The Service of Supplication for the Sanctity of Life

Deacon: Bless, master.

Priest: Blessed is our God always, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.

Choir: Amen. O Heavenly King, the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth, Who art everywhere and fillest all things, Treasury of blessings and Giver of life, come and abide in us, and cleanse us of every infirmity, and save our souls, O Good One.

Reader: Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (3x)

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

O Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. Lord, cleanse us from our sins. Master, pardon our transgressions. O Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities for Thy name's sake.

Lord, have mercy. (3x)

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

All: 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 trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Priest: For Thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory: of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.

Reader: Amen. Lord, have mercy. (12x)

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

O come let us worship God our King. O come let us worship and. fall down before Christ our King and God. O come let us worship and fall down before Christ Himself, our King and God.

Psalm 10

Why dost thou stand afar off, O LORD? Why dost thou hide thyself in times of trouble? In arrogance the wicked hotly pursue the poor; let them be caught in the schemes which they have devised. For the wicked boasts of the desires of his heart, and the man greedy for gain curses and renounces the LORD. In the pride of his countenance the wicked does not seek him; all his thoughts are, "There is no God." His ways prosper at all times; thy judgments are on high, out of his sight; as for all his foes, he puffs at them. He thinks in his heart, "I shall not be moved; throughout all generations I shall not meet adversity." His mouth is filled with cursing and deceit and oppression; under his tongue are mischief and iniquity. He sits in ambush in the villages; in hiding places he murders the innocent. His eyes stealthily watch for the hapless, he lurks in secret like a lion in his covert; he lurks that he may seize the poor, he seizes the poor when he draws him into his net. The hapless is crushed, sinks down, and falls by his might. He thinks in his heart, "God has forgotten, he has hidden his face, he will never see it." Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up thy hand; forget not the afflicted. Why does the wicked renounce God, and say in his heart, "Thou wilt not call to account"? Thou dost see; yea, thou dost note trouble and vexation, that thou mayest take it into thy hands; the hapless commits himself to thee; thou hast been the helper of the fatherless. Break thou the arm of the wicked and evildoer; seek out his wickedness till thou find none. The LORD is king for ever and ever; the nations shall perish from his land. O LORD, thou wilt hear the desire of the meek; thou wilt strengthen their heart, thou wilt incline thy ear to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, so that man who is of the earth may strike terror no more.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. Glory to Thee, O God. (3x)

God is the Lord

Deacon: In the 2 nd Tone, God is the Lord, and has revealed Himself to us. Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord. O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good, for His mercy endures for ever.

Choir: God is the Lord, and has revealed Himself to us. Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord.

Deacon: All nations surrounded me but in the Name of the Lord I withstood them.

Choir: God is the Lord, and has revealed Himself to us. Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord.

Deacon: I shall not die, but live, and recount the deeds of the Lord.

Choir: God is the Lord, and has revealed Himself to us. Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord.

Deacon: The stone which the builders rejected, has become the head of the comer. This is the Lord's doing, and it is wonderful in our eyes.

Choir: God is the Lord, and has revealed Himself to us. Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord.

O Lord the Creator and Giver of Life/ in Thine inexhaustible love Thou didst fashion us and give us the sacred gift of life./ And when we had corrupted Thy gift, Thou didst take on human flesh to restore our humanity./ Like wise O Savior remind Thy people darkness by ignorance/ that in all ages,// every child that opens the womb is sacred to God.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

O Theotokos joy of creation;/ your parents though advanced in years had only begun to fulfill their ordained role in our salvation./ For despite old age they bore you and reared you in righteousness,/ preparing you to be the one through whom Christ restored our humanity// O most glorious Mother of Life.

Prokeimenon

Deacon: Let us attend. Wisdom! Let us attend. The prokeimenon in the 4 th Tone: Lord, we will walk in the light of Thy countenance and exult in Thy Name forever.

Choir:Lord, we will walk in the light of Thy Countenance and exult in Thy Name forever.

Deacon: I will sing of Thy mercy, O Lord, forever; with my mouth I will proclaim Thy faithfulness to all generations.

Choir: Lord, we will walk in the light of Thy Countenance and exult in Thy Name forever.

Deacon: Lord, we will walk in the light of Thy countenance.

Choir:And exult in Thy Name forever.

Gospel

Deacon: And that we may be accounted worthy of hearing the Holy Gospel, let us pray to the Lord God.

Choir: Lord, have mercy. (3x)

Deacon: Wisdom, Let us attend! Let us listen to the Holy Gospel.

Priest: Peace be unto all.

Choir: And to your spirit.

Priest: The reading from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Matthew.

Choir: Glory to Thee, O Lord, glory to Thee.

Deacon: Let us attend.

Priest: At that time, Jesus, seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: "You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trodden under foot by men. "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. "Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfil them. For truly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Whoever then relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but he who does them and teaches them shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, "When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will place the sheep at his right hand, but the goats at the left. Then the King will say to those at his right hand, `Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.' Then the righteous will answer him, `Lord, when did we see thee hungry and feed thee, or thirsty and give thee drink? And when did we see thee a stranger and welcome thee, or naked and clothe thee? And when did we see thee sick or in prison and visit thee?' And the King will answer them, `Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.' Then he will say to those at his left hand, `Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.' Then they also will answer, `Lord, when did we see thee hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to thee?' Then he will answer them, `Truly, I say to you, as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me.' And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

Choir: Glory to Thee, O Lord, glory to Thee.

It is truly meet to bless you, O Theotokos, ever-blessed and most pure, and the Mother of our God. More honorable than the Cherubim, and more glorious beyond compare than the Seraphim, without defilement you gave birth to God the Word, true Theotokos, we magnify you.

Augmented Litany

Deacon: Have mercy on us, O God, according to Thy great goodness, we entreat Thee, hearken us and have mercy.

Choir: Lord, have mercy. (3X)

Deacon: Again we pray for (jurisdictional Bishop[s]), and all the Orthodox Episcopate, for priests, deacons, and all other clergy and for all our brethren in Christ.

Choir: Lord, have mercy. (Thrice)

Deacon: Again we pray for the President of our country, for all civil authorities, for our armed forces everywhere. And that Thou wilt enlighten our elected officials that they will repeal all laws which deny the Truth, that all life is a sacred gift from Thee. And that Thou alone are the Creator of all, we entreat Thee, hearken and have mercy.

Choir: Lord, have mercy. (Thrice)

Deacon: Again we pray for mercy, life, peace, health, salvation, and visitation for the servants of God who strive to restore the knowledge that all Life is a sacred gift from Thee; and also for those who suffer from terminal illnesses and debilitating diseases, the elderly, the institutionalized, and those incarcerated, and for the pardon and remission of their sins.

Choir:Lord, have mercy. (3X)

Deacon: Again we pray that Thou wilt kindle in our hearts the will to do good, to visit the sick, counsel the incarcerated, comfort the distraught, strengthen the faint-hearted, care for the elderly, support and aid those confronted with the possibility of euthanasia or abortion; that we may show ourselves to be truly Thy disciples, we entreat Thee hearken and have mercy.

Choir: Lord, have mercy. (3X)

Deacon: Again we pray for the faithful here present and for all those absent for honorable reasons, who await from Thee Thy great and abundant mercy.

Choir: Lord, have mercy. (3X)

Priest: Hear us, O God our Savior, the hope of all those at the ends of the earth and of those far off upon the sea and in the air, and show mercy. Show mercy upon us sinners, O Master, and be merciful to us. For Thou art a Merciful God, who loves mankind, and unto Thee do we ascribe glory: to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages.

Choir: Amen.

Prayer

Deacon: Let us pray to the Lord.

Choir: Lord, have mercy.

Priest: O Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the Only-begotten Son of the Father; Who took on our Human nature to restore its sanctity. Do Thou the same Lord, enlighten Thy people here present and throughout the world, with the knowledge that all life is a sacred gift from Thee, from the instant of conception, to the last breath. Dispel from our minds the subjective concept of quality of life, and implant the objective truth of its preciousness. When we consider abortion, remind us that Thou wast conceived and grew in Thy mother's womb. When we consider euthanasia, call to mind the leper, the paralytic, and Thy friend Lazarus, and how Thy greatness was revealed through their suffering. When we consider the elderly, call to mind Simeon and Anna the Prophetess who proclaimed Thee to the world before the Forerunner and Thy grandparents Joachim and Anna, we bore and reared Thy most pure mother, despite their advanced age, preparing her to be Thy living Temple. When we consider, criminals to be executed, call to mind not only the penitent Thief, but also that Thou wast executed though beyond innocent. As at the tower of Babel, and in the wilderness of Sinai, have we Thy people lost sight of Thy Truth, but restore us in Thy mercy O Lord. Make us instruments of Thy Will, that by loving example, we may lead our misguided brethren to Thee, unworthy as we are. Dispel also from us, over zealousness and aggressive acts, for Thou save us, not by summoning twelve legions of angels, but by healing the ear of the chief priests servant and teaching and adjuring the people in love, even from the Cross. Grant this, we entreat Thee, O Thou lovest mankind, for Thou alone art the Creator and Master of all, and to Thee do we ascribe glory, together with Thine unoriginate Father and Thine All-holy, good and life-creating Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages.

Choir: Amen.

Megalynarion

(Tone 6) O Gracious Lord and Creator of All, Who for our sakes wast conceived and born of the Virgin; grant eternal rest and Thy mercy to those unjustly put to death both born and unborn; enlighten those who in ignorance choose death over life; and teach all Thy people to respect all forms of Life, for it is our most sacred and precious gift from Thee, the Author of Life and Savior of our souls.

Dismissal

Deacon: Wisdom!

Priest: Most holy Theotokos, save us!

Choir: More honorable than the Cherubim, and more glorious beyond compare than the Seraphim, without defilement you gave birth to God the Word, true Theotokos, we magnify you.

Priest: Glory to Thee, O Christ God, our hope, glory to Thee.

Choir: Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen. Lord, have mercy. (3x). Father [Master], bless.

Priest: May Christ our true God, through the intercessions of His most pure Mother, of our holy and God-bearing fathers, of the righteous Simeon the Elder and Anna the Prophetess, of the Holy Innocents, of [local parish]; of the Holy and Righteous ancestors of God Joachim and Anna, and of all the saints, have mercy on us and save us, for He is good and the Lover of mankind.

Choir: Amen.

Deacon: Grant eternal rest in blessed repose O Lord, to the victims of abortion, euthanasia, assisted suicide, or capital punishment, and all those who ended their lives destitute and neglected, and make their memories to be eternal.

Choir:Memory eternal. (3X) [Greek/ Antiochian: May their memory be eternal]

Deacon: Grant O Lord a prosperous and peaceful life, health, salvation, furtherance in all good things, to all those who strive to restore the acknowledgment that all life is sacred, especially the care givers, adoptive and foster parents, and all good Samaritans, and preserve them for many years,

Choir:God grant them many years. (3X)

Priest: All those confront with the prospect of abortion, euthanasia, assisted suicide, capital punishment; those suffering from terminal illnesses and debilitating diseases, those on death row; and those caring for them, their families and friends; may the Lord God remember them in His Kingdom, always now and ever and unto ages of ages.

Choir:Amen. Lord have mercy (3X)