Fourteenth Kathisma

A Prayer of the Poor Man. When He Was Despondent, and Poured out His Supplication before the Lord, 101.

O Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry come unto Thee. Turn not Thy face away from me; in the day when I am afflicted, incline Thine ear unto me. In the day when I call upon Thee, quickly hearken unto me. For my days are vanished like smoke, and my bones consumed like wood for the burning. I am smitten like grass, and withered is my heart, for I forgot to eat my bread. By reason of the voice of my groaning, my bone hath cleaved unto my flesh. I am become like a pelican of the wilderness, I am like an owl in a ruined house. I have watched, and am like a sparrow that sitteth alone upon the house-top. The whole day long mine enemies reproached me, and they that praised me made an oath against me. For before the face of Thy wrath and Thine anger I ate ashes like bread, and my drink I mingled with weeping; for after uplifting me, Thou hast dashed me down. My days like a shadow have declined, and I like grass am withered. But Thou, O Lord, for ever abidest, and Thy remembrance is unto generation and generation. Thou shalt rise up and have pity upon Sion, for it is time to have compassion on her, yea, the time is come. For Thy servants have taken pleasure in her stones, and they shall feel pity for her dust. And the nations shall fear Thy name, O Lord, and all the kings of the earth Thy glory. For the Lord shall build up Sion, and He shall be seen in His glory. He hath regarded the prayer of the humble, and hath not despised their supplication. Let this be written for another generation, and the people that is being created shall praise the Lord. For He hath looked out from His holy height, the Lord from heaven hath looked upon the earth, to hear the groaning of them that be in fetters, to loose the sons of the slain, to declare in Sion the name of the Lord, and His praise in Jerusalem, when the peoples are gathered together, and the kings to serve the Lord. He answered Him in the way of his strength: The fewness of my days declare unto me. Take me not away at the half of my days; in generations and generations are Thy years. In the beginning, O Lord, Thou didst lay the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the works of Thy hands. They shall perish, but Thou abidest; and all like a garment shall grow old, and as a vesture shalt Thou fold them, and they shall be changed; but Thou art the same, and Thy years shall not fail. The sons of Thy servants shall have their dwelling, and their seed for ever shall be guided aright.

David’s, 102.

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all that He hath done for thee, Who is gracious unto all thine iniquities, Who healeth all thine infirmities, Who redeemeth thy life from corruption, Who crowneth thee with mercy and compassion, Who fulfilleth thy desire with good things; thy youth shall be renewed as the eagle’s. The Lord performeth deeds of mercy, and executeth judgement for all them that are wronged. He hath made His ways known unto Moses, unto the sons of Israel the things that He hath willed. Compassionate and merciful is the Lord, long-suffering and plenteous in mercy; not unto the end will He be angered, neither unto eternity will He be wroth. Not according to our iniquities hath He dealt with us, neither according to our sins hath He rewarded us. For according to the height of heaven from the earth, the Lord hath made His mercy to prevail over them that fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our iniquities from us. Like as a father hath compassion upon his sons, so hath the Lord had compassion upon them that fear Him; for He knoweth whereof we are made, He hath remembered that we are dust. As for man, his days are as the grass; as a flower of the field, so shall he blossom forth. For when the wind is passed over it, then it shall be gone, and no longer will it know the place thereof. But the mercy of the Lord is from eternity, even unto eternity, upon them that fear Him. And His righteousness is upon sons of sons, upon them that keep His testament and remember His commandments to do them. The Lord in heaven hath prepared His throne, and His kingdom ruleth over all. Bless the Lord, all ye His angels, mighty in strength, that perform His word, to hear the voice of His words. Bless the Lord, all ye His hosts, His ministers that do His will. Bless the Lord, all ye His works, in every place of His dominion. Bless the Lord, O my soul.

Glory.

David’s. Concerning the Formation of the World, 103.

Bless the Lord, O my soul; O Lord my God, Thou hast been magnified exceedingly. Confession and majesty hast Thou put on, Who coverest Thyself with light as with a garment, Who stretchest out the heaven as it were a curtain; Who supporteth His chambers in the waters, Who appointeth the clouds for His ascent, Who walketh upon the wings of the winds, Who maketh His angels spirits, and His ministers a flame of fire, Who establisheth the earth in the sureness thereof; it shall not be turned back for ever and ever. The abyss like a garment is His mantle; upon the mountains shall the waters stand. At Thy rebuke they will flee, at the voice of Thy thunder shall they be afraid. The mountains rise up and the plains sink down, unto the place where Thou hast established them. Thou appointedst a bound that they shall not pass, neither return to cover the earth. He sendeth forth springs in the valleys; between the mountains will the waters run. They shall give drink to all the beasts of the field; the wild asses will wait to quench their thirst. Beside them will the birds of the heaven lodge, from the midst of the rocks will they give voice. He watereth the mountains from His chambers; the earth shall be satisfied with the fruit of Thy works. He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and green herb for the service of men, to bring forth bread out of the earth; and wine maketh glad the heart of man. To make his face cheerful with oil; and bread strengtheneth man’s heart. The trees of the plain shall be satisfied, the cedars of Lebanon, which Thou hast planted. There will the sparrows make their nests; the house of the heron is chief among them. The high mountains are a refuge for the harts, and so is the rock for the hares. He hath made the moon for seasons; the sun knoweth his going down. Thou appointedst the darkness, and there was the night, wherein all the beasts of the forest will go abroad. Young lions roaring after their prey, and seeking their food from God. The sun ariseth, and they are gathered together, and they lay them down in their dens. But man shall go forth unto his work, and to his labour until the evening. How magnified are Thy works, O Lord! In wisdom hast Thou made them all; the earth is filled with Thy creation. So is this great and spacious sea, therein are things creeping innumerable, small living creatures with the great. There go the ships; there this dragon, whom Thou hast made to play therein. All things wait on Thee, to give them their food in due season; when Thou givest it them, they will gather it. When Thou openest Thy hand, all things shall be filled with goodness; when Thou turnest away Thy face, they shall be troubled. Thou wilt take their spirit, and they shall cease; and unto their dust shall they return. Thou wilt send forth Thy Spirit, and they shall be created; and Thou shalt renew the face of the earth. Let the glory of the Lord be unto the ages; the Lord will rejoice in His works. Who looketh on the earth and maketh it tremble, Who toucheth the mountains and they smoke. I will sing unto the Lord throughout my life, I will chant to my God for as long as I have my being. May my words be sweet unto Him, and I will rejoice in the Lord. O that sinners would cease from the earth, and they that work iniquity, that they should be no more. Bless the Lord, O my soul.

Glory.

Alleluia, 104.

O give thanks unto the Lord and call upon His name; declare among the nations His works. Sing unto Him and chant unto Him; tell forth all His wonders. Glory in His holy name; let the heart of them be glad that seek the Lord. Seek ye the Lord, and be strengthened; seek ye His face at all times. Remember His wonders which He wrought, His marvels, and the judgements of His mouth, ye that are the seed of Abraham, His servants, ye sons of Jacob, His chosen. He is the Lord our God, in all the earth are His judgements. He hath remembered His covenant unto eternity, the word which He commanded unto a thousand generations, Which He made to Abraham, and His oath to Isaac. And He established it to Jacob for an ordinance, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant, saying: Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, the portion of your inheritance. When they were few in number, very few and sojourners therein, and they went from nation to nation, and from one kingdom to another people, He allowed no man to wrong them; and He reproved kings for their sake, saying: Touch not Mine anointed ones, and to My prophets do no evil. And He called a famine upon the land, He brake all the staff of bread. He sent a man before them, Joseph was sold for a slave. They humbled his feet with fetters, his life was spent in irons, until his word came to pass. The oracle of the Lord proved him; the king sent and loosed him, even the ruler of the people, and released him. He made him lord of his house, and ruler over all his substance, to instruct his princes as himself, and to teach his elders wisdom. And Israel went into Egypt, and Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham. And He increased His people greatly, and made them stronger than their enemies. He turned their heart to hate His people, to deal craftily with His servants. He sent forth Moses His servant, Aaron whom He had chosen for Himself. He set in them the words of His signs and of His marvels in the land of Ham. He sent forth darkness and made it dark, for they were embittered against His words. He turned their waters into blood, and He slew their fish. Their land teemed with frogs, even unto the secret chambers of their kings. He spake, and the dog-fly came, and gnats in all their borders. He gave them hail for rain, flaming fire in their land. And He smote their vines and their fig trees, and brake every tree of their border. He spake, and the locust came, and the caterpillar, and that without number. And devoured all the grass in their land, and devoured all the fruit of their land. And He smote every firstborn of their land, the firstlings of all their labour. And He led them out with silver and gold, and there was not among their tribes one man that was feeble. Egypt was glad when they departed, for fear of them had fallen upon them. He spread out a cloud for a shelter to them, and a fire to give them light by night. They made request and the quail came, and with the bread of heaven He filled them. He clave the rock and the waters flowed, in waterless places rivers ran. For He remembered His holy word which He spake unto Abraham His servant. And He led forth His people with rejoicing, and His chosen ones with gladness. And He gave unto them the lands of the heathen, and the labours of peoples they inherited, that they might keep His statutes and might seek after his law.

Glory.

After The Fourteenth Kathisma

Trisagion through Our Father, and these Troparia, in The Eighth Tone:

Like the harlot I fall down before Thee, that I may receive remission; and instead of myrrh I offer Thee tears from the depths of my heart, that Thou mayest take pity on me as Thou didst her, O Savior, and grant me cleansing of my sins: For like her I cry to Thee: Deliver me from the mire of my deeds!

Glory: Wherefore art thou not mindful of death, O my soul? Why dost thou not undertake forthwith to amend [thy conduct] before the trumpets announce the judgment? Then will there not be time for repentance! Bring, then, to mind the publican and the harlot, who cried: “I have sinned against Thee, O Lord! Have mercy on me!”

Both Now: O Ever-virgin Theotokos, in that thou dost truly surpass the heavenly hosts by thy birthgiving, we who because of thee have been enriched with divinity unceasingly magnify thee.

Then, Lord, have mercy! forty times, and this Prayer:

We thank Thee, O Lord God of our salvation, for Thou doest all things for the benefit of our life; for Thou didst grant us rest during the night-time which hath passed, and hast raised us up from our beds, and set us to worship Thine honored and glorious name. Wherefore, we pray Thee, O Lord: Grant us grace and power, that we may be accounted worthy to hymn Thee with understanding and to pray without ceasing, and to look continually unto Thee, the Savior and Benefactor of our souls, working out our salvation with fear and trembling. Hearken, therefore, and have mercy upon us, O Compassionate One; crush beneath our feet the invisible foe and enemy; accept the thanks which we offer up according to our strength; grant us the grace and power to open our mouths, and teach us Thy precepts. For we do not know that for which we ought to pray, unless Thou, O Lord, instruct us by Thy Holy Spirit. And if we have committed some sin before this present hour – by word, or deed, or thought, knowingly or unknowingly – loose, remit and pardon it. For if Thou shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, O Lord, who shall stand? For with Thee is cleansing, with Thee is deliverance. Thou alone art holy, the mighty Helper and Defender of our life, and Thee do we bless for all ages. Amen.