Topic: Oriental Orthodox Prayers

[Nazarene]

Just found this:

Hymns for the seven days of creation by St. Nerses the Gracious: http://www.geocities.com/derghazar/HYMNDAYS.DOC.

[minasoliman]

Thank you Nazarene for that one.  I always find it fascinating to read these interpretations of the days of creation.  I think parts of this can be also used as OO Church father quotes.

Very beautiful prayers.  Thank you again for finding this.

[Salpy]

St. Nerses the Gracious (Shnorhali) also wrote a very long prayer in verse, entitled Jesus the Son.  Here are the opening lines:


Jesus, the only-begotten Son of the Father,
And the Ray of the Appearance;
Thou, ineffable offspring of the Archetype,
Inseperable from thy Begetter;
Thou, by whom all beings are created:
The intelligible who are unseen;
The disembodied, and the embodied;
The irrational, as with the rational;
The living things, that grow;
And the lifeless, that do not move:
All these offer thanksgiving
Unto thy loving Father and unto thee;
And unto thy coexistent Spirit
Are proffered exaltations on high
From the elect ones most pure
That are admitted unto thine abode.
Receive me also with them, O Lord,
I who have disobeyed the commandment;
I who am like unto the prodigal son,
And the waster of thy Father's goods;
Who ignored the honour that came from thee,
And became the equal unto the brainless one,
I who graze the herd of swine
in the field of demons;
I who am famished, not of hunger for bread,
But to hear thy word, O Lord,
Ardently desiring carob,
the bitterest among the sweet sins.

http://www.orthodoxchristianity.net/forum/index.php/topic,25692.msg408611.html#msg408611

[Salpy]

Here is a youtube tutorial on how to say the Lord's Prayer in Ge'ez and Amharic:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73GMOM7wH9A

Here is another resource for Ethiopian Orthodox liturgical prayers:

http://ethiopianorthodox.org/churchmusic/liturgyinenglish/geeze.html

http://www.orthodoxchristianity.net/forum/index.php/topic,4892.msg412395.html#msg412395

[Salpy]

Another source for daily Ethiopian Orthodox prayers:

http://www.ethiopianorthodoxchurch.info/DailyPrayers.html#anchor_95

[Salpy]

A Coptic Doxology to St. Takla Haymanot, translated into English:


The spirit of Comfort, came down from heaven, upon the blessed father, Saint Thecla Haymanot.

*On the third day, of his blessed birth, he proclaimed "One is the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit."

And from his childhood, he was filled with the Holy Spirit, and the angels of heaven, overshadowed him.

*Michael the head of the heavenly, was always with him, as was said by, David in the Psalms.

Christ was revealed to you, and He gave you the authority, to loosen and to bind, like the Apostles.

*You became an apostle, chosen by Jesus Christ, the Patriarch of the Ethiopians, the Father of the Monks.

Your name became sweet, on our lips and the Ethiopians', O God of Saint Thecla, the Ethiopian have pity upon us.

*Pray to the Lord on our behalf, O Ethiopian Apostle, Saint Thecla Haymanot, that He may forgive us our sins.
 

http://www.coptichymns.net/module-library-viewpub-tid-1-pid-231.html

[geovar]

Prayer before Sleep attributed to St. Severus of Antioch

O Lord,who doest dwell under the protection of the Most High, protect us beneath the shadow of the wings of your loving kindness.

You who doest hear all , hear the prayers of thy servants in your loving kindness and Have mercy upon us.

Christ our Saviour, grant us an evening full of peace and a night of holiness ,for though art the King of glory.

To thee our eyes are turned, pardon our offences and sins  and in this world and the world to come,Have mercy upon us.

Lord,let thy right hand rest upon us all the days of our lives ,and thy peace reign among us and give hope and salvation to the souls of those who pray to thee.

By the prayers of Mary who bore thee and of all the saints,pardon me Lord,and Have mercy upon me , O God !

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Can any one find out if this prayer is found in Armenian , Coptic tradition ?  Also, though I know this prayer is found in Syrian tradition in India , Is this prayer found in the Syrian prayer book found in Syria and attributed to St. Severus?

[Salpy]

Just found this:

Hymns for the seven days of creation by St. Nerses the Gracious: http://www.geocities.com/derghazar/HYMNDAYS.DOC.

I just saw this again and realized the above web address is no longer any good.  I think they took geocities down.  The new web address for Ghazar's site is:

http://www.looys.net/

You can find St. Nerses' beautiful prayers for the seven days of creation here:

http://www.looys.net/symbol.html

I love those prayers.  The one for the sixth day is my favorite, as it tells what our Savior did for us on the Cross:


Friday, The Sixth Day:
  The Crucifixion of our Lord

He who is good by nature,
not enduring to have alone the ineffable good,
created man in his own image
in the morning of the sixth day;
and in the third hour he gave the one born of the ribs
as helper to the one born of the earth
and he put them in paradise to enjoy,
but he forbade them the fruit of death.

After the transgression Adam of old
was struck dumb before the Judge
putting the blame on the woman for the guile
and the woman on the treacherous serpent,
because of which this earth was cursed,
thorns and thistle grew therein,
sentence of death was given to man
that he should return to earth from which he was created.

The Father of glory made haste to abolish
the record of our debt of transgressions,
therefore the merciful Son in the sixth age
took upon himself the body of sin;
according to the good pleasure of the Father
he came willingly to the death of the Cross on Friday,
the Lamb was slain on the old Passover,
instead of the Lambs that prefigured him.

By the luminous way of the commandment
and by the path of righteousness
thou, lifting thyself up on the Cross,
didst lift us up to heaven;
through thine unspeakable humility
and crucifixion willingly suffered,
0 Lord, be reconciled with us in thy compassion
and in thy mercy forgive us our sins.

0 Lord, who art terrible to the seraphim
and fearful to the cherubim,
thou didst humble thyself to endure sufferings
in the passible human nature;
thou didst kill sin on the Cross
and didst make void the sentence of death;
reconcile with us. Lord, in thy compassion
and in thy mercy forgive us our sins.

Thou art supreme over the natures of beings
and art the Maker of all;
when thou wilt raise up the sign of thy Cross
in thy second coming,
them that now worship thee in faith
enlighten with the light of thy Cross,
so that in concord with them that have put on the Cross
we may bless thee for evermore.

[Salpy]

In reply 5, above, I posted the 24 prayers written by St. Nerses Shnorhali, called "I Confess with Faith." 

http://www.orthodoxchristianity.net/forum/index.php/topic,13200.msg199055.html#msg199055

On the website of the Catholicosate of Cilicia, I found an English translation to this ancient preface to the prayers:


THE “PREFACE” TO HAWATOV KHOSTOVANIM [“WITH FAITH I CONFESS”]
BY ST. NERSES THE GRACIOUS (1102-1173)*
 
Translated by Abraham Terian
 


ADMONITORY PREFACE TO THE PRAYER WRITTEN BY LORD NERSES
THE BROTHER OF CATHOLICOS GRIGOR OF THE ARMENIANS
 
 
A prayer of every Christian, to the old and the young, which all ought to learn and to teach one another: priests to the people, fathers to sons, mothers to daughters, and friend to friend. And they should pray using this [prayer] five times a day, kneeling down twelve times at the hour [of prayer], that is: on the morning, at noon, in the afternoon, in the evening and when retiring. But if one becomes slothful and lazy to pray five times, let him pray four times, or three times, or two times, or once a day; at least to realize that one is a Christian, and to come to know oneself that he is a creature of God and worshiper of Him. And if one is slow to learn every word of the prayer (there are those who learn demonic songs with much eagerness), let him learn half of it or less. If they were to learn three of its stanzas and to pray kneeling down three times at the hour [of prayer], it would be acceptable to God. But if any Christian is indifferent about learning and praying this, he should be rebuked and [deemed] as of the company of the Gentiles. Those who teach this prayer to others shall not succumb even in war, much less in peace.
 
As for our people, they never mention the name of God outside a place of worship, for they do not care about the orders of prayer as befits worshipers of God; rather, they prefer vain talk over prayer. And if at times some were to come to pray before the priest, they either stand with their mouths shut or chatter with one another; for they neither know the words of prayers nor allow the priests to concentrate on psalms and worship. For this reason we wrote this prayer in simple and clear words, so as to be easily understood, for the dull are slow to understand. In not too many words, it has twenty-four stanzas, in accordance with the hours of day and night and the number of prophets, and it is conceptually powerful – since it encompasses more than the needs for which we petition God.
 
And we offer it to our people to learn, that every Christian may learn this. And wherever they meet at the hour of prayer, they may speak with God through it – whether in church or at home, whether at rest or at whatever work, or when traveling. And all those who learn it and pray attentively, with a passionate heart and with tears, they shall have every request written in it fulfilled to them in life as well as after death. But those who despise it and neither learn nor pray, they shall themselves see the harm done to themselves. We have exhausted our reasons for coming up with this prayer – so that they will no longer make excuses that “we don’t know a prayer’s words, therefore we don’t pray”. Let such people know that Satan makes no greater effort to prevent our various acts of benevolence as [he does to prevent] prayer, for he knows that only through prayer he is chased away from us and God comes to dwell in us. We shall therefore ask the benevolent God to open the eyes of your minds, that you may willingly learn and pray this, and be loved of God.
 
And when you pray, remember Grigor the Catholicos of the Armenians and his brother Nerses, the author of this prayer, before Christ. And those of you who copy this prayer in writing, copy also these words of admonition. And those who copy this shall be registered in the book of eternal life. And those who shall learn and pray shall receive mercy from Christ. Those who teach their friends shall be rewarded by God. And those who copy it, let them not confuse any letter or word, departing from the original copy, or omit [anything] when copying, lest the words become distorted. Rather, let all [copies] be alike, whenever copied. As for those not skilled in lettering, let them give it to those trained in orthography to copy.
 
Glory to Christ, forever. Amen.
 
__________________________
*The Armenian text of this rarely encountered preface is found in several ancient manuscripts, and in print at the end Girk’ Saghmosats’ Dawt’i [The Psalms of David] (Jerusalem: St. James Press, 1873), pp. 341-344.
 
 

http://www.armenianorthodoxchurch.org/v13/doc/News%20in%20English.htm#22

[Hermogenes]

Online Coptic Orthodox Book of Hours:

http://agpeya.org/

It's a pretty cool site.  The prayers are beautiful.

Yes. The Coptic hours are very close to those prayed by the original desert monks. Some of the prayers are referred to in St. John Cassian and St. John Klimako. They are available as a small book, published by

Keemy Brothers
PO Box 397
Hayward, CA  94543

I got mine from Amazon, but they only had two at the time.

[Hermogenes]

This is a beautiful Theotokeia from the Coptic Church:

First Part:

The crown of our pride, the head of our salvation, the confirmation of our purity, is the Virgin Mary.

+ Who for us gave birth to, God the Word, who became man, for our salvation.

And after He became man, He is also God, wherefore she gave birth to Him, while a Virgin.

+ Exalted is the wonder, of her pregnancy, and her delivery, is unutterable.

For of His own will, and the pleasure of His Father, and the Holy Spirit, He came and saved us.

Second Part:

+ Great is the glory, of your virginity, O Virgin Mary, the perfect one.

You have found grace, and the Lord is with you, you are the ladder, which Jacob saw.

+ Set firmly on the earth, reaching to heaven, where the angels, come down upon it.

You are the bush, which Moses has seen, flaming with fire, and was not consumed.

+ This is the Son of God, who dwelt in your womb, the fire of His divinity, did not consume your body.

You are the field, that was not planted, but you did give, the fruit of life.

+ You are the treasure, that Joseph bought, and he found the pearl, hidden in its midst.

Our Savior Jesus, was found in your womb, you gave birth to Him for the world, so He might save us.

+ For of His own will, and the pleasure of His Father, and the Holy Spirit, He came and saved us.

Third Part:

Hail to the Mother of God, the rejoicing of angels, hail to the chaste one, the preaching of the prophets.

+ Hail to you who has found grace, the Lord is with you, hail to you who accepted, the joy of the world.

Hail to her who gave birth, to the Creator of all, hail to her who is worthy to be called, the Mother of Christ.

+ Hail to you who brought, salvation to Adam and Eve, hail to her who nursed, the Provider of everyone.

Hail to the saint, the mother of all the living, you are the one we entreat to, intercede for us.

+ For of His own will, and the pleasure of His Father, and the Holy Spirit, He came and saved us.

Fourth Part:

If someone contemplates, about you, O holy Virgin, and Mother of God.

+ And about the mystery, full of wonder, which dwelt in you, for our salvation.

He would keep silent, for he cannot utter, he would make us, rise up for praise.

+ Because of the greatness, of the wonderful, Maker of all things.

For the living Word, of God the Father, came down to give the Law, on mount Sinai.

+ He covered the peak, of the mountain, with smoke darkness and mist, and with storms.

Through the sound, of the trumpets, He was teaching, the people standing with fear.

+ He also descended on you, O speaking mountain, that spoke with humility, and love of mankind.

And likewise, He took flesh from you, without alteration, a speaking body.

+ Coessential with us, and perfect, and also has, a rational soul.

He remained God, as He is, and became, a perfect man.

+ So as to abolish, the iniquity of Adam, and that He may save, those who perished.

And to make him a citizen, of heaven, and restore his leadership, according to His great mercy.

+ For of His own will, and the pleasure of His Father, and the Holy Spirit, He came and saved us.

Fifth Part:

The honor of the Virgin, is unutterable, for God desired her, and came and dwelt in her.

+ He who abides in light, that is unapproachable, dwelt in her womb, for nine months.

Mary gave birth to, the Invisible, and infinite One, and remained a Virgin.

+ For this is the rock, which Daniel saw, which was cut, from a mountain.

The hands of men, never touched Him, for He is the Word, of the Father.

+ He came and took flesh, from the Virgin, without the seed of man, in order to save us.

For of His own will, and the pleasure of His Father, and the Holy Spirit, He came and saved us.

Sixth Part:

+ You became a branch, of purity, and a vessel, of the faith.

Of the Orthodox, our holy fathers, O chaste Mother of God, the honored Virgin.

+ For you gave birth for us, God the Word, our Savior Jesus, He came and saved us.

For of His own will, and the pleasure of His Father, and the Holy Spirit, He came and saved us.

Seventh Part:

+ You are the Mother of Light, the honored Mother of God, you have carried, the uncircumscript Logos.

After you gave birth to Him, you remained a Virgin, with hymns and blessings, we magnify you.

+ For of His own will, and the pleasure of His Father, and the Holy Spirit, He came and saved us.


http://tasbeha.org/hymn_library/view/467

This is beautiful. I wonder if St. Francis of Assisi was familiar with any of these prayers, since his often take similar forms.

[geovar]

This prayer in the name of Jesus in Orthodox Church tradition of the Indian /Syrian Church is found in Moonu Noyambu (Ninevah Fast) prayer . Very similar to this is another  prayer of closing on each Holy Qurbana ( Posting a link to it).

"Jesus, Be our Helper
Jesus Be our Shelter
Jesus, Strengthen us-
Jesus Guard us
Jesus, Remove the wicked from us
Jesus, Absolve our sins and our evil deeds
Jesus, have mercy on the judgement day"

http://orthodukso.blogspot.com/2010/06/orthodox-service-closing-prayers.html

[Salpy]

A beautiful prayer of St. Gregory of Nareg which describes the Holy Church:


This spiritual, heavenly mother of light
cared for me as a son more than a earthly, breathing, physical mother could.
The milk of her bosom was the blood of Christ.
If one were to consider her the image of the Mother
of God, it would not be impious.
Like the sign of the cross of salvation with amazing
powers and handiwork, it performs miracles.
The terrifying tribunal of the last judgment
is established there visibly.
Through her the babbling mouths of immoral heretics
are silenced.
She also has intelligent, speaking stones,
by which she chases away the beastly and unclean.78
She gives birth to godly mortals,79
saints in the image of the sole God, Christ.80
She faces east, our first place of habitation.81
She points the way to the second coming of God,
and making us face east guides us toward
the Lord’s brilliant light.82
The dawn and rising of the sun foreshadow
for the creatures of earth the vision of Christ
on the day of the last judgment.
She drives away pain, heals the infirm, overcomes
the tyranny of demons.
Like a jubilant bridal party the twelve apostles
encircle her the life-giving fountain, the womb of life.
So much have her blessings and bliss increased
and flourished that she has been called by the name of
the Savior himself83
and by those close to the only begotten Son,
she was consecrated in the name the radiant
Mother of God.
For sinners tossing about on the sea, she is a safe harbor;
for the heavenly choirs, a place of jubilation.
For the perplexed mortal, a place of sure healing.
The Holy Trinity, beyond telling, is glorified in her,
the blessed in all. 


Prayer 75L of the Book of Lamentations

http://www.stgregoryofnarek.am/book.php?parent_id=76&type=2&type_1=none

[geovar]

Found this part of prayer , by Blessed Moses of Mardin, very touching

By no means, O Lord, shall I be kept from turning to the Lord because of controversies that are like a small ship of the soul cast about on a stormy sea besieged by crowded waves and abandon you in the abyss of destruction.




Entire text
http://newandoldmonks.blogspot.com/2010/02/prayer-of-moses-of-mardin.html

[binoj]

I belong to Malankara (Indian) Orthodox Syrian Church. My favourite prayer in our church (we follow syriac orthodox tradition) is private prayer of the priest during the fraction of Holy Mysteries

 The Prayer of Breaking and Signing of the Holy Mysteries by Dionysius Bar Salibi

Thus truly the Word of God did suffer in flesh, and was sacrificed and broken on the Cross, and His soul separated from His Body, while His Godhead never separated neither from His Soul nor from His Body. And He was pieced in His side with a spear, and there flowed out of Him blood and water, the atonement of the whole world. And his Body was stained with them. And for the sin of the whole world, the Son died on the Cross, and His Soul came and united with His Body. And He turned us from the work of the left to that of the right. And by the Blood of His Person, He reconciled, united and combined the heavenly with the earthly, the people with the gentiles and the Soul with the Body. And on the third day, He rose from the tomb. One is Emmanuel, and cannot be divided into two natures after the indivisible unity. Thus we believe and thus we confess and thus we confirm that this Flesh is of this Blood and that this Blood is of this Flesh.

http://sor.cua.edu/Liturgy/Anaphora/James.html

Binoj

[binoj]

Regarding Trisagion Hymn; In Syriac Orthodox Tradition, it is:

Holy art Thou, O God, Holy art Thou, Almighty, Holy art Thou, Immortal, +Crucified for us, have mercy on us.

In Syriac, I think it is (correct me if I am wrong):

Qadeeshat Aloho, Qadeeshat haylthono, Qadeeshat lo moyootho, destlebth hlofayn ethraham' alayn.

Thanks,

Binoj

[Salpy]

The Lord's Prayer in Armenian Sign Language:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWiuSvPqKDc

Here it is in American Sign Language:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSBfZxj99f8

[Shanghaiski]

This is a wonderful thread. I just ordered St. Gregory of Nareg's Lamentations from Amazon. Is there a liturgy attributed to him? If so, I bet it is very beautiful, and very long. I've noticed that the further east you go, the longer the prayers get.

[Severian]

I belong to Malankara (Indian) Orthodox Syrian Church. My favourite prayer in our church (we follow syriac orthodox tradition) is private prayer of the priest during the fraction of Holy Mysteries

 The Prayer of Breaking and Signing of the Holy Mysteries by Dionysius Bar Salibi

Thus truly the Word of God did suffer in flesh, and was sacrificed and broken on the Cross, and His soul separated from His Body, while His Godhead never separated neither from His Soul nor from His Body. And He was pieced in His side with a spear, and there flowed out of Him blood and water, the atonement of the whole world. And his Body was stained with them. And for the sin of the whole world, the Son died on the Cross, and His Soul came and united with His Body. And He turned us from the work of the left to that of the right. And by the Blood of His Person, He reconciled, united and combined the heavenly with the earthly, the people with the gentiles and the Soul with the Body. And on the third day, He rose from the tomb. One is Emmanuel, and cannot be divided into two natures after the indivisible unity. Thus we believe and thus we confess and thus we confirm that this Flesh is of this Blood and that this Blood is of this Flesh.

http://sor.cua.edu/Liturgy/Anaphora/James.html

Binoj

We have basically the exact same prayer in the Coptic Church. We call it "The Syrian Fraction".

[William]

Here are some prayers from the Sunrise Service (Prime) of the Armenian Church.  The prayers were written by St. Nerses Shnorhali in the 12th century.

O Light!  Creator of light, primal light that dwellest in unapproachable light, O heavenly Father, blessed art Thou by the ranks of the luminous ones.  At the rising of the morning light, shine forth upon our souls Thine intelligible light.

O Light!  Born of the Light, righteous Sun, ineffable generation, Son of the Father, Thy name is praised with the Father before the sun.  At the rising of the morning light, shine forth upon our souls Thine intelligible light.

O Light!  Procession from the Father, source of goodness, Holy Spirit of God, the children of the Church praise Thee together with the angels.  At the rising of the morning light, shine forth upon our souls Thine intelligible light.

O Light!  Triune and one indivisible Holy Trinity, we, born of the earth, glorify Thee always together with the heavenly hosts.  At the rising of the morning light, shine forth upon our souls Thine intelligible light.

Beautiful prayer. It seems like the counterpart of the "Phos Hilaron" which is sung in Byzantine rite Vespers.

[Shanghaiski]

Here are some prayers from the Sunrise Service (Prime) of the Armenian Church.  The prayers were written by St. Nerses Shnorhali in the 12th century.

O Light!  Creator of light, primal light that dwellest in unapproachable light, O heavenly Father, blessed art Thou by the ranks of the luminous ones.  At the rising of the morning light, shine forth upon our souls Thine intelligible light.

O Light!  Born of the Light, righteous Sun, ineffable generation, Son of the Father, Thy name is praised with the Father before the sun.  At the rising of the morning light, shine forth upon our souls Thine intelligible light.

O Light!  Procession from the Father, source of goodness, Holy Spirit of God, the children of the Church praise Thee together with the angels.  At the rising of the morning light, shine forth upon our souls Thine intelligible light.

O Light!  Triune and one indivisible Holy Trinity, we, born of the earth, glorify Thee always together with the heavenly hosts.  At the rising of the morning light, shine forth upon our souls Thine intelligible light.

Beautiful prayer. It seems like the counterpart of the "Phos Hilaron" which is sung in Byzantine rite Vespers.

Phos Hilaron, IIRC, comes from St. Athenogenes, who was Armenian. He sang it before the pagans burned him alive.

[Hermogenes]

This is a wonderful thread. I just ordered St. Gregory of Nareg's Lamentations from Amazon. Is there a liturgy attributed to him? If so, I bet it is very beautiful, and very long. I've noticed that the further east you go, the longer the prayers get.

I don't know where the joke originated, but in the Russian church we say, "why use one word when 10 will do?"

[Hermogenes]

I particularly love the imagery of intoxication--an allusion to the notion of "spiritual/sober drunkenness"--which seems to be popular in Syrian Orthodox descriptions of elevated states of spiritual experience.

The part about "increase my faith" reminds me of one of the Roman Catholic rosary prayers--"Increase my Faith; Strengthen my Hope; and inflame my heart with the fire of Divine Love."

[Salpy]

Coptic Agpia for mobile phones:

http://www.agpia.org/

[Shanghaiski]

Coptic Agpia for mobile phones:

http://www.agpia.org/

And it's free! And navigable! (Although the version I have has a couple errors and omissions.)

[Salpy]

For those who have kindle, St. Gregory of Nareg's prayer book is available on kindle now:

http://www.amazon.com/Armenian-Prayerbook-Gregory-Narek-ebook/dp/B003KRP1MW/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1379301342&sr=1-1

[Severian]

I thought this prayer would be particularly helpful to those of us who are still in our years of study, and also generally helpful to all of us in our capacity as students of the Church struggling in our pursuit to learn her way; the way of the Fathers; the way of Wisdom and Salvation.

 

Student’s Prayer

Inscrutable Creator, Lord Jesus Christ,
you are the source of light and truth,
enlighten my mind and dispel from me
the cloud of ignorance.
You give us, your children, the ability
to speak. Cultivate my tongue and
fill my mouth with the gifts of
your blessings.
Give me the ability to understand,
the capacity to receive,
the wisdom to interpret,
the ease to study and
to express myself gracefully.
Adorn my soul,
guide my work
and bless my life.
Amen.

[I copied this prayer from an Armenian Orthodox website; it was one of the few prayers that were presented without any reference to an original source. Maybe Salpy can help us find out more about the source of these blessed words of the Spirit.]

St. Kyrillos VI's prayer before exams:

My Lord Jesus Christ, I thank You for You have taught me to seek refuge in You, in times of need, when You said “Call upon Me in the day of your trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.”
Now, Oh Lord, I appeal to You to give me wisdom and understanding at this time of exams.
Give me grace to pass this test in peace. Grant me Your profound peace and blessings in the time that I am writing my test.
Lord Jesus, I ask of You to find favor in my teachers’ eyes for You soften their hearts towards me as they mark my papers. Dear Lord, I am a sinner, and I have not pleased You or myself all year, but I ask You not to treat me according to my sins or hardness of heart, but according to Your mercy and sympathy.
Lord, You said, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” So, here I am, asking, and on the gate of Your mercy I am knocking. So, do not refuse my prayer, for you have said: “whoever comes to Me I will never drive away.” Answer me, through the intercessions of the Holy Virgin and all Your angels.
Amen

[minasoliman]

from http://afkimel.wordpress.com/2014/08/13/the-communion-prayer-of-philoxenus-of-mabbug/

The Communion Prayer of Philoxenus of Mabbug

When you have extended your hands and taken the body, bow, and put your hands before your face, and worship the living Body whom you hold. Then speak with him in a low voice, and with your gaze resting upon him say to him:

I carry you, living God, who is incarnate in the bread, and I embrace you in my palms, Lord of the worlds whom no world has contained. You have circumscribed yourself in a fiery coal within a fleshly palm–you Lord, who with your palm measured out the dust of the earth. You are holy, God incarnate in my hands in a fiery coal which is a body. See, I hold you, although there is nothing that contains you; a bodily hand embraces you, Lord of natures whom a fleshly womb embraced. Within a womb you became a circumscribed body, and now within a hand you appear to me as a small morsel.

As you have made me worthy to approach you and receive you—and see, my hands embrace you confidently—make me worthy, Lord, to eat you in a holy manner and to taste the food of your body as a taste of your life. Instead of the stomach, the body’s member, may the womb of my intellect and the hand of my mind receive you. May you be conceived in me as you were in the womb of the Virgin. There you appeared as an infant, and your hidden self was revealed to the world as corporeal fruit; may you also appear in me here and be revealed from me in fruits that are spiritual works and just labors pleasing to your will.

And by your food may my desires be killed; and by the drinking of your cup may my passions be quenched. And instead of the members of my body, may my thoughts receive strength from the nourishment of your body. Like the manifest members of my body, may my hidden thoughts be engaged in exercise and in running and in works according to your living commands and your spiritual laws. From the food of your body and the drinking of your blood may I wax strong inwardly, and excel outwardly, and run diligently, and so attain to the full stature of an interior human being. May I become a perfect man, mature in the intelligence residing in all my spiritual members, my head being crowned with the crown of perfection of all of my behavior. May I be a royal diadem in your hands, as you promised me, O hidden God whose manifestness I embrace in the perfection of your body.

[dhinuus]

Prayer before Sleep attributed to St. Severus of Antioch

O Lord,who doest dwell under the protection of the Most High, protect us beneath the shadow of the wings of your loving kindness.

You who doest hear all , hear the prayers of thy servants in your loving kindness and Have mercy upon us.

Christ our Saviour, grant us an evening full of peace and a night of holiness ,for though art the King of glory.

To thee our eyes are turned, pardon our offences and sins  and in this world and the world to come,Have mercy upon us.

Lord,let thy right hand rest upon us all the days of our lives ,and thy peace reign among us and give hope and salvation to the souls of those who pray to thee.

By the prayers of Mary who bore thee and of all the saints,pardon me Lord,and Have mercy upon me , O God !

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Can any one find out if this prayer is found in Armenian , Coptic tradition ?  Also, though I know this prayer is found in Syrian tradition in India , Is this prayer found in the Syrian prayer book found in Syria and attributed to St. Severus?

The Common Prayer of the Syriac Orthodox Church is known as the 'shimo. The above prayer is part the Soothoro of the shimo. You can listen to this 'Ma'anith Of Saint Severus Patriarch Of Antioch' chanted in Syriac in this CD track number 7

[Randa]

I've been trying to find Armenian and Ethiopian prayer rules for morning and evening but so far no luck

Can anyone here provide an outline for these prayer rules?

[gueranger]

Just found this:

Hymns for the seven days of creation by St. Nerses the Gracious: http://www.geocities.com/derghazar/HYMNDAYS.DOC.

I've been rickrolled!

[hecma925]

Just found this:

Hymns for the seven days of creation by St. Nerses the Gracious: http://www.geocities.com/derghazar/HYMNDAYS.DOC.

I've been rickrolled!

 

[Salpy]

I've been trying to find Armenian and Ethiopian prayer rules for morning and evening but so far no luck

Can anyone here provide an outline for these prayer rules?

The 24 prayers of St. Nerses are often used by devout Armenians in their personal prayers:

http://www.orthodoxchristianity.net/forum/index.php/topic,13200.msg199055.html#msg199055

[Salpy]

A panegyric in praise of the New Martyrs of Libya:

Why did you not cry, pleading with those who are about to murder you, that they may free you? Why did you not acquiesce to their demands?

Did they not propose that you abandon your Christ? Wouldn’t they have had mercy on you had you accepted their religion?

Do you not fear death?! Whence did you acquire this courage?

What theological training did you obtain? From what seminary did you graduate? What monastery did you frequent? What clerical rank do you carry?

Tell me, how did you not resist death? I do not know your secret.

Did you see (Christ) transfigured? Perhaps you heard Him? Truly, I do not know. The only certainty is that when you decided to utter your last words, those sweet words were “Oh my Lord, Jesus Christ.”

I come to you weeping. I do not weep on your account, for men who received crowns do not warrant sorrowful tears. I weep because of you.

For when the light of your faith became manifest, my weakness became apparent before my eyes. And I realized that the veils of darkness do not obscure the vision of God. I realized that He searches the heart and the inner parts. I realized that He knows the faith that resides within each seemingly destitute and abandoned vessel. And I realized that I am not prepared or worthy of this gift which you have attained.

Intercede for us, O righteous men, that He may have mercy on us through your prayers. Ask Him that He may guide us on the way of your faith, so that we may come to know your mystery.


http://lacopts.org/story/a-panegyric-in-praise-of-the-new-martyrs-of-libya/

[Salpy]

From St. Nersess Seminary, a page with hymns from the Morning Hour:

http://www.stnersess.edu/daily-hours-morning-service-hymns-of-the-morning-service.html

[Salpy]

The Lord's Prayer sung in Classical Armenian, with translations and transliteration:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOn8_v9-ctY

[Alkis]

I have just recently been locating and collecting a range of uniquely OO prayers in order to diversify my personal prayer book so as to thereby further enrich my private prayer life. I thought I would create this thread to share, at regular intervals, God-willing, those prayers which enhanced my experience most immensely, in the hope that such prayers will also assist and edify others. For now, here is an amazing prayer to the Most Holy Mary, Bearer of God, by Catholicos St Simeon Yerevantsi (18th Century):

After knocking, with much personal anguish, at the door of mercy of our God and your Only-begotten Son Jesus Christ, I now turn to you with a tearful face. I fall prostrate at your pure feet and knock at the door of your motherly mercy, O Mary, blessed by all...

...O Holy Mary, Bearer of God, what would God the Father withhold from you, He who loved you so much that He granted you His Only-begotten Son through whom He created all creatures? What would God the Son withhold from you that you would ask of Him, He who loved you so much that He dwelt in your womb and sat in your lap, who feeds all but was fed from your breasts, who was your God and Lord but became your son and called you Mother? God the Spirit, too, loved you so much that He entrusted His co-equal in essence to you and He who adorns everything rested in you and made you the lodging place for His unending gifts. What could be lacking that you do not possess? For I truly believe that, according to the angel’s word, the Lord and Giver of all spiritual gifts is with you, (Luke 1:28) and your Son is verily in your lap. Whatever your Son has is yours, and whatever you ask of Him, He will not withhold. And you are able to give to whomever you will: as your Son says through the mouth of Solomon, “Ask, my mother; for whatever you may ask, I shall not turn my face away.”

Therefore, O Mary, holy Bearer of God, next to God you are the expectation of His creatures. You are the joy of the sorrowful, deliverer of the tempted, helper and comfort of believers, and hope and refuge for sinners. In keeping with this, your beloved Son on the cross left to you, through John, those who would believe in Him, as a bequest. By saying, “Woman, behold your son,” (John 19:26) it was as if He said, “Those who believe in Me are yours, and henceforth they are committed to you.” Likewise, in the persona of John He said to us who believe: “‘Behold your mother’; (John 19:27) from now on ask of her whatever you wish.”

Now, O Mother of compassion, Mary, holy Bearer of God, I too am one of the believers in your beloved Son, a pitiful person in spirit and body and wanting in everything. I long for your motherly pity. Being oppressed and wounded by spiritual and physical enemies, I desire your help. Sinful and guilty in everything, I desire your support and your infusion of hope...Be a mediator and commend me, sinful servant that I am, to your only-begotten Son, that He may accept my pleadings which I have presented to Him and that He may fulfill my requests; that He may forgive my mistakes and pardon all my sins; that He may accept me again into his love and care and that He may keep me as it pleases His will for as long as I am in this body. And after the present life, may He make me worthy to behold Him in bliss.

For I surely believe, O Mother of mercy, that if you were to mention me but once before your beloved Son, it would make my joy and my security in every way complete. If you were to show Him your pure breasts but once, that would be sufficient for my salvation and my absolute deliverance. And if you were to remind Him of just one drop of the tears which you shed at the time of His crucifixion, it would mean the forgiveness of all my sins and life altogether eternal. These are, one and all, easy and possible for your motherly compassion, abundant in mercy; and they are altogether essential and necessary for me, your pitiful servant. And having found mercy from you, I shall glorify your only-begotten Son, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, and shall praise you with thanksgiving, Mother of mercy, forever and ever. Amen.

I loved it!!! It is great! Can someone tell where in the Bible Solomon said this “Ask, my mother; for whatever you may ask, I shall not turn my face away.”? I would love to read it. I 've never heard that before.

[Mor Ephrem]

I loved it!!! It is great! Can someone tell where in the Bible Solomon said this “Ask, my mother; for whatever you may ask, I shall not turn my face away.”? I would love to read it. I 've never heard that before.

I (III) Kings 2.20

[Alkis]

I loved it!!! It is great! Can someone tell where in the Bible Solomon said this “Ask, my mother; for whatever you may ask, I shall not turn my face away.”? I would love to read it. I 've never heard that before.

I (III) Kings 2.20

Yes I have found it in my Bible at the noon at Kings III. Thank you so much! And of course as an Orthodox I have the Septuagint in its language.

[minasoliman]

"Come to us today, O Christ our Master, shine upon us, with Your exalted divinity." Coptic Tuesday Psali

[Brigidsboy]

From the Armenian Vesper Service:

"Bowing down to thee, O Lord our God, we give thanks to thee, for thou hast granted us to pass the length of this day in peace. Grant us, O Lord, we beseech thee, to pass this evening and the night before us without sin and without stumbling, and to stand firm and abide steadfastly in faith, in hope and in love and in the observance of thy commandments. Give peace, we pray thee, to the whole world and stability to thine holy Church and salvation to our souls. So that receiving from thee all that we ask, we may always send up on high hymns of glory due to the majesty of thine all- powerful dominion, O Christ our God, now and always and unto the ages of ages. Amen."