The Divine Liturgy of St. Peter
Prayer at the Offering of the Bread
LIKE a sheep He was led to the slaughter, and as a lamb without voice before His shearers, so opened He not His mouth; in humiliation His judgment was taken away; His generation who shall declare? In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
And at the Mingling of the Wine and Water:
One of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and straightway there came forth blood and water, welling forth the salvation of the world.
Prayer of Prothesis:
O Lord our God, Who didst offer Thyself for the life of the world, look down upon us, and upon this Bread, and upon this chalice, and make this to be Thy pure Body and precious Blood, unto the communion of souls and bodies, for hallowed and glorified is Thy most honourable and majestic name, of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages.
Prayer of the Incense
Holy God, Who restest in the Saints, dwelling in unapproachable light: Thyself, O Master, with Thine accustomed love of mankind, overlook our many sins, and as Thou wast pleased to accept the incense of Zacharias, thus also from the hands of us sinners graciously receive this incense as a savour of spiritual fragrance, and act mercifully towards us. For hallowed and glorified is Thy most honourable and majestic name, of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages.
Or This:
O Master, Lord our God, Who hast granted us Thy humble and unworthy servants to be ministers of Thy holy Altar: cleanse Thou all our transgressions and make us worthy, by the indwelling of Thy Holy Spirit, to glorify and praise Thy thrice-holy name, so that we may enter with a pure conscience, and be granted to complete also Thy Divine service; and accept this incense unto Thy holy and heavenly Altar as a savour of spiritual fragrance. For Thou art our sanctification and illumination, and to Thee do we send up glory, to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.
And, censing, the Priest covers the Gifts, saying:
Thy virtue hath covered the heavens, O Christ., and the earth is filled with Thy praise.
And he places the veil, saying:
The Lord is king, let the heathen rage; He sitteth upon the Cherubim, let the earth be shaken.
Another Prayer of the Prothesis:
Bless, O Lord our God, this offering, and grant us Thy servants a pure heart and thoughts unconfounded; that we may be found worthy to draw near, and to touch Thy most pure Body and Thy precious Blood; and make us to stand without condemnation before Thee even on the dread day of judgment; wherefore grant us remission of sins, and life eternal. For hallowed and glorified is Thy most honourable and majestic name, of the Father and of the Son of the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages.
Here follows the Dismissal of the Prothesis, and the nave is censed.
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The Divine Liturgy of St. Peter --
LITURGY OF THE CATECHUMENS
The Deacon intones: Bless, Master. Priest:
BLESSED is the kingdom of the Father,
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit,
now and ever and unto ages of ages.
Deacon: In peace let us pray to the Lord.
For the peace from above…
For the peace of the whole world…
For this holy temple…
For our Father and Patriarch… for the honourable Priesthood…
The Priest, meanwhile, says the Prayer of the First Antiphon:
O Lord our God, Whose might is unutterable, Whose glory is inconceivable, Whose mercy is measureless, and Whose love for mankind is inexpressible: look down, O Master, in Thy tender compassion, upon us and upon this holy temple; and deal with us and them that here pray with us, according to the riches of Thy mercies and Thy bounties.
Exclamation:
For unto Thee are due all glory, honour, and worship, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.
Choir: Amen.
The Choir now sings the First Antiphon.
Deacon: Again and again, in peace…
The Priest says the Prayer of the Second Antiphon:
O Lord our God, save Thy people and bless Thine inheritance; preserve the fullness of Thy Church; sanctify them that love the beauty of Thy house; glorify them in return by Thy Divine power, and forsake not us who put our trust in Thee.
Exclamation:
For Thine is the majesty, and Thine 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.
The Choir sings the Second Antiphon.
Deacon: Again and again, in peace…
The Priest says the Prayer of the Third Antiphon:
O Thou Who hast given us grace at this time, with one accord to make our common supplications unto Thee, and dost promise that when two or three are gathered together in Thy name, Thou wilt grant their requests: fulfill now, O Lord, the desires and petitions of Thy servants as may be most expedient for them, granting them in this world knowledge of Thy truth, and in the world to come, life eternal.
Exclamation:
For a good God art Thou, and the Lover of mankind, and unto Thee do we send up glory, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages.
Choir: Amen.
The Choir sings the Third Antiphon. The Priest says the Prayer of the Entrance:
Benefactor of all, and Architect of all creation, receive Thy Church which draweth nigh unto Thee.
[1] Fulfill the requests of all as is expedient for them; lead us all to perfection, and make us worthy of Thy kingdom, by the grace of Thy sanctification gathering us in Thy Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, which Thou hast obtained by the precious Blood of Thine only-begotten Son, with Whom Thou art blessed, together with Thy most holy, and good, and life-creating Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.
Deacon: Wisdom, let us attend.
People (or Choir): O come, let us worship and fall down before Christ…
The Troparion and Kontakion are now sung.
Priest: The Lord be with you.
[2]
People (or Choir): And with thy spirit.
Deacon: Let us pray.
The Priest prays this prayer:
Fill our mouths, we pray Thee, O Lord, with rejoicing, and with Thy praise in joy, through our Lord Jesus Christ,
[3] Thy Son, with Whom Thou livest and reignest, O our God, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, unto all ages of ages.
He then begins:
Glory be to God in the highest.
[4] And on earth peace to men of good will. We praise Thee, we bless Thee, we worship Thee, we glorify Thee. We give thanks to Thee for Thy great glory. O Lord God, heavenly King, God the Father almighty. O Lord, the only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ. O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, that takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us. That takest away the sins of the world, receive our prayer. That sittest at the right hand of the Father, have mercy upon us. For Thou only art holy, Thou only art the Lord, Thou only art most high, O Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father. Amen.
[5]
Deacon: Let us pray.
The Priest, inclining, says this Prayer:
[6]
Grant unto Thy faithful servants, O Lord, help from heaven by Thy right hand, that they may seek Thee with their whole heart, and obtain those things that they worthily ask.
[7] Through our Lord Jesus Christ Thy Son.
Exclamation:
For holy art Thou, O our God, and unto Thee do we send up glory and the Thrice-Holy Hymn, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.
The Choir sings the Trisagion.
[8]
Prayer of the Trisagion:
O Master, Lord God almighty, Thou Who alone art holy,
[9] Who acceptest the Thrice-Holy Hymn from the heavenly Powers, accept also from the mouths of us sinners the Trisagion, granting us to pass this day, and all the time of our lives, without sin.
Deacon: Let us attend.
Priest: Peace be unto all.
Response: And with thy spirit.
Deacon: Wisdom.
Here follow the Prokeimenon, Epistle, Alleluia, and Gospel [and Homily]. Then the Deacon says the Litany.
[10]
Prayer of the Litany:
O Lord our God, accept this fervent supplication from Thy servants, and according to the multitude of Thy mercy have mercy on us, and send down Thy compassion upon us, and upon all Thy people who await the rich mercy that is from Thee.
For a merciful God art Thou, and the Lover of mankind, and unto Thee do we send up glory, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.
R. Amen.
Priest: Peace be unto all.
(R. And with thy spirit.)
Deacon: Bow your heads unto the Lord.
R. To Thee, O Lord.
Prayer of Bowed Heads:
O Master, Creator of life and Giver of good things, Who givest unto mankind the blessed hope of eternal life, our Lord Jesus Christ: grant us, O Good One,
[11] to complete this Divine Liturgy unto our sanctification, and unto the enjoyment of that bliss which is to come.
Exclamation:
That always being guarded under Thy might, we may send up glory unto Thee, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.
R. Amen.