Prayers After Reading the Psalter

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 you gave birth to God the Word: / true Theotokos, we magnify thee.

Or: All of creation rejoices in thee, O Full of Grace: / the assembly of angels and the race of men. / O sanctified temple and spiritual paradise, / the glory of virgins, from whom God was incarnate and became a child — / our God, who exists before all ages. / For He made thy womb a throne / and thy body He made more spacious than the heavens. / All of creation rejoices in thee, O Full of Grace: / glory to thee!

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

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. (three times) Glory, now and ever. 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.

Troparia, Tone 6:

Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us, / for, finding no excuse for ourselves, / we sinners offer this prayer to Thee as Master: / have mercy on us.

Glory: The sacred celebration of Thy prophet, O Lord, / has made the Church like unto heaven: / with men the angels rejoice. / Through his prayers, O Christ God, / guide our life in peace, / that we may sing unto Thee: Alleluia.

Now and ever: The countless multitude of my transgressions, O Theotokos — / unto Thee have I fled, O Pure One, needing salvation. / Look with mercy upon my weak soul / and intercede with Thy Son and our God / to grant me forgiveness of the grievous sins I have committed, / O only Blessed One.

Lord, have mercy. (40 times)

And make as many prostrations as you wish, with the prayer:

O Lord and Master of my life, take from me the spirit of sloth, despair, lust of power, and idle talk. (Prostration) But give rather the spirit of chastity, humility, patience, and love to Thy servant. (Prostration) Yea, O Lord and King, grant me to see my own transgressions and not to judge my brother, for Thou art blessed unto ages of ages. Amen. (Prostration)

Then say the following prayer with attention and compunction:

O Most-merciful and All-merciful Lord, my God Jesus Christ! Through Thy great love Thou didst come down and become incarnate, that Thou mightest save all. And again, O Savior, save me by Thy grace, I pray Thee, for if Thou shouldest save me because of my works, it would not be grace nor a gift, but rather an obligation. Indeed, in Thy great compassion and ineffable mercy, Thou, O my Christ, hast said: He who believes in Me shall live and never see death. If then faith in Thee saves the desperate, lo, I believe: save me, for Thou art my God and Creator. Let faith instead of works be accounted to me, O my God, for Thou wilt find no works which could justify me. But may my faith suffice instead of all works; may it answer for, may it acquit me; may it make me a partaker of Thine eternal glory. And let Satan not seize me, O Word, and boast that he has torn me from Thy hand and fold. O Christ my Savior, whether I will it or not, save me. Make haste, be quick, for I perish! Thou art my God from my mother’s womb. Grant me, O Lord, now also to love Thee as I once loved sin itself, and also to labor for Thee without idleness, as I labored before for deceptive Satan. But supremely shall I labor for Thee, the Lord and God my Jesus Christ, all the days of my life, 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.

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

The priest pronounces the dismissal, but laymen end thus:

O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, through the prayers of Thy most pure Mother, by the power of the precious and life-giving Cross, of the holy heavenly bodiless Powers, of our venerable and God-bearing fathers, and of all the saints, have mercy on me and save me, a sinner, for Thou art good and lovest mankind. Amen.