AT MATINS

In each Ode the Irmos is sung twice, and the troparia are repeated to make 12. The Irmos is repeated as Katavasia.

**After the Dismissal of the Midnight Office the Priest, having made the customary metania to the Superior, or to his stall, enters the sanctuary and makes three bows before the holy Table. He puts on the Epitrachelion and, standing in front of the holy Table, intones:**

Let my prayer come into your presence, and turn your ear to my supplication.

**Reader:** Amen.

Both now. **Theotokion.**

**And the following Troparia:**

Blessed is our God, always, now and for ever, and to the ages of ages.

Lord, hear my prayer: in your truth give ear to my supplication, and in your justice hear me. Do not enter into judgement with your servant: for in your sight no one living can be justified. For the enemy pursued my soul, humbled my life to the ground. Made me dwell in darkness, like those for ever dead. My spirit grew despondent within me and my heart within me was troubled. I remembered days of old, I meditated on all your works: I made the works of your hands my meditation. I stretched out my hands towards you: my soul thirsted for you like a waterless land. Hear me swiftly, O Lord, my spirit has failed. Do not turn your face from me, or I shall be like those who go down to the Pit. Make me hear of your mercy in the morning, for I have hoped in you. Make known to me the way in which I should walk, for to you I have lifted up my soul. Deliver me from my enemies, Lord: I have run to you for shelter. Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. Your good Spirit will guide me in an upright land. For your name’s sake, O Lord, you will give me life. In your justice, you will bring my soul out of trouble, in your mercy slay my enemies, and destroy all those that afflict my soul, for I am your servant.

**The Reader begins:**

Lord, save your people, and bless your inheritance, granting your faithful people victory over their enemies, and guarding your commonwealth by your Cross.

**The Priest blesses the incense and begins to cense the sanctuary and the whole church as usual.**

**Reader:** Amen.

Lifted up on the Cross of your own will, grant you mercies, Christ God, to the new commonwealth called by your name. Make your faithful people glad by your power, giving them victory over their enemies. May they have your help in battle, a weapon of peace, an invincible trophy.

Holy God, Holy Strong, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us (**three times)**

**Reader:** Amen.

Dread Champion that cannot be put to shame, do not despise our petitions, O Good One. All-praised Mother of God establish the commonwealth of the Orthodox, save your people and give them victory from heaven, for you gave birth to God, O only blessed one.

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.

**Reader:** Lord have mercy (**x3).**

**Priest:** Have mercy on us, O God, according to your great mercy. We pray you, hear and have mercy.

All-holy Trinity, have mercy on us. Lord, cleanse us from our sins. Master, pardon our iniquities. Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities for your name’s sake. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

**Reader:** Amen.

**Priest:** For you, O God, are merciful, and love humankind, and to you we give glory, to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever and to the ages of ages.

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

Then the Litany by the Priest, outside the Sanctuary.

**Reader:** Amen. In the name of the Lord, give the blessing, Father.

Our Father, in heaven, may your name be hallowed; your kingdom come; your will be done on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

Then the following Troparion is sung solemnly 3 times.

**Priest:** Glory to the holy, consubstantial, life-giving and undivided Trinity, always, now and for ever, and to the ages of ages.

**Priest:** For yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory, of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever, and to the ages of ages.

Then we recite Kathisma 4 of the Psalter. After the Psalter the following Kathisma:

THE SIX PSALMS

Lord, have mercy (**x12**). Glory. Both now.

Glory. Both now.

And we begin the Six Psalms, listening with complete silence and compunction. The Superior, or the designated reader, with devotion and fear of God says:

Come, let us worship and fall down before the King, our God.

Then Kathisma 5 of the Psalter is read, and after it the following Kathisma to the same melody.

Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth, goodwill among men (**x3).**

Come, let us worship and fall down before Christ the King, our God.

Glory. Both now.

Lord, you will open my lips: and my mouth will declare your praise (**x2).**

Come, let us worship and fall down before Christ himself, the King, our God.

Then Kathisma 6 of the Psalter is read, and after it the following Kathisma:

Lord, why have those who afflict me been multiplied? Many rise against me. Many say to my soul, ‘There is no salvation for him in his God’. But you, Lord, are my helper, my glory, and the one who lifts up my head. With my voice, I cried to the Lord, and he heard me from his holy mountain. I lay down and slept; I awoke, because the Lord will assist me. I will not be afraid of tens of thousands of people who surround me. Rise, Lord, save me, my God; because you have struck all who are vainly my foes. You have smashed the teeth of sinners. Salvation is the Lord’s, and your blessing is upon your people.

**With three metanias. Then the following two Psalms.**

Glory. Both now.

I lay down and slept; I awoke because the Lord will assist me.

**Psalm 19**

**Reader: And to your Spirit.**

**Psalm 37**

May the Lord hear you in the day of trouble; may the name of the God of Jacob shield you. May he send you his help from the holy place, and support you from Sion. May he remember your every sacrifice, and accept with favour your whole burnt offering. May the Lord give you your heart’s desire, and fulfil your every purpose. We shall rejoice in your salvation, and be magnified in the name of our the Lord our God. May the Lord fulfil all your petitions. Now I know that the Lord has saved his Christ. He will hear him from his holy heaven; in mighty acts is the salvation of his right hand. Some put their trust in chariots and some in horses, but we will call on the name of the Lord our God. They were fettered and fell, but we have risen and been set upright. Lord, save the king, and hear us on the day we call upon you.

Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger, nor chastise me in your wrath. For your arrows have been stuck fast in me, and you have laid a heavy hand upon me. There is no healing in my flesh on account of your wrath, nor peace in my bones on account of my sins. My iniquities flooded over my head; like a heavy burden they weighed heavily upon me. My wounds stank and festered on account of my foolishness. I was wretched and utterly bowed down; I went about mourning all day long. For my loins were filled with mockings, and there is no healing in my flesh. I was maltreated and humiliated exceedingly; I howled from the groaning of my heart. Lord, all my desire is before you, and my groaning was not hidden from you. My heart was troubled, my strength failed me; and even the light of my eyes had gone from me. My friends and my neighbours drew near and stood against me, and those nearest me stood far away. Those who sought my life used force, and those who sought evils for me spoke vanities, and meditated trickeries all day long. But I, like a deaf man, heard nothing; like one who is dumb, who does not open his mouth. So I became like one who cannot hear, and in whose mouth there are no rebukes. For in you, Lord, I have hoped; you will answer me, O Lord my God. For I said: Let my foes never exult over me. When my foot slipped they crowed over me. For I am ready for blows and my pain is with me continually. For I will declare my iniquity and be troubled at my sin. But my enemies live and have prevailed over me, and those who hate me unjustly have been multiplied. Those who repay me with evils in place of good have slandered me, since I pursued goodness. Do not forsake me, Lord; my God, do not go far from me. Hasten to help me, Lord of my salvation.

**Psalm 20**

Do not forsake me, Lord; my God do not go far from me.

The king will rejoice in your power, O Lord, he will exult exceedingly in your salvation. You gave him his heart’s desire; you did not deny him the request of his lips. For you came to meet him with blessings of goodness; you placed a crown of precious stones upon his head. He asked you for life, and you gave him length of days for age on age. Great is his glory because of your salvation; you will place on him glory and majesty. For you will give him blessing for age on age, and make him glad with the joy of your countenance. For the king puts his hope in the Lord, and through the mercy of the Most High he will not be shaken. May your hand light upon all your enemies, and your right hand find out all who hate you. You will make them like a blazing oven at the time of your presence. The Lord will confound them in his wrath and fire will devour them. You will destroy their offspring from the earth, and their seed from among the children of humankind. Because they intended evils against you, and devised plans by which they can in no way succeed. For you will put them to flight; among your remnants you will prepare their presence. Be exalted, Lord, in your power; we will sing and praise your mighty acts.

Hasten to help me, Lord of my salvation.

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.

**Psalm 62**

Holy God, Holy Strong, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us (**three times**)

O God, my God, I watch for you at dawn; my soul has thirsted for you, my flesh how often in a desert, untrodden and waterless land. Thus I appeared before you in the holy place, to see your power and your glory. For your mercy is better than life; my lips will praise you. So I will bless you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. May my soul be filled as with marrow and fatness; my mouth will praise you with joyful lips. When I remembered you upon my bed, every dawn I meditated upon you. For you became my helper, and in the shelter of your wings I shall rejoice. My soul clung to you; and your right hand upheld me. But those who vainly sought my life will go down to the deepest parts of the earth, they will be delivered to the power of the sword, they will be portions for foxes. But the king will rejoice in God, and all who swear by him will be praised; for the mouths of those who speak iniquities have been stopped.

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.

Every dawn I meditated upon you, for you became my helper, and in the shelter of your wings I shall rejoice.

All-holy Trinity, have mercy on us. Lord, cleanse us from our sins. Master, pardon our iniquities. Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities for your name’s sake. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

My soul clung to you; and your right hand upheld me.

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

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.

Our Father, in heaven, may your name be hallowed; your kingdom come; your will be done on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia. Glory to you, O God (**x3, without Metanias). Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.**

**Priest:** For yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory, of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever, and to the ages of ages.

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.

**The priest must take care that he is standing beneath the Polyeleos to say this conclusion. He then enters the sanctuary, puts away the censer and takes his stand in front of the Holy Table.**

**Psalm 87**

Lord, God of my salvation, I have cried by day, and by night also before you. Let my prayer come into your presence, and turn you ear to my supplication. For my soul was filled with evils, and my life drew near to Hell. I was reckoned among those that go down to the Pit; I became as one that has no help, free among the dead. Like the slain that sleep in the tomb, whom you remembered no more; and they were cut off from your power. They placed me in the lowest Pit; in darkness and in the shadow of death. Your wrath lay heavy upon me, and you brought all your waves against me. You put my friends far from me, and made me an abomination to them. I was handed over and I came out; my eyes grew weak because of my beggary. I cried to you, Lord, all the day; I stretched out my hands towards you. Will you work wonders for the dead; or will physicians raise them up again to praise you? Will any declare your mercy in the tomb, or your truth in the place of destruction? Will your wonders be known in the dark, or your justice in a land that has been forgotten? But to you, Lord, I have cried, and in the morning my prayer will come before you. Why have you rejected my soul, Lord; why do you turn away your face from me? I am poor and in toils since my youth; exalted, I was humbled and brought to despair. Your fierce anger overwhelmed me, and your terrors appalled me. They surrounded me like water all day long; they closed in upon me from every side. Friend and neighbour you have put far from me, and my companions because of my misery.

Lord, God of my salvation, I have cried by day; and by night also before you.

The priest comes from the Altar and reads the morning prayers quietly.

**Psalm 102**

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget none of his benefits. He forgives all your iniquities; he heals all your diseases; he redeems your life from corruption and crowns you with mercy and compassion; he satisfies your desire with good things; your youth will be renewed like an eagle’s. The Lord performs deeds of mercy and judgement for all who are oppressed. He made known his ways to Moses, his wishes to the children of Israel. The Lord is compassionate and merciful, long-suffering and full of mercy. He will not always be wrathful, nor will he be enraged for ever. He has not dealt with us according to our iniquities, nor rewarded us according to our sins. For, like the height of heaven above the earth, the Lord has made his mercy prevail over those that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has he taken our sins from us. As a father takes pity on his children the Lord has taken pity on those who fear him. For he knows of what we are made; has remembered that we are but dust. As for man, his days are but as grass, he will blossom like a flower of the field; for when a wind has passed over it, it will be no more and will know its place no longer. But the mercy of the Lord is for ever and ever upon those who fear him; and his justice upon their children’s children, upon those who keep his covenant and remember his commandments to do them. The Lord has prepared his throne in heaven and his kingdom rules over all. Bless the Lord, all you his Angels, powerful in strength, who perform his word, and listen to the voice of his words. Bless the Lord, all you his Powers, his Ministers who do his will. Bless the Lord, all you his works. In every place of his dominion, bless the Lord, O my soul!

In every place of his dominion: bless the Lord, O my soul!

**Psalm 142**

In your justice hear me, O Lord, and do not enter into judgement with your servant. (**x2)**

Your good Spirit will guide me in an upright land.

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. Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia. Glory to you, O God (**x3).** **Metanias (x3)**

In peace, let us pray to the Lord.

**People: Lord, have mercy.** **And so after each petition.**

For the peace from on high and for the salvation of our souls, let us pray to the Lord.

For the peace of the whole world, for the welfare of the holy Churches of God, and for the union of all, let us pray to the Lord.

For this holy house, and for those who enter it with faith, reverence and the fear of God, let us pray to the Lord.

For our Archbishop **N., for the honoured order of presbyters, for the diaconate in Christ, for all the clergy and the people, let us pray to the Lord.**

For this city , for every, city, town and village, and for the faithful who dwell in them, let us pray to the Lord.

For favourable weather, an abundance of the fruits of the earth, and temperate seasons, let us pray to the Lord.

For those who travel by land, air or water, for the sick, the suffering, for those in captivity, and for their safety and salvation, let us pray to the Lord.

For our deliverance from all affliction, wrath, danger and constraint, let us pray to the Lord.

Help us, save us, have mercy on us, and keep us, O God, by your grace.

Commemorating our all-holy, pure, most blessed and glorious Lady, Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary, with all the Saints, let us entrust ourselves and one another and our whole life to Christ our God.

**People: To you, O Lord.**

**Priest: For to you belong all glory, honour and worship, to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever, and to the ages of ages.**

**People: Amen.**

**We sing Alleluia** **3 times in the 8th Tone, saying first one of the following verses.**

**Verse 1. From nightfall my spirit is awake for you, O God, for your commands are light upon the earth.**

**Verse 2. Learn justice, inhabitants of the earth.**

**Verse 3. Jealousy will seize an untaught people, and now fire devours their adversaries.**

**Verse 4. Bring evils upon them, O Lord, bring evils upon them, the glorious ones of the earth.**

Tone 8

Behold, the Bridegroom comes in the middle of the night, and blessed is that servant whom he finds watching; but unworthy is the one whom he finds slothful. Take care then, my soul, not to be overcome with sleep, lest you be given up to death, and be shut out of the kingdom; but rouse yourself and cry: Holy, holy, holy are you, O God; through the protection of Bodiless Powers, have mercy on us.

Behold, the Bridegroom comes in the middle of the night, and blessed is that servant whom he finds watching; but unworthy is the one whom he finds slothful. Take care then, my soul, not to be overcome with sleep, lest you be given up to death, and be shut out of the kingdom; but rouse yourself and cry: Holy, holy, holy are you, O God; through the prayers of the , have mercy on us.**

Behold, the Bridegroom comes in the middle of the night, and blessed is that servant whom he finds watching; but unworthy is the one whom he finds slothful. Take care then, my soul, not to be overcome with sleep, lest you be given up to death, and be shut out of the kingdom; but rouse yourself and cry: Holy, holy, holy are you, O God; through the Mother of God, have mercy on us.

Tone 1. The soldiers watching

The present day makes the holy sufferings dawn for the world like saving lights; for Christ in his goodness is hastening to suffer; he who holds the universe in the hollow of his hand accepts to be hung upon a Tree to save humankind.

The present day makes the holy sufferings dawn for the world like saving lights; for Christ in his goodness is hastening to suffer; he who holds the universe in the hollow of his hand accepts to be hung upon a Tree to save humankind.

Tone 1. The soldiers watching

Invisible Judge, how have you been made visible in flesh and are coming to be slain by lawless men, so condemning our condemnation by your passion. Therefore with one accord, O Word, we offer praise, majesty and glory to your authority.

Invisible Judge, how have you been made visible in flesh and are coming to be slain by lawless men, so condemning our condemnation by your passion. Therefore with one accord, O Word, we offer praise, majesty and glory to your authority.

Tone 8. The Wisdom and Word.

The present day is resplendent with the first fruits of the Lord’s sufferings. Come then, lovers of feasts, let us meet it with songs; for the Creator is coming to accept Cross, afflictions and scourges, as he is judged by Pilate; therefore too, struck on the face by a slave, he endures all that he may save humankind. And so let us cry aloud to him: Lover of humankind, Christ our God, grant forgiveness of offences to those who with faith worship your most pure sufferings.

The present day is resplendent with the first fruits of the Lord’s sufferings. Come then, lovers of feasts, let us meet it with songs; for the Creator is coming to accept Cross, afflictions and scourges, as he is judged by Pilate; therefore too, struck on the face by a slave, he endures all that he may save humankind. And so let us cry aloud to him: Lover of humankind, Christ God, grant forgiveness of offences to those who with faith worship your most pure sufferings.

**And at once the Priest says:**

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

**Reader: Lord, have mercy, Lord, have mercy, Lord, have mercy.**

**Priest: Wisdom. Stand upright. Let us listen to the holy Gospel. Peace to all.**

**Priest: The reading is from the holy Gospel according to Matthew.**

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

**Priest: Let us attend.**

At that time, as Jesus was going back to the city, he was hungry. And seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it, and found nothing on it, but only leaves. And he said to it, ‘May fruit no longer come from you for ever.’ And at once the fig tree was withered. When they saw it, the disciples marvelled and said, ‘How was the fig tree withered at once?’ But Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Amen, I say to you, if you have faith and do not hesitate, not only will you do this to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and cast into the sea’, it will be done. And everything you ask for in prayer with faith you will receive.’ And when he came to the temple precinct the chief priests and elders of the people came to him as he was teaching and said, ‘By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?’ Jesus answered and said to them, ‘I shall also ask you one question, and if you answer me, I shall also tell you by what authority I do these things. John’s baptism, where was it from, from heaven or from humans?’ They discussed this among themselves and said, ‘If we say ‘from heaven’, he will say to us, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’. But if we same ‘from humans’, we are afraid of the crowd, for all hold John to be a prophet.’ So they answered Jesus and said, ‘We do not know.’ And he said to them, ‘Nor shall I tell you by what authority I do these things. What is your opinion? A man had two sons, and he approached the first and said to him, ‘My son, go and work in my vineyard today’. He answered, ‘I do not wish to’. But later he changed his mind and went. And he approached the second and said the same to him. But he answered, ‘Yes, sir’. And he did not go. Which of the two did the will father’s will?’ They said to him, ‘The first.’ Jesus said to them, ‘Amen, I say to you. The publicans and harlots are going ahead of you into the kingdom of God. For John came to you in the way of justice, and you did not believe him. But the publicans and harlots believed him. But even when you saw, you did not later change your minds and believe him. Hear this parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard and put a hedge round it and dug a wine press in it and built a tower. Then he let it out to tenant farmers and went abroad. When the time of the vintage drew near, his sent his slaves to the farmers to collect his produce. But the farmers seized his slaves and one they flogged, one they killed and one they stoned. Once again he sent other slaves, more than at first, and they treated them the same way. Afterwards he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son’. But when the farmers saw the son they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and obtain his inheritance’. And they took him and cast him outside the vineyard and killed him. So when the lord of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those farmers?’ They said to him, ‘He will bring those evil men to an evil end. And he will hire out the vineyard to other farmers, who will return his produce to him at the proper times.’ Jesus said to them, ‘Did you never read in the scriptures, ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the head of the corner. This is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes’? Therefore I tell you, the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation that will produce its fruits’.

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

**And at once:**

**Psalm 50**

Have mercy on me, O God, in accordance with your great mercy. According to the multitude of your compassion blot out my offence. Wash me thoroughly from my wickedness, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my wickedness, and my sin is ever before me. Against you alone I have sinned and done what is evil in your sight, that you may be justified in your words and win when you are judged. For see, in wickedness I was conceived and in sin my mother bore me. For see, you have loved truth; you have shown me the hidden and secret things of your wisdom. You will sprinkle me with hyssop and I shall be cleansed. You will wash me and I shall be made whiter than snow. You will make me hear of joy and gladness; the bones which have been humbled will rejoice. Turn away your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquities. Create a clean heart in me, O God, and renew a right Spirit within me. Do not cast me out from your presence, and do not take your Holy Spirit from me. Give me back the joy of your salvation, and establish me with your sovereign Spirit. I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn to you again. O God, the God of my salvation, deliver me from bloodshed and my tongue will rejoice at your justice. Lord, you will open my lips, and my mouth will proclaim your praise. For if you had wanted a sacrifice, I would have given it. You will not take pleasure in burnt offerings. A sacrifice to God is a broken spirit; a broken and a humbled heart God will not despise. Do good to Sion, Lord, in your good pleasure; and let the walls of Jerusalem be rebuilt. Then you will be well pleased with a sacrifice of righteousness, oblation and whole burnt offerings. Then they will offer calves upon your altar.

**We begin the Canon by St Kosmas, of which the Acrostic is: