THE FIRST HOUR

our years to an end, as it were a tale that is told. The days of our age are threescore years and ten ; and though men be so strong that they come to fourscore years, yet is their strength then but labour and sorrow ; so soon passeth it away, and we are gone. But who regardeth

Reader. Amen. Lord, have mercy. (Twelve times.) And this Prayer :

OF COD(Bogordditcken)shall be read:

the power of thy wrath ? for even thereafter as a man feareth, so is thy

displeasure. So teach us, to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. Turn thee again, 0 Lord, at the last, and be gracious unto thy servants. 0 satisfy us with thy mercy, and that soon : so shall we rejoice and be glad all the days of our life. Comfort us again now after the time that thou hast plagued u s ; and for the years wherein we have suffered adversity. Show thy servants thy work, and their children thy glory. And the glorious Majesty of the Lord our God be upon us : prosper thou the work of our hands upon us ; 0 prosper thou our handy-work. cr.

My song shall be of mercy and judgment ; unto thee, 0 Lord, will I sing. 0 let me have understanding in the way of godliness! When wilt thou come unto me? I will walk in my house with a perfect heart. I will take no wicked thing in hand ; I hate the sins of unfaithfulness ; there shall no such cleave unto me. A froward heart shall depart from me; I will not know a wicked person. Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, him will I destroy. Whoso hath also a proud look and high stomach, I will not suffer him. Mine eyes look upon such a s are faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me. Whoso leadeth a godly life, he shall be my servant. There shall no deceitful person dwell in my house ; he that telleth lies shall not tany in my sight. I shall soon

destroy all the ungodly that are in the land ; that I may root out all wicked doers from the city of the Lord. 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, 0 God. (Thrice; three rcveremcs.) 1-ord, have mercy. ( Thrice.) Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. T k n the Hymn ( T r @ d r )fw fkDay, in /kcpro@

Tone, is rid.*

Now, and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen. What shall we call thee, 0 thou who art full of grace ? Heaven, for from thee shone forth the Sun of Righteousness; Paradise, for thou hast budded forth the Flower of Immortality ; Virgin, for thou hast remained undefiled : Pure Mother, for thou hast held in thy holy embrace thy Son, who is God of all. Beseech thou him that he will save our souls. For the Hymns in the Eight *ones, see Appendix A.

i VZ. 1 Tlz.cn.- 0 hearken thou betimes unto the voice of my calling, my King and my God. Verse (Stikh) I : Ponder my words, 0 Lord : consider my meditation. Verne 2 : For unto thee will I make my prayer. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now, and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen. But if it be during Great Fast ( k t ) , we say /As Hymn (TrOprfr)in T

Andagain the Hymn to the Birth-giver ofGod: What shall we call thee : 1

Order my steps in thy word, and so shall no wickedness have dominion over me. 0 deliver me from the wrongful dealings of men, and so shall I keep thy commandments. Show the hght of thy countenance upon thy servant, and teach me thy statutes. Let my mouth be filled with thy praise, 0 Lord, that I may sing of thy glory and honour all the day long. 0 Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal One, have mercy upon us. (Thrice.) Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now, and ever, and unto k e s of ages. Amen. 0 all-holy Trinity, have mercy upon us. 0 Lord, wash away our sins. 0 Master, pardon our transgressions. 0 Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities, for thy Name's sake. Lord, have mercy. ( Thticc.)

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 : 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. If it be not the Great Far: (Len the Collect-Hymn (Konddk) of t k Tone, or of the Saint for the Day, or of t c a##roaching Feast, is then read,. But if it be the Great Fast, or if there be no s#enirl Colkct-Hymn, on Mon&y, r u e s h y and Thursdcry, the f o ~ ~ o w i nHYMN

TO T H E BIRTH-GIVER

With heart and lips let us continually magnify the glorious Mother of God, more holy than the Angels, confessing her to be the true Birth-giver of God, who did, in very truth, bring forth God incarnate, and who unceasingly doth intercede for our souls. Bwt on Wednesdhy and Fridby the following shall be read:

Speedily prevent, ere he lead us into captivity, the enemy which For Collect-Hymna for the Twdve Great F-ts,

see the S p d Scrvi&s.

blasphemeth thee and constraineth us, 0 Christ our God: Overcome by thy Cross those who war against us, that they may know what power hath the faith of Orthodox believers ;through the intercessions of the Birth-giver af God, 0 thou who alone lovest mankind. On Sainrdhy thefol&wing shuN bf said:

Unto thee, 0 Lord, the Author of Creation, the universe doth offer the God-bearing martyrs as the first-fruits of nature. By whose supplications, through the Birth-giver of God, do thou preserve in peace profound thy Church, which is thine estate, 0 most merciful One. Lord, have mercy. (Fmiytimes.) Thou who, at all times, and at every hour, both in heaven and on earth, art worshipped and glorified, 0 Christ our God, long-suffering and plenteous in mercy and compassion ; who lovest the just and showest mercy to those who are hardened in sin ; who callest all men to repentance through the promise of good things to come : Do thou,

the same Lord, receive also our supplications at this present time, and

direct our lives according to thy commandments. Sanctify our souls ; purify our bodies; set aright our minds; and deliver us from all calamity, wrath and distress. Compass us round about with thy holy Angels; that, guided and guarded by their host, we may attain unto the unity of the faith, and unto the comprehension of thine ineffable glory. For blessed art thou unto ages of ages. Amen. Glory to the Father, And to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now, and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen. More honourable than the Cherubim, and beyond compare more glorious than the Seraphim, thou who without defilement barest God

the Word, true Birth-giver of God, we magnify thee.

In the Name of the Lord bless, Father. Pricst. God be bountiful unto us, and bless us, and show us the light of his countenance, and be merciful unto us. And if it be the Great Fast, we make three p a t reverences to Me earth,

reciting the jrescridrd

PRAYEROF ST. EPHRAIM

0 Lord and Master of my life, grant not unto me a spirit of slothfulness, of discouragement, of lust of power, of vain babbling. (Reverme. ) But vouchsafe unto thy servant the spirit of -continence,of meekness, of patience, and of love. ( R m c r m . ) Yea, 0 Lord and King, grant that I may perceive my own transgressions, and judge not my brother. For blessed art thou unto ages of ages. Amen. (Reverence. Then tweZve ksscr revereMes, God, cleanse thou me, a sinner. Then t h whole saying a t e a . : 0. Prayer i s rejeated; with one m a t reverence in conclusion.)

0 Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal One, have mercy upon us. (Thrice.) Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now, and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen. 6 0 all-holy Trihity, have mercy upon us. 0 Lord, wash away our sins. 0 Master, pardon our transgressions. 0 Holy One, visit 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 trespasses,As we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation ; But deliver

us from the Evil One: Pnkst. 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.

0 Christ, the true Light, whidh illumineth and sanctifieth every man who cometh into the world ! Let the light of thy countenance be showed upon us, that in it we may behold the light ineffable; and guide our footsteps aright, to the keeping of thy commandments; through the intercessions of thine all-pure Mother, and of all the Saints. Amen. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now, and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen. Lord, have mercy. ( Thrice.) Bless. Priest. Through the prayers of our holy Fathers, 0 Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy upon us.

HYMNTO THE BIRTH-GIVER

OF GOD(Bogor6ditcAen). We, thy servants, in that we have been delivered from calamities, do offer unto thee, 0 Birth-giver of God, who as victorious Chieftain warrest for us, songs of triumph and thanksgiving : Do thou also, in that thou hast might invincible, free us from all assaults, that we may cry unto thee : Hail, 0 Bride unwedded ! Ptiest. Glory to thee, 0 Lord, our hope ; glory to thee. Choir. Glory to the F,ather, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now, and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen. Lord, have mercy. (Thnke.) Bless.

Prirst. May Christ, our true God, through the prayers of his allpure Mother ; of the holy, glorious and all-laudable Apostles ( a d of

the Saint to whom the church is dedicated; atrd of the Saint for the

h y ) ; of the holy ancestors of God, Joachim and Anna; and of all the Saints, have mercy upon us, and save us : for he is gracious and he alone loveth mankind. C h i r . Lord, have mercy. ( Thricr.)

TXt Order for the Firsl ~ o i isr as usual (see FIRSTHOUR, #age 38), wilrk l h Hymn for srhe Day (Trojdr).

When the glorious disciples . . . (Seepage 208.) And then : What shall we call thee, . . . (See page 39.)

0 Lord, who wast buffeted in the face for the sake of the human race, and yet waxed not wroth, deliver thou our life from corruption, and save us. (Twice.) Pn'cst. Let us attend. Rcader. The Gradual ( ~ r o k i h e n ) ;in the First Tone. Let the heathen understand that thy Name is the Lord. The Choir regeateth. Verse (Stikh) : Who is like unto thee, 0 God. Priest. Wisdom ! Reader. The Parable (Parmiyrf) from the Prophecy of Jeremiah. Priest. Let us attend. TZe R c d r then rcadeth the Parable: Jer. xi. 18--23,xii. 1-5, 9-1I (~ekctefi

Pnest. Let us attend. Wisdom !

GREAT THURSDAY

Reader. T h e Gradual (Prokimen), in the Eighth Tone. Pray and return thanks unto the Lord our God. Verse: We have seen God in Judah ; great is his Name in Israel. Render. Order my steps in thy word, and so shall no wickedness . . . (See FIRSTHOUR,page 40.)

The BENEDICTION.

May the Lord who, for the sake of our salvation, cometh to his voluntary Passion, Christ, our true God ; through the prayers . . (See page 122.)

And the MANYYEARS.

THE LITUKCY.

TAc L i t n r - , which is always that of St. Basil the Great, begihneth with