6th Hour – Sext
INTRODUCTION TO EVERY HOUR
In the name
of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen.
Kyrie
eleison. Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, Lord bless us. Amen.
Glory to the
Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and forever and unto the
ages of all ages. Amen.
THE LORD'S PRAYER
Make us
worthy to pray thankfully:
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, in Christ Jesus our Lord. For Thine
is the kingdom, the power and the glory, forever. Amen.
THE PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
Let us give
thanks to the beneficent and merciful God, the Father of our Lord, God and
Savior, Jesus Christ, for He has covered us, helped us, guarded us, accepted us
unto Him, spared us, supported us, and brought us to this hour. Let us also ask
Him, the Lord our God, the Almighty, to guard us in all peace this holy day and
all the days of our life.
O Master,
Lord, God the Almighty, the Father of our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ, we
thank You for every condition, concerning every condition, and in every
condition, for You have covered us, helped us, guarded us, accepted us unto You,
spared us, supported us, and brought us to this hour.
Therefore,
we ask and entreat Your goodness, O Lover of mankind, to grant us to complete
this holy day, and all the days of our life, in all peace with Your fear. All
envy, all temptation, all the work of Satan, the counsel of wicked men, and the
rising up of enemies, hidden and manifest, take them away from us, and from all
Your people, and from this holy place that is Yours.
But those
things which are good and profitable do provide for us; for it is You Who have
given us the authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and upon all the
power of the enemy.
And lead us
not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, by the grace, compassion and love
of mankind, of Your Only-Begotten Son, our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ,
through Whom the glory, the honor, the dominion, and the adoration are due unto
You, with Him, and the Holy Spirit, the Life-Giver, Who is of one essence with
You, now and at all times, and unto the ages of all ages. Amen.
PSALM 50
Have mercy
upon me, O God, according to Your great mercy; and according to the multitude of
Your compassions blot out my iniquity. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and
cleanse me from my sin. For I am conscious of my iniquity; and my sin is at all
times before me.
Against You
only I have sinned, and done evil before You: that You might be just in Your
sayings, and might overcome when You are judged. For, behold, I was conceived in
iniquities, and in sins my mother conceived me.
For, behold,
You have loved the truth: You have manifested to me the hidden and unrevealed
things of Your wisdom. You shall sprinkle me with Your hyssop, and I shall be
purified: You shall wash me, and I shall be made whiter than snow. You shall
make me to hear gladness and joy: the humbled bones shall rejoice.
Turn away
Your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean
heart, O God; and renew a right spirit in my inward parts. Do not cast me away
from Your face; and do not remove Your Holy Spirit from me. Give me the joy of
Your salvation: and uphold me with a directing spirit. Then I shall teach the
transgressors Your ways; and the ungodly men shall turn to You.
Deliver me
from blood, O God, the God of my salvation: and my tongue shall rejoice in Your
righteousness. O Lord, You shall open my lips; and my mouth shall declare Your
praise. For if You desired sacrifice, I would have given it: You do not take
pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifice of God is a broken spirit: a broken
and humbled heart God shall not despise.
Do good, O
Lord, in Your good pleasure to Zion; and let the walls of Jerusalem be built.
Then You shall be pleased with sacrifices of righteousness, offering, and burnt
sacrifices: then they shall offer calves upon Your altar. ALLELUIA.
The prayer
of the sixth hour of the blessed day, we offer to Christ our King and our God,
beseeching Him to forgive us our sins.
From the
Psalms of our father David the prophet and the king, may his blessings be upon
us all. Amen.
PSALM 53
Save me, O
God, by Your name, and judge me by Your power. O God, hear my prayer; hearken to
the words of my mouth. For strangers have risen up against me, and mighty men
have sought my soul: they have not set God before them.
For behold,
God helped me; and the Lord is the protector of my soul. He shall return the
evil things to my enemies; utterly wipe them out by Your truth. I will willingly
sacrifice to You: I will confess Your name, O Lord; for it isgood. For You have
delivered me out of every affliction, and my eye has looked down upon my
enemies. ALLELUIA.
PSALM 56
Have mercy
upon me, O God, have mercy upon me: for my soul has trusted in You: and in the
shadow of Your wings I will hope, until the iniquity passes away. I will cry to
God Most High; God who has benefitted me. He sent from heaven and saved me; He
gave over to reproach those who trampled on me: God has sent forth His mercy and
His truth; and He has delivered my soul from the midst of young lions: I laid
down to sleep, while troubled. As for the sons of men, their teeth are weapons
and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.
Be You
exalted, O God, above the heavens; and Your glory above all the earth. They have
prepared snares for my feet, and have bowed down my soul: they have dug a pit
before me, and fallen into it.
My heart, O
God, is ready, my heart is ready: I will sing, and chant in my glory. Arise, my
glory; arise, psaltery and harp: I will rise early. O Lord, I will confess You
among the peoples: I will sing to You among the nations. For Your mercy has been
magnified up to the heavens, and Your truth up to the clouds. Be You exalted, O
God, above the heavens; and Your glory above all the earth. ALLELUIA.
PSALM 60
Hear, O God,
my petition; attend to my prayer. From the ends of the earth I have cried to
You, when my heart was in trouble: You elevated me up on a rock, You guided me:
You became a hope, a tower of power from the face of an enemy. I shall dwell in
Your dwelling place forever; I shall be sheltered under the shadow of Your
wings.
For You, O
God, have heard my prayers; You have given an inheritance to those who fear Your
name. Days upon days of the king, You shall lengthen his years to all
generations. He shall endure forever before God. As for His mercy and truth, who
will be able to seek them out? So I will sing to Your name forever and ever,
that I may perform my vows day by day. ALLELUIA.
PSALM 62
O God, my
God, I will rise up early unto You; for my soul has thirsted for You: to make my
flesh blossom for You, in a barren land and a trackless and dry place. So I have
appeared before You in the Holy, to see Your power and Your glory. For Your
mercy is chosen more than life: my lips shall praise You. So I will bless You
during my life: I will lift up my hands in Your name. My soul shall be filled as
with marrow and fatness; and lips of joy shall praise Your name.
I have
remembered You on my bed: in the time of early morning I have usually meditated
on You. For You have become unto me a helper, and under the shadow of Your wings
I shall rejoice. My soul has kept very close behind You: Your right hand has
upheld me. But they vainly sought after my soul; they shall go into the lowest
parts of the earth. They shall be delivered up to the hand of the sword; they
shall be portions for foxes. But the king shall rejoice in God; everyone who
swears by him shall be proud; for the mouths of those who speak unjust things
shall be shut. ALLELUIA.
PSALM 66
God shall
pity us, and bless us; and reveal His face upon us and have mercy on us. That
Your way may be known on the earth, Your salvation among all nations. Let the
peoples, O God, give praise to You; let all the peoples give praise to You. Let
the nations rejoice and exult, for You will judge peoples in equity, and guide
nations on the earth. Let the peoples, O God, give praise to You; let all the
peoples give praise to You. The earth has yielded its fruit. God, our God, shall
bless us; and all the ends of the earth shall fear Him. ALLELUIA.
PSALM 69
O God, be
mindful of my help; make haste, O Lord, to help me. Let them be ashamed and be
scorned, those who seek my soul: let them be turned backward and put to shame,
those who wish to do evil unto me. Let those who say to me, “Aha, aha,” be
turned back in shame immediately. Let all who seek You exult and be glad in You:
and let those who love Your salvation say continually, “Let the Lord be
magnified.” But I am poor and weak; O God, help me: You are my Helper and
Savior, O Lord, do not delay. ALLELUIA.
PSALM 83
How beloved
are Your dwellings, O Lord, God of hosts! My soul longs, and faints for the
courts of the Lord: my heart and my flesh have exulted in the living God. For,
the sparrow has found for himself a home, and the turtledove for herself a nest,
where she may lay her young; Your altars, O Lord, God of hosts, my King, and my
God.
Blessed are
all who dwell in Your house: they will praise You forever and ever. Blessed is
the man whose help is from You, O Lord; he sets paths upward in his heart in the
valley of weeping, in the place which he has appointed, for there the
Law‑Giver will grant blessings. They shall go from strength to strength:
the God of gods shall be revealed in Zion.
O Lord, God
of hosts, hear my prayer: hearken, O God of Jacob. Behold, O God our defender,
and look upon the face of Your anointed. For one day in Your courts is better
than thousands. I chose to throw myself down in the house of God, more than to
dwell in the tents of the sinners. For the Lord God loves mercy and truth; He
shall give grace and glory: the Lord shall not withhold good things from those
who walk in innocence. O Lord God of hosts, blessed is the man who hopes in You.
ALLELUIA.
PSALM 84
O Lord, You
have taken pleasure in Your land: You have turned back the captivity of Jacob.
You have forgiven the transgressions of Your people: You have covered all their
sins. You have dissolved all Your wrath: You have turned from the wrath of Your
anger.
Turn us, O
God of our salvation, and turn Your anger away from us. Would You be angry with
us forever? Or will You extend Your wrath from generation to generation? O God,
You shall turn back and revive us; and Your people shall rejoice in You. Show us
Your mercy, O Lord, and grant us Your salvation.
I will hear
what the Lord God will speak in me: for He shall speak peace to His people, and
to His saints, and to those who turned back to Him with all their heart. Surely
His salvation is near to all who fear Him; to make glory dwell in our land.
Mercy and truth have met together: righteousness and peace have greeted each
other. Truth has sprung out of the earth; and righteousness has looked down from
heaven. For the Lord shall give goodness; and our land shall yield its fruit.
Righteousness shall go first before Him; and shall set His steps in the way.
ALLELUIA.
PSALM 85
Incline Your
ear, O Lord, and hear me; for I am poor and weak. Preserve my soul, for I am
pure; save Your servant, O my God, who hopes in You. Have mercy on me, O Lord:
for to You I will cry the whole day. Rejoice the soul of Your servant: for to
You, O Lord, I have lifted up my soul. For You, O Lord, are righteous, and
gentle; and plenteous is Your mercy to all who call upon You. Give ear to my
prayer, O Lord; and attend to the voice of my supplication. In the day of my
trouble I cried to You: for You heard me.
There is
none like You, O Lord, among the gods; and there is none that is able to do Your
works. All nations whom You have made shall come, and shall worship before You,
O Lord; and shall glorify Your name. For You are great, and wondrous: You alone
are the great God.
Guide me, O
Lord, in Your way, and I shall walk in Your truth: let my heart rejoice, that I
may fear Your name. I will confess You, O Lord my God, with all my heart; and I
will glorify Your name forever. For Your mercy is great toward me; and You have
delivered my soul from the lowest Hades.
O God,
transgressors have risen up against me, and an assembly of violent men have
sought my soul; and have not, at first, set You before them. But You, O Lord
God, are compassionate and merciful, long‑suffering, and abundant in mercy
and true. Look down upon me, and have mercy on me: give strength to Your
servant, and save the son of Your handmaid. Establish with me a sign for good;
and let those who hate me see and be ashamed; because You, O Lord, have helped
me, and comforted me. ALLELUIA.
PSALM 86
His
foundations are in the holy mountains. The Lord loves the gates of Zion, more
than all the dwellings of Jacob. Glorious things have been spoken of You, O city
of God.
I shall make
mention of Raab and Babylon, those who know me: behold the foreigners, and Tyre,
and the people of Ethiopia: these were there. “My mother Zion,” a man will
say; and a man was living in her: and the Most High Himself has founded her
forever. The Lord shall tell it in the writings of peoples and princes, these
who were in her. The dwelling of all who rejoice is within you. ALLELUIA.
PSALM 90
He who
dwells in the help of the Most High, shall rest under the shelter of the God of
heaven. He shall say to the Lord, “You are my defender and my refuge: my God;
I will hope in Him.” For He shall deliver you from the snare of the hunter,
and from troublesome matter. He shall overshadow you in the midst of His
shoulders, and you shall hope under His wings: His truth shall encompass you as
a shield. You shall not be afraid of the terror of the night; nor of an arrow
flying in the day; nor of a matter walking in darkness; nor of calamity and
demon of noon‑day. A thousand shall fall at your left hand, and ten
thousand at your right hand; but they shall not be able to come near you. Only
with your eyes shall you observe, and see the reward of sinners.
For You, O
Lord, are my hope. You have made the Most High your refuge. No evil things shall
come upon you, and no plague shall draw near to your dwelling. For He shall give
his angels charge concerning you, to keep you in all your ways. They shall bear
you up on their hands, lest you stumble Your foot against a stone. You shall
tread on the serpent and basilisk: and You shall trample on the lion and dragon.
For he has
hoped in Me, and I shall deliver him: I shall protect him, because he has known
My name. He shall beseech Me, and I shall hear him: I am with him in affliction;
and I shall deliver him, and glorify him. I shall satisfy him with length of
days, and show him My salvation. ALLELUIA.
PSALM 92
The Lord has
reigned; He has clothed Himself with beauty: the Lord has clothed and girded
Himself with strength; for He has established the world, which shall not be
moved. Your throne is prepared from the beginning: You are from everlasting. The
rivers have risen, O Lord; the rivers have elevated their voices: the rivers
shall elevate their voices, from the voices of many waters. The billows of the
waves of the sea are wonderful: the Lord is wonderful in the highest. His
testimonies are very faithful: holiness is worthy of Your house, O Lord, unto
length of days. ALLELUIA.
THE HOLY GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW (CH. 5 : 1-16)
And seeing
the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated, His disciples
came to Him. And He opened His mouth, and taught them, saying:
“Blessed
are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those
who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall
inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the
peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are
persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed
are you, when they revile you, and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil
against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is
your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
“You are
the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be
seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled
underfoot by men.
“You are
the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor do
they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives
light to all who are in the house.
“Let your
light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your
Father Who is in heaven.”
Glory to God
forever. Amen.
Tenoo
oasht emmok o piekhristos nem pekyot en aghathos nem pi epnevma ethowab je akee
ak soati emmon nai nan
We worship
You O Christ with Your Good Father and the Holy Spirit, for You have come and
saved us.
1. O
You, Who on the sixth day and in the sixth hour was nailed to the cross, for the
sin which our father Adam dared to commit in Paradise, tear the handwriting of
our sins, O Christ our God, and save us. I cried to the Lord and He heard me.
God hear my prayer, and do not refuse my petition. Be attentive to me and hear
me in the evening, in the morning, and at midday. I say my words, and He hears
my voice and delivers my soul in peace.
Doxa
Patri ke Eioa ke Agio Pnevmati
Glory to the
Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
2. O
Jesus Christ, our God, who was nailed to the cross in the sixth hour, and killed
sin by the tree, and by Your death You made alive the dead man, whom You created
with Your own hands, and had died in sin. Put to death our pains by Your healing
and life‑giving passions, and by the nails with which You were nailed.
Rescue our minds from thoughtlessness of the earthly deeds and worldly lusts, to
the remembrance of Your heavenly commandments, according to Your compassion.
Ke nin ke
a ee ke ees toos e onas toan e oa noan ameen.
Now and
forever and unto the ages of all ages, Amen.
3. Since
we have no favor, nor excuse, nor justification because of our many sins, we,
through you, implore to Him who was born of you, O Theotokos, the Virgin,
for abundant and acceptable is your intercession with our Savior. O pure mother,
do not exclude sinners from your intercession with Him whom you bore, for He is
merciful and able to save us, because He suffered for us to deliver us. Let your
compassion speedily reach us, for we are exceedingly humbled. Help us, O God,
our Savior, for the glory of Your name. O Lord, deliver us and forgive us our
sins for the sake of Your holy name.
Ke nin ke
a ee ke ees toos e onas toan e oa noan ameen.
Now and
forever and unto the ages of all ages, Amen.
4. You
wrought salvation in the midst of all the earth, O Christ our God, as You
stretched Your holy hands on the cross. Therefore, all nations cry out saying,
“Glory to You O Lord”.
Doxa
Patri ke Eioa ke Agio Pnevmati
Glory to the
Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
5. We
worship Your incorruptible person, O Good One, asking for the forgiveness of our
sins, O Christ our God. For, of Your will, You were pleased to be lifted up onto
the cross, to deliver those whom You created from the bondage of the enemy. We
cry out unto You and give thanks to You, for You have filled all with joy, O
Savior, when You came to help the world. Lord, glory to You.
Ke nin ke
a ee ke ees toos e onas toan e oa noan ameen.
Now and
forever and unto the ages of all ages, Amen.
6. You
are she who is full of grace. O Theotokos, the Virgin, we praise you,
for, through the cross of your Son, Hades fell down and death was abolished. We
were dead but we are raised and became worthy of eternal life, and gained the
delight of the first Paradise. Therefore, we thankfully glorify the immortal
Christ our God.
Then the
worshipper prays:
Lord, hear
us and have mercy on us and forgive us our sins. Amen.
(Lord
have mercy) 41 times
HOLY HOLY HOLY
Holy Holy
Holy. Lord of hosts. Heaven and earth are full of Your glory and honor. Have
mercy on us, O God the Father, the Almighty O Holy Trinity, have mercy on
us. O Lord, God of hosts, be with us. For we have no helper in our hardships and
tribulations but You. Absolve, forgive, and remit, O God, our transgressions;
those which we have committed willingly and those we have committed unwillingly,
those which we have committed knowingly and those which we have committed
unknowingly, the hidden and manifest, O Lord forgive us, for the sake of Your
Holy name which is called upon us.
Let it be
according to Your mercy, O Lord, and not according to our sins.
Make us
worthy to pray thankfully:
Our Father
Who art in heaven ...
ABSOLUTION
We thank
You, our King, the Almighty, the Father of our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ,
and glorify You, for You have made the times of the passions of Your
Only-Begotten Son, to be times of comfort and prayer. Accept our supplication
and abolish the handwriting of our sins that is written against us, just as You
tore it in this holy hour, by the cross of Your Only-Begotten Son, Jesus Christ,
our Lord and Savior of our souls, this is by which you destroyed all the power
of the enemy.
Grant us, O
God, a glorious time, a spotless conduct, and a peaceful life, so that we may
please Your holy and worshipped name, and that, without falling into
condemnation, we may stand before the fearful and just throne of Your
Only-Begotten Son Jesus Christ our Lord, and that we, together with all Your
saints, glorify You, our Father, who is without beginning, and the Son who is of
one essence with You, and the Holy Spirit the Life-Giver, now and forever and
unto the ages of all ages. Amen.
THE CONCLUSION OF EVERY HOUR
Have mercy
on us, O God, and have mercy on us, who, at all times and in every hour, in
heaven and on earth, is worshipped and glorified, Christ our God, the good, the
long suffering, the abundant in mercy, and the great in compassion, who loves
the righteous and has mercy on the sinners of whom I am chief; who does not wish
the death of the sinner but rather that he returns and lives, who calls all to
salvation for the promise of the blessings to come.
Lord receive
from us our prayers in this hour and in every hour. Ease our life and guide us
to fulfill Your commandments. Sanctify our spirits. Cleanse our bodies. Conduct
our thoughts. Purify our intentions. Heal our diseases. Forgive our sins.
Deliver us from every evil grief and distress of heart. Surround us by Your holy
angels, that, by their camp, we may be guarded and guided, and attain the unity
of faith, and the knowledge of Your imperceptible and infinite glory. For You
are blessed forever. Amen.