The General Panikhida

(This service is celebrated, as a rule, in the centre of the Church, in front of a movable stand, whereon are placed a vessel containing rice, and lighted tapers. The censing continueth, almost uninterruptedly, throughout the' service.)

Deacon. Bless, Master.

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

Choir. Amen.

The Litany.

Deacon. In peace let us pray to the Lord.

Choir. Lord, have mercy.

For the peace that is from above, and for the salvation of our souls:

For the remission of the sins of those who have departed this life in blessed memory: ty

For the ever-memorable servants of God, NN.; for their repose, tranquillity and blessed memory: ty

That he will pardon them every transgression, whether voluntary or involuntary:

That they may present themselves blameless before the dread throne of the Lord of glory: R'

For the sorrowing and the sick who have set their hope in the consolation of Christ:

That he will release them from all sickness, sorrow and sighing, and make them glad where the light of God's countenance shall visit them:

That the Lord our God will establish their souls in a place of verdure, a place of rest, where all the Righteous dwell:

That they may be numbered with those who are in the bosom of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob:

That he will deliver us from all tribulation, wrath and necessity:

Succour us, save us, have mercy upon us, and keep us, O God, by thy grace.

Choir. Lord, have mercy.

Having implored for them the mercies of God, the kingdom of heaven, and remission of sins, let us commend ourselves, and each other, and all our life unto Christ our God.

Choir. To thee. O Lord.

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And when the Litany is finished the Priest, bowing his head, readeth, secretly, the Prayer:

O God of spirits, and of all flesh, who hast trampled down Death, and overthrown the Devil, and given life unto thy world: Do thou, the same Lord, give rest to the souls of thy departed servants, NN.. in a place of brightness, a place of verdure, a place of repose, whence all sickness, sorrow and sighing have fled away. Pardon every transgression which they have committed, whether by word, or deed, or thought. For thou art a good God and lovest mankind; because there is no man who liveth and sinneth not: for thou only art without sin, and thy righteousness is to all eternity, and thy word is true.

Exclamation. For thou art the Resurrection, and the Life, and the Repose of thy departed servants, NN.. O Christ our God, and unto thee do we ascribe glory, together with thy Father who is from everlasting, and thine all-holy, and good, and life-giving Spirit, now, and ever, and unto ages of ages.

Choir. Amen.

Deacon. Alleluia (thrice), in the Eighth Tone.

Verse I: Blessed are those whom thou hast chosen and taken, O Lord.

Verse 2: The remembrance of them is from generation to generation.

Verse 3: Their souls shall dwell with the blessed.

Choir. Alleluia. (Thrice.)

O Thou who, with wisdom profound, mercifully orderest all things, and who givest that which is expedient unto all men, thou Only Creator: Give rest, O Lord, to the souls of thy servants who have fallen asleep; For they have set their hope on thee, our Maker, the Author of our being, and our God.

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

Thee have we as a Wall and a Refuge, and a Mediatrix well-pleasing unto God whom thou hast borne, O Virgin Birth-giver of God, the salvation of the faithful.

Then the Requiem Hymns (Tropari), with the following Refrain:

Blessed art thou, O Lord; teach me thy statutes.

The Choir of the Saints have found the Fountain of Life and the Door of Paradise. May I also find the right way, through repentance. I am a lost sheep. Call me, O Saviour, and save me.

Ye who preached the Lamb of God, and like unto lambs were slain, and are translated unto the life eternal, which waxeth not old: ye holy Martyrs, pray ye unto him that he will vouchsafe us remission of our sins.

Ye who have trod the narrow way most sad; all ye who, in life, have

taken upon you the Cross as a yoke, and have followed Me through faith, draw near: Enjoy ye the honours and the crowns which I have prepared for you.

I am an image of thy glory ineffable, though I bear the brands of transgressions: Show thy compassions upon thy creature, O Master, and purify him by thy loving-kindness; and grant unto me the home-country of my heart's desire, making me again a citizen of Paradise,

O thou who of old didst call me into being from nothingness, and didst honour me with thine image divine, but because I had transgressed thy commandments hast returned me again unto the earth from which I was taken: Restore thou me to that image, and to my pristine beauty.

Give rest, O Lord, to the souls of thy servants, and establish them in Paradise. Where the choirs of the Saints, O Lord, and of the Just, shine like the stars of heaven, give rest to thy servants who have fallen asleep, regarding not all their transgressions.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Devoutly do we hymn the triune Effulgence of the one Godhead, crying aloud: Holy art thou, O Father who art from everlasting, O Son coeternal, and Spirit divine! Illumine us who, with faith, do worship thee and rescue us from fire eternal.

Now, and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Hail, O August One, who for the salvation of all men didst bring forth God in the flesh; through whom, also, mankind hath found salvation. Through thee have we found Paradise, O pure, most-blessed Birth-giver of God.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. Glory to thee, O God. (Thrice.)

~, T ■, The Priest mean-

I lie Litany.,.,.,,,

J while reciteth, se-

Deacon. Again, yet again, in peace let us pray to cretly, the Prayer: O the Lord. God of spirits,..

Choir. Lord, have mercy. (See Pa8e 565-)

Again we pray for the repose of the souls of the servants of God, NN., departed this life: and that they may be pardoned all their sins, both voluntary and involuntary.

Choir Lord, have mercy.

That the Lord God will establish their souls where the Just repose.

Choir. Lord, have mercy.

The mercies of God, the kingdom of heaven, and remission of their sins, let us entreat of Christ, our King Immortal and our God.

Choir. Grant it, O Lord.

Deacon. Let us pray to the Lord.

Exclamation. Priest. For thou art the Resurrection, and the Life,... (See page 565.) Choir. Amen.

Give rest with the Just, O our Saviour, unto thy servants, and establish them in thy courts, as it is written: Regarding not, in that thou art good, their sins, whether voluntary or involuntary, and all things, committed either with knowledge or in ignorance, O thou who lovest mankind.

O Christ our God, who from a Virgin didst shine forth upon the world, through her making us children of the light, have mercy upon us.

The Refrain.

Priest and Deacon chant: Give rest, O Lord, to the souls of thy servants departed this life.

The Choir repeateth the same.

Priest and Deacon. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Choir. Now, and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

The Theme-Song (Irmos) of the Sixth Canticle of the Canon at the Parting of the Soul from the Body.

Forasmuch as I behold the sea of life surging high with the tempest of temptations, I have fled to thy tranquil haven and cry aloud unto thee: Lead thou my life forth from corruption, O Most Merciful One.

The Litany. The Priest mean-

Deacon. Again, yet again, in peace. (See page wfltlf reciteth, se

cretly, the Prayer: O God of spirits,. Exclamation. (See page 565.)

Priest. For thou art the Resurrection, and the Life,... (See page 565.)

Choir. Amen.

With the Saints give rest, O Christ, to the souls of thy servants, where there is neither sickness, nor sorrow, nor sighing, but life everlasting.

Thou only art immortal, who hast created and fashioned man. For out of the earth were we mortals made, and unto the earth shall we return again, as thou didst command when thou madest me, saying: For earth thou art, and unto the earth shalt thou return. Whither also all we mortals wend our way, making of our funeral dirge the song. Alleluia.

Refrain. Give rest, O Lord, to the souls of thy servants departed this life.

The Theme-Song of the Ninth Canticle of the Canon at the Parting of the Soul from-the Body.

It is not possible that men should see God, upon whom the Orders of the Angels dare not gaze: but through thee, O All-pure One, was the Word Incarnate manifested unto men: Whom magnifying, together with the Heavenly Hosts, we call thee blessed.

Reader. O Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal One, have mercy upon us. (Thrice.)

Glory.. O all-holy Trinity,. Lord, have mercy. (Thrice.) Glory... now, and ever,

Our Father, (See page 559.)

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.

Choir. Amen.

With the souls of the righteous dead, give rest, O Saviour, to the souls of thy servants, preserving them unto the life of blessedness which is with thee, O thou who lovest mankind.

In the place of thy rest, O Lord, where all thy Saints repose, give rest also to the souls of thy servants: For thou only lovest mankind.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Thou art the God who descended into hell, and loosed the bonds of the captives: Do thou give rest, also, to the souls of thy servants.

Now, and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

O Virgin alone Pure and Undefiled, who without seed didst bring forth God, pray thou unto him that their souls may be saved.

The Litany. Deacon. Have mercy upon us, O God, according to thy great

mercy, we beseech thee: hearken, and have mercy.

Again we pray for the repose of the souls of NN.. the servants

of God departed this life: and that they may be pardoned all

their sins, both voluntary and involuntary.

That the Lord God will establish their souls where the Just

repose,

The mercies of God, the kingdom of heaven, and the remission of their

sins, let us entreat of Christ, our King Immortal and our God. Choir. Grant it, O Lord.

Deacon. Let us pray to the Lord. The Priest mean-

Choir. Lord, have mercy. while reciteth, se-

Priest. For thou art the Resurrection, and the cretiy, the Prayer: O

Life, (See page 565.) p°d °f sP»n\s>

Choir. Amen. (See page 565.)

Deacon. Wisdom!

Priest. O most holy Birth-giver of God, save us.

Choir. More honourable than the Cherubim, and beyond compare more glorious than the Seraphim, thou who without defilement barest God the Word, true Birth-giver of God, we magnify thee.

Priest. Glory to thee, O Christ-God, our hope; glory to thee.

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. (Thrice.) Bless.

The Priest bestoweth the Benediction. May he who hath power over both the living and the dead, who himself

rose again from the dead, Christ our very God: through the prayers of his all-pure Mother; of the holy, glorious and all-laudable Apostles; of our holy and God-bearing Fathers; and of all the Saints, establish in the mansions of the righteous the souls of his servants who have been taken from us; give them rest in Abraham's bosom, and number them among the Just; and have mercy upon us, forasmuch as he is good and loveth mankind.

Deacon. Give rest eternal, in blessed falling-asleep, O Lord, to the souls of thy servants, NN., departed this life; and make their memory to be eternal.

Choir. Memory eternal! (Thrice.)