XL THE THIRD HOUR,

OR TERCE.

The beginning is as at Nocturns on Sundays. Vide page 45.

After O come, let us worship .... thrice, Psalms 16 (17), 24 (25) and 50 (51).

Glory. Both now. Alleluia .... thrice. Lord, have mercy, thrice. Glory. The Troparion of the Day. Both now.

MOTHER of God, thou art the true vine that budded to us the fruit of life. We beseech thee, O Lady, to pray with the holy Apostles for mercy on our souls.

Blessed be the Lord God, blessed be the Lord day by day. May the God of our salvation further us, even our God, who is the God of salvation.

In the fasting time the following is said instead of the Troparion.

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Priest. Lord, who didst send down thy most holy Spirit at the third hour upon thine Apostles; take him not from us, O Blessed One, but renew him in us who pray to thee.

The First Choir repeateth the verse.

Priest. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.

Second Choir. Lord, who didst send down ....

Priest. Cast me not away from thy presence, and take not thy holy Spirit from me.

First Choir. Lord, who didst send down ....

Priest. Glory. Reader. Both now. O Mother of God, thou art the true vine .... And, Blessed be the Lord God ....

Trisagion, &c. After Our Father, the Condakion of the Day.

But in the fasting time, the following,

BLESSED art thou, O Christ our God, who didst make the fishers wise, sending the Holy Ghost on them, and by them didst net all the world. O Lover of men, glory to thee. Glory.

A speedy and firm consolation give, O Jesus, to thy servants when our spirits are distressed. Depart not from our souls in

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affliction, nor stand far off from our minds in trouble, but for ever go before us. Draw nigh unto us, draw nigh, thou that art everywhere present. As thou wast always with thine Apostles, O Compassionate One, be thou with us who long for thee, that, being conjoined with thee, we may hymn and glorify thy most Holy Spirit. Both now.

The hope and mediatress and refuge of Christians, the wall that cannot be overthrown, the harbour of the helpless unagitated by storms art thou, O most pure Bearer of God; but, as saving the world by thy ceaseless intercessions, remember us also, O all-celebrated Virgin.

Lord, have mercy, forty times.

And the Prayer. Thou that in all times.... Vide page 76.

Here in the Fasts is said the Prayer of S. Ephrem.

Closing Prayer of the Third Hour.

ASTER, God, Father almighty, Lord, only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, and Holy Ghost, one God-head, one Might! be gracious unto me, a sinner; and, by ways thou knowest, save me, thine unworthy servant; for thou art blessed to ages of ages. Amen.

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