Midnight Hour - Third Watch
The Midnight Hour commemorates the second coming of the Lord. The office consists of three watches, corresponding to the three stages of Christ's prayer in the garden of Gethsemane (Matt. 25:1-13).
Epshois nai-nan Epshois
nai-nan Amen Alleluia.
Khen
Efran nem Eviot nem Epshiri
nem pi Epnevma Ethowap Onoti
en o-out Amen.
The Third Watch of
Midnight prayers of this blessed day
we offer to Christ our King
and our God,
Beseeching Him
to forgive us our sins. From
the Psalms of our father
David the Prophet and the
King,
May his blessings be
upon us all Amen.
Out of the depths I have cried to You, O Lord. O Lord, hear my voice: let Your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplication. If You, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? For through You is forgiveness. For Your name's sake I have waited for You, O Lord. My soul has waited for Your law. My soul has hoped in the Lord, from the morning watch till night. From the morning watch, let Israel hope in the Lord. For with the Lord is mercy, and great is His redemption; and He shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities. ALLELUIA.
O Lord, my heart was not exalted, neither have my eyes been haughtily raised: neither have I walked in great matters, nor in wonders greater than me. If I have not humbled myself, but raised my soul, as a weaned child with his mother, so is the recompense upon my soul. Let Israel hope in the Lord, from now and forever. ALLELUIA.
Lord, remember David and all his meekness: how he swore to the Lord, and vowed to the God of Jacob, saying, “I will not go into the dwelling of my house, or go up to the bed of my couch; I will not give sleep to my eyes, nor slumber to my eyelids, nor rest to my temples, until I find a place for the Lord, and a dwelling place for the God of Jacob. Behold, we heard of it in Ephratha; we found it in the fields of the wood. Let us enter into His dwelling, and worship at the place where His feet stood.
Arise, O Lord, into Your rest; You, and the ark of Your holy place. Your priests shall clothe themselves with righteousness; and Your righteous shall exult. For the sake of Your servant David, do not turn away Your face from Your anointed.
The Lord has sworn in truth to David, and He will not turn from it, “Of the fruit of your loins I will set upon your throne. If your children keep My covenant and My testimonies which I will teach them, their children also will sit upon your throne forever.”
For the Lord has selected Zion, He has chosen her a dwelling for Himself: “This is My resting place forever. Here I will dwell; for I have desired it. In blessing I shall bless her hunting. Her poor I shall satisfy with bread. Her priests I shall clothe with salvation; and her saints with rejoicing shall rejoice. There I shall raise a horn to David. I have prepared a lamp for My anointed. His enemies I shall clothe with shame, and My holiness shall flourish upon Him.” ALLELUIA.
Behold! What is so good, or what so pleasant, as for brothers dwelling together? It is as ointment upon the head, that came down upon beard, the beard of Aaron that came down to the fringe of his clothing; as the dew of Aermon, that comes down upon the mountain of Zion: for there the Lord commanded the blessing and the life forever. ALLELUIA.
Behold, bless the Lord, O you the servants of the Lord, who stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God. In the nights lift up your hands unto the Holies, and bless the Lord. The Lord shall bless you out of Zion, He who made heaven and earth. ALLELUIA.
By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat and wept when we remembered Zion. We hung our harps on the willows in the midst of it. For there those who had taken us captive asked of us the words of a song; and those who had carried us away asked a hymn, saying, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion.”
How will we sing the Lord's song in a strange land? If I forget you, O Jerusalem, I shall forget my right hand. My tongue shall cling to my throat, if I did not remember you; if I did not prefer Jerusalem as the head of my joy.
Remember, O Lord, the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem; who said, “Tear it down, tear it down, even to its foundations.” Wretched daughter of Babylon! Blessed is he who will reward you with the reward you have given us. Blessed is he who will seize and bury your infants by the rock. ALLELUIA.
I will confess You, O Lord, with my whole heart, for You have heard all the words of my mouth. Before the angels I will chant to You. I will worship toward Your holy temple, and confess Your name, on account of Your mercy and Your truth; for You have magnified Your holy name above all. The day in which I call upon You, hear me speedily; You shall exceedingly look upon my soul with power. Let all the kings of the earth, O Lord, confess You; for they have heard all the words of Your mouth. And let them sing in the ways of the Lord; for great is the glory of the Lord.
The Lord is high, and He regards the lowly; and He knows the existing things from afar off. If I walk in the midst of affliction, You shall revive me; You have stretched forth Your hands against the wrath of enemies, and Your right hand has saved me. O Lord, You shall reward on my behalf: Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever: do not overlook the works of Your hands. ALLELUIA.
O Lord, I have cried to You, hear me. Attend to the voice of my supplication when I cry to You. Let my prayer be set forth before You as incense, and the lifting up of my hands as an evening sacrifice. O Lord, set a watch on my mouth and a strong door for my lips. Do not incline my heart to words of evil, to employ excuses for sins with men who work iniquity; and I shall not agree with their choices. The righteous shall chasten me with mercy, and reprove me: but do not let the oil of the sinner anoint my head: for yet my prayer also is in their pleasures.
Their mighty ones have been swallowed up near the rock: they shall hear my words, for they are delightful. As a lump of earth, they are broken upon the ground, their bones have been scattered at Hades. For my eyes are to You, O Lord: O Lord, I have hoped in You; do not take away my soul. Keep me from the snare which they have set for me, and from the stumbling blocks of those who work iniquity. Sinners shall fall by their own net: I am alone until iniquity passes by. ALLELUIA.
With my voice to the Lord I cried; with my voice to the Lord I made supplication. I will pour out before Him my supplication. My affliction I will pour out before Him, when my spirit was fainting within me, and You knew my paths. In the way in which I was walking, they hid a snare for me. I looked on my right hand, and beheld, for there was no one who noticed me. Refuge failed me, and there was no one who cared for my soul. I cried unto You, O Lord, and said, “You are my hope, my portion in the land of the living. Attend to my supplication, for I am brought very low; deliver me from those who persecute me, for they are stronger than me. Bring my soul out of prison, that I may confess Your name, O Lord. The righteous wait for me until You reward me.” ALLELUIA.
Praise the Lord, O my soul. I will praise the Lord in my life. I will sing praises to my God as long as I exist. Do not trust in the princes, nor in the children of men, in whom there is no salvation. Their spirit shall go forth, and they shall return to their earth. In that day all their thoughts shall perish.
Blessed is he whose helper is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God: who made heaven and earth, the sea and all things in them; who keeps truth forever: who executes judgement for the oppressed, who gives food to the hungry.
The Lord looses the bound; the Lord sets up the broken down. The Lord gives wisdom to the blind; the Lord loves the righteous. the Lord preserves the strangers; He accepts the orphan and widow: but He will destroy the way of sinners. The Lord shall reign forever, and your God, O Zion, from generation to generation. ALLELUIA.
Praise the Lord, for a psalm is good; let praise be sweet unto our God. The Lord builds up Jerusalem; and He will gather together the dispersed of Israel. He heals the broken-hearted, and binds up all their fractures. He numbers the multitudes of stars, and calls them all by names. Great is the Lord, and great is His strength; His understanding is infinite. The Lord lifts up the meek, but brings sinners down to the ground.
Begin the song to the Lord with thanksgiving; sing praises to our God on the harp: He who covers the heaven with clouds; who prepares rain for the earth; who causes grass to spring up on the mountains, and green herb for the service of men; who gives food to the cattle, and to the young ravens that call upon Him. He will not take pleasure in the strength of a horse, nor will He be well‑pleased with the legs of man. The Lord will take pleasure in those who fear Him, and in those who hope in His mercy. ALLELUIA.
Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem; praise your God, O Zion: for He has strengthened the bars of your gates. He has blessed your children within you. He makes your borders peaceful, and fills you with the fatness of wheat. He sends His word to the earth: His word runs swiftly. He gives snow like wool: He scatters the mist like ashes. He casts out His ice like morsels: who will be able to stand before His frost? He will send out His word, and melt them. His wind will blow, and the waters shall flow. He declares His word to Jacob, His ordinances and judgements to Israel. He has not done so with every nation; and He has not revealed to them His judgements. ALLELUIA.
Zoxasi Otheos Emon. Holy
Holy Holy. A passage from
the Gospel according to
St.
Luke, may his blessings be
with us all Amen.
“Do not fear, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell what you have, and give alms, provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fails, where no thief approaches, nor moth corrupts. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Let your loins be girded, and your lamps burning; And you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding; that when he comes and knocks, they may open to him immediately. Blessed are those servants, whom their master, when he comes will find them: Assuredly I say to you, that he shall gird himself, and have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them. And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and finds them so, blessed are those servants. But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have allowed his house to be broken into. You therefore be ready also: for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think.” Then Peter said to Him, “Lord, do you speak this parable only to us, or to all people?” And the Lord said, “Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his master when he comes will find so doing. Truly I say to you, that he will make him ruler over all that he has. But if that servant says in his heart, `My master is delaying his coming;' and begins to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and be drunk; The master of that servant will come in a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two, and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.”
Glory be to God forever. Amen.
Tenoo oosht emmok o Piekhristos nem Pekyot en Aghathos nem pi Epnevma Ethowap
je akee ak soti emmon nai nan
+ With a compassionate eye, O Lord, look at my weakness, for shortly my life will end, and in my deeds I shall have no salvation. Therefore, I beseech, O Lord, with a merciful eye look at my weakness, my humility, my poverty and my sojourn, and save me. (Zoxa Patri ... )
+ As the Judge is present, take heed, O my soul, awake and consider that awesome hour; for in the day of judgment, there will be no mercy on those who were not merciful. Therefore, have compassion on me, O Savior, for You alone are the Lover of mankind. (Ke Neen ... )
+ O the reasonable gate of life, the honored Theotokos, deliver from hardships those who, in faith, take refuge in you, so that we might glorify your immaculate birth of Christ for the salvation of our souls. (Ke Neen ... )
+ O Heavenly King, the Comforter, the Spirit of truth, who is present in all places and fills all, the treasury of good things and the Life‑Giver, graciously come, and dwell in us and purify us from all defilement, O Good One, and save our souls. (Zoxa Patri ... )
+ Just as You were with Your disciples, O Savior, and gave them peace, graciously come also and be with us, and grant us Your peace, and save us, and deliver our souls. (Ke Neen ... )
+ Whenever we stand in Your holy sanctuary, we are considered standing in heaven. O Theotokos, you are the gate of heaven, open for us the gate of mercy.
O Lord hear us and have
mercy on us and forgive us
our many sins Amen
Kyrie Eleison (Lord Have Mercy) 41 times
Holy Holy Holy. Lord of hosts. Heaven and earth are full of Your glory and honor. Have mercy on us, O God the Father, the Almighty O Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. O Lord, God of hosts, be with us. For we have no helper in our hardships and tribulations but You. Absolve, forgive, and remit, O God, our transgressions; those which we have committed willingly and those we have committed unwillingly, those which we have committed knowingly and those which we have committed unknowingly, the hidden and manifest, O Lord forgive us, for the sake of Your Holy name which is called upon us.
Let it be according to Your mercy, O Lord, and not according to our sins.
Make us worthy to pray thankfully: Our Father Who art in heaven ...
Zoxasi Otheos Emon. Holy
Holy Holy. A passage from
the Gospel according to
St.
Luke, may his blessings be
with us all Amen.
Lord, now let your servant depart in peace, according to Your word: For my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared before the face of people; A light to be revealed to the Gentiles and a glory of Your people Israel.
Glory be to God forever. Amen.
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, Who was born of the Virgin, have mercy on us.
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, Who was crucified for us, have mercy on us.
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, Who rose from the dead and ascended into the heavens, have mercy on us.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and forever and unto the ages of all ages. Amen.
O Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. O Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. O Holy Trinity, have mercy on us.
O Lord, forgive us our sins. O Lord, forgive us our iniquities. O Lord, forgive us our trespasses.
O Lord, visit the sick of Your people, heal them for the sake of Your holy name. Our fathers and brothers who have slept, O Lord, repose their souls.
O You Who are without sin, Lord have mercy on us. O You Who are without sin, Lord help us and receive our supplications. For Yours is the glory, the dominion, and triple holiness. Lord have mercy. Lord have mercy. Lord bless. Amen.
Make us worthy to pray thankfully: Our Father Who art in heaven ...
Hail to you. We ask you, O saint, full of glory, the ever virgin, the Mother of God (Theotokos), the Mother of Christ, lift up our prayers unto your beloved Son, that He may forgive us our sins.
Hail to the Holy Virgin, who bore for us the true Light, Christ our God. Ask the Lord on our behalf, that He may have mercy on our souls, and forgive us our sins.
O Virgin Mary, the holy Mother of God (Theotokos), the trusted advocate of the human race, intercede on our behalf before Christ, Whom you bore, that He may grant us the forgiveness of our sins.
Hail to you, O Virgin, the right and true queen. Hail to the pride of our race, you bore for us Emmanuel.
We ask you, remember us, our trusted advocate, before our Lord Jesus Christ, that He may forgive us our sins.
We exalt you, the Mother of the true Light. We glorify you, O Saint, the Theotokos,1 for you brought forth unto us the Savior of the whole world; He came and saved our souls.
Glory to You, our Master, our King, Christ, the pride of the apostles, the crown of the martyrs, the joy of the righteous, the firmness of the churches, the forgiveness of sins.
We proclaim the Holy Trinity in One Godhead. We worship Him. We glorify Him.
Lord have mercy. Lord have mercy. Lord bless. Amen.
We believe in one God, God the Father, the Almighty, 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 for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnated 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 on the third day He rose from the dead, according to the Scriptures, and ascended into the heavens; and sat at the right hand of His Father, and also He is coming again in His glory to judge the living and the dead, whose kingdom has 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 in the prophets. And in one holy, catholic 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.
O Lord hear us and have
mercy on us and forgive us
our many sins Amen
Kyrie Eleison (Lord Have Mercy) 41 times
Holy Holy Holy. Lord of hosts. Heaven and earth are full of Your glory and honor. Have mercy on us, O God the Father, the Almighty O Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. O Lord, God of hosts, be with us. For we have no helper in our hardships and tribulations but You. Absolve, forgive, and remit, O God, our transgressions; those which we have committed willingly and those we have committed unwillingly, those which we have committed knowingly and those which we have committed unknowingly, the hidden and manifest, O Lord forgive us, for the sake of Your Holy name which is called upon us.
Let it be according to Your mercy, O Lord, and not according to our sins.
Make us worthy to pray thankfully: Our Father Who art in heaven ...
O Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, the Living and Eternal Son of God, enlighten our minds to understand Your life-giving words. Raise us up from the darkness of sin which ruins the soul.
Make us worthy to become upright in good deeds. And at the time of Your coming to judge the world, make us worthy of hearing that voice full of joy saying, “Come to Me you blessed of My Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you before the foundation of the world.”
Yes, Lord, grant us in that Hour to be without fear, anxiety or condemnation; and do not judge us according to our many iniquities. For You alone are compassionate, longsuffering and exceedingly merciful.
We ask this, through the intercession of our Lady the Theotokos, Saint Mary, and the intercession of all the choir of Your saints. Amen.
Have mercy on us, O God, and have mercy on us, who, at all times and in every hour, in heaven and on earth, is worshipped and glorified, Christ our God, the good, the long suffering, the abundant in mercy, and the great in compassion, who loves the righteous and has mercy on the sinners of whom I am chief; who does not wish the death of the sinner but rather that he returns and lives, who calls all to salvation for the promise of the blessings to come.
Lord receive from us our prayers in this hour and in every hour. Ease our life and guide us to fulfill Your commandments. Sanctify our spirits. Cleanse our bodies. Conduct our thoughts. Purify our intentions. Heal our diseases. Forgive our sins. Deliver us from every evil grief and distress of heart. Surround us by Your holy angels, that, by their camp, we may be guarded and guided, and attain the unity of faith, and the knowledge of Your imperceptible and infinite glory. For You are blessed forever. Amen.
Make us worthy to pray thankfully: Our Father Who art in heaven ...