The Introductory Prayers to Every Hour
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, One God. Amen.
Kyrie eleison. Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, Lord bless us. Amen.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and forever and unto the ages of all ages. Amen.
Having invoked the Holy Trinity, be still so that your thoughts may be freed from worldly cares. Make the sign of the cross and bow three times, each time saying the prayer of the publican: “O God, be merciful to me a sinner.”
We Praise Thank You, O Lord
O Lord, we praise you and we glorify You. O Lord, we bless You and trust in You. O Lord, we entreat and plead to You. O Lord, we submit ourselves to Your holy name and we serve You. O You, to Whom all knees bend and all tongues confess, we bow down to You. You are the God of gods, Lord of lords and King of kings. You are the creator of all, visible and invisible. As Your Holy Son taught us to pray in this manner, make us worthy to pray:
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one, in Christ Jesus our Lord. For Thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, forever. Amen.
O My Lady Mary
O my lady Mary, with the salutation of Saint Gabriel the Angel, greetings to you. You are virgin in body and in conscience. Greetings to you, Mother of the God of hosts. Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb. O full of grace, rejoice for God is with you. Pray and beseech your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, that He may forgive us our sins.
The Prayer of Thanksgiving
Let us give thanks to the beneficent and merciful God, the Father of our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ; for He has covered us, helped us, guarded us, preserved us, accepted us unto Himself, spared us, supported us, and brought us to this hour. Let us then ask Him, the Lord our God, the Almighty, to guard us in all peace this holy day and all the days of our lives.
O Master, Lord, God the Almighty, the Father of our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ, we thank You for everything, concerning everything, and in everything; for You have covered us, helped us, guarded us, preserved us, accepted us to Yourself, spared us, supported us, and brought us to this hour.
Therefore, we ask and entreat Your goodness, O Lover of Mankind, grant us to complete this holy day, and all the days of our lives, in all peace with Your fear. Take away from us, all your people, and from this holy place that is Yours, all envy, all temptation, all the work of Satan, the counsel of wicked men, and the rising up of enemies, hidden and manifest.
But provide for us those things which are good and profitable; for it is You Who have given us the authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and upon all the power of the enemy.
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, by the grace, compassion and love of mankind of Your Only-begotten Son, our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ, through Whom the glory, the honor, the dominion, and the adoration are due unto You, with Him, and the Holy Spirit, the Life-Giver, Who is of one essence with You, now and at all times, and unto the ages of all ages. Amen.
The Penitent’s Prayer
Psalm 50 (51)
Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your steadfast love; according to Your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!
For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You may be justified in Your words and blameless in Your judgment. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, You delight in truth in the inward being, and You teach me wisdom in the secret heart.
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that You have broken rejoice. Hide Your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Your presence, and take not Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.
Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners will return to You. Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of Your righteousness. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare Your praise. For You will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; You will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.
Do good to Zion in Your good pleasure; build up the walls of Jerusalem; then will You delight in right sacrifices, in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings; then bulls will be offered on Your altar. Alleluia.
The Eleventh Hour (5 P.M.)
This prayer commemorates taking down the body of our Lord Jesus Christ from the Cross, anointing Him with myrrh, and wrapping Him in linen sheets with spices.
We offer to Christ, our King and our God, the prayer of the eleventh hour (The Sunset Prayer) of this blessed day, beseeching Him to forgive us our sins.
From the Psalms of our father David, the prophet and the king. May his blessings be upon us all. Amen.
PSALM 116 (117)
Praise the LORD, all nations! Extol Him, all peoples! For great is His steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever. Praise the LORD! Alleluia.
PSALM 117 (118)
Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; for His steadfast love endures forever!
Let Israel say, “His steadfast love endures forever.” Let the house of Aaron say, “His steadfast love endures forever.” Let those who fear the LORD say, “His steadfast love endures forever.”
Out of my distress I called on the LORD; the LORD answered me and set me free. The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? The LORD is on my side as my helper; I shall look in triumph on those who hate me.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes.
All nations surrounded me; in the name of the LORD I cut them off! They surrounded me, surrounded me on every side; in the name of the LORD I cut them off! They surrounded me like bees; they went out like a fire among thorns; in the name of the LORD I cut them off! I was pushed hard, so that I was falling, but the LORD helped me.
The LORD is my strength and my song; He has become my salvation. Glad songs of salvation are in the tents of the righteous: “The right hand of the LORD does valiantly, the right hand of the LORD exalts, the right hand of the LORD does valiantly!”
I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the LORD. The LORD has disciplined me severely, but He has not given me over to death.
Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the LORD. This is the gate of the LORD; the righteous shall enter through it. I thank You that You have answered me and have become my salvation. The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This is the LORD’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Save us, we pray, O LORD! O LORD, we pray, give us success!
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD! We bless you from the house of the LORD. The LORD is God, and He has made His light to shine upon us. Bind the festal sacrifice with cords, up to the horns of the altar!
You are my God, and I will give thanks to You; You are my God; I will extol You. Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; for His steadfast love endures forever! Alleluia.
PSALM 119 (120)
In my distress I called to the LORD, and He answered me. Deliver me, O LORD, from lying lips, from a deceitful tongue.
What shall be given to you, and what more shall be done to you, you deceitful tongue? A warrior’s sharp arrows, with glowing coals of the broom tree!
Woe to me, that I sojourn in Meshech, that I dwell among the tents of Kedar! Too long have I had my dwelling among those who hate peace. I am for peace, but when I speak, they are for war! Alleluia.
PSALM 120 (121)
I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is your shade on your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.
The LORD will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The LORD will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore. Alleluia.
PSALM 121 (122)
I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the LORD!” Our feet have been standing within your gates, O Jerusalem!
Jerusalem—built as a city that is bound firmly together, to which the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, as was decreed for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the LORD. There thrones for judgment were set, the thrones of the house of David.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! “May they be secure who love you! Peace be within your walls and security within your towers!” For my brothers and companions’ sake I will say, “Peace be within you!” For the sake of the house of the LORD our God, I will seek your good. Alleluia.
PSALM 122 (123)
To You I lift up my eyes, O You Who are enthroned in the heavens! Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maidservant to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the LORD our God, till He has mercy upon us.
Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy upon us, for we have had more than enough of contempt. Our soul has had more than enough of the scorn of those who are at ease, of the contempt of the proud. Alleluia.
PSALM 123 (124)
If it had not been the LORD who was on our side—let Israel now say—if it had not been the LORD who was on our side when people rose up against us, then they would have swallowed us up alive, when their anger was kindled against us; then the flood would have swept us away, the torrent would have gone over us; then over us would have gone the raging waters.
Blessed be the LORD, Who has not given us as prey to their teeth! We have escaped like a bird from the snare of the fowlers; the snare is broken, and we have escaped!
Our help is in the name of the LORD, Who made heaven and earth. Alleluia.
PSALM 124 (125)
Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds His people, from this time forth and forevermore. For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest on the land allotted to the righteous, lest the righteous stretch out their hands to do wrong. Do good, O LORD, to those who are good, and to those who are upright in their hearts! But those who turn aside to their crooked ways the LORD will lead away with evildoers! Peace be upon Israel! Alleluia.
PSALMS 125 (126)
When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.” The LORD has done great things for us; we are glad.
Restore our fortunes, O LORD, like streams in the Negeb! Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy! He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him. Alleluia.
PSALMS 126 (127)
Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for He gives to His beloved sleep.
Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate. Alleluia.
PSALMS 127 (128)
Blessed is everyone who fears the LORD, who walks in His ways! You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you.
Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table. Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the LORD.
The LORD bless you from Zion! May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life! May you see your children’s children! Peace be upon Israel! Alleluia.
PSALMS 128 (129)
“Greatly have they afflicted me from my youth”—let Israel now say—“Greatly have they afflicted me from my youth, yet they have not prevailed against me. The plowers plowed upon my back; they made long their furrows.” The LORD is righteous; He has cut the cords of the wicked. May all who hate Zion be put to shame and turned backward! Let them be like the grass on the housetops, which withers before it grows up, with which the reaper does not fill his hand nor the binder of sheaves his arms, nor do those who pass by say, “The blessing of the LORD be upon you! We bless you in the name of the LORD!” Alleluia.
Holy, Holy, Holy. A reading from the Holy Gospel according to our teacher Saint Luke. May his blessing be with us all. Amen.
The Holy Gospel According to Saint Luke (4:38-41)
And He arose and left the synagogue and entered Simon’s house. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was ill with a high fever, and they appealed to Him on her behalf. And He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her, and immediately she rose and began to serve them.
Now when the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to Him, and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them. And demons also came out of many, crying, “You are the Son of God!” But He rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that He was the Christ
Glory to God forever. Amen.
May the sayings of God be fulfilled in peace. We worship You, O Christ, with Your Good Father and the Holy Spirit, for You have come and saved us.
ንሰግድ ለከ ክርስቶስ ምስለ ኣቡከ ኄር ሰማያዊ ወመንፈስከ ቅዱስ ማሕየዊ እስመ መጻእከ ወኣድኀንከነ።
♱ LITANIES ♱
1. If the righteous one is scarcely saved, where shall I, the sinner, appear? The burden and heat of the day I did not endure because of the weakness of my humanity. But, O merciful God, count me with the fellows of the eleventh hour. For, behold, in iniquities I was conceived, and in sins my mother bore me. Therefore, I do not dare to lift up my eyes to Heaven; but rather, I rely on the abundance of Your mercy and love for mankind, crying out and saying, “God, forgive me, a sinner, and have mercy on me.”
Glory to the Father, and the Son,and the Holy Spirit.
ስብሐት ለኣብ ወወልድ ወመንፈስ ቅዱስ።
2. Hasten, O Savior, to open to me the fatherly bosoms, for I wasted my life in pleasures and lusts, and the day has passed by me and vanished. Therefore, now I rely on the richness of Your never-ending compassion. So, then, do not forsake a submissive heart which is in need of Your mercy. For unto You I cry, O Lord, humbly, “Father, I have sinned against Heaven and before You, and I am no longer worthy to be called Your son, so make me as one of Your hired servants.”
Now and forever and unto the agesof all ages, Amen.
ይእዜኒ ወዘልፈኒ ወለዓለመ ዓለም ኣሜን።
3. For every iniquity I did with prudence and activity, and every sin I committed with eagerness and diligence, I am worthy of all torment and judgment. Therefore, prepare for me the ways of repentance, O Lady the Virgin; for I appeal to you and seek intercession through you, and call upon you for help, lest I be put to shame. And, when my soul departs my body attend to me, defeat the conspiracy of the enemies, and shut the gates of Hades, lest they might swallow my soul, O you, blameless bride of the true Bridegroom.
Then the worshipper prays:
Lord, hear us and have mercy on us and forgive us our sins. Amen.
Kyrie eleison. (ኪርያላይሶን) Lord have mercy. (እግዚኦ መሐረነ ክርስቶስ - (41 times).
Holy, Holy, Holy
Holy, Holy, Holy. Lord of hosts (sabaoth). Heaven and earth are full of Your glory and honor. Have mercy on us, O God the Father, the Pantocrator, O Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. O Lord, God of hosts, be with us. For we have no helper in our hardships and tribulations but You. O God, absolve, forgive, and remit our transgressions; those which we have committed willingly and those we have committed unwillingly; those which we have committed knowingly and those which we have committed unknowingly, the hidden and the manifest. O Lord, forgive us for the sake of Your Holy name which is called upon us.
Let it be according to Your mercy, O Lord, and not according to our sins. Amen.
በከመ ምሕረትከ ኣምላክነ ወኣኮ በከመ ኣበሳነ።
Make us worthy, O Lord, to pray thankfully:
The Lord’s Prayer ….
The Prayer of Intercession ….
Absolution of the Eleventh Hour
We thank You, our compassionate King, for You have granted us to pass this day in peace, and brought us thankfully to the evening, and made us worthy to behold daylight until evening. Lord, accept our glorification which we now offer. Save us from the trickeries of the adversary, and abolish all the snares which are set against us. Grant us peace without pain, anxiety, unrest, or illusion this coming night, so that we may pass it in peace and chastity, and arise for praises and prayers. At all times and everywhere, we glorify Your holy name, together with the Father, Who is incomprehensible and without beginning, and the Holy Spirit, the Life-Giver, Who is in one essence with You, now and at all times, and unto the ages of all ages. Amen.
The worshipper should pray the concluding prayer for every hour:
The Concluding Prayer for Every Hour
Have mercy on us, O God, and have mercy on us. You, Who at all times and in every hour, in heaven and on earth, are worshipped and glorified. Christ our God, the good, the long-suffering, abundant in mercy and great in compassion; Who loves the righteous and has mercy on sinners of whom I am chief; Who does not wish the death of the sinner but rather that he repents and lives, Who calls all to salvation for the promise of the blessings to come, have mercy on us.
Lord, receive from us our prayers in this hour and in every hour. Ease our life and guide us in fulfilling Your commandments. Sanctify our spirits. Cleanse our bodies. Guide our thoughts. Purify our intentions. Heal our diseases. Forgive our sins. Deliver us from every evil, grief and distress of the heart.
Surround us by Your holy angels, that, by their presence, we may be guarded and guided, and attain unity of faith and knowledge of Your incomprehensible and infinite glory. For You are blessed forever. Amen.
Make us worthy, O Lord, to pray thankfully:
The Lord’s Prayer ….