and he who has forgiven his neighbor his offense, his own offenses are forgiven by God. For if we do not remember the sins which others have committed against us, neither does God remember the sins which we have committed against Him. B And one must judge justly in the fear of God. For judgment belongs to God; one must not condemn others for offenses—that is to say, to despise and loathe them, and to look out for the evils of one’s neighbor, and to justify oneself, without seeing one’s own logs, but rather producing the specks of one’s neighbor—that is to say, the minor shortcomings of our brethren; for this greatly angers God; for it is not right to judge another man’s servant; for every man belongs to God. But to judge is to be corrected in love, to snatch the wronged from the hand of him who wrongs him, to become a father to the helpless, an eye to the blind, and a foot to the lame, according to what has been said, being pious and just in performing this with the proper admonition and exhortation; just as the blessed Apostle says: C "For a period of three years, night and day, I did not cease to admonish every one of you with tears" (Act. 20. 31). The Christian must flee from shameful gain, and be rather pious and holy, and attend to reading, and to exhortation, and to admonition, and to learning, according to what has been said: "Teaching and admonishing yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with grace singing in your hearts to the Lord" (Eph. 5. 19); honoring our parents, that we may be long-lived upon the earth, and not to speak evil of father or mother, but to provide also for our own, and especially for those of the household of the faith. And he who does not absent himself from ecclesiastical gatherings—that is, from the common synaxes and prayers—but offers prayers to God publicly before all the people, and does not despise wise exhortations or godly teachings, nor judges the wonders and works of God to be unbelievable or impossible, D as they are worked throughout each generation, considering this; he who acts thus, and thus has God in his heart, in prudence, shall inherit the kingdom prepared for the saints from the foundation of the world, which shall never have an end, of which may we all attain, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and power unto the ages of ages. Amen.
NOTICE CONCERNING THE FOLLOWING LITURGY
We present here the liturgy which Savile edited at the end of his sixth volume, page 383. This differs entirely from the one found in the published Morellian edition, volume four, page 522, which bears this inscription: "The holy Mass of Saint John Chrysostom, translated by Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam for the benefit of the Bishop of Rochester." Yet the one we provide after Savile almost entirely agrees with that which Goar edited in his *Euchologion* with very extensive commentaries. Regarding this, one must hear Savile in the notes of his eighth volume, page 828: "I leave the whole theological debate concerning the liturgy to the theologians; content to have only given this warning, that there is a strange inconstancy in the manuscript codices. For what does the version of Erasmus and the Morellian edition have in common? Moreover, many things which are elsewhere in the works of Chrysostom taken from the liturgy which the Church used at that time [are missing here; many things appear here which scarcely seem to belong to those times.]" [alt-version omitted]ORDER OF THE DIVINE SACRIFICE OF OUR HOLY FATHER JOHN CHRYSOSTOM
The priest, about to perform the divine mystery, must be previously confessed and reconciled with all, and must have kept his heart clean, as much as in his power, from evil thoughts, having fasted since the evening, and having kept watch until the time of the sacred service. When the time arrives, after performing the customary prostration to the superior, he enters the church, and joined by the deacon, they make together three prostrations towards the east before the icon of the Savior and the all-holy Theotokos, and one to each of the two choirs. When they prostrate, they say this prayer in secret: "Lord our God, send forth thy hand from thy holy dwelling-place, and strengthen me for this thy proposed service, that standing blameless before thy fearful throne, I may perform the bloodless service; for thine is the power and the glory unto the ages of ages. Amen." Having come to the sanctuary, each takes his own sticharion in his hands, and they make three prostrations toward the east, saying to themselves: "God be merciful to me a sinner" (Luc. 18. 13). Then the deacon approaches the priest, bowing his head, holding also in his right hand the
and this: "Thou hast redeemed us from the curse of the law by Thy precious blood, having been nailed to the cross and pierced by the lance, Thou hast poured forth immortality upon men as from a fountain, O our Savior, glory to Thee." C
Then the deacon says, "Bless, master." And the priest blesses, saying: "Blessed is our God, always, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen."
Then the priest takes in his left hand the oblation, and in his right the holy lance; and making the sign of the cross with it over the seal of the oblation, he says three times: "In memory of our Lord and God and Savior, Jesus Christ."
And immediately he thrusts the holy lance into the right side of the seal, and as he cuts, he says: "As a sheep to the slaughter he was led" (Isai. 53. 7). D In the left side, similarly thrusting the holy lance, he says: "And as a lamb without malice before his shearer is dumb, so he opens not his mouth" (Isai. 53. 7).
In the upper part of the seal thrusting the holy lance, he says: "In his humiliation his judgment was taken away" (Isai. 53. 8). In the lower part of the seal, again thrusting the holy lance, he says: "Who shall declare his generation?" (Isai. 53. 8). 778 The deacon says at each incision: "Let us pray to the Lord." Holding his [stolarion] in his right hand, the deacon then says: "Lift up, master." And the priest, inserting the holy lance obliquely into the right side of the oblation, lifts up the holy bread, saying thus: "For his life is taken up from the earth, always, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen." And placing it face upwards on the holy disk, after the deacon has said, "Sacrifice, master," the priest sacrifices it in the form of a cross, saying: "The Lamb of God is sacrificed, who takes away the sin of the world, for the life and salvation of the world." And he turns the other side, which has the cross on top; and the deacon says: "Pierce, master." The priest, however, piercing it on the right side with the holy lance, says: "And one of the soldiers with a lance pierced his side, and immediately there came out blood and water" (Joan. 19. 34). The deacon then pours into the holy chalice wine and water together, after he has said to the priest: "Bless, master, this union." And the priest blesses.
Then, taking the second oblation, the priest says: "In honor and memory of our most blessed, glorious Lady, the Theotokos and ever-virgin Mary, by whose intercessions receive, O Lord, this sacrifice upon Thy supercelestial altar." And lifting up a particle with the holy lance, he places it on the left side of the holy bread. After this, taking the third oblation, he says: "Of the honorable and glorious prophet, Forerunner and Baptist John, of the holy, glorious and all-lauded apostles, of our holy fathers the hierarchs, Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, John
Chrysostom, Athanasius, Cyril, Nicholas of Myra, and all the holy hierarchs; of the holy apostle, first martyr and archdeacon Stephen; of the holy great martyrs George, Demetrius, Theodore, and all the holy martyrs; of our holy god-bearing fathers Anthony, Euthymius, Sabbas the Sanctified, Onuphrius, Arsenius, Athanasius of Athos, and all the holy monks; of the holy wonder-working unmercenaries Cosmas and Damian, Cyrus and John, Pantaleon and Hermolaus, Sampson and Diomedes, Thalaeleus and Tryphon, 779 and of the rest of the holy righteous ancestors of God, Joachim and Anna; of the saint whose memory we celebrate today; and of all the holy ones, by whose supplications visit us, O God.
And thus taking the particle, he places it underneath on the left side. Then, taking another offering, he says: For our Archbishop (N.); for the venerable priesthood, for the diaconate in Christ, and for every priestly order; for the memory and forgiveness of the sins of the ever-memorable founders of this holy monastery (here the priest commemorates by name as many of the living and the dead as he wishes) and of all our orthodox fathers and brethren who have fallen asleep in the hope of the resurrection and eternal life in your communion, O mankind-loving Lord, grant rest. And thus taking the particle, he places it underneath on the left side.
Then the deacon, taking the censer and the incense, says to the priest: Bless, master, the incense, and let us pray to the Lord. And the priest says the prayer: We offer incense to you, Christ our God, for an odor of spiritual fragrance, which do you receive, o Master, into your holy, super-celestial and intellectual altar; and send down upon us in return your rich mercies and your compassions, and grant them to us your servants who call upon your name, of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, always, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
The deacon: Let us pray to the Lord. And the priest, having censed the asterisk, places it over the bread and says: And the star came and stood over where the young child was, always, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
The deacon: Let us pray to the Lord. The priest, having censed the first veil, covers the holy bread, and says: The Lord has reigned, he has clothed himself with majesty; the Lord has clothed himself with power and has girded himself; for he has established the world, which shall not be moved. Holiness becomes your house, O Lord, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
The deacon: Let us pray to the Lord. Cover, O Master. And the priest, censing the second veil and covering the holy chalice, says: Your virtue has covered the heavens, O Christ, and the earth is full of your praise, always, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
The deacon: Let us pray to the Lord. Cover, O Master. And the priest, censing the veil (aer) and covering both, says: Cover us under the shelter of your wings, O our God, always, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Then both, having bound their hands and bowed down piously, say: Blessed be our God who has so willed, always, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
The deacon, at the Prothesis of the precious gifts: Let us pray to the Lord. The priest says the prayer of the 780 Prothesis: O God, our God, who sent down the heavenly bread, the food of the whole world, our Lord and God Jesus Christ, as savior and redeemer and benefactor, blessing and sanctifying us, do you yourself bless this Prothesis, and receive it into your super-celestial altar; remember, as good and mankind-loving, those who have offered, and those for whom they have brought, and preserve us unblamed in the holy ministry of your divine mysteries.
Aloud: For your all-honorable and magnificent name is sanctified and glorified, of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
And after the prayer he censes the Prothesis and performs the dismissal, saying: Glory to you, Christ our God, our hope.
The deacon: Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
The priest: Christ our true God, by the intercessions of his all-holy, immaculate, super-blessed, glorious Lady, the Theotokos and ever-virgin Mary, by the power of the precious and life-giving cross, and of all the saints, have mercy on us as a good and mankind-loving God.
The choir: Amen.
And thus the deacon, taking the censer, departs, and censes the holy table in a circle in the form of a cross, saying to himself: In the tomb with the body, in Hades also with the soul as God, in Paradise with the thief, and on the throne were you, O Christ, with the Father and the Spirit, filling all things, you who are uncircumscribable. And he says the fiftieth Psalm: Have mercy on me, O God. And while he has censed both the sanctuary and the whole temple, he enters again into the holy bema, and having again censed the holy table and the priest, he sets down the censer in its own place, and he himself approaches the priest; and standing together before the holy table, and bowing down to themselves and praying, they say the "O heavenly King, Comforter, the Spirit of truth, who are everywhere present and fill all things, the treasury of blessings and giver of life, come and dwell in us, and cleanse us from every stain, and save, O good one, our souls"; the "Glory to God in the highest," twice; and the "O Lord, you shall open my lips," and the rest, once.
Then the priest kisses the Gospel; and the deacon kisses the holy table. Then the deacon, having bowed his head to the priest, holding also his orarion with the three fingers of his right hand, says: It is time to act for the Lord. Master, bless. And the priest, signing him, says: Blessed be our God always, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
The deacon: Pray for me, Master. And the...
A And after they have bowed three times, they say to themselves: O Lord, open my lips, and so forth. And after this the deacon goes out from the sanctuary, and after bowing three times, says aloud: Bless, Master. The priest says aloud: Blessed is the kingdom of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. The choir: Amen. The deacon aloud: In peace let us pray to the Lord. The choir: Lord, have mercy. The deacon: For the peace from above and the salvation of our souls, let us pray to the Lord. The choir: Lord, have mercy. The deacon: For the peace of the whole world, for the stability of the holy churches of God, and for the unity of all, let us pray to the Lord. The choir: Lord, have mercy. The deacon: For this holy house, and for those who enter it with faith, reverence, and the fear of God, let us pray to the Lord. The choir: Lord, have mercy. The deacon: For our Archbishop N., for the honorable priesthood, for the diaconate in Christ, for all the clergy and the people, let us pray to the Lord. The choir: Lord, have mercy. The deacon: For our most pious and God-protected sovereigns, for all their palace and army, let us pray to the Lord. The choir: Lord, have mercy. The deacon: That with them He may fight and subject every enemy and foe under their feet, let us pray to the Lord. The choir: Lord, have mercy. The deacon: For this holy monastery, for every city and countryside, and for those who dwell in them in faith, let us pray to the Lord. The choir: Lord, have mercy. The deacon: For favorable weather, for an abundance of the fruits of the earth, and for peaceful times, let us pray to the Lord. The choir: Lord, have mercy. The deacon: For those who sail, for those who travel, for the sick, for the suffering, for captives, and for their salvation, let us pray to the Lord. The choir: Lord, have mercy. The deacon: That we may be delivered from all affliction, wrath, danger, and necessity, let us pray to the Lord. The choir: Lord, have mercy.
The prayer of the first antiphon in secret. O Lord our God, whose power is incomparable, whose glory is incomprehensible, whose mercy is immeasurable, and whose love for mankind is ineffable, look upon us and upon this holy house in Thy compassion, Master, and show rich mercies and graces to us and to those who pray with us. While the priest says the prayer in secret in the sanctuary, at the same time the deacon recites the supplications outside the sanctuary. If there is no deacon, the priest says the prayer aloud, and afterwards the supplications. The deacon: Help, save, have mercy, and protect us, O God, by Thy grace. The choir: Lord, have mercy. The deacon: Remembering our all-holy, immaculate, most blessed and glorious Lady, the Theotokos and ever-virgin Mary, with all the saints, let us commit ourselves and one another and our whole life to Christ our God. The choir: To Thee, O Lord. B The priest aloud: For unto Thee is due all glory, honor, and worship, to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. The choir: Amen. After the supplications the choir chants the first antiphon, or the Typica if it is Sunday; but otherwise, that which is proper for the day.
The prayer of the second antiphon in secret. O Lord our God, save Thy people, and bless Thine inheritance, preserve the fullness of Thy Church, sanctify those who love the beauty of Thy house; do Thou glorify them in return by Thy divine power, and forsake us not who hope in Thee. Note here as in the first prayer, if a deacon is present, or if he is absent. The deacon: Again and again in peace let us pray to the Lord. The choir: Lord, have mercy. The deacon: Help, save, have mercy, and protect us, O God, by Thy grace. The choir: Lord, have mercy. The deacon: Remembering our all-holy, immaculate, most blessed Lady, the Theotokos and ever-virgin Mary, with all the saints, let us commit ourselves and one another and our whole life to Christ our God. The choir: To Thee, O Lord. The priest aloud: For Thine is the power, and Thine is the kingdom and the might and the glory, of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. The choir: Amen. After the second supplications the choir chants the second antiphon, or the second Typica if it is Sunday; if not, that which belongs to the day.
The prayer of the third antiphon in secret. Who hast granted us these common and concordant prayers, and who hast promised that to two or three who agree in Thy name Thou wilt grant their requests: Thine own self, even now, fulfill the petitions of Thy servants for their benefit, granting us in the present age the knowledge of Thy truth, and in the future bestowing life eternal. Note here as in the first and second prayer, if a deacon is present or not. The deacon: Again and again in peace let us pray to the Lord. The choir: Lord, have mercy. The deacon: Help, save, have mercy, and protect us, O God, by Thy grace. The choir: Lord, have mercy. The deacon: Remembering our all-holy, immaculate, most blessed and glorious Lady, the Theotokos and ever-virgin Mary, with all the saints, let us commit ourselves and one another and our whole life to Christ our God. The choir: To Thee, O Lord. The priest aloud: For Thou art a good and philanthropic God, and unto Thee we offer up glory, to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. The choir: Amen. Here the choir chants the third antiphon, or the third and sixth ode of the morning canons. But if it is Sunday, it chants the Beatitudes, and what is proper for that holy day. C When the choir reaches, "Glory to the Father," the priest and the deacon bow three times before the holy table. Then the priest, taking up the holy Gospel, gives it to the deacon; and thus having exited through the northern door they come to the customary place, and perform the Little Entrance,
and both incline their heads, and the deacon saying quietly: Let us pray to the Lord, while at the same time holding the stole with his three fingers, A the priest says the prayer of the Entrance.
The Prayer of the Entrance of the Holy Gospel, recited secretly.
Despot Lord our God, who has established in the heavens the orders and hosts of angels and archangels for the ministry of Thy glory, cause that with our entry there may be an entry of holy angels, serving with us, and glorifying Thy goodness together with us. B Aloud: For to Thee belongs all glory, honor, and adoration, to the Father and to the Son and to the holy Spirit, now and always, and unto the ages of ages. Choir: Amen.When the prayer is finished, the deacon says to the priest: Bless, O Despot, the holy entrance, at the same time pointing toward the east with the stole. C And the priest, making the sign of the cross toward the east, says: Blessed is the entrance of Thy holy ones, always, now and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Then the deacon approaches the bishop, and kisses the Gospel, if he is present; otherwise the priest kisses it. And when the final troparion is completed, the deacon enters into the midst, and standing before the priest, lifts his hands a little, and pointing to the holy Gospel, says aloud: Wisdom, stand aright! Then, having made a bow—both he and the priest behind him—they enter into the holy sanctuary; and the deacon deposits the holy Gospel on the holy table; and the chanters say the customary troparia, and that of the saint of the day. And when they come to the end, the deacon says to the priest, bowing his own head, and holding the stole in his hand: Bless, O Despot, the time of the Trisagion. And the priest, signing him, says: For Thou art holy, our God, always, now and always. D And when the troparion is completed, the deacon comes near the holy doors, and shows the stole to those outside, saying aloud: And unto the ages of ages. Choir: Amen.
And while the choir is chanting the Trisagion, the priest prays secretly.
The Prayer of the Trisagion, recited secretly.
O holy God, who rests in the holy places, who art hymned by the Seraphim with the thrice-holy voice, and glorified by the Cherubim, and adored by every heavenly power; who brought all things out of nothing into being; who created man after Thine image and likeness, and adorned him with every gift of Thine; who givest to him who asks wisdom and understanding, and dost not overlook the one who sins, but hast appointed repentance for salvation; who hast deigned that we, Thy humble and unworthy servants, should stand at this hour before the glory of Thy holy altar, and offer to Thee the adoration and glorification that is due to Thee; Thyself, O Despot, accept even from the mouths of us sinners the Trisagion hymn, and visit us in Thy goodness; forgive us every offense, voluntary and involuntary, and sanctify our souls and bodies, and grant us to serve Thee in holiness all the days of our life, by the intercessionsA of the holy Theotokos and all the saints who have pleased Thee from of old.
For Thine is the might, and 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 the ages of ages. Amen.
And give us, O Lord, that we may with boldness, without condemnation, dare to call upon Thee, the heavenly God, as Father, and say:
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 also forgive our debtors; 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 the ages of ages. Amen.
Peace to all. And to thy spirit.
Bow your heads unto the Lord. To Thee, O Lord.
We give thanks unto Thee, O invisible King, Who by Thy boundless power hast fashioned all things, and in the multitude of Thy mercy hast brought all things from non-existence into being. Do Thou Thyself, O Master, look down from heaven upon those who have bowed their heads unto Thee; for they have not bowed unto flesh and blood, but unto Thee, the awesome God. Do Thou, therefore, O Master, distribute these things here set forth as gifts for the good of all, according to the need of each; journey with those who travel by land and sea, heal the sick, Thou Who art the Physician of our souls and bodies.
Through the grace, and mercies, and loving-kindness of Thine only-begotten Son, with Whom Thou art blessed, together with Thy holy, and good, and life-creating Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Attend, O Lord Jesus Christ, our God, from Thy holy dwelling-place and from the throne of the glory of Thy kingdom, and come to sanctify us, O Thou Who sittest on high with the Father and art here invisibly present with us; and vouchsafe by Thy mighty hand to impart unto us Thy most pure Body and precious Blood, and through us to all the people.
O God, be merciful to me, a sinner. B
O God, cleanse me, a sinner. C
O God, be merciful to me, a sinner, and have mercy on me.
Attend.
The holy things for the holy.
One is holy, one is Lord, Jesus Christ, to the glory of God the Father. Amen.
⌂
The Prayer of the Faithful, which the priest says secretly, having unfolded the corporal
We thank Thee, O Lord God of Hosts, Who hast made us worthy to stand at this time before Thy holy altar and to fall down before Thy compassions for our sins and for the ignorances of the people: receive, O God, our supplication: make us worthy to offer unto Thee prayers, and supplications, and bloodless sacrifices for all Thy people; and make us suitable, whom Thou hast placed in this ministry, that in the power of Thy Holy Spirit we may, blamelessly and without reproach, in the pure witness of our conscience, call upon Thee at every time and place, that hearing us, Thou mayest be gracious to us in the multitude of Thy goodness.
The priest says this prayer secretly: Lord our God, accept this intense supplication from Thy servants and have mercy on us, according to the multitude of Thy mercy, and send down Thy compassions upon us and upon all Thy people who await the abundant mercy from Thee. With a loud voice: For Thou art a merciful and loving God, and to Thee we render glory, to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Chorus : Amen. D
Diaconus: Pray, catechumens, to the Lord. Chorus: Lord, have mercy. Diaconus: Let us the faithful pray for the catechumens, that the Lord may have mercy on them. Chorus: Lord, have mercy. Diaconus: That He may instruct them in the word of truth. Chorus: Lord, have mercy. Diaconus: That He may reveal to them the gospel of righteousness. Chorus: Lord, have mercy. Diaconus: That He may unite them to His holy, catholic and apostolic Church. Chorus: Lord, have mercy. Diaconus: Save, have mercy, protect and keep them, O God, by Thy grace. Chorus: Lord, have mercy. Diaconus: Catechumens, bow your heads unto the Lord. Chorus: To Thee, O Lord.
Prayer of the catechumens before the holy oblation which the priest says secretly: Lord our God, Who dwellest on high and lookest upon the humble, Who hast sent the salvation to the human race through Thine only-begotten Son and God and our Lord Jesus Christ, look upon Thy servants the catechumens who have bowed their necks unto Thee, and make them worthy in due time of the laver of regeneration, the remission of sins, and the garment of incorruption: unite them to Thy holy, catholic and apostolic Church, and number them with Thy chosen flock. With a loud voice: That they also may with us glorify Thy venerable and magnificent name, of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Chorus: Amen.
After the exclamation the priest takes the corporal, and, as is the custom, unfolds it. Diaconus: As many as are catechumens, draw near; as many as are catechumens, draw near; as many as are catechumens, draw near. Let no one of the catechumens remain. As many as are the faithful, again and again in peace let us pray to the Lord. Chorus: Lord, have mercy.
First prayer of the faithful, after the corporal has been unfolded, which the priest says secretly: We thank Thee, O Lord God of Powers, Who hast deemed us worthy to stand now at Thy altar, and to fall down before Thy compassions for our sins and the ignorances of the people: receive, O God, our supplication: make us worthy to offer unto Thee prayers, and supplications, and bloodless sacrifices for all Thy people; and make us fit, whom Thou hast placed in this ministry, that in the power of Thy Holy Spirit we may without blame and without fault, in the pure witness of our conscience, call upon Him at every time and place, that hearing us, Thou mayest be merciful to us in the multitude of Thy goodness.
The priest praying, the deacon, if he is present, recites the peaceable petitions outside the holy tribunal, in the customary place: Again and again in peace let us pray to the Lord. Chorus: Lord, have mercy. Diaconus: For this holy mansion, for the whole city, region, and those who dwell in them with faith, let us pray to the Lord. Chorus: Lord, have mercy. Diaconus: For the temperature of the air, for the fertility of the fruits of the earth, and for peaceful times let us pray to the Lord. Chorus: Lord, have mercy. Diaconus: For those who sail, those who travel, those who are sick, those who are laboring, for the captives and for their salvation let us pray to the Lord. Chorus: Lord, have mercy. Diaconus: That we may be delivered from all affliction, wrath, danger and necessity, let us pray to the Lord. Chorus: Lord, have mercy. Diaconus: Help, save, have mercy and keep us by Thy grace, O God. Chorus: Lord, have mercy. Diaconus: Wisdom. The priest with a loud voice: For to Thee is due all glory, honor and adoration, to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, perpetually, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Chorus: Amen.
Second prayer of the faithful, which the priest says secretly. Again and more often we fall down before Thee, and we pray to Thee, O good and merciful One, looking upon our supplication, cleanse our souls and bodies from all defilement of flesh and spirit, and give to us a faultless and blameless access to Thy holy altar. Grant also, O God, to those who pray with us, progress of life and faith and spiritual understanding: give to those who always worship Thee with fear and love, that they may participate in Thy holy mysteries without fault or blame, and be deemed worthy of the heavenly kingdom.
The priest praying, the deacon recites the peaceable petitions before the holy tribunal. The priest with a loud voice: That being constantly guarded by Thy power, we may render glory to Thee, to the Father and to the Son and to the holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Chorus: Amen.
After the exclamation he says the prayer to himself: and the singers sing the Cherubic hymn. The deacon however approaching the priest, with incense censes in the manner of a cross and in a circle the holy table, the sanctuary, and the priest. And afterward he stands reverently at the left of the priest, awaiting the completion of the prayer.
Prayer which the priest says secretly while the Cherubic hymn is being sung. None of those who are fettered by carnal desires and pleasures is worthy to approach or draw near and minister to Thee, O King of glory: for to minister to Thee is great and terrible even to the heavenly Powers. Yet because of Thine ineffable and boundless loving-kindness, without mutation, Thou hast become man and been called our High Priest, and hast handed down to us the holy ministry of this solemn and bloodless sacrifice, as Lord of all. For Thou alone, O Lord our God, rulest over things in heaven and on earth: Who art carried upon the Cherubic throne, the Lord of the Seraphim and King of Israel, Thou alone art holy
and A restest in the saints. I therefore beseech Thee, who alone art good and ready to hear, look upon me, Thy sinful and unprofitable servant, and purify my soul and heart from an evil conscience; and make me sufficient, by the power of Thy Holy Spirit, to stand before this Thy holy table, clothed with the grace of the priesthood, that I may perform the sacred mystery of Thy holy and spotless Body and Thy precious Blood. For to Thee I pray, bowing my own neck, and I implore Thee: turn not Thy face from me, nor cast me out from among Thy servants, but grant that these gifts may be offered to Thee by me, Thy sinful and unworthy servant. For Thou art He who offers and is offered, who receives and is distributed, O Christ our God; and to Thee we send up glory, with Thy Father who is without beginning, and Thy all-holy and good and life-giving Spirit, now and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
When the prayer is finished, they recite the Cherubic hymn together, bowing three times as they say it; then also the fiftieth psalm in secret. And bowing three times, they proceed to the prothesis, with the deacon going before them with incense; and having censed the holy things, B praying to himself, "God, be merciful to me a sinner," he says to the priest, "Lift up, Master." The priest, having taken up the aër, places it on the deacon’s left shoulder, saying: "Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the Lord. The Lord bless thee out of Sion, He who made heaven and earth, always, now and always, and unto the ages of ages." The deacon: "Amen." Then the deacon takes the holy diskos upon his own head with caution; and the priest takes up the holy chalice alone, and the deacon holds the censer in his right hand with one finger. And passing through the church, both pray for all, saying: "May the Lord God remember all of us in His kingdom, always, now and always, and unto the ages of ages." The choir: "Amen." And they say this many times until the Great Entrance is completed. And entering into the holy sanctuary, they say to themselves: "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord." Then the deacon again, bowing his head to the priest, says: "Remember me, holy Master, the sinner." And the priest: "May the Lord God remember thee in His kingdom, always, now and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen." Then he also places the holy chalice upon the holy table, C adding this troparion: "The noble Joseph, having taken Thy spotless body down from the tree and wrapped it in a clean shroud and anointed it with spices, laid it in a new tomb." Then the priest removes the covers from the holy diskos and the holy chalice; and taking the aër from the deacon’s shoulders, and after censing it, he covers the holy things with it. Then the deacon censes the holy things three times, saying thus: "Do good, O Lord, unto Sion in Thy good pleasure." Then after saying: "God be merciful to me a sinner," they bow three times before the holy table. And the priest stands, while the deacon, bowing his neck, says to the priest: "Pray for me, Master." And the priest says: "The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee." The deacon says: "The same Holy Spirit shall serve with us all the days of our life, now and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen. Remember me, holy Master." And the priest says: "May the Lord God remember thee in His kingdom, always, now and always, and unto the ages of ages." The deacon: "Amen, amen, amen." And having bowed, he goes to the usual place, D saying: "Let us complete our prayer to the Lord." The choir: "Lord, have mercy." The deacon: "For the precious gifts set forth, let us pray to the Lord." The choir: "Lord, have mercy." The deacon: "For this holy house, and for those who enter it with faith and reverence and fear of God, let us pray to the Lord." The choir: "Lord, have mercy." The deacon: "That we may be delivered from all affliction, wrath, danger, and necessity, let us pray to the Lord." The choir: "Lord, have mercy."
Prayer of the oblation after the placing of the divine gifts upon the holy table, which the priest says in secret. Lord, God Almighty, Thou alone art holy, who acceptest the sacrifice of praise from those who call upon Thee with their whole heart, accept also the prayer of us sinners. And bring us unto Thy holy altar, and make us sufficient to offer unto Thee gifts and spiritual sacrifices for our own sins and for the ignorances of the people; and count us worthy to find grace before Thee, that our sacrifice may be acceptable unto Thee, and that the good Spirit of Thy grace may rest upon us, and upon these gifts here set forth, and upon all Thy people. The deacon: "Take, save, have mercy, and preserve us, O God, by Thy grace." The choir: "Lord, have mercy." The deacon: "Asking that the whole day may be perfect, holy, peaceful, and sinless, let us beseech the Lord." The choir: "Grant, O Lord." The deacon: "An angel of peace, a faithful guide, a guardian of our souls and bodies, let us ask of the Lord." The choir: "Grant, O Lord." The deacon: "Pardon and remission of our sins and transgressions, let us ask of the Lord." The choir: "Grant, O Lord." The deacon: "Good and profitable things for our souls, and peace for the world, let us ask of the Lord." The choir: "Grant, O Lord." The deacon: "That we may complete the remaining time of our life in peace and repentance, let us ask of the Lord." The choir: "Grant, O Lord." The deacon: "Christian endings to our life, painless, unashamed, peaceful, and a good defense before the terrible judgment seat, let us ask of the Lord." The choir: "Grant, O Lord." The deacon: "Having commemorated our all-holy, immaculate, most blessed, glorious Lady, the Theotokos and ever-virgin Mary, with all the saints, let us commend ourselves and one another and all our life unto Christ our God." The choir: "To Thee, O Lord."
The priest aloud: "Through the mercies of Thine only-begotten Son, with whom Thou art blessed, together with Thy all-holy and good and life-giving Spirit, now and always, and unto the ages of ages." The choir: "Amen." The priest: "Peace to all." The deacon: "Let us love one another, that with oneness of mind we may confess."
A The choir: "Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, a Trinity one in essence and undivided."
The priest makes three reverences, saying mystically three times: "I will love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my firmament and my refuge." And the deacon wraps his orarion around himself, and makes three reverences, and joins in aloud: "The doors, the doors, in wisdom let us attend." And the choir: "I believe." And after the completion of the holy symbol, the deacon says aloud: "Let us stand well, let us stand with fear; let us attend the holy offering to offer in peace." The choir: "An offering of peace, a sacrifice of praise."
The priest aloud: "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God and the Father, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you." The choir: "And with your spirit." The priest: "Let us lift up our hearts." The choir: "We have them unto the Lord." The priest: "Let us give thanks to the Lord." The choir: "It is meet and right to worship the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, a Trinity one in essence and undivided."
The priest, inclining himself, prays mystically: "It is meet and right to hymn you, to bless you, to praise you, to give thanks to you, to worship you in every place of your dominion; for you are God ineffable, inconceivable, invisible, incomprehensible, ever-existing, existing in the same manner, you and your only-begotten Son and your Holy Spirit. You brought us from non-existence into being, and when we had fallen, you raised us up again, and did not cease doing all things until you had brought us up to heaven and bestowed upon us your kingdom which is to come. For all these things we give thanks to you, and to your only-begotten Son, and to your Holy Spirit; for all these things which we know and do not know, the manifest and hidden benefits bestowed upon us. We give you thanks also for this liturgy, which you have deigned to receive from our hands, even though there stand before you thousands of archangels and tens of thousands of angels, the Cherubim and Seraphim, six-winged, many-eyed, soaring on wings." Aloud: "Singing the triumphal hymn, shouting, crying out, and saying." The choir: "Holy, holy, holy, Lord of Sabaoth; heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest: blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord; hosanna in the highest."
The deacon takes the asterisk, and makes the sign of the cross over the holy diskos, and wiping it with the holy veil, and kissing it, he places it alongside the holy bread. Then he moves to the right side, and fans over the holy gifts with the rhipidion reverently; if there is no rhipidion, he does this with a veil.
The priest prays mystically: "With these blessed Powers, O Master who loves mankind, we also cry out and say: Holy and all-holy are you, and your only-begotten Son, and your Holy Spirit; holy and all-holy are you, and magnificent is your glory; who so loved your world that you gave your only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. Who, when he had come and fulfilled all the economy for us, on the night in which he was delivered, or rather delivered himself for the life of the world, taking bread into his holy and spotless and pure hands, giving thanks and blessing, sanctifying and breaking it, he gave it to his holy disciples and apostles, saying," B the priest inclines his head, and lifting his right hand with reverence, he blesses the holy bread, saying aloud: "Take, eat; this is my body, which is broken for you for the remission of sins." The choir: "Amen."
The deacon, having taken hold of his orarion, shows it with the priest [honoring] the holy diskos; and likewise [honoring] the holy chalice. In the same manner when the priest pronounces: "Yours from your own."
The priest mystically: "Likewise also the cup after he had supped, saying," the priest says aloud, lifting his hand on high with reverence and blessing, "Drink of this, all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for you and for many for the remission of sins." The choir: "Amen."
The priest, inclining his head, prays mystically: "Remembering therefore this saving commandment, and all those things which have come to pass for us: the cross, the tomb, the resurrection on the third day, the ascension into heaven, the sitting at the right hand, the second and glorious coming." Aloud: "Yours from your own we offer to you, in all and for all." The choir: "We hymn you, we bless you, we give thanks to you, O Lord, and we pray to you, O our God."
The priest, again inclining his head, prays mystically: "Again we offer to you this reasonable and bloodless worship, and we ask, and pray, and supplicate: send down your Holy Spirit upon us and upon these proposed gifts." The deacon lays aside the rhipidion or the veil he was holding, and comes closer to the priest, and both make three reverences before the holy table, and pray among themselves: "God, be merciful to me a sinner." They say three times mystically: "O Lord, who sent down your most Holy Spirit at the third hour upon your apostles; this, O Good One, do not take away from us, but renew [it] in us who pray." And, "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me" (Ps. 50:12). Then, inclining his head, the deacon points with the orarion to the holy bread, and says mystically: "Bless, master, the holy bread." And the priest, standing upright, makes the sign of the cross three times over the holy gifts, saying mystically: "And make this bread the precious body of your Christ." The deacon: "Amen." And again the deacon: "Bless, master, the holy chalice." The priest, blessing, says: "And that which is in this chalice the precious blood of your Christ." The deacon: "Amen." And again the deacon, showing both with the orarion, says: "Bless, master." And the priest, blessing with both hands over the holy objects, says: "Changing them by your Holy Spirit." The deacon: "Amen, amen, amen." And the deacon, after he has inclined his head to the priest, and said to him, "Remember me, a sinner, holy master," returns to the place where he stood before, having taken the rhipidion as before.
The priest prays mystically: "So that they may be to those who partake for vigilance of soul, for remission of sins, for communion of your Holy Spirit, for the fullness of the kingdom of heaven, for confidence in you, not unto judgment or unto condemnation. Again we offer to you this reasonable service for those who have fallen asleep in the faith, ancestors, fathers, patriarchs, prophets, apostles, preachers, evangelists, martyrs, confessors, ascetics, and every righteous spirit perfected in faith.
A Exclamation: Especially for our all-holy, immaculate, most blessed, and glorious Lady, the Theotokos and ever-virgin Mary. The choir chants: "It is truly right to call you blessed, the Theotokos," or that of the day. The deacon incenses round about the holy table and the diptychs; he makes mention of such of the departed and the living as he wishes. The priest, bowing, prays in secret: Of the holy prophet, forerunner, and Baptist John, of the holy and all-praised apostles, of Saint N., whose memory we also keep, and of all your saints, by whose supplications protect us, O God, and remember all those who have fallen asleep in the hope of the resurrection to eternal life. Here the priest makes mention of whom he wishes, living and dead; for the living, he says: For the salvation, visitation, and remission of the sins of your servant N. For the dead, he says: For the rest and remission of the soul of your servant, N.; in a place of light, whence sorrow, sighing, and pain have fled, give them rest, O our God, and give them rest where the light of your face looks upon them. Moreover, we beseech you, remember, Lord, every orthodox episcopate of those who rightly divide the word of your truth, the entire presbyterate, the diaconate in Christ, and every priestly order. Furthermore, we offer to you this reasonable worship for the world, for the holy, catholic, and apostolic Church, for those who live in chastity and a grave manner of life, for our most faithful and Christ-loving Emperors, for all their palace and their army; grant them, Lord, a peaceful kingdom, that we also in their tranquility may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all piety and gravity. The deacon turns toward the door of the holy sanctuary, holding the orarion with the three tips of his fingers, and says: And for all men and all women. And the choir chants: And for all men and all women. The priest exclaims B: In the first place, remember, Lord, our Archbishop N.; whom grant to your holy Churches in peace, safe, honorable, healthy, long-lived, rightly dividing the word of your truth. And the deacon, standing at the door, says: Of the most holy metropolitan or bishop N., whoever he may be; and for him who offers these holy gifts, the most reverend priest N.; for the salvation of our most pious and God-protected Emperors, and for all men and all women. The choir: And for all men and all women. The priest continues the prayer in secret: Remember, Lord, the city in which we dwell, and every city and country, and those who dwell in them in faith; remember, Lord, those who travel by sea, those who journey, the sick, the weary, the captives, and their salvation; remember, Lord, those who bring fruit and do good works in your holy Churches, and who remember the poor, and send your mercies upon us all. Exclamation C: And grant us with one mouth and one heart to glorify and praise your most honorable and magnificent name, of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and to the ages of ages. The choir: Amen. The priest turns toward the door, and blessing says aloud: And the mercies of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ shall be with all of you. The choir: And with your spirit. And the deacon goes out, if he is present, or the priest, and standing in the accustomed place, says: Having remembered all the saints, let us again and again beseech the Lord. The choir: Lord, have mercy. The deacon: For the precious gifts brought forth and sanctified, let us beseech the Lord. The choir: Lord, have mercy. The deacon: That our philanthropic God, who has accepted them into his holy, supercelestial, and spiritual altar as an odor of spiritual fragrance, may send down upon us the divine grace and the gift of the all-holy Spirit, let us beseech the Lord. The choir: Lord, have mercy. The deacon: For our being delivered from all affliction, wrath, danger, and necessity, let us beseech the Lord. The choir D: Lord, have mercy. The priest prays in secret: To you we commit our whole life and hope, O philanthropic Master, and we beseech you, and pray, and supplicate, make us worthy to partake of your heavenly and dread mysteries from this holy and spiritual table with a pure conscience for the remission of sins, for the pardon of transgressions, for the communion of the Holy Spirit, for the inheritance of the kingdom of heaven, for boldness before you, not unto judgment or unto condemnation. The deacon: Help, save, have mercy, and keep us, O God, by your grace. The choir: Lord, have mercy. The deacon: Let us ask of the Lord that the whole day may be perfect, holy, peaceful, and sinless. The choir: Grant, O Lord. The deacon: Let us ask of the Lord an angel of peace, a faithful guide, a guardian of our souls and bodies. The choir: Grant, O Lord. The deacon: Let us ask of the Lord the pardon and remission of our sins and transgressions. The choir: Grant, O Lord. The deacon: Let us ask of the Lord those things good and profitable for our souls, and peace for the world. The choir: Grant, O Lord. The deacon: Let us ask of the Lord that we may complete the remaining time of our life in peace and repentance. The choir: Grant, O Lord. The deacon: Having asked for the unity of the faith and the communion of the Holy Spirit, let us entrust ourselves and one another and our whole life to Christ our God. The choir: To you, O Lord. The priest exclaims: And make us worthy, O Master, with boldness and without condemnation to dare to call upon you, the heavenly God, as Father, and to say. The choir: Our Father. The priest exclaims: For yours 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 to the ages of ages. The choir: Amen. The priest: Peace to all. The choir: And with your spirit. The deacon: Bow your heads to the Lord. The choir: To you, O Lord. The deacon, therefore, bowing his head slightly, and seeing the priest praying, bows himself also.
C But the priest, bowing, prays privately: We give thanks to you, O invisible King, who by your measureless power created all things, and in the multitude of your mercy brought all things out of non-existence into being. Do you yourself, O Master, look down from heaven upon those who have bowed their heads to you; for they have not bowed to flesh and blood, but to you, the awesome God. Do you, therefore, O Master, make straight for the good of all of us that which lies before us, according to the need of each: sail with those who sail, travel with those who travel, heal the sick, O physician of souls and bodies. The priest says aloud: By the grace, compassion, and love for mankind of your only-begotten Son, with whom you are blessed, together with your all-holy, good, and life-giving Spirit, now and always, and to the ages of ages. The choir: Amen.
D The priest prays privately: Attend, O Lord Jesus Christ our God, from your holy dwelling-place and from the glorious throne of your kingdom, and come to sanctify us, you who are enthroned on high with the Father and are invisibly present here with us; and deign by your mighty hand to impart to us your immaculate body and precious blood, and through us to all the people. Then the priest and the deacon worship in the place where they stand, saying privately three times: God, be merciful to me, a sinner. And the people do likewise, all worshipping with piety. When the deacon sees the priest extending his hands and touching the holy bread in order to perform the holy elevation, he says aloud: Let us attend. And the priest: Holy things to the holy. The choir: One holy, one Lord Jesus Christ, to the glory of God the Father. Amen.
Then the choir sings the communion of the day, or of the saint, whose festival it is. And the deacon girds himself with the orarion in the form of a cross, and standing at the right of the priest who holds the bread, says: Break, Master, the holy bread. The priest, however, carefully and piously breaking it into four parts, says: The Lamb of God, the Son of the Father, is broken and divided, who is broken and not divided, who is always eaten and never consumed, but sanctifies those who are partakers. Then he takes one part of the holy bread and holds it in his hand. And the deacon, showing with the orarion the holy chalice, says: Fill, Master, the holy chalice. The priest says: The fullness of the faith of the Holy Spirit. And having made the sign of the cross, he casts it into the holy chalice. The deacon: Amen. And having taken the fervent water, he says to the priest: Bless, Master, this holy fervency. The priest blesses, saying: Blessed is the fervency of your holy things, now and always, and to the ages of ages. Amen. And the deacon pours it into the holy chalice in the form of a cross, saying: Fervency of faith, full of the Holy Spirit. Amen. And he does this three times, and having put down the fervent vessel, he stands a little way behind. The priest says: Draw near, deacon. And the deacon drawing near performs a prostration piously and asks for forgiveness. The priest, holding the holy bread, gives it to the deacon. And the deacon, kissing the hand that extends it to him, receives the holy bread, saying: Impart to me, Master, the precious and holy body of our Lord God and Saviour Jesus Christ. The priest says: I give to you the precious, holy, and immaculate body of our Lord God and Saviour Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins, and unto life everlasting. And he withdraws behind the holy table, bowing his head, and prays in the same manner as the priest. In a similar way the priest receives the holy bread, bowing his head before the holy table, and prays thus: I believe, O Lord, and I confess that you are the Christ, the Son of the living God, who came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the first. And of your mystical supper, O Son of God, receive me today as a communicant; for I will not speak of the mystery to your enemies, nor will I give you a kiss like Judas, but like the thief I confess to you: Remember me, O Lord, in your kingdom. And, O Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under the sordid roof of my soul, but as you deigned to be reclined in a cave and a manger of unreasoning beasts, and in the house of Simon the leper, and also received the harlot, a sinner like me, who came to you, deign also to enter into the manger of my unreasoning soul, and into the cave of my dead and leprous body. And as you did not abhor the sordid mouth of the harlot kissing your immaculate feet, so, O Lord my God, do not abhor me, a sinner, but as you are good and merciful, deign to make me a partaker of your most holy body and blood.
O our God, pardon, forgive, and remit my transgressions, whatever I have committed against you, voluntarily or involuntarily; whether in knowledge or in ignorance; whether by word, or by deed, or by thought: forgive me everything, as you are good and merciful, by the intercessions of your all-immaculate and ever-virgin mother. Keep me uncondemned, that I may receive your precious and immaculate body, for the healing of soul and body; for yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory, of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, now and always, and to the ages of ages. Amen. And thus they partake of the holy bread and likewise the holy chalice. And the priest first takes three draughts in one inclination, and at the first draught says: In the name of the Father; at the second: In the name of the Son; at the third: In the name of the Holy Spirit. And after the reception he wipes the holy chalice with the veil, and his own lips carefully and piously, saying: This has touched my lips, and it shall take away my iniquities, and shall purge my sins continually, now and always, and to the ages of ages. Amen. And holding the holy chalice, he calls the deacon, saying: Deacon, draw near. And the deacon comes, and worships once, saying: Behold, I approach the immortal King: and the rest, "I believe and confess," the whole. And the priest says: You are communicating, servant of God, Deacon N., of the precious and holy body and blood of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins, and unto life everlasting. After the deacon has communicated, the priest says: This has touched your lips, and it shall take away your iniquities, and shall purge your sins: as he had said for himself. Then the deacon taking the holy diskos over the holy chalice, wipes it diligently with the holy sponge, with attention and piety, and covers the holy chalice with the veil, and places the other veils and the star on the holy diskos. And they open the door of the holy sanctuary; and the deacon, worshipping once, takes the holy chalice with veneration, and comes to the door, and lifting up the holy chalice, shows it to the people, saying: With the fear of God, and with love, draw near. The choir: Amen, amen, amen. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. And the priest blesses the people, saying aloud: Save, O God, your people
and bless your inheritance. The choir: For many years, Master. And the deacon and the priest return to the holy table, and the priest censes three times, saying to himself: Exalted be you above the heavens, O God, and your glory above all the earth. Then, taking the holy diskos, he places it upon the head of the deacon. And the deacon, receiving it with reverence, looking out toward the door, departs without saying anything to the table of prothesis, and sets it down. The priest, having bowed and taken the holy chalice, and turned toward the door, looks at the people, saying: Always, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. The choir: Amen.
While the "May our mouths be filled" is being chanted, the holy things are carried away to the table of prothesis, with the deacon going before, the priest saying this prayer mystically: We thank you, O Master, lover of mankind, benefactor of our souls, that even on this present day you have deemed us worthy of your heavenly and immortal mysteries. Straighten our path, confirm us all in your fear, guard our life, make firm our steps, through the prayers and intercessions of the glorious Theotokos and ever-virgin Mary, and of all your saints.
And the deacon, having censed the holy things, and having laid aside the censer, and standing in the customary place, says: Arise! Having partaken of the divine, holy, immaculate, immortal, heavenly, and life-giving mysteries, let us worthily give thanks unto the Lord. The choir: Lord, have mercy. The deacon: Help, save, have mercy, and preserve us, O God, by your grace. The choir: Lord, have mercy. The deacon: Having asked that the whole day may be perfect, holy, peaceful, and sinless, let us commend ourselves and one another and our whole life to Christ our God. The choir: To you, O Lord. The priest aloud: For you are our sanctification, and to you we send up glory, to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. The choir: Amen.
The deacon: Let us go forth in peace. And again: Let us pray to the Lord.
Prayer behind the ambon, spoken aloud by the priest outside the sanctuary.
You who bless those who bless you, O Lord, and sanctify those who put their trust in you, save your people and bless your inheritance; preserve the fulness of your Church; sanctify those who love the beauty of your house; glorify them in return by your divine power, and do not forsake us who hope in you; grant peace to your world, to your Churches, to the priests, to our rulers, to the army, and to all your people; for every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from you, the Father of lights; and to you we send up glory, thanksgiving, and worship, to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. The choir: Amen.
When this prayer is being said, the deacon stands in front of the holy doors, and holding his orarion, as has been said often, he bows his head until the completion of the prayer; and the choir chants three times: Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and forevermore; and the psalm: I will bless the Lord, or that of the holy one of the day.
Prayer at the folding up of the holy things, Amystically.
You who are the fulness of the law and the prophets, Christ our God, who have fulfilled all the dispensation of the Father, fill our hearts with joy and gladness, always, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
After the prayer, the priest goes out, and standing in the customary place, he gives the antidoron; then he makes the dismissal, saying: Glory to you, Christ our God, our hope, glory to you. And the choir: Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, Bnow and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen. And if it is Sunday, the priest says: May Christ, who rose from the dead, our true God. If it is not a resurrection day, he says: May Christ, our true God, by the intercessions of his all-immaculate mother, by the divine power of the precious and life-giving cross, of the holy, glorious, and all-laudable apostles, of the holy one of the day, of our father among the saints John, archbishop of Constantinople, the Chrysostom, of the holy and righteous forebears of God, CJoachim and Anna, and of all the saints, have mercy on us and save us, for he is good and the lover of mankind. And blessing the people, he enters.
After the dismissal, if there is no deacon, the priest enters to the table of prothesis, and partakes of what remains in the holy chalice with care and reverence; and he rinses the holy chalice three times with wine and water, and he watches that none of what is called the pearl remains. Then he says: Now you dismiss your servant, Master... the whole. And he folds up the holy things, Dthe chalice, the diskos, with the veils, according to custom. But if there is a deacon, he does the same.
The priest departs to the vestry, and disrobes, saying three times: Holy God; and: All-holy Trinity; and: Our Father. Then he says the apolytikion of the Chrysostom: The grace of your mouth having shone forth like a torch, illuminated the universe, laid up for the world treasures of uncovetousness, and showed to us the height of humility. But instructing us by your words, Father John Chrysostom, intercede with Christ our God that our souls may be saved.
Afterward the kontakion: From heaven you received divine grace, and through your lips you teach all to worship the one God in Trinity, John Chrysostom, all-blessed one, whom we worthily praise; for you are a teacher as one who reveals divine things. Or he says that of the day, or the resurrectional one if it is Sunday; and the dismissal, as is customary, mystically.
Then he goes out to the doors of the holy sanctuary, dressed in his priestly robe; and he bows, saying: 799 O God, be merciful to me. And turning toward the people, he blesses, saying aloud: May the Lord God preserve all of you by his grace and love for mankind, always, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
And the people, all bowing their heads, say: Through the prayers of the holy Fathers. And they depart in peace with holy God.