Praying the Lexicon

PENTECOST
Pentecost John 7:37-52, 8:12

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy
On day of Pentecost when we celebrate Your decent upon the Apostles, may we also receive You, O Holy Spirit, to Your fullness. Grant us Your power to spread the Apostolic Faith to the ends of the earth and even do greater things. Help us not to be self-absorbed so we can receive You as Comforter and Spirit of truth. We pray in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit Amen.

2nd SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST -SUNDAY OF ALL SAINTS
Matt. 10:32-33,37-38,19:27-30

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy
O Lord you gave us the true faith through your Holy Apostles. They warned us there would be those who would come like wolves and corrupt this faith and divide Your flock. On this day when we celebrate the memory of Your saints may we be faithful when confronted with the winds of doctrine of this sinful and adulterous generation. We pray in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit Amen.

3rd SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
Matt. 6:22-33

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy
O Lord You are the Light that has come into the world. You open our eyes so that we can see the powers of darkness. Help us to discern what light we should let in and what light we should block out so that we only serve You as our master and seek first the Kingdom of heaven. We pray in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen

4th SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
Matthew 8:5-13

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy
O Lord You are truly the vine and we are Your branches. Grant that we will always be connected to You by our frequent reception of the Eucharist, praying daily and doing good works. May we be as faithful as the Centurion and witness to Your Gospel in the way we treat members of our family, friends and especially our enemies. We pray in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen

1 Cor.11:27-28

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy
We are unworthy O Lord to receive Your precious Body and Blood. We have not examined ourselves to the extent that we fully understand what we are receiving. We pray we will not bring upon ourselves sickness or death but rather Your overflowing love and eternal life. We pray in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen

5th SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
Matt. 8: 28-9:1

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy
O Lord Your healing power was confirmed when You drove out the evil spirits from the possessed men. Today we pray for all the mentally challenged especially those in our Garden Center and homeless ministry. We ask you to help them so they can return to normal life. Drive from us the spirit of lust for money in those who saw the pigs run into the sea and grieved their loss of property rather than rejoicing in the healing of the sick. We pray in the name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit. Amen

6th SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
Romans: 12:1-8

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy
O Lord You sacrificed Your own body for us once and for all. You no longer want animal or vegetable sacrifices. You want us to present ourselves as a living sacrifice by being priests of our own bodies. You want an offering of peace and a sacrifice of praise. Help us to fulfill our high calling and clean ourselves of sin so our sacrificial offering will be acceptable, and you will receive it as our burnt offering arising like incense as you took Elijah up in his fiery chariot. We pray in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Matthew 9: 1-8

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy
O Lord You revealed Your divinity when You announced You are the Son of Man who has authority to forgive sins. You exercised Your authority when You cured the Paralytic. The people who witnessed the healing could not recognize your divinity when they called you a prophet. Grant to us the knowledge and courage to proclaim You as truly the Son of Man and savior of our souls. We pray in the name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

7th SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
Matt. 9:27-35

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy
O Lord, You revealed who you are through the blind man who was healed by his faith in You. We give thanks to You for being who You are. You love us so much that You sacrificed Yourself so we could become Your sons and daughters. You gave us life and You sustain us by the Holy Spirit living within us. We humbly ask You not to take Your Holy Spirit from us for we will perish. We pray in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy
O Lord You are equal to Your Father, yet You humbled Yourself and became one of us so we could become like You by adoption. As You healed the blind men, so heal our spiritual eyes so we can see Your presence in Your Children. We pray in the name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit. Amen

Romans 15:1-7

Let us pray to the Lord, Lord have Mercy.
O Lord You gave us a conscience to show us how to behave as Christians. You want us to nurture this conscience so we can see ourselves and others as You see. Help us to be patient and not be judgmental. When we will stand before You to be judged grant us forgiveness as we have forgiven others. May we not offend anyone by our churchly behavior causing them to sin. We pay in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

8th SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

9TH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
1 Cor. 3:9-17

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy
O Lord You are calling us to do works that build up the church within us. Help us to discern works that are gold and silver rather than hay and straw. May the works we do be refined by the trials of life and not be burned up. We pray our faith will become stronger so we can receive salvation and a reward as good and faithful servants. We pray in the name of the father Son and Holy Spirit Amen.

10th SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
Matt. 17:14-23

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy
Heavenly father, You have shown Your self-emptying love for us by sending Your Son to into this world to suffer and to die and rise again on the third day. We are a generation of people who lack faith. Help us to increase our faith through good works, prayer and fasting so we can move mountains and experience your Love. We pray in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen

11TH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
Matthew 18:23-35

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy
O Lord forgive us our debts as we forgive others theirs. As we are forgiven so may we forgive those who have wronged us. Grant us freedom from the slavery of anger, resentment and vengeance. Let not these feelings and behaviors deprive us of Your kingdom. We pray in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Let us pray to the Lord, Lord have Mercy.
O Lord You are a merciful and forgiving king. You are the only one who can free us from the slavery of sin. We beg for time and You grant us freedom. May we remember this when we are hateful and considering revenge. Help us to forgive 70 times 7 so our offering will be accepted on Your altar and we will become one with You as You are with Your heavenly Father. We pray in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit Amen

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have mercy!
O Lord You forgave our sins and adopted us as sons and daughters. We want to continue to be called Your sons and daughters. Do not drive us away from Your house because of our lack of forgiveness. We beg You not to give us what we have given to our neighbors. We pray we will not judge or condemn but will forgive with our hearts. As You forgave us so help us to forgive others so we will not be consumed with revenge thereby bringing upon us Your wrath because of our lack of forgiveness. We pray in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit Amen.

12TH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
Matt 19:16-26

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy
O Lord we pray we are not blinded by our material possessions so we can see that you are with us and carry us in times of suffering. Forgive us the sin of greed and help us to be Your disciples who follow Your commandments and receive eternal Life. We pray in the name of the Father, Son and Holy spirit Amen.

Let us pray to the Lord, Lord have Mercy.
O Lord we are like the wealthy arrogant young man who called You a good teacher. He learned how good You are but could not give up his wealth to follow you. He would not follow the one commandment that would lead to his eternal life which is to love You with all his heart, soul, mind and his neighbor as himself. We also fall under the same condemnation for we too worship our possessions. Help us to commit our lives and our possessions to the service of the poor so we can gain treasures in heaven and inherit eternal life. We pray in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

13TH SUNDAY AFFTER PENTECOST
1 Cor. 3:9-17

14^th SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

15^th SUNDAY OF PENTECOST
Mark 8:31-9:1.

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have mercy.
O Lord You require us to take up our cross and follow You. We must deny ourselves to be considered one of Your disciples. We fear the second death because we are consumed by worldly pleasures. As we begin anew this Church year, grant us the strength to carry our cross and deny the passions of the flesh. May we open our hearts so we can live in the spirit not gaining the world and loosing our soul. We pray in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

16^th SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST 1^ST Sunday of Luke
Luke 5:1-11

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have mercy.
O Lord, You commanded apostle Peter to return to fishing after he caught nothing. He doubted but was obedient to Your command. You revealed Your divinity by turning Peters failure into a great success by the number of fish he caught. Because of this miracle, Peter changed his life to followed You. Grant that we overcome our doubt and be faithful so You can turn our failures into success. May we develop the faith of the Apostles so we can become fishers of all people who are seeking the way, the truth, and the life. We pray in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have mercy
O Lord You called Your apostles to be fishers of men. They were obedient to Your call when they saw you perform the miracle of the great catch. May we be obedient so we can follow in their foot steps and maintain the faith which they gave to us. Help us to guard against divisions and become fishers of people so that through our ministries we will have a miraculous catch. We pray in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit Amen.

17^th Sunday, 2^nd Sunday of Luke

Luke 6:31-36

Let us Pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy.

O Lord our Father in heaven. You are the God of mercy and compassion. You ask us to love our enemies and not to react to violence with more violence. You want us to bring our enemies to You in prayer. As we proceed to protect our nation and punish criminals we pray for guidance so we do not return evil with evil. Be with our civil authorities and armed forces so they will do Your will and bring about peace on earth and good will toward mankind. We offer to you those who took their own lives and the lives of others may your justice be done. We pray in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit Amen.

Let us Pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy.

O Lord You have legions of Angels who protect You and fight for You. Instead of calling upon them You choose to make yourself an example of true love. You let Yourself be Crucified by evil people who did not know what they were doing. You forgave them with Your words. May we take Your example to heart and love those who wrong us with a love so strong that we can pray for them and even do good things for them. We want to always be Your children and receive the great reward You have prepared for us in Your Kingdom. We pray in the name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit Amen.

18^th Sunday, 3^rd Sunday of Luke

Luke 7: 11-16

Let us Pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy.

O Lord You had compassion on the poor widow and raised her son. We are amazed when we read about Your power over both the living and the dead. As the people who witnessed this miracle glorified God so may we be inspired to worship You in spirit and in truth. You visit us each week in the form of bread and wine mystically transformed into Your body and blood. May the Holy Spirit which You have sent, send us to proclaim to all that You are truly with us. We pray in the name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit. Amen

Let us Pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy.

O Lord You call us to go into all the world and preach the good news, for you are the way, the truth and the light. Today we pray for the people of China who live in spiritual darkness. They need your light. As You brought back to life the Widow’s son so resurrect the Christian church in China. Reopen old churches and build new ones. Just as Orthodox Christian are sent out to Europe, India and Africa, we pray the country of China will be added to the list and that these children will hear your call and be missionaries. We pray in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit Amen.

19 Sunday, 4^th Sunday of Luke

Luke 8:5-15

Let us Pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy.

O Lord Your Word has gone out to the ends of the universe. You have planted Your garden in us and are tending it so that we will be fruitful. The enemy has also sown his evil seeds which are choking out Your word. Today as we pray for those who have suffered from his evil. We humbly ask You to protect us. Help us to be vigilant in prayer and watchful in our faith so that the new life that You have given will be fulfilled in us and we will become living chalices and grow into the kingdom of heaven. We pray in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen

20^th Sunday, 5^th Sunday of Luke

Luke 16: 19-31

Let us Pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy.

O Lord in so many ways we are like the rich man clothed in purple and eating sumptuously. We have around us many poor and suffering who lack the basic needs of life and we give them crumbs. Help us to open our eyes to see their needs. Help us to open our pockets to give. Help us to offer our time, for our time is running short. Death is at the door. When it comes may we not experience the torments of hell

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy

O Lord you taught us to seek first the kingdom of heaven and not to be concerned about the acquisition of earthly goods. If we are blessed with them You want us to share with the poor, the needy and for the building up of Your kingdom on earth made present in Your Holy Church. Money and possessions are not to be worshiped as we learned in Your Gospel teaching about the rich fool. Help us not to be rich fools so when our souls are required, we will not fall under judgement. We pray in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Luke 16: 19-31

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy

O Lord, it is Your will that all should be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. You sent Your Son so none will perish. You send us opportunities to help the poor, sick and needy. This is a manifestation of Your Love for us. It is we who by not responding send ourselves into the lake of fire. Open our spiritual eyes so we respond and find You in those who need our love. We pray in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit Amen.

21^st Sunday, 6^th of Luke

Luke 8: 26-39

Let us Pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy.

O Lord we pray daily to be delivered from the evil one. You have the power to drive out Satan and all his angels. We have been cleansed of his power and have been given all that is necessary to overcome his wicked assaults. We do not put them to use because of our lack of faith. As we face the prospect of sickness, sorrow and death we pray that we will remember your promise that when Satan is destroyed all of our suffering will be destroyed. Help us to use the gifts which have been given to us to bring healing to ourselves and to those suffering from his evil activities. We pray in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

22^nd Sunday, 7^th of Luke

Luke 8: 41 -56

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have mercy

O Lord you healed the bleeding woman. You told her that it was her faith that healed her. You told Jairus if he believed, his daughter would also be healed. You said that if we have the faith of a mustard seed we could move mountains. You gave the power of healing to the Apostles and through them to us. May we have faith so we can bring healing to those suffering in this fallen world. We pray in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy

O Lord You denied Yourself when You took on our human flesh and became lower than the angels. You shared Your healing power with the ruler of the synagogue by healing his daughter. You freed the women of her bleeding by the touch of Your garment. We pray that when we received Your Holy Body and Blood which You share with us, we too will be healed and be forgiven of our sins. We pray in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

23^rd Sunday, 8^th of Luke

Luke 10: 25-37

Let us Pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy.

O Lord we are weak in our faith. We are like the priest and the Levite who would not risk helping the man beaten by robbers. We have passed by on the other side. We pray that You will open our hearts with compassion on the outcasts of our society and see them as our neighbors Open our pockets with joy to help the innkeeper Christ, to care for the sick. Grant us the faith to risk all for the glory of Your kingdom. we pray in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy

O Lord, by Your example You have shown us what it means to have mercy on our neighbor. The Samaritan give his time, talent and money to the beaten man by the roadside. You call us to give a tithe of our time, talent and money not as a burden but as an act of love. By doing this we can grow spiritually and overcome the sin of greed. We pray that you will touch our hearts so we can be generous in this time of thanksgiving when we make our annual estimate of giving. Bless our offering and received it into Your heavenly kingdom. We pray in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

24^th Sunday, 9^th of Luke

Luke 12: 16-21

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy

25^th Sunday 10^th of Luke 13:10-17

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have mercy!

O Lord You made the Sabbath day for us, not we for the Sabbath. You commanded that it be a day of rest, reflection and of doing good works. You want us to remember You and give thanks for Your blessings.

We have sinned by not keeping it Holy, by forgetting its purpose and turning it into a day of sport if we keep it at all. We pray for forgiveness for our lack of gratitude. Heal us as You healed the woman bent over for 18 years. Help us to return to the true nature and practice of the day as the eternal day in which Your rose from the dead and sent Your Holy Spirit upon Your Apostles. We pray that You will send Your Holy Spirit upon us and on the offering of bread and wine to transform them into Your body and blood which we take to the healing of our soul and body. We pray in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit Amen.

Luke 13:1-10-17

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy

O Lord You stand before the Father and intercede for us sinners. It was this recognition that inspired Your holy apostle Andrew to set out on his epic missionary journey to bring this good news to the people of the north. It was his recognition that you are the messiah which enabled him to endure crucifixion and death on a cross. May we also recognize Your divine image so we to become Your missionaries and bring the good news to this northern land. We pray in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

26^th Sunday,11th of Luke

Luke 18;18-27

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy

O Lord you are the good one and we have done nothing good which can atone for our sins. You, as the good teacher and good Shepard revealed to the rich ruler that he turned his riches into idols. We pray that we can be like your apostles who gave up all and followed you. May your goodness be our goodness so we can love our neighbor as ourselves. We pray in the name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy

Eph.5: 8-19

Let us pray to the Lord, Lord have Mercy.

O Lord we give thanks for all that you have given us: for Your Son who died on the cross and rose from the dead so we could have everlasting life, for Your word so we could learn about You and walk in the Spirit, for Your Church so we could sing spiritual songs and receive Your Holy Body and Blood, for the gift of the Holy Spirit so we could discern what is good, righteous, true and acceptable to You. We pray in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen

27^th Sunday, 12 of Luke

Luke 17: 11-19

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have mercy.

O Lord You healed the ten and only one returned to give thanks. Because of his common courtesy he was made well. We will be confronted some day with physical sickness which will eventually lead to our death. We call out to You in prayer, have mercy on us and prepare a place for us in Your kingdom. When that day comes, grant that we will be made well for we do give thanks for all that You have done for us. We pray in the name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

28^th Sunday, 13 of Luke

Luke 14:16-24

Let us Pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy.

O Lord You have prepared a heavenly banquet to show us that You are truly God incarnate in human flesh. You continually search for the poor, maimed, blind and outcasts to partake of Your dinner. We pray that we are among those who You call. Let us not make excuses like those who place earthly cares above You. May we be among Your servants who fill your house eat the bread of life in your kingdom. We pray in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy

O Lord, we celebrate Your grand banquet each time we attend the Liturgy. You have call us to be with all the faithful who lived before Your Nativity. May we be as faithful as they were by not letting the cares of our lives cause us to make excuses. May we express our Love for You by forgiving others as you have forgiven us. We pray in the name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

29^TH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

Col.3: 4-14

Let us Pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy.

O Lord the sign of the times seem to reveal Your imminent return. We pray that when You return we will reflect Your glory. In our baptism you put to death in us the evil spirits of fornication, uncleanness, and evil desire. Yet these passions still haunt us. Give us the power to overcome anger, wrath, use of filthy language and all forms of dissension and divisions so that we can be one in Your Body as Your elect living in kindness, humility and love. We pray in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen

32nd Sunday after Pentecost

Luke 18: 35-42.

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy

O Lord You recognized the faith of the blind man when he called out to you: “Son of David have mercy on me”. We pray that You will recognize our faith when we say, “Lord have Mercy”. As You healed him of His physical blindness so come to us and heal us of our spiritual blindness so we can believe in You as our savior and redeemer for You came to forgive us of our sins. We pray in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit Amen.

1 Tim 1:12-17

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have mercy

O Lord You have given us a variety of gifts so we could use them for Your Glory. We give thanks as did St. Paul for being “put into the ministry.” We are unworthy because we love money, pleasure and success more than we love You. We ask for forgiveness for we know that You love us and are abundantly merciful. Help us to be faithful and believe in You so we can receive everlasting life in Your Eternal Kingdom. For to you belong all glory, honor and worship forever. Amen.

33^rd Sunday after Pentecost, Sunday of Zacchaeus

Luke 19:1-10

Let us Pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy.

O Lord we are all short. In one way or another we have not lived up to what You have called us to be. To compensate for this, we express pride and arrogance. We love ourselves over You and show it by the way we accumulate things. At the expense of the poor we satisfy our passions. In our distress we call out to You. As You saw Zacchaeus in the tree and brought him salvation, so we ask You to see us. As we approach this season of Great Lent help us to follow Zacchaeus’s example and give of our wealth generously to the poor and to Your mission. We pray in the name of the Father Son and Holy spirit. Amen

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have mercy

O Lord You love us all equally. You do not see our physical deficiencies as handicaps but rather as obstacles to overcome. Your servant Zacchaeus used his handicap to draw near to You. May we acquire his boldness to use our handicaps to Your glory. As You rewarded him with Your presence, we pray that You will reward us as we overcome our spiritual blindness and climb the tree of life. We pray in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have mercy.

O Master, Lord our God, Who live on High and look down upon the lowly; Who blessed the house of Laban at the entrance of Jacob, and the house of Potiphar at the coming of Joseph; Who blessed the house of Abinadab with the carrying in of the Ark; and Who, in the days of the Advent in the flesh of Christ, our God, granted salvation to the house of Zacchaeus: Bless also this house, and encompass with the fear of You, them that are about to live in it, and keep them unharmed by adversaries; and send down Your blessing from Your dwelling on High, and bless and increase every good thing in this house: For Yours it is to be merciful and to save us, O our God, and to You we send up glory: to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee

Luke 18:10-14

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have mercy

O Lord you came to save sinners of whom we are all first. You accepted the offering of the Publican because he was humble. As we begin this Lenten season, we pray that we are able to mean what we pray, so we will avoid the pride of the Pharisee and be justified so that our fasting and prayer will be accepted as precious treasures in Your Kingdom. We pray in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, have mercy on me a sinner. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, have mercy on me a sinner. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, have mercy on me a sinner. Amen

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have mercy.

O Lord you have given us the lesson about the Publican and the Pharisee to warn us against the sin of pride. You want us to run from the pride of the Pharisee and learn from the Publican’s tears. You call us to humble ourselves and pray as he did. Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me a sinner. Amen

Prayer of the Week on Psalm 137.

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy

O Lord, we are weeping over our sins like the Hebrews who wept by the rivers of Babylon . We remember how much we have departed from Your commandments by our slavery to our passions. We eat too much, we spend too much, we waste too much, we are not examples of Your love. We are greedy, lustful and faithless. We do what we hate. We need to be freed from this life of sin. As we begin this time of repentance, strengthen our resolve to make changes and enter the New Jerusalem which You have prepared for us before the foundation of the world. We pray in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Sunday of the Prodigal Son

Luke 15:11-32

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy

O Lord we stand before You confessing our sins. You have taken our sins upon Yourself and nailed them to Your Cross. You have opened a way for us to return to Your father and made Your father our father. As we live in exile from our true home, we pray that You will make a place for us in Your heavenly kingdom when we return. We pray in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have mercy

O Lord open our hearts to accept the love You have for us. Make us vessels of Your Divine love by following the saints who loved You the most. During this Lenten season grant that we learn the meaning of true humility and put into practice what we learn. Help us to accept who we really are to discover the true purpose of our life. We pray in the name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit Amen.

Let us Pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy.

O Lord You are a patient Father who gave us our inheritance. We squander it every day by our lust for bodily wants. We have eaten to excess; we harbor unclean thoughts and participate in forbidden activities. We have joined our consecrated temples which You purchased with Your life for all sorts of uncleanness. We need to be washed and return to home. You are always there waiting with a robe, a ring, new shoes and a feast. Amen

Let us Pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy.

O Lord You are calling us each day to come to ourselves. Your are waiting for us to return with a ring and a banquet. We are being torn between our faith and the winds of false doctrines. We are tempted to place our faith only in the great advances of modern science. We are tempted to exchange truth for a lie and worship and serve as an idol, the material world. We pray that You do not give us over to the lusts of the flesh but will enlighten us as the Prodigal Son so that we return to You as our Father. We pray in the name of the father Son and Holy Spirit. Amen

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have mercy!

O Lord You are a welcoming father who loves us beyond all earthly love. You are patient with us and suffer long. We have all become prodigal sons who have left Your house and wasted our inheritance. We have wallowed in the sins of lust in thought, word, and action. We have been gluttonous and eaten foods which are killing us. We drink substances which lead to our spiritual and physical death. We have grieved Your Holy Spirit by the way we live. Help us during this Lenten season to repent and return to Your house. We beg You to accept us for we will use the robe of righteousness to live differently, your ring as a sign or our return and with Your sandals we will walk with You proclaiming the gospel to the end of the age. We pray in the name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit Amen.

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have mercy

O Lord You are our compassionate Father. You forgive those who truly repent. You stand waiting for our return and when we do You run to us. We have forgotten Your Glory and have squandered all You have given us. We have sinned O Lord. We ask You to forgive us and receive us back as one of Your lost children. We pray in the name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have mercy.

O Lord You have given us the parable of the Prodigal Son too remind us that we to are wallowing in a life of sin. We need to come to ourselves and recognize our true self and return to You. Your house is far greater than anything we can conceive for you provide us with the bread of life. Protect us from the self-righteousness of the loyal son for we have sinned and squandered our inheritance, Accept us back as we repent so we can walk in Your commandments for the rest of our lives. We pray in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit Amen.

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy

O Lord You have given us an example from both the Old and New Testament of what it means to repent for our sins. The book of Proverbs warns us against the results of routes living. We as a nation have left our father’s house and squandered our inheritance in extravagant living. We all need to repent and return. During this Lenten season may we come to ourselves and thank you for what we have received by being generous to the poor and begin a new life in our father’s house, the Church. We pray in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit Amen

Sunday of Meat-fare, the Last Judgment

Matthew 25:31-46

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy

O Lord You assumed the likeness of every poor person so we would not exalt ourselves but would come to see your presence in them. We pray that when we stand in judgement You will forgive us for our failure to love, for we have not shown the love for others as You have shown for us. Help us to become more loving people who can find You in the needy we meet on the road of life. We pray in the name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit Amen.

Let us Pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy.

O Lord, our darkened souls are stained by depravity and laziness; our folly makes us shun all thought of death. How complacent we are! How can we flee the awesome thought of Judgment Day? When will we change our way of life? Our acts condemn us; and our deeds expose us. We turn to You as our loving Savior and beg You to forgive us of all malice and weakness. O Lord we cry out to You in faith we have sinned against you! O Good Shepherd and lover of mankind we pray that you will call us to enjoy Your presence at the right hand of Your glory! We pray in the name of the Father, son and Holy Spirit. Amen

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have mercy

O Lord You are a compassionate king who calls us to express our love by being compassionate. You want us to visit the sick, feed the hungry, cloth the naked, and care for all those less fortunate. You want us to find You in them by alleviating their suffering. Grant the we will be found laboring in Your vineyard when You return so we may be judged to be numbered among your chosen flock. We pray in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have mercy!

O Lord You have warned us about the terrible day of judgment when you come with Your glory. The sun will darken and the earth will quake. Armies of angels will fill the sky. All things with tremble as You call all to account for their deeds. We pray that we will be prepared. This Lenten season is our time to watch, pray and repent for we have fallen short of feeding the hungry, clothing the naked and visiting those sick and in prison. Help us to do these good works for we want to be called the sheep on Your right hand who will inherit the Kingdom prepared for us from the foundation of the world. We pray in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit Amen.

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy

O Lord the day of judgement is upon us for You are judging us by the way we express our love for those in need. Guard us against false charity which we do to be seen. Help us to become selfless so we can find You in those we help. On that awesome day of judgement may we have a good defense. We pray in the name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit. Amen

Sunday of Cheese Fare, Forgiveness

Matt.6:14-21

Let us Pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy.

O Lord we thank you for the arena of virtues which is called Great Lent. Help us in our struggle for the prize. Direct us to this noble task so that we will strive rightly and be justly crowned. As we take up the armor of the cross and do battle against the Devil, let our faith be an invincible rampart, prayer our breastplate, our helmet the giving of alms and fasting the sword which will cut away all evil from our hearts. We pray in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit Amen.

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have mercy

O Lord you give the act of forgiveness as the highest of all human behavior. You require us to forgive for our own salvation. You even tell us not to be present at the Liturgy if we haven’t forgiven our bother, sister, or neighbor. Help us to be a forgiving people. Remind us of the necessity of forgiveness so we can start to forgive. When we recall when and how we were hurt, grant us the ability to empathize with the person who hurt us and bestow on them forgiveness. Then we can restore the relationship we lost and thereby continue our relationship with You. We pray in the name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit Amen.

Let us Pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy.

O Lord our God. Help us to make our spirit healthy. May we learn to forgive those who have hurt us. Help us to fast with joy knowing that what we give up here we will gain in heaven. Guide us in our prayer so that we pray in the Spirit which will reveal You as the way, the truth and the life. We pray in the name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit Amen.

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have mercy.

O Lord You instructed us to judge not lest we be judged. You commanded us to forgive those who have wronged us. These commands are difficult to follow so we pray for your help. Grant us the ability to forgive so our offering of fasting, prayer and almsgiving will be an acceptable offering, so we will build treasures of Godliness. We pray in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy James

O Lord You gave us the sacrament of confession so we can have an intimate relationship with You. When we admit our sins we come to know how much You love for us. During this Lenten season when we make our confession, may the Priest who hears our confession be Your icon so we can see You and hear Your voice when he reads the prayer of absolution. We pray in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have mercy!

O Lord help us to begin the fast with joy and prepare ourselves for spiritual efforts. Help us to cleanse our soul and our flesh abstaining from every sin as we abstain from food. May we rejoice in virtues of the spirit while fulfilling them in love so that by seeing the passion of Christ our God we will rejoice in the spirit at the Holy Pascha. We pray in the name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit Amen.

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have mercy.

O Lord we stand outside of Paradise and weep. Like Adam and Eve we have broken your commandments. We hold in our hearts, animosity, anger and even hatred against members of our family, coworkers, and neighbors. Through lack of forgiveness we are closing the gates for our return. We pray for the ability to forgive those who have wronged us so You will also forgive us. Help us to build treasures in Heaven through prayer, fasting and charity. We pray in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

First Sunday of Great Lent – Sunday of Orthodoxy

John 1:43-51

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have mercy.

O Lord You called Phillip to be Your disciple and he found Nathaniel who proclaimed that You are the Son of God. You told him he would see angels ascending and descending upon You. We give thanks for opening the heavenly realms, so we can peer in through Your holy icon. We can see Your divinity and experience You in the material forms of bread and wine. We can learn about You from Your divine word and be transformed into living icons who proclaim that You are truly with us and we with You. We pray in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Let us Pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy.

O Lord we give thanks for those holy fathers and mothers who struggled and suffered to preserve icons, those windows into heaven which You gave us. Without them we would not be able to see Your Glory and the Glory of Your saints. Today they are under attack again by our secular culture. Their use is being distorted into views not of Your kingdom but of the kingdom of Satan. We pray O Lord as You preserved them long ago so preserve them now so that we will still be able to see our destiny and the radiance of Your Kingdom. We pray in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Let us Pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy.

O Lord, though infinite in Your divine nature, You condescended to be incarnate in these later days, You became finite, for by putting on the human body You put on also its nature. Therefore we present the likeness of Your image, and venerate it in honor of You, as we follow the divine traditions of the Apostles we pray that we will ascend towards Your love and partake of the grace of healing. We pray in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have mercy

O Lord You sent Your Son into this world to show us the way to the new Jerusalem. You opened the doors so we could enter. We ask You to keep us on the narrow path, keeping the vision clear so we do not fall into despair over our sins and the sins of those who are called to leadership in Your holy Church. Send your Holy Spirit to guide us and comfort us as we prepare to celebrate Your glorious resurrection. We pray in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy

O Lord You opened up the windows into the Kingdom of heaven by Your Incarnation. Angels ascend and descend upon You. We can see our destiny. Wake us up, for our life is fleeting away with vain desires and pursuits. The road is now open for You have pointed the way. May we begin our journey so we can see the Angels as we enter into Your kingdom. We pray in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen

Let us Pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy. Gen. 18: 1-33

O Lord as You visited Abraham and Sarah bringing them Your blessing, so we call upon You today to bless us with your presence. We offer You this parish church as a sign of our commitment to You. Help us to become living icons by using Your blessings to help the hungry, poor and strangers. May we show our hospitality to those in need so that by helping them we will find You. We pray in the name of the Father, son and Holy Spirit. Amen

Second Sunday of Great Lent – Sunday of St. Gregory

Mark 2:1-12

Let us Pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy.

O Lord our God You defeated Satan by Your death and resurrection. You have given us the possibility of becoming deified. You have the authority and power to forgive sins. You can heal us from the paralyzing effects of satanic domination. We pray that You will heal our minds so that we can be successful in overcoming our passions. May we use this lent to educate ourselves on the meaning of ascetic life. Help us to live as repentant sinners who are growing in your likeness. We pray in the name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit. Amen

Let us Pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy.

O Lord You are above pure energy for out of it you created the universe with all its galaxies and stars. You appeared to Moses speaking through a burning bush. You guided the Israelites with a pillar of fire. Your divine light was seen on Mt. Tabor when You were transfigured. Your light has been experienced by those who practice pure prayer. We ask You, with impure prayers, to direct our lives toward Your holy mountain so that we, through the Hesycast can experience Your divine light. We pray in the name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit Amen.

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy

O Lord we are constantly tempted by our animal passions. They disturb our prayer and cause us to lose attention. Help us to pray with our mind in our heart so we can experience Your Uncreated light and come to know Your love as we learn to love our neighbor as our self. We pray in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy

O Lord we pray that You will help us to obtain godlike virtues by prayer, praise and thanksgiving so we can commune with You, unite ourselves to You so far as this is possible, and be in a fitting state to receive Your uncreated light. We pray in the name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit Amen.

Third Sunday of Great Lent The Sunday of the Cross

Mark 8:34-9:1

Let us Pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy.

O Lord You paid the ultimate price for us. You laid down Your life so that we could have eternal life. As we begin this fourth week of Lent help us to take to heart the meaning of self-denial. Show us the way to lay down our life in doing works of charity, alms giving, fasting and prayer. May we be numbered among those who have not lost their soul but have built treasures in heaven. We pray in the name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit Amen.

Let us Pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy.

O Lord You have placed Your cross before us and are calling us to follow You. You gave us an example of what this means by giving up Your life for us. You tell us that in order to follow You we must deny ourselves and take up our cross. Your cross is a symbol of suffering. Help us to accept our cross as we face a life of self-denial. We do not want to lose our soul for You have prepared a place for it in Your Father’s house. We promise not to be ashamed of You and Your word as we prepare for Your second coming. We pray in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Let us Pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy.

Lord we desire to follow You but we fear taking up Your cross. Your words about losing our life for the sake of the gospel are difficult to fathom. Help us to overcome our fear and have the faith that in sacrificing we will gain life. We do not want to gain the world of Satan and his ways by loosing our souls. May we be among those who will not taste death until we see Your kingdom coming in power. We pray to You through the power of Your life-giving cross, Father Son and Holy Spirit Amen.

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy

O Lord we falter under the crosses You have placed upon us. Give us the strength to bare them as You bore Your cross. By doing so You give us the gift of our own resurrection. May our suffering bring us closer to You and open our hearts for Your dwelling. We pray in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have mercy.

O Lord You showed us the sign of Your Cross by references, prophecies, and symbols in the Old Testament. We can see that You were preparing us so we could understand the meaning of Your sacrificial death on the cross at Golgotha. Your sacrifice was perfect, and the shedding of Your Blood cleansed us and restored us to the spiritual life that Adam lost. Today we venerate Your Cross and pray that we will know its power to help us overcome evil and to proclaim Your Name to the ends of the earth. We pray in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit Amen.

Fourth Sunday of Great Lent

Mark 9:17-31

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have mercy!

O Lord You have given us clear instructions about the effectiveness of prayer. Prayer with fasting and almsgiving has great power to bring about healing. Instill in us an inner call to live a life of prayer without ceasing. May our prayer raise to the level of wordless prayer so that we can be witnesses of your presence and can be conduits of Your healing power. We pray in the name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit Amen.

Let us Pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy.

O Lord You are the source of faith. You revealed Your power to the apostles who lost their ability to heal because of their lack of faith. You taught us that some healings require great faith which can only be attained through prayer and fasting. We pray that we will grow in faith today as we pray and learn together. May we overcome any form of apostasy by adhering to the faith You delivered to Your apostles. Help us not to back slide as did the apostles so that as we confront life’s problems with faith. Give us, we beg You, the faith of a mustard seed so that we can move mountains. We pray in the name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit Amen.

Fifth Sunday of Great Lent MARY OF EGYPT

Heb. 9: 11-14 & Mark 10: 32-45

Let us Pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy.

O Lord You are an example to us of what it means to do service. You came to serve by giving up Your life as a ransom for many. You are first and great and yet You humbled Yourself and became a servant to us all. As we prepare for this final week of lent help us to persevere in our humility. Keep our ministry alive so that our works will not become dead works. As You transformed Your apostles with their weak faith so transform our weak faith. We pray that You will free us from the spirit of laziness so that we can sit with You on Your right hand when You come into Your kingdom. We pray in the name of the Father Son and Holy spirit. Amen

Let us Pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy.

O Lord You accepted suffering and death voluntarily. Your death and resurrection transformed the dead works of the apostles into living works. O Lord remind us always to question our motives so that our living works will not be transformed into dead works by our vanity. Show us Your salvation so that the works we do will increase our faith and be for Your glory. We pray in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit Amen.

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have mercy!

O Lord have we become so prideful that we expect that our labors in your vineyard will guarantee our salvation? Have we become so arrogant in our thinking that we can consider that our work is done, and we can now receive the benefits? Do we want to be served? Do we define our church attendance by what we are getting? As we prepare to walk with You to Calvary help us to remain faithful and not develop a spirit of laziness. We do not want to be deprived of the place You have prepared for those who love You. We pray in the name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit Amen.

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have mercy.

O Lord, You died on the cross and descended into Hell to defeat the Evil One. You have given us the power to overcome his temptation by prayer and fasting. Now as we are preparing to celebrate this great event pray that we will remember the way to true discipleship is to become a servant for You said whoever wishes to be first shall be the slave of all for You came to serve not to be served and to give Your life as a ransom for all. We pray in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit Amen.

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy

O Holy Desert Dweller and Angel in the body. You received heavenly gifts through fasting, vigils and prayer. On this day when we commemorate your life and works, we ask you to pray to Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ that he will guide us up the ladder of divine assent reaching the last rung which will open to us the kingdom of heaven. Amen.

Let us Pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy.

Palm Sunday

John 12:1-18

Let us Pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy.

O Lord You are the true vine and we are Your branches. You turn our suffering and difficulties into valuable lessons which deepen our faith. Instead of being like those who need signs and miracles to confirm their faith we pray that our confirmation will come in the fruit we bear. For You said, “he who abides in Me” bears much fruit. O Lord, as we mystically enter Your passion, help us to be loyal disciples who stand by Your cross as You show us the way into Your kingdom. We pray in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit Amen

Let us Pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy.

O Lord You wept over Jerusalem because the people rejected You. We pray that we will not be like them. Let these palm branches which we hold today proclaim Your victory over death and when You return in Glory bringing with You the New Jerusalem open the gates of pearl so that we can enter and be Your bride. We pray in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen

Pascha

Second Sunday of Pascha – St. Thomas

John 20: 19-31

Let us Pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy.

O Lord You announced that You would be rejected, beaten and crucified and after three days rise again. Your apostles did not believe You. You had to present Yourself to them in Your glorified body and talk with them, teach them, eat with them and then vanished out of their sight. For Your apostle Thomas this was not enough. He required a touch to believe. We pray that we will not need this to believe. We want to be are among those who believe and who have not seen. Send, O Lord, Your Holy Spirit to fill us so that all fear and doubt will cease and we will be able to face our death and say that it no longer exists for You have risen from the dead and given life to all those in the tombs Christ is Risen! Christ is Risen! Christ is Risen!

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have mercy!

O Lord we have experienced Your resurrection. We are thrilled to greet each other with the words “Christ is Risen”, but we are like Apostle Thomas and wish to see because our faith is so weak. We pray You will come to us as You came to Your Apostles and guided them to understand the scriptures. Plant in us a seed to form Bible study groups so that our lives can be transformed, and our faith strengthened and we will be among those who have not seen and believed. We pray in the name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit Amen.

Let us Pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy.

O Lord You appeared to Your Apostles through closed doors. You turned their sorrow into joy. You converted Thomas by revealing Your risen body and inviting him to touch it to see that it was real. He believed because he had seen You. Grant us the spiritual eyes of Thomas so we to may believe and be called blessed. May we follow Thomas as missionaries to a skeptical world. We pray in the name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit Amen.

Let us Pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy.

O Lord You call us blessed who have not seen and yet believe. We pray that we may see with our spiritual eyes as Apostle Thomas saw with his physical eyes. As his doubt was converted into conviction and zeal so may we be converted. May the blood and water which pour out from Your side confirm for us Your resurrection and then we to can testify with Thomas “My Lord and my God” Amen. (The blood and Water that gushed from Christ’s side after the soldier speared Him are seen as symbols of Communion and Baptism)

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy

O Lord we are among those who have not seen and believe. You offered Thomas your hands and side for his touch and told to him believe. We pray that we will see with our spiritual eyes so we will not fall into unbelief. Transform our lives so we to can go a make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen Christ is Risen! Kristu Amafufuka (Swahli)

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy

O Lord You gather Your children like a hen gathers her chicks. You are our heavenly Father and because of Your love for us You sent the Holy Spirit to feed us, nurture us and show us the way to the new Jerusalem. You prepared a place for us by Your life creating death and resurrection. We ask you to look upon our mothers both the living and departed and bless them for they are temples of Your Holy Spirit. We pray in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Let us Pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy.

THIRD SUNDAY OF PASCHA -MYRRHBEARING WOMEN

Acts 6:1-7

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have mercy!

O Lord Your proclamation has gone out into all the world and your word to the end of the universe. You opened the minds and hearts of Your followers by teaching them through word deed and service to others. You said that You came to serve not to be served. As you called your servants, your deacons, to greater ministry so we pray You will call us. May we take Your word to the world either through support or by actual mission so we can, along with the Myrrh-bearing women, experience Your resurrection. We pray in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit Amen.

Mark 16: 9-20

Let us Pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy.

O Lord there is so much violence around us today and so much evil and murder. Your life and death was no different to what see today. You warned us that we too will be confronted with evil but You said “be of good cheer for I have overcome the world.” Today we pray for those who died at Virginia Tech and for their grieving families. May their deaths be a reminder of how precious and fragile life is. We should daily prepare ourselves to meet You but we do fail. Grant us the faith of the Myrrh-bearing women to always be ready and show our love for You by the we care for Your body; the Church. We pray in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen

Prayer of the Week on Acts 6:1-7

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy

O Lord you sent your Holy Spirit to guide Your Church. As you instructed Moses to select helpers, you inspired Your apostles to do the same. Today we pray for our deacons; those who are formally deacons and for all doing the work of deaconia. We remember the good works of our retiring Church school teachers. Guide them into a greater ministry so they will continue spreading the gospel as did deacon Philip. We pray in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Luke 13:34

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy – (Mother’s day)

FOURTH SUNDAY OF PASCHA -PARALYTIC

John 5:1-15

Christ is Risen!

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have mercy!

O Lord You healed the paralytic when no one would help him into the healing waters of the sheep’s pool. We pray that we will not be alone in our suffering and death but will have the prayers and alms given on our behalf by our family. As our family, the members of Your church, sing Memory Eternal we humbly ask that You will remember us so that we will be raised on the last day and be invited to dine with You in Your kingdom. We pray in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit Amen

Let us Pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy.

Prayer for Christian Unity

O Lord You prayed to Your Father that we would become one as You are one with Your Father. You prayed that we would learn to love each other with the love You have with Your Father since the beginning of the world. You showed us what true love is by Your sacrifice on the cross for us. Your resurrection reveals the mystery of Your divine plan to bring us forgiveness and eternal life. We pray that we will listen to Your Holy Spirit who guides us into all truth. Open our hearts to forgive past hurts and show us how to unite so that we can love each other as You have loved us. We pray in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy (Mothers Day)

O Lord You gave us Your mother to be with us when our earthly mothers are no longer with us. As we remember them and we take to heart Your words to the Paralytic that we should sin no more unless something worse comes upon us. Your mother prays for us and is present in Your church. May we follow the example of the Paralytic and be found in Your house singing Your praises. We pray in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy

O Lord, Your works of healing have continued in the life of Your Church. The Samaritans were healed of paralysis through the preaching of Deacon Philip. The Apostle Peter raised Tabatha from the dead. When you cured the Paralytic, You told him to go and sin no more. You warned that something greater may befall him. We fear that something greater will befall us if we do not remain firm in the faith. May we use the gifts of your holy sacraments of Confession and Holy communion to maintain the presence of the Holy spirit so we can continually proclaim that You are truly risen and have trampled on death by death. We pray in the name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Acts 9:32-42

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have mercy!

O Lord Your Holy Scriptures have given us a clear understanding of the role of men and women. This tradition have been followed by Your Church since the day You sent the Holy Spirit. We are tossed by winds of doctrine which seem rational. We pray that You will lead us to understand and accept the call to Christian deaconia while fulfilling our roles as mothers and fathers. Grant O Lord that through them we may receive the reward as wise and faithful stewards. We pray in the name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit! Amen

FIFTH SUNDAY OF PASCHA – SAMARITAN WOMAN

John 4: 5-42

Let us Pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy.

O Lord You promised to give us living water. You fulfilled your promise on the day of Pentecost. We have wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude and knowledge. We pray that we do not turn away from Your gifts and blaspheme the Holy Spirit. May we be like the Samaritan woman who became Photini the first evangelist. As she brought light to the Samaritans and Carthaginians so may we bring Your light to those who have become darkened by worldly philosophies. As salvation came through the Jews may it come through us by Your Word, for You are our God and it is to You that we give glory and honor and worship unto ages of ages. Amen!

SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER PASCHA -BLIND MAN

John 9: 1-38

Let us Pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy.

O Lord You are the way, the truth and the life and we cannot reach heaven without You. If we try to save our life we will lose it. If we give it away, we will be saved. When we hear your call we pray that we will not be ashamed of You so that nothing will keep us from You. If anything does, give us the strength to throw it away or cut it off or pull it out. Help us to put ourselves last so that we can be first. Take away our heavy load by forgiving our sins which will heal us from our spiritual blindness. We pray that we may be found worthy to eat Your flesh and drink Your blood for You are the food that leads to eternal life. We pray in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy

O Lord You created mankind out of the dust of the earth and blew into him Your Holy Spirit. He became a living soul. You took the dust of the earth, filled it with living water which came from your mouth in the form of spit and recreated the eyes of the blind man. You made him see your divinity. You showed him and us that You are the light of the world. Grant O Lord that we may also see, believe and worship You in spirit and in truth. We pray in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen!

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy

O Lord, we come to you blind from birth in our spiritual eyes. You opened our eyes when we were baptized. They have become darkened by our disobedient lives. We pray that you will direct our path along the narrow road so we can return through repentance into your most radiant light. We pray in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit Amen.

SEVENTH SUNDAY OF PASCHA -HOLY FATHERS

John 17: 1-13

Let us Pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy.

O Lord You gave us a new commandment that we love each other as You love us. Help us to fulfill this commandment when faced with moral and religious problems, which are supported by our civil authorities. May we always be, not of this world but very much in it. Give us the words to say so that we can stand up for our faith when confronted with ridicule and hatred. Guide us in our love for those who think they are doing good for persecuting us. We pray for all those who gave their life so that we could be free to proclaim Your commandments. We pray in Your name — our Lord and God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy (Father’s day)

O Lord, You gave us an example of the role of fatherhood when you prayed to Your Father for us. You prayed that we would be kept faithful. You guard us so we will not fall under the power of the Evil One. You made us holy by the word of Your truth. We celebrate the joy You have with Your Father. May we experience the same joy in our families. We pray in the name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit Amen.

John 17: 1-13

Let us Pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy.

O Lord You prayed to Your Father for us so we will not be lost but will receive the glory You had with Him before the creation of the world. Your prayed that we would become one with each other and with You as You are with Your Father. Help us to remain in the truth and not be led astray by winds of doctrine. Your Holy Spirit which you sent guided the holy fathers in the composition of the Nicene creed. On this day as we remember them grant that we take their inspiration into our hearts and live as we say we believe. In this way we will remain in Your love which You have with Your Father. We pray in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen

Prayers for Stewardship

Wednesday March 26th, 2008 – Prayer of the Week on 1 Kings 11:1-12

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have mercy.

O Lord You gave Solomon everything – wealth, wisdom and an earthly kingdom. As long a he worshiped You, he was Your type. He was tempted by his lust of the flesh and broke Your commandments by worshiping idols. He became evil in Your sight. For this You split his kingdom and he died in disgrace. Protect us O Lord from such temptations so we can be on Your right hand with Your Mother when you come into Your kingdom. We pray in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit Amen.

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy

O Lord, by Your example You have shown us what it means to have mercy on our neighbor. The Samaritan give his time, talent and money to the beaten man by the road side. You call us to give a tithe of our time, talent and money not as a burden but as an act of love. By doing this we are able to grow spiritually and overcome the sin of greed. We pray that you will touch our hearts so we can be generous in this time of thanksgiving when we make our annual estimate of giving. Bless our offering and received it into Your heavenly kingdom. We pray in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

FEAST-DAYS

Sunday before Nativity

Matt.1:1-25

Let us pray to the Lord, Lord have Mercy.

O Lord You took on our human flesh, lowering Yourself to be born as a babe. Your mother held You in her arms as You hold us and the Universe in Your arms. You became flesh, so we could become divine by adoption. You have given us everything. As we celebrate Your miraculous birth and exchange gifts, may we remember your gift to us and thank you with a life of faithfulness. We pray in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy

O Lord, You sanctified the water through Your baptism. You were present when Moses sweetened the waters of Marah; present when he struck the rock and water flowed out. You were present when Isaiah parted the Jordan river and ascended to heaven; present when Joshua carried the Ark of the Covenant across the Jordan into the Holy Land. As we reenact Your Holy Baptism by blessing the water, so be present with us and send Your Holy Spirit upon us so that living water will flow from our hearts and we will be baptized with holy fire. May we experience that river which flows from Your throne in the new Jerusalem. We pray in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

NATIVITY OF CHRIST

Prayer of the Week on the Sunday of the Forefathers

Let us pray to the Lord, Lord have Mercy.

O Lord You were the one son of a widowed mother. You selected Your nephew John to care for her after Your resurrection just as your stepfather Joseph cared for her before Your miraculous birth. Today we remember Your relatives and we pray for our relatives so they will take up Your cross and follow You. We pray in Your Holy and Honorable name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Christ is Born! Glorify Him!

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy

O Lord, You sent Your Son to us so we could become a people who live by faith. You sent Your Angel to transform Joseph from a man of law to a man of faith. May Joseph be an example to us as we celebrate Your nativity. May we overcome our fear and be guided by the Holy Spirit. We pray in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Christ is Born! Glorify Him!

Let us pray to the Lord, Lord have Mercy.

O Lord You took on our human flesh, lowering Yourself to be born as a babe. Your mother held You in her arms as You hold us and the Universe in Your arms. You became flesh so we could become divine by adoption. You have given us everything. As we celebrate Your miraculous birth and exchange gifts, may we remember your gift to us and thank you with a life of faithfulness. We pray in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Prayer of the Week on the Sunday after the Nativity.

Matt. 2:12-23

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy

O Lord Your coming has brought salvation into the world for You have saved Your people from their sins. By Your incarnation You united the material world with Your divinity. As the star showed the Magi where you were born so may we be enlightened so we to can find you. May we develop the faith of Joseph your earthly father and the ascetic life which You established during Your sojourn in Egypt. We pray in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit Amen.

Theophany

Mark 1: 4 -11

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy

Let us Pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy.

O Lord, today we celebrate Your manifestation to us. You have washed us in the waters of Holy Baptism. We have become enlightened and You are filling us with Your Holy Spirit. Your cousin John speaks for us when he said he was not worthy to unloosen Your sandal straps. As we begin this New Year we pray that You will inspire us to become better Orthodox Christians so that we can offer to the next generation what you have given us. For we know that we will have to answer for what we do at Your judgment seat. We pray in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Great Blessing of Water.

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have mercy

We stand in awe when we see the power of nature and the destruction it can cause. We know that You have the power to quell the storms and we wonder about human suffering in Asia. We are beginning to understand why You wept over Your creation. You see Your workmanship in chaos because of humanity’s rejection of Your sovereignty. As we bless water today and celebrate Your baptism and the beginning of the repair of Your creation, we anticipate the time when again the universe will obey You and all nature will sing Your praises. Then all suffering and sorrow will end and we will live eternally with You. We pray in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

let us pray to the Lord. Lord have mercy

You were baptized O Lord in the waters of the Jordan to purified Your creation. You gave us Holy Baptism so we could be saved. Cover us with the shelter of Your wings and help us take up the cross and follow You. We do not want to lose our faith and be turned over to Satan. May we live our life under Your grace by overcoming temptation and enduring to the end. We pray in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy blessing Water for Theophany.

O Lord impart unto this water the grace of redemption, the blessing of Jordan. Make it a fountain of immortality, a gift of sanctification, a remission of sins, a healing of infirmities, a destruction of demons; unapproachable by hostile powers, filled with angelic power. And may it be for all those who shall draw it, and shall partake of it, the purification of their souls and bodies, the healing of their passions, the sanctification of their houses, and for every useful purpose. Amen.

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy children’s sermon.

O Lord You were baptized for the remission of our sins and for our salvation. During the coming year help us to overcome our bad habits and guide us so we make and strengthen our good habits like coming to church regularly and on time, helping the poor and being obedient to those who are placed over us as our spiritual directors and moral teachers. Amen.

Presentation of Christ to the Temple

Luke 2:22-40

Prayer of the Week for Blessing Candles.

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy

O Lord Jesus Christ, the True Light, Who enlightens every man that comes into the world, pour out Your blessing on these candles, and hallow them by the light of Your Grace; and grant, O Merciful One, that as these lights, kindled with a visible flame, scatter the darkness of night, so may our hearts be enlightened by the glowing of the Holy Spirit and avoid the blindness of all manner of sin; so that we may see those things that are pleasing unto You, We pray in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen

Annunciation

Luke 1:24-38

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy

O Lord we celebrate Your conception, for You took flesh from a pure virgin and became one of us. You became flesh so You could condemn sin so that we who were dead in Adam are now alive in You. We pray in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy

Transfiguration of Christ

Matt.17:1-9

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy

O Lord You present Your transfigured body to us in form of bread and wine. Because of our sinful lives we cannot see the transfigured glory. Open O Lord, our spiritual eyes to see and our ears to hear so we are not consumed by its fire. May our sin be purged away so we can hear Your call and see Your plan for our lives. We pray in the name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit Amen

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy

O Lord You were transfigured on Mount Tabor for our salvation. As You revealed Your light to Peter, James and John enlighten us so we can increase in faith by hearing the Your word and be transformed as adopted sons and daughters of our Father in heaven. We pray in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

PRAYER AT THE PARTAKING OF THE FIRST FRUITS OF SUMMER.

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have mercy.

O LORD our God, who in Your great compassion have led us to this season, who have blessed the cycle of the year and have crowned it with fruit bearing; You who in Your great patience have commanded the earth to bring forth for us fruits for nourishment: O adorable Lord, grant that the partaking of the first-fruits and the harvest of summer be unto peace and health and concord for Your servants, and grant to us the plenteous increase of every kind of good thing: For You are the Bestower of goodness, and to You we send up glory, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Dormition of the Theotokos

Luke 10:38-42;11:27-28

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy

O Lord, today we honor and praised the falling asleep of your mother and our spiritual mother. May she be an example to us of humility and evangelistic zeal. Her body became a living temple from which You shined and brought salvation to all. As she continually prays for us may we learn to be humble and pray for the salvation of all. We pray in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit Amen.

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy

O Lord, the universe dances with joy at the glorious memorial of Your Mother. We are called to dance and clap with gladness, fervor, jubilation and singing with exaltation. May we put aside all earthly cares and join with the angels in this celebration of Your Mother’s life and her assumption into heaven. We pray in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy

O Lord we celebrate the falling asleep of your mother. She prepared for her death by living her life devoted to You. Because she was Your mother she became our spiritual mother when You gave her to us from the cross. She was a pillar of strength to the Apostles and an example of a true Christian. Through her prayers, O Lord, have mercy on us.

Random

Thursday March 26th, 2009 – Prayer of the Week on Heb. 2:11-18.

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy

O Lord, in Your humanity, Your fear of death was revealed as sweat fell like drops of blood in the Garden Gethsemane. Your obedience to Your father and Your love for us overcome that fear when You said “let it be to me according to Your word”. We have failed to overcome our fear of death which causes us to sin. We pray that we learn to live in Your Resurrection overcoming our fear of death so we can be free of sin and to attain the life to come. We pray in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Sanctity of Life

Let us Pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy.

O Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son, Who is in the bosom of the Father, True God, source of life and immortality, Light of Light, Who has come into the world to enlighten it; You were pleased to be conceived in the womb of the Virgin Mary, for the salvation of our souls by the power of Your All-Holy Spirit. O Master, Who has come that we might have life more abundantly, we ask You to enlighten the minds and hearts of those blinded to the truth that life begins at conception, and that the unborn are already in the womb adorned with Your image and likeness. Enable us to guard, cherish and protect the lives of all those who are unable to care for themselves, for You are the Bestower of Life, bringing each person from non-being into being, sealing each person with divine and infinite love. Be merciful, O Lord, to those who, through ignorance or willfulness, affront Your divine goodness and providence through the evil act of abortion. May they, and all of us, come to the light of Your Truth and glorify You, the Giver of Life, together with your Father and Your All-Holy and Life-giving Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy

O Christ our God, You are the One Who both gives and wills the protection of all life. By word and by deed, You have taught us to treat all life as sacred, with the utmost care and compassion for every human being, of every race, nation and faith, of every walk and way of life, those born and unborn alike. Seeking to fulfill this teaching as Your followers, we turn to You in fervent prayer on this “Sanctity of Life Sunday.” O God, Who knows each of us from our mother’s womb, protect the fragile lives of our unborn little brothers and sisters, granting blessed repose to those whose tiny lives were terminated, as well as repentance and forgiveness to those who have participated in their termination. We pray in the name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Matt.15:21-28 (Sanctity of Life Sunday)

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy

O Lord we cry out to you like the Canaanite Women. Lord Jesus Christ have mercy for we are all sinners. We are your puppies who have gone astray. As You healed her daughter so heal our nation, and those who have had abortions, performed them and participated out of desperation or ignorance. As You showed mercy on St. Paul the chief among sinners and illumined him with the light of Your holy Gospel so illumine us so we can be merciful and forgive ourselves as You have forgiven us. We pray in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Prayer of the Week for Christian Unity

Let us Pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy.

Almighty God, we lift our hearts to You in praise and thanksgiving. Out of love, You created the heavens and the earth, and breathed life into this world. Inspire us to treasure this gift in all our relationships with You, with each other, and all of creation. Out of love, You gave us your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ, as Light for our world. Ignite in us the passion of disciples and the courage to strive for justice and peace. By the power of Your love, heal all divisions and strengthen us to do your will. Lead us, with all our brothers and sisters, toward communion in faith, and in love so that, united in one body, and one spirit, we may together witness to the perfect unity of Your love. We pray in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Prayer of the Week for Ordination of Readers

Let us Pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy.

O Lord almighty elect this your servant, and sanctify him; and enable him with wisdom, and understanding, to exercise the study and reading of Your divine words, preserving him in a blameless life. Through the mercies and bounties and love towards mankind of Your Only-begotton Son, with whom also You are blessed, together with Your all-holy, and good and life-giving Spirit, now, and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen

Prayer of the Week for Blessing a Home

Let us Pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy.

O Master, Lord our God, who dwells on high and has regard for the humble; who blest the housed of Laban at the entrance of Jacob. and the house of Potiphar by the coming of Joseph, who blest the house of Abinadad with the bringing in of the Ark; and in the days of the advent of Christ our God granted salvation to the house of Zacchaeus: As the same Lord, bless also this house, and encompass with awe those who live here, and preserve them unharmed from adversaries, sending down on them Your benediction from the heights of Your holy habitation. Bless and increase all good things in this house for Yours it is to show mercy and save us, O our God, and to Your we do give glory to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Prayer of the Week on the feast of St. Basil

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have mercy

Remember this country and all civil authorities. Grant them a secure and lasting peace. Protect in Your goodness those who are good, and in Your kindness make good those who are evil. Remember, O Lord, the people here present, and also those who are absent for honorable reasons. Have mercy on them and on us according to the multitude of Your mercies. Fill their treasuries with every good thing. Preserve their marriages in peace and harmony. Nurture the infants. Guide the young. Support the aged. Reunite the separated. Travel with those who travel. Defend the widows; protect the orphans; deliver the captives; heal the sick. Watch over us in Your kindness, O Lord. Manifest Yourself to us through Your rich compassion. Grace us with temperate and healthful weather. Send gentle showers upon the earth so that it may bear fruit. Bless the crown of the year with Your goodness. Grant us Your peace and Your love, O Lord our God, for You have given all things to us. For unto you we give glory honor and worship Father, Son and Holy Spirit Amen.

Prayer of the week for a baptism

Let us Pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy.

O compassionate and merciful God, Who tries the heart and the reins, and Who alone knows the secret thoughts of all (for no deeds are hidden before You, but all things are laid bare and manifest before Your eyes); Who knows all things concerning me, Who disregards man’s sins unto repentance, do not look upon me with loathing, nor turn Your face from me; do not consider my iniquities at this present hour. Wash away the vileness of my body, and the pollution of my soul. Sanctify me wholly by Your all-perfect, invisible might, and by Your spiritual right hand, lest, while I proclaim liberty to others, and administer this rite with perfect faith in Your ineffable love toward mankind, I myself may become the base slave of sin. Yes, O Master, Who alone are good and full of love toward mankind, do not let your humble servant be led astray; but send down upon me power from on high, and strengthen me in the administration of Your impending Mystery, which is both great and most heavenly. Create the image of Your Christ in him (her), who now desires to be born again through my unworthy ministry. Build him (her) up upon the foundation of Your Apostles and Prophets, that he (she) may not be overthrown; but implant him (her) firmly as a plant of truth, in Your holy catholic and apostolic Church, that he (she) may not be plucked out. That, as he (she) increases in godliness, through him (her) may be glorified Your all-holy Name, of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages.

ANOTHER BAPTISM

Prayer of the Week for the Baptism of Olivia and Sofia August 28, 2013

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy

O Lord we are fulfilling Your great commission to make disciples, baptizing them in Your name. You promised to be with us until the end of the age., We pray for Olivia and Sofia that they will mature in faith. May we be with them as Your were with Peter when he faltered in his faith. We pray in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Prayer of the week for Metropolitan Theodosius

Let us Pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy.

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy. Among the first, remember, O Lord, his Beatitude, our Metropolitan Theodosius, grant him many years of peace, safety, honor, and health, correctly distributing the word of Your truth.

Prayer of the Week for the Columbia Astronauts

Let us Pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy.

O Lord, remember the souls of Your servants: Rick, William, Michael, Kalpana, David, Laurel, and Ilan and of all our fathers, brethren and sisters who are fallen asleep in the hope of the Resurrection and life everlasting; pardon their transgressions, both voluntary and involuntary. Grant them Your Heavenly Kingdom, and a portion of Your eternal blessings, and the enjoyment of Your unending and blessed Life for You are a merciful God and unto You we give Glory to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Prayer of the Week for Blessing Candles.

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy

Prayer of the week on Memorial Day (Matt 8:5-13).

Let us Pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy.

O Lord You held up as a standard the Centurion as a man of great faith because he trusted Your power to heal his servant who was paralyzed. He called You a man of authority and so You are for You have authority over life and death. Today as we remember those who sacrificed their lives as soldiers grant us the faith of the Centurion so that we can direct our nation through prayer and action to be under Your authority. We pray in the name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Prayer of the Week by Fr. Vladimir Borichevsky.

Let us Pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy.

O Lord, on that day when my eyes shall no longer behold the wondrous rising of the sun, grant that the eyes of my spirit shall forever be opened to the Divine Beauty of Your Everlasting Glory. Amen.

This prayer was read as part of the eulogy delivered by Fr. Theodore Heckman on September 5,1990

September 11th, 2013 – Prayer of the Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church in America delivered on 9/11

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy

O Lord we pray for all who have fallen into the hands of our enemies: for the children, the aged, and the sick; for prisoners of war and for all those whom our enemies have killed and injured through terrorist attacks; that the Lord our God may look upon them with compassion, that He may comfort, strengthen, and preserve them; and that He may deliver them speedily from bondage and oppression and have mercy on them.

We pray for our relatives and friends who continue to mourn and to grieve the loss of their loved ones; that the Lord our God may bring them safely out of every peril and danger and even sustain them with the comfort of His mercy.

We pray for the repose of the souls of the valiant people of God who have departed this life: especially for the souls of all those who lost their lives during the terrorist attack. For You are the resurrection, the life, and the repose of your servants who have fallen asleep, O Christ our God, and to You we ascribe glory, together with Your Father, Who is without beginning, and Your most holy, good, and life-creating Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages.

Prayer of the Week on the beginning of the Church year.

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy

O Lord You will return with the sound of the trumpet with all Your angels and inaugurate a new age where there is no suffering, pain or death. Until that day we must work to provide for our families and to Your Glory. On this day we remember all the hard working people who built and are building this country. Grant that the work of our hands and minds will express our faith in You always doing our best. We pray in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Prayer of the week on Halloween

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy

O Lord You are our God who is the God of the living. All those who died believing in You are living and waiting for Your return. We pray for the departed on this All Hallows Eve. Remember them when you come into your kingdom. Let us not forget them as we ask them to pray for us. May we do works of charity in their name and bring joy to a child who knocks at our door and says: “Trick or treat”.

Prayer of the Week – Prayer of the week on Genesis 1

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy

O Lord we pray for help to strengthen our Christian faith. May we remain secure in the knowledge that you are present everywhere and fulfill all things. Help us combat the atheistic claims which use scientific discovery to deny Your existence. Grant us the words to defend the faith when it is attached. Keep us faithful to our last end. We pray in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit Amen.

Prayer of the Week on the life of St. Jacob of Alaska

O righteous Father Jacob, Adornment of Atka and the Yukon Delta, You offered yourself as a living sacrifice To bring light to a searching people. Offspring of Russian America, Flower of brotherly unity, Healer of sickness and terror of demons: O Holy Father Jacob, Pray to Christ God that our souls may be saved.

Prayer for missions

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy

O Lord You call us to bring the Gospel to all Nations. We have sent parishioners to the Blackfeet Nation on a mission of love to the poor. Forgive us for our pride for they have shown us their strength by their humility. Grant that we become weak through there strength. We pray in the name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit Amen

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have mercy.

Christ our God, the source of wisdom and Bridegroom of the Church, You called the Apostles to follow You and to become fishers of men, giving them authority to cast out unclean spirits and to heal every disease and infirmity. You commissioned them to make disciples of all nations and to feed your sheep. On the day of Pentecost, You sent the Holy Spirit to fortify them, enabling them to fill people’s lives with Your saving love.

Continue to act today, loving Savior, for the good of Your Holy Church. Send Your Holy Spirit upon dedicated men and women; inspire them to respond to Your Great Commission and to serve You as missionaries, for the building up of Your Body, the Church. Through the prayers of all the holy missionary saints, strengthen all who are preparing to serve and those who serve Your Holy Church in humility and love. For You are a loving and merciful God, and unto You we give glory, together with Your eternal Father, and Your all-holy, good and life-giving Spirit, now and forever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Prayer of the Week – A prayer for missionaries

Let us Pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy. O God of Truth and Love, hear our prayer for those who do not know You, that they may come to a saving knowledge of the Truth, and that Your Name may be praised among all the peoples of the world. Sustain, inspire, and enlighten Your servants who bring them the Gospel. Grant vigor to wavering faith and sustain our faith when it is fragile. Continually renew missionary zeal in our souls and throughout Your Church and raise up new missionaries who will follow You to the ends of the earth. Make us witnesses to Your goodness–full of love, full of strength, and full of faith – for Your glory and the salvation of the entire world. Through the prayers of our Most-holy Lady, Theotokos, and Ever-virgin Mary; of the Holy Apostle Paul; of Saint Photini; of Saints Cyril and Methodius, teachers of the Slavs; of Saint Kosmas of Aitola; of Saints Herman, Innocent, and Tikhon, Enlighteners of America; of Saint Nicholas, Enlightener of Japan; John of Chicago and of all the missionary Saints, have mercy on us, forasmuch as You are the God of salvation, and to You we send up glory: to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; now and ever, and unto ages of ages.

Prayer of the first Antiphon

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy

O Lord our God, save Your people and bless Your inheritance. Preserve the fullness of Your Church. Sanctify those who love the beauty of Your house; glorify them in turn by Your divine power, and do not forsake us who put our hope in You, for Yours is the majesty, and Yours is the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory: of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages.

Prayer of the Week on the feast of St. Luke

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy

O Lord You promised to send Your Holy Spirit to guide us to all truth. Your Holy Apostle Jude exhorted us to keep the faith that was delivered to us by the apostles. On this day as we celebrate the memory of St. Luke the Apostle, strengthen our faith so we can avoid immoral acts. Purify our lives so we do not grieve the Holy Spirit in whom we pray. Through the prayers of St. Luke, O Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on us. Amen

Prayer of the week on healing James 5:15

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy

O Lord we are grieving the loss of one of our dear members. We read in Your holy Gospel how your brought back to life the son of the widow. This reveals to us that You have power over life and death. You will raise us up to eternal life . Help us, O Lord, to be righteous so our prayers will save the sick and they will raise on the last day. We pray in the name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit Amen.

Prayer of the Week on Rev. 21:10-26

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy

O Lord You revealed to Your Apostle John the image of the New Jerusalem. He saw a place of great beauty made of pearls and precious stones without a Temple because You filled it with Your Divine Light. We pray we will be among those who will bring to this heavenly city glory and honor and be numbered in Your book of Life. We pray in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

On Confession Prayer of the Week on James 5:13 -16.

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy

Prayer of the Week on a children’s sermon.

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy

Prayer of the Week for the victims of the tornado

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have mercy.

Almighty God, Our Father, we pray that the mercy of Christ provides comfort to our brothers and sisters affected by the devastating tornadoes in Tennessee, Kentucky, Mississippi, Alabama and Arkansas. Lord, may all of Your children who are grieving find solace in the Living Word, and be comforted praying that Jesus has lifted to Heaven the souls of those who have departed. We pray in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen (Modified prayer from the American Bible Society)

Prayer of the Week on beginning the church school year

Let us pray to the Lord, Lord have Mercy.

O Master, Lord our God, You commanded that everything be done for Your glory. By Your blessing, stretch forth Your helping hand to us Your servants as we begin this Church School year. Grant these children a heart that is open to Your teachings and protect them from the Evil One. Bless the good intentions of Your people. Protect us from worldly wisdom and deceit. For You are a good God who loves mankind, and to You we give glory, honor, and worship, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages.

July 12th, 2007 – Prayer of the Week – Invocation given at the Illinois Freedom Run

Invocation given at the Illinois Freedom Run ( See June events )

O Lord of heaven and earth, the creator of the visible and invisible universe. You are the Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Eternal Father, and the Prince of Peace. Today we stand again before this wall of grief reading the ever-growing list of names of our fallen heroes. These men and women who made the supreme act of love by laying down their lives of us. May they find eternal rest in Your heavenly kingdom with all the saints.

O God, we do not deserve what they have given us for we eat, drink and are merry while our men in women in uniform are sacrificing themselves for our freedom. We have forgotten to pray for them and for our enemies so that all hatred in Your name will be turned into love.

We humbly ask you today to intervene in this war in lands where you made you presence known and bring it to a just end. We pray for all those who grieve the loss of their loved ones. We weep with them and pray that all of us here and in our country will appreciate what they have given us.

We know that there will someday be a war that will end all wars. We hope and pray that we will be on the winning side and will rejoice when you return in Your glory for You are the father of the age to come. Amen.

Benediction

O Master send Your Holy Spirit upon us as we depart and protect us as we travel the highway of life. Bring us safely home so we can fulfill all of our petitions which are for the well being of our troops, the remembrance of our fallen heroes and their families and for this war to end. May the love of God the Father and the grace of the Holy Spirit be with all of you. Go in Peace.

The Deer’s Cry Also known as “The Breastplate of St. Patrick” and “The Lorica”

This powerful prayer was composed by Saint Patrick in the year 433. He was aware that there was an ambush to try to kill him and his group on route to the King’s court. It was during the march that they chanted the sacred Lorica or Deer’s Cry – later known as St. Patrick’s Breastplate.

As the druids lay in hiding, ready to kill, they saw not Patrick and his men, but a gentle doe followed by twenty fawns.
St. Patrick and his men were saved.

I arise today through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
through belief in the Threeness,
through confession of the Oneness of the Creator of creation.

I arise today through the strength of Christ with His Baptism,
through the strength of His Crucifixion with His Burial,
through the strength of His Resurrection with His Ascension,
through the strength of His descent for the Judgment of Doom.
I arise today through the strength of the love of Cherubim in obedience of Angels,
in the service of the Archangels,
in hope of resurrection to meet with reward,
in prayers of Patriarchs,
in predictions of Prophets,
in preachings of Apostles,
in faiths of Confessors,
in innocence of Holy Virgins,
in deeds of righteous men.

I arise today, through the strength of Heaven;
light of Sun, brilliance of Moon, splendor of Fire,
speed of Lightning, swiftness of Wind, depth of Sea,
stability of Earth, firmness of Rock.

I arise today, through God’s strength to pilot me:
God’s might to uphold me,
God’s wisdom to guide me,
God’s eye to look before me,
God’s ear to hear me,
God’s word to speak for me,
God’s hand to guard me,
God’s way to lie before me,
God’s shield to protect me,
God’s host to secure me: against snares of devils,
against temptations of vices,
against inclinations of nature,
against everyone who shall wish me ill,
afar and near, alone and in a crowd.

I summon today all these powers between me (and these evils):
against every cruel and merciless power
that may oppose my body and my soul,
against incantations of false prophets,
against black laws of heathenry,
against false laws of heretics, against craft of idolatry,
against spells of witches, smiths and wizards,
against every knowledge that endangers man’s body and soul.
Christ to protect me today against poisoning,
against burning, against drowning, against wounding,
so that there may come abundance in reward.
Christ with me,
Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ in me,
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ on my right,
Christ on my left,
Christ in breadth,
Christ in length,
Christ in height,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.

I arise today through a mighty strength,
the invocation of the Trinity,
through belief in the Threeness,
through confession of the Oneness of the Creator of creation.
Salvation is of the Lord.
Salvation is of the Lord.
Salvation is of Christ.
May Thy Salvation, O Lord, be ever with us. Amen.

Thursday September 22nd, 2005 – Prayer of the Week on Hurricane Rita – Matt. 8 23 – 25

Let us pray to the Lord. Lord have mercy.
O Lord, Your apostles marveled when You quelled the storm just by Your word. You strengthened their faith when they saw that You had the power over the wind, the rain and the turbulent sea. Today we are facing a tremendous storm which may add to the suffering and burden of the last storm. We humbly pray that you will weaken this storm so that the damage will be at a minimum and lives will be spared. We know because of our sinful ways we deserve your righteous chastisement. We repent and ask for forgiveness for You are the Lord of the land and the sea and all they contain, for it is to You that we ascribe glory honor and worship in the name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit Amen

Wednesday, September 4th, 2002 – Prayer of the week on Luke 4:17-22

Let us Pray to the Lord. Lord have Mercy.
O Lord when You stepped forward in the synagogue to read from the scripture on that first day of September You proclaimed that the Spirit of God was on You to go and preach. We ask You to send Your Holy Spirit upon us so that we can go and preach. May our preaching not only be in words but to do Your will in caring for Your creation. Help us to begin anew in our personal and corporate prayer life and make an effort to prepare to receive Your Holy Body and Blood. Help and guide us in our ministry that in so doing we receive the harvest of the fruits of the Holy Spirit. We pray in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen. to You that we ascribe Glory to the Father, Son and Holy. Amen.