Midnight Prayers

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

Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

O Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of Truth, who art everywhere present and fillest all things with Thy grace, Treasury of good things and Giver of life: come and abide in us, and cleanse us from every stain, and save our souls, O Good One. *

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

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

O Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. O Lord, deliver us and release us from our sins; O Master, pardon our iniquities; O Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities, for Thy name’s sake.

Lord, have mercy. (Thrice)

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and unto 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 debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

Rising from sleep we fall down before Thee, O Good One, and cry to Thee the angelic hymn, O Mighty One: Holy, Holy, Holy art Thou, O God; through the Theotokos have mercy on us.

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

From my bed and from sleep Thou hast raised me, O Lord: enlighten my mind and heart, and open my lips to praise Thee, O Holy Trinity: Holy, Holy, Holy art Thou, O God; through the Theotokos have mercy on us.

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

Suddenly the Judge shall come, and the deeds of each shall be laid bare; but with fear let us cry at midnight: Holy, Holy, Holy art Thou, O God; through the Theotokos have mercy on us.

Lord, have mercy. (Twelve times)

Having risen from sleep, I thank Thee, O Holy Trinity, that in Thy great goodness and long-suffering Thou hast not been angry with me, the slothful sinner, nor hast Thou destroyed me in my iniquities, but hast shown me Thy wonted love for mankind, and as I lay in the abyss of despair Thou hast raised me up to rise at dawn and to glorify Thy might. Now enlighten the eyes of my mind, open my mouth to meditate on Thy words, to understand Thy ways, to do Thy will, and to sing to Thy name with the confession of my heart. To glorify and to hymn Thine all-honourable name, of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Glory to Thee, O King, God Almighty, for by Thy divine providence and love for mankind Thou hast made me, a sinner and unworthy, fit to rise from sleep and to enter Thy holy temple: accept, O Lord, the voice of my supplication as that of Thy holy and noetic bodiless powers.

And be pleased to accept the praise offered to Thee with a pure heart and a humble spirit from these my unworthy lips, that I too may share with the wise virgins, with the shining lamp of my soul, and glorify Thee, O God the Word, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

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

The Lord is my light and my Saviour; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the defender of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When evil-doers drew nigh against me to eat up my flesh, my persecutors and mine enemies, they fainted and fell. Though an army should set itself in array against me, my heart shall not be afraid: though war should rise up against me, in this am I confident. One thing have I asked of the Lord, this will I earnestly seek: that I should dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, that I should behold the fair beauty of the Lord, and survey his temple. For in the day of mine afflictions he hid me in his tabernacle: he sheltered me in the secret of his tabernacle; he set me up on a rock. And now, behold, he has lifted up mine head over mine enemies: I went round and offered in his tabernacle the sacrifice of joy; I will sing, even sing psalms to the Lord. Hear, O Lord, my voice which I have uttered aloud: pity me, and hearken to me. My heart said to thee, I have diligently sought thy face: thy face, O Lord, I will seek. Turn not thy face away from me, turn not thou away from thy servant in anger: be thou my helper, forsake me not; and, O God my Saviour, overlook me not. For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the Lord has taken me to himself. Teach me, O Lord, in thy way, and guide me in a right path, because of mine enemies. Deliver me not over to the desire of them that afflict me; for unjust witnesses have risen up against me, and injustice has lied within herself. I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and let thy heart be strengthened: yea, wait on the Lord.

I cried to the Lord with my voice, yea, my voice was addressed to God; and he gave heed to me. In the day of mine affliction I earnestly sought the Lord; even with my hands by night before him, and I was not deceived; my soul refused to be comforted. I remembered God, and rejoiced; I poured out my complaint, and my soul fainted. Pause. All mine enemies set a watch against me: I was troubled, and spoke not. I considered the days of old, and remembered ancient years. And I meditated; I communed with my heart by night, and diligently searched my spirit, saying, Will the Lord cast off for ever? and will he be well pleased no more? Will he cut off his mercy for ever, even for ever and ever? Will God forget to pity? or will he shut up his compassions in his wrath? Pause. And I said, Now I have begun; this is the change of the right hand of the Most High. I remembered the works of the Lord; for I will remember thy wonders from the beginning. And I will meditate on all thy works, and will consider thy doings. O God, thy way is in the sanctuary; who is a great God as our God? Thou art the God that doest wonders; thou hast made known thy power among the nations. Thou hast with thine arm redeemed thy people, the sons of Jacob and Joseph. Pause. The waters saw thee, O God, the waters saw thee, and feared; and the depths were troubled. There was an abundant sound of waters: the clouds uttered a voice; for thine arrows went abroad. The voice of thy thunder was abroad, and around thy lightnings appeared to the world; the earth trembled and quaked. Thy way is in the sea, and thy paths in many waters, and thy footsteps cannot be known. Thou didst guide thy people as sheep by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

O Lord, thou hast proved me, and known me. Thou knowest my down-sitting and mine up-rising: thou understandest my thoughts long before. Thou hast traced my path and my bed, and hast foreseen all my ways. For there is no unrighteous word in my tongue: behold, O Lord, thou hast known all things, the last and the first: thou hast fashioned me, and laid thine hand upon me. The knowledge of thee is too wonderful for me; it is very difficult, I cannot attain to it. Whither shall I go from thy Spirit? and whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I should go up to heaven, thou art there: if I should go down to hell, thou art present. If I should spread my wings to fly straight forward, and sojourn at the extremity of the sea, it would be vain, for even there thy hand would guide me, and thy right hand would hold me. When I said, Surely the darkness will cover me; even the night was light in my luxury. For darkness will not be darkness with thee; but night will be light as day: as its darkness, so shall its light be to thee. For thou, O Lord, hast possessed my reins; thou hast helped me from my mother's womb. I will give thee thanks; for thou art fearfully wondrous; wondrous are thy works; and my soul knows it well. My bones which thou madest in secret were not hidden from thee, nor my substance, in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes saw my unwrought substance, and all men shall be written in thy book; they shall be formed by day, though there should for a time be no one among them. But thy friends, O God, have been greatly honoured by me; their rule has been greatly strengthened. I will number them, and they shall be multiplied beyond the sand; I awake, and am still with thee. Oh that thou wouldest slay the wicked, O God; depart from me, ye men of blood. For thou wilt say concerning their thought, that they shall take thy cities in vain. Have I not hated them, O Lord, that hate thee? and wasted away because of thine enemies? I have hated them with perfect hatred; they were counted my enemies. Prove me, O God, and know my heart; examine me, and know my paths; and see if there is any way of iniquity in me, and lead me in an everlasting way.

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

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, glory to Thee, O God. (Thrice)

Lord, have mercy. (Thrice)

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

Consider now, O my soul, the sudden coming of the Judge; rise from sleep at midnight and cry: Holy, Holy, Holy art Thou, O our God; through the Theotokos have mercy on us.

I lay down and slept; I awaked, for the Lord will help me.

Let us all keep watch, O ye faithful, and go out to meet Christ with abundant oil and bright lamps, that we may be counted worthy to enter the bridal chamber; for he who is left outside the door crieth to God in vain: Have mercy on me, O Lord.

At midnight I arose to give thanks to Thee for the judgements of Thy righteousness.

At the hour of midnight prayer, O sinless Saviour, grant me a mind of understanding, O my God, and have mercy on me.

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

O Christ God, who from the Virgin didst shine forth upon the world, and through her didst show us to be children of light, O Almighty One.

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

O all-holy Mother of God, wall of Christians, deliver thy people who cry unceasingly: Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee, O heavenly Father, glory to Thee. Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee, O almighty Son, glory to Thee. Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee, O all-holy Spirit, glory to Thee. O God, holy Trinity, glory to Thee. For to Thee are due glory and praise.

Thou alone didst create all things by Thine ineffable counsel and Thy power. Thou didst stretch out the heavens like a vault and hang the earth upon the waters; Thou didst spread the ether like fire and pour out breath upon the air; Thou didst make the great lights to shine for the ruler of this earth. For Thou didst make all things for my sake, O invincible Son of God; Thou didst fashion me after Thine image and form me with Thy hand, O Invisible One; Thou didst bring me into the delight of paradise and honour me with the word of understanding; Thou didst warn me of the sting of death and show me the tree of life. In Thy foreknowledge Thou didst command me not to eat of that tree, for the sake of my life. But I neglected Thy law and despised Thy commandment, and for this I was deprived of the tree of life and fell away from sweet communion with Thee, and so, crushed by sin, I gained for myself the death that cutteth off. Yet Thy chastisement, O Long-suffering One, became for me a cause of life. Therefore Thou wast moved with mercy and, like a father, didst instruct me in every way, cleansing me with fears and wounds, for chastisement destroyeth evil. Thou gavest me the Law as a help and sentest the prophets to preach. And in the last times Thou didst empty Thyself, for Thou hadst pity on Thy creature; as the good Shepherd Thou camest for my sake, the sheep that had strayed. Thou wast pleased to be born of a Virgin, Thou who art uncontainable in Thy Godhead; Thou didst put on the form of a servant, Thou who rulest over the bodiless powers, and thereby didst abolish the grief of the curse and condemn that first transgression. Thou didst bear all our infirmities and take our sicknesses upon Thyself. As one poor and hungry Thou wast despised, Thou who fillest every living thing with Thy gifts; Thou didst appear without place or home, Thou who coverest the heavens as with a roof. Thou camest to Thine own as a stranger, Thou who holdest the earth and the sea in the hollow of Thy hand, that Thou mightest make me Thine own, who had become a stranger through sin, O Good One. And Thou didst grieve and suffer according to the law of nature, to deliver me from evils. Thou didst take the sicknesses of all and grant healing to the infirm. Thou didst work mighty wonders as God and man beyond nature: Thou didst cleanse lepers with a word and open the eyes of the blind by Thy command. Thou camest to the Passion of Thine own will and didst call forth from hell the man four days dead. Thou didst sup with the disciples in a new way, as the head of humility: Thou didst gird Thyself with a towel, Thou who girdest the world with its bounds; Thou didst bend Thy knees, Thou before whom all serve on bended knee; Thou didst wash the feet of Thy servants, Thou in whose hand is the breath of every creature. Thou didst pray to the Father as one who shareth His throne, Thou who hearest the prayers of all. Thou who sendest rain upon the earth didst sweat drops of blood; Thou didst grieve as one truly made man, Thou who hast made me divine. With a kiss of guile Thou, the Priceless One, wast sold by a disciple to the lawless; as an evildoer Thou, the Righteous One, wast bound and stoodest before the judges of the condemned. Thou gavest Thy back to the scourges and Thy cheeks to buffeting, to heal the wounds of my evils and free my face from shame. Thou wast clothed in purple as one mocked, Thou who grantest me the kingdom. They crowned Thy head with thorns, but Thou, who didst adorn the earth with flowers, didst break the fierceness of the curse and adorn me with a crown of glory. They struck Thy head with a reed, with which Thou didst write for me the forgiveness of sins, O Word of God. On Thy shoulders Thou didst bear the tree on which Thou didst lift me up also, who had gone astray. Thou wast nailed naked to the Cross, to clothe me with the garment of incorruption; Thou didst stretch out Thine incorrupt hands and call me, the captive of the enemy. Thy life-giving side was pierced with a spear and poured forth the precious blood, by which the whole world is renewed, sprinkled with Thy blood; Thou didst taste death and slay death by Thy death, O Immortal One, and the first-formed man, who had died, Thou didst change into immortal glory. Friends secretly anointed Thy holy body with spices and buried Thee in the tomb as one dead, Thou who shuttest the abyss by Thy command. But on the third day Thou didst rise and raise our nature with Thee; Thou didst glorify it, lift it up with the soul, and make it to share the Father’s throne. Wondrous are Thy works, O Lover of mankind, beyond word, understanding and thought; Thy dispensation, O Master, is beyond the grasp of the human mind. I glorify Thy goodness and proclaim Thy mercy, O Christ; I worship Thy love for mankind, O Holy One, and I serve Thine ineffable sweetness. With thanksgiving I fall down before Thee and entreat Thee, and at midnight I cry to Thee: O Merciful One, be merciful and have mercy on me, who am unworthy of mercy. Have compassion on me and save me, and raise me up, who am held fast in great slackness and in the sleep of unseemly deeds, walking in darkness in my thoughts: I have spent my life in sloth. But my hope art Thou alone, and to Thee I lift up my eyes, to Thine unchanging and sleepless eye. Like a father who loveth his children, press to Thy bosom this Thy prodigal child, O Lover of souls, for I have corrupted the temple of the flesh and defiled the soul with my thoughts. Not one of Thy commandments have I kept, but I have grieved Thine all-holy Spirit. As a man I have done iniquity, O Master; as God grant me forgiveness. Let not the countless multitude of my evils overcome Thine ineffable grace; have mercy on me freely, as one who hath nothing, for I, a servant, can bring nothing worthy of Thee, who art full of gifts, the Maker and Creator of all natures: every good thing offered to Thee, the Giver, is given by Thee. And no mortal shall be justified before Thee by works, as it is written. Deliver me from the terror by night and grant me the day of life, O Merciful One; deliver me from that which walketh in darkness and from all the malice of demons; number me with the wise virgins, O Bridegroom boundless in goodness. When Thou comest from heaven at midnight and callest to the meeting of Thy dread Second Coming those whom mercy and purity make radiant and who have served Thee watchfully, Thou wilt count them worthy of the joy of Thy bridal chamber and fill them with blessedness, making them sit at supper with Thee as Thou didst promise. In that hour have mercy on me, O Jesus, righteous Judge, for I have no wedding garment. Bind not my hands and feet, nor send me into the outer darkness, where the worm sleepeth not and the fire of Gehenna is never quenched. And let me not hear: Depart from Me, I know thee not, thou worker of iniquity. But look upon me with a merciful eye. With tears I fall down before Thee, like the publican and the harlot: open to me the door of mercy and number me with all the righteous, that with them I may sing Thy praise, whom the Principalities and Powers glorify, the prophets and apostles, the martyrs, the hosts of shepherds and of the righteous, the assemblies of the holy fathers, priests, patriarchs and preachers, and whom Thine all-holy Mother entreateth as a mother, that Thou mayest be merciful to Thy servants. For to Thee are due honour and worship, O good Jesus who lovest mankind, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto the endless ages of ages. Amen.

With fear of heart, O Christ my Saviour, I stand before Thee in this hour of prayer and offer a hymn of thanksgiving to Thee, the only King and Creator, who by divine counsel didst make me, and didst enrich me with many gifts, and didst love me so much that Thou didst even become man and die for me. But I, wretch that I am, have forgotten this great love of Thine, O Deliverer; I have wholly enslaved myself to my flesh and defiled my soul together with the flesh, and now I stand condemned, O Judge, and await Thy just sentence. But grant me forgiveness of my sins and accept the streams of my tears.

I sing of thy grace, O Lady, and I pray thee: fill my mind with grace; direct me, that I may walk in the way of the Lord’s commandments. Strengthen me in watchfulness at the hymn, me who am held fast by the sleep of slothfulness. Loose me from the bonds of my sins by thine intercession, O Bride of God. By night and by day keep me from the assaults of the devil, and save me. Thou who didst conceive God the Giver of life, quicken me who am slain by the passions. Thou who didst bear the unwaning Light, enlighten my darkened soul. O glorious throne of the King, cleanse me to be a temple of the Holy Spirit. Thou who didst bear the Physician of all, heal the grievous passions of my soul. Me who am tossed by the waves of this world, bring into calm. Deliver me from the eternal fire and from the worm that ceaselessly torments. Show me not as a joy to the demons, me who have committed many sins. Strengthen me in the battle of the passions, O all-immaculate Virgin. Make me a stranger to every torment, and make me acceptable to the God of all. Make me worthy to attain to heavenly joy with all the saints. O most holy Virgin, hear the supplication of thine unworthy and unprofitable servant. Grant me an abyss of tears, O Lady, that I may cleanse the defilement of my soul. Send into my heart the sigh of compunction, O Lady. Hear this my weak supplication, O holy one, and offer it to the good God. O thou who art higher than the angels, show me higher than the passions. O thou who art clothed in light, make thy grace to dwell in me, and make me fragrant. I lift up my hands and open my defiled lips to praise thee. O most holy one, by thine unceasing supplication to Christ deliver me from the soul-destroying passions; for to Him is due honour and worship, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

I, Thine unworthy servant, fall down before Thy countless mercies, Thy great love for mankind and Thy surpassing goodness, O Christ my King and my God, in this dread and glorious hour, when by Thee the darkness of night is driven away before the face of the light of the coming day. Thou who hast driven from Thy servants every snare stirred up by the enemy, drive it from me also; overthrow those that have entered my soul and defile it, and plant in me Thy grace, which all Thy saints who have pleased Thee from the ages have gained, that it may teach me how I ought to walk before Thee in a way pleasing to Thee on this coming day and all the days of my life, until I depart from this world, O good Lord who lovest mankind. For Thou hast said: “Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.” Behold, I am come, heavy laden with sin and worn out by iniquity, having wasted all my days in stubbornness and my hours in impurity; and now, ashamed and confounded, I knock at the door of Thy mercy. Open to me, O Lord, open to me according to Thy word, for Thou hast said: “Knock, and it shall be opened unto you; seek, and ye shall find; ask, and ye shall receive.” Now, trusting in Thy words, I, the unworthy one, ask of Thee with sighing, though I hear from Thee also that dreadful and terrifying voice: “Cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness, where there is unceasing weeping of eyes and unending gnashing of teeth.” But have mercy on me together with the others who sinned and afterwards repented, for none is without sin before Thee, O Lord, though I have angered Thee more than all men, Thee who alone art good and lovest mankind. Yet Thou hast said, O Lord, by the mouth of Thy holy apostle Paul, that where sin abounded, the grace of repentance did much more abound. But I, wretch that I am, have not heaped up my sins for the increase of grace; rather, like a senseless beast, foolish and bereft of mind, I have spent all the days of my life foully and loathsomely in defilement, and I have not felt the bonds of the pleasures of my stubbornness; and now, ashamed and confounded, I stand idle in the marketplace and entreat Thee, O good One who lovest mankind, who didst send the idle labourers of the eleventh hour to work in Thy vineyard and didst bid them share equally with those who had borne the burden of the day and the heat of the sun: so now accept this last repentance of mine, Thine unworthy and unprofitable servant. Though I am impure and not contrite in measure with my sins, Thou alone canst cleanse and soften this hard mind of mine, save me freely, who have been sold to the demons, turn me to Thee, my good God, and make me worthy of Thee, that I may ever tell of Thy wonders and glorify Thy holy name, O good Jesus who lovest mankind, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto the endless ages of ages. Amen.

O most glorious Lady Theotokos, hope of my life, hear my supplication, have pity on my sighs, accept my lamentations and be merciful to me, moved to compassion by my tears. Be kind to me, as the Mother of the King who loveth mankind; look upon me and heed my prayer; refresh this thirsting mind of mine, and number me with those who from the ages have pleased thy Son, in the land of the meek, in the dwelling of the righteous, with the assembly of the saints. And make me worthy, O hope and joy of all, O radiant light — I entreat thee, O blessed one — to share with them that truly ineffable joy of God the King who was born of thee, and His all-desirable bridal chamber, His unfailing delight, the light that never satieth and never setteth, and the kingdom without end. O Lady Theotokos, my refuge, my helper, the weapon and boast of my life, my hope and my strength, make me worthy to delight with them in the ineffable and countless gifts of thy Son in the heavenly mansions. For I know that thou hast the power to help, if only thou willest, and canst do all things as the Mother of the Most High. Therefore I make bold and entreat thee: let me not be deprived of my hope, O all-holy Lady, but make me worthy to attain it, O Bride of God, who didst ineffably bear the hope of all, our Lord Jesus Christ, the true God and King, to whom be glory with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

O Lord my God, raise me up now to worship Thee in this glorious hour; open my lips to sing to Thee, and grant me, O Lord, the knowledge of repentance for my salvation, and blot out the multitude of my sins by Thy mercy, for Thou canst do all things, O only Lover of mankind. Awaken my mind to understanding, that I may say: Why sleepest thou, O my soul? Remember thy parting from the body, when the lips will be dumb for prayer, when the hands will be unable to labour, when there will be no word left for falling down or for confession, and tears will profit nothing, for all will lie idle. But now be watchful, and now cry out: Have mercy on me, O only sinless Lord. As the prophet David spoke of giving thanks at midnight, so I too, the slothful one, have awakened, O Christ my God, and become watchful, again, O Lover of mankind, by the help of Thy Holy Spirit. I have left the fancies of sleep and the thoughts of dreams, and now I say to my soul: Arise, O my soul, from thy fall, and stand to praise Christ, that He, the King and Lord, may wholly deliver thee from affliction. Come, O my soul, to the Lord with repentance, and pray ever for thyself to Christ the Saviour, who came to earth and was born of the Virgin. Grant me, O Lord, and accept my tears as those of the harlot; and flee, O soul, to Him who endured many afflictions for thee and by His death destroyed death, and cry to Him with all thy heart: Glory to Thee, O Christ our God, King of heaven. Grant me the contrite sighing of the publican, and deliver me from the outer darkness, from the unquenchable fire and from the sleepless worm. Swiftly I entreat Thee, my Deliverer and Lord, and with compunction and without ceasing I cry to Thee thus: Thou who at midnight wast born in a cave of the holy Virgin, O Lover of mankind, and wast laid in a manger of beasts, O King, turn me also, Thine unworthy servant, born in sin and become like the beasts, and save me. Thou who at midnight openest to Thy faithful the door of the bridal chamber, O Lover of mankind, open to me also, Thine unworthy servant, the door of Thy mercy. Thou who at midnight didst appear to Thine apostles on the sea and walk upon the waves, bring me also, Thine unworthy servant, unharmed out of the waves of this life. Thou who at midnight didst sanctify the waters of the Jordan, O Lover of mankind, cleanse me also, Thine unworthy servant, from my sins. Thou who at midnight didst enlighten those walking in the darkness of sin, bring me also, Thine unworthy servant, from darkness to light, and save me. Thou who at midnight didst go up alone into the mountain to pray, O merciful Master, accept my prayer also, unworthy as I am, O Lover of mankind, and save me. Thou who at midnight didst bid the disciples pray watchfully, deliver me also, Thine unworthy servant, held fast by heavy sleep, and save me. Thou who at midnight didst stand before Caiaphas for judgement, O righteous Judge, deliver me also, Thine unworthy servant, from judgement and condemnation, and save me. Thou who at midnight didst grant forgiveness to Peter who denied Thee, number me also, Thine unworthy servant, with his portion. Thou who of Thine own will wast laid in the tomb in the flesh, O Immortal One, deliver me also, Thine unworthy servant, from the prison of sins, and save me. Thou who at midnight didst deliver Joseph from death, O Lover of mankind, bring me also, Thine unworthy servant, up from death to life. Thou who at midnight didst go down into hell, O Merciful One, and set free those held captive there, set me free also, Thine unworthy servant, the captive of the enemy. Thou who at midnight didst rise from the dead and raise the dead, O Immortal One, make me also, Thine unworthy servant, worthy of the everlasting resurrection. Thou who at midnight, O Lover of mankind, didst come in to Thy disciples when the doors were shut, make me also, Thine unworthy servant, worthy of mercy together with them. Thou who art to come at midnight to require the debts, O Master, number me also, Thine unworthy servant, with the zealous labourers of the vineyard, and save me. Thou who enlightenest the darkness of the abysses with the light of Thy Godhead, enlighten me also with the light of Thy mercies. O immortal King, accept my sighs and tears, for Thou, O Deliverer, hast countless mercy, and Thou alone, as God, art the Master of death and life. At midnight I offer prayer to Thee, the Saviour and God of all, for Thou hast said, O Lord my God: “Call upon Me, and I will hear thee”; for Thou alone lovest mankind and in Thy goodness acceptest the prayers of all. Remember not now, O Benefactor and most merciful One, my iniquities, for they are more than the sand of the sea, and nothing can equal the multitude of my sins: my hands have done every evil in my life, and my wicked deeds bear witness against me. But I entreat Thee, O only Lord, be pleased to save me through tears of repentance, that I may cry to Thee boldly in supplication: Grant me, O Good One, forgiveness of my sins. Thou who knowest the secrets of my heart, Knower of hidden things and Physician of passions and wounds, heal me and cleanse me in this very life, deliver me from the eternal torments there for the sake of Thy holy name, and grant me to pass the time that remaineth in peace, O Lover of mankind, that in it we may worship Thine all-glorious and precious name; for Thou art the King of heaven and earth, and Thou art the Lord of death and life, O Christ our God. Therefore I entreat Thee as God, O Son without beginning, with the Father without beginning and Thy Holy Spirit. O glorious holy Trinity, undivided and unconfused, without beginning and without end, who hast revealed Thyself in our hearts ever to enlighten our souls! With one accord we all glorify Thee, O holy Trinity, all-glorious, undivided single Godhead: take not Thy mercy from me, but accept the supplication of us Thy creatures who stand before Thee, singing and glorifying Thee with unceasing lips; look with Thy sleepless eye upon our weakness and grant us a time of repentance. O holy Trinity, accept our prayer and the sighing of my poor soul, and let not my sins overcome me on the dread day of judgement, but deliver us who hope in Thee from endless affliction and unending woe, and make us worthy, O Good One, of the joy of the saints, which passeth not away and hath no end. For Thou art merciful, good and loving to mankind, O our God, and to Thee we send up glory, with the Father and Thy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee, O all-holy and good One, glory to Thee, for Thou hast shaken the foundations of the earth by Thy nod, O Christ our God: shake also in Thy mercy our mind, loosened by sloth through many sins; after Thy wont have mercy, O Christ, on my weakness. Swiftly turn away from us Thy wrath, which Thou hast justly brought upon all, for with sighing and tears we groan and await utter ruin. Remember not the evils that we have done, O only Lover of mankind who bearest no grudge. Show Thy wonderful mercy upon me, O Master, from this generation and for ever: as Thou didst have mercy on the Ninevites, so have mercy on us also, O Lord, who like them have justly roused Thy wrath by our evil deeds, O Master. Uproot us not like the Sodomites, together with the wicked and the sick; bury us not beneath the walls, us who are covered with many sins; and let us not become a laughingstock to all the heathen and to those who know Thee not. For we are filled with much grief and held fast by measureless shame, bound by bitter habit; but as Thou hast shown us Thy fear, O Word, so show us also Thy mercy, us who have no mercy and do not keep Thy commandment, who ever live obstinately, have no rest at all from evil, and pass Thy mercies by. But be merciful and compassionate to these Thy foolish servants, through the prayers of the holy angels and of John the Baptist, of Thine all-wise apostles, the prophets, the blessed and holy martyrs, the assembly of Thy many saints and the souls of all the righteous, and through the intercession of the holy Theotokos, O merciful and good One, have mercy on our souls, that being saved we may cry out together with a voice of thanksgiving: Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee, who hast had mercy on us, the poor. Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee, who woundest and healest again. O Father, Son and Holy Spirit, praised as one in essence, save us, for to Thee are due honour and worship unto ages of ages. Amen.

O Christ, Master of all, Thou knowest that Thou art merciful and lovest mankind, and Thou knowest how much I have sinned: forgive me and have mercy on me, be my helper and guide me in Thy ways; teach me to do Thy will, enlighten me and give me understanding as Thou knowest in Thy goodness, that I may not forsake Thee and despise Thy grace by walking in my own will. Behold, O Lord, into Thy hands I commend my soul, and I ask that I may walk according to Thy commandments; be my helper, O Master, that even if today I cannot walk in Thy commandments with all my heart as I ought, I may at least be strengthened a little to keep Thy precepts. For I trust in Thy grace that from now on I shall no longer seek my own will, that I may struggle until death, strengthened by hope in Thee, and ever fulfil Thy will and attain the everlasting good things, through the prayers of Thy Mother, our most glorious Lady the Theotokos, and of all Thy saints. Amen.

Many and glorious are the gifts given me by my Creator and God; but I, the wretched one, forgot them all and became ungrateful; I imitated the senseless dumb beasts and became like them; I grew poor in virtues and rich in passions; I was filled with sin and shame, and was deprived of divine boldness; I became condemned by God, convicted by my sins and put to shame by my evil deeds. Before death I am dead, before the judgement I am self-condemned, and before those eternal torments I am tormented by thoughts of despair. Therefore to thee alone I flee, my swift helper, O Theotokos, all-holy, Mother of the Saviour; thee I entreat, I who owe those ten thousand talents, who have squandered in prodigality the wealth of my Father, and have sinned more than the harlot and Manasseh and the merciless rich man; I have become a slave of lusts, a harbourer of evil thoughts, a speaker of base words, and a stranger to every good deed. Now therefore I entreat thee: have mercy on my poverty and be merciful to my weakness, for thou hast great boldness before God who was born of thee, such as none other hath. Thou canst do all things, O Mother of God, and art mighty in all, for thou art higher than all creatures, and nothing is impossible to thee that thou willest. Despise not my tears, abhor not my sighing, turn not away from my supplication and this pain of my heart, but by thy motherly intercession make thy good and sweet Son and our God merciful to me, and make me, this sinful and unworthy servant of thine, worthy to regain the first beauty of the virtues and to be parted from the ugliness of the passions; to be set free from sin and to become a servant of righteousness; to put off the coarseness of fleshly lusts and to put on the radiance of spiritual purity; to die to the world and to live in the service of God. Be my companion on the road; if I cross the sea, be my helper; and ever fight against my enemies, the demons who war against me from on high. In watchfulness be my strength; if I sleep, be my protector; if I am given over to affliction, deliver me; in faint-heartedness be my comforter; save me from those who do harm, and clear me before slanderers; if I draw near to death, come swiftly to me and drive away my invisible enemies with terror, that those my enemies, the evil demons, may know that I am thy servant. Yea, O most holy Lady Theotokos, hear this weak supplication of thy servant; look upon my soul and save it; deliver me from mine enemies, and let me not be put to shame in my hope, O Hope of all the ends of the earth. Quench the heat of the battles of the flesh, calm the waves of unseemly anger, banish from my mind the arrogance and wantonness of vain youth; cut off from my mind the fantasies of the evil spirits by night and the unclean thoughts that come to mind by day; teach my tongue good speech and mine eyes to look aright; direct my feet on the straight path of the virtues, the way of God’s commandments; and make my hands pure, that I may worthily lift them up to the King on high; fill my mouth with praise, that it may boldly call upon God: Our Father, who art in heaven; open my ears to hear as is meet the words of the holy Scriptures, sweeter than honey, and to do them by thy grace and help. Grant me a time of repentance and zeal for conversion; deliver me from sudden death, and save me from the condemnation of conscience. Then, at the parting of my soul from this wretched body, stand by me, my hope and helper, and lighten for me, the helpless one, that unbearable distress. In straits and affliction be my comforter; in that bitter toll-gathering of the aerial publicans and the princes of darkness, bring me safely through; tear up the handwritings of my many sins; set me before the good God who loveth mankind; make me worthy of the blessed standing at His right hand on the day of judgement; deliver me from the eternal and unbearable torments, and show me an heir of the sweet and unfading good things of God. This confession I offer to thee, O most holy Lady Theotokos, light of these my darkened eyes and comforter of this my afflicted soul, my hope and refuge after God: accept my supplication with sweetness and mercy, and blot out all my faults and iniquities, and make me worthy in this life to partake without condemnation of the incorrupt and all-holy Body and Blood of Christ, thy Son and God, and in the age to come show me an heir of the sweet heavenly supper, the delight of Paradise, the kingdom of heaven, where is the dwelling of all the saints who rejoice from the ages, in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Accept our prayer, O most holy Theotokos, Mother of Christ, heaven and cherubim, throne of the Lord, pillar of fire, cloud of light, golden jar filled with the manna of heavenly dew, ark of the law, tabernacle of holiness, intercessor and champion of all the world, O most holy Lady Theotokos: labour for our souls and bodies before thy Son and our God.

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

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

O Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. O Lord, deliver us and release us from our sins; O Master, pardon our iniquities; O Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities, for Thy name’s sake.

Lord, have mercy. (Thrice)

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and unto 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 debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

Lord, have mercy. (Forty times)

Kneeling (12 times)

Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy great mercy; and according to the multitude of thy compassions blot out my transgression. Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I am conscious of mine iniquity; and my sin is continually before me. Against thee only have I sinned, and done evil before thee: that thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged. For, behold, I was conceived in iniquities, and in sins did my mother conceive me. For, behold, thou lovest truth: thou hast manifested to me the secret and hidden things of thy wisdom. Thou shalt sprinkle me with hyssop, and I shall be purified: thou shalt wash me, and I shall be made whiter than snow. Thou shalt cause me to hear gladness and joy: the afflicted bones shall rejoice. Turn away thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit in my inward parts. Cast me not away from thy presence; and remove not thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of thy salvation: establish me with thy directing Spirit. Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and ungodly men shall turn to thee. Deliver me from blood-guiltiness, O God, the God of my salvation: and my tongue shall joyfully declare thy righteousness. O Lord, thou shalt open my lips; and my mouth shall declare thy praise. For if thou desiredst sacrifice, I would have given it: thou wilt not take pleasure in whole-burnt-offerings. Sacrifice to God is a broken spirit: a broken and humbled heart God will not despise. Do good, O Lord, to Sion in thy good pleasure; and let the walls of Jerusalem be built. Then shalt thou be pleased with a sacrifice of righteousness, offering, and whole-burnt-sacrifices: then shall they offer calves upon thine altar.

He who of old hid the pursuing tyrant beneath the waves of the sea is hidden today beneath the earth by the children of those whom He saved; but let us, as those who praise, cry out: Let us sing to the Lord, for He is glorified.

Help me according to Thy word, and save me, and put me not to shame in my hope.

O incomprehensible and good God, who through David didst teach us to rise at midnight and fall down before Thee fervently in confession, accept now my supplication also.

Help me, and I shall be saved, and I shall meditate on Thine ordinances continually, O Christ my King and my God, Light and Sweetness of the world, who for our sake wast born of the Virgin at midnight and wrapped in swaddling clothes: loose also the bonds of my sins.

Let Thy hand be ready to save me, for I have chosen Thy commandments.

O Worker of good things, who by Thy prayer didst sanctify this holy and radiant hour of midnight and didst teach us to pray at this hour, falling down before Thee, accept now my falling down also.

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

O Trinity, one in Godhead, cleanse me, defiled by the stain of evil sins, and make me a dwelling for Thine abode, as of old the patriarch Abraham.

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

O all-blessed Bride of God, enlighten my heart and mind, held fast by gloom, and strengthen me, O Virgin, to sing to thee, the Mother of God, at midnight.

O holy Trinity, exalt today the horn of the Church unbending, above nature, on the height of Thy faith, the unshaken foundation, and establish us therein.

I am Thy servant; give me understanding, and I shall know Thy testimonies.

O Christ the King, Word of God, I cry to Thee in supplication: Thou who at this hour of midnight wast pleased in humility to receive baptism from Thy servant, wash me also from the multitude of my sins by Thy mercy.

Look upon me and have mercy on me, according to the judgement of those that love Thy name.

Look upon me, O Master, and have mercy on me, O Deliverer, and grant me streams of tears like the river Jordan, that I may weep and confess the multitude of my sins and find forgiveness from Thee.

My soul shall live and praise Thee, and Thy judgements shall help me. My life is defiled, and my whole body with all its limbs and members; my hands and feet are defiled, and likewise my mouth and eyes, and my senses are full of sin: O Christ, wash me in Thy mercy.

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

O Trinity perfect and without beginning, simple nature, praised as one in essence, threefold in properties and three in Persons: save us who worship Thy single Godhead with trembling, and make us worthy to serve Thee in purity.

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

Break the evil chains of my sins, O immaculate Virgin, by thine intercession; loose the bonds of my transgressions, and grant me strength night and day to fall down before thee and entreat thee, and with trembling to sing to thee and glorify thee.

When the prophet beheld the hidden mystery, he cried out in amazement: For Thou hast set a firm love in mercy, O Father, and hast given Thine only-begotten Son to the sons of men for the remission of sins.

My soul is continually in Thy hands, and I have not forgotten Thy law.

I have sinned, I have done iniquity and angered Thee, O most merciful One, and I have fallen into the depth of despair; but appear to me at midnight, as to the disciples on the sea, and grant me divine stillness.

Afflictions and distresses have found me; Thy commandments are my meditation.

O my God, my Helper, who searchest hearts and minds, Thou knowest the storms and tumults of my thoughts, of my mind and of my imaginings: as Thou didst calm the raging of the sea, so still my heart also.

Behold, my heart hath longed for Thy commandments: save me in Thy righteousness.

Pardon me, O my Maker; forgive me, O my Creator; have mercy on me and be gracious, be kind, and deliver me from the waves of this world with Thy divine right hand, and draw me up as Thou didst Peter.

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

Undivided in essence and unconfused in Persons, we proclaim Thee as the Trinity one in essence, equal in kingship and lordship, and we sing to Thee the great hymn of the Cherubim, O holy Trinity.

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

Deliver, O Virgin, my darkened heart and my mind, full of gloom, caught in the snares of sin, astray and sunk in deserts and trackless places, that I may praise thee; and enlighten me radiantly at midnight.

Out of the darkness of sins our souls cry to Thee, O most merciful God: enlighten us with Thine unsetting light and direct our steps, O Herald of peace.

And let Thy mercy come upon me, O Lord, even Thy salvation, according to Thy word.

O dread Judge of all creation, who at midnight wast seized by a servant, bound, beaten and tormented, loose the bonds of my evils.

Deliver me from the false accusation of men, and I will keep Thy commandments.

O Deliverer and Creator, O Lord God who lovest mankind, behold, as Thou knowest, I have sinned greatly and angered Thee, and I fear that judgement seat: Thou who wast condemned for me, condemn me not.

At midnight I arose to give thanks to Thee for the judgements of Thy righteousness.

With the stain of defilement I have defiled my soul through the passions, and, wretch that I am, I have opened the door to evil desires, and I fear that judgement seat: Thou who wast condemned for my sake, condemn me not.

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

We sing to Thee, O Trinity, threefold in properties and three in Persons: holy art Thou, holy art Thou, holy art Thou, O Father, Son and Holy Spirit, one nature, simple and upright, glorified by angels and men.

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

O immaculate Mary, give strength to me who entreat thee at midnight; save me and strengthen me to sing to thee, and forsake not me thy servant, but cleanse me from my sins.

The sea of this life, stirred up by the billows of sin, terribly overwhelmeth me; and I flee to Thee, the haven, and thus I cry to Thee: Deliver me from drowning, O most merciful One.

Teach me, O Lord, the way of Thine ordinances, and I will seek it out continually.

Raise me, O Saviour, who lie dead in the tomb of despair, Thou who didst rise from the tomb at midnight, and make me worthy of repentance and fervent tears, O most merciful One.

Establish Thy word unto Thy servant, that he may fear Thee.

My hands are withered by evil deeds, O Master; but Thou who didst sanctify the apostle’s hands by that touching, cleanse me also at midnight.

Mine eyes have failed for Thy salvation and for the words of Thy righteousness.

Woe is me, O Christ my Saviour, how greatly I have angered Thee, wretch that I am! Woe is me, how shall I behold Thy face when Thou judgest me? But have mercy on Thy creature.

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

“I am the Trinity, united in a simple nature, undivided in Godhead yet distinct in Persons, and praised as one in essence,” saith the Father, the Son and the living Spirit.

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

Make me eager, O Bride, to rise at midnight and pray to the Lord; drive away from thy servant, O Lady, the sleep of heavy sloth, and make me valiant.

Let us all keep watch, O ye faithful, and go out to meet Christ with abundant oil and bright lamps, that we may be counted worthy to enter the bridal chamber; for he who is left outside the door crieth to God in vain: Have mercy on me, O Lord.

Woe is me, what am I become like? The barren fig tree; and I fear the curse and the cutting down; but do Thou, O heavenly Husbandman, Christ God, make my barren soul fruitful, and as the prodigal son have mercy on me also and receive me.

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

O Christ God, who from the Virgin didst shine forth upon the world and through her didst show us to be children of light, have mercy on us, O Almighty One.

We have sinned and done iniquity and wrought falsehood before Thee, O Good One; we have not kept nor done Thy command, O Master, as Thou didst bid us and didst ordain through Thy saints; but give us not up utterly, O Master, Lord God of our fathers.

I have seen the end of every perfection: Thy commandment is exceeding broad.

O God and Lord of all, who hast raised me up at midnight, grant me pardon for all my sins, give me remission of my very many debts, and break the bonds of my transgressions, as Thou didst loose the chains of Peter.

Good art Thou, O Lord, and in Thy goodness teach me Thine ordinances.

Thou who hast armed me with grace, clothed me with the robe of baptism and girded me with strength, make firm my feet, O Lord, and direct them in the path of Thy commandments, O most merciful One, and break the bonds of my transgressions, as Thou didst loose the chains of Peter.

Give me understanding, and I shall search out Thy law and keep it with my whole heart.

Thou art my Deliverer and God, Thou art my King and Maker, and to Thee I cry at midnight, beating my breast: I have sinned; forgive me and deliver me from the prison of sins, as once at midnight Thou didst deliver Silas and Paul from prison.

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

The Trinity, the uncreated Creator praised by men, the Father with the Son and the Holy Spirit, we confess in faith, and with fear and trembling we cry out thus and say: Blessed and glorified art Thou, O Deliverer of those who trust in Thee, O Lord God of our fathers.

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

I praise, I glorify, I sing to and venerate thy holy and all-glorious icon, and with love I portray the likeness of thy Son, and with trembling I kiss it and cry to thee: O Bride of God, holy Lady, save thy poor servant.

The godly youths first put to shame the tyranny of the godless; and today the assembly of the enemies of God hath gathered against Christ and taken evil counsel, and they have delivered to death Him who giveth life to the dead, whom the peoples supremely exalt unto the ages.

Him whom the ranks of the heavenly hosts glorify unceasingly, before whom the Cherubim and Seraphim tremble in awe, praise and bless unto the ages, all creation and every breath, as Lord and Creator.

Make Thy face to shine upon Thy servant, and teach me Thine ordinances.

Make the candle of my soul shine, O Master, that I may fill with oil the lamp of my mind, gird my loins, and with the good servants who watch, stand ready at midnight awaiting Thy coming.

Thou hast made me wiser than mine enemies in Thy commandment, for it is mine for ever.

Blessed and all-radiant are those servants whom Thou shalt find watching and soberly waiting at midnight, O Christ the King; therefore I also entreat Thee: make me worthy to wait with them in fear, when Thou comest to judge creation.

Let my tongue utter Thy words, for all Thy commandments are righteous.

O great and awesome Light, O unapproachable Light, O Christ, only-begotten, who camest forth from the Light of the Father, give me a lamp lit with Thy divine oil, that it go not out and that I glorify Thee not in vain with the foolish virgins.

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

Thus we know the true God: one Godhead by nature, yet known wholly in three Persons by their properties, of threefold light, one radiance, one dominion, one essence, the holy Trinity unto the ages.

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

I commit myself to thy shelter and protection, O Virgin, haven of those tossed by the billows of sin. O Mother of God, grant me repentance and strengthen me at midnight to glorify thee and sing to thee, O blessed one.

We of the earth cannot glorify thee as is due, and those of heaven grow faint, O Theotokos, for thou art become higher than they; accept our faith — thou knowest our love — and as the light of Christianity we magnify thee.

The seedless conception and incorrupt childbearing of the Mother of God are beyond telling, for the birth of God overcometh the bounds of nature; therefore, O Virgin, all tribes and generations magnify thee with longing and in Orthodoxy as the Bride and Mother of Christ God.

Teach me goodness, for I have believed Thy commandments.

O good Christ God who lovest mankind, before the sound of the trumpet at midnight — “Arise, the Bridegroom cometh; let us go out to meet Him” — cleanse my heart and mind, and make me worthy to meet Thee with the wise virgins, O Deliverer, adorned with good works.

Thine ordinances were my songs in the place of my sojourning.

When Thou shalt appear from heaven, O Christ the King, and sit to judge upon the dread thrones, and the river of fire roareth before Thee, and sinners weep and lament while the righteous rejoice, then, O Good One, have mercy on me and cast me not away from Thy face.

I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek Thy servant, for I have not forgotten Thy commandments.

O Christ God, Son of the Most High God, only-begotten, merciful and good, save me, have mercy on me, and make me worthy to stand before Thee without sloth until the dawn, falling down and praying to Thee with an unashamed mind, through the prayers of Thy Mother.

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

O holy Trinity, one in essence, Father, Son and all-holy Spirit, God and source of Godhead, known in three Persons and confessed as one in essence, keep us Thine unworthy servants, who stand before Thee in prayer at midnight.

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

Thou art the helper of sinners, O Mother of God: deliver me, thine unworthy servant, who have sinned greatly and am without understanding, from the bitter outer darkness and the worm, from condemnation and the gnashing of teeth, O holy Lady, hope of the despairing.

Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

Behold, O holy Mother of God, I flee to thee, my hope; I bow my knees, lift up my hands with trembling and cry to thee from the depth of my heart: look upon my supplication, O all-holy one, and regard not the defilement of my soul.

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

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

O Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. O Lord, deliver us and release us from our sins; O Master, pardon our iniquities; O Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities, for Thy name’s sake.

Lord, have mercy. (Thrice)

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and unto 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 debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

O Lord our God, who by the Holy Spirit didst grant David, for our salvation, to sing and say at this hour: “At midnight I arose to give thanks to Thee for the judgements of Thy righteousness”, make us worthy to give thanks to Thee with all our heart; look with Thy mercy and goodness upon our lowliness, and show us faithful and wise servants on the dread day of judgement, through the prayers of the most holy Theotokos and of all Thy saints who from the ages have pleased Thee: for to Thee are due all glory, honour and worship.

O Lord God, rich in mercy and incomprehensible in compassion, who alone art sinless by nature and didst become man for us without sin, hear at this hour the supplication of me who have gone down to the depths; for I am poor in good works, and my heart is troubled within me. Thou knowest, O King most high, Lord of heaven and earth, that I have squandered all my life in sin and, following after the lusts of my flesh, have become wholly a joy to the demons; I have followed the demons in everything, wallowing wholly in the mire of sin; for, darkened in my thoughts by the fleshly passions within me, and bound and led astray by pleasures from my youth until now, I have never wished to do Thy will, nor to keep Thy commandments, nor to walk in the way of Thy precepts, but, wholly taken captive by the passions and by the enemies who war against me and wholly ruled by them, I have become their reproach and their laughingstock. Never have I considered in my mind that the wrath of Thy dread threatenings against sinners is unbearable; I have not come to my senses at the remembrance of death, nor called to mind the dread and irresistible judgement seat, nor the fire of Gehenna kept for sinners like me. As one fallen into the abyss of despair, blinded by bodily pleasures and defiled in soul, I have nowhere come to the sense of turning back; I am become desolate and stripped bare of Thy love for mankind. What kind of sin have I not committed, what work of the demons have I not done, what loathsome and prodigal deed have I not accomplished? With excess and eagerness I have defiled my mind with fleshly lusts and my body with foul unions; I have stained my soul and defiled it in everything; I have drawn every member of my wretched flesh into the service and slavery of sin. Who henceforth will not weep for me, wretch that I am? Who will not lament me, the condemned? Who will not grieve over my perdition? For I alone, O Master, have kindled Thy wrath; I alone have done evil before Thee, surpassing and outdoing all sinners from the ages, for I have sinned more than all men with sins that cannot be excused or pardoned. But since Thou art of great compassion and great mercy, O Lover of mankind, and rejoicest over one sinner that repenteth, and awaitest the turning of men, behold, I cast myself down before Thy dread and unapproachable throne, and with a broken heart and sighing, as though clinging to Thy most pure feet, I cry to Thee from the depth of my soul, O Lord: Pardon me, O Lord who art quick to relent; have compassion on my weakness, stoop down to my helplessness, look upon my supplication and be not silent at my tears. Receive me who repent, forgive me who ask, press me to Thy bosom as I return, and turn me back who have strayed; for Thou hast not appointed repentance for the righteous, nor forgiveness for those who sin not, but Thou hast appointed repentance for me, a sinner, and sight restored in the midst of my death. Now therefore I confess to Thee, O Lord who knowest the heart, how much I have sinned against Thee, how much I have angered Thee and how much I have grieved Thee. Naked and with bowed neck I stand before Thee, and I cannot look up to the height of heaven, weighed down by the burden of my sins: enlighten the eyes of my heart. Grant me, O Merciful One, a looking-up to confession, a fountain of tears for cleansing, compunction for repentance and brokenness of heart for humility, that before my departure I may wash away the multitude of my iniquities by turning back and weeping, and, washed and cleansed by tears, depart with sweet hope and good assurance into the world to come, for ever praising and blessing Thine all-holy and life-giving name unto the ages of ages. Amen.

O Lord my God, look upon me with Thy good, merciful, sweet and divine eye, for Thou art a God merciful and loving to mankind, long-suffering and bearing no grudge, who rendereth not evil for evil. As I, the sinner, have a multitude of sins and transgressions, so Thou, the King of all, hast countless mercy and an abyss of goodness and love for mankind. I am the slave of sin, but Thou art the King and God of all, the Creator of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible. Shall the multitude of my sins overcome Thy goodness and the abyss of Thy mercies? No, O Lord my God, let it not overcome, nor shall it overcome, if only Thou willest, though my sins be many. For I am but one man, or one dog, but Thou art the King who hast taken away the sins of the whole world; and if only Thou willest, by a little of Thy mercy, O Good One, all the multitude of my sins will be blotted out and counted as nothing. Yea, O Lord, I have sinned against heaven and before Thee, like the prodigal son, and I am no more worthy to be called Thy son, all-wretched as I am. But where shall I go, to whom shall I pray, to whom shall I flee, wretch that I am, if not to Thee, the good King who lovest mankind, who receivest those who flee to Thee, the Physician of the despairing? And I fall down before Thee, O sweetest King, and entreat Thee, O Good One, I Thine unworthy and unprofitable servant: as the Canaanite woman, have mercy on me; as to the harlot, grant me tears of repentance; as to the thief, let me also hear that sweet voice: “Today shalt thou be with Me in paradise”; as Peter, cleanse me from my sins; as the publican, justify me by Thy goodness and forbearance, and send me not away ashamed and rejected, but have mercy on me for the sake of the abyss of Thy mercy and love for mankind. And from now on incline my heart to keep Thy holy commandments, and let me not perish utterly, though the evil habits of my sins and the multitude of demons clothed in darkness will not let me go; but do Thou give them no power to turn me aside from Thy straight paths. O Lord of glory, have mercy on me, for I am the work of Thy hands and Thy creature, and forgive me all my sins from my youth until now, until old age, in Thy sweetness and forbearance, for Thou art most merciful. For to Thee are due all glory, honour and worship, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

O King of heaven, true God, who didst send Thy beloved Son to seek out this lost sheep: I have sinned against heaven and before Thee; receive me as the prodigal son, and clothe me in my first garment, which I stripped off through the sin that I committed. Receive me, O Son of God, true God, who didst come down from the bosom of the Father and take flesh of the holy Virgin Mary for our salvation, who wast crucified and buried, didst rise from the dead and ascend to the Father: I have sinned against heaven and before Thee; remember me, as Thou didst the thief, when Thou comest in Thy kingdom. Have mercy on me, O Spirit of God, true God, who didst come down upon the Jordan, and enlighten me by the baptism of Thy holy font: I have sinned against heaven and before Thee; cleanse me with the fire of Thy Godhead, as Thou didst Thy holy apostles with tongues of fire. Have mercy on me, O uncreated Nature: I have sinned against Thee in mind, soul and body; remember not my former iniquities, for the sake of Thy holy name. Have mercy on me, O Thou who seest all: I have sinned against Thee in thought, word and deed; blot out every handwriting of my sins and write my name in the book of Thy living. Have mercy on me, O Judge of hidden things: I have sinned against Thee willingly and unwillingly, knowingly and in ignorance; grant forgiveness to me, a sinner: from my birth and from the font until now I have sinned against Thee with my understanding and with every member of my body. Have mercy on me, O good Lord: set a guard upon my eyes, and holy fear, that they look not upon impurity; upon my ears, that they hear not evil words; upon my mouth, that it speak no lie; upon my heart, that it devise no evil; upon my hands, that they do no wrong; and upon my feet, that they walk not in the way of iniquity; but direct my steps according to Thy good will. Have mercy on me, O Wisdom of the Father, Jesus: grant me wisdom ever to think and to do what is good before Thee; deliver me from evil deeds and words, O Lord. Have mercy, O Thou who fulfillest the will of all who trust in Thee: O Lord, leave me not to walk in the will of my flesh, but guide me to do Thy good will. Have mercy on me, O King of heaven: grant me Thy kingdom, which Thou didst promise to those who love Thee, and strengthen my heart to hate sin, to love Thee alone and to do Thy will. Have mercy, O Protector of Thy creatures: keep my soul and body by the sign of Thy Cross from the tyranny of sins, from the temptations of the devil, from every evil and from all harm of soul and body. Have mercy on me, O Guardian of all: let Thy right hand be over me by day and by night, sitting and walking on the way, sleeping and waking, that I may never be shaken. Have mercy on me, O Lord my God, who openest Thy hand and fillest Thy creation with the sweetness of Thy good pleasure: to Thee I commit my soul; do Thou take care and prepare food for my soul and body, from now and unto the ages. Have mercy on me, O Thou who turnest sinners back: turn me from evil habits to good habit, and nail into my heart the dread day of death, the fear of Gehenna and the love of Thy kingdom, that, repenting of my sins, I may do righteousness. Have mercy on me, O Fountain of mercy: make tears of repentance spring up from my heart, like those of the harlot, that I may wash away the sin of my soul before my departure from the world. Have mercy on me, O Giver of mercy: grant that with right faith and good works, through communion of Thy holy Body and Blood, I may come to Thee. Have mercy on me, O good Lord: commit me to a gentle and good angel, to receive my soul and lead it fearlessly past the malice of the tollgatherers of the air, who are beneath the heavens. Have mercy on me, O true Light: make my soul worthy to behold the light of Thy glory and rejoice in it, and on the day of my calling to rest in hope in the dwelling of the righteous until the day of Thy dread coming. Have mercy on me, O righteous Judge, when Thou comest in the glory of the Father to judge the living and the dead: enter not into judgement with Thy servant; deliver me from the eternal fire, and let me hear that blessed call of the righteous into the kingdom of heaven. Have mercy on me, O Creator of light who drivest away darkness: drive from my soul the darkness of sin and ignorance, and enlighten my mind at this hour to pray to Thee as is pleasing to Thee and to receive mercy from Thee. Have mercy on me, O all-merciful Lord, and have mercy on all my countless brethren who believe in Thee, known and unknown, living and departed; and grant to my enemies and those who hate me forgiveness for what they have sinned against me; turn them from the evil they bear towards me, that they too may be made worthy of Thy mercies. Have mercy on me, O most glorious Lord; accept the supplication of this Thy servant and fulfil for good the petition of my heart, through the prayers of the most holy Theotokos, of St John the Baptist and St John the Evangelist, through the power of the life-giving Cross and of all Thy saints; by Thy grace, O Christ God, help us, have mercy on us and save our souls. Amen.

O Lord our God, most merciful, dread King glorified in glory, Creator of things visible and invisible! I thank Thee for Thy countless benefits which Thou hast wrought for me from the first day of my life until now. I praise Thee, I glorify and exalt Thee, for Thou hast shown Thy wonderful mercy and goodness upon me and hast been my helper. I bow the knees of soul and body and confess to Thee, O Lord, all my iniquities: incline Thine ear to my supplication and forgive the ungodliness of my heart. I have sinned, I have done iniquity and angered Thee, my good King and God, and there is no kind of sin, spoken or unspoken, that I have not committed in deed, word and thought, knowingly and in ignorance: I have sinned countlessly, beyond measure and rashly. Many times I promised Thee repentance, and sinned again, and angered Thee again, and fell again into the same sins. It is easier to count the drops of rain than the countless multitude of my sins, for my iniquities are gone over my head and weigh upon me as a heavy burden. From my youth until now, wretch that I am, I have opened the door to evil desires and run without order or restraint in the ways of filth, unhappy one; I have defiled the heaven-woven tunic in which I was honourably clothed by holy baptism, I have stained the temple of my body and polluted my wretched soul with countless passions, and I have done every iniquity in deed. Were I to recall each of them one by one, I fear lest I, the slothful one, fall into despair: my bones are crushed and my joints loosened when I remember the mire of my sins, and I dare not look up to the height of heaven, but hang my head in despair. For Thou knowest all things, and no creature is hidden before Thee, but all things are naked and open before Thee; and I tremble and grieve when I consider how many and what sins I have committed, while I have done not even a little work of repentance; and the hour of death is at hand, and I, like barren matter, am made ready for the fire. Therefore my soul is sorrowful, full of pain and grief and weighed down by the burden of sin; I have no answer to give for my evil deeds, and I find no means to escape the eternal fire. If the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall I, the prodigal and sinner, appear? And if those who struggle inherit the kingdom of heaven through many afflictions and great labour, and narrow and grievous is the way that leadeth to life eternal, how shall I, defiled by lust and impurity, attain to life, if, as the Scripture saith, all the righteousness of man is counted as filthy rags? And if we must give account for an idle word, what answer shall I find for so many iniquities? Woe, woe is me: what word or excuse have I for my evil deeds? How short is this passing life, and how swiftly it runneth towards death; but the torment of sinners is eternal, as is the kingdom of the righteous, and the life of both shall no more be cut off by death. What then shall I do, wretch that I am, or what remedy shall I find? For dreadful is the death of sinners, and more dreadful still the torments that await them; but most dreadful of all is that hour when I shall stand before Thee, O mighty and living God, when Thou comest in Thine ineffable glory, and the thrones are set, and the books of my deeds are opened, and that great judgement seat is made ready, and the impartial Judge sitteth to judge, and the river of fire floweth before Him, and the joy and radiance of the righteous are prepared, and thousands and ten thousands of holy angels stand before Thee in fear, and in an instant Thou raisest those who have died from the ages and settest them all together before Thee: O, what shall I do then, a sinner full of every shame? What shall I do, wretched and pitiable, who have not one word or excuse for my evil deeds? Where shall I go then, or where shall I hide? On every side I am hemmed in. O, which of my evils shall I lament, or over what shall I weep the more — the loss of the sweet things, the pain of the eternal torments, the shame of my deeds, the reproof of my conscience, or rejection from Thy face? O eternal God, O mighty God, good and loving to mankind, have mercy on me, the unworthy one; forsake me not, cast me not away, and take not Thy mercy from me; make haste to help me, O Lord God of my salvation. For though I despair because of my sins, and my sins are more than the sand of the sea, yet I do not cut myself off from hope in Thy countless goodness. I know Thy sweetness, for Thou delightest in mercy and desirest not the death of the sinner, but that he should turn and live; for Thou camest not to save the righteous, but to call sinners to repentance. Therefore I flee to Thee, O Lord, and make bold to open my mouth before Thee, though I am dust and ashes, a worm and no man, a reproach of men and despised of the people. Grant me, O Lord, a word in the opening of my mouth, for every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and cometh down from Thee, the Father of lights, that I may fall down before Thee worthily and pray as I ought, and not turn away humbled and ashamed, but obtain Thy mercy and the forgiveness of my sins. Have mercy on me, O God, according to Thy great mercy, and according to the multitude of Thy compassions blot out my iniquity. Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak. Pardon me, O Lord, Physician of souls and bodies; for as though standing before Thy dread throne, so do I entreat Thee with a broken and humble mind, and thus I cry: God, be merciful to me a sinner. O Lord, I have sinned: forgive me; look upon me in mercy, look, O Master, upon this Thine unprofitable servant; look down from Thy holy height upon this supplication of a sinner. As a weak man I have sinned; as the good God forgive me. Thou knowest, O Master, that my mind hath been bent diligently towards evil from my youth; remember that I am dust, for Thou alone art holy, incorrupt and undefiled, but we are all subject to corruption. Judge me not according to my iniquities, neither reward me according to my sins. Thou knowest, O Master, the multitude of my transgressions, but Thou knowest also the abyss of Thy love for mankind, for it is incomprehensible and invincible. For Thou art the King who hast taken away the sins of the world, who camest down from heaven to earth to seek the lost sheep, who camest into the world to save the lost, of whom I am chief. O good Shepherd, who didst lay down Thy life for Thy sheep, have mercy, O Merciful One, on Thy creature; abhor not the wound of my sins and the sores of my iniquities, Thou who for our life didst stretch out Thy hands upon the Cross and receive wounds, and by Thy stripes hast healed us all. And now, O Lord, heal these incurable wounds of my soul with the mighty medicine of Thy grace. Soften, O Lord, my hard heart; lighten the weight of my burden; accept my few tears and sighs, as those of the harlot; accept this poor confession and repentance of mine, as that of Peter, the chief of the apostles; and as Thou didst the voice of the thief on the cross, so remember me in mercy; accept from these defiled lips these unworthy words of my supplication, and pour out upon me Thy countless mercy. Manasseh sinned greatly, yet he did not perish, for he repented; Jonah preached destruction to the Ninevites, but when they turned to repentance Thou didst turn away Thy wrath. Show Thy wonderful mercy upon me, O Good One: many wonderful and glorious things hast Thou done, O Lord, from the ages; if Thou have mercy on me, the unworthy, if Thou save me, the weak, Thy love for mankind will be all the more wondered at and glorified, so great is the power of Thy goodness. For that son of the kingdom who by his prodigality had become a son of Gehenna Thou didst receive with great compassion, and made him a son of light, and clothed him with the first robe. Receive me also, O Saviour, who have sinned against heaven and before Thee, and grant me the rest of my life; establish me in doing Thy will and let my end be in Thy love. Touch, O Good One, with Thine all-holy hand my soul and body, my heart and mind, that the filth of the passions and the lusts of sin may be driven from my members and purity may dwell in me, that I may glorify Thine all-holy name unceasingly. Make my unworthy soul worthy, O good King, to dwell in the place of rest, for many are the mansions full of Thy mercy in that eternal life. From now on, O Lord, let my mind no longer turn aside to evil, but direct my steps before Thee and establish me in the way of Thy commandments; grant me, O Lord, humility of heart and love for my neighbour, mercy and compassion towards the brethren, and forgiveness of sins; I entreat Thee, O Lord and King, forgive all who trouble me, and reward those who do me good with the abundance of Thy gifts. O Lord my God, Lover of mankind, let these few words be my confession, reckoned to me in my life, and accept them as incense before Thy goodness; for behold, I await the inescapable hour of death, and this body of mine will decay in the grave, become food for worms and return to that from which it was made, until it rises again incorrupt on the day of judgement. But my soul I commit into Thy hands, O Lord my God: have mercy on it, O Good One, and bring it into the light; let not the prince of darkness have power over me, lest he seize my soul like a lion when there is none to deliver and none to save; but be Thou my refuge, O Lord, and grant me a dwelling in the places overshadowed by the light of Thy face. Give rest, O good King, in the light of the living to Thy servants, our parents and brethren and all Orthodox Christians. Keep the good in goodness, and make the wicked good by Thy sweetness, O God, and make us all together worthy of Thy mercy; for though we have sinned, we have not departed from Thee, nor stretched out our hands to a strange god, but we know Thee as the true God, we believe in Thee and confess Thee, we pray to Thee, we glorify and praise Thee, we bless Thee, worship Thee and give glory to Thee, O holy Trinity, one in essence, one Godhead, and in Thee is our hope.

Have mercy on us, O God, according to Thy great mercy, and bring us into Thy heavenly kingdom, through the intercessions of our all-holy Lady, the Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary, of the holy powers of heaven, the angels and archangels, of St John the Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist, of St John the Evangelist and Theologian, and of all the apostles, martyrs, prophets and hierarchs, and the holy women, who from the ages have pleased Thee.

(Pray in silence and commemorate whichever saints you wish)

O most holy Theotokos, forsake me not in the days of my life, and entrust me not to human protection, but do thou thyself intercede for us and save us.

O Lord our God, who in Thy great goodness and countless mercy hast granted us, and been pleased to let us pass the length of this night in peace, and hast shielded us from every temptation and evil: do Thou, O King and Maker of all, grant us to reach the morning prayers; make the true light shine in our hearts from the treasuries of Thy knowledge, and enable us to do all Thy will.

And now, having reached the middle of this night, O Lord, we offer Thee thanksgiving according to our strength, and we entreat Thee, who bestowest on our souls the treasures of Thy knowledge: keep us unharmed, grant to our lips the word of Thy wisdom, and deliver us from every thing that walketh in darkness. For Thine is the might and Thine is the kingdom.

Priest: Peace be unto all.

People: And to thy spirit.

Deacon: Let us bow our heads unto the Lord.

People: To Thee, O Lord.

The priest says the prayer:

To Thee, almighty God, Maker of the ages and Creator of all, we Thine unworthy servants have bowed our heads, and we entreat Thee: send down upon us Thy spiritual blessing, and keep our life in all good order and in obedience to Thy commandments, for Thou art our God who lovest mankind, always, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.