A prayer to the Holy Spirit by St. Gregory of Narek (10th century):
Almighty, beneficent God of all, who loves mankind, maker
of the visible and invisible, savior and creator,
defender and peacemaker, spirit of the Father Almighty,
we beseech you with outstretched arms, tears and prayers,
as we appear before you,
you, who strike terror in our hearts,
judge us as we approach with trembling fear,
presenting first this sacrificial offering of words to your power
that is beyond understanding.
You share the throne, glory and creatorship of the undiminishing
honor of the Father.
You examine our deepest secrets and mysteries.
O Emmanuel, who fulfill the will of your Father
who sent you as the Savior, life-giver and creator.
Through you he is made known to us,
three persons in one Godhead,
of which only you, incomprehensibly, can be known.
By you and through you did our forefathers
the first generation of the patriarchal tribe, called prophets,
tell of the past and the future,
what has been and what is yet to come, in plain words and images.
Spirit of God, Moses proclaimed you as the one
who brooded on the water, an unbounded force,
taking the new-born under your protective wing with care,
and with loving kindness revealing the mystery of the baptismal font.
Likewise, in the pattern of the archetype, before fashioning
the pliable substance with its final covering,
you shaped, in lordly manner, all nature,
the full range existence, all beings from nothing.
Through you all that has been created shall receive
the renewal of the resurrection
on the last day of this life
and the first day in the land of the living.
Christ obeyed you with unity of will as he did his Father,
being of the same family, of the same essence as the Father.
Being the first born son in our image,
he announced, you, true God,
equal and consubstantial with his mighty Father,
He preached against those who blasphemed you,
and, as opponents of God, spoke impiously against you.
He silenced the blasphemous mouths and graced his own people,
Just as the spotless, who finds all,
who was betrayed for our sins,
and rose from the dead to justify us.
Through you glory to him and praise to you,
with the Father almighty, forever and ever.
Amen.
Again, I shall continue in this manner
until the assurance of the miraculous light
heralds the good news of peace.
With all our souls
we pray and beseech you with tearful cries, glorious creator,
incorruptible and uncreated, timeless Holy Spirit of compassion.
You are the intercessor of our silent sighs to your merciful Father.
You who keep the saints, purify the sinners and build the temple,
of the giving and life-giving will of the Father,
free me now from all unclean deeds,
which are not pleasing for our dwelling place.
Do not extinguish the light of grace
in us and in our minds’ eye,
for we have learned that you will join us,
through prayer and sumptuous incensing.
One of the Trinity is sacrificed and the other accepts it,
favoring us with the reconciling blood of his first born
so that you might accept our supplications.
Prepare for us honorable lodgings
for the partaking of our heavenly lamb,
that we might eat life-giving manna of the new salvation
and escape the punishments of condemnation.
Our blasphemy shall be purified in the refiner’s fire,
As the prophet told of the live coal in the tongs of offering at the altar.
In all things you spread your mercy through the Son of God.
Also spread the sweetness of the Father,
as you embraced the prodigal son with fatherly inheritance,
and led the prostitute to the bliss of the heavenly kingdom.
Yes, yes, and I too am one of them.
Receive me with them,
as one who is needy of your great love for mankind,
one who lives only by your grace, redeemed by the blood of Christ,
so that your divinity might be revealed and in all ways glorified.
You are honored equally with the Father,
with one will and one rule, worthy of praise.
For yours is compassion, ability and loving-kindness,
might and glory forever and ever.
Amen.
—St. Gregory of Narek, Book of Lamentations, Prayer 33, F-H, Transl. by Thomas J. Samuelian