Our Father, who art in heaven! Hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come: Thy will be done, as it is in heaven and on earth: 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 the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
This is how our Lord Jesus Christ taught His disciples (and through us) to pray, which is why this prayer is called the Lord’s prayer. In more detail this prayer means the following:
Our Heavenly Father! Let Your name be such a shrine for us that we pronounce it with reverence and love and with our good deeds dispose those who do not believe and do not know You to glorify You; be Thou the king of our thoughts, desires and deeds, and guide us to the inheritance of Thy eternal and blessed Kingdom; give us the strength to live not according to our bad and corrupt desires and inclinations, but in such a way that we fulfill Your all-good and holy will, as the blessed angels and saints in heaven fulfill it. Give us bread and everything that is necessary for our existence for this day. Forgive us the sins with which we offend You, just as we forgive our neighbors who offend us. Do not put us in such a dangerous position that could involve us in sin, but deliver us from everything evil, especially from our enemy the devil, who seeks our destruction. We ask You, our Heavenly Father, for all these mercies, for You reign over everything, You have the power to do everything we ask, and to You alone belongs endless, eternal glory.
1. I am the Lord your God, let there be no god for you other than Me.
(That is: I am the Lord your God; you shall have no other gods besides Me).
With the first commandment, God commands us to know Him with our minds, to believe in Him with our hearts, to hope in Him and to love Him; confess Him with our lips; to worship Him with all our being; except for the one true God, do not recognize anyone or anything as God and do not give Divine honor to anyone or anything. Even holy angels and holy people should be honored not in the same way as we honor God, but only as servants of God and intercessors for us before God.
2. Thou shalt not make for thyself an idol or any likeness, such as the tree in heaven, or the tree upon the earth below, or the tree in the waters under the earth, lest thou worship them, nor serve them.
With the second commandment, God forbids: worshiping idols, that is, material images of what God created, both in the sky (sun, moon, stars), and on earth (animals, birds), and in the waters below the earth (fish, sea monsters). The same commandment indicates how Christians should venerate icons, that is, images of the true God in the flesh and His saints, namely: reverently looking at the icons and remembering the works of God and His saints depicted on the icons, we must pray to God and His saints in front of them; If anyone renders Divine worship to holy icons and hopes for their substance, without raising his mind and heart to what is depicted on them, he sins against the second commandment and falls into the sin of idolatry.
3. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.
(That is: do not take the name of the Lord your God in vain).
The third commandment forbids using the name of God in vain, without any thought about God and without reverence, and therefore forbids swearing in ordinary conversations.
4. Remember the Sabbath day, and keep it holy: six days you shall do it, and in them you shall do all your work; the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God.
God, who created the world in six days, and on the seventh day He rested from all His works, commands the fourth commandment: to work six days a week and do the work to which one is called, and to use the seventh day for prayer, for teaching about God and for God-pleasing works. In the same way, on the basis of this commandment, one should act on other holidays.
5. Honor your father and your mother, may you be well and may you live long on earth
With the fifth commandment, God commands: to honor our parents and obey them, and also to honor all those who in various respects take the place of parents for us, namely: the Sovereign, as the father of the entire people and state, shepherds and spiritual teachers, educators, benefactors, superiors and elders. To those who exactly fulfill the fifth commandment, God promises happiness and long life on earth.
6. Thou shalt not kill
With the sixth commandment, God forbids: taking people’s lives by force or cunning and in any way disturbing the safety and tranquility of one’s neighbor; and therefore this commandment also prohibits quarrels, anger, hatred, envy, and cruelty. But he who kills the enemy in war does not sin against the sixth commandment, because by war we defend the faith, the Sovereign and our fatherland.
7. Do not commit adultery
(That is: do not commit adultery)
By the seventh commandment God forbids all disordered and unclean carnal love; This commandment also prohibits everything that can arouse lawless love, such as: drunkenness, foul language, reading seductive books, singing and listening to shameful songs, looking at something that is shameful to look at.
8. Don't steal
By the eighth commandment, God forbids us to appropriate someone else's thing and take from another that which does not belong to us, and to deceive others in order to benefit ourselves. The same commandment commands: when receiving payment for work, do the work conscientiously and without laziness: work so that you don’t eat bread for nothing; do not take more for your goods and your work than it is worth.
9. Do not listen to your friend’s false testimony.
(That is: do not bear false witness against your neighbor)
By the ninth commandment, God forbids false testimony against someone in court or, except in court, slander, dishonor and slander in person or in absentia and in any case to lie or deceive.
10. Thou shalt not covet thy sincere wife, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, nor his village, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor any of his livestock, nor anything that is thy neighbor's.
With the tenth commandment, God forbids not only doing bad things, but also desiring bad things, so that bad thoughts and desires do not lead to bad deeds.
1) I believe in one God, the Father, Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, visible to all and invisible. 2) And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Only Begotten, Who was born of the Father before all ages, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, uncreated, consubstantial with the Father, in Whom all things were. 3) For our sake, man and our salvation came down from heaven and became incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became human. 4) Crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered and was buried. 5) And rose again on the third day according to the scriptures. 6) And ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father. 7) And again the one who comes with glory will be judged by the living and the dead, whose kingdom will have no end. 8) And in the Holy Spirit, the life-giving Lord, who proceeds from the Father, who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who spoke the prophets. 9) Into one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. 10) I confess one baptism for the remission of sins. 11) I look forward to the resurrection of the dead, 12) and the life of the next century. Amen.
A creed means a teaching stated in brief but precise words about what Christians should believe.
The more detailed meaning of the Creed is as follows.
1) I believe, that is, although I do not see with my bodily eyes, I recognize in my heart that God is one in essence and trinitarian in persons (as one God is in essence and at the same time trinitarian in persons - no one can understand), that the first person of the Holy Trinity - God the Father created everything and contains everything in His power, everything that I see: the earth, the sun, the month, the stars, people and etc., and everything that I don’t see: angels, human souls.
2) I also believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He is the second person of the Holy Trinity, one Son of God the Father. There is no one in the whole world, between the angels and the saints, equal to the Son of God, for He was born of the Father before the ages, when there was no time itself (which means the Son of God is as eternal as God the Father), born as if Light from Light, and is the true God of the true God, begotten, not created, and therefore has one divine essence with the Father, and everything was created through the Son God's
3) For us, sinful people, and in order to save us from sin, eternal condemnation and death, the Son of God came down from heaven, received the body and soul of a man from the Most Pure Virgin Mary, with the influx of the Holy Spirit on Her, and, without ceasing to be God, became a man, but a sinless man.
4) At that time, Judea was under the authority of the Roman Emperor and was ruled by his governor, Pontius Pilate; The Lord Jesus Christ gave Himself for us to be crucified, suffered and died for our sins and was buried under Pontius Pilate.
5) But on the third day, the Lord Jesus Christ rose from the grave, and in His suffering, death and resurrection the predictions of the ancient prophets written in the sacred books were fulfilled.
6) On the fortieth day after His resurrection, the Lord Jesus Christ left the earth with His humanity, and, remaining on it invisibly, like the omnipresent God, ascended body into heaven, and, sitting at the right hand of the Father, has the same authority, the same strength and honor as God the Father, and rules together with the Father over the entire visible and invisible world.
7) There will be a time when the Lord Jesus Christ will again come to earth in a visible form, only not in his former humiliation, but with heavenly glory, surrounded by St. angels, and not in order to suffer and die for people, but in order to judge all the living and the dead, who, for this purpose, all of them, starting with Adam, will be resurrected. Then, after the most severe, final and forever unchangeable judgment, His endless kingdom will begin.
8) I believe in the true Church of God (that is, the society of Christian believers, governed invisibly by Jesus Christ, through the shepherds supplied by Him), I reverently honor it and with complete trust and love accept its teachings and obey its commandments and statutes, because the Lord Himself established it on earth and He Himself governs it invisibly through the shepherds supplied by Him. I believe that there is only one true Church of God, because there is one Lord, one true faith, one true teaching. I also believe that the true Church of God is holy, because it is sanctified by the teaching, suffering and death on the cross of the most holy Son of God and sanctifies us with the same teaching of Christ, the holy sacraments that cleanse our sins, and its prayers that bring down upon us the blessing and pardon of God.
I also believe that the true Church of God is conciliar or universal, because it was created by the Lord not for one particular people, place or time, but for all peoples, places and times, and with equal love it accepts under its care and guidance the savage and the educated, the noble and the poor, the rich and the poor, the old man and the child. I also believe that the true Church of God is Apostolic, because it faithfully and unchangeably preserves the teaching that the holy Apostles preached to the world, taught the true faith by Christ the Savior Himself, and because it preserves the continuity of the gifts of the Holy Spirit through episcopal ordination coming from the Apostles.
10) I acknowledge that baptism, for cleansing from sins, is not performed on those who have accepted it another time.
11) and 12) I expect and am confident that all the dead will be resurrected with their bodies, that is, the souls of dead people will unite with their bodies, which will be incorruptible, and then eternal, endless life will begin.
In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
__________
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.
__________
Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.
__________
Heavenly King, Comforter, Soul of truth, who is everywhere and fulfills everything, treasure of good things and Giver of life, come and dwell in us and cleanse us from all filth, and save, O Good One, our souls.
__________
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us (three times).
__________
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
__________
Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us: Lord, cleanse our sins, Master, forgive our iniquities, Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities, for Thy name’s sake.
__________
Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy.
__________
Glory... and now...
__________
Our Father...
__________
Having arisen from sleep, I thank Thee, Holy Trinity, for for the sake of Thy goodness and long-suffering, Thou didst not become angry with me, lazy and sinful, nor didst Thou destroy me with my iniquities, but was philanthropic, if usual, and in the hopelessness of the one who lay, Thou didst raise me up to train and glorify Your power. And now enlighten my mental eyes, open my lips, learn from Your words, and understand Your commandments, and do Your will, and sing to You in heartfelt confession, and glorify Your all-holy name, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
__________
To You, Master who loves mankind, having risen from sleep, I come running, and I strive for Your works with Your mercy, and I pray to You: help me at all times in every thing, and deliver me from all worldly evil things and devilish haste, and save me, and lead me into Your eternal Kingdom. For You are my creator and the provider and giver of every good thing, in You are all my hopes, and I send up glory to You now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
My Most Holy Lady, Mother of God, with Your saints and all-powerful prayers, take away from me, Your humble and accursed servant, despondency, oblivion, unreason, negligence and all the nasty, evil and blasphemous thoughts, from my accursed heart and from my darkened mind. And extinguish the flame of my passions, for I am poor and damned. And deliver me from many and cruel memories and enterprises and free me from all evil actions. For Thou art blessed from all generations, and glorified is Thy most honorable name forever and ever. Amen.
Angel of God, my holy guardian, given to me from God from heaven for my protection, I diligently pray to you: enlighten me today and save me from all evil, guide me to good deeds and direct me on the path of salvation. Amen.
Holy saint of God (his name)! Pray to God for me, I zealously resort to you, a quick helper and prayer book for my soul.
Save, O Lord, Thy people and bless Thy inheritance, granting victories to our blessed EMPEROR NIKOLAI ALEXANDROVICH against resistance and preserving Thy residence through Thy cross.
__________
Save, Lord, and have mercy on my parents, relatives, leaders and benefactors and all Christians; Grant them health and salvation of souls and good haste in everything, as a good and philanthropic person.
__________
Remember, Lord, according to Your Heavenly Kingdom, Your departed servants (parents and others should be called by name) and forgive them all their sins and grant them eternal life.
Bless, Lord, and help me, a sinner, to complete the work I have begun for Your glory.
We thank Thee, Christ our God, for Thou hast filled us with Thy earthly blessings. Do not deprive us of Your Heavenly Kingdom.
The beginning is the same as in morning prayers (read the first 10 prayers).
Eternal God and King of every creature, who has made it possible for me even at this hour to sing: forgive me the sins that I have committed this day in deed, word and thought: and cleanse, O Lord, my humble soul from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, and grant me, O Lord, to pass away this dream in peace in the night, and free me from my humble bed I will please Your most holy name all the days of my life, and will trample the fleshly and incorporeal enemies that fight me. And deliver me, Lord, from vain thoughts that defile me, and from evil lusts. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amine.
__________
The day has passed, I thank You, Lord, I ask you to grant me an evening without sin, O Savior, and save me.
Open the doors of mercy for us, Blessed Mother of God, so that those who trust in You may not perish, but may be delivered from troubles by You: for You are the salvation of the Christian race.
To the Angel of Christ, my holy guardian and protector of my soul and body, forgive me all who have sinned today, and deliver me from every wickedness of the enemy who opposes me, so that in no sin I will anger my God: but pray for me, a sinful and unworthy servant, that you may show me worthy of the goodness and mercy of the All-Holy Trinity and the Mother of the Lord my Jesus Christ and all saints. Amen.
__________
Prayers: For the Tsar and the Fatherland. About health and salvation of the living. About the dead.
The same as in the morning - the same prayers.
My savior! You laid down Your life for us to save us; You commanded us to lay down our souls for our friends, for those close to us. I joyfully go to fulfill Your holy will and lay down my life for the Tsar and the Fatherland. Arm me with strength and courage to defeat our enemies, and grant me to die with firm faith and hope of eternal blissful life in Your Kingdom.
Mother of God! Keep me under Your protection. Amen.
September 8
Thy Nativity, O Virgin Mother of God, is a joy to proclaim to the whole universe: from Thee has risen the Sun of righteousness, Christ our God, and, having destroyed the oath, given a blessing and, having abolished death, given us eternal life.
September 14
Save, O Lord, Thy people and bless Thy inheritance, granting victories to our blessed EMPEROR NIKOLAI ALEXANDROVICH in resistance and preserving Thy residence through Thy cross.
November 21
On the day of God’s favor, the transfiguration and the preaching of human salvation, the Virgin clearly appears in the church of God and announces Christ to everyone: To that we too will cry out loudly: Rejoice, fulfillment of the Creator’s vision.
December 25
Christmas, Yours, Christ our God, the world's light of reason has arisen: in it, for those who serve as stars learn to bow to You, the Sun of Truth, and to You to lead from the heights of the East: Lord, glory to You.
January 6
In the Jordan I am baptized to You, Lord, Trinitarian adoration appeared: for the voice of your parents testified to You, naming Your beloved Son: and the Spirit, in the form of a dove, announced your words of affirmation. Appear, O Christ God, and enlighten the world, glory to Thee
February 2
Rejoice, blessed Virgin Mary, for from You has risen the Sun of Truth, Christ our God, enlightening those who exist in darkness: rejoice also, O righteous elder, received into the arms of the Liberator of our souls, who gives us resurrection.
March 25
The day of our salvation is the main thing, and from the beginning of time the mystery has been revealed: the Son of God is the Son of the Virgin, and Gabriel preaches grace. In the same way, we cry out to the Mother of God: Rejoice, full of grace, the Lord is with you.
Assuring the general resurrection before Your passion, You raised Lazarus from the dead, O Christ our God. In the same way, we, like youths, bearing signs of victory, cry out to You, the Conqueror of death: Hosanna in the highest, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Christ rose from the dead, trampling down death by death and giving life to those in the tombs.
Thou art ascended in glory, O Christ our God, who brought joy to the disciple by the promise of the Holy Spirit, informed by the former blessing, for Thou art the Son of God, the Redeemer of the world.
Blessed are You, Christ our God, who are wise fishers of phenomena, having sent down to them the Holy Spirit and with them caught the universe: Lover of mankind, glory to Thee.
August 6
Thou art transfigured on the mountain, O Christ God, showing Thy disciples Thy glory, as unto a man. May Your light shine upon us sinners, brought to us by the prayers of the Mother of God: Light-Giver, glory to You.
August 15
At Christmas you preserved your virginity, at your Dormition you did not abandon the world, O Theotokos, you reposed in the Life, Mother of the Life: and through Your prayers you delivered our souls from death.
The words: You who are not in heaven mean You, who are in heaven.
The word today means: on this day.
Elika means: what.
To sanctify it means: to sanctify it.
The words: Consubstantial with the Father, by Whom all things were - mean: Who has one being with God the Father and by Whom all things were created.
Crucified for us means: but crucified for us.
The words: Who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who spoke the prophets - mean: To whom belongs the same worship and praise as to the Father and the Son, and who spoke through the prophets.
Together with the Son and the Holy Spirit; for in the Creed it is said about the Son of God: By whom all things were created (by whom all things were created), and the Holy Spirit is called the life-giving (giving life to all).
Jesus means Savior, Christ means the anointed one.
Baptism is the first sacrament among the seven sacraments of Christ's Church. These seven sacraments are: baptism, confirmation, communion, repentance, priesthood, marriage, consecration of oil.
The words: Soul of truth, Who is everywhere - mean: Spirit of truth, Who is everywhere.
The words: treasure of good things mean: source of good.
The word: hosanna is Hebrew, it actually means: save, help, God!