Thank You, O Lord!

^{Father Alexander Schmemann celebrated the divine liturgy for the last time on Thanksgiving Day. This was particularly appropriate since Father Alexander had devoted his whole life to teaching, writing and preaching about the Eucharist; for the word eucharist in Greek means thanksgiving. At the conclusion of the liturgy, Father Alexander took from his pocket a short written sermon, in the form of a prayer, which he proceeded to read. This was a strange occurrence since Father never wrote his liturgical homilies, but delivered them extemporaneously. These were his words, which proved to be the last ever spoken by him from the ambo in Church.}

Thank You, O Lord!

Everyone capable of thanksgiving is capable of salvation and eternal joy.

Thank You, O Lord, for having accepted this Eucharist, which we offered to the Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and which filled our hearts with the joy, peace and righteousness of the Holy Spirit.

Thank You, O Lord, for having revealed Yourself unto us and given us the foretaste of Your Kingdom.

Thank You, O Lord, for having united us to one another in serving You and Your Holy Church.

Thank You, O Lord, for having helped us to overcome all difficulties, tensions, passions, temptations and restored peace, mutual love and joy in sharing the communion of the Holy Spirit.

Thank You, O Lord, for the sufferings You bestowed upon us, for they are purifying us from selfishness and reminding us of the “one thing needed;” Your eternal Kingdom.

Thank You, O Lord, for having given us this country where we are free to Worship You.

Thank You, O Lord, for this school, where the name of God is proclaimed.

Thank You, O Lord, for our families: husbands, wives and, especially, children who teach us how to celebrate Your holy Name in joy, movement and holy noise.

Thank You, O Lord, for everyone and everything.

Great are You, O Lord, and marvelous are Your deeds, and no word is sufficient to celebrate Your miracles.

Lord, it is good to be here! Amen.

Prayer in Time of Storms

Prayer in Time of Storms

These prayers may be recited again and again throughout the period of the hurricane or other storms.

 O Lord Who does summon the waters of the sea and again by Thine almighty power art able to hold them back and illumine all that is under the heavens, in repentance we pray Thee, hearken and, out of love for mankind have mercy.

Lord have mercy (3x)

As the eyes of a servant look unto his master, so do our eyes look with faith unto Thee, O our God, until Thou hast compassion on us. Therefore, destroy us not with immeasurable rains and evil winds but mercifully look upon us with good weather, and compassionately have mercy.

Lord have mercy (3x)

Remember not our transgressions, O Master, for it Thou does consider the lawless, no one will be able to stand before Thee. But let Thy compassions quickly go before us, O Lord, for we have become exceedingly poor. Let not bad weather corrupt us, neither let it destroy our homes and towns, we pray Thee, quickly hear us and have mercy.

Lord have mercy (3x)

O Lord let no watery storms drown us, and let it not ravage the earth and destroy us. But as Thou art good, do Thou direct the rushing of the water, and as Thou art mighty, do Thou command that it become a moderate course with healthful air, as Thou art rich in mercies, with broken hearts we pray Thee, hear us and have mercy.

Lord have mercy (3x)

Dismissals

Dismissals

---

Great Dismissal

An example of the great dismissal for the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom served on a Sunday not during a festal season is as follows:

May he who rose again from the dead, Christ our true God, through the intercessions of His all-immaculate and all-blameless holy Mother; by the might of the precious and life-giving cross; by the protection of the honorable bodiless powers of heaven; at the supplication of the honorable, glorious Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist John; of the holy, glorious and all-laudable apostles; of our father among the saints, John Chrysostom, archbishop of Constantinople; of the holy, glorious and right-victorious martyrs; of our venerable and God-bearing fathers; of (saint to whom the temple is dedicated); of the holy and righteous ancestors of God, Joachim and Anna; (saint(s) of the day) and of all the saints: have mercy on us, and save us, forasmuch as He is good and loveth mankind.

---

 

Festal Dismissals

Dismissals for Feasts of the Lord

Which are said at Vespers, At Matins, and at the Liturgy, When indicated.

On the Nativity of Christ:

May Christ our true God, Who was born in a cave, and lay in a manger for our salvation, through the intercessions of His most pure Mother; of the holy, glorious and all-praised apostles, (of our father among the saints ___, whose liturgy is served today,) of our holy and God-bearing fathers and of all the saints, have mercy on us and save us, for He is good and the Lover of mankind.

On the Circumcision:

May Christ our true God, Who on the eighth day deigned to be circumcised for our salvation, the intercessions of His most pure Mother; of the holy, glorious and all-praised apostles, (of our father among the saints ___, whose liturgy is served today,)of our holy and God-bearing fathers and of all the saints, have mercy on us and save us, for He is good and the Lover of mankind.

On Theophan

May Christ our true God, Who for our salvation deigned to be baptized by John in the Jordan, through the intercessions of His most pure Mother; of the holy, glorious and all-praised apostles, (of our father among the saints ___, whose liturgy is served today,) of our holy and God-bearing fathers and of all the saints, have mercy on us and save us, for He is good and the Lover of mankind.

On the Meeting of the Lord:

May Christ our true God, Who for our salvation deigned to be carried in the arms of the Righteous Symeon, through the intercessions of His most pure Mother; of the holy, glorious and all-praised apostles, (of our father among the saints ___, whose liturgy is served today,) of our holy and God-bearing fathers and of all the saints, have mercy on us and save us, for He is good and the Lover of mankind.

On Transfiguration:

May Christ our true God, Who on Mount Tabor was transfigured in glory before His holy disciples and apostles, through the intercessions of His most pure Mother; of the holy, glorious and all-praised apostles, of our father among the saints ___, whose liturgy is served today, of our holy and God-bearing fathers and of all the saints, have mercy on us and save us, for He is good and the Lover of mankind.

On Palm Sunday:

May Christ our true God, Who for our salvation didst deign to ride the colt of an ass, through the intercessions of His most pure Mother; of the holy, glorious and all-praised apostles, of our father among the saints ___, whose liturgy is served today, of our holy and God-bearing fathers and of all the saints, have mercy on us and save us, for He is good and the Lover of mankind.

On the same Sunday at Vespers:

May Christ our true God, the Lord Who for our salvation went to His voluntary Passion, through the intercessions of His most pure Mother; of the holy, glorious and all-praised apostles,  of our holy and God-bearing fathers and of all the saints, have mercy on us and save us, for He is good and the Lover of mankind.

On Great Thursday:

May Christ our true God, Who through His surpassing goodness did show the most excellent way of humility when He wash the feet of His disciples, and did condescend even unto the Cross and burial for us, the intercessions of His most pure Mother; of the holy, glorious and all-praised apostles, of our father among the saints ___, whose liturgy is served today, of our holy and God-bearing fathers and of all the saints, have mercy on us and save us, for He is good and the Lover of mankind.

At the conclusion of the Holy Passion Gospels:

May Christ our true God, Who for the salvation of the world endured spitting, scourging, buffeting, the Cross, and death, through the intercessions of His most pure Mother; of the holy, glorious and all-praised apostles,  of our holy and God-bearing fathers and of all the saints, have mercy on us and save us, for He is good and the Lover of mankind.

On Holy and Great Friday:

May Christ our true God, Who for us men and for our salvation did deign to suffer the dread Passion and the life-creating Cross, and voluntary burial in the flesh, through the intercessions of His most pure Mother; of the holy, glorious and all-praised apostles, of our father among the saints ___, whose liturgy is served today, of our holy and God-bearing fathers and of all the saints, have mercy on us and save us, for He is good and the Lover of mankind.

On the Sunday of Pascha and during Bright Week:

May Christ our true God, Who rose from the dead, trampling down death by death, and on those in the tombs bestowed life, through the intercessions of His most pure Mother; of the holy, glorious and all-praised apostles,  (of our father among the saints ___, whose liturgy is served today,) of our holy and God-bearing fathers and of all the saints, have mercy on us and save us, for He is good and the Lover of mankind.

On Ascension:

May Christ our true God, Who in glory did ascend from us into heaven and sit at the right hand of God the Father, through the intercessions of His most pure Mother; of the holy, glorious and all-praised apostles, (of our father among the saints ___, whose liturgy is served today,)  of our holy and God-bearing fathers and of all the saints, have mercy on us and save us, for He is good and the Lover of mankind.

On Pentecost Sunday:

May Christ our true God, Who sent down from heaven the Most Holy Spirit in the form of tongues of fire upon His holy disciples and apostles, through the intercessions of His most pure Mother; of the holy, glorious and all-praised apostles, , (of our father among the saints ___, whose liturgy is served today,) of our holy and God-bearing fathers and of all the saints, have mercy on us and save us, for He is good and the Lover of mankind.

On the Same Sunday at Vespers:

May Christ our true God, Who did empty Himself from the divine bosom of the Father, and come down from the heavens to the earth, and take upon Himself all our nature, and deify it; and afterwards did ascend again into the heavens and sit at the right hand of God the Father, and did send down upon His holy disciples and apostles the Divine and Holy Spirit, one in essence, one in power, one in glory, and co-everlasting, and through Him did enlighten them, and through them the whole world: through the intercessions of His most pure and most blameless Mother; of the Holy, glorious, most-praised preachers of God, the Spirit-bearing apostles; and of all the saints, have mercy on us and save us, for He is good and the Lover of mankind.

---

 

Daily Dismissals

For all the week, according to The custom of the Holy Eastern Church.

On Saturday evening and Sunday Morning:

May Christ our True God, Who arose from the dead, through the intercessions of His most pure Mother; of the holy, glorious and all-praised apostles, [of the saint(s) whose temple it is and whose day it is]; of the holy and righteous Ancestors of God Joachim and Anna; and of all the saints, have mercy on us and save us, for He is good and the Lover of mankind.

On Sunday evening and Monday Morning:

 

May Christ our True God, through the intercessions of His most pure Mother, the mediations of the honorable heavenly bodiless hosts, the intercessions of the holy, glorious and all-praised apostles,…

On Monday evening and Tuesday Morning:

May Christ our True God, through the intercessions of His most pure Mother, of the honorable, glorious Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist John; of the holy, glorious and all-praised apostles,…

On Tuesday and Thursday evening and Wednesday and Friday Morning:

May Christ our True God, through the intercessions of His most pure Mother, through the power of the precious and life-creating Cross, the intercessions of the holy, glorious and all-praised apostles,…

On Wednesday evening and Thursday Morning:

May Christ our True God, through the intercessions of His most pure Mother, of the holy, glorious and all-praised apostles; of our father among the saints, Nicholas the Wonderworker, Archbishop of Myra in Lycia,…

On Friday evening and Saturday Morning:

May Christ our True God, through the intercessions of His most pure Mother, of the holy, glorious and all-praised apostles; of the holy, glorious, and right victorious martyrs; of our holy and God-bearing fathers; [of the saint(s) whose temple it is and whose day it is]; of the holy and righteous Ancestors of God Joachim and Anna; and of all the saints, have mercy on us and save us, for He is good and the Lover of mankind.

---

At the holy Liturgy for all the week the dismissals are as indicated above, except that after the Apostles is inserted also the name of the saint whose Liturgy it is, thus:

(of our father among the saints ___, whose liturgy is served today,)

John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople.

or:

Basil the Great, Archbishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia.

or:

Gregory the Dialogist

At Compline, the Midnight Office, and the First hour for all the week, there is the Lesser Dismissal, thus:

May Christ our true God, through the intercessions of His most pure Mother, of our holy and God-bearing fathers, and of all the saints, have mercy on us and save us, for He is good and the Lover of mankind.

Except on Sundays, at the Midnight Office and the Hours there is added at the beginning:

May Christ our True God, Who arose from the dead…

 Be it known also concerning this, that where there is a temple of Christ the Savior, of the Nativity or the Theophany, or the Ascension, etc., at the weekday dismissal the festal dismissals are not said, but only on the day of the feast and until the apodosis is the festal dismissal said; but during the whole year only May Christ our true God, etc., according to the day.

---

 

Lord Bless My Enemies

Lord Bless My Enemies

^{A Prayer of St. Nikolai of Ochrid (Nazi prison camp survivor)}

Bless my enemies, O Lord. Even I bless them and do not curse them.

Enemies have driven me into Thy embrace more than friends have.

Friends have bound me to earth, enemies have loosed me from earth and have demolished all my aspirations in the world.

Enemies have made me a stranger in worldly realms and an extraneous inhabitant of the world.

Just as a hunted animal finds safer shelter than an unhunted animal does, so have I, persecuted by enemies, found the safest sanctuary, having ensconced myself beneath Thy tabernacle, where neither friends nor enemies can slay my soul.

Bless my enemies, O Lord. Even I bless them and do not curse them.

They, rather than I, have confessed my sins before the world.

They have punished me, whenever I have hesitated to punish myself.

They have tormented me, whenever I have tried to flee torments.

They have scolded me, whenever I have flattered myself.

They have spat upon me, whenever I have filled myself with arrogance.

Bless my enemies, O Lord. Even I bless them and do not curse them.

Whenever I have made myself wise, they have called me foolish.

Whenever I have made myself mighty, they have mocked me as though I were a dwarf.

Whenever I have wanted to lead people, they have shoved me into the background.

Whenever I have rushed to enrich myself, they have prevented me with an iron hand.

Whenever I thought that I would sleep peacefully, they have wakened me from sleep.

Whenever I have tried to build a home for a long and tranquil life, they have demolished it and driven me out.

Truly, enemies have cut me loose from the world and have stretched out my hands to the hem of Thy garment.

Bless my enemies, O Lord. Even I bless them and do not curse them.

Bless them and multiply them; multiply them and make them even more bitterly against me:

so that my fleeing to Thee may have no return;

so that all hope in men may be scattered like cobwebs;

so that absolute serenity may begin to reign in my soul;

so that my heart may become the grave of my two evil twins: arrogance and anger;

so that I might amass all my treasure in heaven;

so that I may for once be freed from self deception, which has entangled me in the dreadful web of illusory life.

Enemies have taught me to know what hardly anyone knows, that a person has no enemies in the world except himself.

One hates his enemies only when he fails to realize that they are not enemies, but cruel friends.

It is truly difficult for me to say who has done me more good and who has done me more evil in the world: friends or enemies.

Therefore bless, O Lord, both my friends and my enemies.

A slave curses enemies, for he does not understand.

But a son blesses them, for he understands. For a son knows that his enemies cannot touch his life. Therefore he freely steps among them and prays to God for them.

Bless my enemies, O Lord. Even I bless them and do not curse them.

Amen.

 

---

^{Saint Nikolai was consecrated as a bishop of the Serbian Orthodox Church before World War II. He was arrested by the Nazis during their occupation of Yugoslavia, and spent the war as a prisoner at Dachau concentration camp. After the Communist takeover of his country, he was exiled and spent his last years at Saint Tikhon Monastery in South Canaan, Pennsylvania. He fell asleep in the Lord in 1956.}

 

Great Doxology

The Great Doxology

Priest:

Glory to Thee, who hast shone us the light!

People:

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will to men.

We praise Thee, we bless Thee, we worship Thee,

we glorify Thee, we give thanks to Thee for Thy great glory:

O Lord, heavenly King, God the Father Almighty;

O Lord, the Only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.

O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, that takest away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.

Thou that takest away the sins of the world, receive our prayer.

Thou that sittest on the right hand of the Father, have mercy on us.

For Thou alone art holy, Thou alone art Lord, Jesus Christ, in the glory of God the Father.  Amen.

Every day will I bless Thee, and praise Thy name forever and ever.

Vouchsafe, O Lord, to keep us this day without sin.

Blessed art Thou, O Lord, God of our fathers,

and praised and glorified is Thy Name forever.  Amen.

Let Thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, as we have set our hope in Thee.

Blessed art Thou, O Lord, teach me Thy statutes.

Blessed art Thou, O Master, teach my Thy commandments.

Blessed art Thou, O Holy One, enlighten me with Thy precepts.

O Lord, Thou hast been our refuge from generation to generation.

I said:  Lord, have mercy on me!  Heal my soul, for I have sinned against Thee!

O Lord, I flee unto Thee!  Teach me to do Thy will, for Thou art my God.

For with Thee is the fountain of life, and in Thy light shall we see light.

Continue Thy mercy unto those who know Thee.

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us (3x).

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

Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.  

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.

Prayer for the People of Japan

Prayer for the People of Japan

Almighty Lord, You Who are most merciful and compassionate, we beseech You to calm the earth and waters and bring peace and healing to all those who are suffering from the devastating earthquake in Japan.

Grant them Your strength to endure the hardships they are facing and the courage to rebuild their country.

We also ask, O Lord, that you grant eternal repose to all those who have lost their lives and receive them into Your Kingdom.

May You stretch forth Your mighty hand upon their families who are suffering not only at the loss of their loved ones, but for the loss of their homes and homeland.

You, O Lord, are the calm of every storm and You are the Hope for all those who call upon Your name, and to You we ascribe glory, together with Your eternal Father, and Your All-Holy, Good, and Lifecreating Spirit, now and ever, and to the ages of ages.

Amen.