How beloved are your dwellings, O Lord of hosts; my soul longs and faints for the courts of the Lord. My heart and my flesh have rejoiced in the living God. For the sparrow has found itself a house, and the dove a nest for herself, where she may place her nestlings. your altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God. Blessed are those who dwell in your house, they will praise you for ever and ever. Blessed the man whose help is from you; he has placed ascents in his heart, to the valley of weeping, to the place he has set. For the lawgiver will give blessings; they will go from strength to strength, the God of gods will appear in Sion. O Lord God of hosts hear my prayer, give ear, O God of Jacob. O God our shield see; and look on the face of your Christ. For one day in your courts is far better than thousands. I have chosen to be cast aside in the house of my God, rather than to dwell in the tents of sinners. O Lord God of hosts, blessed the man who hopes in you. ****

¶19

Kontakion. Tone 4. Lifted up on the Cross

¶20

Glory. Both now. Greater in honour than the Cherubim, and beyond compare more glorious than the Seraphim, without corruption you gave birth to God the Word, true Mother of God you we magnify. In the name of the Lord, bless, Father.

¶21

Psalm 84

¶22

Then we say the Prayer of St Ephrem.

¶23

You have been well pleased with your land, O Lord, you have turned away the captivity of Jacob. You have forgiven your people their iniquities, you have covered all their sins. You have made all your anger cease, you have turned away from the anger of your rage. Turn us back again, O God of our salvation, and turn away your rage from us. Will you be angry with us for ever? Or will you prolong your wrath from generation to generation? O God, when you have turned us back you will make us live, and your people will rejoice in you. O Lord, show us your mercy, and grant us your salvation. I shall hear what the Lord will say in me; for he will speak peace to his people, to his holy ones, to those who turn their hearts back to him. But his salvation is near those who fear him, that glory may dwell in our land. Mercy and truth have met, justice and peace have kissed. Truth has dawned from the earth, and justice has leaned down from heaven. For the Lord will give goodness, and our earth will give its fruit. Justice will walk before him, and set his steps in the way. ****

¶24

Then we begin the Beatitudes, singing after each one, in the 8th Tone,

¶25

Psalm 85

¶26

Glory. Both now. **At each** Remember **we make a small metania.**

¶27

Incline your ear, O Lord, and hear me, for I am poor and needy. Guard my soul, for I am holy; O my God, save your servant who hopes in you. Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I shall cry to you all the day; give joy to the soul of your servant, for I have lifted up my soul to you. For you, O Lord, are good and gentle, and full of mercy to all who call on you. Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer; and attend to the voice of my supplication. In the day of my trouble I called to you, for you heard me. There is none like you among the gods, O Lord; none whose works are as yours. All the nations whom you made will come and worship before you, O Lord, and call upon your name. For you are great and do wondrous things; you alone are God. Guide me, O Lord, in your way, and I shall walk in your truth; make my heart glad to fear your name. I shall give you thanks, O Lord, my God, with my whole heart; and I shall glorify your name for ever. For your mercy is great towards me, and you have delivered my soul from the lowest hell. O God, the lawless rose up against me, and an assembly of mighty ones sought my soul, and did not set you before them. And you, Lord, are pitying and merciful, long-suffering and full of mercy and true. Look on me and have mercy on me; give your might to your servant and save the son of your maidservant. Make with me a sign for good, and let those who hate me see it and be shamed; for you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me. ****

¶28

The choirs unite and the following are sung more solemnly and we make a full metania at each one.

¶29

Make with me a sign for good, and let those who hate me see it and be shamed; for you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.

¶30

The choir of holy Angels and Archangels with all the heavenly Powers hymns you and says: Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord Sabaoth, heaven and earth are full of your glory.

¶31

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

¶32

Then we say the Prayer of St Ephrem.

¶33

Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia. Glory to you, O God. (

¶34

Wisdom. ****

¶35

**x3**) ****

¶36

Glory. Both now. Lord, have mercy (**x3**). Give the blessing, Father. And the Dismissal. ****

¶37

Tone 8.

¶38

Christ our God, who at the ninth hour tasted death in the flesh for our sakes, slay our carnal will and save us.

¶39

May my supplication come into your presence, O Lord, according to your word give me understanding. ****

¶40

Let my petition come into your presence, O Lord, according to your word save me.

¶41

O Good One, who was born of a Virgin for our sakes and endured crucifixion; who despoiled death by death and as God revealed resurrection, do not despise those whom you fashioned with your own hand; show your love for mankind, O Merciful, accept the Mother of God who bore you, as she intercedes for us, and save, O Saviour, a people in despair.

¶42

And that he would count us worthy to listen to the holy Gospel, let us pray to the Lord God. ****

¶43

Lord, have mercy, Lord, have mercy, Lord, have mercy. ****

¶44

And to your Spirit. ****

¶45

The reading is from the holy Gospel according to **N**. ****

¶46

Glory to you, Lord, glory to you! ****

¶47

Glory to you, Lord, glory to you!

¶48

For your holy name’s sake do not finally reject us, do not annul your covenant, do not take your mercy from us for the sake of Abraham, your beloved, and for the sake of Isaac, your servant, and Israel, your holy one.

¶49

All-holy Trinity. Our Father. For yours. ****

¶50

Jacob lamented the loss of Joseph, and the noble one was seated in a chariot, honoured like a king; for as he had not been slave to the pleasures of the Egyptian woman, he was glorified in return by the one who sees the hearts of men, and bestows an incorruptible crown.

¶51

Think, miserable soul, on the hour of the end, and made fearful by the cutting down of the fig tree, work with love of toil at the talent given you, as you watch and cry: May we not be left outside Christ’s bridal chamber!

¶52

**On Wednesday

¶53

I have transgressed far more than the harlot, O Good One, yet have never brought you showers of tears; but entreating in silence I fall before you, as I kiss your immaculate feet with love, that as Master you may grant me forgiveness of offences, as I cry out, O Saviour. ‘Deliver me from the filth of my works’.

¶54

Lord, have mercy. (**x40**)

¶55

May God take pity on us and bless us and shed the light of his countenance on us and have mercy on us. ****

¶56

Lord and Master of my life, do not give me a spirit of sloth, idle curiosity, love of power and useless chatter. (

¶57

**Prostration**)

¶58

Rather accord to me, your servant, a spirit of sobriety, humility, patience and love. (

¶59

**Prostration**)

¶60

Yes, Lord and King, grant me to see my own faults and not to condemn my brother; for you are blessed to the ages of ages. Amen. (

¶61

**Prostration**) ****

¶62

The Superior says the

¶63

Master, Lord Jesus Christ, our God, who have long endured our transgressions, and brought us to this hour in which hanging on the life-giving tree you showed the good Thief the way into Paradise and destroyed death by death, have mercy also on us sinners and your unworthy servants. For we have sinned and trespassed and are not worthy to raise our eyes and look on the height of heaven; because we have abandoned the way of your justice and walked in the will of our hearts. But we implore your unbounded goodness: spare us, O Lord, according to the multitude of your mercy, and save us for your holy name’s sake, for our days have been wasted in vanity. Rescue us from the hand of our opponent, forgive us our sins, slay our carnal will, that we, having put off the old man, may put on the new, and live for you, our Master and benefactor; and that thus following your precepts we may reach eternal rest, where those who rejoice have their dwelling. For you are the true joy and gladness of those who love you, Christ our God, and to you we give glory, together with your Father who has no beginning, and your all-holy, good and life-giving Spirit, now and always and to ages of ages. Amen. ****

¶64

Remember us, O Lord, when you come in your kingdom. ****

¶65

And also after

¶66

In your kingdom remember us, O Lord, when you come in your kingdom. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

¶67

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

¶68

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

¶69

Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after justice, for they shall be filled.

¶70

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.

¶71

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

¶72

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.

¶73

Blessed are those who are persecuted for justice’s sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

¶74

Blessed are you when men shall revile you and persecute you and say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake.

¶75

Rejoice and be glad, for great is your reward in heaven.

¶76

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

¶77

Both now and ever and to ages of ages. Amen.

¶78

Remember us, O Lord, when you come in your kingdom.

¶79

Remember us, O Master, when you come in your kingdom.

¶80

Remember us, O Holy One, when you come in your kingdom.

¶81

The heavenly choir hymns you and says: Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord Sabaoth, heaven and earth are full of your glory.

¶82

Come to him and be enlightened, and your faces shall not be ashamed.

¶83

The heavenly choir hymns you and says: Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord Sabaoth, heaven and earth are full of your glory.

¶84

I believe in one God, Father almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten from the Father before all ages, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten not made, consubstantial with the Father, through him all things were made. For our sake and for our salvation he came down from heaven, and was incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and became man. He was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered and was buried; he rose again on the third day, in accordance with the Scriptures, and ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He is coming again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of life, who proceeds from the Father, who together with Father and Son is worshipped and together glorified; who spoke through the Prophets. In one Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins. I await the resurrection of the dead and the life of the age to come. Amen.

¶85

Remit, forgive, pardon, O God, our offences, willing and unwilling, in deed and in word, in knowledge and in ignorance, of the day and of the night, in mind and in thought; pardon them all, as you are good and love mankind.

On Wednesday

Lord, have mercy (

At every time and at every hour, in heaven and on earth worshipped and glorified, Christ God, long-suffering, great in mercy, great in compassion, loving the just and merciful to sinners, calling all to salvation by the promise of the good things to come; do you, Lord, yourself accept our entreaties at this hour, and direct our lives to your commandments. Sanctify our souls, purify our bodies, correct our thoughts, cleanse our ideas and deliver us from every distress, evil, and pain. Wall us about with your holy Angels, that protected and guided by their host we may reach the unity of the faith and the knowledge of your unapproachable glory; for you are blessed to the ages of ages. Amen.

¶92

Lord, have mercy (

¶93

**x3**), Glory. Both now. Greater in honour than the Cherubim, and beyond compare more glorious than the Seraphim, without corruption you gave birth to God the Word. Truly Mother of God you we magnify. In the name of the Lord, bless, Father. ****

¶94

May God take pity on us and bless and show the light of his countenance on us and have mercy on us. ****

¶95

Lord and Master of my life, do not give me a spirit of sloth, idle curiosity, love of power and useless chatter. (

¶96

**Prostration**)

¶97

Rather accord to me, your servant, a spirit of sobriety, humility, patience and love. (

¶98

**Prostration**)

¶99

Yes, Lord and King, grant me to see my own faults and not to condemn my brother; for you are blessed to the ages of ages. Amen. (

¶100

**Prostration**) ****

¶101

All-Holy Trinity, consubstantial Might, indivisible Kingship, Cause of all blessings, be favourable even to me a sinner; strengthen and give understanding to my heart and rid me of every defilement; enlighten my mind, that I may ever glorify, praise, worship and say: One is Holy, one is Lord, Jesus Christ, to the glory of God the Father. Amen.

¶102

It is truly right to call you blessed, who gave birth to God, ever-blessed and most pure and the Mother of our God. ****

¶103

Most Holy Mother of God, save us. ****

¶104

Greater in honour than the Cherubim and beyond compare more glorious than the Seraphim, without corruption you gave birth to God the Word. Truly the Mother of God, we magnify you. ****

¶105

Glory to you, Christ God our hope, glory to you. ****

¶106

May he who comes to his voluntary passion, Christ our true God, through the prayers of his all-pure and holy Mother, by the power of the precious and life-giving Cross, of the holy, glorious and all-praised Apostles, and of all the Saints, have mercy on us and save us, for he is good and loves mankind.

¶107

Through the prayers of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ, our God, have mercy on us.

Translated by Ephrem Lash. Edition lash.en.anastasis.