“Speaking with God from the Depths of the Heart”
We always praise along with the Son and Father, the Holy Spirit,
which is of the same essence,
mighty, true, perfect, and holy,
wo from nothing brought into existence everything that exists,
who acts through itself and shares rule with the other two,
in the same indestructible, boundless kingdom,
who is the first cause, the awesome Word of his selfhood.
And the same exalted Holy Spirit,
good ruler, who dispenses the gifts of the Father,
in praise of the name and the glory the only begotten Son,
who acted through the Laws and inspired the Prophets,
with the encouragement of your co-equal Son commissioned your apostles.In the form of a dove you appeared at the River Jordan,
for the greater glory of the one who had come,
shone forth in the writings of the evangelists,
created genius, strengthened the wise,
filled the teachers, blessed the kingdom,
assisted kings, appointed the guardians,
issued the decrees of salvation, granted talents, prepared atonement,
cleansed those baptized into Christ’s death that you might dwell in them
a sacrament performed jointly by the Father and Son with the Holy Spirit,
who is God, honored as Lord, in all ways in all things.
This prayer is excerpted from the Armenian Prayer Book of St. Gregory of Narek, prayer 34,G (951 –1003 AD)
Top image credit: background artwork from ChristianPhotoshops.com, by © Kevin Carden. Scripture verse added by staff artist.
Grigor Narekatsi, anglicized as Gregory of Narek,(950 – 1003/1011 AD) was an Armenian mystical and lyrical poet, monk, and theologian. He is venerated as a saint in the Armenian Apostolic and Catholic Churches and was declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Francis in 2015.
The son of a bishop, Gregory was educated, ordained, and later stationed at Narekavank on the southern shores of Lake Van (modern Turkey). Scholars consider Gregory the most beloved and significant theological and literary figure of the Armenian religious tradition. He is best known for his Book of Lamentations, a significant piece of mystical literature which serves as a confessional prayer book in many Armenian religious households. His works have inspired many Armenian literary figures and influenced Armenian literature in general throughout the ages.