13 January 2020 года

New Year’s prayer service

As we begin a new year, we ask the Lord to bless His creation with peace and bestow His grace over each one of us. 

Year in and year out, we bid farewell to the previous year and anticipate the arrival of a new one with hope. 

As we look back at the past year, we regret the things left undone, or what could but didn’t happen. We lament deeply about any corrupt misdeeds that took place last year or that we didn’t accomplish anything that could afford us to call it “the year of the Lord” or “a blessed year” by the word of the New Testament. 

We start a new year with the hope that the Lord blesses the earth with His peace and blesses each of us with His grace. 

On New Year’s eve according to the old calendar, a prayer service took place at the Trinity Cathedral of the Seraphim-Diveyevo monastery where the faithful sent up a universal prayer for themselves, their family and dear ones, our country and the whole world. 

The usual set of beginning prayers was followed by the reading of Psalm 64 containing the following words: “Hearken unto us, O God our Savior, Thou hope of all the ends of the earth and of them that be far off at sea.” 

As we pray at the beginning of a new year, we say: “O Master, Lord our God, the Source of life and of immortality, the Author of all created things both visible and invisible, Who has placed all seasons and years in Thy power, and does direct all things with Thy Most-Wise and All-Gracious Providence: We thank Thee for Thy bounties, which Thou has poured out upon us during our life that is past, and we entreat Thee, O All-Bountiful Lord! Bless the crown of the coming year with Thy goodness: preserve Thy beloved servants, our Rulers, and all the Authorities; Multiply the days of their life in health unalterable, and grant them progress in all virtues. Bestow Thy good things from above upon all Thy people, as also health and salvation, and good furtherance in all things. Deliver Thy Holy Church, this city, and all cities and lands from every evil assault, and vouchsafe unto them peace and tranquility; and grant that we may always offer thanksgiving unto Thee, the Father Who is from everlasting, together with Thine Only-begotten Son, and Thine All-Holy, and Good, and Life-Creating Spirit, God glorified in one Essence, and to hymn Thine All-Holy Name.”
After the dismissal prayer “By Thy authority, Thou established times and seasons, O Christ our True God,” everyone sang “Many Years!”