People of God (seals each prayer, which usually hears and understands (on the necessity of which Apostle Paul and common sense insist) with the word): ‘Amen’. And the assembly sings ‘The First Antiphon’. Then follows ‘the little ektenia’, which ends with a prayer, which the presbyter prays:
Lord our God, save Your people and bless Your inheritance, guard the fullness of Your Church, sanctify those who love the beauty of Your house, glorify them by Your divine power and do not forsake us who hope on You. For Yours is the dominion and Yours is the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory, of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now, and always, and forever and ever.
Faithful: ‘Amen’. The assembly sings ‘The Second Antiphon’. Little ektenia and prayer:
You, who gave us these common and concordant prayers and promised to fulfill the requests of two or three who agree in Your name, do now also fulfill the petitions of Your servants for their benefit, and grant us in this life the understanding of Your truth, and in the future life eternal. For You are a Good and Man-loving God, and to You we send up glory, to the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now, and always, and forever and ever.
Faithful: ‘Amen’. The assembly sings ‘The Third Antiphon’, during which the ‘little entrance’ with the Gospel takes place. After the singing of the antiphon the presbyter prays:
Master, Lord our God, who established in the Heavens the orders and hosts of angels and archangels to serve Your glory, make, that with our entrance there would be also the entrance of the holy angels, who with us would serve and glorify Your goodness. For to You belong all glory, honor, and worship, to the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now, and always, and forever and ever.
Faithful: ‘Amen’. The presbyter blesses ‘the entrance’ and the whole church, singing ‘Come, let us worship and fall down before Christ…’ (or the Troparion of the Feast), enters the temple (the chamber, where the Supper of the Kingdom will be performed), stands around the Altar (the table on which the Supper of the Kingdom of God will be offered) and sings troparia, kondakia and other hymns, in which the essence of the feast is expressed. After these hymns the presbyter prays (prayer of the trisagion):
Holy God, You dwell among the saints, You are praised by the seraphim with the thrice-holy voice and glorified by the cherubim, and all the Heavenly Hosts worship You. You brought everything from non-being into being, created man in Your own image and likeness and adorned him with all gifts. You give wisdom and understanding to everyone who asks, You do not reject the sinner, but have established repentance for salvation. You have granted us, Your humble and unworthy servants, to stand at this hour before Your glorious altar and to offer due worship and praise to You. Yourself, Master, accept the Trisagion song from our sinful lips, look upon us with the mercy of Your mercy, forgive us all our voluntary and involuntary offenses, sanctify our souls and bodies, and grant us to piously serve You all the days of our lives, through the prayers of the Most Holy Theotokos and all the saints who from ages were pleasing to You. For You are Holy, our God, and to You we send up glory, to the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and always.
The whole assembly: ‘Amen’. And immediately the whole church sings
‘Trisagion’ (or: ‘All who have been baptized into Christ…’ or ‘We bow to Your Cross…’). Then follows the reading of Holy Scripture: first from the Acts of the Holy Apostles or the apostolic epistles, and then – from the Four Gospels, before reading which the presbyter prays (prayer before the Gospel):
Kindle in our hearts, O Man-loving Master, the incorruptible light of Your knowledge of God, and open the eyes of our understanding to the understanding of Your Gospel preaching. Instill in us the fear of Your blessed commandments, that we, overcoming all bodily desires, lead a spiritual life and think and do all that is pleasing to You. For You are the sanctification and enlightenment of our souls and bodies, Christ our God, and to You we send up glory with Your Beginningless Father and Your Holy and Good and Life-creating Spirit, now, and always, and forever and ever.
Faithful: ‘Amen’. And a passage from the Gospel is read. Then follows the sermon (the presbyter or someone from the faithful preaches). Then follow two triple ektenias (for ‘health’ and ‘memorial’). The ‘for health’ ends with a supplicatory prayer:
Lord our God, accept from Your servants this sincere prayer, and have mercy on us with Your great mercy, and send all Your generosity to us and to all Your people, who hope for much mercy from You. For You are a Merciful and Man-loving God, and to You we send up glory, to the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now, and always, and forever and ever.
Here’s the translation of the text:
Faithful: “Amen.” The memorial ektenia ends with a prayer:
O God of spirits and of all flesh, You have trampled death and annihilated the devil, and given life to Your world. Lord, give rest to the soul of Your departed servant (or departed servants – names) in a place of brightness, a place of verdure, a place of repose, where there is no sickness, sorrow, or sighing. Forgive every sin committed by him (or her, or them) in thought, word, or deed, as a Good and Loving God, for there is no one who lives and does not sin. You alone are without sin, Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and Your word is truth.