(Read by the priest)
Sovereign Lord our God, who was zealous of old, Elijah your prophet, listened to the prayer, and even for a time was willing to withhold the rain: and now the Creator, who loves mankind, and the merciful Lord, look down upon us, humble and unworthy servants of Your humble prayers, and as generously despise our sins, and having been implored by Your very love for mankind, give the bucket to Your inheritance, and Shine the sun on those who demand and ask for mercy from You: make the face of the earth glad for the poor for the sake of Your people, the baby and the cattle and all other living creatures, which You satisfy with Yours with good will, and give them food for their good.
Hey, Lord our God, do not deny our prayer in vain, nor disgrace us because of our aspirations, but spare us according to Your mercy, and visit us with Your bounties: for our days are disappearing in vain, and our life becomes impoverished in illness: do not destroy us through iniquities for our sakes, who brought indignation upon you to Your wrath: but deal with us according to Your quietness, and according to your multitude. We bow down before You with a contrite soul and a humble spirit, and as a servant who is incompetent, and who deserves greater punishment, we cry out to You in repentance and tenderness: sinners and transgressors, and transgressors in everything, transgressing Your commandments, and for this reason, bring about all that you have brought upon us, with truth and judgment: but not to the end of corruption, famine and destruction. betray us, let a storm of water drown us: but in wrath remember mercy, and have mercy on Thy bounties for the sake of mercy, and have mercy on your creation and the work of your hands, as if they were good, and have mercy on You will quickly deliver from all evil. For You are the One who will have mercy and save us, our God, and to You we send glory, to the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and to the ages of ages.
Amen.
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[To the chief Musician upon Shoshannim, {A Psalm} of David.] Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto {my} soul.
I sink in deep mire, where {there is} no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me. {deep mire: Heb. the mire of depth} {deep waters: Heb. depth of waters}
I am weary of my crying: my throat is dried: mine eyes fail while I wait for my God.
They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of mine head: they that would destroy me, {being} mine enemies wrongfully, are mighty: then I restored {that} which I took not away.
O God, thou knowest my foolishness; and my sins are not hid from thee. {sins: Heb. guiltiness}
Let not them that wait on thee, O Lord GOD of hosts, be ashamed for my sake: let not those that seek thee be confounded for my sake, O God of Israel.
Because for thy sake I have borne reproach; shame hath covered my face.
I am become a stranger unto my brethren, and an alien unto my mother's children.
For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me.
When I wept, {and chastened} my soul with fasting, that was to my reproach.
I made sackcloth also my garment; and I became a proverb to them.
They that sit in the gate speak against me; and I {was} the song of the drunkards. {drunkards: Heb. drinkers of strong drink}
But as for me, my prayer {is} unto thee, O LORD, {in} an acceptable time: O God, in the multitude of thy mercy hear me, in the truth of thy salvation.
Deliver me out of the mire, and let me not sink: let me be delivered from them that hate me, and out of the deep waters.
Let not the waterflood overflow me, neither let the deep swallow me up, and let not the pit shut her mouth upon me.
Hear me, O LORD; for thy lovingkindness {is} good: turn unto me according to the multitude of thy tender mercies.
And hide not thy face from thy servant; for I am in trouble: hear me speedily. {hear...: Heb. make haste to hear me}
Draw nigh unto my soul, {and} redeem it: deliver me because of mine enemies.
Thou hast known my reproach, and my shame, and my dishonour: mine adversaries {are} all before thee.
Reproach hath broken my heart; and I am full of heaviness: and I looked {for some} to take pity, but {there was} none; and for comforters, but I found none. {to take...: Heb. to lament with me}
They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.
Let their table become a snare before them: and {that which should have been} for {their} welfare, {let it become} a trap.
Let their eyes be darkened, that they see not; and make their loins continually to shake.
Pour out thine indignation upon them, and let thy wrathful anger take hold of them.
Let their habitation be desolate; {and} let none dwell in their tents. {their habitation: Heb. their palace} {let none...: Heb. let there not be a dweller}
For they persecute {him} whom thou hast smitten; and they talk to the grief of those whom thou hast wounded. {those...: Heb. thy wounded}
Add iniquity unto their iniquity: and let them not come into thy righteousness. {iniquity unto...: or, punishment of iniquity, etc}
Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous.
But I {am} poor and sorrowful: let thy salvation, O God, set me up on high.
I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving.
{This} also shall please the LORD better than an ox {or} bullock that hath horns and hoofs.
The humble shall see {this, and} be glad: and your heart shall live that seek God. {humble: or, meek}
For the LORD heareth the poor, and despiseth not his prisoners.
Let the heaven and earth praise him, the seas, and every thing that moveth therein. {moveth: Heb. creepeth}
For God will save Zion, and will build the cities of Judah: that they may dwell there, and have it in possession.
The seed also of his servants shall inherit it: and they that love his name shall dwell therein.
Enlightened by Divine grace, God-wise, and all the mind and heart from this world of this world to the Creator, unswervingly devoting chastity and much patience, in the course of temporary life You died well and you kept your faith immaculate. Likewise, even after death, the lightness of your life appeared: you flow with miracles, an inexhaustible source of faith flowing to your holy tomb, O all-blessed Procopius, pray to Christ God, yes will save our souls.
For the sake of Christ, through foolishness, the aerial ordeal in the hands of angels has passed untouched, you have reached the royal throne and from the King of all Christ God the gift of receiving the grace of healings, many miracles with yours and with a terrible sign you surprised your city Veliky Ustyug: having asked your people for mercy, you brought the ointment from the honest image of the Most Holy Theotokos through prayer and You gave healing to the sick. At the same time, we pray to you, miracle worker Procopius: pray to Christ God to unceasingly grant forgiveness of our sins.
Oh, great saint of God and miracle worker, holy blessed Procopius! We pray to you and ask you: pray for us to the All-Merciful God and our Savior Jesus Christ, may He add His mercy to us, unworthy, and grant us everything, including life and piety required: faith for life and love, prosperity, increase in piety, establishment of peace, fruitfulness of the earth, blessing of the air and good haste in everything. Your city Ustyug and all the cities and towns of Russia have been preserved by your intercession unharmed from all evil. To all Orthodox Christians who call upon you in prayer, grant to each according to their needs: healing to the sick, consolation to the grieving, help to the needy, encouragement to the discouraged, and the poor supply, orphans, but ask for the spirit of repentance and fear of God for all of us, so that, having piously ended this temporary life, we will be worthy to receive a good Christian death and the Kingdom Inherit heavenly things with God's elect. Hey, righteous man of God!
Do not disgrace our hope, which we humbly place on you, but be our helper and intercessor in life, in death and after our death, yes, through your intercession we have improved salvation, together with through you we will glorify the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and your strong intercession for us forever and ever. Amen.
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Rejoice, Blessed Virgin Mary, / who bore the Eternal Child and God in Her arms, / ask Him to give peace to the world / and salvation to our souls. / For the Son speaks to You, the Mother of God, / for all Your requests will be fulfilled for good./ For this reason, we, falling down, pray/ and, trusting in You, may we not perish,/ we call Your name:/ For You are, O Lady,// Retribution dead.
Zealous Intercessor, Compassionate Mother of the Lord, I resort to You, the accursed one and the most sinful man above all. Hear the voice of my prayer and hear my cry and groaning. For my iniquity has exceeded my head, and I, like a ship in the depths, am plunging into the sea of my sins. But You, All-Good and Merciful Lady, do not despise me, desperate and perishing in sins. Have mercy on me, who repent of my evil deeds, and turn my lost, damned soul to the right path. On You, my Lady Theotokos, I place all my hope. Thou, Mother of God, preserve and keep me under Thy roof, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
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O God our Father,/ do always with us according to Your meekness,/ do not leave Your mercy from us,/ but through their prayers// guide our lives in peace.
You were vigilant in the commandments of the Lords, / lavishing your wealth on the poor, blessed one, / quietly with your spouse and your children; / you will also inherit // Divine pleasure.
Oh, saints Xenophon and Mary with your children Arkady and John! Behold, we, unworthy and sinners, diligently come running to you and with strong hope we pray: mercifully hear our voice of prayer today and strive for our help, and now your love to us, the servants of God (names), show the gracious effect of your God-pleasing prayers, send down to us the great and rich mercy of the Lord, so that we may sing and glorify the wondrous one among the saints Your God, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages.
Wanting to give their sons, John and Arcadius, a more complete education, they sent them to the Phoenician city of Beirut. By the providence of God, the ship on which both brothers set off was wrecked. The brothers were thrown ashore by waves in different places. Grieving over the separation, the brothers dedicated themselves to God and accepted monasticism. Parents did not receive news about their children for a long time and considered them dead. However, the Monk Xenophon, already an old man, maintained firm trust in the Lord, consoled his wife Mary, advised not to grieve and to believe that the children would be preserved by the Lord. A few years later, the couple made a pilgrimage to the Holy Places and met their sons in Jerusalem, who labored in different monasteries.
1 Follow-up of prayer singing during time of absence.
2 Menaion. July 8th.
3 Menaion. February 5th.
4 Venerable Alexander of Svirsky. Prayers.