That the Lord God may hearken unto the voice of our prayer, let us pray to the Lord. That he may deliver him and us from all affliction, passion, and want, let us pray to the Lord. Help us, save us, have mercy.... Commemorating our most holy, most pure.... _And while the deacon is saying these, the priest saith this prayer to himself secretly._ O loving-kind and merciful God, who triest the hearts and reins, and who alone knowest the secrets of men, for nothing is unmanifest before thee, but all things are naked and exposed in thine eyesight; do thou thyself, who perceivest that which concerneth me, loathe me not, neither turn away thy face from me; but overlook mine offences in this hour, O thou that overlookest the sins of men that they may repent. And wash me from the defilement of my body and from the stain of my soul, and sanctify me wholly by thine all-effectual invisible might, and by thy spiritual right hand, lest, preaching liberty to others, and offering this in the perfect faith of thine unspeakable love to man, I myself may be condemned as a servant of sin. Nay, O Master, who alone art good and man-loving, let me not be turned back humbled; but send unto me power from on high, and strengthen me for the ministration of this thy present great and most heavenly mystery; and form the image of thy Christ in him who is about to be born again through my humility; and build him upon the foundation of thine apostles and prophets; and cast him not down, but plant him as a plant of truth in thy holy, catholic, and apostolic church; and pluck him not up, that, by his advancing in piety, by the same may be glorified thy most holy name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, now and ever, and to ages of ages. Amen. _It behoveth to know that he maketh no exclamation, but saith even the Amen to himself._ _Then he saith this prayer with a loud voice,_ Great art thou, O Lord, and wonderful are thy works, and no word shall be sufficient for the praise of thy wonders. _Thrice._