THE ORDER OF THE HOLY AND DIVINE LITURGY

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

    The deacon begins, saying:

    O Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of truth, who art everywhere present and fillest all things, Treasury of good things, and Giver of life, come and abide in us, and cleanse us from every stain, and save our souls, O Good One.

    Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. thrice

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

    All-holy Trinity, have mercy on us. Lord, cleanse us from our sins-. Master, pardon our transgressions. Holy One, look upon and heal our infirmities for thy name's sake.

    Lord, have mercy. thrice

    Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, 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 debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

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

    Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us, for devoid of all defense, we sinners offer unto thee as Master this prayer, have mercy on us.

    Lord, have mercy on us, for in thee have we hoped; be not very wroth with us, neither remember our transgressions, but look down now upon us, since thou art tender-hearted, and deliver us from our enemies, for thou art our God, and we are thy people, we are all the works of thy hands, and we call upon thy name.

    Open unto us the door of thy tenderheartedness, O Blessed Theotokos; in that we have hoped in thee,may we not perish, but through thee be delivered from adversities, for thou art the salvation of the generation of Christians.

    Then they approach the icon of Christ and kiss it, saying:

    Thine immaculate icon do we worship, O Good One, asking pardon of our offenses, O Christ God; thou wast pleased of thy good will to ascend the Cross in the flesh, to deliver those whom thou hadst fashioned from bondage to the enemy. Wherefore, in thanksgiving, we cry out to thee, with joy hast thou filled all things, O our Savior, having come to save the world.

    Then they kiss the icon of the Theotokos, saying the troparion:

    A fountain of tenderness art thou, O Theotokos; make us worthy of compassion. Look upon the people who have sinned; show thy power as ever, for hoping in thee, we cry out to thee, Hail, as once did Gabriel, Chief Captain of the Bodiless Ones.

    Then bowing his head, the priest says this prayer:

    Stretch forth thy hand, O Lord, from thy holy dwelling-place on high, and strengthen me for this, thine appointed service, that standing uncondemned before thy fearful Altar, I may fulfill the sacred, bloodless rite. For thine is the power and the glory unto ages of ages. Amen.

    Then they bow to the choir on each side and go into the sanctuary, saying:

    I will enter into thine house; I will worship toward thy holy temple in thy fear. Lord, guide me in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; direct my way before thee. For there is no truth in their mouth, and their heart is vanity. An open grave is their throat; with their tongues they have used deceit. Judge them, O God. Let them fall through their own counsels; according to the multitude of their impiety cast them out, for they have provoked thee, O Lord. And let all those who hope in thee be glad; they shall rejoice forever, and thou shalt abide in them. And those who love thy name shall boast of thee, for thou shalt bless the righteous man, O Lord, as with the armor of good will thou hast crowned us.

    Having come into the sanctuary, they make three reverences before the holy table and kiss the holy Gospels, the holy table and the altar cross. Then each one takes his sticharion in his hands, and makes three reverences toward the east, saying within himself:

    O God, cleanse thou me a sinner and have mercy on me.

    Then the deacon comes to the priest, holding his sticharion and his orarion in his right hand, and bowing his head before him, says:

    Bless, Master, the sticharion and the orarion.

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

    The deacon then withdraws to one side of the sanctuary and puts on the sticharion, praying thus:

    My soul shall rejoice in the Lord; He hath clothed me with the garment of salvation, and He hathvested me with the vesture of gladness. As a bridegroom He hath set a crown upon me, and as a bride He hath adorned me with ornament.

    And kissing the orarion, he puts it on his left shoulder. Then putting on the epimanika, he says as he puts on the right:

    Thy right hand, O Lord, is glorified in might. Thy right hand, O Lord, hath shattered the enemy, and in the multitude of thy glory hast thou crushed the adversaries.

    And with the left, he says:

Thy hands have made me and formed me. Give me understanding and I shall learn thy commandments.

    Then, going to the Prothesis, he prepares the holy vessels. The holy diskos he sets on the left side, and the chalice, that is, the holy cup, on the right, and the rest with them.

    The priest vests himself thus: taking the sticharion in his left hand, and making three reverences toward the east, as aforesaid, he signs it, saying:

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

    My soul shall rejoice in the Lord; He hath clothed me with the garment of salvation, and He hath vested me with the vesture of gladness. As a bridegroom He hath set a crown upon me, and as a bride He hath adorned me with ornament.

    Then taking the epitrachelion, and having signed it, he puts it on, saying:

    Blessed is God, who poureth out His grace upon His priests, like unto myrrh upon the head, which runneth down upon the beard, even the beard of Aaron, which runneth down to the hem of his robe.

    Then taking the zone, and girding himself, he says:

    Blessed is God, who girdeth me with power, and hath made my way blameless, who hath guided my feet like those of a hart, and hath set me on high places.

    Then putting on the epimanika, he says, as he puts on the right:

    Thy right hand, O Lord, is glorified in might. Thy right hand, O Lord, hath shattered the enemy, and in the multitude of thy glory hast thou crushed the adversaries.

    Thy hands have made me and formed me. Give me understanding and I shall learn thy commandments.

    Then taking the epigonation, if he has that dignity, and having blessed it and kissed it, he says:

    Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O Powerful One. With thy vigor and goodness, draw thy bow, andprosper, and reign, because of truth and meekness and righteousness; and thy right hand shall guide thee wondrously always, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

    Then taking the phelonion, and having blessed and kissed it, he says:

    Thy priests shall clothe themselves with righteousness, and thy saints shall rejoice with joy always, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

    Then going to the,piscina, they wash their hands, saying:

    I will wash my hands among the innocent, and I will compass thine altar, O Lord, that I may hear the voice of thy praise, and declare all thy wonders. Lord, I have loved the beauty of thine house, and the place of the abode of thy glory. Destroy not my soul with the impious, nor my life with men of blood, in whose hands are transgressions and their right hand is full of gifts. But 1, I have walked in mine innocence; redeem me, O Lord, and have mercy on me. My foot hath stood in uprightness; in the churches will I bless thee, O Lord.

    Then, having made three reverences before the prothesis, each says:

    O God, cleanse thou me a sinner and have mercy on me.

    Thou hast redeemed us from the curse of the Law by thy precious blood; nailed to the Cross, pierced with the spear, thou hast poured forth immortality upon man, as from a fountain. O our Savior, glory to thee.

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

    Deacon: Amen.

    Then, taking one of the prosphoras in his left hand and the holy spear in his right hand, and signing it three times over the seal of the prosphora, he says:

    In remembrance of our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ. thrice

    And immediately he thrusts the spear into the right side of the seal, (i.e., to his own left) and he says as he cuts it:

    As a sheep He was led to the slaughter.

    In His humility His judgment was taken away.

    And who shall declare His generation?

    The deacon, gazing reverently at this Mystery, says at each incision, Let us pray to the Lord, holding his orarion in his hand. After this, he says, Take away, Master.

    The priest, thrusting the holy spear obliquely into the right side of the prosphora, takes out the holy bread, saying:

    For His life is taken away from the earth.

    And when he lays it inverted on the holv diskos, the deacon says:

    Sacrifice, Master.

    And he cuts it crosswise, saying:

    Sacrificed is the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world for the life and salvation of the world.

    And he turns upward the other side, which has the cross on it.

    The priest pierces the right side with the spear, saying:

    One of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and straightway there came forth blood and water and he that saw it bear witness, and his witness is true.

    Blessed is the union of thy Holy Things always, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.)

    And receiving the blessing upon them, he pours wine and a little water into the holy chalice together.

    Then the priest, taking the second prosphora in his hands, says: 2

    In honor and memory of our most blessed, glorious Lady, the Theotokos and Ever-virgin Mary, through whose intercessions do thou accept, O Lord, this sacrifice upon thy most heavenly altar.

    And taking out a particle, he lays it on the right side of the holy bread, close to the center, saying:

    On thy right hand stood the Queen, clothed in a garment wrought with gold and divers colors.

    Then taking the third prosphora, he says: 3

    Of the honorable, glorious Prophet, Forerunner, and Baptist John.

1   And taking out the first particle, he lays it on the left side of the holy bread, making the beginning of the first row. Then he says:

    Of the holy, glorious Prophets Moses and Aaron, Elijah and Elisha, David and Jesse, of the three holy Children, of Daniel the Prophet, and of all the holy prophets.

2  And taking a particle, he lays it in order below the f i rst.

    And again he says:

    Of the holy, glorious and all-laudable Apostles Peter and Paul, and all the other holy apostles.

3  And he sets a third particle below the second, ending the f irst row.

    Then he says:

    Of our Fathers among the Saints, the Hierarchs, Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, and John Chrysostom, Athanasius and Cyril of Alexandria, Nicholas of Myra in Lycia, [Michael of Kiev, Peter, Alexis, Jonah, Philip and Hermogenes of Moscow, Nicetas of Novgorod, Leontius of Rostov] and all holy hierarchs.

4  And taking a fourth particle, he sets it near the first, beginning a second row.

    And again he says:

    Of the holy Apostle, First-Martyr and Archdeacon Stephen, the holy great Martyrs Demetrius, George, Theodore of Tyre, Theodore Stratelogos, and of all the holy martyrs, and of the holy women martyrs, Thecla, Barbara, Cyriaca, Euphemia, Praskovia, Katherine, and all the holy women martyrs.

5  And taking a fifth particle, he sets it below the first which is at the beginning of the second row.

    Then he says:

    Of our venerable and God-bearing Fathers, Anthony, Euthymius, Sabba, Onuphrius, Athanasius of Athos, [Anthony and Theodosius of the Caves, Sergius of Radonezh, Varlaam of Khutin,] and of all the venerable Fathers; and of the venerable Mothers, Pelagia, Theodosia, Anastasia, Euphraxia, Fevronia, Theodulia, Euphrosyne, Mary of Egypt, and of all holy venerable Mothers.

6  And then taking a sixth particle, he sets it below the second, ending the second row.

    Then he says:

    Of the holy wonderworking Unmercenary Cosmas and Damian, Cyrus and John, Panteleimon and Hermolaus, and all the holy unmercenary physicians.

7  And then taking a seventh particle, he sets it at the top, beginning a third row.

    And again he says:

    Of the holy and righteous Forebears of God, Joachim and Anne, (of the Saint of the Temple and of the day), of the Saints equal to the Apostles, Methodius and Cyril, teachers of the Slavs, [of the Saint equal to the Apostles, the great Prince Vladimir,] and of all Saints, through whose supplications do thou visit us,O God.

8  And he places an eighth particle in order below the first in the third row.

    Then he says:

    Of our Father among the Saints, John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople.
    If it is his Liturgy that is sung, but if it is that of St. Basil the Great, then he is commemorated: Of our Father among the Saints, Basil the Great, Archbishop of Caesarea in Cappodocia.

9  And then taking a ninth particle, he sets it at the end of the third row, completing it.

    Then he takes a fourth prosphora and he says: 4

    Remember, O Master, Lover of man, every Bishopric of the Orthodox, our [lord, the Most Reverend] Metropolitan N., our [lord, the Most Reverend] Archbishop N., (or our [lord, the Right Reverend] Bishop N.,) the honorable presbyters, the diaconate in Christ, and every order of the priesthood, and our brethren and fellow-ministers, priests, deacons, and all our brethren whom thou hast called unto thy communion, through thy tenderness, O All-good Master.

    And taking a particle he sets it below the holy bread.

    Remember, O Lord, our (name of the highest civil authority), all civil authorities, and the armed forces.

    Remember, O Lord, N.

    And then he sets all the particles he has taken out below the holy bread.

    Then taking the fifth prosphora, he says: 5

    In memory and for the forgiveness of sins of the most holy Orthodox Patriarchs, of Orthodox and God-fearing Kings and Queens and Rulers, and the blessed founders of this holy temple. (If it is a monastery: of this holy monastery.)

    Then he remembers the bishop who ordained him and others, whom he will, of those who have fallen asleep, by name. At each name he takes out a particle, saying:

    And of all our fathers and brethren, the Orthodox, who have fallen asleep in hope of the resurrection, of life eternal, and of communion with thee, O Lord, Lover of man.

    Remember also, O Lord, my unworthiness, and forgive me every offense, both voluntary and involuntary.

    And he takes out a particle from the fourth prosphora. Then he takes the sponge and gathers the particles together below the holy bread, so that they will be secure and that none may fall off.

    Then the deacon, taking the censer and putting incense into it, says to the priest: Bless, Master, the censer. And immediately says: Let us pray to the Lord.

    And the priest says the Prayer of the Incense:

    Incense do we offer unto thee, O Christ our God, for an odor of spiritual sweetness, which do thou accept upon thy most heavenly altar, sending down upon us in return the grace of thy Holy Spirit.

    The priest censes the star and places it over the holy bread, saying:

    And the star came and stood over where the young child was.

    The priest, having censed the first veil, covers the diskos and the holy bread saying:

    The Lord hath become King; with beauty hath He clothed Himself. The Lord hath clothed Himself with power and hath girded Himself. For He hath established the world, which shall not be moved. Thy throne is prepared of old; thou art from everlasting. The rivers have risen, O Lord; the rivers have raised their voices. The rivers lift up their waves, of the voice of many waters. Wondrous are the billows of the sea. Wondrous is the Lord on high. Thy testimonies are exceeding faithful; holiness belongeth to thy house, O Lord, unto length of days.

    The priest, having censed the second veil, covers the holy chalice, saying:

    Thy virtue hath covered the heavens, O Christ, and the earth is full of thy praise.

    Then the priest, having censed the veil, that is, the aer, and having covered both, says:

    Shelter us under the shelter of thy wings, drive away from us every enemy and adversary, give peace to our life, O Lord, have mercy on us and on thy world and save our souls, for thou art good and the Lover of man.

    Then the priest takes the censer and censes the offerings, saying thrice:

    Blessed art thou, our God, who herein art well-pleased. Glory to thee,

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

    And both make three devout reverences. Then the deacon says:

    For the offering of the honorable gifts, let us pray to the Lord.

    The priest then, taking the censer, says the Prayer of Offering:

    O God, our God, who didst send forth the heavenly Bread, the food of the whole world, our Lord and God Jesus Christ, Savior, Redeemer, and Benefactor, blessing and sanctifying us, do thou thyself bless this offering and receive it upon thy most heavenly altar. Remember, as thou art good and the Lover of man, those who brought it and those for whom it was brought, and keep us uncondemned in the celebration of thy Divine Mysteries.

    For sanctified and glorified is thine all-honorable and magnificent name, of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

    And after this, he gives the dismissal, saying:

    Glory to thee, O Christ God, our Hope, glory to thee.

    If it is Sunday: May He who rose from the dead, otherwise, begin:
    Christ our true God, through the intercessions of his all-immaculate Mother, of our Father among the Saints, John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople (or of Basil the Great, Archbishop of Caesarea in Cappodocia), and of all the Saints, have mercy on us and save us, for He is good and the Lover of man.
    Deacon: Amen.

    After the dismissal, the deacon censes the holy offerings. Then he goes and censes the holy table all around, in cross form, saying to himself:

    In the grave bodily, but in Hell with the soul as God; in Paradise with the Thief, and on the Throne wast thou, O Christ, with the Father and the Spirit, filling all things, thyself uncircumscribed.

    And having censed the sanctuary and the whole temple, he again enters into the sanctuary, and having again censed the holy table and the priest, he puts the censer in its place and approaches the priest.

    And standing together before the holy table, they make three reverences, each praying and sayingwithin himself:

    O Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of truth, who art everywhere present and fillest all things, Treasury of good things, and Giver of life, come and abide in us, and cleanse us from every stain, and save our souls, O Good One.

    Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will to men. twice

    O  Lord, open thou my lips, and my mouth shall declare thy praise.

    Then the priest kisses the Gospels, and the deacon the holy table.

    And after this the deacon, bowing his head to the priest and holding his orarion with three fingers of his right hand, says:

    It is time to serve the Lord. Master, bless.

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

    May the Lord God remember thee in His kingdom always, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.

    And having made a reverence, he goes out by the north door, [for the holy doors are not opened until the Entrance.] And standing in the usual place, before the holy doors, he makes three devout reverences saying within himself:

    O Lord, open thou my lips, and my mouth shall declare thy praise.

    And then he begins, saying: Bless, Master. And the priest begins: Blessed is the kingdom . . .

    It must be noted that if a priest serve without a deacon, in the Proskomede and in the Liturgy beforethe Gospel, the words of the deacon and his responses: Bless, Master, and Pierce, Master, and It is time to serve . . . are not said; however, he does say the litanies and the exhortations addressed to the people.
    If many priests serve together, the Office of the Proskomede is said by only one of them. No other celebrant shall say the Proskomede alone.
    If it is a hierarchical service, one priest begins the Proskomede as usual, and he shall take out particles for the Theotokos and the Saints, and then cover the holy diskos and the holy cup with the aer, saying nothing. When the Cherubim Hymn is being sung, the hierarch himself, before the Great Entrance, shall complete the Proskomede.