Trithekti

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THIRD HOUR

About the 3rd hour the lamplighter sounds the iron simandron and we gather in the Church, each of us making three prostrations in front of the Holy Doors before the start, and we kiss the icons. Then one further prostration; likewise one to each of the two Choirs.

Priest: Blessed is our God, always, now and for ever, and to the ages of ages.

Reader [in Athonite use the Superior]: Amen. Glory to you, our God, glory to you.

Heavenly King, Paraclete, Spirit of truth, present everywhere, filling all things, Treasury of blessings and Giver of life, come and dwell in us, cleanse us from every stain, and, O Good One, save our souls.

Reader: Holy God, Holy Strong, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us (x3).

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

All-holy Trinity, have mercy on us. Lord, cleanse us from our sins. Master, pardon our iniquities. Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities for your 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; both now and for ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen

Our Father, in heaven, may your name be hallowed; your kingdom come; your will be done on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

Priest: For yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory, of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever, and to the ages of ages.

Reader: Amen. Lord, have mercy (x12), Glory. Both now.

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

3 Metanias, then the Psalms.

Psalm 16
Hearken to my justice, O Lord; attend to my supplication. Give ear to my prayer from lips which do not deceive. Let my judgement come from your presence, let my eyes see fair dealings. You have tested my heart, you have visited me by night; you have tried me by fire and no injustice has been found in me. That my mouth might not speak of human deeds, for the sake of the words of your lips, I have kept hard ways. Direct my steps in your paths, that my steps may not slip. I have called, for you heard me, O God; incline your ear to me, and hearken to my words. Show the wonder of your mercies, you who save those that hope in you. Guard me, Lord, like the pupil of the eye, from those who resist your right hand. You will shelter me in the shelter of your wings, from the presence of the impious who afflicted me. My foes have surrounded my soul; they have shut their hearts, their mouth has spoken proudly. They cast me out and now they have encircled me, they have fixed their eyes to bow to the ground. They came on me like a lion ready for prey, and like a lion cub lurking in hidden places. Arise, Lord, forestall them and cast them down; deliver my soul from the impious, your sword from the foes of your hand. O Lord, divide them from the few of the land in their life, and their belly was filled from your hidden things. They have been sated with swine’s flesh and left the remainder to their infants. But I in justice will appear in your presence; I shall be satisfied when your glory has appeared to me.

Psalm 24
To you, O Lord, I have lifted my soul. My God, I have trusted in you, do not let me be shamed for ever. Do not let my foes laugh at me; for all who wait patiently for you shall not be shamed; let those who transgress without cause be shamed. O Lord, make your ways known to me, and teach me your paths. Guide me into your truth and teach me, for you are God my Saviour, and I have waited patiently on you all the day. Remember your acts of pity, Lord, and your mercies, for they are eternal. Do not remember the sins of my youth and ignorance; in accordance with your mercy remember me, on account of your goodness, O Lord. The Lord is good and upright, therefore he will give laws to those who sin on their way. He will guide the meek with judgement, he will teach the meek his ways. All the ways of the Lord are mercy and truth, for those who seek his covenant and his testimonies. For your name’s sake, O Lord, pardon my sin, for it is great. Who is one who fears the Lord? He will give him laws in the way which he has chosen. His soul will dwell among good things and his seed will inherit the earth. The Lord is the strength of those who fear him, and his covenant will show them this. My eyes are ever towards the Lord, for he will draw my feet out of the snare. Look on me and have mercy on me; for I am alone and poor. The afflictions of my heart have been multiplied; bring me out of my troubles. See my humiliation and my toil, and forgive all my sins. See my foes, for they have been multiplied, and have hated me with an unjust hatred. Guard my soul and deliver me; let me not be shamed, for I have hoped in you. The innocent and upright have joined themselves to me, because I have waited patiently for you, O Lord. O God, deliver Israel from all his afflictions.

Psalm 50
Have mercy on me, O God, in accordance with your great mercy. According to the multitude of your compassion blot out my offence. Wash me thoroughly from my wickedness, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my wickedness, and my sin is ever before me. Against you alone I have sinned and done what is evil in your sight, that you may be justified in your words and win when you are judged. For see, in wickedness I was conceived and in sin my mother bore me. For see, you have loved truth; you have shown me the hidden and secret things of your wisdom. You will sprinkle me with hyssop and I shall be cleansed. You will wash me and I shall be made whiter than snow. You will make me hear of joy and gladness; the bones which have been humbled will rejoice. Turn away your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquities. Create a clean heart in me, O God, and renew a right Spirit within me. Do not cast me out from your presence, and do not take your Holy Spirit from me. Give me back the joy of your salvation, and establish me with your sovereign Spirit. I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn to you again. O God, the God of my salvation, deliver me from bloodshed and my tongue will rejoice at your justice. Lord, you will open my lips, and my mouth will proclaim your praise. For if you had wanted a sacrifice, I would have given it. You will not take pleasure in burnt offerings. A sacrifice to God is a broken spirit. A broken and a humbled heart God will not despise. Do good to Sion, Lord, in your good pleasure, and let the walls of Jerusalem be rebuilt. Then you will be well pleased with a sacrifice of justice, oblation and whole burnt offerings. Then they will offer calves upon your altar.

Glory. Both now. Alleluia (x3 and 3 prostrations.) Lord, have mercy (x3).

And we read one Kathisma of the Psalter. At each Antiphon we make 3 prostrations and after the completion of the Kathisma we chant the following Troparion.

Tone 6

Lord, who at the third hour sent down your all-holy Spirit on your Apostles, do not take him from us, O Good One, but renew him in us who pray to you.

And as we repeat it we make a prostration to the ground, and likewise at the following two Verses.

Verse 1. Create a clean heart in me, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.

Lord, who at the third hour….

Verse 2. Do not cast me from your presence, do not take your Holy Spirit from me.

Lord, who at the third hour….

Glory. Both now. Theotokion.

Mother of God, you are the true vine, who gave bud to the fruit of life; we implore you, Sovereign Lady, intercede together with the Apostles and all the Saints that he have mercy on our souls.

And immediately we read from The Ladder.

From today the appointed Monk begins to wake the brothers throughout the whole of the holy Lent. He goes quietly and looks out the sleepers and rouses them to listen in the traditional manner.

After the reading the following

Blessed is the Lord God, blessed is the Lord day by day; may the God of our salvation give us prosperity.

Then: Holy God, Holy Strong, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us (three times).

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

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

Priest: For yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory, of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever, and to the ages of ages.

Reader: Amen.

And the following Troparia

Tone 8

Blessed are you, Christ our God, who showed fishermen to be most wise, by sending the Holy Spirit down upon them, and through them caught the whole world in a net. O lover of mankind, glory to you.

Glory.

Give swift and stable comfort to your servants, O Jesu, in the weariness of our spirits; in afflictions do not part from our souls, in troubles do not go far from our minds, but be always before us. Come near us, come near us, you who are everywhere. As you were always with your Apostles, so, Merciful One, unite yourself to those who long for you, that united to you we may hymn and glorify your all-holy Spirit.

Both now. Theotokion.

Immaculate Mother of God, you are the hope, protection and refuge of Christians, their unassailable wall, the untroubled harbour of the exhausted; but as you save the world by your unceasing intercession, remember us too, Virgin all-praised.

Then: Lord, have mercy. (x40).

At every time and at every hour, in heaven and on earth worshipped and glorified, Christ God, long-suffering, great in mercy, great in compassion, loving the just and merciful to sinners, calling all to salvation by the promise of the good things to come; do you, Lord, yourself accept our entreaties at this hour, and direct our lives to your commandments. Sanctify our souls, purify our bodies, correct our thoughts, cleanse our ideas and deliver us from every distress, evil, and pain. Wall us about with your holy Angels, that protected and guided by their host we may reach the unity of the faith and the knowledge of your unapproachable glory; for you are blessed to the ages of ages. Amen.

Lord, have mercy. (x3), Glory. Both now. Greater in honour than the Cherubim, and beyond compare more glorious than the Seraphim, without corruption you gave birth to God the Word, truly the Mother of God we magnify you. In the name of the Lord, bless, Father.

Priest: May God take pity…

We say the Prayer of St Ephrem with 4 full and 12 small metanias. Then Trisagion, All-holy Trinity, Our Father. For yours. Lord, have mercy (x12) and the Superior says the following

Prayer of St Mardarios

God and Master, Father almighty, Lord, only begotten Son, Jesus Christ and Holy Spirit, one godhead, one power, have mercy on me a sinner; and by the judgements which you know, save me your unworthy servant; for you are blessed to the ages of ages. Amen.

The Lamplighter, making the customary bow to the Superior leaves and strikes the simandron 6 times. And at once we start the Sixth Hour.

SIXTH HOUR

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

With 3 Metanias, then the Psalms.

Psalm 53
O God, save my by your name, and you will judge me by your power. O God, hear my prayer, give ear to the words of my mouth. For strangers have risen up against me, and mighty ones have sought my soul, and have not put God before them. For see, God will help me, and the Lord is the protector of my soul. He will turn evils upon my foes, in your truth wipe them out. Willingly I shall sacrifice to you, I shall give thanks to your name, O Lord, for it is good. For you have delivered me from every tribulation, and my eye has looked down on my foes.

Psalm 54
Give ear to my prayer, O God, and do not despise my supplication; attend to me, and hear me. I was grieved in my meditation, and troubled by the voice of the foe and the tribulation of the sinner. Because they cast iniquity upon me, and in anger they were indignant with me. My heart was troubled within me, and fear of death fell on me. Fear and trembling came upon me, and darkness covered me. And I said: Who will give me wings like a dove’s, and I shall fly away and find rest. See, I have gone far away in my flight, and have encamped in the wilderness. I waited for God who saves me from faint-heartedness and from storm. O Lord, drown and divide their tongues; because I have seen iniquity and wrangling in the city. Day and night it will go round upon its walls, and lawlessness and toil are in its midst, and injustice. Usury and fraud have not left its streets. For if an enemy had reviled me, I would have endured it. And if one who hated me had boasted against me, I would have hidden from him. But it was you, a man my equal, my guide and my friend. Who made sweet the food we ate together; we walked in harmony in the God’s house. Let death come upon them, and let them go down alive into hell. For evil is in their dwellings and in their midst. But I cried to God and the Lord heard me. At evening and morning and at midday I shall speak and declare, and he will listen to my voice. He will redeem my soul in peace from those who draw near me, for in crowds they were about me. God will hear and he who is before the ages will humble them. For there is no change with them, because they have not feared God; he has stretched out his hand to repay. They have defiled his covenant; they have been divided by the wrath from his presence, and their have drawn near. Their words were smoother than oil, yet they are javelins. Cast your care on the Lord, and he will support you; he will not let the just waver for ever. But you, O God, will bring them down to the pit of destruction. Men of bloodshed and deceit will not live out half their days; but I, Lord, shall hope in you.

Psalm 90
One who dwells in the help of the Most High will live under the protection of the of the God of heaven, will say to the Lord, ‘You are my protector and my refuge, my God, and I shall hope in him’. For he will deliver you from the snare of hunters, and from the word which troubles. He will overshadow you with his wings, and beneath his feathers you will hope; his truth will encircle you with a shield. You will not be afraid of terror by night, of the arrow that flies by day. Of the thing that prowls in the darkness, of mishap and the noonday devil. A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right, but it will not come near you. But with your eyes you will observe, and see the reward of sinners. For you, Lord, are my hope: you have made the Most High your refuge. Evils will not approach you, nor a scourge draw near your dwelling. Because he has given orders to his Angels about you, to guard you in all your ways. They will bear you on their hands, lest you dash your foot against a stone. You will walk on asp and basilisk, and trample down lion and dragon. ‘Because he hoped in me, I shall deliver him; I shall shelter him, because he knew my name. He will cry to me, and I shall hear him, I am with him in trouble; I shall rescue him and glorify him. I shall fill him with length of days, and show him my salvation’.

Glory. Both now. Alleluia (x3). Lord, have mercy (x3).

And we read one Kathisma of the Psalter. At each Antiphon we make 3 prostrations and after the completion of the Kathisma we chant the following Troparion.

Tone 2.

On the sixth day and at the sixth hour you nailed to the Cross the sin that Adam dared in Paradise: tear up the record of our offences, Christ God, and save us.

Verse 1. Give ear to my prayer, O God, and do not despise my supplication.

On the sixth day…

Verse 2. I cried to God and the Lord heard me.

On the sixth day…

And we make the prostrations as described for the 1st Hour.

Glory. Both now. Theotokion.

Because we have no boldness because of our many sins, entreat the One born of you, Virgin Mother of God; for a Mother’s plea has great force for the kindness of the Master. Do not despise the supplications of sinners, O all-holy, for he is merciful, and able to save, he who even accepted to suffer for us.

And 3 prostrations.

Then we sing the Troparion of the Prophecy, after which we read the Prophecy. This we do throughout the holy Lent at the Trithekti.

Then the reading from The Ladder and at once

Let your mercies, O Lord, come quickly to our aid, for we are utterly poor; help us, O God our Saviour, for the glory of your name. O Lord, deliver us, and have mercy on our sins, for your name’s sake.

Then: Holy God, Holy Strong, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us (three times).

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

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

Priest: For yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory, of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever, and to the ages of ages.

Reader: Amen.

And the following Troparia

Tone 2.

You have wrought salvation in the midst of the earth, Christ God; you stretched out your immaculate hands on the Cross, so gathering together all the nations, who cry: Lord, glory to you!

Glory.

We venerate your most pure icon, loving Lord, as we ask pardon of our offences, O Christ God; for by your own choice you were well-pleased to ascend the Cross in the flesh, to deliver from the slavery of the enemy those whom you had fashioned; therefore with thanksgiving we cry to you: you have filled all things with joy, our Saviour, by coming to save the world.

Both now. Theotokion.

As you are source of compassion, grant us pity, Mother of God. Look on a people who have sinned and show your power as always; for hoping in you we cry, ‘Hail’, as once Gabriel did, the Chief Captain of the Bodiless Powers.

This Theotokion is said on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, but on Wednesday and Friday the following is said:

Cross-Theotokion.

You are highly glorified, Virgin Mother of God, and we praise you, for through your Son’s Cross Hell has been overthrown and death has died; we who were dead have risen, and been granted life; we have obtained Paradise, the ancient happiness; and so with thanksgiving we glorify Christ our God as mighty and alone full of mercy.

Then Lord, have mercy (x40).

Priest: May God take pity…

We say the Prayer of St Ephrem with 4 full and 12 small metanias. Then Trisagion, All-holy Trinity, Our Father. For yours. Lord, have mercy (x12) and the Superior says the following

Prayer of St Basil the Great

O God and Lord of powers, and Maker of all creation, who through the compassion of your incomprehensible mercy sent down your only-begotten Son, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, for the salvation of our race, and through his precious Cross tore up the record of our sins, and by it triumphed over the principalities and powers of darkness; do you yourself, O Master who loves mankind, accept also our supplications of thanksgiving and entreaty; and deliver us from destroying and dark transgression, and from all our foes, visible and invisible, who seek to harm us. Nail down our flesh through fear of you, and do not let our hearts incline to words or thoughts of evil, but wound our souls with longing for you; that ever gazing upon you and guided by the light that comes from you, seeing you the unapproachable and everlasting light, we may give thanks to you, the Father without beginning, with your only-begotten Son and your all-holy, good and life-giving Spirit, now and for ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.

According to the Typika of the Holy Mountain the Reader at once adds:

It is truly right to call you blessed, who gave birth to God, ever-blessed and most pure, and Mother of our God. Greater in honour than the Cherubim and beyond compare more glorious than the Seraphim, without corruption you gave birth to God the Word; truly the Mother of God, we magnify you.

And Dismissal.

It is to be noted that after the Dismissal we leave the Church and go off to our cells with stillness; it is not allowed to have conversations with one another, for they have been forbidden by the holy Fathers, and we ought to observe this after every assembly.

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This page was last updated on 10 February 2001