Midnight Office Friday, December 6, 2024

Books - Sources

Horologion - Midnight Office

For a Weekday

Menaion - December 6

Memory of Saint Nicholas, Archbishop of Myra

__________

MIDNIGHT OFFICE

PRIEST

Blessed is our God always, now and ever and to the ages of ages.

( Amen. )

Glory to You, O God, glory to You.

Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of Truth, present in all places and filling all things, treasury of good things and giver of life: come; take Your abode in us; cleanse us of every stain, and save our souls, O Good one. [GOA]

READER

Trisagion Prayers.

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.

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

Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Both 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. [GOA]

PRIEST

For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to ages of ages.

READER

Amen. Lord, have mercy. (12)

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

Come, let us worship and bow down before God our King.

Come, let us worship and bow down before Christ God our King.

Come, let us worship and bow down before Him, Christ our King and God.

Psalm 50 (51).

Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your great mercy; and according to the abundance of Your compassion, blot out my transgression. Wash me thoroughly from my lawlessness and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my lawlessness, and my sin is always before me. Against You only have I sinned and done evil in Your sight; that You may be justified in Your words, and overcome when You are judged. For behold, I was conceived in transgressions, and in sins my mother bore me. Behold, You love truth; You showed me the unknown and secret things of Your wisdom. You shall sprinkle me with hyssop, and I will be cleansed; You shall wash me, and I will be made whiter than snow. You shall make me hear joy and gladness; my bones that were humbled shall greatly rejoice. Turn Your face from my sins, and blot out all my transgressions. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me with Your guiding Spirit. I will teach transgressors Your ways, and the ungodly shall turn back to You. Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, the God of my salvation, and my tongue shall greatly rejoice in Your righteousness. O Lord, You shall open my lips, and my mouth will declare Your praise. For if You desired sacrifice, I would give it; You will not be pleased with whole burnt offerings. A sacrifice to God is a broken spirit, a broken and humbled heart God will not despise. Do good, O Lord, in Your good pleasure to Zion, and let the walls of Jerusalem be built; then You will be pleased with a sacrifice of righteousness, with offerings and whole burnt offerings; then shall they offer young bulls on Your altar. [SAAS]

If the Lity was not sung at Vespers, sing the following:

CHOIR

Idiomela. For the Saint.

From Menaion - - -

Mode 1.

Steadfastly gazing upon the height of knowledge, ⁄ you plumbed secretly the depth of wisdom. ⁄ You enriched the world by your teachings, Father. ⁄⁄ Bishop Nicholas, ever pray to Christ for us all! [OCA]

Mode 1.

Faithful servant and man of God; ⁄ minister of His mysteries and man filled with the desire of the Spirit; ⁄ living pillar and breathing icon: ⁄ The Church of Myra claims you as her treasure ⁄⁄ and the intercessor for our souls. [OCA]

Mode 2.

Christ our God has made you manifest, Bishop Nicholas, ⁄ as an example of faith and an image of meekness to your flock. ⁄ For you brought a sweet fragrance into Myra, ⁄ shining brightly by your divine acts of virtue, ⁄ as the advocate of orphans and widows. ⁄⁄ Therefore never cease to intercede that our souls may be saved. [OCA]

Mode 2.

Father Nicholas, ⁄ the shrine of your fragrant relics graces Myra abundantly! ⁄ And as you appeared in a dream to the emperor, ⁄ setting free those unjustly condemned to prison, death and bonds, ⁄⁄ so now also you visibly intercede for our souls. [OCA]

Mode 2.

Father Nicholas, ⁄ should the city of Myra be silent, ⁄ still the whole world enlightened by the fragrance of your myrrh and many wonders, ⁄ joined by those condemned and saved by you, ⁄ raises hymns of praise! ⁄ And with the people of Myra we also cry aloud in songs: ⁄⁄ Intercede that our souls may be saved! [OCA]

Mode 4.

Father Nicholas, you are the fragrant temple of the all-Holy Spirit: ⁄ As a fountain flowing with the myrrh of gladness; the divine spices of Christ. ⁄ For you have gone out into all the earth as an imitator of the apostles, ⁄ through the telling of your wonders. ⁄ You have appeared in dreams to people far and near, ⁄ delivering those who were to die unjustly from the sword, ⁄ and saving from dangers those who call on you. ⁄ As we praise you unceasingly, ⁄⁄ set us free from approaching calamities by your intercessions. [OCA]

Mode pl. 2.

Well done, good and faithful servant; well done, O laborer of the vineyard of Christ! You bore the burden of the day, and increased the talent that was given you, and did not envy those who came after you. Therefore the portal of heaven was opened to you. Enter into the joy of your Lord, and intercede on our behalf, O Saint Nicholas. [SD]

Mode pl. 4.

During your temporal life, O Nicholas, you ran to praise the Lord, and He glorified you in return with true life in heaven. Therefore, since you have obtained confidence with Him, entreat Him to save our souls. [SD]

Glory.

From Menaion - - -

Mode pl. 4.

O devout Father, your brave deeds, like sweet fruit, have filled the hearts of the faithful with gladness. Who does not marvel when they hear about your immense humility and your patience and long-suffering, your cheerful generosity to those stricken by poverty, your sympathy for those in trouble? For all of us, you are a good teacher of the things of God, O Hierarch St. Nicholas. And now that Christ has placed on your head the unfading crown, intercede with Him on behalf of our souls. [SD]

Both now.

From Menaion - - -

Mode pl. 4.

Prepare, O Bethlehem. Let the manger make ready and the grotto anticipate. The truth has come and the shadow has passed away. Born of a Virgin, God has appeared to men, taking our form and deifying that which He assumed. Therefore Adam and Eve are renewed, and they cry out, “The good-pleasure of God has appeared on earth for the salvation of the human race.” [SD]

READER

Trisagion Prayers.

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.

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

Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

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

PRIEST

For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to ages of ages.

READER

Amen.

Apolytikion. For the Saint.

Mode 4.

A rule of faith are you, and an icon of gentleness, and a teacher of self-control. And to your flock this was evident, by the truth of your life and deeds. You were humble and therefore you acquired exalted gifts, treasure in heaven for being poor. O Father and Hierarch St. Nicholas, intercede with Christ our God, and entreat Him to save our souls. [SD]

Lord, have mercy. (40)

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

Greater in honor than the Cherubim, and in glory greater beyond compare than the Seraphim; you without corruption gave birth to God the Word, and are truly Theotokos. You do we magnify.

In the name of the Lord, Father, bless!

PRIEST

May God have compassion on us and bless us; may his face shine upon us and have mercy on us.

READER

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

Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

Holy father, give the blessing!

PRIEST

May Christ our true God, through the intercessions of His all-pure and all-immaculate holy Mother, (local patron saint); of the holy and righteous ancestors of God Joachim and Anna, and of all the saints, have mercy on us and save us, as He is good, benevolent, and merciful God.

Let us pray for the peace of the world.

CHOIR (intoned after each petition)

Lord, have mercy.

PRIEST

For the pious and Orthodox Christians.

For our our Archbishop (name).

For our nation.

For the armed forces.

For our absent fathers, brothers and sisters.

For those who help us and those who serve us.

For those who hate us and those who love us.

For those who have asked us, the unworthy, to pray for them.

For the release of the captives.

For those sailing the seas.

For those laid up with illnesses.

Let us also pray for the abundance of the fruits of the earth.

And for all our fathers and brethren departed this life, those who lie here in peace, and the Orthodox everywhere.

Let us say for ourselves, also: Lord, have mercy; Lord, have mercy; Lord, have mercy.

Through the prayers of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us.

CHOIR

Amen.