Saint John the Baptist

Orthodox Church
855 South Goodman Street ~ Rochester NY 14620
SaintJohnOrthodox.org
 SUNDAY
Divine Liturgy
10:00 AM

SATURDAY
Great Vespers
6:00 PM

WEDNESDAY
Matins
7:15 AM
Priest: Blessed is our God, always now and ever, and unto ages of ages!

Choir: Amen!
O Heavenly King, the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth; who art everywhere and
fillest all things. Treasury of Blessings, and Giver of Life: Come and abide in us,
and cleanse us from every impurity, and save our souls, O Good One!

All:
The Song of the Angels
Holy God! Holy Mighty! Holy Immortal! Have mercy on us.
Holy God! Holy Mighty! Holy Immortal! Have mercy on us.
Holy God! Holy Mighty! Holy Immortal! Have mercy on us.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto
ages of ages. Amen.
Prayer to the Holy Trinity
O Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. O Lord, cleanse us from our sins. O
Master, pardon our transgressions. O Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities for
Thy name’s sake.

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

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto
ages of ages. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy
will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And
forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead
us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Priest: For Yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory: of the Father, and of the
Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages.

Choir: Amen.

Priest: In peace let us pray to the Lord.

Choir: Lord, have mercy.

Priest: That the Lord our God will mercifully accept our prayer of thanksgiving for the
gift He has given us in the animals and creatures assigned to be our companions upon the
earth.
Choir: Lord, have mercy.

Priest: That the Lord our God will be pleased by our gratefulness which we now offer
with humble hearts for the companionship of animals and creatures we have received from
Him.

Choir: Lord, have mercy.

Priest: That He will hear our prayer and supplications, and in His bounteous goodness
bestow a blessing upon our pets and confirm that every good thing flows from His loving-
kindness for us.

Choir: Lord, have mercy.

Priest: For to You are due all glory, honor, and worship: to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages.

Choir: Amen.

Priest: God is the Lord and has revealed Himself to us! Blessed is He that comes in the
name of the Lord! O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy endures
forever!

Choir: God is the Lord and has revealed Himself to us! Blessed is He that comes in the
name of the Lord!

Priest: All nations surrounded me but, in the name of the Lord, I withstood them!

Choir: God is the Lord and has revealed Himself to us! Blessed is He that comes in the
name of the Lord!

Priest: I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the Lord!

Choir: God is the Lord and has revealed Himself to us! Blessed is He that comes in the
name of the Lord!

Priest: The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone. This is the Lord’s
doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes!

Choir: God is the Lord and has revealed Himself to us! Blessed is He that comes in the
name of the Lord!
Choir: (in the 4th tone)
We, your unworthy servants, O Lord,
grateful for Your great benefits freely given to us,
glorify You, praise You, and give thanks to You!
We hymn and magnify Your tender mercy and compassion for us.
Raise us up to heartfelt thanks according to our strength,
that we may glorify You, our Benefactor and Creator, crying out:
“Glory to You, O Lover of Mankind!”

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

Having been counted worthy to receive Your gifts, O Lord and Master,
with haste we now offer You our thanks according to our strength.
We praise and glorify You, O Creator of all things,
offering songs of gratitude for the companionship of our pets.
Glory to You, O Most-Compassionate God!

Priest: Let us attend!

The Reading from the Book of Genesis

And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the
livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according
to its kind.” And it was so. God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the
livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground
according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. Then God said, “Let us make
mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the
birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that
move along the ground.” So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God
he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them,
“Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the
sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

Psalm 148
Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise him in the heights! Praise him,
all his angels, praise him, all his host! Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all you
shining stars! Praise him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens! Let
them praise the name of the Lord! For he commanded and they were created. And he
established them for ever and ever; he fixed their bounds which cannot be passed. Praise
the Lord from the earth, you sea monsters and all deeps, fire and hail, snow and frost,
stormy wind fulfilling his command! Mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars!
Beasts and all cattle, creeping things and flying birds! Kings of the earth and all peoples,
princes and all rulers of the earth! Young men and maidens together, old men and
children! Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted; his glory is
above earth and heaven. He has raised up a horn for his people, praise for all his saints, for
the people of Israel who are near to him. Praise the Lord!

Priest: Wisdom! Let us attend! Let us listen to the Holy Gospel. Peace be unto all!

Choir: And to your spirit!

Priest: The reading is from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Matthew.

Choir: Glory to Thee, O Lord, glory to Thee!

Matthew 6
Our Lord said: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or
drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body
more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in
barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than
they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? And why do you
worry about what you wear? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or
spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.
If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is
thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you -- you of little faith? So do not
worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need
them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given
to you as well.”

Choir: Glory to Thee, O Lord, glory to Thee!

Priest: Let us pray to the Lord.

Choir: Lord, have mercy.

Priest: O Master, Lord our God, Who has authority over all of creation: We pray to You,
and we intercede before You, that as You brought into being and blessed all of the animals
and creatures that inhabit the earth, and appointed them to be subject to our care and
dominion over them, bless now our pets which we are well-pleased to receive as our
companions upon the earth. Grant that each pet here may be treasured with care so that we
may love and honor all your marvelous works. May we continue to grow in our grateful
enjoyment of your abundant creation manifested in our pets with thankfulness of heart.
Count us worthy to always offer You thanksgiving, to tell of Your most-gracious benefits,
and to sing praises to You, O Lord Jesus Christ, together with Your Father from
everlasting, and Your Most-holy, Good, and Life-Creating Spirit; now and ever and unto
ages of ages!

Choir: Amen.

Blessed be the name of the Lord, henceforth and forever more!

Blessed be the name of the Lord, henceforth and forever more!
Blessed be the name of the Lord, henceforth and forever more!

Priest: May Christ, our true God,

through the prayers of His most-pure Mother,
through the prayers of the holy, glorious, and all-praised Apostles,
through the prayers of Saint Seraphim of Sarov,
through the prayers of Saint Herman of Alaska,
through the prayers of the holy and righteous ancestors of God, the parents of the
Virgin Mary, Joachim and Anna,
and through the prayers of all His saints,
may He have mercy on us and save us,
for He is good, and He is the Lover of Mankind.

Choir: Amen.

The pets are now blessed

through the sprinkling of Holy Water
by the power and operation of the Holy Spirit
in the name
of the Father,
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit!