The Divine Liturgy-English PDF

The Divine Liturgy of the Armenian Church
THE PREPARATION
VESTING
[Before the Divine Liturgy begins, the celebrant prepares himself

spiritually by reciting psalms and preparatory prayers that ask the Lord to
make him worthy to offer the Badarak. The priest then puts on his
vestments. They are modeled after both the garments worn by Jewish
priests in the temple [Ex 28] and the attire of a king because during the
Divine Liturgy the priest mystically makes present to us Christ, who
reigns with his Father in the kingdom of heaven.]
The Psalm of Vesting

Ps 132
Let your priests clothe themselves with righteousness; and let your saints
exult with joy.
Lord, remember David and all his meekness.

How he swore to the Lord; and vowed to the God of Jacob.
Surely I will not enter into the tabernacle of my house; nor go up into the
couch of my bed.
I will not give sleep to my eyes; or slumber to my eyelids, nor rest to my
temples, until I find the place for the temple of the Lord God of Jacob.
Behold, we heard of the same at Ephrathah; we found it in the fields of the
woods.
Let us go into his tabernacles; let us worship at the place where his feet
stood.
Arise, O Lord, to your resting place; you and the ark of your holiness.
Let your priests clothe themselves with righteousness; and let your saints
exult with joy.
1
For your beloved David’s sake, do not turn your face away from your
anointed.
The Lord has sworn in truth to David, and has not lied to him; of the fruit of
his loins he will set upon his throne.
If your children will keep my covenant, and my testimony which I shall teach
them,
Their children shall also sit upon your throne forevermore.
For the Lord was pleased at Zion, and he chose to live on it, saying: This is
my rest forever, here I will dwell, for I was pleased at it.
I will abundantly bless her widows; and I will satisfy her poor with bread.
I will also clothe her priests with salvation; and her saints shall exult with
joy.
There I will make the horn of David to grow; I will prepare a lamp for my
anointed.
His enemies will I clothe with shame; but upon himself my holiness shall
flourish.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
Now and always and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
The Deacon:
Again in peace let us beseech the Lord.
Let us ask of the Lord in faith with one accord that he may bestow on us the
grace of his mercy.
May the almighty Lord our God save us and have mercy on us.
The Priest:
O Jesus Christ our Lord, clothed with light as with a garment, you appeared
upon earth in unspeakable humility and walked with men. You became eternal
high priest after the order of Melchizedek and have adorned your holy church.
Lord almighty, having granted us to put on the same heavenly garment, make
me, your useless servant, also worthy at this hour when I make bold to approach
the same spiritual service of your glory, so that I may divest myself of all
ungodliness, which is a vile garment, and that I may be adorned with your light.
Cast away my wickedness from me and shake me out of my transgressions that I
may be made worthy of the light prepared by you in the world to come.
Grant me to enter with priestly glory upon the ministry of your holy things
together with those who have kept your commandments without sinning, so that
I also may be found prepared for the heavenly nuptial chamber with the wise
virgins to glorify you, Christ, who bore the sins of all. For you are the holiness
of our souls and to you, beneficent God, is befitting glory, dominion and honor,
now and always and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
The Deacon:
Again in peace let us beseech the Lord:
Receive us, save us, and have mercy on us.
2
The Priest:
Blessing and glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now
and always and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
And after the blessing, he first puts the crown [saghavard] on his head,
saying:
Lord, put the helmet of salvation upon my head to fight against the powers of
the enemy, by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ to whom is befitting glory,
dominion and honor, now and always and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
For the alb [shabeeg]:

Clothe me, Lord, with the garment of salvation and with a robe of gladness,
and gird me with this vestment of salvation, by the grace of our Lord Jesus
Christ to whom is befitting glory, dominion and honor, now and always and
unto the ages of ages. Amen.
For the stole [poroorar]:

Clothe my neck, O Lord, with righteousness and cleanse my heart from all
filthiness of sin, by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom is befitting
glory, dominion and honor, now and always and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
For the belt [kodee]:

May the girdle of faith encircle me round about my heart and my mind and
quench vile thoughts out of them; and may the power of your grace abide in
them at all times, by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom is befitting
For the maniple [pazban] on the right and left hands:

Give strength, Lord, to my right (or left) hand and wash all my filthiness, that
I may be able to serve you in health of soul and body, by the grace of our Lord,
Jesus Christ, to whom is befitting glory, dominion and honor, now and always
and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
For the amice [vagas]:

Clothe my neck, Lord, with righteousness and cleanse my heart from all
filthiness of sin, by the grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ, to whom is befitting
For the cope [shoorchar]:

In your mercy, Lord, clothe me with a radiant garment and fortify me against
the influence of the evil one, that I may be worthy to glorify your glorious name,
by the grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ, to whom is befitting glory, dominion and
honor, now and always and unto the ages of ages. Amen
3
After putting on the sacred vestments, he says:
My soul will rejoice in the Lord, for he has clothed me with a raiment of
salvation and with a robe of gladness. He has put upon me a crown as upon a
bridegroom and has adorned me like a bride with jewels, by the grace of our
Lord, Jesus Christ, to whom is befitting glory, dominion and honor, now and
always and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
For the towel:

Cleanse my hands, Lord, from all filthiness of sin, by the grace of our Lord,
Jesus Christ, to whom is befitting glory, dominion and honor, now and always
4
After the priest has vested, he processes from the vestry into the sanctuary
while the choir sings the following:
STAND
The Hymn of Vesting
O mystery deep, inscrutable, without beginning, you have decked your

supernal realm as a nuptial chamber to the light unapproachable and
adorned with splendid glory the ranks of the fiery spirits.
With ineffably wondrous power you created Adam, the lordly image,
and clothed him with gracious glory in the paradise of Eden, the place of
delights.
Through the passion of your holy Only-begotten all creation has been
renewed and man has again been made immortal, adorned in an
indespoilable raiment.
Heavenly king, preserve your Church unshaken and keep in peace those
who worship your name.
PURIFICATION
[The priest is subject to the same weaknesses and sins as anyone else.
The first thing he does at the beginning of the Divine Liturgy is wash his
hands, an expression of purification.
Before he assumes his priestly function at the altar of the Lord, the
celebrant faces the people, confesses his sins and asks the
assembly to pray that the Lord will forgive him and make him
worthy to come into God’s presence and to lead the assembly in
worship.]
Ps 26
The Priest:
I will wash my hands in innocence; and will go around your altar, O Lord.
The Deacon:
Judge me, O Lord, for I have walked in my integrity I have trusted in the
Lord that I may not slip.
Examine me, O Lord, and prove me; try out my mind and my heart.
Your mercy, O Lord, is before my eyes; and I shall be well pleased with your
truth.
I shall not sit in the seats of the vain; neither will I go in with the lawless.
I have hated assembly of evildoers; I will not sit among the ungodly.
I will wash my hands in innocence; and I will go around your altar, O Lord.
That I may hear the voice of your blessing; and tell of all your wondrous
works.
5
Lord, I have loved the beauty of your house; and the place your glory dwells.
Destroy not my soul with the ungodly; nor my life with those who shed
blood;
Whose hands are in iniquity, and whose right hand is full of bribes.
As for me, I have walked innocently; deliver me, O Lord, and be merciful to
me.
My foot shall stand aright; in the great congregations I will praise you.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
The Priest:
By the intercession of the holy Mother of God, O Lord, receive our
supplications and save us.
The Deacon:
Let us hold the holy Mother of God and all the saints as intercessors
with the Father in heaven, that he may be pleased to have mercy and
compassion on us, his creatures, and save us. Almighty Lord, our God, save
us and have mercy on us.
The Priest:
Lord, receive, our supplications through the intercession of the holy
Mother of God, the immaculate bearer of your only-begotten Son, and by
the supplications of all your saints. Hear us, Lord, and have mercy on us;
forgive, expiate and remit our sins; make us worthy to give you thanks and
to glorify you together with the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and always
Confession
I confess before God and before the holy Mother of God and before all
the saints and before you (fathers and brothers), all the sins that I have
committed; for I have sinned in thought, word and deed and with all the
sins that men commit. I have sinned, I have sinned; I pray you, ask of God
forgiveness for me.
If there is a priest present he will answer, but if not, those standing by will
answer:
May God the almighty have mercy on you and grant you forgiveness of
all your transgressions of the past and the present. May he deliver you from
those that are to come, confirm you in all good works, and give you rest in
the life of the age to come. Amen.
The Priest:
May God, who loves mankind, also set you free and may he remit
6
all your transgressions. May he give you time to repent and to do good
works. May he also direct your life in the time to come by the grace of the
Holy Spirit, the mighty and the merciful, and to him be glory forever.
Amen.
The Altar Servers:

Remember us also before the immortal Lamb of God.
The Priest:
You will be remembered before the immortal Lamb of God.
The Altar Servers:

Ps 100
Make a shout to the Lord, all lands; serve the Lord with gladness.
Enter into his presence with joy; know that he is the Lord our God.
It is he who made us and we were not by ourselves; we are his people
and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter into his gates with thanksgiving; and into his courts with praise.
Be thankful to the Lord; and bless his name.
The Lord is gracious, his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endures
from generation to generation.
The Deacon:
Through the holy Church let us beseech the Lord that through her he
may deliver us from sin and may save us by the grace of his mercy.
Almighty Lord our God, save us and have mercy on us.
The Priest:
In the midst of this temple, Lord, and before these holy signs and before
this holy place that hold God up to us and are made resplendent, we bow
down in awe and worship; we glorify your holy, wondrous and triumphant
lordship, and we offer praise and glory to you with the Father and with the
Holy Spirit, now and always and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
And going up to the altar, the priest says with the deacon:
Ps 43
I will go in before the altar of God; to God who makes my youth joyful.
Judge me, O God; do justice to me in my trial.
7
Deliver me from a generation that is not holy; from a sinful and deceitful
person.
You, God, are the giver of my strength; why have you forgotten me?
Why do I go sadly while my enemy oppresses me?
Send out, O Lord, your light and your truth that they may lead me and
bring me to your holy mountain and to your tabernacle.
I will go in before the altar of God; to God who makes my youth joyful.
I will give thanks to you with praises, O God my God.
Then why are you grieved, O my soul, and why do you trouble me? Hope
in God, give thanks to him; the deliverer of my countenance is God.
The Deacon:
Let us bless the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has made us
worthy to stand in this place of praise and to sing spiritual songs.
The Priest:
In this dwelling of holiness, this place of praise; in this habitation of
angels, this place of the expiation of mankind; before these holy signs and
the holy place that hold God up to us and are made resplendent, we bow
down in awe and worship. We bless and glorify your holy, wondrous and
triumphant lordship and, together with the heavenly hosts, we offer
blessing and glory to you with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and
always and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
SIT
If the celebrant is a bishop, the choir sings “O Chosen of God” while the
bishop is inaudibly saying the prayer to the Holy Spirit. But if the celebrant is a
priest, the curtain is closed and the choir sings a melody proper to the day.
St. Gregory of Narek

Prayers of the Divine Liturgy to the Holy Spirit
(Lamentations, Elegy 33)
Almighty, beneficent, lover of humankind, God of all, maker of things seen

and unseen, savior and restorer, provident and peacemaker, O mighty Spirit of
the Father, we implore you with open arms and pray, sobbing, in your awe-
inspiring presence.
We draw near with much trembling and utmost trepidation to offer first this
intelligible sacrifice to your inscrutable power, as One who shares the
8
inalienable honor of the Father in reign, in glory and in creation; to you, the
searcher of the hidden depths of the mysteries of the most perfect will of the
Father of Emmanuel, who sends you and who is the Savior, the Giver of life and
the Creator of all.
Through you the three persons of the One Godhead were made known to us,
O incomprehensible One who is recognized as one among them. In you and
through you the early descendents of the patriarchal family, called seers,
recounted in plain language the things past and the things to come, those that
had happened and those that are yet to happen. O Spirit of God, by having
proclaimed yourself through Moses as the one moving over the waters,
boundless power that you are, and by your overwhelming, encircling care,
brooding and protecting the newly-born under your wings with compassion, you
made known the mystery of the baptismal font.
In the pattern of the archetype, before constructing the pliable substance with
its final covering, you formed in lordly fashion, O Mighty one, the complete
natures of all things out of nothing, of all beings, of all existences out of no
existence. Through you shall all these your creatures be renewed at the
resurrection, in that time which is the last day of this life and the first day in the
land of the living. The first-born Son, being your kin and of the same essence of
the Father, obeyed you also with oneness of will, as he did his Father. While in
our likeness, he proclaimed you as true God, equal and consubstantial to his
mighty Father. He declared blasphemy against you to be unforgivable and he
stopped the impious mouths of those who rebel against you, as of those who
fight against God, though he forgave blasphemy against himself, the righteous
and the spotless one, finder of all, who was betrayed for our sins and rose for our
justification.
Glory to him through you, and praise to you with the Father almighty, unto
the ages of ages. Amen.
I shall go on repeating in the same sequence of words until the certainty in

the upward contemplation of light is miraculously revealed, stirring us to
proclaim anew the good news of ever more peace.
We beseech and implore you with tearful sighs from our utmost being, O
glorified Creator, incorruptible and uncreated, eternal and compassionate Spirit,
who with unutterable implorations intercede for us with the merciful Father.
You keep the saints, you cleanse the sinners and you make them temples of the
living and life-giving will of the exalted Father.
Deliver us now from all unclean deeds that are not proper for those in whom
you dwell, and may the shining light of your gifts not be extinguished within the
reflective eyes of our understanding, for we have learned that you do unite with
us in prayer and in commendable lives that are offered as incense.
And inasmuch as one of the Trinity is being offered and another accepts the
sacrifice, pleased with us through the reconciling blood of his First-born, so may
you also accept our supplications and prepare us to be honored dwellings,
9
always ready to partake worthily of the heavenly Lamb, to receive without the
sentence of condemnation this manna of life eternal, of the new deliverance.
And may our faltering be consumed by this fire, as that of the Prophet was
consumed by the live burning coal offered to him with the tongs, so that in
everything your mercy may be proclaimed, as the loving kindness of the Father
was proclaimed through the Son, who brought the prodigal son back to the
paternal inheritance and led the harlots into the heavenly kingdom, that blessed
realm of the righteous.
Yes, indeed! I too am one of them. Receive me also with them as one who is
in need of much of that love for humankind, as one who is saved by your grace
and redeemed by the blood of Christ; so that your divinity may be made known
to all and in all, being glorified with the Father, equal in honor, one in will and
one in lordship most praised.
The Choir:
Chosen of God, O blessed holy priest, you resemble Aaron and Moses
the Prophet, who prepared the garments which Aaron always wore.
He fashioned the robe of linen woven of four elements; in scarlet, blue,
gold, and purple. Threads upon threads were worked in. The first row was
of carbuncle.
So now likewise Christ prepares you, our priest. When you enter into
the holy tabernacle, remember therein those of us who have fallen asleep.
The Deacon:
Bless, Lord.
The Bishop:
For yours is the compassion, the power, the loving kindness, the strength
and the glory unto the ages.
After these prayers the curtain is closed.
THE PRESENTATION OF THE GIFTS
[Behind the closed curtain the deacon presents unleavened bread and
wine to the priest, who blesses them with the sign of the cross. The
chalice and paten are then covered with a veil and set aside in a niche
until after the Synaxis, the beginning of the Eucharist proper.
Meanwhile, the altar servers light the altar candles and prepare for the
procession.
When the curtain opens, the priest circles the sanctuary incensing the
altars, the icons and the people, who venerate his hand cross and ask him
10
to pray for them saying, “Remember me before the immortal lamb of
God.”]
Then the celebrant approaches the table of gifts by the altar and the
protodeacon will offer him the bread, saying:
And the celebrant takes the bread in his hand, and making the sign of the
cross over it, says:
And he places the bread on the paten, saying:
Remembrance of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is seated on the throne not made
with hands.
He accepted the death of the cross for mankind.
Bless, praise and exalt him for ever.
Then the protodeacon offers him the wine, saying:

And the priest makes the sign of the cross over the wine, saying:
Then taking the wine, he pours it crosswise into the chalice, saying:
In remembrance of the redeeming economy of our Lord God and Savior
Jesus Christ;
Through the fountain of whose blood flowing from his side all creatures have
been renewed and made immortal.
Bless, praise and exalt him forever.
And he says the following prayer of St. John Chrysostom.
O Lord our God, who sent our Lord Jesus Christ, the heavenly bread, the
food of the whole world, to be savior and redeemer and benefactor, and to bless
and to sanctify us; Bless now, Lord, also this presentation and receive this upon
your heavenly altar.
Be mindful as the beneficent one, and the lover of mankind, both of those
who offer it and of those for whom it is offered and keep us without
condemnation in the priestly service of your divine mysteries. For holy and
11
glorious is the most honorable majesty of the glory of the Father and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit, now and always and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Ps 93
The Lord has reigned, he is clothed with majesty; the Lord is clothed, he has
girded himself with strength.
He established the world so that it could not be moved; your throne has been
ready; you are from the beginning to everlasting.
The rivers have lifted up, O Lord, the rivers have lifted up their voices; the
rivers shall rise in their courses.
From the voice of many waters the waves of the sea became wonderful;
Lord, you on high are wonderful; We greatly trusted your testimonies.
Holiness befits your house, O Lord, for length of days.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Then he makes the sign of the cross over the gifts, saying three times:
Lk 1:35
The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will
overshadow you.
And the priest offers incense, saying:
I offer incense before you, Christ, for a spiritual fragrance. Receive it for a
sweet-smelling fragrance into your holy, heavenly and intelligible place of
offering.
Send down on us in return the graces and the gifts of your Holy Spirit. And to
you we offer glory with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always and unto
the ages of ages. Amen.
And the curtain is opened.
THE SYNAXIS (MIDDAY OFFICE)

THE CENSING
And then censing, he comes down into the church together with the deacons,
and going up again, he bows to the altar three times.
STAND
The Choir:
Through the intercession of your virgin Mother accept the supplications
of your servants, O Christ, who with your blood has made your holy
Church more resplendent than the heavens. You have also appointed within
12
her, after the pattern of the heavenly hosts, the orders of apostles, prophets
and holy teachers.
This day we, classes of priests, deacons, clerks and servers here
assembled, offer incense before you, O Lord, as Zachariah did of old.
Accept from us our prayers with offerings of incense, like the sacrifice of
Abel, of Noah and of Abraham. Through the intercession of your supernal
hosts maintain ever unshaken the throne of Armenians.
The Deacon:
Bless, Lord.
The Priest:
Blessed is the kingdom of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit, now and always and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
And the choir sings the Introit [zhamamood] proper to the day.
On Sundays:
Only-begotten Son and Word of God and Being immortal, who deigned
to take body through the holy Mother of God and Ever-Virgin.
You, unchangeable, became man and you were crucified, O Christ our
God, and you trampled down death by death.
You, one of the Holy Trinity, are equal in glory with the Father and the
Holy Spirit; save us.
The Deacon:
Bless, Lord.
The Priest:
Blessing and glory to the Father and to the Son and to the holy Spirit,
Peace to all.
The Choir:
And with your spirit.
The Deacon:
Let us bow down to God.
The Choir:
Before you, O Lord.
The Priest:
13
O Lord our God, whose power is inscrutable and whose glory
incomprehensible, whose mercy is beyond measure and compassion infinite,
according to your abundant love of mankind, look down upon this your
people and upon this holy temple and make abundant your mercy and your
compassion to us and to those who pray with us. For to you is befitting
glory, dominion and honor, now and always and unto the ages of ages.
Amen.
And the choir will chant the Midday Psalm and the Midday Chant proper
to the day.
The Priest:
Lord our God, save your people and bless your inheritance, preserve the
fullness of your Church. Sanctify those who have come to greet in love the
beauty of your house. Glorify us by your divine power and forsake not us who
have put our trust in you. For yours is the might and the power and the glory
unto the ages. Amen.
Peace to all.
You who have taught us all to pray in common and with one accord and have
promised to grant the requests of two or three agreeing together in your name,
fulfil now the petitions of your servants as may be expedient for them, granting
us in this world knowledge of your truth and in the world to come life
everlasting. For you are God beneficent and you love mankind and to you is
befitting glory, dominion and honor, now and always and unto the ages of ages.
Amen.
THE GOSPEL PROCESSION
[The elevation of the Gospel book and the procession with it around
the altar expresses our belief that the Gospel is the Word of God. The
Gospel’s authority is so vast that in reading it, we encounter not only
Christ’s words, but Christ the Lord himself. To him we sing the ancient
Christian hymn of the Three Holies, Soorp Asdvadz, proclaiming the one
who rose from the dead to be “Holy God, holy and mighty, holy and
immortal.”
After Soorp Asdvadz the deacon leads the people in a litany of prayers
“for peace for the whole world and stability of the holy church,” and for
various categories of people, living and deceased. The choir and people
appeal to God after each petition saying, “Lord have mercy.”]
The Priest:
14
Lord our God, you, who have established in the heavens the orders and the
hosts of angels and archangels for the ministry of your glory, make now the holy
angels also enter with our entrance and serve with us and glorify with us your
goodness
for yours is might and power and glory unto the ages. Amen.
The Deacons:
Be attentive.
One of the deacons elevates the holy Gospel.
The Choir:
The Trisagion
For Eastertide and for Sundays of Resurrection:

Holy God, holy and mighty, holy and immortal,
Who rose from the dead,
Have mercy on us.
Repeat three times.
For Theophany and Transfiguration:

Who came and is to come,
Have mercy on us.
Repeat three times.
For Presentation, Pentecost and Assumption:

Who came and is to come,
Have mercy on us.
Repeat three times.
For the days of the Cross, of the Church, of Saints and of Fasting:
Who was crucified for us,
Have mercy on us.
Repeat three times.
The Priest:
Holy God, you who rest in the saints and are praised with the thrice-holy cry
of the seraphim; glorified by the cherubim and adored by all the heavenly hosts,
you, who have brought all creatures into being out of nothing, made man after
your own image and likeness, and have adorned him with every grace of yours,
and have taught him to seek wisdom and prudence, and have not
15
neglected the sinner, but have laid upon him repentance to salvation. You have
made us, your lowly and unworthy servants, worthy to stand at this hour
before the glory of your holy altar and to offer the adoration and glory due to
you.
Lord, accept from our mouths, sinners as we are, the thrice-holy hymn and
keep us by your loving kindness; forgive us all our transgressions both voluntary
and involuntary. Sanctify our souls, our minds and our bodies and grant that we
may serve you in holiness all the days of our lives, through the intercession of
the holy Mother of God and of all your saints, who through the ages have been
well-pleasing to you. For you, O Lord our God, are holy and to you is befitting
SIT
The Deacon:

The Choir: Lord, have mercy.
For the peace of the whole world and for the stability of the holy
Church, let us beseech the Lord.
For all the holy and orthodox bishops, let us beseech the Lord.
For the life of our Patriarch Lord ____ and for the salvation of his soul,
let us beseech the Lord.
For vartabeds, priests, deacons, readers and the whole company of the
children of the Church, let us beseech the Lord.
For pious and God-loving civil leaders and their armed forces, let us
beseech the Lord.
For the souls of those who are at rest and have fallen asleep in Christ in
the true and right faith, let us beseech the Lord.
The Choir: Be mindful Lord, and have mercy.
And again with one accord by our true and holy faith, let us beseech the
Lord.
16
Let us commit ourselves and one another to the Lord God almighty.
The Choir: To you, O Lord, we commit ourselves.
Have mercy on us, O Lord our God, according to your great mercy. Let
us all say with one accord:
The Choir: Lord have mercy; Lord have mercy; Lord have mercy.
The Priest:
Lord our God, accept the supplications of us your servants, made with open
arms, and be merciful to us according to your great mercy. Send down your
compassion on us and upon all your people, that await the abundant mercy
which comes from you
for you, being God, are merciful and you love mankind; and to you is
befitting glory, dominion and honor, now and always and unto the ages of
ages. Amen.
READING OF THE SCRIPTURES
[Passages from the Old and New Testament are read at every Divine
Liturgy. The readings and the psalms that punctuate them are always
associated with the liturgical feast or season.
The Gospel reading is the focus of this part of the Divine Liturgy. Just
as in the Eucharist Christ comes to us in his Body and Blood, likewise
during the Synaxis our Lord comes to us through his Word. This is clear
from the announcement of the Gospel reading when the choir responds,
“Glory to you, O Lord our God . . . God is speaking.”
Chanting the Gospel is one of the traditional functions of the ordained
deacon.]
After the readings, the deacon says:

Alleluia. Stand up.
STAND
The Priest:
Peace to all.
The Choir:
A Deacon:
Listen attentively
17
The Deacon:
to the holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to (Matthew).
The Choir:
Glory to you, O Lord our God.
A Deacon:
Be attentive.
The Choir:
God is speaking.
And the Deacon chants the holy Gospel, at the end of which, all say:
THE PROFESSION OF THE FAITH
[This confession of faith was agreed upon by all the churches at the
first ecumenical council held in 325 AD in the city of Nicea, near
Constantinople. The Nicene Creed is solemnly chanted by all the people
as an official declaration of the most important articles of the Church’s
doctrine. It is essential that all those who have assembled for the Divine
Liturgy be of one theological mind. If our worship is to be truly the
corporate act of Christ’s body, the Church, then there can be no diversity
of opinion regarding who God is, and who we are relative to him. This is
what the Nicene Creed declares.
While reciting the Creed, the faithful join their hands together, thumbs
crossed, a reminder of our unity in the orthodox faith.]
We believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth,
of things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, begotten of God the
Father, only-begotten, that is of the substance of the Father.
God from God, light from light, true God from true God, begotten and
not made; of the same nature of the Father, by whom all things came into
being in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible;
Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven, took
body, became man, was born perfectly of the holy virgin Mary by the Holy
Spirit.
By whom he took body, soul and mind and everything that is in man,
truly and not in semblance.
18
He suffered and was crucified and was buried and rose again on the
third day and ascended into heaven with the same body and sat at the right
hand of the Father.
He is to come with the same body and with the glory of the Father to
judge the living and the dead; of His kingdom there is no end.
We believe also in the Holy Spirit, the uncreate and the perfect; who
spoke through the Law and through the Prophets and through the Gospels;
Who came down upon the Jordan, preached through the apostles and
dwelled in the saints.
We believe also in only one catholic and apostolic [holy] Church;
In one baptism with repentance for the remission and forgiveness of sins;
In the resurrection of the dead, in the everlasting judgment of souls and
bodies, in the kingdom of heaven and in the life eternal.
The Deacon:
As for those who say there was a time when the Son was not, or there
was a time when the Holy Spirit was not or that they came into being out of
nothing; or who say that the Son of God or the Holy Spirit are of a different
substance and that they are changeable or alterable, such do the catholic
and apostolic holy Church anathematize.
The Priest:
As for us, we shall glorify him who was before the ages, worshipping the
Holy Trinity and the one Godhead, the Father and the Son and the Holy
Spirit, now and always and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
THE PRAYERS AFTER THE SCRIPTURE READINGS
The Deacon:
The Choir:
Lord, have mercy.
The Deacon:
Again in faith let us beseech and ask of our Lord God and Savior Jesus
Christ, at this hour of service and prayers, that he may make them worthy
of acceptance. May the Lord hear the voice of our supplications; may he receive
the requests of our hearts; may he forgive our trespasses and have mercy on us.
May our prayers and requests at all times enter into the presence of his great
majesty and may he grant us to labor in good works with one accord, in one
faith and in righteousness, so that he may send down on us the gifts of his
mercy.
May the Lord almighty save us and have mercy on us.
The Choir: Save us, Lord.
19
That we may pass the hour of this holy sacrifice and the day now before
us in peace and in faith, let us ask of the Lord.
The Choir: Grant it, Lord.
The angel of peace to guard our souls, let us ask of the Lord.
The forgiveness and the remission of our transgressions, let us ask of the
Lord.
The great and mighty power of the holy Cross to help our souls, let us
ask of the Lord.
Again with one accord for our true and holy faith, let us beseech the
Lord.
Have mercy on us, O Lord our God, according to your great mercy. Let
us all say with one accord:
The Choir: Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
The Priest:
Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, great in mercy and abounding in the gifts
of your beneficence, you, who of your own will did endure at this hour the
sufferings of the cross and of death on account of our sins, and did abundantly
bestow the gifts of your Holy Spirit on the blessed apostles; make us also, Lord,
we beseech you, sharers in your divine gifts, in the forgiveness of sins and in the
reception of the Holy Spirit
that we may be made worthy to give you thanks and to glorify you with
the Father and with the Holy Spirit, now and always and unto the ages of
ages. Amen.
Peace to all.
The Choir:
And with your Spirit.
The Deacons:
20
The Choir:
Before you, Lord.
The Priest:
With your peace, Christ our Savior, which surpasses all understanding
and speech, defend us and keep us fearless of all evil. Make us equal to your
true worshippers, who worship you in spirit and in truth; for to the most-
holy Trinity is befitting glory, dominion and honor, now and always and
unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Blessed be our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Choir:
Amen.
The Deacon:
Bless, Lord.
The Priest makes the sign of the cross over the people and says:
May the Lord God bless you all.
The Choir:
Amen.
After this, if the celebrant is a bishop, he takes off his omophorion, his mitre
and his slippers. If he is a priest, he takes off his crown and his slippers.
21
THE EUCHARIST
THE TRANSFER OF THE GIFTS
[The priest’s blessing marks the end of the Synaxis. The Eucharist
proper, the heart of the Divine Liturgy, begins with the deacon’s
admonition to the unbaptized and the penitents. It is a reminder that
participation in the Divine Liturgy—and membership in the Church—is
a profound privilege.
At the Transfer of the Gifts, the deacon carries to the priest the veiled
chalice containing bread and wine. They recite alternately verses from Ps
24. The procession and psalm anticipate the revelation of Jesus Christ,
the “king of glory, the Lord of hosts” in the Eucharist. The hymns
accompanying the procession recall the angels, who live to worship God
continuously in heaven with their own special hymn of praise, “Holy,
Holy, Holy” [Is 6:3, Rev 4:8]]
STAND
The Deacon:
Let none of the catechumens, none of little faith and none of the
penitents or the unclean draw near to this divine mystery.
The Choir:
The body of the Lord and the blood of the Savior are laid up before us.
The heavenly hosts invisibly sing and say with unceasing voice: Holy,
holy, holy, Lord of hosts.
The Deacon:
Sing psalms to the Lord our God, readers, sing spiritual songs with a
sweet voice.
The Choir:
With an angelic order you have filled, O God, your holy church.
Thousands of thousands of archangels stand before you and myriads of
myriads of angels minister to you, O Lord; yet you are well pleased to
accept from men praises with the mystical song: Holy, holy, holy, Lord of
hosts.
Ps 19:6, 68:34, Hab 3:3.
The Deacon:
In the sun has he set his tabernacle; and he comes forth as a bridegroom out
of his chamber.
22
The Altar Servers:
And he rejoices as a giant to run his course.
The Deacon:
Make a way for him who rides upon the heaven of heavens toward the east.
God shall come from the south; and the holy One from mount Paran.
The Priest:
None of us who are bound by carnal passions and desires is worthy to
approach your table or to minister to your royal glory; for to serve you is great
and fearful even to the heavenly hosts.
Yet through your immeasurable goodness, you, infinite Word of the Father,
did become man and did appear as our high-priest; and as the Lord of all did
commit to us the ministry of this priesthood and this bloodless sacrifice.
For you are our Lord God, who rule over those who are of heaven and those
who are of earth; who sit upon the cherubic throne, Lord of the seraphim and
king of Israel; who alone are holy and dwell in the saints.
I beseech you, who alone are good and ready to hear, look upon me, your
sinful and unprofitable servant, and cleanse my soul and my mind from all the
defilements of the evil one; and by the power of your Holy Spirit enable me,
who have been clothed with the grace of this priesthood, to stand before this
holy table and to consecrate your spotless body and your precious blood.
Bowing down my neck to you, I entreat you, turn not your face from me and
reject me not from among your servants; but make me worthy, your sinful and
unworthy servant as I am, to offer these gifts to you.
For you offer and you yourself are offered and you receive and you give, O
Christ our God; and we give glory to you, together with your eternal Father and
the most holy and beneficent Spirit, now and always and unto the ages of ages.
Amen.
Then the holy Bread and the Cup of immortality are brought up by the
deacons to the holy altar.
Ps 24: 7-10.
The Deacon:
Lift up your gates, O princes; let the everlasting doors be lifted up, and
the king of glory shall come in.
The Priest:
Who is the king of glory: The Lord strong in his power, the Lord mighty
in battle?
The Deacon:
23
Lift up your gates, O princes; let the everlasting doors be lifted up, and
the king of glory shall come in.
The Priest:
Who is this king of glory? The Lord of hosts.
The Deacon:
This is the king of glory!
And the celebrant bows with fear and trembling and receives the gifts from
the deacon and makes the sign of the cross over the people, saying:
Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord.
The Deacon:
The Deacon:
Again in faith and purity let us stand with awe and pray before the holy
altar of God; not with guilty conscience and offence, not with craft and
cunning, not with deceit and wiles, not with doubt and not with little faith; but
with right conduct, a single mind, a guileless heart, with perfect faith, filled with
love, full and abounding in all good works. Let us stand in prayer before the
holy altar of God that we may find the grace of mercy on the day of the
revelation and the second coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
May he save us and have mercy on us.
The Choir:
Save us, Lord, and have mercy on us.
The Priest:
Lord God of hosts and creator of all things; you, who have brought all things
into visible existence out of nothing; who also in your love of mankind have
ordained us to be ministers of so awesome and ineffable a mystery; you, Lord,
to whom we offer these oblations, accept from us this presentation and
consummate it to be the mystery of the body and blood of your Only-begotten,
and grant this bread and this cup to be for us, who taste of them, a remedy of
forgiveness for our sins
by the grace and the loving-kindness of our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ with whom to you, O Father, and also to the Holy Spirit, is befitting
glory, dominion and honor, now and always and unto the ages of ages.
Amen.
24
THE KISS OF PEACE
[We know from St. Paul that the earliest Christians greeted one
another “with a holy kiss” [Rom 16:16, 1Cor 16:20, 2Cor 13:12, 1Th
5:26], a sign of their unity and love in Christ. This is the meaning of the
Kiss of Peace. In the Eucharist, Christ comes to unite his people to each
other and to himself by offering them his Body and Blood. For our part
in this divine union, we must see to it that we are completely reconciled
with each other so that in the Eucharist we can truly become Christ’s
body, the Church. This complies with Jesus’ command, “If you are
offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has
something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first
be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. [Mt
5:23].
This theme is evident in the hymn of the kiss of peace, “Krisdos ee
mech mer haydnetsav.” The Kiss of Peace is the liturgical seal of the
reconciliation and love that we should actualize in our daily lives.
It is perfectly acceptable for the faithful to greet each other with a kiss
on each cheek, or, with a more ritualized inclination of the head, first to
the left, then to the right of the person being greeted. The person offering
the Kiss of Peace says, “Christ is revealed among us.” The response is,
“Blessed is the revelation of Christ.”]
The Priest:
Peace to all.
The Choir:
The Deacon:
The Choir:
Before you, O Lord.
The Deacon:
Greet one another with a holy kiss.
And you, who are not able to partake of this divine mystery and have
gone outside the doors, pray.
The Choir:
Christ in our midst has been revealed;
He Who Is, God, is here seated.
25
The voice of peace has resounded;
Holy greeting is commanded.
This Church has now become one soul,
The kiss is given for a full bond.
The enmity has been removed;
And love is spread over us all.
Now, Ministers, raise your voices,
And give blessings with one accord
To the Godhead consubstantial,
While angels sing: “Holy, Holy, Holy.”
THE ANAPHORA
THE PROLOGUE
The Deacon:
You, who stand with faith before the royal holy table, behold Christ the
king seated, surrounded by supernal hosts.
The Choir:
We lift up our eyes and behold and implore him saying:
Remember not our sins, O Lord, but in your compassion forgive us.
With the angels and with your saints we praise you, Lord; glory to you.)
The Deacon:
Let us stand in awe, let us stand in the fear of the Lord, let us stand
straight, let us attend with good heed
The Choir:
to you, O God,
The Deacon:
Christ, the spotless Lamb of God, offers himself in sacrifice.
The Choir:
Mercy and peace and a sacrifice of praise.
The priest turns to the people and, making the sign of the cross over them,
says:
The grace, the love and the divine sanctifying power of the Father and of
the Son and of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
The Choir:
26
Amen. And with your spirit.
The Deacon:
The doors, the doors!
With all wisdom and good heed lift up your minds in the fear of God.
The Choir:
We have them lifted up to you, O Lord almighty.
The Deacon:
And give thanks to the Lord with the whole heart.
The Choir:
It is proper and right.
[While the deacon calls the people to undivided attention, the priest
begins to pray the Anaphora, or Eucharistic Prayer, the longest and most
important prayer of the Divine Liturgy. The prayer expresses the faith of
the Armenian Church. Addressed to God the Father, the prayer
commemorates our salvation through the special ministry of Jesus Christ,
the Son of God. The prayer recalls the key historical events by which
Christ has brought us “freedom from condemnation:” his incarnation
(birth as a human being), his suffering, crucifixion, death and burial, his
resurrection on the third day and his ascension into heaven with the
Father.
The dialogue between the deacon, choir and priest, which precedes
the Eucharistic Prayer exhorts the assembly to heightened attention for
this important part of the Divine Liturgy.]
The Priest:
The Preface
It is truly proper and right with most earnest diligence always to adore and
glorify you, Father almighty, who did remove the hindrance of the curse by your
imponderable Word, your co-creator, who, having taken the Church to be a
people to himself, made his own those who believe in you, and was pleased to
dwell among us in a ponderable nature, according to the dispensation through
the Virgin, and as the divine master-builder building a new work, he thereby
made this earth into heaven.
For he, before whom the companies of vigilant angels could not bear to
stand, being amazed at the resplendent and unapproachable light of his divinity,
27
even he, becoming man for our salvation, granted to us that we should join the
heavenly ones in spiritual choirs,
The Priest:
and in one voice with the seraphim and the cherubim, we should sing
holy songs and make melodies and, boldly crying out, shout with them and
say:
The Sanctus
The Choir:
Holy, holy, holy Lord of hosts;

Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Blessing in the highest.
Blessed are you who did come and are to come in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
[The angelic song of the three holies (called “Sanctus”) is the hymn sung
by the angels in the unending praise of God in heaven [Is 6:3, Rev 4:8].
The heavenly hosts are God’s perfect worshipers. Christ’s self-revelation
and sacrifice have restored us from our former state of exile from God
and made us worthy to worship God our Father as perfectly as the angels
do, by joining their choir of praise.]
The Priest:
The Post-Sanctus
Holy, holy, holy are you truly and all-holy; and who is he that will presume
to contain in words the outpouring of your infinite loving-kindness to us? From
the very beginning you did care for him who had fallen into sin and did comfort
him in diverse manners by the prophets, by the giving of the law, by the
priesthood and by the prefigurative offering of animals.
And at the end of these days, tearing up the sentence of condemnation for all
our debts, you gave us your only-begotten Son, both debtor and debt,
immolation and anointed, lamb and heavenly bread, high priest and sacrifice; for
he is distributor and he himself is distributed always in our midst without being
ever consumed.
For having become man truly and without illusion, and having become
incarnate, through union without confusion, through the Mother of God, the holy
virgin Mary, he journeyed through all the passions of our human life without sin
and came willingly to the world-saving cross, which was the occasion of our
redemption.
28
Taking the bread in his holy, divine, immortal, spotless and creative hands,
he blessed it, gave thanks, broke it and gave it to his chosen, holy disciples, who
were seated, saying:
The Priest:
Take, eat; this is my body, which is distributed for you and for many, for
the expiation and remission of sins.
The Choir: Amen.
The Priest:
Likewise taking the cup, he blessed it, gave thanks, drank and gave it to his
chosen, holy disciples, who were seated, saying:
The Priest:
Drink this all of you. This is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed
for you and for many for the expiation and remission of sins.
[On the night before his death, Jesus joined his disciples in a final
evening meal, during which he took plain bread and wine, blessed them
and gave thanks; and giving them to his disciples to eat, he proclaimed
them to be his own Body and Blood, a gesture of loving self-sacrifice
and communion. He commanded that we should repeat this ritual in
commemoration of him: “Do this in remembrance of me” [1Cor 11:24-
25, Lk 22:19]. The communion of Christ’s Body and Blood is therefore
the heart of our worship, and of our commemoration of Jesus Christ in
the Divine Liturgy.]
The Choir: Amen.

Heavenly Father, who did give your Son to death for us, debtor for our
debts, by the shedding of his blood, we beseech you, have mercy upon your
rational flock.
The Anamnesis
The Priest:
And your only-begotten beneficent Son gave us the commandment that we
should always do this in remembrance of him.
And descending into the nether regions of death in the body which he took of
our kinship, and mightily breaking asunder the bolts of hell, he made you known
to us the only true God, the God of the living and of the dead.
And now, O Lord, in accordance with this commandment, bringing forth the
saving mystery of the body and blood or your Only-begotten, we remember his
redemptive sufferings for us, his life-giving crucifixion, his burial for three days,
his blessed resurrection, his divine ascension and his enthronement at your right
29
hand, O Father; his awesome and glorious second coming, we confess and
praise.
And we offer to you yours of your own from all and for all.
The Choir:
In all things blessed are you, O Lord.
We bless you, we praise you;
We give thanks to you;
We pray to you, O Lord our God.
The Priest:
We do indeed praise you and give thanks to you at all times, O Lord our God,
who, having overlooked our unworthiness, have made us ministers of this
awesome and ineffable mystery.
Not by reason of any good works of our own, of which we are always
altogether bereft and at all times find ourselves void, but ever taking refuge in
your overflowing forbearance, we make bold to approach the ministry of the
body and blood of your Only-begotten, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, to
whom is befitting glory, dominion and honor, now and always and unto the ages
of ages. Amen.
Peace to all.
The Choir:
The Deacon:
The Choir:
Before you, O Lord.
Son of God, who are sacrificed to the Father for reconciliation, bread of
life distributed among us, through the shedding of your holy blood, we
beseech you, have mercy on your flock saved by your blood.
The Epiclesis
[The greatest mystery of the Christian faith is that the one God and
Father shares his divinity with his Only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, and
with his Holy Spirit, three persons united in one God. At this point in the
Eucharist the priest calls on God the Father to send his Holy Spirit upon
all of the assembled faithful and on the gifts of bread and wine, to make
them truly the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is our
ultimate desire and prayer, that in this Eucharist the Holy Spirit will unite
all the faithful together with each other and with Christ by way of his
30
Body and Blood so that we will truly come to constitute the Church in its
fullest sense.]
The Priest:
We bow down and beseech and ask you, beneficent God, send upon us and
upon these gifts set forth, your co-eternal and consubstantial Holy Spirit.
The Deacon:
Amen. Bless, Lord.
The Priest:
Whereby blessing this bread, make it truly the body of our lord and Savior
Jesus Christ.
He repeats this three times.
And blessing this cup, make it truly the blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ.
Whereby blessing this bread and this wine, make them truly the body and
blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, changing them by your Holy Spirit
so that this may be to us all who draw near thereto for acquittal, for
expiation and for remission of sins.
The Choir:
Spirit of God, who, descending from heaven accomplishes through us the
mystery of him who is glorified with you, by the shedding of his blood, we
beseech you, grant rest to the souls of those of us who have fallen asleep.
[The Divine Liturgy is the prime opportunity to pray to our heavenly

Father for all of our cares and concerns: for peace in the world, for the
Armenian Church, for our Catholicos, clergy and civil leaders, for
travelers, prisoners, captives, for the sick and the suffering, for temperate
weather and sufficient food, for those who help the poor, for all the
living and all the dead. The priest tailors the prayer to the individual
requests and prayers of the community.
In these prayers, the Church invokes the names of many saints, men
and women who, by their profound virtue in this life, already live in the
fullness of God’s kingdom. We call on them to intercede for us, to appeal
to god for our sake by virtue of their exalted status with him.]
The Priest:
31
The Intercessions
Through this grant love, stability and desirable peace to the whole world, to
the holy Church and to all orthodox bishops, to priests, to deacons, to kings, to
the princes of the world, to peoples, to travelers, to seafarers, to prisoners, to
those who are in danger, to the weary and to those who are at war with
barbarians.
Through this grant also seasonableness to the weather and fertility to the
fields and a speedy recovery to those who are afflicted with diverse diseases.
Through this give rest to all who aforetime have fallen asleep in Christ: to the
forefathers, the patriarchs, the prophets, the apostles, martyrs, bishops,
presbyters, deacons and the whole company of your holy Church and to all the
laity, men and women, who have ended their life in faith. –
With whom, O beneficent God, visit us also, we beseech you.
The Choir:
Be mindful, Lord, and have mercy.
The Priest:
That the Mother of God, the holy virgin Mary, and John the Baptist, the
first martyr Stephen and all the saints be remembered in this holy sacrifice,
we beseech the Lord.
The Choir:
The Deacon:
That the holy apostles, prophets, doctors, martyrs and all holy
patriarchs, apostolic bishops, presbyters, orthodox deacons and all the
saints be remembered in this holy sacrifice, we beseech the Lord.
The Choir:
The Deacon:
We worship the blessed, praised, glorified, wondrous and divine
resurrection of Christ.
The Choir:
Glory to your resurrection, O Lord.
The Deacon:
That our leaders and first enlighteners, the holy apostles Thaddeus and
Bartholomew, and Gregory the Enlightener, Areesdages, Vrtanes, Hooseeg,
Kreekorees, Nerses, Sahag, Daniel and Khat; Mesrob the Vartabed and Gregory
32
of Nareg, Nerses of Kla, John of Vorodn, Gregory and Moses of Datev, and
Kreekor and Nerses and their companions and all the pastors and chief-
pastors of the Armenians be remembered in this holy sacrifice, we beseech
the Lord.
The Choir:
The Deacon:
That the holy hermits, the virtuous and God-instructed monks Paulus,
Anthony, Paul, Macarius, Onophrius, Mark the Abbot, Serapion, Nilus,
Arsenius, Evagrius, Barsumas; John and Simeon and their companions; Vosgee
and Sookyas and their fellow martyrs; and all the holy fathers and their disciples
throughout the world be remembered in this holy sacrifice we beseech the
Lord.
The Choir:
The Deacon:
That the devout kings, Saints Abgar, Constantine, Drtad and Theodosius
and all saintly and pious kings and God-loving princes be remembered in
this holy sacrifice, we beseech the Lord.
The Choir:
The Deacon:
That all the faithful everywhere, men and women, old and young of
every age, who in faith and holiness have fallen asleep in Christ, be
remembered in this holy sacrifice, we beseech the Lord.
The Choir:
Be mindful, Lord and have mercy.
The Priest:
Be mindful, Lord, and have mercy and bless your holy, catholic and apostolic
Church, which you have saved by the precious blood of your Only-begotten, and
have freed by this holy cross. Grant her unshaken peace.
Be mindful, Lord, and have mercy and bless all the orthodox bishops who
impart to us the word of truth in orthodox doctrine.
And more specially grant us to have our chief bishop and venerable
Patriarch of All Armenians the lord _____ for length of days in orthodox
doctrine.
33
The Deacon:
Thanksgiving and glory we offer to you, O Lord our God, for this holy
and immortal sacrifice which is on this holy altar, that you will grant it to
be to us for holiness of life.
Through this grant love, stability and desirable peace to the whole world,
to the holy Church and to all orthodox bishops and to our chief bishop and
venerable Patriarch of All Armenians lord _____ and to the priest who is
offering this sacrifice.
Let us pray for the forces and the victories of Christian kings and pious
princes.
Let us also beseech the Lord for the souls of those who are at rest,
and especially for our prelates who are at rest, and for the
founders of this holy church, and for those who are laid to rest under her
shadow.
Let us ask deliverance for those of our brethren who have been made
captive, and grace to the congregation here present, and rest for those who
have ended their life in Christ with faith and holiness.
That these be remembered in this holy sacrifice, we beseech the Lord.
The Choir:
From all and for all.
The Priest:
Be mindful, Lord, and have mercy and bless your people standing here
before you and those who have offered these gifts, and grant them whatever is
necessary and profitable.
Be mindful, Lord, and have mercy and bless those who have made vows and
those who have brought gifts to your holy Church and those who are mercifully
mindful of the poor. Render what is due to them, according to your natural
bounty, a hundredfold here and in the world to come.
Be mindful, Lord, and have mercy and compassion on the souls of those who
are at rest. Give them rest and enlighten them; reckon them among your saints in
the kingdom of heaven and make them worthy of your mercy.
Be mindful, Lord, also of the soul of your servant _____ and have mercy on
him/her according to your great mercy and by your visitation give him/her rest
in the light of your countenance.
And if he or she is living:

Deliver him (or her) from all the snares of soul and of body.
Be mindful, Lord, also of those who have commended themselves to us for
remembrance in our prayers, of those who are living and of those who are at
rest, and direct their will in their petitions as well as our will to what is right and
abounding in salvation, and reward them all with your blessed bounties that pass
not away.
34
And having cleansed our thoughts, make us temples fit for the reception of
the Body and Blood of your Only-begotten and our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ, with whom to you, O Father almighty, together with the life-giving and
liberating Holy Spirit, is befitting glory, dominion and honor, now and always
The Priest:
And the mercy of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ be with you all.
The Choir:
Amen. And with your spirit.
SIT
[The priest’s blessing, “And the mercy of our great God and Savior Jesus
Christ be with you all” signifies the end of the Eucharistic Prayer. The
prayers and rituals that follow this are all in immediate preparation for
receiving Holy Communion. These begin with a deacon’s litany,
followed by the Lord’s Prayer. No gesture or ritual more clearly
demonstrates our redeemed dignity than when the faithful stand boldly
before almighty God and are privileged to call him “Our Father.”]
PRE-COMMUNION RITES
The Deacon:
By all the saints whom we have commemorated, let us moreover beseech

the Lord.
By the holy, divine and immortal sacrifice offered on this holy altar, let
us beseech the Lord.
That the Lord our God, who has accepted the same at his holy, heavenly
and intelligible altar, may in return send down upon us the grace and the
gifts of the Holy Spirit, let us beseech the Lord.
Receive, save and have mercy and keep us, O Lord, by your grace.
The Choir: Save us, O Lord, and have mercy on us.
35
Commemorating the all-holy Mother of God and ever-virgin Mary
together with all the saints, let us beseech the Lord.
The Choir: Be mindful, Lord, and have mercy.
Again in one accord for our true and holy faith, let us beseech the Lord.
The Choir: Lord have mercy.
Have mercy on us, O Lord our God, according to your plenteous mercy.
Let us all say with one accord:
The Choir:
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
STAND
The Priest:
God of truth and Father of mercy, we thank you, who have exalted our
nature, condemned as we were, above that of the blessed patriarchs; for you
were called God to them, whereas in compassion you have been pleased to be
named Father to us.
And now, O Lord, we beseech you, make the grace of so new and precious a
naming of yourself shine forth and flourish day by day in your holy Church
And grant us to open our mouths with a cry of bold voice, to call upon
you, O heavenly Father, to sing and say:
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 debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not
into temptation; but deliver us from evil.
The Priest:
Lord of lords, God of gods, king eternal, creator of all creatures, Father of
our Lord Jesus Christ, give us not over for trial, but deliver us from evil and save
us from temptation.
For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory to ages, Amen.
Peace to all.
The Choir:
36
The Deacon:
KNEEL
The Choir:
Before you, O Lord.
The Priest:
O Holy Spirit, the fountain of life and the source of mercy, have mercy upon
these people, who bow down and worship your Godhead.
Keep them whole and stamp upon their souls the form signified by their
bodily posture so that they may inherit and enter into the possession of the good
things to come
through Christ Jesus, our Lord, with whom to you, O Holy Spirit, and to
the Father almighty is befitting glory, dominion and honor, now and always
THE ELEVATION
The Deacon:
Be attentive.
The priest:
Holiness for the holy.
The Choir:
The one holy, the one Lord, Jesus Christ, in the glory of God the Father.
Amen.
The Priest:
Look down from heaven, from your holiness and from the glorious throne of
your kingdom, Jesus Christ our Lord. Come to sanctify and to save us, you, who
sit with the Father and are here sacrificed. Deign to give to us of your undefiled
Body and precious Blood and through us to all the people.
THE DOXOLOGY
[While the choir sings the two following hymns in praise of Christ and of
the Holy Trinity, the celebrant prays that he and all the people be
considered worthy to receive Jesus Christ in holy communion.]
The Priest:
Blessed are you, holy Father, true God.
The Choir: Amen.
37
Blessed are you, holy Son, true God.
The Choir: Amen.
Blessed are you, Holy Spirit, true God.

The Choir: Amen.
Blessing and glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
The Choir: Amen.

Holy is the Father, holy is the Son, holy is the Spirit.
Blessing to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
The Priest:
O Lord our God, you have called us Christians after the name of your only-
begotten Son and have granted us baptism through the spiritual font for the
forgiveness of sins; and you have made us worthy to partake of the holy Body
and Blood of your Only-begotten.
And now we beseech you, O Lord, make us worthy to receive this holy
mystery for the remission of our sins, and to glorify you thankfully together with
the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and always and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
[For the first time the priest turns toward the people with the chalice and
proclaims it to be the “holy and precious Body and Blood of our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ.”
The curtain closes while the celebrant offers his own personal prayers and
himself receives Holy Communion.
The choir and people sing the hymn, Der Voghormya, a good time for
personal prayer and reflection before receiving Holy Communion.
The ancient communion hymn, Orhnyal eh Asdvadz Kreesdos badarakyal,
responds to the deacon’s exhortation to “Sing psalms to the Lord our God.” The
words, “Taste and see how sweet is the Lord” (Ps 34:8) refer to the Communion
we are about to receive.]
The Priest:
In holiness let us taste of the holy, holy and precious Body and Blood of
our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who, having come down from heaven, is
distributed among us.
This is life, hope of resurrection, expiation and remission of sins.
Sing psalms to the Lord our God, sing psalms to our immortal heavenly
king, who rides in chariots of cherubim.
38
And they close the curtain.
KNEEL OR SIT
The Choir and Deacons:

Lord have mercy. Lord have mercy. Lord have mercy. Lord have
mercy.
O all-holy Trinity, grant peace to the world.
And healing to the sick, the Kingdom to those at rest.
Lord have mercy. Lord have mercy. Jesus, Savior, have mercy on us.
By means of this holy and immortal and life-giving sacrifice.
Receive, Lord, and have mercy.
The Deacon:
Sing psalms to the Lord our God, servers, and spiritual hymns in a sweet
voice.
For to him are befitting psalms and praises, alleluias and spiritual songs.
Ministers, sing psalms together with hymns, and praise the Lord in
heaven.
The Priest:
What blessing and what thanksgiving will we render over this bread and this
cup! Yet, Jesus, only you we bless with your Father and with the all-holy Spirit,
I confess and believe that you are Christ the Son of God, who did take away
the sins of the world.
The fulfillment of the Holy Spirit.
The Priest:
Holy Father, you who have called us by the name of your Only-begotten and
have enlightened us through baptism of the spiritual font, make us worthy to
receive this holy mystery for the remission of our sins. Impress upon us the
graces of your Holy Spirit, as you did upon the holy apostles, who tasted it and
became the cleansers of the whole world.
And now, O Lord, beneficent Father, make this communion part of the
supper of the disciples by dispelling the darkness of sins. Look not upon my
unworthiness and withhold not the graces of your Holy Spirit, but according to
your infinite love of mankind grant that this communion be for the expiation of
sins and the loosing of transgressions, as our Lord Jesus Christ promised and
said that whoever eats my Body and drinks my Blood shall live forever.
Therefore let this be expiation for us, so that those who shall eat and drink of
this may give praise and glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
Peace to all.
39
I thank you, Christ the king, who have made me, unworthy as I am, worthy
to partake of your holy Body and Blood.
And now I beseech you, let this be to me not for condemnation but for the
remission and forgiveness of sins, for health of soul and body and for the
performance of all deeds of virtue; so that this may purify my breath and my
soul and my body and make me a temple and a habitation of the all-holy Trinity;
so that I may be worthy, together with your saints, to glorify you with the Father
and with the Holy Spirit, now and always and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
A Prayer of St. John Chrysostom
I thank you and magnify you and glorify you, O Lord my God, for you have
made me, unworthy as I am, worthy to partake this day of your divine and awe-
inspiring mystery, of your undefiled Body and your precious Blood.
Wherefore, having these for intercessors, I beseech you, keep me with your
holiness in all the days and times of my life, so that bearing in mind your tender
compassion I too may live with you, who did suffer and die and rise again for
our sake.
By the sealing of my soul with your precious Blood, my Lord and God, let
not the destroyer come near me. Cleanse me with these from all my dead works,
Almighty one, who alone are without sin.
Protect my life, O Lord, from all temptation and turn my adversary back from
me ashamed and confounded so often as he rises against me. Protect the goings
of my mind and of my tongue and all the ways of my body.
Be with me always according to your unfailing promise that whoever eats my
Body and drinks my Blood dwells in me and I in him. You did say so, you who
love mankind. Fulfill the words of your divine and irrevocable commandments.
For you are the God of mercy and of compassion and of love toward mankind
and the giver of all good things; and to you, together with the Father and the all-
holy Spirit, is befitting glory, now and always and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
And then he signs himself with the sign of the Lord and makes to the true God
his diverse petitions for himself, for the people and for the world. And he asks
forgiveness for his enemies and for those who hate him. And then with fear and
trembling he tastes of the Body and drinks of the Cup, saying:
In faith do I believe in the all-holy Trinity, in the Father and in the Son and in
the Holy Spirit.
In faith do I taste of your holy and life-giving and saving Body, O Christ my
God, Jesus, for the remission of my sins.
In faith do I drink of your sanctifying and cleansing Blood, O Christ my God,
Jesus, for the remission of my sins.
Let your incorruptible Body be to me for life and your holy Blood for
expiation and remission of my sins.
40
HOLY COMMUNION
STAND
The Choir:
The Hymn of Communion
Christ is sacrificed and distributed among us. Alleluia.

His Body he gives us for food, and his holy Blood he bedews for us.
Alleluia.
Draw near to the Lord and take the light. Alleluia.
Taste and see that the Lord is sweet. Alleluia.
Praise the Lord in the heavens. Alleluia.
Praise him in the heights. Alleluia.
Praise him, all his angels. Alleluia.
Praise him, all his hosts. Alleluia.
CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION
[The purpose of our participation in the Divine Liturgy is to receive holy

communion. Those wishing to receive Holy Communion come forward
and read a prepared examination of conscience and receive absolution.
Regular confession of sins and absolution are necessary in order to be
spiritually prepared to approach, and to fully appreciate the sacrament of
Christ’s Body and Blood in the Eucharist.]
KNEEL OR SIT
The Priest:
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
The People:
I have sinned against the all-holy Trinity, the Father, the Son, and the
Holy Spirit. I have sinned against God.
I confess before God, and before the Holy Mother of God, and before all
the saints and before you, holy father, all the sins which I have committed;
for I have sinned in thought, word, and deed, willingly and unwillingly.
I have sinned against God.
The Priest:
May God forgive you.
41
The People:
I have sinned by the seven transgressions of the deadly sins and all their
forms, namely by pride, envy, anger, laziness, covetousness, gluttony and
lust. I have sinned against God.
The Priest:
The People:
I have also sinned against all the commandments of God, both positive
and prohibitive; for I have neither performed the positive commands, nor
abstained from those things that are prohibited. I accepted the laws, but
was slothful in keeping them. I was called to the profession of Christianity
but was found unworthy of it by my deeds. While knowing the evil, I
willingly gave in to it, and I purposely kept away from good deeds.
Woe to me. Woe to me. Woe to me. Which of my misdeeds shall I
recount? Which shall I confess? For my sins are innumerable. I have
sinned against God.
The Priest:
The People:
Reverend Father, I have you as reconciler and intercessor with the only-
begotten Son of God, that by the power given to you, you will release me of
the bond of my sins, I ask you.
The Priest:
Lord have mercy. Lord have mercy. Lord have mercy.
May God who loves mankind have mercy on you and forgive all of your
sins, both those which you have confessed, as well as those which you have
forgotten. Therefore, with the priestly authority committed to me and by
the Lord’s command that “Whatever you forgive on earth shall be forgiven
in heaven,” by his very word, I absolve you of all participation in sin, in
thought, in word, and in deed, in the name of the Father and of the Son and
of the Holy Spirit. And I reinstate you in the sacraments of the holy
Church, that whatever you may do may be accounted to you for good and
for the glory of the life to come. Amen.
They curtain is opened.
STAND
The Deacon:
In fear and in faith draw near and communicate in holiness.
42
[Those who wish to receive holy communion normally prepare
themselves by prayer and by fasting from all food and drink on the
morning before receiving the sacrament. This is the ideal toward which
all should strive. However, if a person has not been able to fast for health
reasons, but earnestly desires to receive holy communion, he/she should
not hesitate to approach the chalice and to receive the sacrament.
And after all have received Holy Communion, the choir sings:
The Choir:
Our God and our Lord has appeared to us.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Ps 28: 9
The Priest:
Save your people, Lord, and bless your inheritance; shepherd them and
lift them up from henceforth until eternity.
The curtain is closed.
SIT
[When all have received communion the curtain closes while the priest
cleans the chalice and the altar servers return all the liturgical vessels to
their place. During this time the choir and people sing two hymns of
thanksgiving for the grace of having been fed at the Lord’s “table of
immortality.”]
THANKSGIVING
The Choir:
We have been filled with your good things, O Lord, by tasting of your
Body and Blood.
Glory in the highest to you who have fed us.
You who continually feed us, send down upon us your spiritual blessing.
Glory in the highest to you who have fed us.
The Deacon:
The Deacon:
43
Having again received in faith of the divine, holy, heavenly, immortal,
pure and incorruptible mystery, give thanks to the Lord.
The Choir:
We give thanks to you, Lord, who have fed us at your table of immortal
life; distributing your Body and your Blood for the salvation of the world
and for life to our souls.
The Priest:
We thank you, Father almighty, who did prepare for us the holy Church as a
haven, a temple of holiness, where the name of the holy Trinity is glorified.
Alleluia.
We thank you, Christ the King, who did grant us life through your life-giving
and holy Body and Blood, grant us forgiveness and your great mercy. Alleluia.
We thank you, Spirit of Truth, who have renewed the holy Church. Keep her
without blemish through the faith in the Trinity from henceforth for evermore.
Alleluia.
We give thanks to you, O Christ our God, who have granted us this tasting of
your goodness for holiness of life. Keep us thereby holy and without blemish,
dwelling in and about us by your divine providence.
Be our shepherd in the field of your holy and benevolent will, whereby being
defended against every opposition of the Slanderer, we may be made worthy to
hear your voice alone and to follow you, the only good and valiant and true
Shepherd, and to receive from you the place prepared for us in the kingdom of
heaven, our God and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who are blessed with the
Father and with the Holy Spirit, now and always and unto the ages of ages.
Amen.
Peace to all.
To you, the unsearchable, inscrutable, triune selfhood, the creator, container

and indivisible consubstantial holy Trinity, is befitting glory, dominion and
honor, now and always and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
The curtain is opened. The priest takes the holy Gospel in his hands and bowing
down three times, he kisses the holy altar. Coming down into the middle of the
church together with the deacons, he says:
STAND
The Prayer of St. John Chrysostom
The Priest:
44
O Lord, who bless those who bless you and hallow those who put their
trust in you;
The Choir: Blessed is God.
Save your people and bless your inheritance. Guard the fullness of your
Church.
The Choir: Amen.
Sanctify those who have greeted in love the beauty of your house.
Glorify us with your divine power and forsake not those who put their trust
in you.
The Choir: Amen.
Grant peace to the whole world, to churches, to priests, to Christian
rulers and to their armed forces, and to all your people.
The Choir: Amen.
For all good gifts and all perfect bounties come down from above, from
you, the Father of light; and to you is befitting glory, dominion and honor,
The Choir (three times):

Ps 113:2
Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth for evermore.
The Priest:
You are the perfection of the law and of the prophets, O Christ God our
Savior, who did fulfil all your economies willed by the Father. Fill us also
with your Holy Spirit.
THE LAST GOSPEL
The Deacon:
Stand up.
The Priest:
Peace to all.
The Choir:
The Deacon:
Listen attentively
The Priest:
to the holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to John.
The Choir:
45
The Deacon:
Be attentive.
The Choir:
God is speaking.
The Priest:
John 1: 1-14
From The Father of Light:

In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the
Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.
All things were made through him, and without him was not anything
made that was made. Through him was life and the life was the light of men
and the light shines in the darkness and the darkness apprehended it not.
There came a man, sent from God, whose name was John. He came for a
witness that he might bear witness to the light, that all might believe
through him. He was not the light but he was the one to bear witness to the
light.
That was the true light, which lightens every man that is to come into the
world. He was in the world and the world was made through him and the
world knew him not.
He came to his own and those who were his own received him not. But as
many as received him, to them he gave the power to become the children of
God, even to those who believe in his name; who were born not of blood,
nor of the will of the flesh, nor of will of man, but of God.
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his
glory, the glory of the Only-begotten from the Father, full of grace and
truth.
The Deacon:
By the holy cross let us beseech the Lord, that through it he may deliver
us from sins and save us by the grace of his mercy.
The Priest:
Guard us, O Christ our God, in peace under the shadow of your holy
and venerable Cross. Deliver us from the enemy visible and invisible. Make
us worthy to give you thanks and to glorify you together with the Father
and the Holy Spirit, now and always and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
THE DISMISSAL
46
The Choir:
Ps 34:1
I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall at all times be in my
mouth.
The Priest:
Be blessed by the grace of the Holy Spirit.
Depart in peace and the Lord be with you all. Amen.
[After the final blessing, the people should come forward and kiss the
Gospel book, saying, “May the Lord remember all your sacrifices.” The
priest responds, “May God grant to you according to your heart.”
As the faithful leave the church, unleavened bread called mahs is
distributed especially to those who, for whatever reason, did not receive
holy communion. This blessed bread extends the experience of the
Badarak to those who were not able to fully participate in the Divine
Liturgy. Mahs means “portion.” The person receiving it says, “God is my
portion forever.”]
47
REQUIEM
[It is a venerable tradition in the Armenian Church for families to request

special requiem prayers on the anniversary of the death of their loved
ones. The celebrant mentions the names of the deceased during the
prayers of the Divine Liturgy and a brief prayer service is conducted
immediately following the Divine Liturgy.
According to the teachings of the Armenian Church, those who have
died enter into a period of rest while awaiting our Lord’s glorious second
coming at the end of time. But while separated from the Christian
community, the souls that are at rest continue to be counted among the
faithful, who “rest in the shadow of the church.” We therefore pray for
them, as we pray for all of our earthly cares. Essentially, our prayer for
the dead is that they rest in peace, that the Lord forgive them all of their
sins and find them worthy of eternal life in the Father’s kingdom when
Christ comes again.
Praying for the dead is a proclamation of our faith in Christ’s second
coming, and our hope in the resurrection of the dead. When the
Armenian Church prays regularly for the dead we are reminded that this
life is transient, and we are filled with hope because we believe that
death is too.]
STAND
The Deacon:
The Priest:
Blessing and glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
The Choir:
O God the Word who is, together with the Father, the creator of beings
out of nothing; grant forgiveness to your servants who have fallen asleep,
when you come to judge those whom you created with spotless hands.
O you who was send from the Father and was incarnate of the holy
Virgin; grant forgiveness to your servants who have fallen asleep, when you
come to judge those whom you created with spotless hands.
O you who gave up the ghost on the cross and loosed the power of death;
grant forgiveness to your servants who have fallen asleep, when you come
to judge those whom you created with spotless hands.
48
O you who crowns your saints and distributes everlasting bounties;
grant forgiveness to your servants who have fallen asleep, when you come
to judge those whom you created with spotless hands.
The Deacon:
Psalm 130
Out of the depths I have cried to you, O Lord; Lord, hear my voice.
Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my prayers.
The Deacons:
Alleluia. Stand up.
The Priest:
Peace to all.
The Choir:
The Deacon:
Listen attentively.
The Priest:
To the holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to (Matthew).
The Choir:
The Deacon:
Be attentive.
The Choir:
God is speaking.
The Priest:
Mt 11: 25-30
Our Lord Jesus Christ:
At that time Jesus answered and said: “I thank you, Father, Lord of
heaven and earth, because you have hid these things from the wise and
prudent and has revealed them to babes. Yea, Father, so it seemed good in
your sight.
All things have been delivered to me by my Father; and no one knows
the Son, but the Father; and no one knows the Father, except the Son, and
anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal him.
Come to me all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me; for I am meek and lowly in
49
heart; and you shall find rest for your souls. For my yoke is pleasing and
my burden is light.”
Mark 4: 26-34
“The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed upon the
ground, and should sleep and rise night and day, and the seek should sprout
and grow, he knows not how. The earth produces of itself, first the blade,
then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. But when the grain is ripe, at
once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.
And he said, With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what
parable shall we use for it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when
sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet when it
is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth
large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”
With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able
to hear it; he did not speak to them without a parable, but privately to his
own disciples he explained everything.”
Luke 12: 32-40

“Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you
the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give alms; provide yourselves with
purses that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not
fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your
treasure is, there will your heart be also.
“Let your loins be girded and your lamps burning, and be like men who
are waiting for their master to come home from the marriage feast, so that
they may open to him at once when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those
servants whom the master finds awake when he comes; truly, I say to you,
he will gifrd himself and have to sit at table, and he will come and serve
them. If he comes in the second watch, or in the third and finds them so,
blessed are those servants! But know this, that if the householder had
known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house
to be broken into. You also must be ready; for the Son of man is coming at
an unexpected hour.”
John 12: 24-26

“Truly truly I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and
dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. He who loves his life
loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will kepp it for eternal life. If
50
any one serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there shall my
servant be also; if any one serves me, the Father will honor him.”
The Choir:
We priests and people, entreat you, O merciful and good Lord,
With those who have fallen asleep in faith, receive us who have the same
hope,
Into the heavenly city, Jerusalem, in which the just are assembled,
To sing and glorify always the three persons of the Trinity.
In the supernal Jerusalem, in the dwellings of the angels,

Where Enoch and Elijah live old in age like doves,
Worthily glorified in the garden of Eden,
Merciful Lord, have mercy on the souls of those of us who have fallen
asleep.
The Priest:
O Christ God, grant rest and mercy to the souls of those who are at rest,
and to us, sinners, grant forgiveness of our transgressions.
The Deacon:
For the souls of those who are at rest, let us beseech Christ our Savior,
that he may reckon them with the just and may save us by the grace of his
mercy.
The Priest:
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
O Christ, Son of God, forebearing and compassionate, have compassion,
in your love as our creator, upon the souls of your servants who are at rest,
especially upon the soul(s) of your servant(s) (N. NN.) for whom we are
offering these prayers. Be mindful of them in the great day of the coming of
your kingdom. Make them worthy of mercy, of expiation and forgiveness of
sins. Glorify them and reckon them with the company of your saints at your
right hand.
For you are Lord and creator of all, judge of the living and of the dead.
And to you is befitting glory, dominion and honor, now and unto the ages of
ages. Amen.
The Deacon:
By the holy cross let us beseech the Lord, that through it he may deliver
us from our sins and save us by the grace of his mercy.
Almighty Lord, our God, save us and have mercy on us.
51
The Priest:
Guard us, O Christ our God, under the shadow of your holy and
venerable cross in peace. Deliver us from the enemy visible and invisible.
Make us worthy to give you thanks and to glorify you together with the
Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always and unto the ages of ages.
Amen.
Blessed be our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who are in heaven, hallowed be thy name; they kingdom
come; thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily
bread; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not
into temptation; but deliver us from evil.
The Priest:
For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory to ages. Amen.
The Deacon:
I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall at all times be in my
mouth.
The Priest:
Be blessed by the grace of the Holy Spirit.
Depart in peace and the Lord be with you all. Amen.
52

The Divine Liturgy-English PDF

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

The Divine Liturgy-English PDF

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

The Divine Liturgy-English PDF

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

The Divine Liturgy of the Armenian Church

[Before the Divine Liturgy begins, the celebrant prepares himself

The Psalm of Vesting

Lord, remember David and all his meekness.

For the alb [shabeeg]:

For the stole [poroorar]:

For the belt [kodee]:

For the maniple [pazban] on the right and left hands:

For the amice [vagas]:

For the cope [shoorchar]:

For the towel:

The Hymn of Vesting

O mystery deep, inscrutable, without beginning, you have decked your

The Altar Servers:

The Altar Servers:

Judge me, O God; do justice to me in my trial.

St. Gregory of Narek

(Lamentations, Elegy 33)

Almighty, beneficent, lover of humankind, God of all, maker of things seen

I shall go on repeating in the same sequence of words until the certainty in

After these prayers the curtain is closed.

THE PRESENTATION OF THE GIFTS

And he places the bread on the paten, saying:

Then the protodeacon offers him the wine, saying:

And he says the following prayer of St. John Chrysostom.

And the priest offers incense, saying:

And the curtain is opened.

THE SYNAXIS (MIDDAY OFFICE)

THE GOSPEL PROCESSION

One of the deacons elevates the holy Gospel.

For Eastertide and for Sundays of Resurrection:

For Theophany and Transfiguration:

For Presentation, Pentecost and Assumption:

Again in peace let us beseech the Lord.

READING OF THE SCRIPTURES

After the readings, the deacon says:

THE PROFESSION OF THE FAITH

THE PRAYERS AFTER THE SCRIPTURE READINGS

Ps 19:6, 68:34, Hab 3:3.

The Choir: Lord, have mercy.

Holy, holy, holy Lord of hosts;

The Choir: Amen.

The Choir: Amen.

[The Divine Liturgy is the prime opportunity to pray to our heavenly

And if he or she is living:

By all the saints whom we have commemorated, let us moreover beseech

The Lord’s Prayer

Blessed are you, Holy Spirit, true God.

The Choir: Amen.

The Choir and Deacons:

A Prayer of St. John Chrysostom

Christ is sacrificed and distributed among us. Alleluia.

CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION

[The purpose of our participation in the Divine Liturgy is to receive holy

They curtain is opened.

The curtain is closed.

To you, the unsearchable, inscrutable, triune selfhood, the creator, container

The Prayer of St. John Chrysostom