Welcome,
Fellow follower of Christ,
And good morning to you.
This is a prayer from the Orthodox Christian faith,
Designed to connect you with God,
To send him his righteous praise,
And to set you up properly for the day ahead.
And so,
Please make the sign of the cross now,
And repeat after me.
O Lord,
We greet you this morning,
And give thanks for another day ahead of us.
We marvel in your glory,
O Christ,
Our living God,
Who for the sake of your eternal mercy and lovingkindness became man,
And suffered crucifixion and death for the salvation of all,
Who rose from the dead and ascended into heaven,
Who sits on the right hand of the Father,
Where you hear the prayers of all,
All who call upon you humbly and with their whole heart.
Incline your ear to us,
O Heavenly One,
And hearken to the prayer which your unworthy servants offer,
As a spiritual sacrifice this morning.
And upon arising,
We remember your holy catholic and apostolic church,
Which you purchased with your own precious blood.
We endeavour to strengthen it,
Multiply it,
And keep it in peace.
And we,
Together with you,
Christ,
Disallow the gates of hell to stand against it.
We,
Too,
Pray for the healing of the schisms of the churches.
We pray to stop the raging of the heathen.
We pray to root out and cleanse all heresies,
Destroying them by the power of your Holy Spirit.
Have mercy,
O Lord,
Upon our leaders and all in civil authority.
Save them and protect them.
Give them peace and continual victory over injustice and evil in all places.
May they keep your holy church secure,
That all your people may live calm and ordered lives in your sight,
In true faith and prayer with godly deeds.
Have mercy,
O Lord,
Upon the orthodox patriarchs and metropolitans,
The archbishops and the whole order of your church's clergy.
Save them whom you have established to feed your flock,
And by their prayers have mercy on our sinners and save us.
All of us,
O Lord,
Are spiritual fathers,
Mothers,
Brothers,
Sisters and children.
Save them and by their holy prayers forgive them their transgressions.
Grant them your blessing both here and in the life to come.
Have mercy,
O Lord,
This day on the old and the young,
The needy,
The orphans and the widows,
And all who are in sickness and sorrow,
Distress and affliction,
Oppression and captivity,
In prison and confinement.
Save them together with your servants,
Who are under persecution for your sake and for the orthodox faith.
Remember them,
Visit them,
Strengthen them and comfort them,
And by your power grant them speedy relief.
Give them freedom and deliverance.
Have mercy,
O Lord,
This day on all who travel,
And save all those who are sent on duty,
All our loved ones and all orthodox Christians.
Have mercy,
O Lord,
This day on our enemies.
Save all those who envy us,
All those who wish us evil or deal unjustly with us.
May they not perish because of us sinners.
Enlighten them,
O Lord,
With the truth of your holy wisdom,
All who have gone astray from the orthodox faith,
Led by destructive heresies.
And unite them once more to your holy catholic and apostolic church.
We pray all of this in Jesus' name.
And now,
Let us sit with the spirit of this prayer,
In all earnestness,
In true solemnity.
Let us dwell with it,
In silence.
Thank you for joining us this morning,
Fellow follower of Christ,
And blessed be to our great creator.
Feel his presence this day,
And pray to him unceasingly,
Always remembering him,
Always giving praise to him,
And leaning on him in your moment of struggle.
Time to pick up your cross,
Dear one,
And face the day.
