[The Thanksgiving for the Morning.]
XXXVIII. O God, the God of spirits and of all flesh, who art beyond compare, and standest in need of nothing, who hast given the sun to have rule over the day, and the moon and the stars to have rule over the night, do Thou now also look down upon us with gracious eyes, and receive our morning thanksgivings, and have mercy upon us; for we have not “spread out our hands unto a strange God;” 180 Ps. xliv. 20. for there is not among us any new God, but Thou, the eternal God, who art without end, who hast given us our being through Christ, and given us our well-being through Him. Do Thou vouchsafe us also, through Him, eternal life; with whom glory, and honour, and worship be to Thee and to the Holy Spirit for ever. Amen. And let the deacon say: Bow down for the laying on of hands. And let the bishop add this prayer, saying:—
[38] Ὡσαύτως καὶ ὄρθρου ὁ διάκονος μετὰ τὸ ῥηθῆναι τὸν ὀρθρινὸν καὶ ἀπολῦσαι αὐτὸν τοὺς κατηχουμένους καὶ χειμαζομένους καὶ βαπτιζομένους καὶ τοὺς ἐν μετανοίᾳ καὶ τὴν ὀφειλομένην ποιήσασθαι προσφώνησιν, ἵνα μὴ πάλιν λέγωμεν τὰ αὐτά, ἐπιφερέτω μετὰ τὸ Σῶσον αὐτούς, ὁ Θεός, καὶ ἀνάστησον ἐν τῇ χάριτί σου: Αἰτησώμεθα παρὰ τοῦ Κυρίου τὰ ἐλέη αὐτοῦ καὶ τοὺς οἰκτιρμούς, τὸν ὄρθρον τοῦτον καὶ τὴν ἡμέραν εἰρηνικὴν καὶ ἀναμάρτητον καὶ πάντα τὸν χρόνον τῆς παρεπιδημίας ἡμῶν, τὸν ἄγγελον τὸν ἐπὶ τῆς εἰρήνης, χριστιανὰ τὰ τέλη, ἵλεω καὶ εὐμενῆ τὸν Θεόν: ἑαυτοὺς καὶ ἀλλήλους τῷ ζῶντι Θεῷ διὰ τοῦ μονογενοῦς αὐτοῦ παραθώμεθα. Καὶ ὁ ἐπίσκοπος ἐπευχόμενος λεγέτω: Ὁ Θεὸς τῶν πνευμάτων καὶ πάσης σαρκός, ὁ ἀσύγκριτος καὶ ἀπροσδεής, ὁ δοὺς τὸν ἥλιον εἰς ἐξουσίαν τῆς ἡμέρας, τὴν δὲ σελήνην καὶ τὰ ἄστρα εἰς ἐξουσίαν τῆς νυκτός: αὐτὸς καὶ νῦν ἔπιδε ἐφ' ἡμᾶς εὐμενέσιν ὀφθαλμοῖς καὶ πρόσδεξαι τὰς ἑωθινὰς ἡμῶν εὐχαριστίας καὶ ἐλέησον ἡμᾶς: οὐ γὰρ διεπετάσαμεν τὰς χεῖρας ἡμῶν πρὸς θεὸν ἀλλότριον: οὐ γὰρ ἔστιν ἐν ἡμῖν θεὸς πρόσφατος, ἀλλὰ σὺ ὁ αἰώνιος καὶ ἀτελεύτητος: ὁ τὸ εἶναι ἡμῖν διὰ Χριστοῦ παρασχόμενος καὶ τὸ εὖ εἶναι δι' αὐτοῦ δωρησάμενος, αὐτὸς ἡμᾶς δι' αὐτοῦ καταξίωσον καὶ τῆς αἰωνίου ζωῆς, δι' οὗ σοὶ δόξα, τιμὴ καὶ σέβας ἐν ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας: ἀμήν.