Morning Prayers

The Opening

Glory to thee, our God, glory to thee.

O Heavenly King, O Paraclete, the Spirit of truth, that art every where present and that fillest all things, that art the Treasury of blessings and the Giver of life; come, and make thine abode in us, and cleanse us from every defilement, and save our souls, O Blessed One.

The Trisagion Prayers

Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy upon us. (Thrice.)

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

O Most Holy Trinity, have mercy upon us. O Lord, cleanse our sins. O Master, forgive our transgressions. Visit us, O Holy One, and heal our infirmities, for thy name's sake.

Lord, have mercy. (Thrice.) Glory. Both now.

The Lord's Prayer

Our Father, which 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 them that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation. But deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, now and ever, and to ages of ages. Amen.

O Come, Let Us Worship

O come, let us worship God, our King.

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

O come, let us worship and fall down before Christ himself, our God and King.

Psalm 50 (51)

Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy great mercy, and according to the multitude of thy compassions, cleanse my transgression. Wash me throughly from my transgression, and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgression, and my sin is continually before me. Against thee only have I sinned, and done evil in thy sight, that thou mightest be justified in thy words and mightest overcome when thou art judged. Behold, I was shapen in transgressions, and in sins did my mother conceive me. Behold, thou hast loved truth, thou hast manifested to me the secret and hidden things of thy wisdom. Thou shalt sprinkle me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: thou shalt wash me, and I shall be made whiter than snow. Thou shalt make me to hear of joy and gladness, and the bones which thou hast broken shall rejoice. Turn thy face from my sins, and cleanse all my transgressions. 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 stablish me with thy free Spirit. I will teach thy ways unto transgressors, and the wicked shall be converted unto thee. Deliver me from blood-guiltiness, O God, thou that art the God of my salvation, and my tongue shall sing of thy righteousness. Thou shalt open my lips, O Lord, and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise. For if thou hadst desired sacrifice, I would have given it, but thou delightest not in burnt offerings. Sacrifice to God is a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart God will not despise. Be gracious, O Lord, in thy good pleasure unto Sion, and let the walls of Jerusalem be built. Then shalt thou be well pleased with the sacrifice of righteousness, with the oblations and holocausts. Then shall they offer young bullocks upon thine altar.

The Creed (Confession of Faith)

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 only-begotten Son of God, who was begotten of the Father before all ages, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father, by whom all things were made; Who for us men, and for our salvation, came down from the heavens, and was incarnate of the Holy Ghost and the Virgin Mary, and was made man; And was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered and was buried; And rose again the third day according to the Scriptures; And ascended into the heavens, and sitteth at the right hand of the Father; And shall come again with glory to judge both the quick and the dead, of whose kingdom there shall be no end.

And in the Holy Ghost, the Lord, the Giver of life, who proceedeth from the Father, who with the Father and the Son is together worshipped and glorified, who spake 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 in the ages to come. Amen.

Troparion on Rising from Sleep

Thou hast aroused me from my bed and from sleep, O Lord. And now enlighten my mind and heart, and open my lips to sing to thee, O holy Trinity, Holy, holy, holy art thou, O God. Through the Mother of God, have mercy upon us.

From the Daily Prayers of the Russian Primer (Moscow, Synodal Press), translated by R. W. Blackmore, 1845

Thanksgiving on Rising

O Lord, I thank Thee with my whole heart that Thou hast raised me up from sleep safe and sound, that Thou hast scattered the darkness of night, and gladdened mine eyes with the light of this day. And now, O Lord, I believe in Thee with my whole heart; scatter, I pray Thee, the darkness of my ignorance, and of my passions, and lighten my mind and my will with Thy almighty grace. Grant me to do cheerfully and zealously every work which Thou hast appointed for me, and reverently to search out the wonders hidden in Thy holy law, ever calling with boldness upon Thy holy Name.

Ascribed to St Basil the Great; the second prayer of the daily Nocturns in Shann

Morning Prayer: O Lord Almighty, God of Hosts

O Lord almighty, God of hosts and of all flesh, who dwellest on high and lookest down on the humble, who searchest the hearts and reins, and foreseest clearly things hidden unto men, Light without beginning and everlasting, with whom is no variableness nor the shadow of turning; thyself, O immortal King, accept the prayers which, trusting in the multitude of thy mercies, we dare to offer unto thee with our impure lips. And forgive us the offences which we have committed in deeds, words and thoughts, knowingly and unknowingly. Cleanse us from every defilement of the flesh and spirit; and grant that we may, with watchful heart and sober mind, pass through all the night of our present life, awaiting the coming of the bright and appointed day of thine only-begotten Son, our Lord, God and Saviour, Jesus Christ, in the which he shall come with glory to judge all men and render to every one according to his works, so that, neither lapsing nor slothful, but watchful and doing, we may be found prepared, and may enter into the joy and divine mansion of his glory, where unceasing is the voice of the feasting, and unspeakable the bliss of them that behold the infinite goodness of thy countenance. For thou art the true Light, which enlighteneth and sanctifieth all things, and all creation singeth thee to ages of ages. Amen.

Ascribed to St Basil the Great; the third prayer of the daily Nocturns in Shann

Morning Prayer: We Bless Thee, O God Most High

We bless thee, O God most high and Lord of mercy, who ever doest amongst us great and unsearchable, glorious and terrible things, of which there is no number, and who grantest unto us sleep to rest our weakness and to relieve the labour of our toiling flesh. We give thee thanks that thou hast not destroyed us in our transgressions, but, in thy wonted love to man, hast raised us lying in despair to glorify thy power. Therefore we pray thee of thine unmeasurable goodness to enlighten our thoughts and our eyes, and to raise our minds from the heavy sleep of sloth. Open our lips and fill them with thy praise, that we may continually sing and give thanks unto thee, O God, the unbeginning Father, who in all things and by all things, together with thine only-begotten Son, and thy most holy, and good, and life-creating Spirit, art glorified, now and ever, and to ages of ages. Amen.

Commemoration of the Departed

Remember, O Lord, our fathers and brethren who sleep in hope of resurrection to eternal life, and all who have departed in piety and faith. And forgive them all their sins, voluntary and involuntary, which by deed, word, or intention, they have committed. And place them in shining, tranquil and refreshing places, whence are driven away all sickness, sadness and sighing, and where the light of thy countenance shineth and rejoiceth all thy Saints for ever. Grant unto them and unto us thy kingdom, and the communion of thine unspeakable and eternal blessings, and the enjoyment of thine endless and blissful life. For thou art the Resurrection, and the Life, and the Repose of thy sleeping servants, O Christ our God, and to thee we ascribe glory, with thine unbeginning Father, and thy most holy, and good, and life-creating Spirit, now and ever, and to ages of ages. Amen.

Concluding Praises

O most glorious ever-virgin Mother of Christ our God, bring our prayers to thy Son and our God, that, for thy sake, he may save our souls.

The Father is my trust, the Son is my refuge, the Holy Ghost is my protection. O holy Trinity, glory to thee.