A Service of Prayer for Peace
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
Glory to you, our God, Glory to you!
From Pascha to Pentecost:
Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tombs bestowing life. (x3)
(or your local version of the Paschal Troparion)
At all other times:
O heavenly King, the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth, everywhere present and filling all things, treasury of blessings and giver of life, come and abide in us, and cleanse us from every impurity, and save our souls, O Good One.
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal have mercy on us. (x3)
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
O Most 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.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
The Lord's Prayer:
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. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the Evil One.
Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
O 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 90He that dwelleth in the help of the Most High
shall abide in the shelter of the God of heaven.
He shall say unto the Lord: Thou art my helper and my refuge.
He is my God, and I will hope in Him.
For He shall deliver thee from the snare of the hunters
and from every troubling word.
With His shoulders will He overshadow thee,
and under His wings shalt thou have hope.
With a shield will His truth encompass thee;
thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night,
nor for the arrow that flieth by day,
Nor for the thing that walketh in darkness,
nor for the mishap and demon of noonday.
A thousand shall fall at thy side,
and ten thousand at thy right hand,
but unto thee shall it not come nigh.
Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold,
and thou shalt see the reward of sinners.
For Thou, O Lord, art my hope.
Thou madest the Most High thy refuge;
No evils shall come nigh thee,
and no scourge shall draw nigh unto thy dwelling.
For He shall give His angels charge over thee,
to keep thee in all thy ways.
On their hands shall they bear thee up,
lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
Upon the asp and basilisk shalt thou tread,
and thou shalt trample upon the lion and dragon.
For he hath set his hope on Me, and I will deliver him;
I will shelter him because he hath known My name.
He shall cry unto Me, and I will hearken unto him.
I am with him in affliction,
and I will rescue him and glorify him.
With length of days will I satisfy him,
and I will show him My salvation.or
Psalm 50Have mercy on me, O God,
according to Thy great mercy;
and according to the multitude of Thy compassions
blot out my transgression.
Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin.
For I know mine iniquity,
and my sin is ever before me.
Against Thee only have I sinned
and done this evil before Thee,
that Thou mightest be justified in Thy words,
and prevail when Thou art judged.
For behold, I was conceived in iniquities,
and in sins did my mother bear me.
For behold, Thou hast loved truth;
the hidden and secret things of Thy wisdom hast Thou made manifest unto me.
Thou shalt sprinkle me with hyssop, and I shall be made clean;
Thou shalt wash me, and I shall be made whiter than snow.
Thou shalt make me to hear joy and gladness;
the bones that be humbled, they shall rejoice.
Turn Thy face away from my sins,
and blot out all mine iniquities.
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from Thy presence,
and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me.
Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation,
and with Thy governing Spirit establish me.
I shall teach transgressors Thy ways,
and the ungodly shall turn back unto Thee.
Deliver me from blood-guiltiness, O God,
Thou God of my salvation;
my tongue shall rejoice in Thy righteousness.
O Lord, Thou shalt open my lips,
and my mouth shall declare Thy praise.
For if Thou hadst desired sacrifice, I had given it;
with whole-burnt offerings Thou shalt not be pleased.
A sacrifice unto God is a broken spirit;
a heart that is broken and humbled
God will not despise.
Do good, O Lord, in Thy good pleasure unto Sion,
and let the walls of Jerusalem be builded.
Then shalt Thou be pleased with a sacrifice of righteousness,
with oblation and whole-burnt offerings.
Then shall they offer bullocks upon Thine altar.
and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.
from Pascha to Pentecost:
Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tombs bestowing life. (x3)
(or your local version of the Paschal Troparion)
Having beheld the resurrection of Christ, let us worship the Holy Lord Jesus, the only sinless one. We venerate your Cross, O Christ, and we praise and glorify your holy Resurrection. For you are our God, and we know no other than you. Upon your name we call.. Come, all you faithful, and let us venerate Christ's holy Resurrection. For behold, through the Cross joy has come into all the world. Let us ever bless the Lord, praising His Resurrection. For by enduring the Cross for us He has destroyed death by death.
Pascha: Hypakoe (Tone 8):
Before the dawn, Mary and the women came and found the stone rolled away from the tomb. They heard the angelic voice:" Why do you seek among the dead as a man the one who is everlasting light? Behold the clothes in the grave! Go and proclaim to the world: the Lord is risen! He has slain death, as He is the Son of God, saving the race of men!
Kontakion of the day:
during Pascha (Tone 8):
You descended into the tomb, O Immortal, you destroyed the power of death. In victory you did arise, O Christ God, proclaiming "rejoice" to the myrrh-bearing women, granting peace to your apostles, and bestowing resurrection on the fallen. In the tomb with the body and in hell with the soul, in paradise with the thief, and on the throne with the Father and the Holy Spirit, were you, O Christ, filling all things.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit
Bearing life and more fruitful than paradise, brighter than any royal chamber: your tomb, O Christ, is the fountain of our resurrection.
Now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Rejoice, O most holy and divine abode of the most high! For through you, O Mother of God, joy is given to those who cry: Blessed are you among women, O all-pure Lady!
Prokeimenon of the day:
Readings of the day:
(or Epistle: 1 Corinthians 13: 1-13 and Gospel: John 14:6, 25-27)
Prayers for Peace:
We thank you, O Master, lover of mankind, King of the ages and giver of all good things, for destroying the dividing wall of enmity and granting peace to those who seek your mercy. We appeal to you to awaken the longing for a peaceful life in all those who are filled with hatred for their neighbors, thinking especially of those at war or preparing for war. Grant peace to your servants. Implant in them the fear of you and confirm in them love one for another. Extinguish every dispute and banish all temptations to disagreement. For you are our peace and to you we ascribe glory: to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and forever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Three-fold Litany:
We pray, O Lord our God, for all those who suffer from acts of war, especially for the victims and all those in the struggle in [..................]. We pray for your peace and your mercy in the midst of the great suffering that people are now inflicting on each other. Accept the prayers of your Church, so that by your goodness peace may return to all peoples. Hear us and have mercy on us.
Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy.
O Lord our God, remember and have mercy on our brothers and sisters who are involved in civil conflict. Remove from their midst all hostility, confusion and hatred. Lead everyone along the path of reconciliation and peace, we pray you, hear us and have mercy on us.
Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy.
Let all believers turn aside from violence and do what makes for peace. By the strength of your mighty arm save your people and your Holy Church from all evil oppression; hear the supplications of all who call to you in sorrow and affliction, day and night. O merciful God, let their lives not be lost, we pray you, hear us and have mercy.
Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy.
But grant, O Lord, peace, love and speedy reconciliation to your people whom you have redeemed with you precious blood. Make your presence known to those who have turned away from you and do not seek you, so that none of them may be lost, but all may be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth, so that everyone, in true love and harmony, O long-suffering Lord, may praise your all holy Name. Amen.
Dismissal:
Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
My hope is the Father, my refuge is the Son, my shelter is the Holy Spirit. Holy Trinity, glory to you.
For an in depth view of peace from an Orthodox Christian point of view, visit the ORTHODOX PEACE FELLOWSHIP.