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beings, you who are always present visited; you came to the virgin womb. Being the uncontainable God, you did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but you emptied yourself, taking the form of a servant; you blessed my nature in you; for my sake you fulfilled the law, you dictated the resurrection from my fall. You gave release to those held by Hades; you drove away the curse of the law; in the flesh you abolished sin; you made known to me the dominion of your authority; to the blind you restored sight; you raised the dead from the tombs; by a word you restored nature; you showed me the economy of your compassion; you endured the violence of the wicked; you gave your back to scourges; and your cheeks you offered for blows; for my sake you did not turn your face away from the shame of spitting.

The people say. Lord, have mercy. The priest says. As a sheep you came to the slaughter, even to the cross my

care you showed; by your tomb you put my sin to death; to heaven you raised up my firstfruits; you announced to me the coming of your arrival, in which you are to come to judge the living and the dead, and to render to each according to his works.

The people say. According to your mercy, Lord. 36.712 The priest says. Of this my freedom I offer to you the symbols, to the

with your words I inscribe the realities. You handed down to me this mystical partaking of your flesh, in bread and wine the participation.

The people say. We believe. The priest says. For on the night in which you gave * yourself up, of your own

authority. The people say. We believe. The priest says. Taking bread in your holy and pure and blameless

hands, you looked up to your own Father, our God and God of all; you gave thanks † you blessed † you hallowed † you broke, you gave to your holy disciples and apostles, saying: Take, eat; this is my body, which is broken for you and for many, and distributed for the remission of sins; do this in remembrance of me. Likewise after supper, taking the cup, and you mixed it from the fruit of the vine and from water, you gave thanks † you blessed † you hallowed † you gave to your holy disciples and apostles, saying: Drink of it, all of you; this is my blood, of the new covenant, which is poured out for you and for many for the remission of sins; do this in remembrance of me. For as often as you eat this bread, and drink this cup, you proclaim my death, and confess my resurrection until I come.

The people say. Amen. 3. Your death, etc. The priest says. Therefore, Master, remembering your condescension on earth,

and your life-giving death, and your three-day burial, and your resurrection from the dead, and your ascension into the heavens, and your session at the right hand of the Father, and your future, second, and awesome, and glorious coming from the heavens. He exclaims. Offering to you your own from your own gifts, in all, and through all, and for all.

The people say. We praise you, we bless you. The deacon says. Bow to God with fear. The priest says to himself, bowing: You therefore, Master, by your voice the

things set forth transform; being yourself present, this mystical liturgy

5

οῦσι, ὁ ἀεὶ παρὼν ἐπεδήμησας· ἐπὶ τὴν παρθενικὴν ἦλθες νηδύν. Ὁ ἀχώρητος Θεὸς ὢν, οὐχ ἁρπαγμὸν ἡγήσω τὸ εἶναι ἴσα Θεῷ, ἀλλ' ἑαυτὸν ἐκένωσας μορφὴν δούλου λαβών· τὴν ἐμὴν ἐν σοὶ φύσιν ηὐλόγησας· ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ τὸν νόμον ἐπλήρωσας, τοῦ πτώματός μου τὴν ἀνάστασιν ὑπηγόρευσας. Ἔδωκας τοῖς ὑπὸ τοῦ ᾅδου κρατουμένοις τὴν ἄφεσιν· τοῦ νόμου τὴν ἀρὰν ἀπεσόβησας· ἐν σαρκὶ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν κατήργησας· τῆς σῆς ἐξουσίας μοι τὴν δυναστείαν ἐγνώρισας· τυφλοῖς τὸ βλέπειν ἀπέδω κας· νεκροὺς ἐκ τάφων ἀνέστησας· ῥήματι τὴν φύσιν ἀνώρθωσας· τῆς σῆς εὐσπλαγχνίας μοι τὴν οἰκονομίαν ὑπέδειξας· τῶν πονηρῶν τὴν βίαν ὑπ ένεγκας· τὸν νῶτόν σου δέδωκας εἰς μάστιγας· τὰς δὲ σιαγόνας σου ὑπέθηκας εἰς ῥαπίσματα· οὐκ ἀπέστρεψας δι' ἐμὲ τὸ πρόσωπόν σου ἀπὸ αἰσχύνης ἐμπτυσμάτων.

Ὁ λαὸς λέγει. Κύριε, ἐλέησον. Ὁ ἱερεὺς λέγει. Ὡς πρόβατον ἐπὶ σφαγὴν ἦλθες, μέχρι σταυροῦ τὴν ἐμὴν

κηδεμονίαν ὑπέδειξας· τῷ σῷ τάφῳ τὴν ἐμὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἐνέκρωσας· εἰς οὐρα νὸν τὴν ἐμὴν ἀπαρχὴν ἀνεβίβασας· τῆς σῆς ἀφ ίξεώς μοι τὴν παρουσίαν ἐμήνυσας, ἐν ᾗ μέλλεις ἔρχε σθαι κρῖναι ζῶντας καὶ νεκροὺς, καὶ ἀποδοῦναι ἑκάστῳ κατὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ.

Ὁ λαὸς λέγει. Κατὰ τὸ ἔλεός σου Κύριε. 36.712 Ὁ ἱερεὺς λέγει. Ταύτης μου τῆς ἐλευθερίας προσφέρω σοι τὰ σύμβολα, τοῖς

ῥήμασί σου ἐπι γράφω τὰ πράγματα. Σύ μοι τὴν μυστικὴν ταύτην παρέδωκας τῆς σῆς σαρκὸς, ἐν ἄρτῳ καὶ οἴνῳ τὴν μέθεξιν.

Ὁ λαὸς λέγει. Πιστεύομεν. Ὁ ἱερεὺς λέγει. Τῇ γὰρ νυκτὶ ᾗ παρεδίδης * αὐτὸς σεαυτὸν, τῆς σεαυτοῦ

ἐξουσίας. Ὁ λαὸς λέγει. Πιστεύομεν. Ὁ ἱερεὺς λέγει. Λαβὼν ἄρτον ἐν ταῖς ἁγίαις καὶ ἀχράντοις καὶ ἀμωμήτοις

σου χερσὶν, ἔνευσας ἄνω πρὸς ἴδιόν σου Πατέρα Θεὸν ἡμῶν καὶ Θεὸν τῶν ὅλων· ηὐχαρίστησας † ηὐλόγησας † ἡγίασας † ἔκλασας, μετέδωκας τοῖς ἁγίοις σου μαθηταῖς καὶ ἀποστόλοις εἶπας· Λάβετε, φάγετε· τοῦτό μου ἐστὶν τὸ σῶμα, τὸ ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν καὶ πολλῶν κλώμενον, καὶ διαδιδόμενον εἰς ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν· τοῦτο ποιεῖτε εἰς τὴν ἐμὴν ἀνάμνησιν. Ὡσαύτως μετὰ τὸ δειπνῆσαι, λαβὼν ποτήριον, καὶ ἐκέρασας αὐτὸ ἐκ γεννήματος ἀμπέλου καὶ ἐξ ὕδατος, ηὐχαρίστησας † ηὐλόγησας † ἡγίασας † μετέδωκας τοῖς ἁγίοις σου μαθηταῖς καὶ ἀποστόλοις, εἶπας· Πίετε ἐξ αὐτοῦ πάντες· τοῦτό μου ἐστὶν τὸ αἷμα, τὸ τῆς καινῆς διαθήκης, τὸ ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν καὶ πολλῶν ἐκχυνόμενον εἰς ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν· τοῦτο ποιεῖτε εἰς τὴν ἐμὴν ἀνάμνησιν. Ὁσάκις γὰρ ἐσθίετε τὸν ἄρτον τοῦτον, πίνετε δὲ καὶ τὸ ποτήριον τοῦτο, τὸν ἐμὸν θάνατον καταγγέλλετε, καὶ τὴν ἐμὴν ἀνάστασιν ὁμολογεῖτε ἄχρις οὗ ἂν ἔλθω.

Ὁ λαὸς λέγει. Ἀμήν. Γʹ. Τὸν θάνατόν σου, κ. τ. λ. Ὁ ἱερεὺς λέγει. Ὥστε οὖν, ∆έσποτα, μεμνημένοι τῆς ἐπὶ γῆς συγκαταβάσεως,

καὶ τοῦ ζωοποιοῦ θανάτου, καὶ τῆς τριημέρου σου ταφῆς, καὶ τῆς ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀναστάσεως, καὶ τῆς εἰς οὐρανοὺς ἀνόδου, καὶ τῆς ἐκ δεξιῶν τοῦ Πατρὸς καθέδρας, καὶ τῆς μελλούσης ἀπ' οὐρανῶν δευτέρας καὶ φοβερᾶς, καὶ ἐνδόξου σου παρουσίας. Ἐκφωνήσει. Τὰ σὰ ἐκ τῶν σῶν δώρων σοι προσφέροντες, κατὰ πάντα, καὶ διὰ πάντα καὶ ἐν πᾶσιν.

Ὁ λαὸς λέγει. Σὲ αἰνοῦμεν, σὲ εὐλογοῦμεν. Ὁ διάκονος λέγει. Κλίνατε Θεῷ μετὰ φόβου. Ὁ ἱερεὺς λέγει ἐν ἑαυτῷ κλίνας· Αὐτὸς οὖν, ∆έσποτα, τῇ σῇ φωνῇ τὰ

προκείμενα μεταποίησον· αὐτὸς παρὼν, τὴν μυστικὴν ταύτην λειτουργίαν