The Sixth Hour (12:00 noon)

The Sixth Hour (12:00 noon)

Reader: Come, let us worship God, our King!

Come, let us worship and fall down before Christ, our King and our God!

Come, let us worship and fall down before Christ Himself, our King and our God!

Psalm 53

O God, save me by Your name

and judge me by Your power.

O God, hear my prayer;

listen to the words of my mouth.

For strangers have risen against meand the strong have tried to take my life and have not set God before them.

For behold, God is helping me,and the Lord is the protector of my soul.

He will divert the evils to my enemies.Destroy them by Your truth.

Lord, I will willingly sacrifice to You,I will give thanks to Your name, because it is good.

For You have delivered me out of all my trouble,and my eye has kept watch on my enemies.

Psalm 54

O God, listen to my prayerand do not overlook my need.

Attend to me and answer me.I was pained in my meditation and was troubled

Because of the voice of the enemy,and because of the pressure of the sinner.

For they accuse me of lawlessnessand fume with anger against me.

My heart was troubled within meand the fear of death fell upon me.

Fear and trembling came upon meand darkness covered me.

And I said, “Who will give me wings like a dove?And I will fly and rest.”

See, I have traveled far by taking to flightand have camped in the desert.

I waited expectantly for God Who saves mefrom faintheartedness and from storm.

Lord, drown them and divide their tongues,for I see lawlessness and strife in the city.

Day and night they go around it upon its walls,but lawlessness and trouble are in the midst of it,

There is always injustice;and oppression and fraud never leave its streets.

For if an enemy had reproached me,I would have borne it.

And if someone who hates me had boasted against me,I would have hidden myself from him.

But it was you, a man my equal,my guide and my friend,

Who made sweet for me our meals together;we walked in the house of God in harmony.

Let death come upon themand let them go down alive to hell, for evil is in their homes and within them.

As for me, I cried to God

and the Lord answered me.

Evening, morning and noonI will tell and declare my needs, and He will hear my voice.

He will deliver my soul in peacefrom those who come near me, for they were with me in crowds.

God will answer and humble them,the One Who is before the ages.

For there is no change of heart for them,because they do not fear God.

He has stretched out His hand to repay them;they have broken His covenant.

They were scattered by the wrath of His face,yet their heart drew near.

Their words were smoother than oil,and yet they are spears.

Cast your care on the Lord and He will support you;He will not give the righteous a shaking forever.

But You, O God, will bring them downinto the pit of destruction.

Murderers and liars will not live out half their days.But I, Lord, will hope in You.

Psalm 90

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High

will abide in the shadow of the heavenly God.

He will say to the Lord: My Protector and my Refuge;

my God, in Whom I trust.

For He will deliver you from the trap of the hunters

and from the embarrassing word.

He will overshadow you with His shoulders,

and under His wings you will hope.

His truth will surround you with armor.

You will not be afraid of any terror by night,

Nor of the arrow that flies by day -

of a thing going by in the dark, of an accident or a noonday demon.

A thousand will fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand,

but it will not come near you.

Only with your eyes you will look on,

and you will see the reward of sinners.

For You, Lord, are my hope;

You made the Most High Your refuge.

No evils will come to you,

and no scourge will come near your dwelling.

For He will command His angels regarding you

to guard you in all your ways.

They will lift you on their hands,

lest you strike your foot against a stone.

You will step on the asp and the adder;

the lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.

“Because he has set his hope on Me, I will deliver him;

I will protect him, because he knows My name.

He will call to Me and I will answer him.

I am with him in trouble,

I will deliver him and glorify him.

With a long life I will satisfy him, and I will show him My salvation.”

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,

now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia,

glory to You, O God! (Three times)

Lord, have mercy. (Three times)

Reader: (Chanted to the tone of the prescribed Troparion:) Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit . . .

Chant the prescribed troparion. If two or more troparia are prescribed, then chant the first one before the Glory.

Then the following Theotokion in the same tone:

Now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.

Because we have no boldness because of the multitude of our sins, Virgin Birthgiver-of-God, entreat the One Who was born of you. For the prayer of a mother has great power to win the favor of the Master. All-Pure One, do not despise the supplications of sinners, for the One Who willed to suffer for us to save us is merciful and strong.

Reader: Lord, let Your compassion come quickly to meet us, because our need is great. Help us, God our Savior, for the glory of Your name. Lord, deliver us and forgive our sins for Your name’s sake.

Holy God! Holy Mighty! Holy Immortal! Have mercy on us. (3x)

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.

All-Holy Trinity, have mercy on us! Lord, cleanse us from our sins! Master, pardon our transgressions! Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities, for Your name’s sake!

Lord, have mercy. (3x)

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.

Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy Will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from Evil.

Priest: For Thine is the Kingdom, the Power and the Glory, of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages.

Reader: Amen.

Reader: Chants the prescribed Kontakion.

Reader: Lord, have mercy. (40x)

The Prayer of the Hours

At every season and every hour, in heaven and on earth, You are worshiped and glorified, Christ our God, long-suffering, merciful, and compassionate. You love the righteous and show mercy to the sinner. You call all to salvation through the promise of blessings to come: Lord, in this hour receive our supplications and direct our lives according to Your commandments. Sanctify our souls, purify our bodies, correct our thoughts, cleanse our minds; deliver us from all tribulations, evil, and distress. Surround us with Your holy angels, that guided and guarded by them, we may attain unity of the faith and knowledge of Your Unapproachable Glory, for You are blessed to the ages of ages. Amen.

Lord, have mercy. (3x)

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.

More honorable than the Cherubim, and more glorious beyond compare than the Seraphim, without defilement you gave birth to God the Word. True Birthgiver-of-God, we magnify you.

{During the Pascha Season} Shine! Shine! O New Jerusalem! The Glory of the Lord has shone on you! Exult now and be glad, O Zion! Be radiant, Pure Birthgiver-of-God in the Resurrection of your Son!

In the name of the Lord, Father, bless.

Priest: May God have compassion on us and bless us, may He manifest His presence to us and have mercy on us.

Reader: Amen.

The Prayer of the Sixth Hour

Reader: O God, the Lord of Hosts, and Author of All Creation: In Your boundless tender mercy You have sent Your Only-Begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, for the salvation of the human race, and through His Holy Cross have torn up the record of our sins, and through the Cross have triumphed over the princes and dominions of darkness: Master Who loves humanity, accept these prayers of thanksgiving and supplication even from us sinners, and deliver us from every deadly and dark transgression, and from all the visible and invisible enemies that seek to do us harm. Nail our flesh with the fear of You, and let not our hears incline to evil words or thoughts, but wound our souls with Your love, that ever gazing on You, the Eternal Light That No One Can Approach, we may send up unceasing praises and thanks to You; the Father Without Beginning, together with Your Only-Begotten Son and Your All-Holy, Good, and Life-Creating Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.

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