Canon at the Departure of the Soul, to Be Read by a Layperson

If a priest cannot be brought to the dying person, a layperson (man or woman) may read this prayer for them:

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, through the prayers of Thy most pure Mother and of all the saints, have mercy on us. Amen.

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, with three small bows)

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. (Twelve times)

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

Draw nigh, O God, to my help. Let them be ashamed and confounded that seek my soul: let them be turned backward and put to shame, that wish me evil. Let them that say to me, Aha, aha, be turned back and put to shame immediately. Let all that seek thee exult and be glad in thee: and let those that love thy salvation say continually, Let God be magnified. But I am poor and needy; O God, help me: thou art my helper and deliverer, O Lord, delay not.

O Lord, attend to my prayer: hearken to my supplication in thy truth; hear me in thy righteousness. And enter not into judgment with thy servant, for in thy sight shall no man living be justified. For the enemy has persecuted my soul; he has brought my life down to the ground; he has made me to dwell in a dark place, as those that have been long dead. Therefore my spirit was grieved in me; my heart was troubled within me. I remembered the days of old; and I meditated on all thy doings: yea, I meditated on the works of thine hands. I spread forth my hands to thee; my soul thirsts for thee, as a dry land. Pause. Hear me speedily, O Lord; my spirit has failed; turn not away thy face from me, else I shall be like to them that go down to the pit. Cause me to hear thy mercy in the morning; for I have hoped in thee; make known to me, O Lord, the way wherein I should walk; for I have lifted up my soul to thee. Deliver me from mine enemies, O Lord; for I have fled to thee for refuge. Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God; thy good Spirit shall guide me in the straight way. Thou shalt quicken me, O Lord, for thy name's sake; in thy righteousness thou shalt bring my soul out of affliction. And in thy mercy thou wilt destroy mine enemies, and wilt destroy all those that afflict my soul; for I am thy servant.

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.

Irmos: Israel passed through the sea unharmed as over broad dry land, and beheld the pursuer Pharaoh drowned in the depths, and sang to Thee, O God, a song of victory.

Come now and gather together, all ye who dwell in the world, and lament my soul, which is estranged from God, for I zealously served the foul demons.

The hours of this my life have now vanished like smoke and passed away, and the angels of God seek my soul, to lead it away without mercy.

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

Behold, the multitudes of the evil demons have come; they hold the records of my sins and cry out loudly, and shamelessly seek my poor soul.

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

To whom shall I cry, wretch that I am, or who will hear my sighing and weeping, if not thou, O holy Virgin, hope of Christians and of all who are wretched as I am?

Irmos: None is holy as Thou, O Lord our God, who hast exalted this day the horn of Christians; establish us in oneness of mind upon the rock of faith.

O my beloved friends, why do ye not weep for me now, and why do ye not lament? Behold, I am being estranged from God and from life with you.

My beloved brethren, behold my deeds, which the demons weigh in the balance, and entreat God to deliver me and be merciful to me.

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

Remember my love, O beloved brethren, and entreat Christ to have mercy on me, who depart wretchedly from this world to torment.

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

Incline thine ear to me, O Mother of God, and hear our sighing in this hour of affliction; stretch out thy hand to me and deliver me, who am bitterly afraid.

Irmos: “Christ my God, the Lord, is my strength,” the Church saith with a loud voice, and by the will of God she rejoiceth in faith with divine joy.

Woe is me, the sinner; woe is me, wretched and pitiable, for I stretch out my hands and call on my friends with tears to help me, and they can do nothing.

I am sore afraid in the hour of death; I see the angels of light, and I cry with supplication for a little more time of life in the world, and they do not hear me.

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

Weep for me now and lament, ye multitudes of angels and men and all God-loving peoples, for without mercy the soul is parted from the body.

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

Help me now, O all-holy Theotokos, a soul in despair that looketh only to thy mercy, lest the evil demons swiftly carry me off.

Irmos: With Thy divine light, O Glorious One, enlighten the souls of those who rise early to Thee with joy, that they may know Thee as God, the only Deliverer from their sins.

Shed light upon me, that I may behold the radiance for a little while — but this they will hear no more, for the host of demons hath laid hands on me, and the darkness of my evil deeds hath covered me.

Be saved and be at peace, my beloved friends; why have ye shown yourselves merciless towards me? For had ye with one accord prayed to God for me, I would have been delivered from that darkness.

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

Be glorified, O Michael, chief of the angels, for I shall call upon thy name for help no more; for my lips have fallen silent and my eyes have lost their light.

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

And thou, O incorrupt Queen, Mother of Christ our God, be glorified beyond words; but I can no longer see thine icon, for darkness hath covered me and my light is quenched.

Irmos: 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.

Incline your ears to me now, my brethren, and hear with care the pitiful sound of my words, and entreat God for me, your wretched friend.

Behold, now my life is parted in pain, and my soul from my body. Bury it not in the earth, for I am unworthy, but cast it outside, that the dogs may devour it.

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

What profit is it to me if my soul is tormented in hell while my body is honourably anointed by you with spices? Leave it, that dogs and birds may tear it without mercy. Both now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Ye who pass by, when ye see my flesh devoured by dogs, be moved to pity and cry out: O Lady, be a helper to the soul of this body before thy Son.

Irmos: The angel of the Saviour made the furnace cool for the holy youths, and the command of God burned the Chaldeans and taught the tyrant to sing; and they said: Blessed art Thou, O Lord God of our fathers.

Behold, before my eyes they have parted my soul from the body and led it out, and they bring it to the dread and awesome Judge: remember my love and weep for me.

Have mercy on me, O holy angels of God Most High, and deliver me from the merciless tollgatherers of the air, for I have no good deed to be laid on one side of the scales of my deeds.

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

When ye stand before the throne of Christ, O angels, bow your knees and ask forgiveness for me from Him, that He may deliver me from the nethermost depths and not utterly forget the work of His hands.

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

Fall down, O holy angels, before the Mother of Light, and ask her to entreat her Son with compassion for us, that He may take pity on me in my despair and that the sweetest Lord may again have mercy on me.

Irmos: Thou didst pour dew from the furnace upon the three youths, and with water didst burn up the sacrifice of Elijah, for Thou, O Christ, didst swiftly fulfil Thy will; we bless Thee and exalt Thee unto the ages.

Weep for me, ye ends of the earth, and shed tears for me now in pity, for the cruel sentence hath come from on high, that they bind me hand and foot and cast me into darkness.

Helpless on every side, I cry to thee, O my guardian angel in this passing life: behold my bitter and eternal condemnation, and cease not to intercede for me before the Lord.

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

Since I have been given over into the hands of the devil and shall be cast into the abyss of hell, and I know that all will forget me utterly, do thou remember me, O angel of Christ God.

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

O Mother of God, why dost thou forget me, why hast thou not inclined to mercy thy Son, who shed His incorrupt blood for us? Woe is me, for I, this sinner, have fallen away from Him.

Irmos: It is impossible for men to see God, on whom the ranks of angels dare not gaze; but through thee, O Virgin, the Word made flesh appeared to men; blessing Him with the bodiless powers, we magnify thee this day with songs.

No more shall I cry to God in supplication, nor remember God in hell, but, buried in darkness, I await the resurrection of the dead, to be judged and given over to the fire for torment unto ages of ages.

God will forget me utterly, and none will remember me any more — neither the multitude of angels nor the choir of the holy apostles, martyrs and righteous — but I alone shall reap the just fruit of my deeds.

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

Weep and lament for me, ye nether depths, hell, abyss, worm and Tartarus, ye cruelties of all evil torments, for I alone among Christians am given over without mercy to cruel torments.

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

O Mother of God, look upon the abyss of gloom and behold the souls tormented in it, and entreat thy Son with compassion to have mercy on them, for whom He shed His holy blood, that He may deliver them from the enemy.

It is truly meet that we should magnify thee, O Theotokos, who art ever-blessed and all-immaculate and the Mother of our God. Thee, more honourable than the Cherubim, and beyond compare more glorious than the Seraphim, who without corruption gavest birth to God the Word, the only Theotokos, we magnify in song.

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

Lord, have mercy. (Thrice)

O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, through the prayers of Thy most pure Mother, of our venerable and God-bearing fathers and of all the saints, have mercy on us. Amen.