Prayers of Thanksgiving

We, thy thankful and unworthy servants, praise and glorify thee, O Lord, for thy great benefits which we have received; we bless thee, we thank thee, we sing to thee and we magnify thy great goodness, and in lowliness and love we hymn thee : O Benefactor and Saviour, glory to thee.

We, unworthy recipients of thy benefits and gifts, as unprofitable servants dare to turn to thee, O Master, bringing thee thanks according to our powers, and glorifying and hymning thee, the Benefactor and Creator : glory to thee, O most bountiful God.

O Mother of God, help of Christians, we thy servants, having obtained thy protection, gratefully sing to thee : Hail, purest Virgin, Mother of God, our most speedy succour, ever deliver us by thy prayers from all evils.

Exaltation of the Honourable and Life-giving Cross

We venerate the wood of thy Cross, O thou who lovest mankind, for upon it thou, the life of all, wast nailed. O Saviour, thou hast opened paradise to the thief who turned to thee in faith, and thou hast counted him worthy of blessedness when he confessed to thee crying, 'O Lord, remember me.' Accept us like him, as we cry : We have all sinned, in thy merciful kindness despise us not.

St Isaac the Syrian

No one ascends to heaven with comfort.

(Quoted by Patriarch Bartholomew in his book Encountering the Mystery)

St Ephrem

Immaculate and pure Virgin Mary, Mother of God, queen of the universe, you are above all the saints, the hope of the patriarchs and the joy of the saints.

Through you we have been reconciled with God. You are the only advocate of sinners and the safe refuge of those who sail the sea of life.

You are the consolation of the world, the ransom of captives, the joy of the sick, the comfort of the afflicted, the refuge and the salvation of the whole world.

A Prayer of St Basil the Great

O Lord Almighty, God of Angelic hosts and of all flesh, that dwellest in the highest, and carest for the humble, that searchest the reins and the heart, and clearly discernest the hidden things of men, Light from eternity and ever-existent, with whom is no variableness neither shadow of turning : Do thou, O King immortal, receive our prayers which we, trusting in the multitude of thy mercies, offer to thee at this present time from our soiled lips; forgive us our transgressions which we have committed knowingly or unknowingly in thought or word or deed; and cleanse us from all stain of body or soul. Grant us to pass through all the night of this present life with vigilant heart and sober thought, in expectancy of the coming of the bright and manifest day of thy Only-begotten Son, our Lord God and Saviour, Jesus Christ, in which shall come with glory the Judgement of all men, when to each shall be given the reward of his works : may we not fall away into sloth, but take courage and, being roused to action, be found ready and enter into the joy and the divine bride-chamber of his glory, where the voice of those that feast is never silent, and the delight of those that behold the inexpressible beauty of thy countenance passeth all telling; for thou art the true Light that enlighteneth and sanctifieth every manner of thing, and thee doth every creature hymn. Amen.

A Prayer by St Antiokh

O Almighty Lord, Word of the Father, Jesus Christ, who art thyself perfect, for thy great mercy's sake do thou never depart from me, thy servant, but ever abide in me. O Jesus, Good Shepherd of thy sheep, let me not fall into the disobedience of the serpent, nor leave me to the will of Satan, for the seed of corruption is in me. Do thou, therefore, O Lord God whom we worship, O Holy King Jesus, preserve me while I sleep with thy unchanging light, thy Holy Spirit, wherewith thou didst sanctify thy disciples. Grant, O Lord, even to me, thy unworthy servant, thy salvation upon my bed; enlighten my mind with the light of the understanding of thy holy Gospel, my soul with the love of thy Cross, my heart with the purity of thy Word, my body with thy passionless passion; preserve my thought in thy humility, and rouse me at the fit time to glorify thee. For thou art glorified above all, with thy Eternal Father and with the most Holy Spirit for evermore. Amen.

Staretz Silouan of Mount Athos

It is one thing to speak of God; it is quite another thing to know God.