Buy the book directly from the publisher!
“Prayer is not a part of our life; it is our life. Our every thought, word, deed-indeed, every breath-ought to be part of the soul’s constant conversation with the ever-present God, “…in [Whom] we live, and move, and have our being (Acts 17:28).
-Preface
Prayers
The Third Prayer, of St. John Chrysostom.
Lord, whether I will it or not, save me. As a filthy lover of material things I desire sinful defilement, but as Thou art good and all-powerful, Thou canst hold me back. For if Thou hast mercy on a righteous man, it is no great thing; if Thou savest a pure man, it is nothing wonderful, since they are deserving of Thy mercy. Rather, make known the wonder of Thy mercy in me, who am wretched, sinful and defiled, and show Thy compassion. Poor in all good works, I am a pauper, abandoned to Thee. O Lord, save me for Thy mercy’s sake: For blessed art Thou unto the ages. Amen.
TROPARIA AND KONTAKIA
FOOLISHLY have I gone far away from Thy fatherly glory,
wasting in wicked deeds the wealth that Thou gavest me; therefore, I bring to Thee the voice of the prodigal: I have sinned before Thee, O compassionate Father. Receive me in repentance and make me as one of Thy hired servants.
AKATHIST TO THE MOTHER OF GOD – Oikos 12
As we sing of thy childbirth, we praise thee, the living temple, O Mother of God. For the Lord Who holdeth all things in His hand made His dwelling in thy womb; He hallowed and He glorified thee, teaching all to cry to thee:
Rejoice, tabernacle of God the Word.
Rejoice, greater holy of holies.
Rejoice, ark made golden by the Spirit.
Rejoice, inexhaustible treasury of life.
Rejoice, precious crown of pious kings.
Rejoice, honoured boast of devout priests.
Rejoice, unshakable tower of the Church.
Rejoice, indestructible rampart of the kingdom.
Rejoice, thou through whom the standards of victory are raised on high.
Rejoice, thou through whom foes are felled.
Rejoice, healing of my body.
Rejoice, helper of my soul.
Rejoice, thou Bride unwedded!
Table of Contents
From the Publisher
The third edition of the Old Orthodox Prayer Book contains the most common prayers for the layman in both English and Slavonic: Morning and Evening prayers, prayers during the day, the main prayers of the Divine Services from Vespers to Liturgy; Canons to our Lord, the Mother of God and the Guardian Angel; Canons for the sick, for the departed; the Canon and Hours of Pascha; Prayers before and after Holy Communion.
Also included is an instructional chapter, the church calendar with commemorations of the saints for each day, and a 100-year Paschal table. The third edition again contains troparia and kontakia of the Eight Tones, the Triodions, and the major feasts and saints celebrated throughout the year.
The Old Orthodox Prayer Book is published in a tartan red hardcover, small format (approx. 5” x 7”), 760 pages. The text is printed in black & red. Larger English font than the second edition. Ribbon marker.
Translated to English from Slavonic by Hieromonk German Ciuba
Review
This beautiful prayer book by the Russian Orthodox Church of the Nativity of Christ (Old Rite) contains daily prayers, selections from the offices, including the Divine Liturgy, selections from the Troparia and Kontakia, Canons, Akathists, Prayers for Holy Communion, and brief instructional material.
This bilingual volume offers an invaluable resource for those wishing to pray in Church Slavonic, thoughtfully presenting prayers with Church Slavonic text on the left and corresponding English translations on the right. The parallel format makes this an exceptional tool for those studying or praying in the traditional liturgical language.
For a single-volume prayer book, the comprehensive collection contained within these pages is remarkably extensive. Few comparable works manage to compile such a wealth of liturgical material in one accessible tome.
While the bilingual approach serves its intended purpose beautifully, it does create inherent limitations in the breadth of content. Had the publisher opted for an English-only format, additional significant texts could have been included—perhaps the complete Psalter or portions of the Octoechos (Book of Eight Tones).
The very nature of Orthodox liturgical richness makes it impossible to contain the entire corpus of services in a single volume. Nevertheless, this prayer book strikes an admirable balance, providing substantial content while maintaining usability. Though one might wish for more comprehensive coverage, the thoughtful selection presented here offers a meaningful introduction to the liturgical tradition in both languages.
For those seeking to engage with Church Slavonic prayers alongside reliable English translations, this volume represents an excellent investment and spiritual companion.
In addition, while the printed text is beautiful, the lack of paragraph breaks can make reading and praying difficult. See examples below.
