October 16, 2020

Hymns and Prayer Upon Entering the Chapel of Saint Longinus at the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem

 

 
In the year 1855, Patriarch Cyril of Jerusalem composed the Hymnal of Zion, which are a series of prayers and hymns to be chanted and prayed as a procession took place through all the areas of the Holy Sepulchre. The following is to be chanted and said at the fourth stop when entering the chapel dedicated to Longinus the Centurion, who confessed Christ as the Son of God at the Crucifixion.

Entering into the Chapel of Saint Longinus, chant the following Troparia, in Plagal of the 2nd tone, to "More Honorable Than the Cherubim".

Seeing the events of your passion, which were exceedingly frightening and wondrous, Longinus looked upon you who are truly the Son of God, clearly proclaiming you in his confession.

Glory to you, O God, glory to you.

The sun looked down upon you and hid its light, as you hanged on the Cross, sun of glory, who shined upon all, the light of the knowledge of God, by which Longinus beheld you as God and man.

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

The deceitful Jews that once cut off the head, of Longinus who did it on your behalf, hid it in the dung, while a blind woman found it, and she looked upon you and glorified you.

Now and forever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Long-suffering Savior and Son of God, when divine Longinus, beheld you on the Cross, you enlightened in your compassion, with the knowledge of God, do so also enlighten us through his intercessions.

And the Priest censes. The Deacon makes the usual entreaties as before, and the Priest says the following prayer out loud.

Christ our God, the most-sweet love of mankind, the light, the way, the life and our salvation, we thank you in your infinite mercy, and your unutterable compassion and goodness, for choosing death by crucifixion, granting life to us who were dead, Immortal one. And now, much compassionate Lord, we your unworthy servants are at a loss as to how to hymn your goodness worthily, we therefore offer you the confession at the Cross of righteous Longinus, saying: "Truly you are the Son of God." You Lord are the Son and Word of God and God, you are the King of all. You are the King of kings and the Lord of lords. You are the Good Shepherd, who seeks and finds the lost sheep, and bearing him on your shoulders, you bring him to your beginningless Father. You who are by all and in all and through all glorified as Lord, make us worthy we who are humble and unworthy, to hymn your praises and glorify you always. You who alone are pure and undefiled, purify us of all stains of the flesh and spirit. You, who on behalf of the immortality of mankind, willingly drank from the cup of death, water us with the wine of compunction, and grant the forgiveness of our trespasses, through the intercessions of your Ever-Virgin Mother, the Holy Great Martyr Longinus the Centurion, and all your Saints. Amen.


Ἀπερχόμενοι δὲ εἰς τὸ τοῦ Ἁγίου Λογγίνου Παρεκκλήσιον, ψάλλομεν τὰ Τροπάρια ὡς ἔμπροσθεν. Εἰς ἤχον πλ. β΄. Τὴν τιμιωτέραν.

Ἰδὼν ὁ Λογγίνος τὰ ἐν τῷ σῷ, πάθει γεγονότα, φρικτὰ λίαν καὶ θαυμαστά, Θεοῦ σὲ ἐπέγνω, Υἱὸν ἐν ἀληθείᾳ, τρανῶς τε ὡμολόγει, ἀνακηρύττων σε.

Δόξα σοι ὁ Θεός, ἡμῶν δόξα σοι.

Κρεμάμενον ἥλιος ἐν Σταυρῷ, ἥλιε τῆς δόξης, καθορῶν σε κρύπτει τὸ φῶς, καὶ ὅλον φωτίζει, φωτὶ θεογνωσίας, Λογγῖνον σὲ εἰδέναι Θεὸν καὶ ἄνθρωπον.

Δόξα.

Λογγίνου τὴν κάραν Ἑβραῖοι πρίν, ὑπὲρ σοῦ Χριστέ μου, ἐκτεμόντες οἱ δολεροί, ἔκρυψαν κοπρίᾳ, γυνὴ τυφλὴ δὲ ταύτην, ἀνέβλεψεν εὑροῦσα καὶ σὲ δοξάζουσα.

Καὶ νῦν.

Μακρόθυμε Σῶτερ Υἱὲ Θεοῦ, ὁ θεῖον Λογγῖνον, κατιδόντα σε ἐν Σταυρῷ, φωτίσας οἰκτίρμον, πρὸς σὴν θεογνωσίαν, καὶ ἡμᾶς ταῖς πρεσβείαις ἐκείνου φώτισον.

Καὶ θυμιᾷ ὁ Ἱερεύς. Εἶτα ὁ Διάκονος τὰς συνήθεις αἰτήσεις ὡς προδεδήλωται, καὶ ὁ Ἱερεὺς τὴν εὐχὴν ταύτην ἐκφώνως.

Χριστὲ ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, ἡ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ὑπεργλυκυτάτη ἀγάπη, τὸ φῶς, ἡ ὁδός, ἡ ζωή, καὶ σωτηρία ἡμῶν , εὐχαριστοῦμέν σου τῷ ἀπείρῳ ἐλέει, καὶ τῇ ἀφάτῳ σου εὐπσλαγχνίᾳ καὶ χρηστότητι, δι’ ἅ τὸν σταυρικὸν εἵλου θάνατον, ζωῶσαι θέλων ἡμᾶς τοὺς θανέντας ἀθάνατε. Καὶ νῦν πολυεύσπλαγχνε Κύριε, ἀποροῦντες ἡμεῖς οἱ ἀνάξιοι δοῦλοί σου ὕμνων ἀνταξίων τῇ σῇ ἀγαθότητι, τὴν ἐπὶ τοῦ Σταυροῦ ὁμολογίαν τοῦ δικαίου Λογγίνου προσφέρομέν σοι λέγοντες· Ἀληθῶς Θεοῦ Υἱὸς εἶ σύ. Σὺ εἶ Κύριε ὁ Υἱὸς καὶ Λόγος τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Θεός, σὺ εἶ ὁ βασιλεὺς τοῦ παντός. Σὺ εἶ ὁ βασιλεὺς τῶν βασιλευόντων, καὶ Κύριος τῶν κυριευόντων. Σὺ εἶ ὁ Ποιμὴν ὁ καλός, ὁ τὸ ἀπολωλὸς πρόβατον ἀναζητήσας καὶ εὑρών, καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ὤμων ἀναλαβών, καὶ Πατρὶ σου τῷ ἀνάρχῳ προσαγαγών. Σὺ οὖν ὁ ὑπὸ πάντων καὶ ἐν πᾶσι καὶ διὰ πάντα δεδοξασμένος Κύριος, ἀξίωσον τοὺς ταπεινοὺς ἡμᾶς καὶ ἀναξίους ἀνυμνεῖν καὶ δοξάζειν σε πάντοτε. Σὺ ὁ μόνος καθαρὸς καὶ ἀκήρατος, καθάρισον ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ παντὸς μολυσμοῦ σαρκὸς καὶ πνεύματος. Σύ, ὁ ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀθανασίας τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἑκουσίως πιὼν τὸ ποτήριον τοῦ θανάτου, πότισον ἡμᾶς οἶνον κατανύξεως, καὶ τῶν πλημμελημάτων ἡμῶν τὴν ἄφεσιν δώρησαι, πρεσβείαις τῆς ᾈειπαρθένου σου Μητρός, τοῦ Ἁγίου Μεγαλομάρτυρος Λογγίνου τοῦ ἑκατοντάρχου, καὶ πάντων σου τῶν Ἁγίων. Ἀμήν.