Prayers on Soul Saturday

A Prayer for the Repose of Souls

O Master, Lord God Almighty, Who dost at no time reject Thy servants and despisest not the souls of them that pray to Thee:

give rest to the souls of Thy servants, all departed Orthodox Christians, in the paradise of consolation,


in the land of the devout, overlooking their sins whether committed in knowledge or in ignorance.

Grant them that place of sweetness; unite us with them in Thy joy, and preserve us in the remission of sins, through the prayers of our most pure Lady, the Birthgiver of God and Ever-Virgin Mary, the holy and heavenly Angelic Powers

[this last phrase in the Greek but not in the Slavonic version-tr.],

the holy John, Prophet and Forerunner and Baptist; the holy and glorious Apostles, and all the Saints which have been well-pleasing unto Thee from all ages.

For Thou art He that blesseth and sanctifieth all, and unto Thee do we send up glory: to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Another Prayer for the Departed

O God of spirits and of all flesh, Who takest of Thine own unto Thine own;

Who hast said, All souls are Mine, and Who callest them and keepest them till the day of Resurrection;

Thyself, O Master, deliver the souls of Thy servants [names may be inserted] ,

whom Thou hast taken to Thyself, from every action of the enemy power;

set as guides for them, Angels of peace; propitiously grant them to see Thy countenance;

overlook their misdeeds in this life, whether voluntary or involuntary;

make them worthy of the portion of Thy Saints and establish them in the bosom of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob,

Thy righteous ones, whence grief, distress, wailing and gnashing of teeth have fled;

and for us, arrange all things as is good and pleasing unto Thee.

For Thou art a good God and lovest mankind, and to Thee do we send up glory: to the FAther, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Provided by Fr John Shaw, via email

These two prayers are taken from a manuscript Sluzhebnik of the 17th or 18th century from the Serbian Hilandar monastery on Mt. Athos. They were translated from the Church Slavonic text, but are close to the Greek prototypes that appear in other old manuscripts and were published in the 19th century. These are kindly provided by the Monks of Hilandar Monastery