A shortened Moleben to St Nicholas the Wonderworker

for after the Holy Liturgy

 

Priest and Altar servers process the icon of St Nicholas from the Altar to the analoi in the centre of the church. There are candles and fans. A server carries the incense.

 

Priest: Blessed is our God, always, now and ever, and to the ages of ages.

 

Reader: O Come, let us worship God our King.

O Come, let us worship and fall down before Christ our King and our God.

O Come, let us worship and fall down before Christ Himself, our King and our God.

Reader: PSALM 142

O Lord, hear my prayer, give ear unto my supplication in Thy truth; hearken unto me in Thy righteousness. And enter not into judgment with Thy servant for in Thy sight shall no man living be justified. For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath humbled my life down to the earth. He hath sat me in darkness as those that have been long dead, and my spirit within me is become despondent; within me my heart is troubled. I remembered days of old, I meditated on all Thy works, I pondered on the creations of Thy hands. I stretched forth my hands unto Thee; my soul thirsteth after Thee like a waterless land. Quickly hear me, O Lord; my spirit hath fainted away. Turn not Thy face away from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit. Cause me to hear Thy mercy in the morning; for in Thee have I put my hope. Cause me to know, O Lord, the way wherein I should walk; for unto Thee have I lifted up my soul. Rescue me from mine enemies, O Lord; unto Thee have I fled for refuge. Teach me to do Thy will, for Thou art my God. Thy good Spirit shall lead me in the land of uprightness; for Thy name's sake, O Lord, shalt Thou quicken me. In Thy righteousness shalt Thou bring my soul out of affliction, and in Thy mercy shalt Thou utterly destroy mine enemies. And Thou shalt cut off all them that afflict my soul, for I am Thy servant.

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

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia; glory to Thee, O God. (x3)

 

God is the Lord

 

Priest: God is the Lord and has appeared unto us; blessed is He Who comes in the name of the Lord. Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy endureth for ever.

People: God is the Lord, and has appeared unto us: blessed is He Who comes in the name of the Lord!

Priest: Surrounding me they compassed me, but in the name of the Lord I warded them off.

People: God is the Lord, and has appeared unto us: blessed is He Who comes in the name of the Lord!  

Priest: I shall not die, but live, and I shall tell of the works of the Lord.

People: God is the Lord, and has appeared unto us: blessed is He Who comes in the name of the Lord!  

Priest: The stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner. This is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes.

People: God is the Lord, and has appeared unto us: blessed is He Who comes in the name of the Lord!

 

Troparion of St Nicholas—tone 4 (X 3) Here the priest censes the icon of St Nicholas.

 

People: The truth of things revealed thee to thy flock as a rule of faith/

a model of meekness, and a teacher of temperance. //

Wherefore thou hast achieved the heights by humility, riches by poverty./

O Father and Hierarch Nicholas, intercede with Christ God that our souls be saved.

 

Правило веры и образ кротости,/ воздержания учителя/ яви тя стаду твоему/              Pravilo viri y obraz krotosti,/ vozderzhaniya uchitelya/ yavi tya stadu tvoyemu,/

Яже вещей Истина./ Сего ради стяжал еси смирением высокая,/ нищетою богатая,/   yazhe veshchey istina, sego radi strazhal yesi smireniem vysokaya,/ nishchetoyu

отче священноначальниче Николае,/ моли Христа Бога,// спастися душам нашим.      bogataya:/  otche svyashchennonachalniche Nikolaye,/ moli Christa Boga,//   

                                                                                                                                                                         spastisya dusham nashim.

 

The truth of things revealed thee to thy flock as a rule of faith/

a model of meekness, and a teacher of temperance. //

Wherefore thou hast achieved the heights by humility, riches by poverty./

O Father and Hierarch Nicholas, intercede with Christ God that our souls be saved.

 

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

Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

 

Priest: O Holy Hierarch Nicholas, pray to God for us!

People: O Holy Hierarch Nicholas, pray to God for us!

Priest: Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit;

People: Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Priest:  Svyatitelyu Otche Nikolai, moli Boga o nas!

People: Svyatitelyu Otche Nikolai, moli Boga o nas!

Priest: Slava Otsu y Synnu y Svyatomu Dukhu

People: y nyni y prissno y vo viki vikov. Amin

 

The Litany of Fervent Supplication

Priest: Have mercy on us, O God, in Thy great mercy, we pray Thee, hearken and have mercy.

People: Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

(And after each petition.)

Deacon: Again we pray for All His Holiness, Patriarch N. of Moscow and All Russia; for our Master the Most Reverend Metropolitan Hilarion, First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad; for our Master the Most Reverend Archbishop Mark of Berlin, Germany and Great Britain, and all our brotherhood in Christ.

Deacon: Again we pray for the God-preserved lands of Russia and Ukraine and for their Orthodox peoples both in the homelands and the diaspora, and for their salvation.

Deacon: Again we pray for our Sovereign Lady Queen Elizabeth. and all her royal house; for her government and armed forces; for this land and all those who in faith and piety dwell herein, and for every Christian land.

Deacon: Again we pray Thee, O Lord our God, that Thou wouldst hear the voice of our supplication and prayer, and have mercy upon Thy servants, the parishioners of this holy house, through Thy grace and compassions, and fulfil all their petitions, and pardon them all their transgressions, both voluntary and involuntary; let their prayers and alms be acceptable before the throne of Thy dominion, and protect them from all enemies, both visible and invisible, from every temptation, harm and sorrow, and deliver them from diseases, and grant them health and length of days: let us all say, O Lord, hearken and have mercy.

Deacon: Look down, O Master Who loveth mankind, with Thy merciful eye, upon Thy servants, and hearken unto our supplication which is offered with faith, for Thou Thyself hast said: ‘All things whatsoever thou shall ask in prayer, believe that thou shalt receive, and it shall be done unto thee’; and again: ‘Ask, and it shall be given unto thee’. Therefore, though we are unworthy, yet hoping in Thy mercy, we ask of Thee: bestow Thy kindness upon Thy servants, and fulfil their good desires, preserve them all their days peacefully and calmly in health and length of days: let us all say, speedily hearken and graciously have mercy.

Deacon: Again we pray to the Lord our God, that He may hearken unto the voice of the supplication of us sinners, and have mercy upon His servants, and protect them from all sorrow, harm, wrath and need, and from every sickness of soul and body, granting them health with length of days: let us all say, speedily hearken and have mercy.

If desired, petitions for the sick may be inserted here.

Deacon: Again we pray that this town, and this holy house, and every city and land may be preserved from famine, pestilence, earthquake, flood, fire, the sword, the invasion of enemies, and civil war; that our God Who is good and lovest mankind may be gracious and favourable, that He may turn away all the wrath stirred up against us, and deliver us from His righteous threatening which hangs over us, and have mercy upon us.

Deacon: Again we pray also that the Lord God may hear the voice of the supplication of us sinners and have mercy on us.

Priest: Hear us, O God our Saviour, Thou hope of all the ends of the earth and of those who are far off at sea; and be merciful, be merciful, O Master, regarding our sins, and have mercy on us; for Thou art a merciful God Who lovest mankind, and unto Thee do we send up glory; to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.

Amen.

 

Prayer to St Nicholas

 

Priest: To the Holy Wonder-worker Nicholas, let us all pray.

People: O Holy Wonder-worker Nicholas, pray to God for us!

 

Priest: O all-praised and all-honoured hierarch, great wonderworker, saint of Christ, O Holy Father Nicholas, man of God and faithful servant, man of love, chosen vessel, strong pillar of the Church, most brilliant lamp, star that illumines and enlightens the whole world: thou art a righteous man that flourished like a palm tree planted in the courts of his

Lord; dwelling in Myra thou didst diffuse the fragrance of myrrh, and thou pourest out the ever-flowing myrrh of the Grace of God. By thy presence, most Holy Father, the sea was sanctified when thy most wonderful relics were carried from east to west to the city of Bari, to praise the name of the Lord. O most superb and marvellous wonderworker, speedy helper, fervent intercessor, good shepherd that savest the rational flock from all dangers, we glorify and magnify thee as the hope of all Christians, a fountain of miracles, a defender of the faithful, a most wise teacher, a feeder of the hungry, the gladness of those that mourn, clothing of the naked, healer of the sick, pilot of those who sail upon the  seas, liberator of prisoners, nourisher and protector of widows and orphans, guardian of chastity, gentle tutor of children, support of the aged, guide of fasters, rest of those that labour, abundant riches of the poor and needy. Hear us who pray unto thee and flee to thy protection: Show thy mediation on our behalf with the Most High, and obtain through thy God-pleasing intercessions all that is useful for the salvation of our souls and bodies; keep this holy habitation, every city and town, and every Christian land, and the people that dwell therein, from all oppression through thy help; for we know that “the prayer of a righteous man availeth much for good”; and after the Most blessed Virgin Mary, we have thee as a righteous mediator with the All merciful God, and to thy fervent intercession and protection we humbly approach. Keep us, as a watchful and good shepherd, from all enemies, pestilence, earthquake, hail, famine, flood, fire, the sword, the invasion of enemies, and in all our misfortunes and afflictions give us a helping hand and open the doors of God's compassion; for we are unworthy to look upon the height of Heaven because of the multitude of our iniquities; we are bound by the bonds of sin and have not done the will of our Creator nor kept His commandments. Wherefore, we bow the knees of our broken and humble heart to our Maker, and we ask thy fatherly intercession with Him: Help us, O Servant of God, lest we perish with our sins, deliver us from all evil, and from every adverse thing, direct our minds and strengthen our hearts in the Orthodox Faith, which, through thy mediation and intercession, neither wounds, nor threats, nor plague, nor the wrath of our Creator shall lessen; but grant that we may live a peaceful life here and see the good things in the land of the living, glorifying the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, one God gloried and worshipped in Trinity, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen

 

The Dismissal

 

Priest: Wisdom!

Priest: O Most Holy Mother of God, save us!

People: More honourable than the Cherubim, and beyond compare more glorious than the Seraphim, who without defilement gavest birth to God the Word, and art indeed the Mother of God, we magnify thee!

Priest: Glory to Thee, O Christ God and our Hope; glory to Thee!

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

Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

Father, bless!

 

The priest gives the usual dismissal.

 

Priest: May Christ our True God, Who is risen from the dead, through the intercession of His Most Pure Mother and through the intercession of our Holy Father Nicholas the Wonderworker ... for He is a good God Who loves mankind.

People: Amen.

 

Priest and people:  We magnify thee, O holy hierarch Nicholas, and we honour thy holy memory; for thou dost pray for us to Christ our God.

 

The priest, readers, altar servers and people venerate the icon of St Nicholas and are then anointed by the priest.