First Hour
Reader:
Come, let us worship God our King;
Come, let us worship and fall down before Christ our King and God;
Come, let us worship and fall down before Christ Himself, our King and God.
Psalm 5
Unto my words, give ear, O Lord; hear my cry. Attend unto the voice of my supplication, O my King and my God; for unto Thee will I pray, O Lord. In the morning Thou shalt hear my voice. In the morning shall I stand before Thee, and Thou shalt look upon me; for not a God that willest iniquity art Thou. He that worketh evil shall not dwell near Thee, nor shall transgressors abide before Thine eyes. Thou hast hated all them that work iniquity; Thou shalt destroy all them that speak a lie. A man that is bloody and deceitful shall the Lord abhor. But as for me, in the multitude of Thy mercy shall I go into Thy house; I shall worship toward Thy holy temple in fear of Thee.
O Lord, guide me in the way of Thy righteousness; because of mine enemies, make straight my way before Thee. For in their mouth there is no truth; their heart is vain. Their throat is an open sepulchre, with their tongues have they spoken deceitfully; judge them, O God. Let them fall down on account of their own devisings; according to the multitude of their ungodliness, cast them out, for they have embittered Thee, O Lord. And let all them be glad that hope in Thee; they shall ever rejoice, and Thou shalt dwell among them. And all shall glory in Thee that love Thy name, for Thou shalt bless the righteous. O Lord, as with a shield of Thy good pleasure hast Thou crowned us.
Psalm 89 (90)
Lord, Thou hast been our refuge in generation and generation. Before the mountains came to be and the earth was formed and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting Thou art. Turn not man away unto lowliness; yea, Thou hast said: Turn back, ye sons of men. For a thousand years in Thine eyes, O Lord, are but as yesterday that is past, and as a watch in the night. Things of no account shall their years be; in the morning like grass shall man pass away. In the morning shall he bloom and pass away, in the evening shall he fall and grow withered and dry.
For we have fainted away in Thy wrath, and in Thine anger have we been troubled. Thou hast set our iniquities before Thee; our lifespan is in the light of Thy countenance. For all our days are faded away, and in Thy wrath are we fainted away; our years have, like a spider, spun out their tale. As for the days of our years, in their span they be threescore years and ten. And if we be in strength, mayhap fourscore years; and what is more than these is toil and travail.
For mildness is come upon us, and we shall be chastened. Who knoweth the might of Thy wrath? And out of fear of Thee, who can recount Thine anger? So make Thy right hand known to me, and to them that in their heart are instructed in wisdom. Return, O Lord; how long? And be Thou entreated concerning Thy servants. We were filled in the morning with Thy mercy, O Lord, and we rejoiced and were glad. In all our days, let us be glad for the days wherein Thou didst humble us, for the years wherein we saw evils. And look upon Thy servants, and upon Thy works, and do Thou guide their sons. And let the brightness of the Lord our God be upon us, and the works of our hands do Thou guide aright upon us, yea, the work of our hands do Thou guide aright.
Psalm 100 (101)
Of mercy and judgement will I sing unto Thee, O Lord; I will chant and have understanding in a blameless path. When wilt Thou come unto me? I have walked in the innocence of my heart in the midst of my house. I have no unlawful thing before mine eyes; the workers of transgressions I have hated. A crooked heart hath not cleaved unto me; as for the wicked man who turned from me, I knew him not. Him that privily talked against his neighbour did I drive away from me. With him whose eye was proud and his heart insatiate, I did not eat.
Mine eyes were upon the faithful of the land, that they might sit with me; the man that walked in the blameless path, he ministered unto me. The proud doer dwelt not in the midst of my house; the speaker of unjust things prospered not before mine eyes. In the morning I slew all the sinners of the land, utterly to destroy out of the city of the Lord all them that work iniquity.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia. Glory to Thee, O God. (thrice)
Lord have mercy. (thrice)
(1st Troparion, if there be more than one – read by the Reader.)
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
(2nd Troparion, if there be more than one; 1st Troparion, if only one – read by the Reader.)
Now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
What shall we call thee, O full of grace? Heaven – for thou didst shine forth the Sun of Righteousness. Paradise – For thou has blossomed forth the flower of incorruption. Virgin – for thou hast remained incorrupt. Pure Mother – for thou hast held in thy holy embrace a Son who is God of all. Beseech Him to save our souls.
Psalm 118 (119):133-5
Order my steps according to Thy word, and let no iniquity have dominion over me.
Deliver me from the false accusation of men, and I will keep Thy commandments.
Make Thy face to shine upon Thy servant, and teach me Thy statutes.
Psalm 70 (1):8
Let my mouth be filled with thy praise, O Lord, that I may sing Thy glory and majesty all the day long.
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.
O Most-holy Trinity: Have mercy on us. Lord: Cleanse us from our sins. Master: Pardon our transgressions. Holy One: visit and heal our infirmities, for Thy name’s sake.
Lord, have mercy. (thrice)
Glory to the Father, and to Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
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.
Reader:
Amen.
(Kontakion – read by the Reader)
Lord, have mercy. (40 times)
Prayer of the Hours
Thou who at every season and every hour, in Heaven and on earth art worshipped and glorified, O Christ God; long-suffering, merciful and compassionate; Who lovest the just and showest mercy upon the sinner; Who callest all to salvation through the promise of blessings to come.
O Lord, in this hour receive our supplications, and direct our lives according to Thy commandments. Sanctify our souls. Purify our bodies. Correct our minds; cleanse our thoughts; and deliver us from all tribulations, evil, and distress. Surround us with Thy holy angels; that, guided and guarded by them, we may attain to the unity of the faith, and unto the knowledge of Thine unapproachable glory. For Thou art blessed unto ages of ages. Amen
Lord, have mercy. (thrice)
Glory to the Father, and to Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
More honorable than the Cherubim, and more glorious beyond compare than the Seraphim: without defilement you gave birth to God the Word: true Theotokos, we magnify you.
In the name of the Lord, Father, bless.
Priest:
O God, take pity on us and bless us, and show the light of Thy countenance upon us, and have mercy upon us.
Reader:
Amen.
Priest:
O Christ the true Light that enlighteneth and sanctified every man that comes into the world. Let the light of Thy countenance shine upon us, that in it we might behold the unapproachable light. Guide our footsteps in the keeping of Thy commandments, by the prayers of Thy Most-pure Mother and of all Thy Saints. Amen.
(According to custom, the following Kontakion to the Theotokos is sung. On a Great Feast, the Kontakion of the Feast is sung instead.)
Choir:
(Tone 8) O victorious leader of triumphant host. We, your servants, delivered from evil, sing our grateful thanks to you, O Theotokos. As you possess invincible might set us free from every calamity so that we may sing: Rejoice, O unwedded Bride.
Priest:
Glory to Thee, O Christ God, our Hope, glory to Thee.
Choir:
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now, and ever and unto ages of ages.
Lord, have mercy. (thrice)
Father, bless.
Priest:
May Christ our True God, through the prayers of His Most-pure Mother, of our venerable and God- bearing Fathers and of all the Saints, have mercy on us and save us, as He is good and the Lover of Mankind.
Choir: Amen.
Cyberdesert 