Daily prayers of the week in Syriac
Sh'heemo
Sunday
Evening
and Compline]
Monday
[
Midnight |
Morning |
Evening |
Compline ]
Tuesday
[
Midnight |
Morning |
Evening |
Compline ]
Wednesday
[
Midnight |
Morning |
Evening |
Compline ]
Thursday
[
Midnight |
Morning |
Evening |
Compline ]
Friday
[
Midnight |
Morning |
Evening |
Compline ]
Saturday
[
Midnight |
Morning |
Compline ]
For more knowledge on prayer please refer to the book of "The
Spiritual Treasure on Canonical Prayer"
written by Mor Ignatius Ephrem Barsoum.
(Note)
In the New Testament, we read:
“Watch and Pray.” (Matthew. 26, 41), so watch, you, and
pray always; See also the parable of the Unjust Judge. (Luke
18). We further read: “Continue steadfastly in prayer being
watchful in it with thanksgiving.” (Colossians 4:2);
“Pray without ceasing.” (Thessalonians, 5:17);
“Be constant in prayer.” (Romans 12:12), “Pray at
all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that
end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplications for all
the Saints.” (Ephesians 6:18).
"The
ecclesiastical day in the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch begins
in the evening at sunset with the ramsho (Vespers). In
accordance with Psalm 119, verse 164, “Seven times a day
have I praised thee for thy judgments, O Righteous One”
the Syriac Orthodox Church set the times for prayer to seven:
Ramsho
(Evening) prayer (Vespers),
Sootoro
(meaning ‘Protection’) prayer (Compline), the Psalm 91, is sung at
this prayer "He who sits under the protection of the Most
High",
Lilyo
(Midnight) prayer,
Saphro
(Morning) prayer (Matins),
Tloth
sho`een prayer (Third Hour, prime, 9 a.m.),
Sheth
sho`een prayer (Sixth Hour, Sext, noon, 12 p.m.),
Tsha`
sho`een prayer (Ninth Hour, Nones, 3 p.m.).
Each of the hours has its own
particular theme, The Midnight prayer consists of three qawme
‘watches’ (literarily ‘standing’).
Today, even in monasteries, the
evening and Compline prayers are said together, as also the
midnight and morning prayers, and the three, six and nine o'clock
prayers, reducing the times of prayer to three.
"This
is the order reported by Metropolitan Yacoub of Bartella in his
book entitled: “The Treasures”:
"We pray in the evening to give thanks to God who gave us
night, so that we may rest after the toils of the day. Upon
retiring we pray (Compline) to ask for protection from
enemies of darkness and also because of the possibility that we
might go to sleep and wake up in the world of eternity. At
midnight we pray to meditate on our Savior, Who passed the
night of His Passion without sleep, to teach us to always stay
awake and pray so that we may escape from the Evil One and his
powers. In the morning we pray to thank God who gave us
day. At The Third Hour we pray, for Jesus was condemned to
death at that hour after being scourged. Thus we reflect on His
passion and thank him for bearing all that for us so that we
might escape the pains of the Day of Righteous Judgment on the
judgment day. At the Sixth Hour, the hour of His
crucifixion, we pray to ponder it and thank God for His goodness
and His love. We pray At the Ninth Hour (three in the
afternoon) because it is His actual hour of death. At that hour
the whole earth trembled and was shaken, and the whole creation
shuddered at the dissimulation of the Jews. We reflect over these
things, and thank Him for His love which is the greatest of all.
We also ask Him to save us from eternal death and gather us with
our faithful departed in the company of those of the right side.
We learn from the Book of Acts (Acts 2:15) that the Apostles used
to pray at the sixth hour. Peter also prayed at the sixth hour
(Acts 10:9), and he and John went up to the Temple to pray at the
Ninth Hour (Acts 3:1). Acts 16:25 tells of Paul and Silas praying
and praising God at midnight. They never went to sleep or woke up
in the morning without offering worship (Acts 1:14; 2:43)."
Mor Gregarius informs us that the
Ascetics added another prayer- the Eighth which is called
Dawn Prayers. Laymen, however, not being able to keep the seven
times of prayer, pray in the morning, at noon and in the evening.
As the Psalmist says: “As for me, I call upon God and God saves
me, in the evening and in the morning and at noontide.”
Daniel, too, was to be found in his upper room, with windows open
towards Jerusalem, kneeling humbly three times in the day and
praying in the presence of his God, as he used to do before.
At the present time, however, the Church has condensed prayer
times into morning and evening worship. The Night, Morning, Third
Hour, and Sixth Hour prayers are offered in the morning. The Ninth
Hour, Evening or Vesper, and Compline or Retiring prayers (Sutoro)
are offered in the evening."
Basic Prayer
According
to the Rite of
the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch
Basic Prayers or
Obligatory Prayers, must be used in order to pray the days and
hours of the Sh'himo (Daily Prayer Book).
Opening Prayer
ܨܠܘܬܐ
ܕܫܘܪܝܐ
(Stand with the face inclined
toward the East, folding hands on the chest and focusing thoughts,
make the sign of the Cross and say:)
ܒܫܡ ܐܒܐ ܘܒܪܐ ܘܪܘܚܐ ܩܕܝܫܐ
ܚܕ ܐܠܗܐ ܫܪܝܪܐ܉ ܐܡܝܢ
In the name of the Father, Son, and
Holy Spirit, One True God, Amen
Holy, Holy,
Holy, Lord God Almighty
Heaven and
earth are full of your glory:
Hosanna in the
highest.
Blessed is he
who has come
and is to come
in the name of
the Lord God:
praise be in
the highest.
(Inclining the head in worship,
bow down and then stand upright, making a sign of the Cross.)
The Trisagion
Holy are
You, O God
Holy are
You, O Almighty
Holy are
You O Immortal Who
was crucified for us;
have mercy upon us.
(three times)
(Kneel down and touch the ground
with the head, then stands up and makes a sign of the Cross.
Do likewise each time saying:
Holy are you...
(Stand upright and raising hands
looks up, while saying)
Have mercy upon
us.
Lord have pity
and mercy upon us.
Lord receive
our service and our prayers, and have mercy upon us.
Glory to
You, O God
Glory to
You, O Creator.
Glory to
You, O Christ the King, who has
compassion on your sinful servants. Barekhmore
(Lord bless).
( Worship and makes a sign of the
Cross. After that he says the Lord's prayer, raising hands and
looking up.)
The Lord's Prayer
Our Father
Who are in heaven
Hallowed be
Your name,
Your kingdom come;
Your will be done on earth as
it is in heaven.
Give us this
day the bread of our need
and forgive us
our debts and our sins,
as we have
forgiven our debtors;
and let us
not into temptation,
but deliver us
from the evil one;
for
Yours is the kingdom, the power and the
glory,
forever and
ever. Amen.
(All prayers must be end with
Nicene Creed, followed by
Service of Mother of God and service of Saints and ends by the
Hail of Mary)
The Nicene Creed
We
believe in One God,
The Father
Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and
invisible.
And in One
Lord, Jesus Christ, the Only-Begotten Son of God, Who was begotten
of the Father before all worlds. Light of Light, True God of True
God, begotten and not made, and being of one substance with His
Father; by Whom all things were made; Who for us men and for our
salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate by the Holy
Spirit and of the Virgin Mary, Mother of God. And He became man,
and was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and He suffered,
died, and was buried, and on the third day He rose according to
His will. And ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of
His Father. And He will come again with great glory to judge both
the living and the dead, and His kingdom shall have no end.
And we
believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of life to
all, Who proceeds from the Father, Who together with the Father
and the Son is worshipped and glorified, Who spoke through the
prophets and Apostles.
And in one Holy
Catholic (Universal) and Apostolic Church. We confess one baptism
for the remission of sins. And we look for the resurrection of the
dead, and the new life in the world to come. Amen.
(Optional prayer)
Hail Mary full
of grace, our Lord is with you.
Blessed are you
among women
and blessed is
the fruit of your womb,
our Lord Jesus
Christ.
O Lady Mary,
virgin mother of God,
pray for us
sinners now and always at the hour of our death.
Amen
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