Good Friday - The Lamentations of the Lord Jesus Christ

The Night of Great and Holy Friday

(The Matins Service of Great Saturday)

The Lamentations

The priest, standing before the Royal Doors, makes three metanias and says in an audible voice:

Deacon: Bless, Master.

Priest: Blessed is our God, always, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.

People: Amen.

Priest: Glory to thee, our God, glory to thee.

O heavenly King, O Comforter, the Spirit of Truth, who art in all places, and fillest all things, treasury of good things, and Giver of life, come and dwell in us, and cleanse us from every stain and save our souls, O Good One.

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

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

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

All-Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. Lord, cleanse us from our sins. Master, pardon our iniquities. Holy God, visit and heal our infirmities for thy Name’s sake.

Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

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

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 daily¹ bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.²

Priest: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit: now and ever, and unto ages of ages.”

People: Amen.

Troparia

Reader: O Lord, save thy people and bless thine inheritance, granting them victory over all adversaries, and by thy Cross protect thy community.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,

O Christ our God, uplifted on the Cross by thine own will, bestow thy mercy upon the new people of thy name; and in thy might make glad the Orthodox, granting to them victory over all adversaries. May they have as an ally thine invincible weapon of peace.

Now and ever and unto ages of ages, Amen.

O eminent and victorious champion, O good and all-praised Theotokos, do not overlook our supplications. Strengthen the community of the Orthodox; save those called to govern; and grant them victory from heaven; for thou, O only blessed one, gavest birth to God.

The Litany of Peace

The priest, standing before the Holy table, censes one side on every petition while intoning the following petitions:

Priest: Have mercy on us, O God, according to thy great goodness; we pray thee, hearken, and have mercy.

People: Lord, have mercy. (Three times)

Priest: Again we pray for all pious and Orthodox Christians.

People: Lord, have mercy. (Three times)

Priest: Again we pray for our Father and Metropolitan PHILIP and for all our brethren in Christ.

People: Lord, have mercy. (Three times)

Priest: For thou art a merciful God and lovest mankind, and unto thee we give glory: to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: now and ever and unto ages of ages.

People: Amen. Father, bless in the name of the Lord.

Priest: Glory to the holy, consubstantial, life-giving, and undivided Trinity, always: now and ever, and unto ages of ages.

People: Amen.

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will among men³ (Three times)

O Lord open thou my lips, and my mouth will declare thy praise. (Two times)

Psalm 3

O Lord, how they have increased who afflict me!

many are rising against me;

many are saying concerning my soul,

there is no salvation for him from his God.

But thou, O Lord, art my helper, my glory,

and the lifter up of my head.

I cried unto the Lord with my voice,

and he heard me from his holy mountain.

I laid down and slept,

I awoke, for the Lord sustains me.

I will not be afraid of tens of thousands of people

who have set themselves against me all around.

Rise up, O Lord!

Deliver me, O my God!

For thou hast struck all who are my enemies without cause,

thou hast broken the teeth of the wicked.

Deliverance belongs to the Lord;

thy blessing is upon thy people.

I laid down and slept,

I awoke, for the Lord sustains me.

Psalm 38 (37)

O Lord, do not rebuke me in thine anger,

or discipline me in thy wrath.

For thine arrows have pierced me,

and thine hand hast pressed down upon me.

There is no health in my flesh,

because of thine anger.

There is no peace in my bones

because of my sins.

For my iniquities are piled over my head;

a burden too heavy for me.

My wounds grow foul and fester

because of my foolishness;

I have been wretched and bowed down continually;

all day I went around mourning,

for my soul was filled with delusion.

There is no health in my flesh,

I have been utterly afflicted and brought down.

I have roared because of the tumult of my heart.

O Lord, all my longing is before thee;

my sighing is not hidden from thee.

My heart throbs, my strength fails me;

and the light of my eyes has gone from me.

My friends and neighbors drew near and stand against me,

but my relatives stand far off.

Those who seek my spirit pressed hard on me,

those who seek to hurt me spoke of ruin,

and meditated treachery all day long.

But I was like the deaf, who do not hear;

I was like the mute, who cannot speak.

Truly, I was like one who does not hear,

and in whose mouth is no retort.

For in thee, O Lord, I trusted;

it is thou, O Lord my God, who wilt hear me.

For I said, “Do not let my enemies rejoice over me.”

For when my feet slipped, they boasted against me.

For I am ready to fall,

and my pain is ever before me.

I confess my iniquity;

I am sorry for my sin.

But my enemies are mighty

and are stronger than I,

and those who hate me wrongfully have multiplied.

Those who render evil for good slandered me,

because I followed after righteousness.

Forsake me not, O Lord;

O my God, do not be far from me;

make haste to help me,

O Lord, my salvation.

Forsake me not, O Lord;

O my God, do not be far from me;

make haste to help me,

O Lord, my salvation.

Psalm 63(62)

O God, thou art my God, early will I seek thee,

my soul thirsts for thee;

my flesh also longs for thee,

as in a dry and trackless land,

where there is no water.

Thus I have looked upon thee in the sanctuary,

beholding thy power and glory.

Because thy mercy is better than life,

my lips will praise thee.

Thus I will bless thee as long as I live;

in thy name I will lift up my hands.

Let my soul be filled with fat and abundance,

and my joyful lips will praise thy name.

When I was thinking of thee in my bed,

I meditated on thee in the watches of the night:

for thou hast been my help,

and in the shelter of thy wings I rejoice.

My soul clung to thee;

thy right hand upheld me.

And those who sought my soul in vain

shall go down into the depths of the earth;

they shall be given over to the power of the sword,

they shall be prey for jackals.

But the king shall rejoice in God;

all who swear by him shall exult,

for the mouths of those who speak lies shall be stopped.

I meditated on thee in the watches of the night:

for thou hast been my help,

and in the shelter of thy wings I rejoice.

My soul clung to thee;

thy right hand upheld me.

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

Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, glory to thee, O God. (low bow)

Lord, have mercy, Lord, have mercy, Lord, have mercy,

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

Psalm 88 <87>

O Lord, God of my salvation,

I have cried out day and night before thee;

let my prayer come before thee;

incline thine ear to my supplication.

For my soul is full of trouble,

and my life draws near to Hades.

I have been counted among those who

go down to the pit;

I became like those who have no help,

adrift among the dead,

like the wounded ones, cast out,

who sleep in the tombs,

like those whom thou rememberest no more,

for they were cut off from thy hand.

Thou hast put me in the depths of the pit,

in the dark regions, and in the shadow of death.

Thy wrath has lain heavily upon me,

and thou hast overwhelmed me with

all thine anger.

Thou hast removed my companions far from me;

they have made me an abomination to themselves,

I am shut in so that I cannot escape;

my eyes grew dim through misery.

Every day I call on thee, O Lord;

I spread out my hands to thee.

Dost thou work wonders for the dead?

Or do the physicians raise them to praise thee?

Is thy mercy declared in the grave,

or thy truth in Hades?

Are thy wonders known in the darkness,

or thy righteousness in the land of

forgetfulness?

But I cry out to thee, O Lord;

in the morning my prayer comes before thee.

O Lord, why dost thou cast me off?

Why dost thou hide thy face from me?

I am in misery and trouble from my youth up,

I have been exalted and brought low,

I am driven to despair.

Thy wrath has overwhelmed me;

thy terrors have frightened me,

they surrounded me like a flood all day long;

they have closed in upon me, and cut off all assistance.

Thou hast removed friends and acquaintances far from me

because of my wretchedness.

O Lord, God of my salvation,

I have cried out day and night before thee;

let my prayer come before thee;

incline thine ear to my supplication.

Psalm 103 <102>

Bless the Lord, O my soul,

and all that is within me

bless his holy name.

Bless the Lord, O my soul,

and do not forget all his benefits--

who forgives all your iniquities,

who heals all your diseases,

who redeems your life from corruption,

who crowns you with mercy and compassion,

who satisfies your desire with good,

so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

The Lord works mercy and justice for all who are oppressed.

He made known his ways to Moses,

his acts to the people of Israel.

The Lord is merciful and gracious,

forbearing and very merciful.

He will not keep his anger forever,

nor will he forever be wrathful.

He does not deal with us

according to our sins,

nor repay us according to our iniquities.

For as high as the heavens are above the earth,

so great is his mercy toward those who fear him;

as far as the east is from the west,

so far does he remove our transgressions from us.

As a father has compassion for his children,

so the Lord has compassion for those who fear him.

For he knows how we were made;

he remembers that we are dust.

As for people, their days are like grass;

they flourish like a flower of the field;

for the wind passes over it, and it is gone,

and its place knows it no more.

But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting

to everlasting on those who fear him,

and his righteousness to children’s children,

to those who keep his covenant

and remember to do his commandments.

The Lord has prepared his throne in the heavens,

and his kingdom rules over all.

Bless the Lord, all his angels,

you mighty ones who do his bidding,

obedient to his voice.

Bless the Lord, all his hosts,

his ministers who do his will.

Bless the Lord all his works,

in all places of his dominion.

Bless the Lord, O my soul,

in all places of his dominion.

Bless the Lord, O my soul.

Psalm 143 (142)

Hear my prayer, O Lord;

give ear to my supplications

in thy faithfulness;

answer me in thy righteousness.

Enter not into judgment with thy servant,

for no one living is righteous before thee.

For the enemy has persecuted my soul,

crushing my life to the ground,

making me sit in darkness like those

who have been long dead.

Therefore, my spirit was grieved within me;

my heart within me was troubled.

I remembered the days of old,

I meditated on all thy deeds,

I meditated on the works of thy hands.

I stretched out my hands to thee;

my soul thirsts for thee like a dry land.

Answer me quickly, O Lord;

my spirit has failed.

Hide not thy face from me,

or I shall be like those who go down to the pit.

Let me hear of thy mercy in the morning,

for in thee I have put my hope.

Teach me the way I should go,

for to thee have I lifted up my soul.

Save me, O Lord, from my enemies;

I have fled to thee for refuge.

Teach me to do thy will,

for thou art my God.

Let your good Spirit lead me in a straight path.

For thy name’s sake, O Lord,

give life to me.

In thy righteousness,

bring my soul out of affliction.

In thy mercy, destroy my enemies;

and bring to naught all my adversaries;

for I am thy servant.

Answer me in thy righteousness.

Enter not into judgment with thy servant (Twice).

Let thy good Spirit lead me in a straight path.

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

Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, glory to thee, O God. (low bow)

Our God and our Hope, Glory to thee.

While the preceding six psalms are being read, the priest says the following twelve morning prayers. The first three are said before the Altar, and the remaining nine are said standing before the icon of Christ.

We give thanks to thee, O Lord our God, who raised us from our beds, and put a word of praise in our mouths,⁴ so that we may worship and call on thy holy name.⁵ We implore thy mercies, which thou hast given always for our life. Send thy help⁶ upon us and all who stand before the face of thy holy glory, eagerly waiting the rich mercy, which is from thee. Grant that we, in awe and love, may always worship thee, praise thee, sing hymns to thee, and fall down before thine indescribable goodness. For unto thee are due all-glory, honor and worship: to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit: now and ever, and unto ages of ages, Amen.

Our soul yearns for thee, O our God, in the night;⁷ for thy commandments are a light upon the earth. Teach us to fulfill righteousness and holiness in thy fear; for we glorify thee, our God, He Who Is. Incline thine ear, and hear us, and remember, O Lord, by name those who are present with us and those who pray with us, and save them by thy might. Bless thy people and sanctify thine inheritance, give peace to thy world, to thy churches, to the priests, to all civil authorities, and to all thy people. For blessed and glorified is thy most honorable and majestic name: of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages, Amen.

Our soul yearns for thee, O our God, in the night;⁸ for thy commandments are a light upon the earth. Teach me, O God, thy righteousness, thy commandments, and thy statutes;⁹ or I will sleep the sleep of death¹⁰ in sins. Drive away all darkness from our hearts; and grant us the sun of righteousness; and by the seal of thy Holy Spirit, preserve our life unaffected. Guide our steps in the way of peace. Grant us to behold the dawn and the day with rejoicing, that we may send up our morning prayers to thee; for thine is the majesty, the kingdom, the power, and the glory, of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages, Amen.

O Master, our God, holy and incomprehensible, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness”;¹¹ who gave us rest through the sleep of the night and raised us up to glorify and implore thy goodness: as we now ask thy tender loving-kindness, receive us who fall down before thee and give thanks to thee to the utmost of our power. Grant us all our petitions which lead us to salvation. Appoint us to be children of light and of the day,¹² and heirs of thine everlasting good things. Remember, O Lord, according to thine abundant mercy,¹³ all thy people who are present with us and who pray with us, and all our brethren who are on land, on sea, and in the air, and in every place of thy mastery, who implore thy love for mankind and thy help; and grant thy great mercy to all, that being preserved in safety in body and soul, we may with boldness glorify thy marvelous and blessed name, of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages, Amen.

O treasury of good things, ever-flowing fountain, O wonder-working, omnipotent and almighty holy Father: we all fall before thee; and we pray to thee, calling upon thy mercies and thy compassion to aid and help our affliction. Remember, O Lord, thy suppliants; receive our morning prayers as incense before thee; consider not anyone of us to be without worth; but preserve us all with thy compassion. Remember, O Lord, those who watch over thy flock and sing to thy glory and to the glory of thine only-begotten Son and thy Holy Spirit. Be their helper and protector. Receive their supplications upon thy celestial and spiritual altar; for thou art our God, and unto thee we give glory: to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit: now and ever, and unto ages of ages, Amen.

We give thanks unto thee, O Lord God of our salvation; for thou dost all things for the benefit of our souls, so that we may ever look up to thee, the Savior and Benefactor of our souls; for thou gavest us rest in the night just passed, and raised us from our beds, and enabled us to stand and to fall down before thy most holy name. Wherefore, we entreat thee, O Lord, give us grace and power, so that we may in full awareness be made worthy to sing praises to thee and to pray without ceasing, working out our salvation in fear and trembling, by the help of thy Christ. Remember, O Lord, those who cry out to thee in the night. Hear them, and have mercy, and crush under their feet the invisible and hostile enemies. For thou art the King of Peace, and Savior of our souls, and unto thee we give glory: to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit: now and ever, and unto ages of ages, Amen.

O God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, thou hast raised us up from our beds and hast gathered us together at this hour of prayer. Grant us grace in the opening of our mouths; and receive our thanksgiving, offered to the utmost of our ability; and teach us thy statutes, for we do not know how to pray as we ought¹⁴ unless thou guidest us, O Lord, by thy Holy Spirit. Wherefore, we entreat thee: Remit, forgive, pardon all the sins we may have committed to this present hour by word or deed or thought, voluntary or involuntary: for if thou, O Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, who could stand?¹⁵ For from thee is redemption, and thou only art holy and mighty and the helper and protector of our life. Our praise is continually of thee.¹⁶ Blessed and glorified be the supreme might of thy kingdom: of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages, Amen.

O Lord our God, thou hast driven away from us the indolence of sleep and hast assembled us together by a holy calling, so that in the night also we may lift up our hands and give thanks for thy righteous ordinances.¹⁷ Receive our prayers, petitions, praises, and night-time worship. And grant us, O Lord, a confident faith that cannot be put to shame, firm hope and sincere love. Bless our going out and our coming in,¹⁸ our deeds, words and thoughts. Grant us that we may come to the beginning of the day, praising, singing hymns, and blessing the goodness of thine inexpressible kindness; for blessed be thy most holy name, and glorified be your Kingdom: of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages, Amen.

O Master, lover of mankind, shine within our hearts the pure light of thy divine knowledge; and open the eyes of our minds that we may comprehend¹⁹ the message of thy Gospel. Instill in us, also, reverence for thy blessed commandments, so that having conquered²⁰ sinful desires, we may pursue a spiritual way of life, both thinking and doing all those things that are pleasing to thee.²¹ For thou art our sanctification, and unto thee we give glory: to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit: now and ever, and unto ages of ages, Amen.

10.

O Lord our God, thou hast given us forgiveness through repentance and hast shown the repentance of the prophet David as a pattern of the acknowledgment of sin and of confession that leads to forgiveness. Have mercy, O Master, according to thy great mercy, on us who are falling into many and great sins.²² According to thine abundant mercy, blot out our transgressions.²³ Against thee have we sinned, O Lord, who knows the hidden and secret things in the human heart and has authority to forgive sins.²⁴ Thou hast created a clean heart in me and established a yearning spirit within me and made known the joy of thy salvation. Cast me not away from thy presence.²⁵ But as thou art good and the lover of mankind, take delight that, until our uttermost breath, we may offer unto thee the sacrifice of righteousness, and an oblation upon thine altar. Through the mercy and compassion and love for mankind of thine only-begotten Son, with whom thou art blessed, together with thine all-holy and good and life giving Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages, Amen.

11.

God, our God, thou hast brought into existence by thine own will the powers endowed with reason and intelligence. We pray thee and we supplicate thee: Receive our glorification, offered together with all thy creatures, according to the utmost of our power. Reward us with the rich gifts of thy goodness; for unto thee every knee bows, whether in heaven, or on earth, or in the underworld, and every human spirit and creature sings hymns to thine inexpressible glory; for thou alone art the true and most merciful God. For all the powers of heaven praise thee, and unto thee they give glory: to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit: now and ever, and unto ages of ages, Amen.

12.

We praise thee, we sing unto thee, we bless thee, we give thanks unto thee, O God of our fathers; for thou hast made the shades of night to pass away and hast shown us once more the light of the day. And we entreat thy goodness: be gracious to our sins, and receive our prayer in thy great tenderness. For we flee unto thee, the merciful and almighty God. Shine within our hearts the true sun of thy righteousness. Enlighten our minds. And guard all our senses that, walking decently as in the day in the way of thy commandments, we may reach the eternal life--for thou art the fountain of life--and that we may be accounted worthy to enjoy thine unapproachable light.²⁶ For thou art our God, and unto thee we give glory: to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit: now and ever, and unto ages of ages, Amen.

The Litany of Peace

Deacon: In peace let us pray to the Lord.

Choir: Lord, have mercy.

Deacon: For the peace from above, and for the salvation of our souls, let us pray to the Lord.

Choir: Lord, have mercy.

Deacon: For the peace of the whole world; for the good estate of the holy churches of God, and for the union of all men, let us pray to the Lord.

Choir: Lord, have mercy.

Deacon: For this holy House, and for those who with faith, reverence, and fear of God enter therein, let us pray to the Lord.

Choir: Lord, have mercy.

Deacon: For our Father and Metropolitan PHILIP, for the venerable priesthood, the diaconate in Christ, for all the clergy and the people, let us pray to the Lord.

Choir: Lord, have mercy.

Deacon: For the President of the United States and all civil authorities, and for our armed forces everywhere, let us pray to the Lord.

Choir: Lord, have mercy.

Deacon: For this city, and for every city and land, and for the faithful who dwell therein, let us pray to the Lord.

Choir: Lord, have mercy.

Deacon: For healthful seasons, for abundance of the fruits of the earth, and for peaceful times, let us pray to the Lord.

Choir: Lord, have mercy.

Deacon: For travelers by sea, by land, and by air; for the sick and the suffering; for captives and their salvation, let us pray to the Lord.

Choir: Lord, have mercy.

Deacon: For our deliverance from all tribulation, wrath, danger, and necessity, let us pray to the Lord.

Choir: Lord, have mercy.

Deacon: Help us; save us; have mercy on us; and keep us, O God, by thy grace.

Choir: Lord, have mercy.

Deacon: Calling to remembrance our all-holy, immaculate, most blessed and glorious Lady Theotokos and ever-virgin Mary, with all the Saints, let us commend ourselves and each other, and all our life unto Christ our God.

Choir: To thee, O Lord.

Priest: For unto thee are due all glory, honor, and worship: to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit: now and ever, and unto ages of ages.

Choir: Amen.

People chant the following in the second tone:

Tone Two

People: God is the Lord, and he is revealed to us²⁷, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord²⁸.