Compline, Midnight Office and Hours in the Great Fast

IN THE GREAT FAST - COMPLINE, MIDNIGHT OFFICE AND THE HOURS

THE GREAT FAST

At Great Compline, after the Symbol ofthe Faith, the priest says these verses before the holy doors:

    All-holy Lady Theotokos, intercede for us sinners.
    All ye heavenly Powers of the holy Angels and Archangels,intercede for us sinners.
    O holy John, Prophet and Forerunner and Baptistof our Lord Jesus Christ, intercede for us sinners.
    Ye holy glorious Apostles, Prophets, and Martyrs,and all Saints, intercede for us sinners.
    Ye our saintly God-bearing Fathers, Pastors andTeachers of the world, intercede for us sinners.
    And here is said the name of the patron saint ofthe temple.
    O invincible and incomprehensible and divine powerof the precious and life-creating Cross, forsake not us sinners.
    O God, cleanse us sinners.
    O God, cleanse us sinners and have mercy on us.

Each verse is repeated bythe choir or the reader with prostrations.

At Midnight Office, Matins,and toward the end of each Hour, after More honorable than the Cherubim. . . , and the exclamation, the priest says the prayer of St. Ephraimthe Syrian:

    O Lord and Master of my life, the spirit of idleness,of meddling (faintheartedness ordespondency in Slavonic), of love ofpower, and of idle words, grant me not. reverence
    But the spirit of continence, of humility, of patience,and of love, do thou grant unto me, thy servant. reverence
    Yea, O Lord and King, grant unto me to perceivemine own offenses, and not to judge my brother, for blessed art thou untoages of ages. Amen. reverence

Then twelve lesser reverences, saying at each:O God, cleanse thou me, a sinner.

Then again without interruptionthe whole prayer until the end with one reverence.

At First Hour, after thePsalms, Alleluia andLord, have mercy, the priest:

    In the morning do thou hear my voice, my King andmy God.
    Verse A: Giveheed to my words, O Lord; understand my cry.
    Verse B: Forunto thee will I pray, O Lord.
    Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to theHoly Spirit,

At Third Hour, the priest:

    O Lord, who at the third hour didst send down thineall-holy Spirit upon thine Apostles, take not the same from us, O GoodOne, but renew Him in us who pray unto thee.
    Verse A: A cleanheart create in me, O God, and a right spirit renew in my inmost parts.
    Verse B: Castme not away from thy face, and take not thy Holy Spirit from me.
    Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to theHoly Spirit,

At Sixth Hour, the priest:

    O thou who on the sixth day and hour didst nail tothe Cross the sin which Adam, through presumption, committed in Paradise,tear asunder also the handwriting of our iniquities, O Christ God, andsave us.
    Verse A:Give heed to my prayer, O God, and disregard not my supplication.
    Verse B: I havecalled unto God, and the Lord hath heartened unto me.
    Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to theHoly Spirit,

At Ninth Hour, the priest:

    O thou, who at the ninth hour, for our sake didsttaste of death in the flesh, mortify the presumption of our flesh, O ChristGod, and save us.
    Verse A: Letmy prayer come nigh before thee, O Lord; give me understanding, accordingto thy word.
    Verse B: Letmy petition come before thee, O Lord; according to thy word, deliver me.
    Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to theHoly Spirit. Amen

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