Prayers for the Catechumens and the Faithful
The people: In the name of the Lord. Prayer after the previous ones: Lord, God Almighty, who created the creation in wisdom, who has led us through Your inscrutable providence and Your free will into these all-encompassing days for the purification of souls and for the attainment of the resurrection; You, who through Moses handled the God-written letters upon the tablets of the forty days: grant also to us, good Lord, to run the good race, to complete the course of the fast, to keep the faith undivided, to crush the heads of the invisible dragons, so that we may appear as victors over sin and reach Your holy resurrection without condemnation. For holy is the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
2, C, D, E, F, G, Sequence of the previous ones (of Holy Lent). Liturgy of the Catechumens. C. After the readings have been said at the lamp-lighting, the direction is given: 'Let all direct themselves,' and after this the deacon prays: 'Let us all say: With all my soul and with all my mind...' And the people say: 'Lord, have mercy.' And the priest says: 'For You are a merciful and loving-towards-mankind God, and to You we return the glory, to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and unto the ages of ages.'
After this, the prayer for the catechumens regarding the previous ones is said thus: 'God, our God, the Creator and Maker...' (page 53). Extolled: 'So that they also with us may glorify Your all-venerable and majestic name, of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit...' C. Know (be aware) that this prayer and the ministrations from the Tetrad of the mid-week of the fast are: 'All you who are catechumens, come forward'; 'You who are catechumens, come forward' (not 'any of the catechumens,' but 'all who are faithful'). Prayer: 'Manifest, Lord, Your face' (page 54). 'All you who have come toward the light...' 'Again and again, let us pray, kneeling in the peace of the Lord.'
Liturgy of the Faithful. Prayer of the faithful A: 'God, the great and praiseworthy...' (page 54). Prayer of the faithful B: 'Holy Lord, supremely good...' (page 55). Extolled: 'According to the gift of Your Christ...' E. Now the powers C, H: 'Let us fulfill the petition...' 'For those set forth...' E. Prayer after 'Now the powers,' which the priest performs: 'You who have visited us in mercy and compassion, Lord and God, and who have granted to Your humble and unworthy servants the boldness to stand at Your holy altar and to offer to You this rational and bloodless worship on behalf of our sins,'
Greek
Ὁ λαός· Ἐν ὀνόματι Κυρίου. Εὐχὴ ὀπισθάμβωνος εἰς τὰ προηγιασμένα ∆έσποτα, ὁ Θεὸς ὁ παντοκράτωρ, ὁ τὴν κτίσιν ἐν σοφίᾳ δημιουργήσας, ὁ διὰ τὴν ἄφατόν σου πρόνοιαν καὶ αὐθαιρέτῳ βουλήσει ἀγαγὼν ἡμᾶς εἰς τὰς πανσέπτους ἡμέρας ταύτας πρὸς καθαρισμὸν ψυχῶν, πρὸς ἐγκράτειαν ἀναστάσεως· ὁ διὰ τῶν τεσσαράκοντα ἡμερῶν πλάκας χειρίσας τὰ θεοχάρακτα γράμματα Μωσῆ· παράσχου καὶ ἡμῖν, δέσποτα ἀγαθέ, τὸν ἀγῶνα τὸν καλὸν ἀγωνίσασθαι, τὸν δρόμον τῆς νηστείας ἐκτελέσαι, τὴν πίστιν ἀδιαίρετον τηρῆσαι, τὰς κεφαλὰς τῶν ἀοράτων δρακόντων συνθλάσαι, νικηταί τε τῆς ἁμαρ τίας ἀναφανῶμεν καὶ ἀκατακρίτως φθάσαι τὴν ἁγίαν σου ἀνάστασιν. Ὅτι ἅγιον ὑπάρχει τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ καὶ τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος. 2 Γ, ∆, Ε, Ζ, Η, Ἀκολουθία τῶν προηγιασμένων (τῆς ἁγ. τεσσαρακοστῆς) Λειτουργία κατηχουμένων Γ Μετὰ τὸ ῥηθῆναι τὰ ἀναγνώσματα ἐν τῷ λυχνικῷ λέγεται τὸ Κατευθυνθήτω καὶ μετὰ τοῦτο λιτανεύει ὁ διάκονος· Εἴπωμεν πάντες· ἐξ ὅλης τῆς ψυχῆς καὶ ἐξ ὅλης τῆς διανοίας ... Καὶ λέγει ὁ λαὸς τό· Κύριε ἐλέησον. Ὁ δὲ ἱερεὺς λέγει· Ὅτι ἐλεήμων καὶ φιλάνθρωπος Θεὸς ὑπάρχεις καὶ σοὶ τὴν δόξαν ἀναπέμπομεν, τῷ Πατρὶ καὶ τῷ Υἱῷ καὶ τῷ Ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων Καὶ μετὰ τοῦτο γίνεται εὐχὴ κατηχουμένων ἐπὶ τῶν προηγιασμένων οὕτως. Ὁ Θεός, ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, ὁ κτίστης καὶ δημιουργὸς (σελ. 53). Ἐκφώνως· Ἵνα καὶ αὐτοὶ σὺν ἡμῖν δοξάζωσι τὸ πάντιμον καὶ μεγαλοπρεπὲς ὄνομά σου τοῦ Πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ καὶ τοῦ ἁγ. Πνεύμ... Γ Γινώσκει (γίνωσκε:) δὲ ὅτι καὶ τὴν εὐχὴν ταύτην καὶ τὰ διακονικὰ ἀπὸ τῆς τετράδος τῆς μεσοεβδομάδος τῶν νηστειῶν λέγει· Ὅσοι κατηχούμενοι προέλθετε· οἱ κατηχούμενοι προέλθετε· (μή τις τῶν κατηχουμένων· ὅσοι πιστοὶ) Εὐχή. Ἐπίφανον, δέσποτα, τὸ πρόσωπόν σου (σελ. 54). Ὅσοι πρὸς τὸ φώτισμα προέλθετε ... Ἔτι καὶ ἔτι οἱ κλίνοντες τὰ γόνατα ἐν εἰρήνῃ τοῦ Κυρίου δεηθῶμεν. Λειτουργία πιστῶν Εὐχὴ πιστῶν αʹ Ὁ Θεὸς ὁ μέγας καὶ αἰνετός ... (σελ. 54) Εὐχὴ πιστῶν βʹ ∆έσποτα ἅγιε, ὑπεράγαθε ... (σελ. 55) Ἐκφώνως· Κατὰ τὴν δωρεὰν τοῦ Χριστοῦ σου... Ε Νῦν αἱ δυνάμεις Γ, Η Πληρώσωμεν τὴν δέησιν ... Ὑπὲρ τῶν προτεθέντων... Ε. Εὐχὴ μετὰ τὸ Νῦν αἱ δυνάμεις, ἣν ποιεῖ ὁ ἱερεύς. Ὁ ἐπισκεψάμενος ἡμᾶς ἐν ἐλέει καὶ οἰκτιρμοῖς, ∆έσποτα Κύριε καὶ χαρισάμενος ἡμῖν παρρησίαν τοῖς ταπεινοῖς καὶ ἀναξίοις δούλοις σου, παραστῆναι τῷ ἁγίῳ σου θυσιαστηρίῳ καὶ προσφέρειν σοι τὴν λογικὴν ταύτην καὶ ἀναίμακτον λατρείαν ὑπὲρ τῶν ἡμετέρων ἁμαρτημάτων,
About this text
A detailed ancient Christian liturgy offering insight into early church rituals and prayers for catechumens.
Catalogue & scope
Khazarzar scan
Witnesses
- Copy-text PG 41–43 (Khazarzar) (Greek)
This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.