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Early Liturgies
The Priest.
I. Peace be to all.
The People.
And to thy spirit.
The Deacon.
Pray.
The People.
Lord, have mercy; Lord, have mercy; Lord, have mercy.
The Priest prays secretly:[4152][4153]
We give Thee thanks, yea, more than thanks, O Lord our God, the Father of our Lord and God and Saviour Jesus Christ, for all Thy goodness at all times and in all places, because Thou hast shielded, rescued, helped, and guided us all the days of our lives, and brought us unto this hour, permitting us again to stand before Thee in Thy holy place, that we may implore forgiveness of our sins and propitiation to all Thy people. We pray and beseech Thee, merciful God, to grant in Thy goodness that we may spend this holy day[4154] and all the time of our lives without sin, in fulness of joy, health, safety, holiness, and reverence of Thee. But all envy, all fear, all temptation, all the influence of Satan, all the snares of wicked men, do Thou, O Lord, drive away from us, and from Thy Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. Bestow upon us, O Lord, what is good and meet. Whatever sin we commit in thought, word, or deed, do Thou in Thy goodness and mercy be pleased to pardon. Leave us not, O Lord, while we hope in Thee; nor lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one and from his works, through the grace, mercy, and love of Thine only-begotten Son.
(In a loud voice.)
Through whom and with whom be glory and power to Thee, in Thy most holy, good, and life-giving Spirit, now, henceforth, and for evermore.
The People.
Amen.
The Priest.
II. Peace be to all.
The People.
And to thy spirit.
The Deacon.
Pray for the king.[4155]
The People.
Lord, have mercy;[4156] Lord, have mercy; Lord, have mercy.
The Priest prays.
O God, Sovereign Lord, the Father of our Lord and God and Saviour Jesus Christ, we pray and beseech Thee to grant that our king may enjoy peace, and be just and brave. Subdue under him, O God, all his adversaries and enemies. Gird on thy shield and armour, and rise to his aid. Give him the victory, O God, that his heart may be set on peace and the praise of Thy holy name, that we too[4157] in his peaceful reign[4158] may spend a calm and tranquil life in all reverence and godly fear, through the grace, mercy, and love of Thine only-begotten Son:
(In a loud voice.)
Through whom and with whom be glory and power to Thee, with Thy most holy, good, and life-giving Spirit, now, henceforth, and for evermore.
The People.
Amen.
The Priest.
III. Peace be to all.
The People.
And to thy spirit.
The Deacon.
Pray for the papas[4159] and the bishop.
The People.
Lord, have mercy; Lord, have mercy; Lord, have mercy.
The Priest.
O Sovereign and Almighty God, the Father of our Lord, God, and Saviour Jesus Christ, we pray and beseech Thee to defend in Thy good mercy our most holy and blessed high priest our Father in God Δ, and our most reverend Bishop Δ. Preserve them for us through many years in peace, while they according to Thy holy and blessed will fulfil the sacred priesthood committed to their care, and dispense aright the word of truth; with all the orthodox bishops, elders, deacons, sub-deacons, readers, singers, and laity, with the entire body of the Holy and only Catholic Church. Graciously bestow upon them peace, health, and salvation. The prayers they offer up for us, and we for them, do Thou, O Lord, receive at Thy holy, heavenly, and reasonable altar. But all the enemies of Thy Holy Church put Thou speedily under their feet, through the grace, mercy, and love of Thine only-begotten Son:
(Aloud.)
Through whom and with whom be glory and power to Thee, with Thy all-holy, good, and life-giving Spirit, now, henceforth, and for evermore.
The People.
Amen.
The Priest.
IV. Peace be to all.
The People.
And to thy spirit.
The Deacon.
Stand[4160] and pray.
The People.
Lord have mercy (thrice).
The Priest offers up the prayer of entrance,[4161] and for incense.
The Priest.
O Sovereign Lord our God, who hast chosen the lamp of the twelve apostles with its twelve lights, and hast sent them forth to proclaim throughout the whole world and teach the Gospel of Thy kingdom, and to heal sickness and every weakness among the people, and hast breathed upon their faces and said unto them, Receive the Holy Spirit the Comforter: whosesoever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whosesoever sins ye retain, they are retained: Breathe also Thy Holy Spirit upon us Thy servants, who, standing around, are about to enter on Thy holy service,[4162] upon the bishops, elders, deacons, readers, singers, and laity, with the entire body of the Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.
From the curse and execration, from condemnation, imprisonment, and banishment, and from the portion of the adversary;
O Lord, deliver us.
Purify our lives and cleanse our hearts from all pollution and from all wickedness, that with pure heart and conscience we may offer to Thee this incense for a sweet-smelling savour, and for the remission of our sins and the sins of all Thy people, through the grace, mercy, and love of Thine only-begotten Son:
(Aloud.)
Through whom and with whom be the glory and the power to Thee, with Thy all-holy, good, and life-giving Spirit, now, henceforth, and for evermore.
The People.
Amen.
The Deacon.
V. Stand.
They sing:—
Only-begotten Son and Word,[4163] etc.
The Gospel is carried in, and the Deacon says:—
Let us pray.
The Priest.
Peace be to all.
The People.
And to thy spirit.
The Deacon.
Let us pray.
The People.
Lord, have mercy.
The Priest says the prayer of the Trisagion.
O Sovereign Lord Christ Jesus, the co-eternal Word of the eternal Father, who wast made in all things like as we are, but without sin, for the salvation of our race; who hast sent forth Thy holy disciples and apostles to proclaim and teach the Gospel of Thy kingdom, and to heal all disease, all sickness among Thy people, be pleased now, O Lord, to send forth Thy light and Thy truth. Enlighten the eyes of our minds, that we may understand Thy divine oracles. Fit us to become hearers, and not only hearers, but doers of Thy word, that we, becoming fruitful, and yielding good fruit from thirty to an hundred fold, may be deemed worthy of the kingdom of heaven.
(Aloud.)
Let Thy mercy speedily overtake us, O Lord. For Thou art the bringer of good tidings, the Saviour and Guardian of our souls and bodies; and we offer glory, thanks, and the Trisagion to Thee, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, now, henceforth, and for evermore.
The People.
Amen. Holy God, holy mighty, holy immortal. Holy, holy, holy,[4164] etc.
VI. After the Trisagion the Priest makes the sign of the cross over the people, and says:—
Peace be to all.
The People.
And to thy spirit.
Then follow the Let us attend;[4165] The Apostle and Prologue of the Hallelujah.[4166] The Deacons, after a prescribed form, say:—
Lord, bless us.[4167]
The Priest says:—
May the Lord[4168] in His mercy bless and help us, now, henceforth, and for evermore.
The Priest, before the Gospel is read, offers incense,[4169] and says:—
Accept at Thy holy, heavenly, and reasonable altar, O Lord, the incense we offer in presence of Thy sacred glory. Send down upon us in return the grace of Thy Holy Spirit, for Thou art blessed, and let Thy glory encircle us.
VII. The Deacon, when he is about to read the Gospel, says:—
Lord, bless us.
The Priest.
May the Lord, who is the blessed God, bless and strengthen us, and make us hearers of His holy Gospel, now, henceforth, and for evermore. Amen.
The Deacon.
Stand and let us hear the holy Gospel.
The Priest.
Peace be to all.
The People.
And to thy spirit.
VIII. The Deacon reads the Gospel, and the Priest says the prayer of the Collect.[4170]
Look down in mercy and compassion, O Lord, and heal the sick among Thy people.
May all our brethren who have gone or who are about to go abroad, safely reach their destination in due season.
Send down the gracious rain upon the thirsty lands, and make the rivers[4171] flow in full stream, according to Thy grace.
The fruits of the land do Thou, O Lord, fill with seed and make ripe for the harvest.
In peace, courage, justice, and tranquillity preserve the kingdom of Thy servant, whom Thou hast deemed worthy to reign over this land.
From evil days, from famine and pestilence, from the assault of barbarians, defend, O Lord, this Christ-loving city, lowly and worthy of Thy compassion, as Thou didst spare Nineveh of old.
For Thou art full of mercy and compassion, and rememberest not the iniquities of men against them.
Thou hast said through Thy prophet Isaiah,—I will defend this city, to save it for mine own sake, and for my servant David’s sake.
Wherefore we pray and beseech Thee to defend in Thy good mercy this city, for the sake of the martyr and evangelist Mark, who has shown us the way of salvation through the grace, mercy, and love of Thine only-begotten Son.
(Aloud.)
Through whom and with whom be glory and power to Thee, with Thy all-holy, good, and life-giving Spirit.
The Deacon.
IX. Begin.
Then they say the verse.[4172] The Deacon says—The three.[4173]
The Priest.
O Sovereign and Almighty God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray and beseech Thee to fill our hearts with the peace of heaven, and to bestow moreover the peace of this life. Preserve for us through many years our most holy and blessed Papas Δ,[4174] and our most pious Bishop Δ, while they, according to Thy holy and blessed will, peacefully fulfil the holy priesthood committed to their care, and dispense aright the word of truth, with all the orthodox bishops, elders, deacons, sub-deacons,[4175] readers, singers, with the entire body of the holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. Bless our meetings, O Lord. Grant that we may hold them without let or hindrance, according to Thy holy will. Be pleased to give to us, and Thy servants after us for ever, houses of praise and prayer. Rise, O Lord, and let Thine enemies be scattered. Let all who hate Thy holy name be put to flight. Bless Thy faithful and orthodox people. Multiply them by thousands and tens of thousands. Let no deadly sin prevail against them, or against Thy holy people, through the grace, mercy, and love of Thine only-begotten Son.
(Aloud.)
Through whom and with whom be glory and power to Thee, with Thy all-holy, good, and life-giving Spirit.
The People.
Amen.
The Priest.
Peace be to all.
The People.
And to thy spirit.
The Deacon.
Take care that none of the catechumens[4176]—
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