Excerpts From the Daily Offices

Midnight Office/Nocturnes

Behold the Bridegroom comes in the middle of the night, and blessed is the servant whom He shall find watching and again unworthy is he whom He shall find heedless. Therefore, O my soul, beware, unless you be weighted down with sleep, unless you be given over to death and be shut out from the kingdom.  Rouse yourself, and cry: Holy, Holy, Holy, are You, O God: through the Birthgiver of God have mercy on us.

Meditating on that terrible day, watch, O my soul keeping your lamp lit and filled with oil; for you do not know when the voice will come saying to you: "Behold the Bridegroom!" Therefore, my soul, beware, unless you fall in slumber and be left outside, knocking as the five virgins; but wakefully watch that you may dome to meet Christ with good oil, and He shall bestow on you the divine chamber of His glory.

Matins

Morning Prayer

O God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hast raised us from our beds, and has gathered us together at the hour of prayer, give us grace in the opening of our mouths, and accept the thanks that we give according to our ability, and teach us Your commandments. For we know not how to pray as we should, if  You, O Lord, by Your

Holy Spirit, does not lead us. Wherefore, we pray to You , pardon and forgive,  whatever sins we have committed until this present hour, in word, in deed, or in thought; for if You will remember our transgressions, O Lord, Lord, who shall stand? For with You is deliverance. For You are  holy, a helper, and the strong defender of our life, and our song shall always be of You  Blessed and glorified is the might of Your Kingdom, of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Psalm 62

O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; my soul thirsts for You;   my flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land  where there is no water. So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory.  Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise You. Thus I will bless You while I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips. When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches. Because You have been my help, therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice. My soul follows close behind You; Your right hand upholds me. But those who seek my life, to destroy it, shall go into the lower parts of the earth.

They shall fall by the sword; they shall be a portion for jackals. But the king shall rejoice in God; Everyone who swears by Him shall glory; But the mouth of those who speak lies shall be stopped.

I meditate on You in the night watches. Because You have been my help, therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice. My soul follows close behind You; Your right hand upholds me.

First Hour

O Christ the True Light, which enlightens and sanctifies every one coming in to the world, let the light of Your countenance be signed on us, that in it we may see the unapproachable Light: and guide our steps to the doing of Your commandments, through the prayers of Your most pure Mother and all Your saints.  Amen.

Third Hour

O Lord, Who sent down Your most holy Spirit upon Your Apostles at he third hour; take Him not from us, O Good One, but rather renew Him in us who pray to You.

Prayer of St. Mardarius

O Sovereign God, the Father Almighty, O Lord, the Only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, and You, O Holy Spirit, one Godhead, one Power, have mercy on me, a sinner  , and by the judgments which You know, save me, Your unworthy servant: for You are blessed forever and ever.  Amen.

Sixth Hour

O God and Lord of Powers, Creator of all that exists, Who in Your great compassion and ineffable mercy sent down Your Only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, for the salvation of our race, and by His precious Cross tore up the handwriting of our sins, and confounded the principalities and powers of darkness: O Master who love mankind, accept from us sinners these prayers of thanksgiving, and deliver us from every destructive and dark fall into sin, and from all the visible and invisible enemies that seek to harm us. Nail down our flesh to the fear of You, and do not incline our hearts to thoughts or words of wickedness, but wound our souls with Your love, that looking toward You and guided by Your Light, we may behold Your unapproachable and eternal Light, and may send up unceasing confession and thanksgiving to You, the Unoriginate Father, with Your Only-begotten Son, and Your most holy, good and life-creating Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages.  Amen.

Ninth Hour

O Master, Lord Jesus Christ, our God, Who are long suffering toward our transgressions and have led us even to this hour, in which, You while hanging on the life-giving Tree, made the way for the entry into Paradise of the grateful thief and by death destroyed death: cleanse us, Your sinful and unworthy servants; for we have sinned and committed iniquities and are not worthy to lift up our eyes and look to the height of heaven, because we have forsaken the path of Your righteousness, and have walked dafter the desires of our hearts.  But we beseech Your boundless grace: Spare us, O Lord, according to the multitude of Your mercy, and save us for the sake of Your holy name; for our days are wastes away in vanity.  Rescue us from the hand of the adversary and forgive us our sins, and mortify the presumption of our flesh, that putting off the old man, we may put on the new one, and live for You, our Master and Benefactor; and that following in Your commandments, we may attain to eternal rest, wherein is the  dwelling place of all who are glad.  For You are indeed the true joy and gladness of those who love You, O Christ our God, and to You we send up glory, with Your Eternal Father, and Your most Holy Good and Life-creating Spirit, now and ever and forever.  Amen.

Vespers

The Sunset Hymn

Gladsome Light of the holy glory that shines from the immortal, heavenly Father, the holy, the blessed Jesus Christ! In that we have come to sunset, now that we see the evening light, we sing the praise of  Father and Son and Holy Spirit, one God! Worthy are You to be praised at all times with voices meet for holy song, O Son of God, the Giver of life, for which cause, all the world does give glory to You!

The Prayer At The Approach Of Sundown

Vouchsafe, O  Lord, to keep us this evening without sin.  Blessed are You, O Lord God of our Fathers, and praised and glorified is Your Name forever. Amen.   Let Your mercy be upon us, O Lord, even as we have set our hope on You.  Blessed are You, O Lord, teach us Your commandments.  Blessed are You, O Master, make us to understand Your commandments. Blessed are You O Holy One, enlighten us with Your commandments.  Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever, do not despise the works of Your hands.  To You belongs praise, to You belongs song, to You glory belongs:  To the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, now and ever and forever.  Amen.

Compline

Prayer to Our Lord by Monk Antiochus of Pandectis

Grant us, O Master, repose of body and soul as we go to sleep, and preserve us from the gloomy sleep of sin and from every dark and passionate pleasure of the night.  Quell the attacks of the passions; quench the fiery darts of the veil one which are treacherously directed against us.  Put down the rebellions of our flesh, and lull to sleep our every earthly and material thought.  And grant us, O God, a wakeful mind, a chaste thought, a sober heart, and gentle sleep, free from every satanic fantasy.  Raise us up at the hour of prayer, confirmed in Your commandments and having with ourselves a steadfast remembrance of Your judgments. Grant us to hymn Your glory all the night long, that we may sing, bless and glorify Your most honorable and majestic Name of Father, Son and Holy Spirit, now and ever and forever.  Amen.