Deacon: Let us pray to the Lord.

People: Lord, have mercy!

 

And the Priest readeth this prayer:

 

O Lord Who alone art rich in mercy, and in the lovingkindness of Thy goodness dost hearken to the supplication of us, Thy sinful and unworthy servants, arranging and directing us all toward our benefit, guiding our life by Thy wise providence, and in every way desiring our salvation;

Who by nature art long-suffering and great in mercy; Who dost chastise and healest again;

Who dost rebuke gently and with love for man, not to destroy the work of Thy hands, but to bring it to its primal goodness and to its original nobility, which we have destroyed in the feebleness of our understanding and by the counsel of the most accursed one;

Who desirest to restore it, and Who lookest how Thy mightest, in any way, save that which hath come to grief through the fall:

Do Thou Thyself, O almighty Master, look down upon us, and hearken to the entreaties of us sinners.

For the multitude of our iniquities hath rendered us bereft of boldness; nor do we in anywise dare to ask forgiveness for our transgressions.

But knowing Thy love for mankind, Thy lovingkindness, Thy surpassing mercy, long-suffering, guilelessness and exceeding great goodness, and trusting in the depth thereof, and in the abyss of Thy beneficence, we lift up our hands and fervently cry aloud to Thee:

We have sinned, we have committed iniquities, we have dealt unjustly, in that we have forgotten Thy commandments, and have followed after our wicked thoughts, and have lived in a manner unworthy of the name and Gospel of Christ, and His sufferings, and His self-abasement for our sake, so that we have become a reproach unto those who love Thee.

Thy priests and Thy people have we astonished, and we have all turned aside and are become unprofitable: there is not one who rendereth justice and righteousness, no not one.

We have cut off Thy compassions, Thy love for mankind, and the lovingkindness of the mercy of Thee our God, because of our malice and the wickedness of the undertakings whereby we have lived. Thou art long-suffering; but we deserve scourgings.

We know Thy goodness, even though we are ignorant. We have been stricken lightly considering those things wherein we have offended.

Thou art awesome; who can withstand Thee? Thou makest the mountains to quake; and who can speak against the magnitude of Thine arm? If Thou wilt shut up heaven, who will open it? And if Thou wilt close Thy floodgates, who will survive it?

An easy matter is it in Thine eyes to make poor and to enrich, to give life and to slay, to afflict with illness and to heal: Thy least wish is a deed already accomplished.

Thou hast become wroth, and we have committed offense; none of the ancients speaketh, confessing.

Time is against us saying: We have sinned, and Thou hast become angered against us; wherefore, we have become a reproach to our neighbors.

Thou hast turned Thy face away, and we have filled ourselves with dishonor.

But still Thy wrath, O Lord; absolve, O Lord; have mercy, O Lord, and forsake us not utterly because of our iniquities, neither punish Thou others with our wounds.

Grant that we may become chaste through the sufferings of others.

We are Thy people and the rod of Thine inheritance.

Wherefore, chastise us, though in goodness and not in Thine ire, that Thou mayest not cause us to diminish, lest we become abased more than all who live on the earth; for Thy mercy is ineffable, Thy love of mankind is insuperable, and the wealth of Thy goodness is incalculable; and, trusting therein, we pray and make supplication, bending the knees of our hearts:

Cease Thou to cut us with the edge of Thy wrath, we beg Thee earnestly, as of old, in David's time, Thou didst act toward Thy people, if we show due repentance; but as Thou art all-good, put aside Thine anger and quell Thou Thy just wrath, and grant health to those who are suffering, strength to those who are enfeebled, and preserve them in good health.

Drive every ailment and disease from Thy people; free all from the expectation thereof, keeping them unassailed by their former infirmity, and by Thine almighty arm maintain them untouched by this cruel misery and pernicious affliction: for truly the raging of Thy wrath hath shaken and troubled us all.

And though we are not turning in every way from our wicked deeds, yet do Thou Thyself deliver us all from an evil conscience, and grant that we may be well-pleasing unto Thee in every good work.

Through the supplications of the pure Mother of God, the Ever-virgin Mary, who gave birth unto Thee without having known man, and by the intercession of the holy angels who gaze upon God, and of all the saints.

Exclamation: For Thou art the well-spring of mercy and the inexhaustible abyss of lovingkindness, and we send up glory unto Thee, and Thine unoriginate Father and Thine all-holy, good and life-creating Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.

People: Amen.

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