_A table covered with brocade is placed in the middle of the church in
the customary place, and water in a stoup. And the priest, having put
on epitrachelion and phelonion, and holding in his hand the honourable
cross with an aspergillus, is preceded by the deacon with the censer, and
by two light-bearers with tapers. And having come before the table, he
layeth thereupon the cross, and, taking the censer, he censeth the water
crosswise, and beginneth as customarily. And the priest having blessed,
we begin psalm cxlii._
O Lord, hear my prayer....
_Then_, God is the Lord, and hath manifested himself unto us.... _thrice,
in tone iv_.
_And the present troparia, tone iv._
To the God-bearing one we now earnestly hie, we, sinful and lowly ones,
and bow down, crying in penitence from the depth of the soul, Help us, O
Queen, being pitiful unto us: make speed, we are undone by the multitude
of iniquities: turn not thy servants empty away; for thee we hold indeed
an only trust. _Twice._
At no time, will we, unworthy ones, be silent, God-bearing one, to tell
of thy mighty acts; for, hadst thou not prevented with intercession, who
would have delivered us out of so many dangers? and who would have kept
us free until now? We will not turn away from thee, O Queen; for thou
ever savest thy servants from all ills.
_Then, psalm l._ Have mercy upon me, O God....
_Then we sing these troparia, tone vi._
Thou that didst receive the salutation of the Angel, and didst bring
forth thy Creator, save, O Virgin, them that magnify thee.
_The first troparion is said twice._
We sing praises unto thy Son, God-bearing one, and cry, O most pure
Queen, deliver thy servants from every danger.
Thou art the boast of kings, of prophets and apostles, and of martyrs,
and the mediatress of the world, All-undefiled one.
Every tongue of the orthodox praiseth, and blesseth, and glorifieth thy
most pure childbirth, O god-wedded Mary.
Grant even unto me, an unworthy one, O my Christ, forgiveness of
trespasses, I beseech thee, through the prayers of her that bore thee, as
being compassionate.
I have put my trust in thee, God-bearing one: save me by thy prayers,
and grant me forgiveness of iniquities.
Quicken me, O thou that didst bring forth the life-giver and Saviour:
save me, by thy prayers, thou blessed trust of our souls.
All-undefiled Virgin, who didst conceive in thy womb the Creator of all
things, save our souls by thy prayers.
God-bearing one all-praised, who by word didst above word bring forth the
Word, pray him to save our souls.
Propitiate towards me the judge and thy Son, me, above every man most
iniquitous, effecting this by thy prayers, O thou Queen.
As it is meet we cry to thee, Hail, God-bearing one, pure ever-virgin!
entreating to be saved by thy prayers.
Deliver me from the everlasting fire and the torments that await me, O
parent of God, that I may bless thee.
Despise not the supplications of thy servants, O Queen all-extolled, we
beseech thee, that we may be delivered from every besetment,
From ailments, and from all afflictions, and from dangers deliver us,
even us who fly to thy sacred protection.
Strange is the wonder appertaining thee, God-conceiving one; for the
creator of all things, and our God, for our sake and like us, was born of
thee.
Thy temple, God-bearing one, is declared a free hospital for the sick,
and a place of consolation for afflicted souls.
Most holy God-bearing one, who didst bring forth the Saviour, save thy
servants from dangers, and from every other necessity.
Deliver thy servants from every approaching menace, O most pure Queen,
and from every spiritual and bodily harm.
By thy prayers, O God-bearing Virgin, save all them that betake
themselves to thee, and deliver them from every want and affliction.
Who hieth to thy temple, O most pure God-bearing one, and receiveth not
quickly a spiritual and also a bodily healing?
O Compassionate One, who art besought by all saints and by hosts on high,
cleanse me through her that bore thee.
Spare, O Saviour, the souls of our brethren, who have died in hope of
life, and pardon and forgive their iniquities.
Hail, Virgin, propitiation of the world! hail, vase of divine manna and
golden candlestick of light, O Bride of God!
We sing thee, one God in Trinity, uttering the thrice-holy voice, and
praying that we may obtain salvation.
_Glory._
O Virgin, who didst bring forth the Saviour, and Master, and Lord of the
world! beseech him to save our souls.
_Both now._
Hail, mountain! hail, bush! hail, gate! hail, ladder! hail, divine table!
hail, Queen, aid of all!
Through the prayers, O Gracious One, of thy most pure Mother, and of all
thy Saints, bestow thy mercies upon thy people.
Through the prayers of the glorious Archangels and Angels, and of the
hosts on high, safeguard thy servants, O Saviour.
Through the prayers of thine honourable and glorious Baptist, the
prophet, the forerunner, O Christ, my Saviour, preserve thy servants.
Through the prayers of glorious apostles and martyrs, and of all thy
Saints, bestow thy mercies upon thy people.
Through the prayers of the glorious unmercenary ones, O God-bearing one,
preserve thy servants, as being the protection and stablishing of the
world.
_Glory._
Let us glorify the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost, saying, O
Holy Trinity, save our souls.
_Both now._
Thou that unspeakably to the uttermost didst conceive and bring forth thy
Creator, save, O Virgin, them that magnify thee.
_Then,_
Open unto us the gates of mercy, O blessed God-bearing one, that we
perish not who put our trust in thee, but through thee may we be
delivered from dangers; for thou art the salvation of the christian race.
_Then_, Let us pray to the Lord.
_Priest._ For holy art thou, O our God....
_Choir._ Amen.
_Then the present troparia, tone vi._
Now present is the time that halloweth all, and the just Judge awaiteth
us. Then turn thyself to penitence, O soul, exclaiming, as the harlot
did, with tears, O Lord, be merciful to me.
Thou, who to-day the healing fountain in the Virgin’s all-revered temple
hast with waters shower’d, dost with the sprinkling of thy blessing quell
the ailments of the weak, O Christ, physician of our bodies and our souls.
A virgin who no nuptials knew thou didst bring forth, and thou, unwedded
mother, virgin didst remain, God-bearing Mary: O pray Christ our God that
we be sav’d.
Most pure God-bearing Virgin, do thou direct our works, and pray for
pardon of our trespasses, as we the angelic song upraise,
Holy God, holy mighty one, holy immortal one, have mercy upon us.
_And it is sung as customarily, and, after the trisagion, the deacon
saith_, Let us attend.
_Priest._ Peace to all.
_Choir._ And to thy spirit.
_Reader, the prokimenon, tone iii._
The Lord is mine illumination and my Saviour, whom shall I fear?
_Verse._ The Lord is the defence of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?
_The epistle to the Hebrews, section cccvi._