The Prayer Rule of the Mother of God by St.

Seraphim of Sarov
Arranged for Daily Use During the Dormition Fast
One of the most well-known and beloved saints of the Orthodox Church, Saint Seraphim of Sarov
(born 1754, died 1833) instructed the nuns of the Divyevo Monastery to pray this prayer rule to
the Mother of God. It consists of 150 repetitions of the Angelic Salutation “Hail, Virgin Birthgiver
of God” (to parallel the 150 Psalms of the Old Testament) interspersed with the Lord’s Prayer and
“Open to us the doors of mercy.” Later, others added additional prayers (of which a few variants
exist) which help focus attention on themes from the life of the Mother of God. The version below
has been compiled from several Slavonic sources.

This devotion can be prayed at one time, as was done by St. Seraphim. However, as this can be a
daunting, the 150 prayers can be distributed over a period of time. In the text below, it is arranged
for recitation over the two weeks of the Dormition Fast and on the feast of the Dormition itself.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Glory to You, our God, glory to You!

O Heavenly King, the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth, Who are in all places and fill all things; Treasury of blessings and Giver of
Life, come and dwell within us and cleanse us from every blemish and save our souls, O Blessed One.

Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us. (three times)

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and forever. Amen.

O Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us; O Lord, cleanse us of our sins; O Master, forgive our transgressions; O Holy One, come to
us and heal our infirmities for Your Name's sake.

Lord, have mercy. (three times)

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and forever. Amen.

Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us
this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into
temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Hail Mary, full of grace, O Virgin Birthgiver of God, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit
of your womb, for you have given birth to Christ, the Savior and deliverer of our souls. (ten times)

Open to us the doors of mercy, O Blessed Birthgiver of God, that we who place our trust in you may not perish, but that through
you we be delivered from misfortune; for you are the salvation of all Christians.

Then add the following:

(On August 1) The Nativity of the Mother of God: Your nativity, O Mother of God, has brought joy to all the inhabited earth.
For from you has shone forth the Sun of Righteousness, Christ our God. He freed us from the curse and gave the blessing. He has
made death of no effect and bestowed on us eternal life.

(On August 2) The Entrance of the Mother of God into the Temple: Today is the foreshadowing of the good pleasure of God
and the herald of the salvation of men. The Virgin is revealed in the temple of God, and beforehand she announces Christ to all.
Let us therefore cry to her with mighty voice: “Hail, fulfillment of the Creator’s dispensation.”

(On August 3) The Annunciation to the Mother of God: Today is the crown of our salvation and the manifestation of the
mystery that is from all eternity. The Son of God becomes the Son of a Virgin and Gabriel announces the good tidings of grace.
Therefore, let us also join him and cry aloud to the Birthgiver of God: “Rejoice, you who are full of grace, the Lord is with you!”

(On August 4) The Visitation of the Mother of God to St. Elizabeth: When the Messiah was already incarnate, we listened
to you, His first herald, when, with awe, you said to the divinely chosen Maiden who embraced you: "Why is this granted to me,
that the Mother of my Lord should come to me?" Therefore, praising you, we cry aloud: Rejoice, O mirror revealing the mysteries
of God to us!

(On August 5) The Nativity of Our Lord: Your nativity, O Christ our God, has shown forth the light of knowledge to the world:
for through it, those who studied the stars learned from a star to worship You, the Sun of Truth, and to acknowledge You, rising
from on high; O Lord, glory to You.

(On August 6) The Meeting of Our Lord in the Temple and the Prophecy of St. Simeon: Hail Birthgiver of God, Virgin full
of grace. From you has shone forth the Sun of Righteousness, Christ our God, giving light to those in darkness. Be glad, also,
righteous Elder, for you have received in your arms the Deliverer of our souls, who bestows upon us resurrection.

(On August 7) The Flight into Egypt: Behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young
Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.”
God Who has been born of the Virgin has appeared to those who sit in the shadows, that He may save us.

(On August 8) The Finding of the Twelve-Year-Old Christ in the Temple: Receive me who sighs, O Lord, since You are
merciful, and have mercy on me as the publican, through the intercession of Your Mother.

(On August 9) The Miracle at Cana in Galilee: Seeing her own Lamb led to the slaughter, Mary His Mother followed Him with
the other women, and in her grief she cried: Where are You going, O my Child? Why do You run so swiftly? Is there another
wedding in Cana, to which You hurry to turn water into wine? Shall I go with You, my Child, or shall I wait for You? Speak a word
to me, O Word; do not pass me by in silence, You Who preserved me in virginity, for You are my Son and God.

(On August 10) The Crucifixion of Our Lord: O Virgin all-immaculate, Mother of Christ God, a sword pierced your all-holy soul
when you saw your Son and God willingly crucified. Therefore, O Blessed One, never cease to pray to Him that He may grant us
forgiveness of our sins.

(On August 11) The Resurrection of Our Lord: The angel exclaimed to her, full of grace: Rejoice, O pure Virgin. Again I say:
Rejoice, your Son is risen from His three days in the tomb, and He has raised all the dead. Let all people rejoice. O shine, O shine,
O new Jerusalem; for the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. O Zion sing with joy and rejoice. And you, pure Mother of God,
rejoice in the Resurrection of your Son.

(On August 12) The Ascension of Our Lord: You ascended in glory, O Christ our God. You delighted the disciples with the
promise of the Holy Spirit. Through this blessing they were assured that You are the Son of God, the Redeemer of the world.

(On August 13) The Descent of the Holy Spirit: Blessed are You, O Christ our God. You filled the fishermen with wisdom,
sending down upon them the Holy Spirit. Through them You have caught the whole world in Your net. O Lover of mankind, glory
to You!

(On August 14) The Dormition of the Mother of God: O Birthgiver of God, in giving birth you retained virginity, and in your
falling-asleep you did not forsake the world. You are the Mother of Life and have passed into life, and by your prayers have
delivered our souls from death.

(On August 15) The Glory of the Mother of God and Her Holy Protection: O wondrous miracle! The source of Life is laid in
a tomb, and the grave becomes a ladder to heaven! Be glad, O Gethsemane, holy dwelling-place of the Birthgiver of God! O faithful,
let us cry aloud with Gabriel as our leader: Rejoice, O full of grace! The Lord is with you, granting great mercy to the world
through you!

Then conclude with the following:

Lord, have mercy. (three times)

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and forever. Amen.

More honorable than the Cherubim and beyond compare more glorious than the Seraphim; who as a Virgin gave birth to God
the Word. True Birthgiver of God, we magnify you.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, through the prayers of Your Most-Pure Mother, and all the saints, have mercy on us. Amen.