying that our souls may be saved.

 

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

 

Pp:      Come, let us worship the Tri-Personal Godhead,

the Son in the Father with the Holy Spirit,

the Father timelessly begets the co-reigning and coeternal Son.

The Holy Spirit was in the Father, glorified equally with the Son.

One Power, One Substance, One Godhead!

In worshiping Him, let us all say:

“Holy God: Who made all things through the Son,

with the cooperation of the Spirit.

Holy Mighty: through Whom we know the Father,

through Whom the Holy Spirit came into the world!

Holy Immortal: the comforting Spirit,

Proceeding from the Father and resting in the Son.

O Holy Trinity: glory to Thee!”

Hymn of Simeon the Just

(Luke 2:29-30)

Tone 6

 

Pp:      Lord, now let[est 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: a light to enlighten the Gentiles, and to be the glory of Thy people Israel.

R:        Holy God! Holy Mighty! Holy Immortal! Have mercy on us! (3x)

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 us from our sins. O Master, pardon our transgressions. O Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities for Thy name’s sake.

Lord, have mercy. (3x)

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

Pp:      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 evil.

P:        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.

Pp:      Amen.

Troparion

Turn lights on, open Royal Doors. The Troparion is sung in Tone 8.

Pp:      Blessed art Thou, O Christ our God, Who hast revealed the fishermen as most wise by sending down upon them the Holy Spirit: through them Thou didst draw the world into Thy net. O Lover of man, Glory to Thee!

P:        The blessing of the Lord be upon you, through His grace and love of man, always now and ever, and unto ages of ages.

Pp:      Amen.

The Great Dismissal

D:        Wisdom!

Pp:      Father, bless.

P:        Christ our God, the Existing One, is blessed always, now and ever and unto ages of ages.

Pp:      Amen.

Confirm, O God, the holy Orthodox Faith and Orthodox Christians, unto ages of ages.

P:        O Most holy Theotokos, save us.

Pp:      More honorable than the Cherubim, and more glorious beyond compare than the Seraphim! Without defilement you gave birth to God the Word; true Theotokos, we magnify you.

P:        Glory to Thee, O Christ our God and our hope, glory to Thee!

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

Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

            Father, bless.

P:        May He Who did empty Himself form the Paternal and Divine Bosom, and came down from heaven upon the earth, and took upon Himself all our nature, and made it divine, and after these things, again ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father, and did send down the divine and holy Spirit, one in essence, equal in power, and equal in glory, and ever-existing with Him, upon His holy Disciples and Apostles, and through Him did enlighten them, and through them the whole world, Christ our true God, through the intercessions of His all-immaculate and all-blameless holy Mother, of the holy, glorious, all-laudable Preachers of God, the Spirit-bearing Apostles, and of all the Saints, have mercy on us and save us, for He is good and loves mankind.

Pp:      Amen.

Prayers of Light

1.         O Lord, compassionate and merciful, long-suffering and of great mercy, give heed to our prayer, and attend to the voice of our supplication. Work upon us a sign for good. Guide us in Thy way, that we may walk in Thy truth. Gladden our hearts that we may fear Thy holy name. For Thou art great and work wonders. Thou alone art God, and among the gods there is none like unto Thee, O Lord, powerful in mercy, and good in might, to help and to comfort and to save all those that hope in Thy holy name.

            For to Thee belong all glory, honor, and worship, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

2.         O Lord, in Thy displeasure, rebuke us not, neither chasten us in Thy wrath, but deal with us according to Thy tenderness, O Physician and Healer of our souls. Guide us unto the haven of Thy will. Enlighten the eyes of our hearts unto the knowledge of Thy truth, and grant unto us that the remainder of the present day and the whole time of our life may be peaceful and sinless, through the intercessions of the holy Theotokos and of all the Saints.

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

3.         O Lord, our God, remember us, Thy sinful and unprofitable servants, when we call upon Thy holy, venerable name, and put us not to shame in our expectation of Thy mercy, but grant us, O Lord, all our petitions which are unto salvation, and make us worthy to love and fear Thee with all our hearts, and to do Thy will in all things.

            For Thou art a good God Who love man, and to Thee do we send up glory, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

4.         O Thou to Whom the holy Powers sing with unending hymns and unceasing doxologies, fill our mouths with Thy praise, that we may magnify Thy holy name. And grant unto us part and inheritance with all those that fear Thee in truth and keep Thy commandments, through the intercessions of the holy Theotokos and of all Thy Saints.

            For to Thee belong all glory, honor, and worship, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

5.         O Lord, Lord, Who uphold all things in the most pure hollow of Thy hand, Who art long-suffering toward us all, and repent Thee at our wickedness, remember Thy compassion and Thy mercy. Look upon us with Thy goodness; grant unto us also by Thy grace, through the remainder of the present day, to avoid the divers subtle snares of the Evil One, and keep our lives unassailed, through the grace of Thine all-holy Spirit.

            Through the mercy and love of man of Thine only-begotten Son, with Whom Thou art blessed, together with Thine all-holy, and good, and life-creating Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

6.         O God, great and wonderful, Who with goodness indescribable and rich providence order all things and grant unto us earthly goods, Who hast given us a pledge of the promised kingdom through the good things already granted unto us, and hast made us to shun all harm during that part of the present day which is past, grant that we may also fulfill the remainder of this day blamelessly before Thy holy glory, and hymn Thee, our God, Who alone art good and love man.

            For Thou art our God, and unto Thee do we send up glory, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

7.         O great and most high God, Who along hast immortality, and dwell in light unapproachable, Who hast fashioned all creation in wisdom, Who hast divided the light from the darkness, and hast set the sun to rule the day and the moon and stars to rule the night, Who hast also vouchsafed unto us sinners at this present hour to come before Thy presence with confession and to present unto Thee our evening doxology, do Thou Thyself, O Lord, Lord of man, direct our prayer as incense before Thee, and accept it for an odor of sweet fragrance, and grant that our present evening and coming night be peaceful. Clothe us with the armor of light. Deliver us from the fear of night, and from everything that walks in darkness, and grant that the sleep that Thou hast given for the repose of our infirmity may be free from every fantasy of the Devil. Yea, O Master of all, Leader of the good, may we, being moved to compunction upon our beds, remember Thy name in the night. And, enlightened by the exercise of Thy commandments, may we rise up in joyfulness of souls to the glorification of Thy goodness, and offer supplications and prayers unto Thy tenderness of heart, for our own sins and those of all Thy people, whom do Thou look upon in mercy, through the intercessions of the holy Theotokos.

            For Thou art a good God Who lovest man, and unto Thee do we send up glory, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Troparion

Blessed art Thou, O Christ our God,

Who hast revealed the fishermen as most wise

by sending down upon them the Holy Spirit:

through them Thou didst draw the world into Thy net.

O Lover of man, Glory to Thee!

Blessed are You, O Christ our God:

You showed the fishermen to be most wise,

You sent the Holy Spirit down upon them

and, through them, You drew the world into Your net.

Glory to You, O loving God.

Благословенъ еси, Христе Боже нашъ,

Иже премудры ловцы явлей,

ниспославъ имъ Духа Святаго,

и тѣмы уловлей вселенную,

Человѣколюбче, слава Тебѣ.