prayer liturgical

The Agape Vespers

Gospel of John

Translated from Homeric Greek

By tradition, the Gospel of John (20:19-25) proclaimed at Agape Vespers on the Sunday of Pascha is read in multiple languages to highlight the universality of the Resurrection of Christ and its impact upon all mankind.

This Gospel has never been possible in Homeric Greek because many of the words used in the Gospel were not a part of the Homeric Greek language. For example, it would be impossible to describe that the doors were closed for fear of the Jews, as there was no word for Jews in the Homeric epic dialect.

But in the 18^th century, Saint Nicodemos the Hagiorite brilliantly and beautifully set this Gospel to Homeric Greek and meter. In order to do so, the Gospel had to be paraphrased while capturing and retaining its message. The Saint skillfully crafted …

prayer liturgical

NOTE: This English-language translation has not been approved by any liturgical commission. As it does not appear in the English-language Book of Needs, but yet is in the Grand Euchologe and the Agiasmatarion, it is being offered simply as scholarly work from the works of Schema-Archimandrite John (Lewis +2007).

AKOLOUTHIA FOR THE ADOPTION OF A CHILD

The priest, vested in his vestments, opens the beautiful gate. He/she who is going to be adopted as a son or daughter stands closest to the beautiful gate, he who is going to become the father stands in back; both carry a lighted candle.

Priest:       Blessed is our God, always, now and ever and unto the ages of ages.

Reader:      Amen.

Priest:      Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

Heavenly King, O Paraclete*, the Spirit of truth, who art everywhere
present and …

prayer liturgical

PRAYERS IN TIME OF INVASION
BY THE NATIONS

By Makarios of Philadelphia

FIRST PRAYER IN TIME OF INVASION BY THE NATIONS 

Deacon:     Let us entreat the Lord.

Choir:      Lord, have mercy.

Priest:      O Master Lord, our God, who is like Thee among the gods, O Lord our God? What
                  god is as great as our God, manifesting his power in mercy and his goodness in
                  strength, to console us and to save us?  O God, remain not silent nor allay the
                  retribution which Thou owest to the prideful, for behold, thine enemies are strong,
              …

prayer liturgical

AKOLOUTHIA TO BLESS A FURNACE OR AN OVEN

FIRST PRAYER TO BLESS A FURNACE OR OVEN 

Priest:       Blessed is our God, always, now and ever and unto the ages of ages.

Reader:      Amen.

Priest:      Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

Heavenly King, O Paraclete, the Spirit of truth, who art everywhere present and fillest all things, the treasury of good things and bestower of life, come and tabernacle in us and cleanse us from every stain and save, O Good One, our souls.

Reader (trisagion prayers):

                   Holy God …

                   Glory/both now …

                   All-holy Trinity …

  …

prayer liturgical

NOTE: This English-language translation has not been approved by any liturgical commission. As it does not appear in the English-language Book of Needs, but yet is in the Mega Euchologion, Grand Euchologe and Agiasmatarion, it is being offered simply as scholarly work from the works of Schema-Archimandrite John (Lewis +2007).

AKOLOUTHIA OF INTERCESSION FOR A DYSLEXIC (TIRESOME OR DIFFICULT) CHILD

Priest:       Blessed is our God, always, now and ever and unto the ages of ages.

Reader:      Amen.

Priest:      Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

Heavenly King, O Paraclete, the Spirit of truth, who art everywhere present and fillest all things, the treasury of good things and bestower of life, come and tabernacle in us and cleanse us from every stain and save, O Good One, our …

prayer liturgical

Saint Maximos of Serbia, Archbishop of Wallachia (1516)

Feast Day: January 18/31

Saint Maximos was the son of the Despot of Serbia, Saint Stephen the Blind (10 December) and of his wife Saint Angelina (30 July). Giving up all his rights as a prince he became a monk at the monastery of Manassia in central Serbia (founded by Despot Stefan Lazaravić between 1406-1418). When the Turks forced him to leave, he took refuge in Romania, where he was eventually elected Archbishop of Hungro-Wallachi and governed the Church of Christ with wisdom. In his old age he came back to Serbia, and retired to the Monastery of Krushedol. After a long illness patiently borne, he found rest there in the peace of Christ on 18 January 1516.

We learn additional information about his life from the akolouthia. We know that was handsome in appearance, that he preserved his chastity from …

prayer liturgical

Saint Heldrad of Novalèse (c. 875)

Feast Day: March 13/26

Heldrad (Heldradus, Eldradus, Eldrad) was born in 781 into the wealthy family of Ardrad, the first Lord Lambesc, at Lambesc in Provence, a town at the foot of the Côtes Mountains in the south of France. Provence was then a part of the Carolingian kingdom, which was expanding towards Italy. It was in 814 while on a pilgrimage by boat, in Italy, that he “…discovered the Monastery of Novalèse in Piémont: at the passage of Mont-Cenis was a home of charity and of Christian perfection.” The Monastery had been founded in 726 above a pre-existing church. The new Monastery was dedicated to Saint Peter and Saint Andrew, and adopted the Benedictine rule in 817. Thus, he “…left the joyous warmth of Provence for the rude climate of Mont-Cenis, in order to find in solitude the presence of the Lord.”…

prayer liturgical

St. Droctoveus of Saint Germanus (c. 576-580)

Feast Day: March 10/23

Droctoveus (Latin: Droctonius), who is also known under the abbreviated name of Drotté, was born in the region of Auxerre. From his youth he was confided to the hegumen Germanus, then the superior of the monastery of Saint Symphorian of Autun, in Burgundy. It was he who formed him by teaching him the virtues practiced by the anchorites of the East. But this was above all by imitating Germanus himself that Droctoveus rose himself to an eminent degree in the monastic virtues. When Germanus became bishop of Paris, he attracted near him his disciple Droctoveus. At the death of Childebert, in A.D. 558, the bishop celebrated the dedication of the church which this king had built in order to preserve in it the diaconal orarion of the martyr Saint Vincent, brought from Spain. In order to serve this …