6th Hour Prayer

    The Worshipper Prays:

    † In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen.
    † Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, Lord bless us. Amen.
    † Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and forever and ever. Amen.

    THE LORD’S PRAYER

    O’ Lord make us worthy to pray thankfully:
    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 trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, for Thine is the Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory forever. Amen.

    THE PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING

    Let us give thanks to the gracious and merciful God, the Father of our Lord, God and Saviour Jesus Christ, for He has protected, assisted, preserved and accepted us, had compassion upon us, supported us and brought us till this hour. Let us also ask Him the Almighty God, to keep us in peace this blessed day, and all the days of our life. O Lord, Master and Almighty God, the Father of our Lord, God and Saviour Jesus Christ, we thank You on every occasion, in every condition and for all things, for You have protected, assisted, preserved, accepted us, had compassion upon us, supported us and brought us till this hour. Therefore, we ask and appeal to Your goodness, O Lover-of-mankind that You grant us to conclude this blessed day and all the days of our life in peace and in Your fear. All envy, all temptation, all works of Satan, all intrigues of the wicked; rising up of enemies, seen and unseen; do cast away from us and all your people, and from this Holy place. Grant us the endowments and benefactions, as You have given us the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, through the grace, mercy and love of mankind of Your only begotten Son, our Lord God and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Glory, honour, dominion and worship are due to You together with Him and the Life- Giving and consubstantial Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.

    PSALM 51 (50)

    Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your loving-kindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is ever before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight—That You may be found just when You speak, And blameless when You judge. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me. Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness, That the bones which You have broken may rejoice. Hide Your face from my sins, And blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me with Your generous Spirit. Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners shall be converted to You. Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, The God of my salvation, And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness. O Lord, open my lips, And my mouth shall show forth Your praise. For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart—These, O God, You will not despise. Do good in Your good pleasure to Zion; Build the walls of Jerusalem. Then You shall be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, With burnt offering and whole burnt offering; Then they shall offer bulls on Your altar. Alleluia.

    The Sixth Hour

    The worshipper then says:-
    The Prayer of the Sixth Hour of this blessed day, is offered to Christ my King and my God, beseeching him to forgive my sins.

    PSALM 54 (53)

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    Save me, O God, by Your name, And vindicate me by Your strength. Hear my prayer, O God; Give ear to the words of my mouth. For strangers have risen up against me, And oppressors have sought after my life; They have not set God before them. Behold, God is my helper; The Lord is with those who uphold my life. He will repay my enemies for their evil. Cut them off in Your truth. I will freely sacrifice to You; I will praise Your name, O LORD, for it is good. For He has delivered me out of all trouble; And my eye has seen its desire upon my enemies. Alleluia.

    PSALM 57 (56)

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    Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me! For my soul trusts in You; And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge, Until these calamities have passed by. I will cry out to God Most High, To God who performs all things for me. He shall send from heaven and save me; He reproaches the one who would swallow me up. God shall send forth His mercy and His truth. My soul is among lions; I lie among the sons of men Who are set on fire, Whose teeth are spears and arrows, And their tongue a sharp sword. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; Let Your glory be above all the earth. They have prepared a net for my steps; My soul is bowed down; They have dug a pit before me; Into the midst of it they themselves have fallen. My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and give praise. Awake, my glory! Awake, lute and harp! I will awaken the dawn. I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing to You among the nations. For Your mercy reaches unto the heavens, And Your truth unto the clouds. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; Let Your glory be above all the earth. Alleluia.

    PSALM 61 (60)

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    Hear my cry, O God; Attend to my prayer. From the end of the earth I will cry to You, When my heart is overwhelmed; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For You have been a shelter for me, And a strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in Your tabernacle forever; I will trust in the shelter of Your wings. For You, O God, have heard my vows; You have given me the heritage of those who fear Your name. You will prolong the king's life, His years as many generations. He shall abide before God forever. Oh, prepare mercy and truth, which may preserve him! So I will sing praise to Your name forever, That I may daily perform my vows. Alleluia.

    PSALM 63 (62)

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    O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You In a dry and thirsty land Where there is no water. So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, To see Your power and Your glory. Because Your loving-kindness is better than life, My lips shall praise You. Thus I will bless You while I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, And my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips. When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches. Because You have been my help, Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice. My soul follows close behind You; Your right hand upholds me. But those who seek my life, to destroy it, Shall go into the lower parts of the earth. They shall fall by the sword; They shall be a portion for jackals. But the king shall rejoice in God; Everyone who swears by Him shall glory; But the mouth of those who speak lies shall be stopped. Alleluia.

    PSALM 67 (66)

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    God be merciful to us and bless us, And cause His face to shine upon us. That Your way may be known on earth, Your salvation among all nations. Let the peoples praise You, O God; Let all the peoples praise You. Oh, let the nations be glad and sing for joy! For You shall judge the people righteously, And govern the nations on earth. Let the peoples praise You, O God; Let all the peoples praise You. Then the earth shall yield her increase; God, our own God, shall bless us. God shall bless us, And all the ends of the earth shall fear Him. Alleluia.

    PSALM 70 (69)

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    Make haste, O God, to deliver me! Make haste to help me, O LORD! Let them be ashamed and confounded Who seek my life; Let them be turned back and confused Who desire my hurt. Let them be turned back because of their shame, Who say, “Aha, aha!” Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; And let those who love Your salvation say continually, “Let God be magnified!” But I am poor and needy; Make haste to me, O God! You are my help and my deliverer; O LORD, do not delay. Alleluia.

    PSALM 84 (83)

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    How lovely is Your tabernacle, O LORD of hosts! My soul longs, yes, even faints For the courts of the LORD; My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. Even the sparrow has found a home, And the swallow a nest for herself, Where she may lay her young—Even Your altars, O LORD of hosts, My King and my God. Blessed are those who dwell in Your house; They will still be praising You. Blessed is the man whose strength is in You, Whose heart is set on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baca, They make it a spring; The rain also covers it with pools. They go from strength to strength; Everyone of them appears before God in Zion. O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer; Give ear, O God of Jacob! O God, behold our shield, And look upon the face of Your anointed. For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God Than dwell in the tents of wickedness. For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold From those who walk uprightly. O LORD of hosts, Blessed is the man who trusts in You! Alleluia.

    PSALM 85 (84)

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    LORD, You have been favourable to Your land; You have brought back the captivity of Jacob. You have forgiven the iniquity of Your people; You have covered all their sin. You have taken away all Your wrath; You have turned from the fierceness of Your anger. Restore us, O God of our salvation, And cause Your anger toward us to cease. Will You be angry with us forever? Will You prolong Your anger to all generations? Will You not revive us again, That Your people may rejoice in You? Show us Your mercy, O LORD, And grant us Your salvation. I will hear what God the LORD will speak, For He will speak peace To His people and to His saints; But let them not turn back to folly. Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him, That glory may dwell in our land. Mercy and truth have met together; Righteousness and peace have kissed each other. Truth shall spring out of the earth, And righteousness shall look down from heaven. Yes, the LORD will give what is good; And our land will yield its increase. Righteousness will go before Him, And shall make His footsteps our pathway. Alleluia.

    PSALM 86 (85)

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    Bow down Your ear, O LORD, hear me; For I am poor and needy. Preserve my life, for I am holy; You are my God; Save Your servant who trusts in You! Be merciful to me, O Lord, For I cry to You all day long. Rejoice the soul of Your servant, For to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul. For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You. Give ear, O LORD, to my prayer; And attend to the voice of my supplications. In the day of my trouble I will call upon You, For You will answer me. Among the gods there is none like You, O Lord; Nor are there any works like Your works. All nations whom You have made Shall come and worship before You, O Lord, And shall glorify Your name. For You are great, and do wondrous things; You alone are God. Teach me Your way, O LORD; I will walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear Your name. I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart, And I will glorify Your name forevermore. For great is Your mercy toward me, And You have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol. O God, the proud have risen against me, And a mob of violent men have sought my life, And have not set You before them. But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious, Long-suffering and abundant in mercy and truth. Oh, turn to me, and have mercy on me! Give Your strength to Your servant, And save the son of Your maidservant. Show me a sign for good, That those who hate me may see it and be ashamed, Because You, LORD, have helped me and comforted me. Alleluia.

    PSALM 87 (86)

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    His foundation is in the holy mountains. The LORD loves the gates of Zion More than all the dwellings of Jacob. Glorious things are spoken of you, O city of God! “I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon to those who know Me; Behold, O Philistia and Tyre, with Ethiopia: „This one was born there.' “ And of Zion it will be said, “This one and that one were born in her; And the Most High Himself shall establish her.” The LORD will record, When He registers the peoples: “This one was born there.” Both the singers and the players on instruments say, “All my springs are in you.” Alleluia.

    PSALM 91 (90)

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    He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.” Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler And from the perilous pestilence. He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, Nor of the arrow that flies by day, Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. A thousand may fall at your side, And ten thousand at your right hand; But it shall not come near you. Only with your eyes shall you look, And see the reward of the wicked. Because you have made the LORD, who is my refuge, Even the Most High, your habitation, No evil shall befall you, Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways. They shall bear you up in their hands, Lest you dash your foot against a stone. You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, The young lion and the serpent you shall trample under foot. Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honour him. With long life I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation. Alleluia.

    PSALM 93 (92)

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    The LORD reigns, He is clothed with majesty; The LORD is clothed, He has girded Himself with strength. Surely the world is established, so that it cannot be moved. Your throne is established from of old; You are from everlasting. The floods have lifted up, O LORD, The floods have lifted up their voice; The floods lift up their waves. The LORD on high is mightier Than the noise of many waters, Than the mighty waves of the sea. Your testimonies are very sure; Holiness adorns Your house, O LORD, forever. Alleluia.

    THE GOSPEL (Matthew 5:1-16)

    A chapter from the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew may his blessings be with us all. Amen.
    And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled. “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. “Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavour, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. “Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lamp stand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
    Glory be to God forever. Amen.

    Lord, who on the sixth day, at the sixth hour You were nailed to the Cross for the sin that Adam dared to commit in paradise. Break the bonds of our sins, Lord Christ and save us. I cried to the Lord and He heard me. Lord accept my prayer and answer my supplication, hear me in the evening and in the morning and at noon. Hear my words and spare my soul.
    Thok-sa-patri Ke ey-you Ke agiyou ep-nevmaty.

    O' Jesus Christ, our Lord, who was nailed to the Cross at the sixth hour. You mortified sin by the cross, by your death You raised the dead; Man, whom You created with Your hands, who died to sin. O. Lord, may all our pains be ended through Your life giving and healing sufferings. May our minds be saved from foolishness and worldly desires to the remembrance of Your heavenly laws.
    Ke-neen Ke-a-ee Ke-is-touse E-onas ton E-onon. Amen.

    Because of our many sins, we are without liberty, pretext or excuse, we can only plead to You, O. Virgin Mary, Mother of God, to pray to whom you gave birth, because your supplications are acceptable to our Saviour, O. Pure Mother, do not turn the sinners back, plead for them, because He to whom you gave birth is the merciful redeemer. He suffered to rescue us. O. Lord, we are helpless, we badly need Your compassion, help us for the sake of Your glory, God save us and forgive our sins for the sake of Your Holy Name.
    Ke-neen Ke-a-ee Ke-is-touse E-onas ton E-onon. Amen.

    O' Lord Christ, You gave salvation to the whole world when You spread Your undefiled hands on the cross, for this all nations give You praise saying; "Glory be to You O. Lord".
    Thok-sa-patri Ke ey-you Ke agiyou ep-nevmaty.

    O' Good Lord, we worship Your incorruptible person, praying for the remission of our sins, for You were pleased to willingly go to the cross to rescue Your creation from the slavery of the enemy. We thank You Christ, for You filled us all with joy, when You came to help the world, Glory be to You.
    Ke-neen Ke-a-ee Ke-is-touse E-onas ton E-onon. Amen.

    O' Mother of the Lord , full of grace, Virgin Mary, we praise you, because the Cross of your Son, Hades has fallen and death destroyed. We were dead before, but we have been raised, and made worthy to inherit eternal life and to regain paradise, for this we thankfully glorify our immortal Lord Jesus.

    Lord have mercy (Kir-ye ley-son) 41 times.

    HOLY HOLY HOLY

    Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts. Heaven and earth are full of Your glory and honour. God the Father Almighty, have mercy upon us. O' Holy Trinity have mercy upon us. O' Lord, God of hosts, be with us, for we have no other supporter in our tribulations and adversities but You. O' God, absolve, remit and forgive us our sins which we have done willingly and unwillingly, and those which we committed knowingly and unknowingly, the hidden and the visible. O' Lord forgive us for the sake of Your Holy Name that is called upon us, and according to Your mercy and not to our sins.
    “Our Father, who art in heaven ...”

    ABSOLUTION

    We give thanks to You-Our Almighty King, Father of our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ, and we glorify You for You have made the hours of suffering of Your Only Begotten Son a time of prayer and comfort. Accept our supplications and remove the seal of our sins as it was broken at this holy hour, through the crucifixion of Your Only Begotten Son, the Saviour of our souls, our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom You destroyed the power of evil. Lord grant us an unblemished life of peace and goodness to please Your Holy and Glorified Name. Allow us to stand in front of the fearful judgement seat of Your Only Begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Without falling into condemnation, so we may praise You with all Your saints. Eternal Father, we glorify You with Your consubstantial Son, and the Holy Spirit, giver of life, now and forever. Amen.

    CONCLUDING PRAYER

    Have mercy upon us O' God, have mercy upon us. For You are always worshipped and glorified in heaven and on earth. O' Christ, our good Lord, plenteous in patience, mercy and compassion, who loves the just and shows mercy to all sinners amongst whom I am the first. Who does not wish death for the sinner but repentance and life, calling us all to salvation for the promised forthcoming rewards. O' Lord, accept our prayers of this hour and every hour. Ease our lives, and guide us to act according to Your commandments. Sanctify our souls, purify our bodies, set right our thoughts, cleanse our intentions, heal our sickness, forgive us our sins and deliver us from every evil grief and distress. Surround us with Your Holy angels that we may be guided and guarded with them to attain the unity of faith and knowledge of Your imperceptible and infinite glory, for You are blessed forever. Amen.