THE DIVINE LITURGY OF OUR FATHER AMONG THE SAINTS BASIL THE GREAT

Note, that the first part of this Hierurgy, the parts of the Deacon, and those of the Choir are the same as in that of Saint John Chrysostom.

Prayer of the Catechumens (See page 271).

O Lord our God, who dwellest in the heavens, and lookest upon all thy works, look upon thy servants the Catechumens, who have bowed down their necks before thee, and grant them the light yoke; make them honourable members of thy holy Church, and vouchsafe them the laver of regeneration, the remission of sins, and the garment of incorruption, unto the knowledge of thee, our true God.

First Prayer of the Faithful (See page 273).

Thou, O Lord, hast shewed us this great Mystery of salvation; thou hast deigned that we, thy lowly and unworthy servants should be ministers of thy holy Altar: do thou enable us, by the power of thy Holy Spirit, for this service; that, standing without condemnation before thy holy glory, we may offer to thee a sacrifice of praise; for thou art he that worketh things all in all. Grant, O Lord, that both for our own sins, and for the errors of the people, our sacrifice may be acceptable, and well pleasing before thee.

Second Prayer of the Faithful (See page 275).

O God, who hast visited our lowliness with mercy and compassions, who hast placed us, thy lowly, and sinful, and unworthy servants, before thy holy glory, to minister at thy holy Altar: do thou strengthen us, by the power of thy holy Spirit, for this service; and give us utterance in opening our mouth, to invoke the grace of thy Holy Spirit upon the Gifts about to be set forth.

On the Great Fifth-day, instead of the Cherubic Hymn (See page 277), there is sung this Troparion to the second plagal Tone.

Of thy mystic Supper to-day, O Son of God accept me as a communicant; for I will not speak of thy Mystery to thine enemies: I will not give thee a kiss, like Judas; but as the Thief I confess to thee:—Be mindful of me, O Lord, when thou comest in thy Kingdom.

And on the Great Sabbath, this to the first plagal Tone.

Let all mortal flesh be silent, and stand with fear and trembling, and ponder in itself nothing earthly; for the King of kings, and Lord of lords, cometh forward to be sacrificed, and given for food to the Faithful; and there do precede him the choirs of Angels, with every Principality and Authority, the many-eyed Cherubim, and the six-winged Seraphim, that cover their faces, and vociferate the hymn: Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.

Prayer of the Proskomide, after the deposition of the divine Gifts on the holy Table (See page 287).

O Lord our God, who hast created us, and brought us into this life, who hast shewn us ways unto salvation, who hast bestowed on us the revelation of heavenly Mysteries; thou art he that hath appointed us unto this service, in the power of thy Holy Spirit. Be pleased then, O Lord, that we may be servants of thy new testament, ministers of thy holy Mysteries: accept us that are drawing near to thy holy Altar, according to the multitude of thy mercy; that we may be worthy to offer to thee this rational and unbloody Sacrifice for our own sins, and for the errors of the people: which accepting at thy holy, and heavenly, and intellectual Altar, for an odour of a sweet smell, in return send down on us the grace of thy Holy Spirit. Look upon us, O God, and behold this our worship, and accept it, as thou didst accept the gifts of Abel, the sacrifices of Noe, the holocausts of Abraham, the priestly-ministrations of Moses and Aaron, the peace-offerings of Samuel. As thou didst accept from thy holy Apostles this true worship, so also from the hands of us, sinners, accept these Gifts in thy beneficence, O Lord; that, being vouchsafed to minister blamelessly at thy holy Altar, we may find the reward of faithful and wise stewards, in the fearful day of thy righteous recompense.

After the conclusion of the holy Symbol (See page 295), the Deacon saith aloud:

Let us stand well, let us stand with fear: let us attend to offer in peace the holy Anaphora.

The Choir: A mercy of peace, a sacrifice of praise.

The Priest, having turned to the people, saith aloud:

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of the God and Father, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, be with you all (And he blesseth the people).

The Choir: And with thy spirit.

The Priest: On high let us have our hearts (pointing with his hand).

The Choir: We have them with the Lord.

The Priest: Let us give thanks to the Lord.

The Choir: Meet and right is it (See page 297).

The Priest prayeth secretly:

Thou the ‘Existing’, Master, Lord, God, Father, almighty, adorable, meet it is indeed, and right, and becoming the majesty of thy holiness, to praise thee, to hymn thee, to bless thee, to adore thee, to give thanks to thee, to glorify thee, the only really existing God, and to offer to thee with a contrite heart, and a spirit of lowliness, this our rational worship; for thou art he that hath bestowed on us the knowledge of thy truth. And who is sufficient to utter thy mighty acts, to make all thy praises to be heard, or to tell of all thy wonders at every season? Master of all things, Lord of heaven and earth, and of every creature, visible and invisible, who sittest upon the throne of glory, and beholdest the depths, unoriginate, invisible, incomprehensible, uncircumscribed, immutable, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ the great God and Saviour of our hope: who is the image of thy goodness, seal of equal type, shewing in himself thee the Father, living Word, true God, the wisdom before the ages, life, sanctification, power, the true light; from whom the Holy Spirit hath appeared, the Spirit of truth, the grace of adoption, the earnest of the future inheritance, the first-fruits of eternal good things, the life-giving power, the source of sanctification; of whom enabled, every rational and intellectual creature worshippeth thee, and to thee sendeth up the everlasting doxology, for all things are thy servants. For thee do praise Angels, Archangels, Thrones, Dominations, Principalities, Authorities, Powers, and the many-eyed Cherubim: about thee stand in a circle the Seraphim, one with six wings, and another with six wings; and with twain they cover their faces, and with twain their feet; and with twain flying, they cry one to another, with unceasing mouths, with never silent doxologies:

The Priest aloud:

Singing, vociferating, crying, and saying the triumphal Hymn:

The Choir: Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord of Sabaoth: the heaven and the earth are full of thy glory.

Hosanna in the highest:

Blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord:

Hosanna in the highest.

Then the Deacon doth the same as in the Liturgy of Chrysostom.

And the Priest prayeth secretly:

With these blessed Powers, O Master, lover of man, we also, sinners, cry aloud and say: Holy art thou, indeed, and all-holy, and there is no measure of the majesty of thy holiness; and pure in all thy works, for in righteousness and true judgement hast thou brought all things upon us: for having fashioned man, taking clay from the earth, and honouring him, O God, with thine own image, thou didst place him in the Paradise of pleasure, promising him immortality of life, and enjoyment of eternal good things, in the keeping of thy commandments; but when he disobeyed thee the true God, that created him, and was led astray by the guile of the serpent, and subjected to death by his own transgressions, thou didst banish him in thy righteous judgement, O God, from the Paradise into this world, and madest him return to the earth whence he was taken, providing for him the salvation of regeneration, which is in thy Christ himself. For thou didst not turn away utterly from thy creature which thou madest, O Good One, nor forget the work of thy hands, but didst visit it in divers manners through the bowels of thy mercy: thou didst send forth Prophets; thou wroughtest mighty things through thy Saints that were pleasing to thee in each generation; thou spakest to us by the mouth of thy servants the Prophets, foretelling us the salvation to come; thou gavest a law for help; thou didst appoint Angels as Guardians. But when the fulness of the times came, thou spakest to us in thy Son himself, through whom thou madest the ages also: who, being the effulgence of thy glory, and the impress of thy hypostasis, and upholding all things by the word of his power, deemed it not usurpation to be equal to thee, the God and Father; but, being God before the ages, appeared upon the earth, and mingled with men; and incarnate of a holy Virgin, emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, becoming conformable to the body of our lowliness, that he might make us conformable to the image of his glory. For since through man sin entered into the world, and through sin death, it pleased thine Only-begotten Son, that is in the bosom of thee, the God and Father, become of a woman, the holy Theotokos, and ever-virgin Mary, become under the law, to condemn sin in his flesh; that they who died in Adam, might be made alive in thy Christ himself; and dwelling in this world, giving precepts of salvation, and withdrawing us from the error of idols, he brought us to the knowledge of thee, the true God and Father, having acquired us to himself for a peculiar people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation; and having cleansed us in water, and hallowed us by the Holy Spirit, he gave himself a ransom to death, wherein we were held, sold under sin; and descending through the Cross into Hades, that he might fill all things with himself, he loosed the pains of death; and rising again the third day, and making for all flesh a way to the resurrection from the dead (because it was not possible that the author of life, should be holden of corruption), he became the first-fruits of those that have fallen asleep, the first-born from the dead, that he might be in all things first among all; and ascending into the heavens, he sat down at the right hand of thy majesty in the highest; who shall also come to render to each one according to his works. But he hath left us as memorials of his saving Passion, these, which we have set forth, according to his commandments; for being about to go forth to his voluntary, and famous, and life-giving death, in the night wherein he gave himself up for the life of the world, taking bread into his holy and undefiled hands, and shewing it to thee, the God and Father, and giving thanks, blessing, hallowing, breaking,

Then aloud:

He gave to his holy Disciples and Apostles, saying: Take, eat ye: this is my Body, which for you is broken, unto remission of sins.

The Choir:Amen.

And the Priest secretly:

In like manner taking the Chalice also of the fruit of the vine, mingling it, giving thanks, blessing, hallowing,

Then aloud:

He gave to his holy Disciples and Apostles, saying: Drink ye all of it: this is my Blood, of the new testament, which for you and for many is poured out, unto remission of sins.

The Choir: Amen.

The Priest prayeth secretly:

This do ye in remembrance of me: for as often as ye eat this Bread, and drink this Chalice, ye proclaim my death, and confess my Resurrection.

Wherefore, O Master, we also, having in remembrance his saving Passion, the life-giving Cross, the three days Burial, the Resurrection from the dead, the Ascension into the heavens, the Session at the right hand of thee, the God and Father, and his glorious and fearful second Coming,

Aloud:

Thine own of thine own do offer to thee, in behalf of all, and for all.

The Choir: Thee we hymn, thee we bless, to thee we give thanks, O Lord, and beseech thee, our God.

The Priest, bowing his head prayeth secretly:

Therefore, O all-holy Master, we also, sinners, and thine unworthy servants, who have been vouchsafed to minister at thy holy Altar, not through our righteousness (for we have done nothing good upon the earth), but through thy mercies and thy compassions, which thou hast richly poured out upon us, taking courage, draw near to thy holy Altar; and presenting the antitypes of the holy Body and Blood of thy Christ, beseech thee, and implore thee, O Saint of Saints, by the good will of thy goodness, for thy Holy Spirit to come upon us, and upon these laid out Gifts, and bless them, and hallow, and make—

The Deacon putteth down the Fan, which he was holding (or the Veil), and cometh nearer to the Priest; and bowing his head, pointeth with his Orarion to the holy Bread, saying secretly:

Bless, Master, the holy Bread.

And the Priest, standing erect, thrice signeth the holy Gifts with the sign of the Cross;—first holy Bread, saying:

This Bread the precious Body itself of our Lord, and God, and Saviour Jesus Christ,

The Deacon: Amen.

And again, pointing with his Orarion to the holy Chalice:

Bless, Master, the holy Chalice.

And the Priest, blessing, saith:

And this Chalice, the precious Blood itself of our Lord, and God, and Saviour Jesus Christ,

The Deacon: Amen.

And again, pointing with his Orarion to both the holy Things:

Bless, Master, both.

And the Priest, blessing both, saith:

Which was poured out for the life and salvation of the world,

The Deacon: Amen. Amen. Amen.

And having bowed his head to the Priest, and said. Be mindful, holy Master, of me a sinner, he shifteth to the place where he stood before, taking withal the Fan again, as before.

And the Priest prayeth:

And to unite us all, that partake of the one Bread and of the Chalice, to one another unto communion of the one Holy Spirit, and cause that none of us may partake of the holy Body and Blood of thy Christ unto judgement, or unto condemnation; but that we may find mercy and grace with all the Saints that have ever pleased thee, Forefathers, Fathers, Patriarchs, Prophets, Apostles, Preachers, Evangelists, Martyrs, Confessors, Teachers, and every righteous spirit in faith made perfect:

Then censing the holy Table in the front, he saith aloud:

Especially our All-holy, undefiled, exceedingly blessed, glorious Lady, Theotokos, and ever-virgin, Mary:

The Choir singeth:

In thee rejoiceth, O full of grace, the whole creation, the system of Angels, and the race of men, thou hallowed Temple, and rational Paradise, glory of virgins, of whom God was incarnate, and became a little child, our God that is before the ages; for thy womb he made a throne, and thy belly he rendered wider than the heavens. In thee rejoiceth, O full of grace, the whole creation: glory to thee.

But if it be the Great Fifth-day:

Of thy mystic Supper (See page 349).

But if the Great Sabbath:

Let all mortal flesh be (See page 349).

The Deacon, receiving the Censer from the Priest, censeth the holy Table all round; and finally commemorateth the Dyptichs of those that have fallen asleep. And to himself he maketh mention of such also as he pleaseth, living and dead.

And the Priest prayeth secretly:

The holy John, Prophet, Precursor, and Baptist; the holy, glorious and all-famous Apostles; Saint N., whose memory also we celebrate, and all thy Saints; at whose supplications, visit us, O God: and be mindful of all those that have heretofore fallen asleep in the hope of a resurrection to life eternal (here by name he maketh mention also of such of the dead as he pleaseth), and give them repose, where the light of Thy countenance beholdeth.

Again, we beseech thee:—Be mindful, O Lord, of thy holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, which is from end to end of the universe, and give peace to her, whom thou hast purchased with the precious Blood of thy Christ, and stablish this holy House until the end of the world.

Be mindful, O Lord, of those that have offered to thee these holy Gifts, and of those for whom, and through whom, and on account of whom they have offered them.

Be mindful, O Lord, of those that bear fruit and do good works in thy holy Churches, and are mindful of the poor: recompense them with thy rich and heavenly graces; bestow on them heavenly things for things earthly, eternal things for things temporal, incorruptible things for things corruptible.

Be mindful, O Lord, of those that are in deserts, and mountains, and dens, and caves of the earth.

Be mindful, O Lord, of those that live in virginity, and reverence, and asceticism, and grave manner of life.

Be mindful, O Lord, of our most pious and faithful Kings, whom thou hast given the right to reign upon the earth: crown them with the shield of truth, with the shield of good will; overshadow their head in the day of battle; strengthen their arm; exalt their right hand; confirm their kingdom; subdue beneath them all the barbarous nations, which desire war; bestow on them profound and inviolate peace; speak good things to their heart for thy Church and all thy people; that in their calm, we may lead a tranquil and quiet life, in all piety and gravity.

Be mindful, O Lord, of every Principality and Authority; also of our brethren in the Palace, and of all the Army: preserve the good in thy goodness; make the evil to be good in thy beneficence.

Be mindful, O Lord, of the people standing around, and of those that are absent through reasonable causes, and have mercy on them and on us, according to the multitude of thy mercy: fill their store-chambers with every good thing; preserve their unions in peace and concord; rear up the babes; guide the youth; support the aged; encourage the faint-hearted; collect the scattered; bring back the wandering, and unite them to thy holy Catholic and Apostolic Church; free those that are vexed with unclean spirits; voyage with those that voyage; travel with those that travel; defend the widows; shield the orphans; deliver the captives; heal the sick. Of those that are in tribunals, and mines, and exile, and bitter slavery, and all affliction, and necessity, and distress, be mindful, O God, and of all that beseech thy great tenderness of heart; also of those that love us, and of those that hate us, and of those that have enjoined us, unworthy as we are, to pray for them. And of all thy people be mindful, O Lord our God, and upon all pour out thy rich mercy, granting to all their petitions unto salvation. And of whom we have not been mindful through ignorance, or forgetfulness, or multitude of names, be thou thyself mindful, O God, who knowest the age and the appellation of each one, who knowest each one from his mother’s womb. For thou, O Lord, art the helper of the helpless, the hope of the hopeless, the saviour of the tempest-tost, the harbour of the voyager, the healer of the sick:be thou thyself all things to all men, who knowest each one, and his petition, each house, and its need. Deliver, O Lord, this City (or, Abode), and every city, and country, from famine, plague, earthquake, flood, fire, sword, incursion of foreigners, and civil war.

Then he saith aloud:

Among the first be mindful, O Lord, of our Archbishop N., whom grant to thy holy Churches in peace, safe, honoured, healthful, attaining to length of days, and rightly dividing the word of thy truth.

And the Deacon, standing by the Door, saith:

Of N., the all-sacred Metropolitan (or, Bishop as the case may be).

And for him that offereth these holy Gifts, &c., as far as, and for all, men and women.

The Choir: And for all, men and women.

And the Priest prayeth secretly:

Be mindful, O Lord, of every Bishopric of the Orthodox, who rightly divide the word of thy truth.

Be mindful, O Lord, according to the multitude of thy compassions, of my unworthiness also: forgive me every transgression, voluntary and involuntary, and do not, on account of my sins, withhold the grace of thy Holy Spirit from these laid out Gifts.

Be mindful, O Lord, of the Presbytery, of the Diaconate in Christ, and of every Sacerdotal Order, and put none of us to confusion, who surround thy holy Altar. Visit us in thy beneficence, O Lord: manifest thyself to us in thy rich compassions; bestow on us dulytempered and advantageous air; give peaceful showers to the earth for fruit-bearing; bless the crown of the year of thy bounty; stay the schisms of the Churches; quench the ragings of the nations; quickly destroy the uprisings of heresies, by the power of thy Holy Spirit; accept us all in thy Kingdom, making us children of the light and children of the day; bestow on us thy peace and thy love, O Lord our God; for thou hast given us all things.

Aloud:

And grant us with one mouth, and one heart, to glorify, and hymn thine all-honourable and majestic Name, of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Sptrit, now, and ever, and unto the ages of the ages.

The Choir: Amen.

And the rest as in the Hierurgy of Chrysostom (See page 309), except the following Prayers.

Prayer of the Ektene (See page 311).

O our God, the God of salvation, do thou teach us to give thanks to thee worthily for thy benefits, which thou hast done, and still doest toward us. Do thou, our God, who acceptest these Gifts, cleanse us from all defilement of flesh and spirit, and teach us to perfect holiness in thy fear; that we, with the pure witness of our conscience, receiving a portion of thy hallowed things, may be united to the holy Body and Blood of thy Christ; and having received them worthily, may have Christ dwelling in our hearts, and become a temple of thy Holy Spirit. Yea, O our God; and cause that none of us may be guilty of these thy terrible and heavenly Mysteries, nor sick in soul and body from unworthily partaking of them; but grant us until our last breath worthily to receive the portion of thy hallowed things, unto viaticum of life eternal, unto an acceptable defence at the fearful Tribunal of thy Christ; that we also, with all the Saints that have ever pleased thee, may become partakers of thine eternal good things, which thou hast prepared for those that love thee, O Lord.

Prayer of the Bowing down of the head (See page 315).

O Master, Lord, the Father of compassions, and God of all comfort, bless, hallow, guard, fortify, strengthen, those that have bowed down their heads to thee, withdraw them from every evil work; and to every good work unite them, and deign that they may without condemnation partake of these thine undefiled and life-giving Mysteries, unto remission of sins, unto communion of the Holy Spirit.

Prayer of Thanksgiving, after the Communion (See page 329).

We give thanks to thee, O Lord our God, for the participation of thy holy, undefiled, immortal, and heavenly Mysteries, which thou hast given us for the benefit, and sanctification, and healing of our souls and bodies. Do thou thyself, O Master of all, grant that the communion of the Body and Blood of Thy Christ may be to us unto faith that cannot be put to confusion, unto love unfeigned, unto fulness of wisdom, unto healing of soul and body, unto turning away of every adversary, unto fulfilment of thy commandments, unto an acceptable defence at the fearful Tribunal of thy Christ.

Prayer behind the Ambon.

Thou that blessest those that bless thee (See Page 335).

But if the Priest chooseth, he saith the following.

Thou that for a sacrifice of praise and a well pleasing worship acceptest this rational and unbloody sacrifice from those that with their whole heart call upon thee, Christ our God, the Lamb and Son of God, which takest away the sin of the world, the blameless Calf, which receivest not the yoke of sin, and wast sacrificed for us voluntarily: which art broken, yet not severed, which art eaten, yet never consumed, but sanctifying those that eat: who in remembrance of thy voluntary Passion, and thy life-giving Rising on the third day, hast made us communicants of thine ineffable, and heavenly, and terrible Mysteries, thy holy Body and thy precious Blood: keep us thy servants the Ministers, and our faithful Kings, and the Christ-loving Army, and the people standing around, in thy sanctification; and grant us at every time and season, to meditate on thy righteousness, that, being led according to thy will, and doing the things that please thee, we may become worthy of a place also at thy right hand, when thou shalt come to judge the living and the dead: rescue such of our brethren as are in captivity; visit those that are in sickness; steer for those that are in perils of the sea; and give repose, where the light of thy countenance beholdeth, to the souls heretofore departed in the hope of life eternal; and hearken to all those that beseech thine aid. For thou art the giver of all good things, and to thee we send up glory, with thine unoriginate Father, and thine All-holy, and good, and life-giving Spirit, now, and ever, and unto the ages of the ages.

The Choir: Amen.

Prayer at the gathering up of the Holy Things (See page 335).

Accomplished and perfected, as far as lieth in our power, is the Mystery of thy dispensation, O Christ our God: for we have had the memorial of thy death, we have seen the type of thy Resurrection, we have been filled with thine unending life, we have enjoyed thine inexhaustible delight, which in the world to come also be pleased to vouchsafe us all. Through the grace of thine unoriginate Father, and of thy Holy, and good, and life-giving Spirit, now, and ever, and unto the ages of the ages. Amen.

In the Dismission the Priest maketh mention of Basil the Great (See page 337).

Apolytikion of Basil the Great (See page 339).

Into all the earth is thy sound gone out, which hath received thy word; whereby thou didst divinely teach, and explain the nature of things that are, and set in order the customs of men; O Royal (Basileion) Priesthood, Pure Father, intercede with Christ the God, that our souls may be saved.