Books - Sources
Euchologion
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DOOR OPENING OF A CHURCH
Standing in front of the closed church doors, and in front of the appointed table, on which the blessing of water for the Door Opening will be performed, the Deacon intonates:
DEACON
Master, give the blessing.
HIERARCH
Blessed is our God always, now and ever and to the ages of ages.
READER: Amen.
Psalm 83 (84).
How beloved are Your dwellings, O Lord of hosts. My soul longs and faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh greatly rejoice in the living God. For even the sparrow found a house for herself, and the turtledove a nest for herself, where she will lay her young, Your altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God. Blessed are those who dwell in Your house; they shall praise You unto ages of ages. Blessed is the man whose help is from You, O Lord; he purposed ascents in his heart in the valley of weeping, into the place he appointed; for there the lawgiver shall give blessings. They shall go from strength to strength; the God of gods shall be seen in Zion. O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer; give ear, O God of Jacob. O God, our protector, behold, and look upon the face of Your anointed. For one day in Your courts is better than a thousand; I chose to be an outcast in the house of my God, rather than to dwell in the tents of sinners. For the Lord God loves mercy and truth; He will give grace and glory; the Lord’s hand will not remove good things from those who walk in innocence. O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man who hopes in You. [SAAS]
CHOIR
Mode pl. 4.
God is the Lord, and He revealed Himself to us. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. [SAAS]
Verse 1: Give thanks to the Lord and call upon His holy name.
Verse 2: All the nations surrounded me, but in the name of the Lord I defended myself against them.
Verse 3: And this came about from the Lord, and it is wonderful in our eyes.
Apolytikion. For Pentecost.
Mode pl. 4.
Blessed are You, O Christ our God. You sent down the Holy Spirit into the fishermen, and You gave them knowledge and wisdom in everything; and through them, as in a net You caught the whole world. O Lord who loves humanity, glory to You! [SD]
Glory.
Apolytikion of the Parish Church
Both now. Theotokion.
Mode pl. 4.
All-holy Virgin Theotokos, guide aright the works of our hands, we pray; and ask for the remission of our offenses, as we chant now the hymn of the Angels. [SD]
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (3)
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Both now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.
DEACON: Dynamis.
CHOIR: Dynamis.
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.
The Readings
The Epistle
DEACON: Let us be attentive.
READER
Prokeimenon. Mode 2.
Bless God in the churches, the Lord from the fountains of Israel.
Verse: O Lord, I love the beauty of Your house, and the place where Your glory dwells.
DEACON: Wisdom.
READER
The reading is from Paul’s Letter to the Hebrews.
DEACON: Let us be attentive.
READER
Heb. 9:1 – 7
Brethren, the first tent had regulations for worship and an earthly sanctuary. For a tent was prepared, the first one, in which were the lamp stand and the table and the bread of the Presence; it is called the Holy Place. Behind the second curtain stood a tent called the Holy of Holies, having the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, which contained a golden urn holding the manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant; above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail. These preparations having thus been made, the priests go continually into the outer tent, performing their ritual duties; but into the second only the high priest goes, and he but once a year, and not without taking blood which he offers for himself and for the sins committed unintentionally by the people. [RSV]
HIERARCH
Peace be with you the reader.
CHOIR
Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia. [GOA]
The Gospel
DEACON
Wisdom. Arise. Let us hear the holy Gospel.
HIERARCH Peace be with all.
CHOIR: And with your spirit.
HIERARCH
The reading is from the holy Gospel according to Matthew.
DEACON: Let us be attentive.
CHOIR
Glory to You, O Lord, glory to You.
HIERARCH
16:13 – 19
At that time, when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do men say that the Son of man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
CHOIR
Glory to You, O Lord, glory to You.
PEACE LITANY
DEACON
In peace let us pray to the Lord.
CHOIR (after each petition)
Lord, have mercy.
DEACON
For the peace from above and for the salvation of our souls, let us pray to the Lord.
For the peace of the whole world, for the stability of the holy churches of God, and for the unity of all, let us pray to the Lord.
For our Archbishop (name), for the honorable presbyterate, for the diaconate in Christ, and for all the clergy and the people, let us pray to the Lord.
For our country, for the president, and for all in public service, let us pray to the Lord.
For the Holy and Great Church of Christ, for our Sacred Archdiocese, [for this Sacred Metropolis,] for this city and parish, for every city and land, and for the faithful who live in them, let us pray to the Lord.
For favorable weather, for an abundance of the fruits of the earth, and for peaceful times, let us pray to the Lord.
For those who travel by land, sea, and air, for the sick, the suffering, the captives and for their salvation, let us pray to the Lord.
That this water become holy by the might, and operation, and descent of the Holy Spirit, let us pray to the Lord.
That the cleansing operation of the super-substantial Trinity descend upon these waters, let us pray to the Lord.
That this water be a medicine for souls and bodies and prevention against every hostile force, let us pray to the Lord.
For the work of our hands and that of our brethren with us, let us pray to the Lord.
For our deliverance from all affliction, wrath, danger, and distress, let us pray to the Lord.
Help us, save us, have mercy on us, and protect us, O God, by Your grace.
Remembering our all-holy, immaculate, most blessed, and glorious Lady, the Theotokos and ever-virgin Mary, with all the saints, let us commend ourselves and one another and our whole life to Christ our God.
CHOIR: To You, O Lord.
PRIEST
For to You belong all glory, honor, and worship, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages.
CHOIR: Amen.
DEACON: Let us pray to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
The Hierarch, bowing his head, prays saying:
HIERARCH
PRAYER FOR THE BLESSING OF THE WATER
Lord Jesus Christ our God, who sanctified the waters of the Jordan through Your salvific epiphany, we pray You send down the grace of Your all-holy Spirit and bless this water, for the sanctification and completion of this Your august house of worship, as we perform its Door Opening today. Support its foundations and preserve it unshaken and glorious in You, until the end of time.
For You are He who sanctifies all things, Christ our God, and to You we offer up glory with Your Father who is without beginning and Your all-holy, good, and life-creating Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of ages.
CHOIR: Amen.
Taking the holy cross together with some basil, the Hierarch immerses them in the water three times while chanting:
HIERARCH
Mode 1.
Save, O Lord, Your people and bless Your inheritance, granting victory to the faithful over the enemy, and by Your Cross protecting Your commonwealth. [GOA]
The Hierarch sprinkles the doors of the church building as well as the people in attendance. Then the Hierarch stands before the church doors and exclaims:
HIERARCH
Lift up the gates, O you rulers, and be lifted up, you everlasting doors, and the King of glory shall enter. [SAAS]
From inside the church the question is asked:
Who is this King of glory? [SAAS]
HIERARCH
The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord powerful in battle. [SAAS]
Lift up the gates, O you rulers, and be lifted up, you everlasting doors, and the King of glory shall enter. [SAAS]
From inside the church the question is asked:
Who is this King of glory? [SAAS]
HIERARCH
The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord powerful in battle. [SAAS]
Lift up the gates, O you rulers, and be lifted up, you everlasting doors, and the King of glory shall enter. [SAAS]
From inside the church the question is asked:
Who is this King of Glory? [SAAS]
HIERARCH
The Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory. [SAAS]
The doors are opened, and everyone enters singing the hymns below. During the singing, the Hierarch blesses the new church building with holy water.
Kontakion. For the Consecration.
Mode 4. You revealed yourself today.
Ἐπεφάνης σήμερον.
Lord, Your Church appears to us * to be like heaven * full of light, and guides with light * all who believe in You, O Christ. * And we who stand in it cry to You: * Savior, establish forever this holy house. [SD]
After this is chanted the Apolytikion of the Church.
Apolytikion of the Parish Church
DEACON: Let us pray to the Lord.
CHOIR: Lord, have mercy.
HIERARCH
PRAYER
O God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, You are the One who is blessed forever. We entreat You, benevolent Master, look upon us Your sinful and unworthy servants, as we conduct the door-opening ceremony of this holy church of name of the church; for the liturgical ministry of Your most holy Church.
Support it until the end of time, and preserve it unshaken and glorious. Grant that we may offer up praises and doxologies in it, to Your glory; and may our prayers, and those of all Your people, be well received by Your goodness, at the intercessions of our immaculate Lady Theotokos and ever-virgin Mary, and of all the Saints.
CHOIR: Amen.
DISMISSAL
HIERARCH
Glory to You, O Christ God, our hope. Glory to You.
PRIEST
Glory to You, O Christ our God. Glory to You.
May Christ our true God, through the intercessions of His all-pure and all-immaculate holy Mother, the power of the precious and life-giving Cross, the protection of the honorable, bodiless powers of heaven, the supplications of the honorable, glorious prophet and forerunner John the Baptist, of the holy, glorious, and praiseworthy apostles, of the holy, glorious, and triumphant martyrs, of our righteous and God-bearing fathers, (local patron saint); of the holy and righteous ancestors of God Joachim and Anna, the holy hieromartyr Anthimos, and our devout father Theoktistos, whose memory we observe, and of all the saints, have mercy on us and save us, as He is good, benevolent, and merciful God.
Through the prayers of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us.
CHOIR
Amen.
PRIEST
Through the prayers of our holy master, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us.
CHOIR: Amen.