Prayers of the Church
Prayers of the Church
Hieromartyr Phocas the Bishop of Sinope (hymns)
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Hieromartyr Phocas the Bishop of Sinope
Kontakion - Tone 2
The Master has established you as a resplendent sun
Shining on all the faithful.
He has accepted your life, faith and contest as myrrh, O glorious Martyr Phocas,
For he is rich in mercy!
Troparion - Tone 4
By sharing in the ways of the Apostles,
you became a successor to their throne.
Through the practice of virtue, you found the way to divine contemplation, O inspired one of God;
by teaching the word of truth without error, you defended the Faith, even to the shedding of your blood.
Hieromartyr Phocas, entreat Christ God to save our souls.
Apostle Quadratus of the Seventy (hymn)
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Apostle Quadratus of the Seventy
Troparion - Tone 3
O Holy Apostle Quadratus
Pray to our merciful God
That He may grant to our souls
Remission of our transgressions.
St. Nicholas, Archbishop of Myra in Lycia (hymns)
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St. Nicholas, Archbishop of Myra in Lycia
Troparion, Tone 4:
As a rule of faith and model of tenderness and teacher of abstinence hath the reality shown thee unto thy flock;
therewithal hast thou acquired by humility greatness, by poverty riches;
O Father Hierarch Nicholas,
intercede before Christ God that our souls may be saved.
Kontakion, Tone 3:
Thou wast a faithful minister of God in Myra,
O Saint Nicholas./ For having fulfilled the Gospel of Christ,
Thou didst die for the people and save the innocent.
Therefore thou wast sanctified as a great initiator of the grace of God.
Leavetaking of the Elevation of the Cross (hymns)
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Leavetaking of the Elevation of the Cross
Kontakion - Tone 4
As You were voluntarily raised upon the cross for our sake,
Grant mercy to those who are called by Your Name, O Christ God;
Make all Orthodox Christians glad by Your power,
Granting them victories over their adversaries,
By bestowing on them the Invincible trophy, Your weapon of Peace.
Troparion - Tone 1
O Lord, save Your people,
And bless You inheritance.
Grant victories to the Orthodox Christians
Over their adversaries.
And by virtue of Your Cross,
Preserve Your habitation.
St. John of Kronstadt, Wonderworker (hymns)
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St. John of Kronstadt, Wonderworker
Troparion, Tone 4:
With the Apostles your message has gone out to the ends of the world,
With the Confessors you endured sufferings for Christ;
You are like the Hierarchs by your preaching of the Word,
With the monks who are saints you were radiant with God's grace.
Therefore the Lord exalted the abyss of your humility above the heavens and has given us your name as a source of most wonderful miracles.
And so, O Wonderworker, living in Christ forever,
With love have mercy on those who are in trouble and hear your children who with faith call upon you,
O righteous John, our beloved shepherd.
Kontakion, Tone 4:
O you who from infancy were chosen by God,
And miraculously received from Him in childhood the gift of teaching,
And were gloriously called to the priesthood in a vision during sleep:
You proved to be a wonderful shepherd of the Church of Christ,
O Father John, namesake of grace.
Pray Christ our God that we may all be with you in the kingdom of heaven.
St. Mary Magdalene (hymns)
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St. Mary Magdalene
Troparion, Tone 1:
After Christ Who for our sake was born of the Virgin,
Thou didst, O venerated Mary Magdalene, follow, keeping His statutes and laws;
Wherefore celebrating today thine all-holy memory we obtain,
Through thine intercessions, the remission of sins.
Kontakion, Tone 3:
Standing at the Savior's cross with many others,
And grieving with the Mother of the Lord and shedding tears,
Thou, O most glorious, didst in praise utter these words:
What is this unheard of wonder?
He that upholdeth the whole creation, hath deigned to suffer:
Glory to Thy might.
St. Innocent, Enlightener of Alaska and All America (hymns)
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St. Innocent, Enlightener of Alaska and All America
Troparion, Tone 4:
O Holy Father Innocent,
in obedience to the will of God you accepted dangers and tribulations,
bringing many peoples to the knowledge of truth.
You showed us the path;
now by your prayers help lead us into the Kingdom of Heaven.
Another Troparion, Tone 2:
You evangelized the Northern people of America and Asia,
proclaiming the Gospel of Christ to the natives in their own tongues,
O Holy Hierarch Father Innocent, Enlightener of Alaska and All America,
whose ways were ordered by the Lord.
Pray to Him for the salvation of our souls, in His Heavenly Kingdom.
Kontakion, Tone 2:
A true celebration of the Providence and Grace of God is your life,
O Holy Father Innocent, Apostle to our land. For in hardships and dangers toiling for the Gospel's sake,
You were preserved unharmed and often-delivered,
While from obscurity you were highly exalted as an example to the faithful everywhere,
That truly the Lord guides a man in the way he should go.
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Troparia and Kontakia
Short hymns sung after the small entrance at Divine Liturgy. For Sundays the subject is the Holy Resurrection; a different hymn for each of the Eight Tones. Every feast has its particular hymn describing the event or the virtues of the saint. Also there are hymns giving in an abbreviated form the substance of the day's feast. Originally, this was a hymn composed of many stanza (18-24) whose lengthy text required the use of a scroll. What remains today are short preliminary stanzas that give a concise meaning to the feast being celebrated. These hymns are also sung following the Sixth Ode in Matins, and during the Hours.
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Orthodox Psalter
Daily Readings from the Orthodox Psalter
The Psalter is divided into 20 kathismata of three stases. Each stasis contains between one and three psalms. Except Kathisma 17, it is entirely the long Psalm 118.
Each of the divine services contain fixed portions of the Psalter that are read or chanted each time the service is celebrated. In addition, certain services of the Daily Cycle contain prescribed kathisma readings. These prescribed readings rotate daily so that the Psalter is read through once in its entirety in single week, and twice during Great Lent. (The Psalter is not read on Holy Thursday, Holy Friday, or during Bright Week.)
Day Psalter Readings Except Lent During Lent Holy Week St. Thomas Sun. to Sept. 21
Dec. 20 to Jan. 14
Sun. of Prodigal to
Sun. of ForgivenessSept. 22 to Dec. 19
Jan. 15 to Sat. before
Sun. of ProdigalExcept for Fifth Week 5th week
If Annunciation does not fall on Thursday of week 5
(the Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete
is read on Thursday Matins)5th week
If Annunciation falls on Thursday of week 5
(the Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete
is read on Tuesday Matins)Sunday Matins - Kathisma 2, 3, 17(or Polyeleos) Matins - Kathisma 2, 3, Polyeleos Monday Matins - Kathisma 4,5
Vespers - Kathisma 6Matins - Kathisma 4,5,6
Vespers - Kathisma 18Matins - Kathisma 4,5,6
Third Hour - Kathisma 7
Sixth Hour - Kathisma 8
Ninth Hour - Kathisma 9
Vespers - Kathisma 18Matins - Kathisma 4,5,6
Third Hour - Kathisma 7
Sixth Hour - Kathisma 8
Ninth Hour - Kathisma 9
Vespers - Kathisma 10Matins - Kathisma 4,5,6
First Hour - Kathisma 7
Third Hour - Kathisma 8
Sixth Hour - Kathisma 9
Ninth Hour - Kathisma 10
Vespers - Kathisma 11Matins - Kathisma 4, 5, 6
Third Hour - Kathisma 7
Sixth Hour - Kathisma 8
Vespers - Kathisma 18Tuesday Matins - Kathisma 7,8
Vespers - Kathisma 9Matins - Kathisma 7,8,9
Vespers - Kathisma 18Matins - Kathisma 10,11,12
First Hour - Kathisma 13
Third Hour - Kathisma 14
Sixth Hour - Kathisma 15
Ninth Hour - Kathisma 16
Vespers - Kathisma 18Matins - Kathisma 11, 12, 13
First Hour - Kathisma 14
Third Hour - Kathisma 15
Sixth Hour - Kathisma 16
Ninth Hour - Kathisma 18
Vespers - Kathisma 19Matins - Kathisma 12
Third Hour - Kathisma 13
Sixth Hour - Kathisma 14
Ninth Hour - Kathisma 15
Vespers - Kathisma 16Matins - Kathisma 9 10, 11
Third Hour - Kathisma 12
Sixth Hour - Kathisma 13
Vespers - Kathisma 18Wednesday Matins - Kathisma 10,11
Vespers - Kathisma 12Matins - Kathisma 10,11,12
Vespers - Kathisma 18Matins - Kathisma 19,20,1
First Hour - Kathisma 2
Third Hour - Kathisma 3
Sixth Hour - Kathisma 4
Ninth Hour - Kathisma 5
Vespers - Kathisma 18Matins - Kathisma 20, 1, 2
First Hour - Kathisma 3
Third Hour - Kathisma 4
Sixth Hour - Kathisma 5
Ninth Hour - Kathisma 6
Vespers - Kathisma 7Matins - Kathisma 19, 20, 1
First Hour - Kathisma 2
Third Hour - Kathisma 3
Sixth Hour - Kathisma 4
Ninth Hour - Kathisma 5Matins - Kathisma 14, 15, 16
Third Hour - Kathisma 19
Sixth Hour - Kathisma 20
Vespers - Kathisma 18Thursday Matins - Kathisma 13,14
Vespers - Kathisma 15Matins - Kathisma 13,14,15
Vespers - Kathisma 18Matins - Kathisma 6,7,8
First Hour - Kathisma 9
Third Hour - Kathisma 10
Sixth Hour - Kathisma 11
Ninth Hour - Kathisma 12
Vespers - Kathisma 18Matins - Kathisma 8
Third Hour - Kathisma 9
Sixth Hour - Kathisma 10
Ninth Hour - Kathisma 11
Vespers - Kathisma 12Matins - Kathisma 6, 7, 8
First Hour - Kathisma 9
Third Hour - Kathisma 10
Sixth Hour - Kathisma 11
Ninth Hour - Kathisma 12(none) Friday Matins - Kathisma 19,20
Vespers - Kathisma 18Matins - Kathisma 13,14,15
Third Hour - Kathisma 19
Sixth Hour - Kathisma 20
Vespers - Kathisma 18(none) Saturday Matins - Kathisma 16,17
Vespers - Kathisma 1Matins - Kathisma 17 See Also: Psalms Chanted in the Services, Psalms in Antiphons, Psalms in Communion Hymns, Psalms in Prokeimenon and Alleluia Verses - Article Count:
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Canticles (or Odes)
There are nine Biblical Canticles that are chanted at Matins These form the basis of the Canon, a major component of Matins.
The nine Canticles are as follows:
- Canticle One - The (First) Song of Moses (Exodus 15:1-19)
- Canticle Two - The (Second) Song of Moses (Deuteronomy 32:1-43)
- Canticle Three - The Prayer of Hannah (I Kings 2:1-10) KJV: 1+Samuel 2:1-10
- Canticle Four - The Prayer of Habakkuk (Habakkuk 3:1-19)
- Canticle Five - The Prayer of Isaiah (Isaiah 26:9-20)
- Canticle Six - The Prayer of Jonah (Jonah 2:2-9)
- Canticle Seven - The Prayer of the Three Holy Children (Daniel 3:26-56)
- Canticle Eight - The Song of the Three Holy Children (Daniel 3:57-88)
- Canticle Nine - The Song of the Theotokos (the Magnificat: Luke 1:46-55); the Song of Zacharias (the Benedictus Luke 1:68-79)
Originally, these Canticles were chanted in their entirety every day, with a short refrain inserted between each verse. Eventually, short verses (troparia) were composed to replace these refrains, a process traditionally inaugurated by Saint Andrew of Crete. Gradually over the centuries, the verses of the Biblical Canticles were omitted (except for the Magnificat) and only the composed troparia were read, linked to the original canticles by an Irmos. During Great Lent however, the original Biblical Canticles are still read.
Another Biblical Canticle, the The Song of Simeon (Luke 2:29-32), is either read or sung at Vespers.
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Text of Prayers
In the Orthodox Church it is said that we pray what we believe and believe what we pray. The text of our written prayers not only help with our communion with God through words of praise, thanksgiving, repentance, supplication, and intercession, but also brings to remembrance the Gospel message of Christ, the Apostolic teachings, and our faith.
This part of our website gives the text of some of the prayers of the Orthodox Church.
The publication of such prayers does not limit the free expression of the Christian soul to the Creator, the Most-holy Theotokos and the Saints. On the contrary, by reading these prayers one can learn how to pray. They become models for our own, personal prayers. Often, we would like to pray but, distracted by the world around us, or troubled by fear or sorrow, we do not even know how to begin. We then begin with the a prayerbook and find that not only much of what we wanted to say is included in the prayers of the fathers, but that afterwards, we find words of our own to continue the outpouring of our soul.
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