The Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom

O Lord our God, whose might is ineffable, whose glory is inconceivable, whose mercy is infinite, and whose love toward mankind is unutterable: Look down, O Master, in thy tender compassion, upon us and upon this holy Temple; and deal with us and with those people who here pray with us, according to the riches of thy mercies and thy bounties.

O Lord our God, save thy people, and bless thine heritage. Preserve the fulness of thy Church: sanctify those who love the beauty of thy house: glorify them by thy divine might in recompense; and forsake not us who put our trust in thee.

O thou, who hast given us grace at this time, with one accord, to make our common supplications unto thee; and dost promise that when two or three are gathered together in thy Name thou wilt grant their requests. Fulfil now, O Lord, the desires and petitions of thy servants as may be most expedient for them; granting them in this world knowledge of thy truth, and in the world to come, life everlasting.

O Master, Lord our God, who hast appointed in heaven ranks and hosts of Angels and Archangels for the ministry of thy glory: Cause that with our entrance may enter also the holy Angels with us serving thee, and with us glorifying thy goodness.

For unto thee are due all glory, honour and worship, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now, and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

O holy God, who restest in the Saints; who art hymned by the Seraphim with a thrice-holy cry, and glorified by the Cherubim, and adored by every heavenly Power; who out of nothingness hast brought all things into being; who hast created man after thine own image and likeness, and hast adorned him with every gift of thine; who givest unto those that ask of thee wisdom and understanding; who despisest not the sinner, but hast appointed repentance unto salvation; and hast vouchsafed unto us, thy humble and unworthy servants here, at this hour, to stand before the glory of thy holy Altar, and to render unto thee that adoration and praise which are thy due: Do thou, the same Lord, accept from the mouths of us sinners, the Thrice-Holy song, and visit us with thy beneficence. Pardon us every transgression, whether voluntary or involuntary. Sanctify both our souls and bodies, and grant that we may serve thee in uprightness all the days of our life: through the intercessions of the holy Birth-giver of God, and of all the Saints of all the ages who have been well-pleasing unto thee.

Illumine our hearts, O God who lovest mankind, with the pure light of thy divine knowledge, and open the eyes of our understanding to the comprehension of the proclamation of thy Gospel. Implant in us, likewise, the fear of thy blessed commandments; that, trampling down all carnal desires, we may pursue a godly life, both thinking and performing such things as are well-pleasing unto thee.

For thou art the light of our souls, and of our bodies, O Christ our God, and unto thee do we ascribe glory, together with thy Father who is from everlasting, and thy holy, and blessed, and life-giving Spirit, now, and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

O Lord our God, accept this, the fervent supplication of thy servants, and be gracious unto us, according to the multitude of thy mercy; and send down thy bounties upon us, and upon all thy people, who here await the rich mercy which is from thee.

O Lord our God, who dwellest on high, and dost regard the humble of heart; who hast sent forth as the salvation of the race of men thine Only-begotten Son and God, our Lord Jesus Christ: Look down upon thy servants the Catechumens, who have bowed their necks before thee. Grant unto them in due season the laver of regeneration, remission of sins, and the robe of incorruption. Unite them unto thy Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, and number them with thy chosen flock.

We give thanks unto thee, O Lord God of the Powers, who hast graciously vouchsafed unto us to stand now before thy holy Altar, and fall down in adoration before thy compassion toward our sins, and the errors of the people. Accept our supplications, O God; make us worthy to offer unto thee prayers and supplications, and unbloody sacrifices for all thy people. And enable us, whom thou hast appointed to this thy ministry, by the power of thy Holy Spirit, at all times, and in every place, blamelessly, without offence, and in the witness of a pure conscience, to call upon thee; that hearing us thou mayest show mercy upon us, according to the plenitude of thy goodness.

Again and oftentimes we fall down before thee, and beseech thee, O Good One who lovest mankind, that, looking down upon our petition, thou wilt purify both our souls and bodies from all defilement of the flesh and of the Spirit; and grant that in blamelessness and without condemnation we may stand here before thy holy Altar. Grant also, O God, unto us and unto those who here with us make their supplications unto thee, prosperity of life and increase of faith, and of spiritual understanding. Grant that they may serve thee continually with love and fear, and that they may partake of thy Holy Mysteries in blamelessness of heart and without condemnation, and be deemed worthy of thy heavenly kingdom.

No one who is in bondage unto carnal desires and sensual pleasures is worthy to approach, or to come near, or to serve thee, O King of Glory: For to serve thee is a great and terrible thing even to the Heavenly Powers. Nevertheless, through thine unutterable and boundless love toward mankind thou didst become man, yet without change, and without transmutation, and art become our High Priest, and hast committed unto us the ministry of this unbloody Sacrifice, in that thou art Lord over all. For thou alone, O Lord our God, rulest over those in heaven and on earth; who art borne on the throne of the Cherubim; who art Lord of the Seraphim and King over Israel; who alone art holy and restest in the Saints. Therefore do I now make my entreaty unto thee, who alone art good and art ready to listen: Look down upon me, a sinner, and thine unprofitable servant, and cleanse my soul and my heart from an evil conscience; and by the might of thy Holy Spirit enable me, who am endued with the grace of the priesthood, to stand before this thy holy Altar, and perform the sacred Mystery of thy Holy and Pure Body and Precious Blood. For unto thee do I draw near, and bowing my neck I implore thee: turn not thy face from me, neither cast me out from among thy children; but graciously vouchsafe that I, a sinner and thine unworthy servant, may offer unto thee these Holy Gifts. For it is thou who offerest and art offered, who receivest and art thyself received, O Christ our God: and unto thee we ascribe glory, together with thy Father, who is from everlasting, and thine all-holy, and good, and life-giving Spirit, now, and ever, and unto ages of ages.

O God, cleanse thou me, a sinner.

Lift up your hands unto the Holy Things, and bless the Lord.

May the Lord God remember thy diaconate in his kingdom always, now, and ever, and unto ages of ages.

Noble Joseph, when he had taken thy pure Body from the tree, did wrap it in fine linen and spices, and sorrowing did lay it in a new sepulchre.

In the Grave with the body, but in Hell with the soul, in that thou art God; in Paradise with the thief, and on the throne with the Father and the Spirit, wast thou, O Christ, filling all things, in that thou art infinite.

How life-giving, how than Paradise more fair and, of a truth, more splendid than any king’s chamber, O Christ, is shown forth thy tomb, the fountain of our resurrection.

Noble Joseph, when he had taken thy pure Body from the tree, did wrap it in fine linen and spices, and sorrowing did lay it in a new sepulchre.

Exalt thou Zion in thy favour, O Lord, and let the walls of Jerusalem be built. Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifice of righteousness, with sacrifices and burnt-offerings; then shall they offer young bullocks upon thine altar.

Remember me, O brother, and fellow-minister.

May the Holy Spirit come upon thee, and the power of the Most High overshadow thee.

May the Lord God remember you (thee) in his kingdom always, now, and ever, and unto ages of ages.

O Lord God Almighty, who alone art holy; who acceptest the sacrifice of praise from those who call upon thee with their whole heart: Accept also the prayer of us sinners, and bear it to thy holy Altar; and enable us to offer unto thee gifts and spiritual sacrifices for our sins and for the errors which thy people have committed through ignorance. And graciously grant us to obtain grace in thy sight, that our sacrifice may be acceptable unto thee; and that the good spirit of thy grace may rest upon us, and upon these Holy Gifts, now offered up unto thee, and upon all thy people.

I will love thee, O Lord my strength; the Lord is my firm foundation, and my deliverer. (Thrice.)

It is meet and right that we should laud thee, bless thee, praise thee, give thanks unto thee, and adore thee in all places of thy dominion: for thou art God ineffable, incomprehensible, invisible, inconceivable; thou art from everlasting and art changeless, thou, and thine Only-begotten Son, and thy Holy Spirit. Thou from nothingness hast called us into being; and when we had fallen away from thee, thou didst raise us up again; and thou hast not ceased to do all things until thou hadst brought us back to heaven, and hadst endowed us with thy kingdom which is to come. For all which things we give thanks unto thee, and thine Only-begotten Son, and thy Holy Spirit; for all the things whereof we know, and whereof we know not; for all thy benefits bestowed upon us, both manifest and unseen. And we render thanks unto thee for this ministry which thou dost deign to accept at our hands, although before thee stand thousands of Archangels and myriads of Angels, with the Cherubim, and Seraphim, six-winged, many-eyed, who soar aloft, borne on their pinions.

And we also, O Lord who lovest mankind, in company with these blessed Powers do cry aloud and say: Holy art thou, and all-holy thou, and thine Only-begotten Son, and thy Holy Spirit; holy and all-holy and majestic is thy glory. Who hast so loved thy world that thou gavest thine Only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but should have everlasting life; who, when he had come and had performed all the dispensation for us, in the night in which he was given up, — in the which, rather, he did give himself for the life of the world, — took bread in his holy and pure and sinless hands; and when he had given thanks, and blessed it, and so sanctified it, he gave it to his holy disciples and apostles, saying:

And in like manner, after supper he took the cup, saying:

Bearing in remembrance, therefore, this commandment of salvation, and all those things which came to pass for us; the Cross, the Grave, the Resurrection on the third day, the Ascension into Heaven, the Sitting on the right hand, the Second and glorious Coming-again:

Again we offer unto thee this reasonable and unbloody service. And we beseech and implore thee, and offer our supplications unto thee, that thou wilt send thy Holy Spirit upon us, and upon these Gifts here spread forth.

O Lord, who at the Third Hour didst send down upon thine Apostles thy Holy Spirit: Take not the same from us, O Good One, but renew it in us who make our supplications unto thee.

O Lord, who at the Third Hour …

O Lord, who at the Third Hour …

And make this bread the precious Body of thy Christ.

And make that which is in this chalice the precious Blood of thy Christ.

Transmuting them by thy Holy Spirit.

May the Lord God remember thee in his kingdom always, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.

That to those who shall partake thereof they may be unto soberness of soul, unto the remission of sins, unto the fellowship of thy Holy Spirit, unto the fulfilling of the kingdom of Heaven, and unto boldness toward thee; and not unto judgment or unto condemnation.

And again we offer unto thee this our reasonable service, for all thy servants departed this life before us in the faith; for our ancestors, fathers, the Patriarchs, Prophets, Apostles, Preachers, Evangelists, Martyrs, Confessors, Ascetics; and for every righteous soul who hath died in the faith:

And Saint John, the Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist; the holy, glorious and all-laudable Apostles; Saint N. (the Saint of the day), whose memory we commemorate; and all thy Saints: through whose prayers visit thou us, O God, and call to remembrance all those who have fallen asleep in the hope of Resurrection unto life eternal.

Furthermore we beseech thee, O Lord, that thou wilt call to remembrance all Bishoprics of Orthodox Christians, which rightly dispense the word of thy truth; all the Priesthood, the Diaconate in Christ, and every order of the Clergy.

Furthermore we offer unto thee this our reasonable worship on behalf of the whole universe; of the Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church; of those who continue in chastity and soberness of life; of our government authorities, and all their Council and Army and Navy. Grant unto them, O Lord, a peaceful reign, and that we, through their tranquillity, may pass our time in rest and quietness, in all godliness and soberness of life.

Have in remembrance, O Lord, this city in which we dwell; and every city and country, and all those who with faith dwell therein. Have in remembrance, O Lord, all those who journey by sea or by land, all sick persons and sufferers and captives, and their salvation. Have in remembrance, O Lord, those who bear fruit and do good works in thy holy Churches, and those who are mindful of the poor; and send down thy grace upon us all.

Unto thee do we commit our whole life and hope, O Lord, who lovest mankind. And we entreat thee, and beseech thee, and implore thee: Vouchsafe that we may partake of thy heavenly and terrible Mysteries, of this sacred and spiritual food, with a pure conscience, unto the remission of our sins, unto the pardon of our transgressions, unto the communion of the Holy Spirit, unto inheritance of the kingdom of Heaven, and unto boldness toward thee; not unto judgment or condemnation.

We give thanks unto thee, O King invisible, who by thine illimitable power hast made all things, and by the plenitude of thy mercy hast called into being all things from nothingness. Do thou, the same Lord, look down from heaven upon those who have bowed their heads before thee; for they have not bowed down unto flesh and blood, but unto thee, the terrible God. Do thou, therefore, O Lord, render this oblation efficacious to us all, according to the individual need of each. Voyage with those who sail upon the seas; journey with those who travel on dry land. Heal the sick, O thou who art the healer of our souls and bodies.

Give heed from thy holy dwelling-place, and from the throne of glory of thy kingdom, and come and sanctify us, O Lord Jesus Christ our God, who sittest on high with the Father, and art invisibly here with us. And deign, with thine own mighty hand, to impart thine all-pure Body and most precious Blood unto us, and through us unto all the people.

Be thou exalted in heaven, O God, and thy glory above all the earth.

Blessed is our God!

Thou who art the fulfilling of the Law and the Prophets, O Christ our God, and hast accomplished all the dispensation of the Father: Fill thou our hearts with joy and gladness always, now, and ever, and unto ages of ages.