Deacons sing this hymn:

 

We follow you: with all our hearts: and fear you: and ask for Your face O God, do not abandon us.

But deal with us according to Your covenant and according to the abundance of Your mercy, O Lord, guide us.

May our prayers O our Master ascend up to you as offerings of bullocks, and fattened calves.

Do not forget the covenant that you have made with our fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob “Israel” Your saints.

Bless the Lord, all people, the tribes and all tongues. Praise Him and glorify Him: exceedingly forever.

 

Then the Pope takes the box and puts it in the assigned place. He then says the following:

 

We lay the blessed foundation for the holy church on the name of Saint George in the “cornerstone”.

In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, One God.

 Blessed be God the Father the Pantocrator. Amen.

Blessed be His only begotten Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Blessed be the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete. Amen.

Glory and honour, honour and glory, unto the Holy Trinity.          

 

The Pope:

Have mercy on us, O God, the Father, the Pantocrator. Holy Trinity us. Lord, God of the powers be with us, for there is no helper in our afflictions and our needs but You.

 

Congregation

Our Father Who art in heaven;…………………….

Prayer of Thanksgiving

PRIEST:

          Let us give thanks to the beneficent and merciful God, the Father of our Lord, God and Saviour, Jesus Christ, for He has covered us, helped us, guarded us, accepted us to Him, spared us, supported us, and has brought us to this hour. Let us also ask Him, the Lord our God, the Pantocrator, to guard us in all peace this holy day and all the days of our life.

DEACON:                                             Pray.                                          Prosevexaste.

CONGREGATION:                            Lord have mercy.                    Kirie Eleyson.

PRIEST:            O Master, Lord, God the Pantocrator, the Father of our Lord, God and Saviour, Jesus Christ, we thank you for every condition, concerning every condition, and in every condition. For you have covered us, helped us, guarded us, accepted us to You, spared us, supported us, and have brought us to this hour.

DEACON:            Pray that God have mercy and compassion upon us, hear us, help us and accept the supplications and prayers of his saints for that which is good on our behalf at all times, and keep for us the life and papacy of our father the patriarch Pope Shenouda the third and his partners in the apostolic ministry the Metropolitan and the Bishops who are gathered with us today and forgive us our sins.

CONGREGATION:                  Lord have mercy              Kirie Eleyson

PRIEST:

            Therefore we ask and entreat Your goodness, O Philanthropic one, grant us to complete this holy day, and all the days of our life, in all peace with your fear. All envy all temptation, all the work of Satan the counsel of wicked men and the rising up of enemies, hidden and manifest, take them away from us, and from all your people, and form this table, and from this holy place that is yours. But those things which are good and profitable do provide for us, for it is you who have given us the authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and upon all the power of the enemy. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, by the grace, compassion and philanthropy of your Only-Begotten Son, our Lord, God and Saviour Jesus Christ. Through whom the glory, the honour, the dominion, and the adoration are due unto you, with him and the Holy Spirit, the Life-Giver who is of one essence with you, now and at all times and unto the age of all ages. Amen.

The Verses of the cymbals

 

O come, let us worship the Holy Trinity; the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit;

 

We, the Christian people, for this is our true God.

 

We have hope in Saint Mary, that God will have mercy upon us, through her intercessions.

 

Hail to you, O Mary, the fair dove, who brought forth unto us God the logos.

 

Hail to you, O Mary, a holy hail. Hail to you, O Mary, the mother of the Holy.

 

Hail to Michael, the great archangel. Hail to Gabriel the angel-evangel.

 

Hail to the Cherubim. Hail to the Seraphim. Hail to all the heavenly orders.

 

Hail to John the great forerunner. Hail to the priest, the cousin of Emmanuel.

 

Hail to my lords and fathers the apostles. Hail to the disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Hail to you O martyr. Hail to the evangelist. Hail to the apostle, Mark, the beholder of God.

 

Hail to Stephen, the first martyr. Hail to the blessed archdeacon.

 

Hail to you, O martyr. Hail to the courageous hero. Hail to the victorious martyr, my prince, George.

 

Hail to our father, Anthony the lamp of monasticism. Hail to our father, Paul, the beloved of Christ.

 

Hail to our holy father the patriarch. Hail to Athanasius the apostolic, beloved of Christ.

 

Through the intercession of the Theotokos, Saint Mary, O Lord, grant us the forgiveness of our sins.

 

That we may praise You, with Your good Father, and the Holy Spirit, for you have come and saved us: have mercy on us. 

   

 

From the book of Genesis

Gen 28:10-22

 

10 Now Jacob went out from Beersheba and went toward Haran. 11 So he came to a certain place and stayed there all night, because the sun had set. And he took one of the stones of that place and put it at his head, and he lay down in that place to sleep. 12 Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. 13 And behold, the LORD stood above it and said: "I am the LORD God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants. 14 Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south; and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed. 15 Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you." 16 Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, "Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it." 17 And he was afraid and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!"

 

18 Then Jacob rose early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put at his head, set it up as a pillar, and poured oil on top of it. 19 And he called the name of that place Bethel; but the name of that city had been Luz previously. 20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, "If God will be with me, and keep me in this way that I am going, and give me bread to eat and clothing to put on, 21 so that I come back to my father's house in peace, then the LORD shall be my God. 22 And this stone which I have set as a pillar shall be God's house, and of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You."

 

Glory be unto the Holy Trinity, Amen.

 

 

The prayer for the sick

Priest:

 

Again, let us ask God the Pantocrator, the Father of our Lord, God and Saviour, Jesus Christ. We ask and entreat your goodness, O Lover of mankind, remember, O Lord, the sick of Your people.

 

Deacon

 

Pray for our father and our brothers who are sick with any sickness, whether in this place or in any place, that Christ our God may grant us, with them, health and healing, and forgive us our sins.

 

 

Congregation:

 

Lord have mercy.

 

Priest:

 

You have visited them with mercies and compassion, heal them. Take away from them and from us all sickness and all maladies; the spirit of sickness chase away. Those who have long lain in sickness raise up and comfort. All those who are afflicted by unclean spirits, set them all free.

Those who are in prisons or dungeons, and those who are in exile or captivity, or those who are held in bitter bondage, O Lord, set them all free and have mercy upon them.

 

For You are He who looses the bound and uplifts the fallen; the hope of those who are hopeless and the help of those who have no helper; the comfort of the fainthearted; the harbour of those in storm.

All souls that are distressed or bound, give them mercy, O Lord; give them rest, give them coolness, give them grace, give them help, give them salvation, give them the forgiveness of their sins and their iniquities.

As for us also, O Lord, the maladies of our souls heal, and those of our bodies too, do cure. O You, the true Physician of our souls and bodies, the Bishop of all flesh, visit us with Your salvation.

 

Congregation:

 

Lord have mercy.  

 

The Hymn of the Censer

This censer of pure gold,                              Tai shori en noob en katharos:

Bearing the aroma                       Etfai kha pi aromata: et khen

Is in the hands of Aaron the priest                 Nen jij en  Aaron  pi owib: ef 

Offering up incense.                                Tali oo esthoinoofi  epshoi ejen

on the altar                                  Pi ma en ershooshi.

 

The Pauline Epistle

READER:            Paul, the servant of our Lord Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, appointed to the Gospel of God. A chapter from the Epistle of our teacher Saint Paul to Hebrews, His blessings be upon us, Amen.

Heb 9:1-15

 

9:1 Then indeed, even the first covenant had ordinances of divine service and the earthly sanctuary. 2 For a tabernacle was prepared: the first part, in which was the lampstand, the table, and the showbread, which is called the sanctuary; 3 and behind the second veil, the part of the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of All, 4 which had the golden censer and the ark of the covenant overlaid on all sides with gold, in which were the golden pot that had the manna, Aaron's rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant; 5 and above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail.

 

6 Now when these things had been thus prepared, the priests always went into the first part of the tabernacle, performing the services. 7 But into the second part the high priest went alone once a year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the people's sins committed in ignorance; 8 the Holy Spirit indicating this, that the way into the Holiest of All was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing. 9 It was symbolic for the present time in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make him who performed the service perfect in regard to the conscience-- 10 concerned only with foods and drinks, various washings, and fleshly ordinances imposed until the time of reformation.

 

11 But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation.

The grace of God the Father be with you all. Amen.

 

The Hymn of the Trisagion

Holy God, Holy                                              Agios O the-os:

Mighty, Holy                                                Agios Ees-shiros;

Immortal, who was                                           Agios Athanatos;

born of the Virgin,                                         O ek partheno gennethis:

have mercy upon us.                                        Elsison imas.

Holy God, Holy                                              Agios O theos:

Mighty, Holy                                                Agios Ees-shiros;

Immortal, who was                                           Agios Athanatos:

crucified for us,                                           O stavrothis di imas:

have mercy upon us.                                         Eleison imas.

Holy God, Holy                                              Agios O theos:

Mighty, Holy                                                Agios Ees-shiros:

Immortal, who was                                           Agios Athanatos:

form the dead and                                           O anastas ek ton nekron:

ascended into the heavens                                  Ke anelthon ees toos

have  mercy  upon  us.                                      Ooranoos:  eleison imas.

Glory be to the Father                                      Doxa patri ke eio:

and to the Son and to                                       Ke Agio pnevmati:

the Holy Spirit, both                                       Ke nin ke a-ee: ke ees

now and always, and                                         Toos e-onas ton

unto the ages of ages.                                      E-onon: Amen.

Amen. O Holy Trinity                                        Agia Trias;

have mercy upon us.                                         Eleison imas.

Priest:

Pray.                                             Eshlil.                                

Deacon:

Stand up for prayer.                Epi prosevki stathite.

PRIEST:

Peace be with all.                     Irini pasi.

 

CONGREGATION:

And with your spirit.                Ke to pnevmati soo. 

 

The Prayer for the Gospel

PRIEST: O Master, Lord Jesus Christ our God, who said to his saintly, honoured disciples and holy apostles, Many prophets and righteous men have desired to see the things which you see, and have not seen them, and to hear the things which you hear and have not heard them. But blessed are your eyes for they see and your ears for they hear. May we be worthy to hear and to act according to your holy gospels through the prayers of your saints.

DEACON: Pray for the holy gospel.

CONGREGATION:

Lord have mercy.                     Kirie Eleyson.

 

PRIEST:

 Remember also, O our Master, all those who have bidden us to remember them in our supplications and prayers which we offer up unto you, O Lord our God. Those who have already fallen asleep, repose them. Those who are sick, heal them. For you are the life of us all, the salvation of us all, the hope of us all, the healing of us all, and the resurrection of us all.

THE READING OF THE GOSPEL

The reader:

Stand with the fear of God. Let us hear the holy gospel according to Saint Luke may his blessing be with us all. Amen.

 

The Pope:

Blessed be He who comes in the name of the Lord. Our Lord, God, Saviour and King of us all, Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, to Whom is glory forever.

 

The reader:

From the Psalms of David the prophet and king may his blessing be with us all. Amen.

Expect the Lord build a house, they labor in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman awakes in vain. Alleluia. (Psalm 127:1)

I was glad when they said unto me, let us go into the house of the Lord. Our feet shall stand within Your gates, O Jerusalem. Alleluia. (Psalm 122:1,2)   

 Let them exalt him in the assembly of his people and praise him in the council of the elders. He makes their families like flocks. The upright see and rejoice. The Lord has sworn and not relent, that you are the Priest forever in the order of Melcchizedek. The Lord is at your right hand O saintly father, pope and patriarch Abba Shenouda the third and you partners in the apostolic ministry our fathers the Metropolitains and the Bishops who are gathered with us today.  May the Lord keep your lives for us.

 

 

Congregation:

Amen Alleluia.

 

The reader:

Blessed be He who comes in the name of the Lord. Our Lord, God, Saviour and King of us all, Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, to Whom is glory forever.

 

Luke 9:28-36

 

28 Now it came to pass, about eight days after these sayings, that He took Peter, John, and James and went up on the mountain to pray. 29 And as He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening. 30 And behold, two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah, 31 who appeared in glory and spoke of His decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. 32 But Peter and those with him were heavy with sleep; and when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men who stood with Him. 33 Then it happened, as they were parting from Him, that Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah"--not knowing what he said. 34 While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were fearful as they entered the cloud. 35 And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!" 36 When the voice had ceased, Jesus was found alone. But they kept quiet, and told no one in those days any of the things they had seen.

 

 Congregation:               

Glory be to God forever.

 

The three long prayers

Priest:

Pray                                 Eshlil

 

Deacon:

Stand up for prayer                     Epi prosevki stathite

 

Priest:

Peace be with you               Irini pasi

 

Congregation:

And also with you               Ke to pnevmati soo

 

Prayer for peace

Priest:

 

Again, let us God the Pantocrator, the Father of our Lord, God and Saviour Jesus Christ. We ask and entreat Your goodness, O Lover of mankind, remember, O Lord,the peace of Your only, holy, universal and apostolic church.

 

Deacon:

 

Pray for the peace of the one, holy, universal and apostolic orthodox church of God.

 

Congregation:

 

Lord have mercy.

 

Priest:

 

This which exists from one end of the world to the other, All peoples and all flocks do bless; the heavenly peace send down into our hearts; even the peace of this life also, graciously grant unto us.

The king, the armies, the chiefs, the counselors, the multitudes, our neighbours, our coming in and our going out adorn them with all peace.

 

O King of peace, grant us Your peace; as You have given us all things. Acquire us unto Yourself, O God our Saviour, for we know none other but You, Your holy name we do utter. May our souls live by Your Holy Spirit, and not let the death which is by sin have dominion over us Your servants, nor over all Your people.

 

Congregation:

 

Lord have mercy. 

 

Prayer for the fathers

 

Priest:

 

Again, let us God the Pantocrator, the Father of our Lord, God and Saviour Jesus Christ. We ask and entreat Your goodness, O Lover of mankind, remember, O Lord, our patriarch, the honoured father, the high priest, pope Abba Shenouda the Third and his spiritual brothers in the apostolic ministry the Antiochian patriarch Mar-Agnatios Zaka the First and the Aretrian patriarch Apouna Philoppos the first and his partners in the apostolic ministry our honourable Metropolitans and Bishops who are gathered with us today.

 

Deacon:

Pray for our high priest, pope Abba Shenouda the Third, pope, patriarch and archbishops of the great city of Alexandria and his spiritual brothers in the apostolic ministry the Antiochian patriarch Mar-Agnatios Zaka the First and the Aretrian patriarch Apouna Philoppos the first and his partners in the apostolic ministry our honourable Metropolitans and Bishops who are gathered with us today.

 

Priest:

In keeping, keep them for us many years and peaceful times, fulfilling that holy high priesthood,with which You have entrusted them, from Yourself, according to Your holy and blessed will; rightly defining the word of truth; shepherding Your people in purity and righteousness.

And all the Orthodox bishops, hegomens, Priests and deacons and all the fullness of Your one, holy, universal and apostolic church.

Grant them and us peace and safety in every place.

Their prayers which they offer in our behalf, and on behalf of all Your people, as well as ours on their behalf, do receive upon Your holy and rational altar as a sweet savour of incense.

All their enemies, seen and unseen, trample and humiliate under their feet speedily. As for them, keep them in peace and righteousness in Your holy church.

 

Congregation:

 

Lord have mercy.

 

 

Prayer for the congregations

 

 

Priest:

 

Again, let us God the Pantocrator, the Father of our Lord, God and Saviour Jesus Christ. We ask and entreat Your goodness, O Lover of mankind, remember, O Lord, our congregation. Bless them.

 

Deacon:

 

Pray for this holy church and our congregations.

 

Congregation:

 

Lord have mercy.

 

Priest:

 

Grant that they may be unto us without obstacle or hindrance, that we may hold them according to Your holy and blessed will. Houses of prayer, houses of purity, houses of blessing, grant them unto us, O Lord, and Your servants who shall come after us forever.

 

The worship of idols, utterly uproot from the world. Satan and all his evil powers, trample and humiliate under our feet speedily. All offences and their instigators, abolish. May all dissensions of corrupt heresies cease.

The enemies of Your holy church, O Lord, as at all times, now also humiliate. Strip their vanity, show them their weakness speedily. Bring to naught their envy, their intrigues, their madness, their weakness and their slander which they commit against us. O Lord, brig them all to no avail; disperse their council, O God, who dispersed the counsel of Ahithophel.

 

Congregation:

 

 Lord have mercy.

 

Priest:

Arise, O Lord God, let all Your enemies be scattered, and let all that hate Your holy name flee before Your face.

But let Your people be in blessing thousands of thousands and ten thousand times ten thousands doing Your will.

 

Deacon:

 

In the wisdom of God, let us attend. Lord have mercy. Lord have mercy.

 

 

 

The Orthodox Creed

CONGREGATION:

We believe in one God, God the Father, the Pantocrator, who created heaven and earth, and all things seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only-Begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all ages; Light of light, true God of true God, begotten not created, of one essence with the Father, by whom all things were made; Who for us men and our salvation came down from heaven, and was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and of the Virgin Mary, and became Man. And he was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, suffered and was buried. And the third day He rose from the dead, according to the scriptures, ascended into the heavens; he sits at the right hand of his Father, and He is coming again in his glory to judge the living and the dead, whose kingdom shall have no end. Yes, we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Life-Giver, who proceeds from the Father, who with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets. And in one holy, universal and apostolic church. We confess one baptism for the remission of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the coming age. Amen.

 

Then the congregation says:

 

LORD HAVE MERCY, repeated 41 times.

 

The pope then prays the following:

 

O Master, Lord, God the Pantocrator, the King who is Holy and Saviour. Creator of all things, who planted in our nature wisdom to choose for us trades, works ans useful knowledge for our lives. when you released us from the lustful life and granted us wisdom to build to be protected from cold, heat and snow. You give the spirit of wisdom to Bezaleel to prepare the dome for Your blessed and holy name (Exodus 31:1), in the estrangement of Your people Israel in the wilderness. We ask You, O our King, the lover of mankind, to strengthen the house which will be built, to worship Your holy and blessed name, which is glorified in all things. Purify it and strengthen it. May it be a solid foundation. Prepare it a pure sanctuary for the priesthood by Your holy and mighty hands. May they offer honoured and heavenly glorification, so Your people would enjoy the church rites, the holy Epsalmodia and the mystical, heavenly call.

For this we ask and entreat Your goodness, O Lover of mankind, graciously share the work with them, all envy, all temptation, all the work of Satan, the rising up of enemies hidden and manifest, take it away from them, O God. Grant them what is good and beneficent. Accept their determination in honouring Your Holy Name, which is exalted above all honours, and bless them with heavenly blessings. Make us worthy to lift in it our hands unto You and glorify Your Holy Name abundantly, through praises, spiritual services and sweet savour unto Your Divinity.

And unto You we offer glory, honour and worship, O God the Father, and the Only-begotten Son and the Holy Spirit, the Life-giver who is One in Essence, now and forever and unto the age of all ages. Amen.      

 

Congregation:

 

Our Father who art in heaven; …………………..

 

Deacon:

 

Bow your heads to the Lord.

 

Congregation:

 

Before You, O Lord.

 

Deacon:

 

Let us attend with the fear of God.

 

Priest:

 

Peace be with you all.

 

Congregation:

 

And also with you.

Priest:

 

Again, let us God the Pantocrator, the Father of our Lord, God and Saviour Jesus Christ. We ask and entreat Your goodness, O Lover of mankind, remember, O Lord, the peace of Your only, holy, universal and apostolic church.

 

Deacon:

 

Pray for the peace of the one, holy, universal and apostolic orthodox church of God.

 

Congregation:

 

Lord have mercy.