The Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria
The Church of the Virgin Mary and St.Athanasius
Mississauga, On, Canada

THE AGPEYA Prayer Book of the Seven Canonical Hours

The Ninth Hour

The Ninth Hour, commemorates the redemptive death of Christ in the flesh on the cross, and his acceptance of the repentance of the thief. We pray that the Saviour may mortify our carnal lusts, make us partakers of His grace, and accept our repentance when we cry out with the Thief “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom” (Luke 23:42).

Then the worshipper recites:

The prayer of the Ninth Hour of this blessed day, we offer to Christ our King and our God, beseeching Him to forgive us our sins.
From the Psalms of our father David, the prophet and the king, may his blessings be with us all. Amen.

PSALM 95

Oh, sing to the Lord a new song! Sing to the Lord, all the earth. Sing to the Lord, bless His name; Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day. Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples. For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the Lord made the heavens. Honor and majesty are before Him; Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary. Give to the Lord, O families of the peoples, give to the Lord glory and strength. Give to the Lord the glory due His name; Bring an offering, and come into His courts.

Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness! Tremble before Him, all the earth. Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns; The world also is firmly established, It shall not be moved; He shall judge the peoples righteously.”

Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; Let the sea roar, and all its fullness; Let the field be joyful, and all that is in it. Then all the trees of the woods will rejoice before the Lord. For He is coming, for He is coming to judge the earth. He shall judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with His truth. ALLELUIA.

PSALM 96

The Lord reigns; Let the earth rejoice; Let the multitude of isles be glad! Clouds and darkness surround Him; Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne. A fire goes before Him, and burns up His enemies round about. His lightnings light the world; the earth sees and trembles. The mountains melt like wax at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth. The heavens declare His righteousness, and all the peoples see His glory. Let all be put to shame who serve carved images, who boast of idols.

Worship Him, all you gods. Zion hears and is glad, and the daughters of Judah rejoice because of Your judgments, O Lord. For You, Lord, are most high above all the earth; You are exalted far above all gods. You who love the Lord, hate evil! He preserves the souls of His saints; He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked. Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart. Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous, and give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name. ALLELUIA.

PSALM 97

Oh, sing to the Lord a new song! For He has done marvelous things; His right hand and His holy arm have gained Him the victory. The Lord has made known His salvation; His righteousness He has revealed in the sight of the nations. He has remembered His mercy and His faithfulness to the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth; Break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises. Sing to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and the sound of a psalm, with trumpets and the sound of a horn;

Shout joyfully before the Lord, the King. Let the sea roar, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell in it; Let the rivers clap their hands; Let the hills be joyful together before the Lord, for He is coming to judge the earth. With righteousness He shall judge the world, and the peoples with equity. ALLELUIA.

PSALM 98

The Lord reigns; let the peoples tremble! He dwells between the cherubim; Let the earth be moved! The Lord is great in Zion, and He is high above all the peoples. Let them praise Your great and awesome name-He is holy. The King’s strength also loves justice; You have established equity; You have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob. Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at His footstool-- He is holy

Moses and Aaron were among His priests, and Samuel was among those who called upon His name; They called upon the Lord, and He answered them. He spoke to them in the cloudy pillar; They kept His testimonies and the ordinance He gave them. You answered them, O Lord our God; You were to them God-Who-Forgives, though You took vengeance on their deeds. Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at His holy hill; For the Lord our God is holy. ALLELUIA.

PSALM 99

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands! Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before His presence with singing. Know that the Lord, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations. ALLELUIA.

PSALM 100

I will sing of mercy and justice; To You, O Lord, I will sing praises. I will behave wisely in a perfect way. Oh, when will You come to me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart I will set nothing wicked before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; It shall not cling to me. A perverse heart shall depart from me; I will not know wickedness. Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, him I will destroy; The one who has a haughty look and a proud heart, him I will not endure.

My eyes shall be on the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me; He who walks in a perfect way, he shall serve me. He who works deceit shall not dwell within my house; He who tells lies shall not continue in my presence. Early I will destroy all the wicked of the land, that I may cut off all the evildoers from the city of the Lord. ALLELUIA.

PSALM 109

The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool.” The Lord shall send the rod of Your strength out of Zion. Rule in the midst of Your enemies! Your people shall be volunteers in the day of Your power; In the beauties of holiness, from the womb of the morning, You have the dew of Your youth. The Lord has sworn and will not relent, “You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

”The Lord is at Your right hand; He shall execute kings in the day of His wrath. He shall judge among the nations, He shall fill the places with dead bodies, He shall execute the heads of many countries. He shall drink of the brook by the wayside; Therefore He shall lift up the head. ALLELUIA.

PSALM 110

Praise the Lord! I will praise the Lord with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright and in the congregation. The works of the Lord are great, studied by all who have pleasure in them. His work is honorable and glorious, and His righteousness endures forever. He has made His wonderful works to be remembered; The Lord is gracious and full of compassion. He has given food to those who fear Him; He will ever be mindful of His covenant.

He has declared to His people the power of His works, in giving them the heritage of the nations. The works of His hands are verity and justice; All His precepts are sure. They stand fast forever and ever, and are done in truth and uprightness. He has sent redemption to His people; He has commanded His covenant forever: Holy and awesome is His name. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever. ALLELUIA.

PSALM 111

Praise the Lord! Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who delights greatly in His commandments. His descendants will be mighty on earth; The generation of the upright will be blessed. Wealth and riches will be in his house, and his righteousness endures forever. Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness; He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous. A good man deals graciously and lends; He will guide his affairs with discretion. Surely he will never be shaken; The righteous will be in everlasting remembrance.

He will not be afraid of evil tidings; His heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord. His heart is established; He will not be afraid, until he sees his desire upon his enemies. He has dispersed abroad, He has given to the poor; His righteousness endures forever; His horn will be exalted with honor. The wicked will see it and be grieved; He will gnash his teeth and melt away; The desire of the wicked shall perish. ALLELUIA.

PSALM 112

Praise the Lord! Praise, O servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord! Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and forevermore! From the rising of the sun to its going down the Lord's name is to be praised. The Lord is high above all nations, His glory above the heavens.

Who is like the Lord our God, who dwells on high, who humbles himself to behold the things that are in the heavens and in the earth? He raises the poor out of the dust, and lifts the needy out of the ash heap, that He may seat him with princes-- With the princes of His people. He grants the barren woman a home, like a joyful mother of children. ALLELUIA.

PSALM114

I love the Lord, because He has heard my voice and my supplications. Because He has inclined His ear to me, therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live. The pains of death surrounded me, and the pangs of Sheol laid hold of me; I found trouble and sorrow. Then I called upon the name of the Lord: "O Lord, I implore You, deliver my soul!"

Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; Yes, our God is merciful. The Lord preserves the simple; I was brought low, and He saved me. Return to your rest, O my soul, for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you. For You have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, and my feet from falling. I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living. ALLELUIA.

PSALM 115

I believed, therefore I spoke, "I am greatly afflicted." I said in my haste, "All men are liars." What shall I render to the Lord for all His benefits toward me? I will take up the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows to the Lord now in the presence of all His people. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.

O Lord, truly I am Your servant; I am Your servant, the son of Your maidservant; You have loosed my bonds. I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows to the Lord now in the presence of all His people, in the courts of the Lord's house, In the midst of you, O Jerusalem. ALLELUIA.

Gospel (Luke 9:10-17)

Holy, Holy, Holy. A passage from the Gospel according to Saint Luke, may his blessings be with us all. Amen.

And the apostles, when they had returned, told Him all that they had done. Then He took them and went aside privately into a deserted place belonging to the city called Bethsaida. But when the multitudes knew it, they followed Him; and He received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who had need of healing. When the day began to wear away, the twelve came and said to Him, "Send the multitude away, that they may go into the surrounding towns and country, and lodge and get provisions; for we are in a deserted place here."

But He said to them, "You give them something to eat." And they said, "We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless we go and buy food for all these people." For there were about five thousand men. Then He said to His disciples, "Make them sit down in groups of fifty." And they did so, and made them all sit down.

Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the multitude. So they all ate and were filled, and twelve baskets of the leftover fragments were taken up by them.

 Glory be to God forever. Amen.

The Litanies for Ninth Hour

We worship You O Christ…

O You, who tasted death in the flesh in the ninth hour, for the sake of us sinners. O Saviour, put to death our carnal lusts, O Christ, our God, and deliver us. Let my supplication draw close before You, O Lord; according to Your Word give me understanding. Let my petition reach Your presence; according to Your Word give me Life.

"Zoksapatri ke Eiyou-ke agi-you epnevmaty" (Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.)

O You, Who commanded Your spirit into the hands of the Father, after being on the wood of the cross at the ninth hour. You guided the thief who was crucified with You to join You in Paradise; do not neglect me, O Good-One, nor reject me, I, the lost one, but sanctify my soul and enlighten my understanding. Allow me to be a partaker of the Grace of Your Life-Giving Mysteries, that when I taste of Your Goodness I may offer praise without lukewarmness, longing for Your Light above all things, O Christ our Lord, and save us.

"Kenin ke aa-ee ke-ic-touce e-on-ace ton e-onon Amen."(Both now and forever and unto the age of all ages, Amen.)

O You, Who for our sake was born of the Virgin, and endured crucifixion, O Good-one, and abolished death by Your death, and revealed the resurrection by Your resurrection; do not turn Your face, O God, from those whom You have created with Your own hands; but show forth Your love for mankind, O Good-One. Accept the intercession of Your Mother on our behalf, and save, O Saviour, Your humble people. Do not abandon us unto the end, and do not forsake us forever. Do not break Your covenant, and take not Your mercy from us, for the sake of Abraham Your beloved, Isaac Your servant, and Israel Your holy one.

"Kenin ke aa-ee ke-ic-touce e-on-ace ton e-onon Amen."(Both now and forever and unto the age of all ages, Amen.

When the thief saw the Author of Life hanging upon the Cross, He spoke saying:” If He Who is crucified with us were not the Incarnate God, the sun would not have hidden its rays, neither would the earth have quaked in fear. But, O Almighty One, who endures all things, remember me, O Lord, when You come into Your kingdom.”

"Zoksapatri ke Eiyou-ke agi-you epnevmaty" (Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.)

O You, Who accepted unto Him the confession of the thief upon the Cross, accept us also unto Yourself, O Good-One, we who deserve the sentence of death because of our sins. We acknowledge our sins with the thief, confessing Your Divinity, crying out and saying: “Remember us, O Lord, when You come into Your Kingdom”.

"Kenin ke aa-ee ke-ic-touce e-on-ace ton e-onon Amen."(Both now and forever and unto the age of all ages, Amen.)

When the Mother saw the Lamb, the Shepherd, the Saviour of the world, hanging upon the cross, she said weeping: “The world rejoices in that it has received salvation, while my heart burns as I look at Your crucifixion, which You are enduring for the sake of all, O my son and my God.”

THE TRISAGION

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, Who was born of the Virgin, have mercy on us.

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, Who was crucified for us, have mercy on us.

Holy God, Holy mighty, Holy Immortal, Who rose from the dead and ascended into Heaven, have mercy on us.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now, and forever, and unto the age of all ages. Amen.

O Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. O Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. O Holy Trinity, have mercy on us.

O Lord, remit our sins. O Lord, pardon our iniquities. O Lord, forgive us our trespasses.  O Lord, visit the sick of Your people; heal them for the sake of Your Holy Name. Our fathers and brothers who have fallen asleep, O Lord repose their souls.

O You who is sinless, Lord have mercy on us. O You who is sinless, Lord help us and receive our supplications. For Yours is the glory, dominion, and triple Holiness. Lord have mercy. Lord have mercy. Lord bless us. Amen.

O Lord, make us worthy to pray Thankfully: Our Father Who art in heaven ...

HAIL TO SAINT MARY

Hail to you, we ask you, O saint full of glory, the Ever-Virgin, Theotokos, Mother of Christ; offer our prayers, to your beloved Son, that He may forgive us our sins.

Hail to the Holy Virgin who gave birth to the True Light, Christ our God. Ask the Lord on our behalf, that He may have mercy upon us, that He may forgive us our sins.

O Virgin Mary, the Holy Theotokos, the faithful advocate for all mankind. Intercede on our behalf, before Christ to whom you gave birth, that He may forgive us our sins.

Hail to you, O Virgin, the very and true Queen, Hail to the pride of our race, who bore for us Emmanuel. We ask you to remember us, our trusted advocate, before our Lord, Jesus Christ, that He may forgive us our sins.

INTRODUCTION TO THE CREED

We exalt you, O mother of the True Light, and we glorify you, O Virgin Saint, Theotokos, for you brought forth unto us the Saviour of the whole world; He came and saved our souls.

Glory be to You, our Master, and our King, Christ, the Pride of the Apostles, the Crown of the Martyrs, the Joy of the righteous, the Firmness of the churches, the Forgiveness of sins.

We proclaim the Holy Trinity, one in essence. We worship Him and glorify Him. Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, Lord bless us. Amen.

THE CREED

We believe in one God; God the Father the Pantocrator, Who created Heaven and the earth, and of all things seen and unseen.

We believe in One Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all ages. Light of Light; True God of True God, begotten, not created; of one essence with the Father, by whom all things were made; Who, for us men and for our salvation, came down from the Heaven and was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and of the Virgin Mary, and became man. And He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, suffered, and was buried.  And the third day He rose from the dead, according to the Scriptures; He ascended into Heaven, and sits at the right hand of His Father. And He is coming again in His glory to judge the living and the dead; whose Kingdom shall have no end.

Yes, we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of Life; Who proceeds from the Father; Who, with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified, Who spoke by the prophets.

And in One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. We confess one baptism for the remission of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the coming age. Amen.

KYRIE ELEISON

O Lord, hear us, have mercy on us, and forgive us our sins.

KYRIE ELEISON (Lord have mercy) 41 times

HOLY HOLY HOLY

Holy, Holy, Holy, O Lord of Saba-outh, Heaven and earth are full of Your glory and dignity. Have mercy on us O God the Father, Almighty. O Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. O Lord, God of powers be with us. For we have no other helper in our tribulations and adversities but You.

Loose, remit, and forgive us O God our iniquities, which we committed willingly and unwillingly, which we committed knowingly and unknowingly, the hidden and the manifest.

O Lord, remit it unto us, for the sake of Your Holy Name, which is called upon us, according to Your mercy, O Lord, and not according to our sins.

Make us worthy to pray thankfully: Our Father Who art in heaven ...

ABSOLUTION

O God, the Father of our Lord, God, and Saviour, Jesus Christ, who by His manifestation has saved us and delivered us from the bondage of the enemy; we beseech You in His blessed and great Name, turn our minds from worldly cares and carnal lusts, into the remembrance of Your heavenly judgements. Fulfill in us Your love for mankind, O Good-One. 

May our prayers at all times and this prayer of the Ninth Hour be acceptable before You. Grant us to walk worthy of the calling with which we were called, that when we depart from this world, we may be counted with the true worshippers, worthy of the sufferings of Your Only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, Our Lord, and may obtain mercy and forgiveness of our sins, and salvation with the choir of the saints who have truly pleased You since the beginning and unto the end.

O God, abolish all the power of the adversary and all his evil armies, as Your Only-begotten Son has trampled on them by the power of His Life-giving Cross. Accept us unto You, O our Lord Jesus Christ, as You have accepted the right-hand thief on the Cross. Shed Your light on us as You have enlightened those who were in the darkness of Hades, and restore us all to the paradise of joy, for You are, O our Master, a blessed God, and unto You is due, with Your good Father and the Holy Spirit, glory, honour, majesty, dominion and worship, forever and forever. Amen.

THE CONCLUSION OF EVERY HOUR

Have mercy on us, O God, and have mercy on us. For You are at all times and in every hour, in Heaven and earth, worshipped and glorified. O Christ, our God, who is long-suffering, plenteous in mercy and compassion. Who loves the just and shows mercy to all sinners among whom I am the first. Who does not wish the death of a sinner, but that he repents and lives. You who calls all men to salvation through the promise of good things to come.

Do the same, Lord, receive also our supplications at this hour and at every hour; facilitate our present lives and direct us to act according to Your commandments. Sanctify our souls, purify our bodies, set aright our reasoning, cleanse our thoughts, heal our sicknesses, remit our sins, and deliver us from all wrath and distress. Surround us with Your Holy angels, that we may be guided and guarded with them, to attain the unity of faith and knowledge of Your imperceptible and infinite glory, for blessed are You unto all ages. Amen.

O Lord, make us worthy to pray thankfully:
Our Father Who art in heaven .....