The Third and Sixth Hours Preceding the Divine Liturgy

The Third Hour

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

Amen.

From the Sunday of Pascha through the Sunday of Pentecost, “Glory to Thee, O God...” and “O heavenly King...” is not said.

Glory to Thee, O our God, glory to Thee.

O heavenly King, the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth, Who art everywhere present 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.

Trisagion

From Pascha until its Apodosis instead of “Holy God...,” we chant: “Christ is risen from the dead...,” (thrice, once from the Holy of Holies, and twice by the choir.

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

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

O All-Holy Trinity: Have mercy on us. Lord: Cleanse us from our sins. Master: Pardon our transgressions. Holy One: Visit and heal our infirmities for Thy name’s sake.

Lord, have mercy. (3)

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto 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 the evil one.

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.

Amen. Lord, have mercy. (12)

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

Come, let us worship God our King.

Come let us worship and fall down before Christ, our King and our God.

Come, let us worship and fall down before Christ Himself, the King and our God.

Psalm 16

Hearken, O Lord, unto my righteousness, attend unto my supplication; give ear unto my prayer, which comes not from deceitful lips.

From Thy presence let my judgment come forth; let mine eyes behold uprightness.

Thou hast proved my heart; Thou hast visited me in the night; Thou hast tried me, and no unrighteousness has been found in me.

That my mouth might not speak of the works of men, for the sake of the words of Thy lips I have kept hard ways.

Perfect my footsteps in Thy pathways, that my steps may not slip.

I have cried, for Thou hast heard me, O God; incline Thine ear unto me, and hear my words.

Show the marvels of Thy mercies, O Thou Who savest them that hope in Thee from them that resist Thy right hand.

Keep me, O Lord, as the apple of the eye; in the shelter of Thy wings wilt Thou shelter me from the face of the wicked who have oppressed me.

Mine enemies have surrounded my soul; they have enclosed themselves with their own fat; their mouth has spoken proudly.

They that cast me out have now surrounded me; they have inclined their eyes to look askance at the ground.

They have taken me like a lion ready for its prey, and like a young lion lurking in secret places.

Arise, O Lord, go out to meet them and cast them down; deliver my soul from the ungodly man, Thy sword from the enemies of Thy hand.

O Lord, do Thou separate them from the few of the earth during their lifetime; yea, from Thy hidden reserves has their belly been filled.

They have been satisfied with swine, and have bequeathed the remnants of their little ones.

But as for me, in righteousness shall I appear before Thy face; I shall be satisfied when Thy glory is made manifest to me.

Psalm 24

Unto Thee, O Lord, have I lifted up my soul.

O my God, in Thee have I trusted; let me never be put to shame, nor let mine enemies laugh me to scorn.

For none of them that wait on Thee shall be put to shame.

Let them be put to shame that transgress without a cause.

Show me Thy ways, O Lord, and by Thy paths teach me.

Lead me in Thy truth and teach me, for Thou art God my Savior, and for Thee have I waited all the day long.

Remember Thy compassions, O Lord, and Thy mercies, for they are from the ages.

Remember not the sins of my youth, nor mine ignorance; according to Thy mercy remember me, for the sake of Thy goodness, O Lord.

Good and upright is the Lord; therefore He will set a law for sinners in the way.

He will guide the meek in judgment; He will teach the meek His ways.

All the ways of the Lord are mercy and truth, unto them that seek after His covenant and His testimonies.

For the sake of Thy name, O Lord, pardon mine iniquity, for it is great.

Who is the man that fears the Lord? For Him shall He set a law in the way which he has chosen.

His soul shall abide in the midst of good things, and his seed shall inherit the land.

The Lord is the strength of them that fear Him, and His covenant shall He reveal unto them.

Mine eyes are ever toward the Lord, for He shall pluck my feet out of the snare.

Look upon me, and have mercy on me, for I am one only-begotten and poor.

The sorrows of my heart are multiplied; bring me out from my distresses.

Behold my humiliation and my travail, and forgive all my sins.

Look upon mine enemies, for they are multiplied, and with an unjust hatred have they hated me.

Keep my soul and deliver me; let me not be put to shame, for I have hoped in Thee.

The innocent and the upright have cleaved unto me, for I waited on Thee, O Lord.

Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his afflictions.

Psalm 50

Have mercy on me, O God, according to Thy great mercy; and according to the multitude of Thy tender mercies blot out my transgression.

Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

For I know mine iniquity, and my sin is ever before me.

Against Thee only have I sinned and done this evil in Thy sight, that Thou mightest be justified in Thy words and victorious when Thou art judged.

For behold, I was conceived in iniquities, and in sins did my mother bear me.

For behold, Thou hast loved truth; the hidden and secret things of Thy wisdom Thou hast revealed unto me.

Thou shalt sprinkle me with hyssop, and I shall be made clean; Thou shalt wash me, and I shall be made whiter than snow.

Thou shalt make me to hear joy and gladness; my humbled bones shall rejoice.

Turn Thy face away from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.

Cast me not away from Thy presence, and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me.

Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation, and with Thy governing Spirit establish me.

I shall teach transgressors Thy ways, and the ungodly shall turn back unto Thee.

Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, Thou God of my salvation; my tongue shall rejoice in Thy righteousness.

O Lord, Thou shalt open my lips, and my mouth shall declare Thy praise.

For if Thou hadst desired sacrifice, I would have given it; with whole-burnt offerings Thou shalt not be pleased.

A sacrifice unto God is a broken spirit; a broken and humbled heart God will not despise.

Do good, O Lord, in Thy good pleasure unto Sion, and let the walls of Jerusalem be built.

Then shalt Thou be pleased with a sacrifice of righteousness, with oblation and whole-burnt offerings.

Then shall they offer young bulls upon Thine altar.

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

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. Glory to Thee, O God. (3)

Lord, have mercy. (3)

Troparion(a)

(If there is more than one Troparion, read the first.)

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

Read the Troparion from the Propers.

Both now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

O Theotokos; thou art the true vine who didst bud forth for us the Fruit of Life. We entreat thee, O sovereign Lady: Intercede, together with the Holy Apostles, that He may be merciful to our souls.

Blessed is the Lord God, blessed is the Lord from day to day. The God of our salvation shall prosper us; our God is the God who saves.

Trisagion

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

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

O All-Holy Trinity: Have mercy on us. Lord: Cleanse us from our sins. Master: Pardon our transgressions. Holy One: Visit and heal our infirmities for Thy name’s sake.

Lord, have mercy. (3)

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto 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 the evil one.

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.

Amen.

Kontakion (Collect)

Read the Kontakion(a) from the Propers.

Lord, have mercy. (40)

Prayer of the Hours

O Thou Who at every season and at every hour in heaven and on earth art worshipped and glorified, O Christ God, long-suffering, greatly merciful, and deeply-compassionate; Who lovest the just and showest mercy upon the sinner; Who callest all men to salvation through the promise of good things to come: Do Thou, the same Lord, accept also our prayers in this hour, and direct our lives according to Thy commandments. Sanctify our souls, purify our bodies, guide aright our minds, cleanse our thoughts, and deliver us from every affliction, evil, and sickness. Compass us about with Thy holy Angels, that guided and guarded by their legions we may attain unto unity of the faith and the knowledge of Thine unapproachable glory, for blessed art Thou unto ages of ages. Amen.

Lord, have mercy. (3)

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

More honorable than the Cherubim, and more glorious, beyond compare, than the Seraphim, without defilement thou gavest birth to God the Word; true Theotokos, we magnify Thee.

In the name of the Lord, Father, bless.

Priest: Through the prayers of our holy fathers, O Lord Jesus Christ our God have mercy on us.

Prayer of Saint Mardarius

Amen. O Master God, the Father Almighty, O Lord, the Only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, and O Holy Spirit, one Godhead, one Power: Have mercy on me a sinner, and by the judgments which Thou knowest, save me, Thine unworthy servant; for blessed art Thou unto ages of ages. Amen.

The Sixth Hour

Come, let us worship God our King.

Come let us worship and fall down before Christ, our King and our God.

Come, let us worship and fall down before Christ Himself, the King and our God.

Psalm 53

Save me, O God, by Thy name, and in Thy strength do Thou judge me.

O God, hearken unto my prayer; give ear unto the words of my mouth.

For strangers have risen up against me, and mighty men have sought after my soul; and they have not set God before their eyes.

For behold, God helps me, and the Lord is the Protector of my soul.

He shall return evil unto mine enemies; by Thy truth utterly destroy them.

Freely will I sacrifice unto Thee; I will give praise to Thy name, O Lord, for it is good.

For out of every affliction hast Thou delivered me; and mine eye hath looked down upon mine enemies.

Psalm 54

Give ear, O God, unto my prayer, and despise not my petition.

Attend unto me, and hear me; I was grieved in my tribulation, and I was troubled at the voice of the enemy and the oppression of the sinner; for they turned iniquity upon me, and with anger were they at enmity with me.

My heart was troubled within me, and the fear of death fell upon me.

Fear and trembling came upon me, and darkness covered me.

And I said: Who will give me wings like a dove, and I will fly, and be at rest?

Behold, I have fled far away and have dwelt in the wilderness.

I waited for God Who saves me from faintheartedness and from the tempest.

Drown them, O Lord, and divide their tongues, for I have seen lawlessness and strife in the city.

Day and night they go round about it on its walls; iniquity and toil and unrighteousness are in the midst of it; usury and deceit have not departed from its streets.

For if an enemy had reproached me, then I would have endured it; and if he that hated me had magnified himself against me, then I would have hidden myself from him.

But it was thou, a man – mine equal, the master of my household, and mine own familiar friend, Thou who, in companionship with me, didst satisfy thyself with food; in the house of God we walked with one accord.

Let death come upon them, and let them go down alive into Hades, for wickedness is in their dwellings, in the midst of them.

As for me, unto God have I cried, and the Lord, heard me.

Evening, morning, and at noon I will speak and declare it, and He will hear my voice.

He will deliver my soul in peace from them that draw near me, for they were many about me.

God will hear, and He will humble them, even He that is before the ages; for there is no change with them because they have not feared God.

He has stretched forth His hand in retribution; they have defiled His covenant.

They were scattered at the anger of His countenance, and their hearts drew near; their words were smoother than oil, and yet they are arrows.

Cast thy care upon the Lord, and He will nourish thee; He will never permit the righteous to be shaken.

But Thou, O God, shalt bring them down into the pit of corruption; men of blood and treachery shall not live out half their days; but as for me, O Lord, I will hope in Thee.

Psalm 90

He that dwells in the help of the Most High shall abide in the shelter of the God of heaven.

He shall say unto the Lord: Thou art my Protector and my Refuge; He is my God, and I will hope in Him.

For He shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler and from the troubling word.

With His shoulders He will overshadow thee, and under His wings shalt thou trust; with a shield His truth will encompass thee.

Thou shalt not fear the terror by night, nor for the arrow that flies by day, nor that which walks about in the darkness, nor calamity and the demon of noonday.

A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand, but it shall it not come nigh unto thee.

Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of sinners.

For Thou, O Lord, art my hope; Thou hast made the Most High thy refuge.

No evil shall come unto thee, and no wound shall come nigh unto thy body; for He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.

On their hands shall they bear thee up, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

Upon the asp and basilisk shalt thou tread, and thou shalt trample underfoot the lion and dragon.

For he has set his hope on Me, and I will deliver him; I will shelter him, because he hath known My name.

He shall cry unto Me, and I will hear him; I am with him in affliction; I will rescue him and glorify him.

With length of days will I satisfy him, and I will show him My salvation.

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

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. Glory to Thee, O God. (3)

Lord, have mercy. (3)

Troparion(a) – Same as at the Third Hour

(If there is more than one Troparion, read the first.)

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

Read the Troparion from the Propers.

Both now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

As we have no boldness because of the multitude of our sins, O Virgin Theotokos, intercede with Him Who was born of thee, for much more is the prayer of a mother able to incline the Master unto kindheartedness. Despise not the supplications of sinners, O all-pure one, for merciful and strong to save is He Who condescended to suffer for us.

Let Thy tender mercies quickly go before us, O Lord, for we are become exceedingly poor. Help us, O God our Savior, for the sake of the glory of Thy name. O Lord, deliver us and cleanse us from our sins, for Thy name's sake.

Trisagion

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

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

O All-Holy Trinity: Have mercy on us. Lord: Cleanse us from our sins. Master: Pardon our transgressions. Holy One: Visit and heal our infirmities for Thy name’s sake.

Lord, have mercy. (3)

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto 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 the evil one.

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.

Amen.

Kontakion (Collect) – Same as at the Third Hour

Read the Kontakion(a) from the Propers
.

Lord, have mercy. (40)

Prayer of the Hours

O Thou Who at every season and at every hour in heaven and on earth art worshipped and glorified, O Christ God, long-suffering, greatly merciful, and deeply-compassionate; Who lovest the just and showest mercy upon the sinner; Who callest all men to salvation through the promise of good things to come: Do Thou, the same Lord, accept also our prayers in this hour, and direct our lives according to Thy commandments. Sanctify our souls, purify our bodies, guide aright our minds, cleanse our thoughts, and deliver us from every affliction, evil, and sickness. Compass us about with Thy holy Angels, that guided and guarded by their legions we may attain unto unity of the faith and the knowledge of Thine unapproachable glory, for blessed art Thou unto ages of ages. Amen.

Lord, have mercy. (3)

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

More honorable than the Cherubim, and more glorious, beyond compare, than the Seraphim, without defilement thou gavest birth to God the Word; true Theotokos, we magnify Thee.

In the name of the Lord, Father, bless.

Priest: Through the prayers of our holy fathers, O Lord Jesus Christ our God have mercy on us.

Prayer of Saint Basil the Great

Amen. O God the Lord of Hosts and Fashioner of all creation, Who, in Thine incomparable tender mercy, didst send down Thine only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, for the salvation of our kind, and through His precious Cross didst tear asunder the handwriting of our sins, thereby triumphing over the principalities of darkness: Do Thou, the same Lord, O Master Who lovest mankind, accept also these prayers of thanksgiving and supplication from us sinners, and deliver us from every deadly and dark transgression, and from all the visible and invisible enemies that seek after us to do us harm. Nail our flesh with the fear of Thee, and let not our hearts incline to evil words or thoughts. But wound our souls with Thy love, that looking ever unto Thee, and guided by Thee in the Light, beholding Thee, the eternal Light that no man can approach, we may send up unceasing praise and thanksgiving unto Thee, the Father Who is without beginning, together with Thine Only-begotten Son, and Thine All-holy, good and life-creating Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

The Divine Liturgy begins immediately.