Prayers and Prologue

Common Prayers of Orthodox Christians

Orthodox Prayer (Icon) Corner

The Lord's Prayer (Our Father) "Оче наш"

Matthew 6:9-13/Luke 11:2-4

Lord's Prayer in English

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 daily 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. Amen.

Lord's Prayer in Serbian

Otce nas, ize jesi na nebesjeh. Da svjatitsja imja Tvoje, da pridet carstvije Tvoje, da budet volja Tvoja, jako na nebesi i na zemlji. Hljeb nas nasushnij, dazd nam dnes i ostavi nam dolgi nasja, jakoze i mi ostavljajem dolznikom nasim. I ne vovedi nas vo iskushenije, no izbavi nas ot lukavago.

Отце нас, изе јеси на небесјех. Да свјатитсја имја Твоје, да придет царствије Твоје, да будет воља Твоја, јако на небеси и на земљи. Хљеб нас насусхниј, дазд нам днес и остави нам долги насја, јакозе и ми остављај долзником насим. И не воведе нас во искусхеније, но избави нас от лукаваго. Amin.

The Nicene Creed

I believe in one God, the Father almighty, Maker of Heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the only-begotten, begotten of the Father before all ages.  Light of light, true God of true God, begotten not made; of one essence with the Father, by whom all things were made.  Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven, and was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became man.  And was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate and suffered and was buried.  And the third day, He rose again, according to the Scriptures, and ascended into Heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father; and he shall come again with glory to judge the living and the dead, whose kingdom shall have no end.  And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of Life, who proceeds from the Father; who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified; who spoke by the prophets.  In one Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church.  I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins.  I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come.  Amen.

Prayer Before Holy Communion

I believe, O Lord, and I confess that Thou art truly the Christ, the Son of the living God, who camest into the world to save sinners, of whom I am first. I believe also that this is truly Thine own most Pure Body, and that this is truly Thine own Precious Blood. Therefore, I pray Thee: have mercy upon me and forgive me my transgressions both voluntary and involuntary, of word and of deed, committed in knowledge or in ignorance. And make me worthy to partake without condemnation of Thy most pure Mysteries, for the remission of my sins, and unto life everlasting.

Of Thy Mystical Supper, O Son of God, accept me today as a communicant; for I will not speak of Thy Mystery to Thine enemies, neither like Judas will I give Thee a kiss; but like thief will I confess Thee; Remember me, O Lord, in Thy Kingdom.

May the communion of Thy Holy Mysteries be neither to my judgement, nor to my condemnation, O Lord, but to the healing of soul and body. Amen.

Prayer of Thanksgiving After Holy Communion/A Prayer of St. Basil the Great

O Master Christ our God, King of the Ages, Maker of all things; I thank Thee for all the good things Thou hast given me, especially for the communion with thy most pure and life-creating Mysteries. I pray Thee, O gracious Lover of Man: preserve me under Thy protection, beneath the shadow of Thy wings. Enable me, even to my last breath, to partake worthily and with a pure conscience of Thy Holy Things, for the remission of sins and unto life eternal. For Thou art the Bread of Life, the Fountain of Holiness, the Giver of all Good; to Thee we ascribe glory, with the Father and the Holy Spirt, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Morning Prayer

Thou hast raised me from bed and sleep, O Lord; enlighten my mind and heart, and open my lips, that I may praise Thee, O Holy Trinity: Holy, Holy, Holy art Thou, O Lord.  For the sake of the Mother of God, have mercy upon us. 

Evening Prayer

(Before going to sleep) O Lord our God, whatever I have sinned this day in word, deed or thought, forgive me, for Thou art gracious and lovest mankind. Grant me peaceful and undisturbed sleep.  Send me thy guardian angel to shield me and protect me from every evil; for Thou art the Guardian of our souls and bodies, and unto Thee we ascribe Glory, to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.  Amen.

Prayer to the Holy Spirit

O Heavenly King, the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth who art everywhere and fillest all things. Treasury of Blessings, and Giver of Life: Come and abide in us, and cleanse us from every impurity, and save our souls, O Good One.

Prayer to the Most Holy Mother of God

O Theotokos and Virgin rejoice, O Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you: blessed are you among women and blessed is the Fruit of your womb, for you have borne the Savior of our souls.

The Jesus Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner. (Repeat as many times as possible for daily prayer)

Paschal Troparion

Christ is Risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tombs bestowing life.

Paschal Troparion in Serbian

Hristos voskrese iz mertvih, smertiju smert poprav i suscim vo grobjeh zivot darovav.

Христос воскресе из мртвих, смрћу смрт уништи и онима у гробу живот дарова.

The Lenten Prayer of St. Ephrem the Syrian

O Lord and Master of my life. Take from me the spirit of sloth, despair, lust of power, and idle talk.

But give rather the spirit of chastity, humility, patience, and love to Thy servant.

Yea, O Lord and King, grant me to see my own transgressions, and not to judge my brother, for blessed art Thou, unto ages of ages. Amen.

The Trisagion and Lord's Prayer

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

Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, both now and forever and to the ages of ages. Amen.

All-holy Trinity, have mercy on us. Lord, forgive our sins. Master, pardon our transgressions. Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities, for Your name's sake.

Lord, have mercy. (3x)

Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, both now and forever and to the ages of ages. Amen.

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 daily 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.

Before Reading the Holy Scripture

Illumine our hearts, O Master Who lovest mankind, with the pure light of Thy divine knowledge. Open the eyes of our mind to the understanding of Thy gospel teachings. Implant also in us the fear of Thy blessed commandments, that trampling down all carnal desires, we may enter upon a spiritual manner of living, both thinking and doing such things as are well-pleasing unto Thee. For Thou art the illumination of our souls and bodies, O Christ our God, and unto Thee we ascribe glory, together with Thy Father, Who is from everlasting, and Thine all-holy, good, and life-creating Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Prayer for a Sick Person

Heavenly Father, physician of our souls and bodies, Who have sent Your only-begotten Son and our Lord Jesus Christ to heal every sickness and infirmity, visit and heal also Your servant (name) from all physical and spiritual ailments through the grace of Your Christ. Grant him (her) patience in this sickness, strength of body and spirit, and recovery of health. Lord, You have taught us through Your word to pray for each other that we may be healed. I pray, heal Your servant (name) and grant to him (her) the gift of complete health. For You are the source of healing and to You I give glory, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Prayer Against Demonic Influence

Almighty God, Who delivered Your people from the bondage of the adversary, and through Your Son cast down Satan like lightning, deliver me also from every influence of unclean spirits. Command Satan to depart far from me by the power of Your only begotten Son. Rescue me from demonic imaginings and darkness. Fill me with the light of the Holy Spirit that I may be guarded against all snares of crafty demons. Grant that an angel will always go before me and lead me to the path of righteousness all the days of my life, to the honor of Your glorious Name, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.

Thanksgiving after Deliverance from Trouble

Almighty and merciful God, I most humbly and heartily thank Your divine majesty for Your loving kindness and tender mercies, that You have heard my humble prayer, and graciously granted me deliverance from my trouble and misery. I pray to you to continue granting Your helping grace, that I may lead a life pleasing to You, that I may continually offer to You a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and forevermore. Amen.

Prayer for Peace

Almighty God and Creator, You are the Father of all people on the earth. Guide, I pray, all the nations and their leaders in the ways of justice and peace. Protect us from the evils of injustice, prejudice, exploitation, conflict and war. Help us to put away mistrust, bitterness and hatred. Teach us to cease the storing and using of implements of war. Lead us to find peace, respect and freedom. Unite us in the making and sharing of tools of peace against ignorance, poverty, disease and oppression. Grant that we may grow in harmony and friendship as brothers and sisters created in Your image, to Your honor and praise. Amen.

Hymn to the Theotokos

It is truly meet to bless you, O Theotokos, ever-blessed and most pure, and the Mother of our God. More honorable than the Cherubim, and more glorious beyond compare than the Seraphim, without defilement you gave birth to God the Word. True Theotokos we magnify you!

Troparion of the Holy Cross

O Lord, save Thy people, and bless Thine inheritance! Grant victory to the Orthodox Christians over their adversaries, and by virtue of Thy cross, preserve Thy habitation.

Prayer to One's Patron Saint

Pray to God for me, O Saint _____________ well-pleasing to God. I fervently entreat you who are the sure help and intercessor for my soul.

Prayer to One's Patron Saint II

O saint of God, (the name of the saint), pray to God for me, for my home and my family. Amen.

Prayers to our Guardian Angel

O angel of God, my holy guardian, given to me from heaven, enlighten me this day, and save me from all evil. Instruct me in doing good deeds, and set me on the path of salvation. Amen.

O angel of Christ, holy guardian and protector of my soul and body, forgive me everything wherein I have offended you every day of my life, and protect me from all influence and temptation of the Evil One. May I never again anger God by my sins. Pray for me to the Lord, that He may make me worthy of the grace of the All-Holy Trinity, and of the blessed Mother of God, and of all the saints. Amen.

General Prayers for the Departed

Christ our eternal King and God, You have destroyed death and the devil by Your Cross and have restored man to life by Your Resurrection; give rest, Lord, to the soul of Your servant (name) who has fallen asleep, in Your Kingdom, where there is no pain, sorrow or suffering. In Your goodness and love for all men, pardon all the sins he (she) has committed in thought word or deed, for there is no man or woman who lives and sins not, You only are without sin.

For You are the Resurrection, the Life, and Repose of Your servant (name), departed this life, O Christ our God; and to You do we send up glory with Your Eternal Father and Your All-holy, Good and Life-creating Spirit; both now and forever and to the ages of ages. Amen.


Daily Prologue

by St. Nikolaj of Žiča (Velimirović)


The following are the daily readings of The Prologue from Ohrid - a literary work compiled by St. Nikolaj of Žiča (Velimirović). Bishop Nikolai is often called the "Serbian Chrysostom" for his theological wisdom and articulateness. His work is a compilation of lives of saints, hymns, reflections, and homilies. It was originally written in Serbian.  The Prologue in Serbian (Srpski/Српски) - Daily Prologue (Пролог)

The Prologue from Ohrid: March 6

1. THE HOLY FORTY-TWO MARTYRS FROM AMMORIA

They were all commanders of the Byzantine Emperor Theophilus. When the Emperor Theophilus lost the battle against the Saracens at the city of Ammoria, the Saracens captured the city, enslaved many Christians and among them these commanders. The remaining Christians were either killed or sold into slavery. The commanders were thrown into prison where they remained for seven years. Many times the Muslim leaders came to them. They counseled and advised the commanders to embrace the Islamic Faith, but the commanders did not want to hear about it. When the Saracens spoke to the commanders, saying, "Mohammed is the true prophet and not Christ," the commanders asked them, "If there were two men debating about a field and the one said, `This field is mine,' and the other, `It is not, it is mine,' and near by, one of them had many witnesses saying it is his field and the other had no witnesses, but only himself, what would you say, `Whose field is it?'" The Saracens answered, "Indeed, to him who had many witnesses!" "You have judged correctly," the commanders answered. That is the way with Christ and Mohammed. Christ has many witnesses: the Prophets of old, from Moses to John the Forerunner, whom you also recognize and who witness to and about Him [Christ], but Mohammed witnesses only to himself that he is a prophet and does not have even one witness. The Saracens were ashamed and again they tried to defend their faith in this manner: "Our faith is better than the Christian Faith as proved by this: God gave us the victory over you and gave us the best land in the world and a kingdom much greater than Christianity." To that the commanders replied, "If it were so, then the idolatry of the Egyptians, Babylonians, Hellenes, Romans, and the fire-worship of the Persians would be the true faith for, at one time, all of these people conquered the others and ruled over them. It is evident that your victory, power and wealth do not prove the truth of your faith. We know that God, at times, gives victory to Christians and, at other times, allows torture and suffering so as to correct them and to bring them to repentance and purification of their sins." After seven years, they were beheaded in the year 845 A.D. Their bodies were then thrown into the Euphrates river, but they floated to the other side of the shore where they were gathered and honorably buried by Christians.

2. THE BLESSED JOB

Job was born in Moscow in the year 1635 A.D. Church singing and liturgical services drew him to the Church. He became the spiritual father to Emperor Peter the Great but, because of intrigue, he withdrew into the Slovecki Monastery, where he underwent a difficult life of asceticism. In the year 1720 A.D., in his eighty fifth year, he died in the Lord. Before his death he cried out, "Blessed is the God of our Fathers and as He is thus, I am not afraid but, with joy, I leave this world."

3. THE HOLY MARTYRS CONON THE FATHER AND CONON THE SON

When the father was already an old man, the son was a youngster of seventeen years. During the reign of Domentian, they were sawed in half for their faith in Christ and were glorified and honored in the Church on earth and in heaven. They honorably suffered in the year 275 A.D.

HYMN OF PRAISE

SAINT CONON

The emperor counsels the youthful Conon;

From old age, your father is deranged,

You, young man, do not harken to his words.

But deny and forget Christ,

Offer sacrifice to the Roman gods,

And then remain with me in honor.

The youthful Conon courageously replied:

It is written, O emperor torturer,

That the son does what from the father, he sees,

And of the father's deed, he is not ashamed.

My father, the True Faith teaches me,

The True Faith and the knowledge of God,

That I know the One God,

My Creator, Merciful,

That I know Christ the Savior,

From death, my Redeemer.

Whatever you do with the body of my father,

This also do with mine;

But over the soul, you have no authority,

Our souls are our possessions

And the possessions of the Son of God.

REFLECTION

For as long as you are on earth, consider yourself a guest in the Household of Christ. If you are at the table, it is He who treats you. If you breathe air, it is His air you breathe. If you bathe, it is in His water you are bathing. If you are traveling, it is over His land that you are traveling. If you are amassing goods, it is His goods you are amassing. If you are squandering, it is His goods that you are squandering. If you are powerful, it is by His permission that you are strong. If you are in the company of men, you and the others are His guests. If you are out in nature, you are in His garden. If you are alone, He is present. If you set out or turn anywhere, He sees you. If you do anything, He remembers. He is the most considerate Householder by Whom you were ever hosted. Be careful then toward Him. In a good household, the guest is required to behave. These are all simple words but they convey to you a great truth. All the saints knew this truth and they governed their lives by it. That is why the Eternal Householder rewarded them with eternal life in heaven and glory on earth.

CONTEMPLATION

To contemplate the Mystery of Communion as a life-giving cure for the soul and body:

1. As a cure that heals and cleanses the soul from sinful maladies and restores it to life;

2. As a cure that heals and cleanses the body from avarice and vice and restores it to life;

3. As a cure that enlivens man and makes him a healthy member of the immortal Body of Christ, who, if he is not, would remain decayed to the end and eventually, he would be cut off and cast aside.

HOMILY

About the heir and the slave

"I mean that as long as the heir is not of age, he is no different from the slave" (Galatians 4:1).

As long as the heir apparent is in the cradle, what would make him better than the son of a slave? Neither is his body better, nor are his thoughts more elevated, nor are his wishes or desires more pure. Such is the son of the king; so is the son of the slave; so is the son of the beggar. For a few years the son of the king does not differ from the son of the slave. However, when the son of the king reaches maturity and with full consciousness of his dignity, he receives authority over the kingdom, and when the son of a slave reaches full maturity and with full consciousness, he succumbs to the yoke of slavery. Then the enormous difference is seen. Then it is clearly manifest that the heir and the slave are not equal. The slave has to serve and the king has to rule. The apostle means to say that it is the same with Christians and with those who are not Christians. The non-Christian is a slave to nature and the Christian rules over nature. The non-Christian era of the history of mankind shows us how man was the slave to the elements of nature, the slave of the flesh, the slave of idols and creatures. The Christian era of the history of mankind shows us how man was master and owner, a nobleman of a royal race and heir to all. Even those who knew about the One True God, as the Israelites knew, were not like children toward God nor heirs toward their father but were slaves and servants toward their Lord and Judge. "But when the fullness of time had come"(Galatians 4:4), the Only-Begotten Son of God came to earth. He made it possible "so that we might receive adoption" (Galatians 4:5), and to address the Spirit of God and cry out, "Abba, Father" (Galatians 4:5). Brethren why did Christ come to earth? He did so to make us better than slaves and to give us the right of sonship and the duty of the master. The right of sonship, that in the name Christ, we can call God, Father, and the duty of the master to rule over ourselves, over our flesh, over our thoughts, over our desires, and over all nature around us.

O Only-Begotten Son of God, by Your mercy and sacrifice, we have received the adoption of sons.

O help us that with Your help we may persevere to the end in purity and in truth.

To You be glory and thanks always. Amen.

CONTACT

St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Church
901 Hartman St
McKeesport, PA 15132

Very Rev. Stavrophor Stevan Rocknage

Rectory Phone: (412) 672-1872
Church Hall: (412) 664-0820
info@stsavapa.org

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Sundays: 9:15am Matins, 10:00am Divine Liturgy

Saturdays: 5:00pm Confessions, 6:00pm Great Vespers

Confessions can also be made by appointment with Fr. Stevo.

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