The Daily Midnight Office

The daily Midnight Office for prayer during the night or in the early morning.

Priest: Blessed be our God always, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.

Reader: Amen. Glory to You, our God, glory to You.

Prayer to the Holy Spirit

Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of Truth, abiding everywhere and filling everything, Treasury of blessings and Giver of life, come and dwell in us, and cleanse us from all filth, and save, O Good One, our souls.

Trisagion

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (three times)

Glory to the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now, and always, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Prayer to the Holy Trinity

Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us; Lord, cleanse our sins; Lord, forgive our iniquities; Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities, for Thy name’s sake.

Lord, have mercy. (three times) Glory, and now:

Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who is in heaven! Hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; Give us our daily bread today; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Priest: For Thine is the Kingdom: Reader: Amen.

Lord, have mercy. (12 times) Glory, and now:

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

Psalm 50

Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your great mercy and according to the multitude of Your mercies, blot out my iniquity; completely wash me from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my iniquity, and my sin is always before me. I have sinned against You, the One, and done evil before You, so that you may be justified in Your words and win if they enter into court with You. For behold, I was conceived in iniquities, and my mother gave birth to me in sins. For behold, You have loved the truth; You have revealed to me the hidden and secret things of Your wisdom. You will sprinkle me with hyssop, and I will be cleansed; wash me, and I will become whiter than snow; let me hear joy and gladness, and my humiliated bones will rejoice. Turn Your face away from my sins and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew the Right Spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and strengthen me with the Sovereign Spirit. I will teach the wicked Your ways, and the wicked will turn to You. Deliver me from bloodshed, O God, God of my salvation; my tongue will rejoice in Your righteousness. Lord, You will open my mouth, and my mouth will declare Your praise. For if You had desired sacrifice, I would have given it; you will not be pleased with burnt offerings. A sacrifice to God is a contrite spirit; God will not despise a contrite and humble heart. Bless Zion, O Lord, with Your favor, and may the walls of Jerusalem be erected; then You will graciously accept the sacrifice of righteousness, the offering and burnt offerings, and then they will lay bulls on Your altar.

Kathisma 17

Psalm 118.

Stasis 1

Blessed are those who are blameless in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord. Blessed are those who search His testimonies; they will seek Him with all their hearts. For those who do not commit iniquity have walked in His ways. You commanded to keep Your commandments firmly. Oh, that my paths would be directed toward preserving Your commandments! Then I would not be ashamed, considering all Your commandments. I will glorify You in uprightness of heart when I learn the judgments of Your righteousness. I will keep Your commandments; don’t leave me until the end. How will the young man correct his path? In preserving Your words. With all my heart I have sought You; do not cast me away from Your commandments. I have hidden Your sayings in my heart, so as not to sin before You. Blessed are You, O Lord, teach me Your commandments. With my mouth I have declared all the judgments of Your mouth. On the path of Your testimonies I have enjoyed, as in all riches. I will reason about Your commandments and understand Your ways. I will pay attention to Your commandments; I will not forget Your words. Reward Your servant, revive me, and I will keep Your words. Open my eyes, and I will understand the wonders of Your law. I am a settler on earth: do not hide Your commandments from me. My soul has desired to strive for Your judgments at all times. You have rebuked the proud; Cursed are those who turn away from Your commandments. Take away from me reproach and contempt, for I have sought Your testimonies. For behold, the princes sat down and slandered me, but Your servant reasoned about Your commandments. For Thy testimonies are my occupation, and my counselors are Thy commandments. My soul fell to the earth; quicken me according to Your word. I declared my ways, and You heard me; teach me Your commandments. Let me understand the way of Your commandments, and I will reason about Your wonders. My soul has fallen asleep from negligence: strengthen me in Your words. Remove the path of unrighteousness from me and have mercy on me with Your law. I have chosen the path of truth and have not forgotten Your judgments. I have clung to Your testimonies; Lord, don’t shame me! I ran the path of Your commandments when You enlarged my heart. Set for me, O Lord, the path of Your commandments by law, and I will seek it constantly. Give me understanding, and I will search Your law, and I will keep it with all my heart. Guide me on the path of Your commandments, for I have desired it. Incline my heart to Your testimonies, and not to money-grubbing. Turn away my eyes, so as not to see vanity; on Your path revive me. Make Thy servant Thy word to fear. Remove my reproach, which I fear, for Your judgments are good. Behold, I have desired Your commandments; quicken me in Your righteousness. And may Thy mercy, O Lord, come upon me, Thy salvation according to Thy word. And I will answer those who reproach my word, for I trust in Your words. And do not take the words of truth from my lips until the end, for I have trusted in Your judgments. And I will keep Your law always, forever and ever. And I walked in the open, for I sought Thy commandments, and spoke of Thy testimonies before kings and was not ashamed, and practiced Thy commandments, which I loved dearly, and lifted up my hands to Thy commandments, which I loved, and reasoned about Thy commandments. Remember Your words to Your servant, with which You gave me hope. This comforted me in my humiliation, that Your word revived me. The proud have transgressed the law to the extreme, but I have not deviated from Your law. I remembered Your judgments from time immemorial, O Lord, and was comforted. Sorrow has overcome me because of sinners who forsake Your law. Your commandments were like songs to me at the place of my wandering. I remembered Your name at night, O Lord, and kept Your law. This happened to me, because I sought Your commandments. You are my destiny, Lord; I said: I will try to preserve Your law. I prayed before Your face with all my heart; have mercy on me according to your word. I have pondered Your ways and turned my feet to Your testimonies. I prepared myself and was not dismayed to keep Your commandments. The ropes of sinners have entwined me, and I have not forgotten Your law. At midnight I got up to glorify You for Your righteous judgments. I am a fellow member of all who fear You and keep Your commandments. The earth is full of Thy mercy, O Lord: teach me Thy commandments. You have dealt kindly with Your servant, O Lord, according to Your word. Teach me kindness, good manners, and knowledge, for I have believed Your commandments. Before I humbled myself, I sinned, therefore I kept Your word. You are good, O Lord, and in Your goodness teach me Your commandments. The injustice of the proud has multiplied against me, but I will search Your commandments with all my heart. Their heart thickened like milk, but I delved deeper into Your law. It is good for me that You have humbled me, so that I may learn Your commandments. The law of Your mouth is more good to me than thousands of gold and silver.

Glory, and now: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, glory to Thee, O God. (three times) Lord, have mercy. (three times) Glory, and now:

Stasis 2

Your hands created me and created me; Give me understanding, and I will learn Your commandments. Those who fear You will see me and rejoice, for I have trusted in Your words. I have come to know, O Lord, that Thy judgments are righteous, and in truth Thou hast humbled me. May Thy mercy be a comfort to me, according to Thy word to Thy servant. Let Your compassion come to me, and I will live, for Your law is my occupation. Let the proud be ashamed, for they have committed iniquity against me unjustly, but I will reason about Your commandments. Let those who fear You and know Your testimonies turn to me. May my heart be blameless in Your commandments, so that I will not be ashamed. My soul faints for Your salvation, and I have trusted in Your word. My eyes fail because of Thy word; I say: “When will You console me?” For I have become like fur in the cold; I have not forgotten Your commandments. How many days are Your servant? When will you bring justice against those who persecute me? The lawbreakers told me reasonings, but not like Your law, O Lord. All Your commandments are truth; they began to persecute me unjustly, help me. They almost finished me on earth, but I did not forsake Your commandments. According to Thy mercy, quicken me, and I will preserve the testimony of Thy mouth. Forever, O Lord, Your word remains in heaven. Thy truth endureth unto generation and generation: Thou hast founded the earth, and it endureth. The day continues according to Your command, for everything serves You. For if Thy law had not been my occupation, then I would have perished in my humiliation. I will never forget Your commandments, for through them You have revived me.

The middle of kathismaI am Yours, save me, for I have sought Your commandments. Sinners began to wait for me to destroy me, but I understood Your testimonies. I have seen the limit of every accomplishment - Your commandment is very broad. How I have loved Your law, O Lord, it is my occupation all day long. Thou hast made me wiser than mine enemies by Thy commandment, for it is mine forever. I began to understand better than all those who taught me, for Your testimonies are my occupation. I began to understand better than the elders, for I sought Your commandments. I have kept my feet from every evil way, to keep Your words. I have not turned aside from Your judgments, for You have given me the law. How sweet are Your words to my throat, better than honey to my lips. I have gained understanding from Your commandments, and therefore I have hated every path of unrighteousness. Your law is a lamp to my feet and a light to my paths. I have sworn and determined to preserve the judgments of Your righteousness. I was humiliated to the extreme, Lord, revive me according to Your word. Accept the voluntary sacrifices of my lips graciously, O Lord, and teach me Your judgments. My soul is constantly in Your hands, and I have not forgotten Your law. Sinners set a trap for me, but I did not deviate from Your commandments. I have inherited Your testimonies forever, for they are the joy of my heart. I have bowed my heart to fulfill Your commandments forever, for the sake of reward. I hated the transgressors, but I loved Your law. My helper and my intercessor are You; I have trusted in Your words. Depart from me, you who do evil, and I will search the commandments of my God. Support me according to Your word, and I will live, and do not put me to shame in my waiting. Help me, and I will be saved, and I will always attend to Your commandments. Thou hast counted as nothing all those who depart from Thy commandments, for their thoughts are unrighteous. I considered all the sinners of the earth to be criminals, therefore I loved Your testimonies. Nail my flesh with fear of You, for I am afraid of Your judgments. I have done justice and righteousness; do not betray me to those who offend me. Accept Thy servant for good, so that the proud do not slander me. My eyes fail for Thy salvation and the word of Thy righteousness. Do unto Thy servant according to Thy mercy, and teach me Thy commandments. I am Thy servant; give me understanding, and I will know Thy testimonies. It is time for the Lord to act: they have destroyed Your law, therefore I have loved Your commandments more than gold and topaz; Therefore I was guided by all Your commandments; I hated every way of unrighteousness. Your testimonies are marvelous, therefore my soul began to search them. The manifestation of Your words enlightens and instructs infants. I opened my mouth and drew the Spirit into me, for I desired Your commandments.

Glory, and now: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, glory to Thee, O God. (three times) Lord, have mercy. (three times) Glory, and now:

Stasis 3

Look upon me and have mercy on me according to the judgment of those who love Your name. Direct my steps according to Your word, and let no iniquity take possession of me. Deliver me from human slander, and I will keep Your commandments. Show the light of Your face to Your servant and teach me Your commandments. My eyes have poured out from the fountains of water, because I have not kept Your law. You are righteous, O Lord, and your judgments are just. You have commanded righteousness - Your testimonies and truth - firmly. Jealousy for You has exhausted me, for my enemies have forgotten Your words. Thy word was completely purified by fire, and Thy servant loved it. I am very young and despised; I have not forgotten Your commandments. Your righteousness is righteousness forever, and Your law is truth. Sorrows and troubles overtook me; Your commandments are my occupation. Your testimonies are truth forever; Give me some understanding, and I will live. I cried with all my heart, hear me, O Lord, I will seek Your commandments. I cried to You, save me, and I will keep Your testimonies. I hastened at an inopportune hour and cried out: “I trusted in Your words.” My eyes were opened until dawn to delve deeper into Your words. Hear my voice, O Lord, according to Thy mercy, according to Thy judgment, revive me. Those who persecute me lawlessly have drawn near, but they have departed from Your law. You are near, O Lord, and all Your ways are truth. From the beginning I knew from Your testimonies that You founded them forever. Look at my humiliation and deliver me, for I have not forgotten Your law. Judge my case and deliver me; revive me according to Your word. Salvation is far from sinners, for they have not sought Your commandments. Great is Thy compassion, O Lord; according to Thy judgment, quicken me. There are many who drive me out and oppress me; I have not turned away from Your testimonies. I saw the foolish and fainted, for they did not keep Your words. See that I have loved Your commandments, O Lord; according to Your mercy, revive me. The beginning of Your words is truth, and forever are all the judgments of Your righteousness. The princes began to persecute me innocently, but because of Your words my heart was afraid. I will rejoice in Your words, like one who finds much spoil. I hated and despised unrighteousness, but I loved Your law. Seven times a day I praised You for the judgments of Your righteousness. There is great peace for those who love Your law, and there is no stumbling block for them. I have waited for Your salvation, O Lord, and have loved Your commandments. My soul has preserved Your testimonies and loved them deeply. I have kept Your commandments and Your testimonies, for all my ways are before You, O Lord. Let my prayer draw near before Thy face, O Lord; give me understanding according to Thy word. Let my petition come before Thy face, O Lord; deliver me according to Thy word. My lips will pour out song when You teach me Your commandments. My tongue will utter Your words, for all Your commandments are truth. Let Your hand be to save me, for I have chosen Your commandments. I have desired Your salvation, O Lord, and Your law is my occupation. My soul will live and praise You, and Your judgments will help me. I am lost, like a lost sheep; Seek Your servant, for I have not forgotten Your commandments.

Glory, and now:

Creed

1 I believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible. 2 And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the only begotten, begotten of the Father before all ages, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, unmade, of one essence with the Father, through whom all things were made. 3 For our sake, people, and for our salvation, who came down from heaven, and became incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became man. 4 He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered, and was buried. 5 And rose again on the third day, according to the Scriptures. 6 And ascended into heaven, and sat at the right hand of the Father. 7 And He will come again with glory to judge the living and the dead, and His kingdom will have no end. 8 And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of Life, who proceeds from the Father, together with the Father and the Son, alike worshiped and glorified, who spoke through the prophets. 9 Into one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. 10 I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins. 11 I look forward to the resurrection of the dead, 12 and to the life of the age to come. Amen.

Trisagion. Glory, and now: The Most Holy Trinity. Lord, have mercy. (three times) Glory, and now: Our Father. Priest: For Thine is the Kingdom: Reader: Amen.

On feasts, instead of these troparions, the troparion of the feast is read.

Troparion, tone 8

Behold, the Bridegroom comes at midnight, / and blessed is that servant whom He finds awake, / but, on the contrary, is unworthy / the one whom He finds careless. / See, my soul, / do not be overcome by sleep, / may you not be put to death, / and be imprisoned outside the Kingdom, / but rise up, crying: / “Holy, Holy, Holy You, O God, / through the prayers of the Mother of God, have mercy on us!”

Glory: Thinking about that terrible day, my soul, / stay awake, lighting your shining lamp with oil, / because you do not know when you will be overtaken / by a voice proclaiming: “Behold, your Bridegroom!” / Be careful, my soul, / that you do not fall asleep and remain outside the palace, / knocking like the five virgins, / but remain patiently without sleep, / so that you may meet Christ with the rich oil, / and He will give you the divine palace of His glory.

And now: We pray to You, the impregnable wall / and the saving stronghold, Virgin Mary: / thwart the plans of your opponents, / turn the sorrow of Your people into joy, / protect Your city, strengthen pious Christians, / pray for the peace of the world, / for You, Mother of God, are our hope.

Lord, have mercy. (40 times)

Prayer

At every time and at every hour, Christ God, who accepts worship and glorification in heaven and on earth, long-suffering, abundantly merciful, most merciful, loving the righteous and merciful to sinners, calling everyone to salvation with the promise of future blessings! You, Lord, accept our prayers at this hour and direct our lives to Your commandments: sanctify our souls, cleanse our bodies, correct our thoughts, cleanse our thoughts and deliver us from all sorrow, troubles and torment. Protect us with Your holy Angels, so that, guarded and instructed by them, we may achieve unity in faith and understanding of Your unapproachable glory, for You are blessed forever and ever. Amen.

Lord, have mercy. (three times) Glory, and now:

It is truly meet to bless thee, O Theotokos, ever-blessed and most pure, and the Mother of our God. / More honorable than the Cherubim, and more glorious beyond compare than the Seraphim: / without defilement thou gavest birth to God the Word: / true Theotokos, we magnify thee.

Bless in the name of the Lord, father.

Priest: God, have mercy on us and bless us; Show us the light of Your face and have mercy on us.

Reader: Amen.

If fasting and at Matins, instead of “God is Lord,” “Alleluia” is sung, the priest says the prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian with bows, dividing it into three parts:

Lord and Master of my life! Do not betray me to the spirit of idleness, vanity, lust for power and idle talk. _(Bow)_Grant the spirit of chastity, humility, patience and love to me, your servant. (Bow)

Yes, Lord the King, let me see my sins and not condemn my brother, for You are blessed forever and ever. Amen. (Bow)

Also 12 small bows with prayer: God, cleanse me, a sinner.

And again the whole prayer: Lord and Master of my life. And one great bow.

If “Alleluia” is not sung, then the prayer of St. is left. Ephraim with bows, and only the prayer “Lord God, Father Almighty” is read:

Prayer of Saint Mardarius

Master God, Father Almighty, Lord, Only Begotten Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit! One Divinity, one Power, have mercy on me, a sinner, and in ways known to You, save me, Your unworthy servant, for You are blessed forever and ever. Amen.

Prayer to St. Basil the Great

Lord Almighty, God of the disembodied Powers and all flesh, living on the heights of heaven and looking down upon the valleys of the earth, testing the hearts and inner feelings and secrets of people, knowing clearly, the beginningless and eternal Light, Who has no change and not a shadow of change! Yourself, immortal King, accept our prayers, which we, boldly hoping for the multitude of Your mercies, presently bring to You from evil lips, and forgive us our sins, in deed, word, and thought, committed by us consciously and out of ignorance, and cleanse us from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, making us temples of Your Holy Spirit. And grant us with a watchful heart and a sober mind to go through the whole night of our present life, waiting for the coming of the bright day of the appearance of Your Only Begotten Son, our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ, when He, the Judge of all, will come to earth with glory to reward everyone according to their deeds; May He find us not fallen and lazy, but awake and risen, fulfilling His commandments, and ready to enter with Him into the joy and divine chamber of His glory, where those who celebrate the unceasing voice and inexpressible pleasure contemplate the indescribable beauty of Your face. For You are the true Light, enlightening and sanctifying everything, and all creation sings to You forever and ever. Amen.

Also the priest, raising his hands, says the prayer of the same saint:

We bless you, Almighty God and Lord of mercy, who always does with us great and incomprehensible deeds, glorious and terrible, which are innumerable, giving us sleep for the repose of our weakness and for rest from the labors of the arduous flesh. We thank You, for You did not destroy us with our iniquities, but showed Your love for mankind, as usual, and raised us, lying unconscious in sleep, to praise Your power. Therefore, we pray to Your immeasurable goodness: enlighten our mental eyes and raise our minds from the heavy sleep of carelessness. Open our lips and fill them with Your praise, so that we can unwaveringly sing, praise and glorify You, the glorified God in all and from all, the beginningless Father with Your only begotten Son and Your all-holy, good and life-giving Spirit, now and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Come, let us worship. (three times)

And three bows and psalms:

Psalm 120

I have lifted up my eyes to the mountains, from where my help will come. My help comes from the Lord, who created heaven and earth. Do not let your foot falter, and let not He who guards you slumber. Behold, He who guards Israel will not slumber or sleep. The Lord will protect you, the Lord is your covering on your right hand: the sun will not burn you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will preserve you from all evil, the Lord will preserve your soul, the Lord will preserve your entrance and your exit from now on and forever.

Psalm 133

Behold, now bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord, who stand in the temple of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God. At night, raise your hands to the holy things and bless the Lord. May the Lord from Zion, Who created heaven and earth, bless you.

Glory, and now: Trisagion. Glory, and now: The Most Holy Trinity. Lord, have mercy. (three times) Glory, and now: Our Father. Priest: For Thine is the Kingdom: Reader: Amen.

Troparion, tone 2

Remember, O Lord, as the Good One, Your servants / and forgive everything that they have sinned in life: / for no one is sinless except You. / You can give peace to those who have passed away.

With the deepest wisdom, lovingly governing everything / and giving useful things to everyone, / One Creator, rest, O Lord, the souls of Your servants, / for they have placed their hope in You, / the Creator, and Provider, and our God.

Glory: With the saints, / Christ, rest the souls of Your servants, / where there is no pain, no sorrow, no groaning, / but endless life.

And now: We call You blessed / we, all generations, Virgin Mary, / for our infinite God, Christ, / was pleased to be contained in You. / Blessed are we too, having protection in You, / for You intercede for us day and night, / and the scepters of the kingdom are strengthened by Your prayers. / Therefore, chanting, we cry to You: / “Rejoice, O Gracious One, the Lord is with You!”

Lord, have mercy. (12 times)

Prayer

Remember, Lord, our fathers and brothers who have fallen asleep with the hope of resurrection and eternal life, and all who have died in piety and faith, and forgive them every sin, both voluntary and involuntary, committed by them in word or deed or thought. And put them in bright places, in places of joy, in places of peace, from where all torment, sorrow and groaning have departed, where the bright gaze of Thy face rejoices all Thy saints from the ages. Grant to them and to us Your Kingdom, and the participation of Your ineffable and eternal blessings, and the pleasure of Your endless and blissful life. For You are the life, and the resurrection, and the rest of Your fallen servants, Christ our God, and to You we send up glory with Your beginningless Father and Your all-holy, good, and life-giving Spirit, now and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Glorious Ever-Virgin, Mother of Christ God! Bring our prayer to Your Son and our God, may He save our souls through Your prayers.

Prayer of Saint Ioannikios

My hope is the Father, my refuge is the Son, my protection is the Holy Spirit; Holy Trinity, glory to Thee!

Priest: Glory to Thee, Christ our God, our hope, glory to Thee.

Chorus: Glory, and now: Lord, have mercy. (three times) Bless.

The priest says a small dismissal:

Christ, our true God, through the prayers of His Most Pure Mother, our reverend and God-bearing fathers and all the saints, will have mercy and save us, as the Good One and the Lover of Mankind.

Chorus: Amen.

Rite of Forgiveness

Upon dismissal, the priest, bowing to the people, says:

Bless, holy fathers, and forgive me, a sinner, everything in which I have sinned in deed, word, thought and all my feelings.

We answer: May God forgive you, holy father.

The priest recites the following litany:

Let us pray for our Holiness Patriarch , and for His Eminence Metropolitan (or: archbishop or: bishop) our , and for all our brethren in Christ.

In the monasteries: about our venerable abbot with the brethren of this holy monastery.

Chorus for every petition: Lord, have mercy.

About our God-protected country, its authorities and all its people.

About those who hate and love us.

About those who have mercy and serve us.

For those who commanded us, unworthy, to pray for them.

About the deliverance of the captives.

About our absent fathers and brothers.

O those floating in the sea.

About those lying in weakness.

Let us also pray for an abundance of fruits of the earth.

And about every soul of Orthodox Christians.

Let us honor the memory of the Orthodox bishops and creators of this holy temple (or this holy monastery).

Our parents and all our previously deceased fathers and brothers, who lie here and everywhere, are Orthodox.

Let us also call on ourselves:

Chorus: Lord, have mercy. (three times)

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

We: Amen.

According to the statute of the Holy Mount Athos, after the prayer “Remember, Lord,” troparions of repentance are sung.

Penitential Troparia, tone 6

Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us, / for, finding no excuse for ourselves, / we, sinners, offer this prayer to You as the Master: / “Have mercy on us!”

Glory: Lord, have mercy on us, for we trust in You, / do not be very angry with us / and do not remember our iniquities, / but look now as the Merciful / and deliver us from our enemies. / For You are our God, and we are Your people; / we are all the work of Your hands / and we call on Your name.

And now: Open the doors of mercy to us, / blessed Mother of God, / so that we, trusting in You, will not be ashamed, / but through Your prayers we will be delivered from troubles, / for You are the salvation of the Christian race.

Next is the litany “Have mercy on us, O God” and “We also pray for the preservation of our city.”

Lord, have mercy. (40 times)

Priest: Hear us, God.

Next: “Glory, and now” and dismissal.

Notes

1 If you read the morning prayers together with the Midnight Office, then after the “Our Father:” read the troparia to the Most Holy Trinity, the prayer “Rising from Sleep:” and prayers from 1 to 4, then the entire sequence of the Midnight Office, including prayers 5 and 6; after the final prayer of the second part of the Midnight Office, “Remember, Lord:” read prayers from 7 to 10 and further: “Glorious Ever-Virgin:” and the end of the Midnight Office.

2 For example, September 9, December 26, January 7, Lazarus Saturday and Easter, but not on feasts in honor of saints.

According to the church rule, the following two prayers are read from the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (September 22) until Palm Sunday.

4 On feasts, instead of these troparions, the kontakion of the feast is read; in this case, the final funeral prayer is omitted.