St. Grigor Narekatsi Speaking with God from the Depths of the Heart

- Tenets of Prayer -     powerful salves for incurable wounds . . . written by the monk Gregory of Narek Monastery

- Prayer 1 -     The voice of a sighing heart

- Prayer 2 -     My heavy laden soul . . . how can I describe you?

- Prayer 3 -     A new book of psalms sings with urgency through me

- Prayer 4 -     There is no putting off the day of judgement

- Prayer 5 -     My lawlessness is always defeated

- Prayer 6 -     My sins are more numerous than the sands on the shore

- Prayer 7 -     A teardrop of remorse sends the entire evil platoon into retreat

- Prayer 8 -     What will you do, my lost soul? Where will you hide?

- Prayer 9 -     My iniquities outweigh Mount Ararat

- Prayer 10 -     Faith, that happy and favored word

- Prayer 11 -     I, who was broken, am restored

- Prayer 12 -     I long not so much for the gifts as for the Giver (Bedtime Prayer)

- Prayer 13 -     Three persons, one mystery, separate faces, unique and distinct

- Prayer 14 -     You brought joy to the gloomy heart

- Prayer 15 -     You were called “Shepherd,” not only did You care, You sought

- Prayer 16 -     Great mystery, remember me, with mercy rather than legalisms

- Prayer 17 -     Tormented by bitter grief, I pray to You, Keeper of imperiled souls

- Prayer 18 -     Prayer of Healing – Hear the prayers of my embattled heart for mercy, when I cry to you, “Lord,” in my time of need

- Prayer 19 -     Cleanse the temple of my body, the vessel of my soul

- Prayer 20 -     Lord, O Lord, who bears no grudges

- Prayer 21 -     Since I of my own will mortgaged myself to death

- Prayer 22 -     I continue to accuse my cursed soul – like a talking horse with a callous mouth, breaking my reins and shaking off my bit

- Prayer 23 -     Treat my like a physician, rather than examining me like a judge

- Prayer 24 -     What am I worthy to ask of you in prayer?

- Prayer 25 -     The ways of my life are like the waves of the sea, my soul tossing in this world upon countless, endless swells

- Prayer 26 -     I lay open the grief of my soul, which is not totally dead to the world, but is not fully alive to God in poetry neither especially hot, or particularly cold

- Prayer 27 -     Indeed this “I have sinned” is a blessed phrase for the heart set on hope

- Prayer 28 -     I have all earthly ills and thus can serve as an emissary offering prayers for the whole world (Prayer for protection from illness of body and spirit)

- Prayer 29 -     You remain in all things infinite and unexaminable, good in all things, having no part in the wrath of darkness

- Prayer 30 -     Two impulses in one heart, one of doubtful hope, the other of certain doom

- Prayer 31 -     The soul’s every movement is a reminder of God

- Prayer 32 -     O totally generous God, whose patience never ends, hear me though I cause you bitterness

- Prayer 33 -     Let the perfume, the bouquet of this book of confessions be redoubled and affect multitudes

- Prayer 34 -     Here is my profession of faith – the creed of the co-existing Holy Trinity, the rule of life and grace of salvation

- Prayer 35 -     How can our dances and songs of joy do honor to even one drop of your goodness?

- Prayer 36 -     No matter how great the mounting debt of my sins, the saving grace of your trials is greater by far

- Prayer 37 -     Melt the ice of despair

- Prayer 38 -     The spiritual life that liberates those born into the light through our Lord Jesus in baptism

- Prayer 39 -     I am a living book, a scroll listing lamentations, moaning and woe

- Prayer 40 -     Hear the sound of my sighs and the terror of imagined perils to come

- Prayer 41 -     Before the dawning of the uneclipsed rays of Your glorious mercy, sins melt away

- Prayer 42 -     Lord God of compassion, salvation and mercy, remember me, when You go to Your Kingdom

- Prayer 43 -     To heal our spiritual wounds, You do not need ointments, nor time, nor intermediaries, nor the passing of days

- Prayer 44 -     Boundless God, direct son of God, light who took human form like us, but are in essence like Him who send You

- Prayer 45 -     Now, confess, my ruined soul with hope in your heart for salvation

- Prayer 46 -     Behold, you were formed like an angel . . . O fool, why did you choose to be earthbound?

- Prayer 47 -     Clothe me, a lawless sinner, merciful and unvengeful God, with the clothes of my former innocence

- Prayer 48 -     Reflections on Solomon

- Prayer 49 -     God of light for all, do not let iniquity rule me

- Prayer 50 -     I, an exact picture of mankind, here mix their sins with my own

- Prayer 51 -     The Psalms were songs of everything for the pure in heart: a testament of life, written for all people

- Prayer 52 -     The venerable voices of the prophets, foretold the liberating mission of your blessed coming

- Prayer 53 -     You are offered in the divine mystery and distributed in indivisiable parts by the faith of those who confess to you

- Prayer 54 -     A horse does not go straight without someone at the reins . . . may this book remain as a guide for repentance . . . its letters like my body, its message like my soul

- Prayer 55 -     On the wings of my soul I have soared through endless generations of mankind

- Prayer 56 -     The agents of death . . . my sinister heart, my gossiping mouth

- Prayer 57 -     Accept this meager confession of my innumerable sins, you who see everything in its totality

- Prayer 58 -     Merciful heavenly ruler, work a miracle upon me divinely

- Prayer 59 -     Do not let your mercies be meted out in mortal measure

- Prayer 60 -     Daily seek the comfort of the familiar scolding voice of the Psalms

- Prayer 61 -     To what end should I receive the Psalms when they condemn me in unison

- Prayer 62 -     Add to the Psalms passages from the Prophets

- Prayer 63 -     By these great signs, You have foretold the rescue of long lost sinners by the caring art of Your love

- Prayer 64 -     In everything and toward everything you are upright, O God

- Prayer 65 -     I foremost among the impious have dared to say what is unspeakable: I have boasted of my humiliations

- Prayer 66 -     Whoever believes in the healing prayers of this humble book, praying sincerely, I too will join with my words

- Prayer 67 -     Look at me, I am unworthy of good, undeserving of favor, a broken palm tree, spilled wine

- Prayer 68 -     Recalling Your stern wrath . . . how can the flow of tears from my eyes be dried?

- Prayer 69 -     In the crucible of your love I am daily refined, but never purified

- Prayer 70 -     Reflections on the Old Testament Patriarchs

- Prayer 71 -     Reflections on the Saints

- Prayer 72 -     Reflections on Monastic Brotherhood

- Prayer 73 -     Blessed Lord Jesus Christ, only you can turn the discouragement of blame into joyous praise

- Prayer 74 -     You visit where there is no exit. Your greatness is clear where you cure the wound of despair.

- Prayer 75 -     Reflections on the Armenian Church . . . that the extent of her venerable glory might be told to the nations

- Prayer 76 -     Author of that new and amazing law of life: to do good to those who hate

- Prayer 77 -     Reflections on Good Friday

- Prayer 78 -     The time has run out for paying my debts, so turn Your face toward me, when I am in pain, You who lighten the darkness for the disheartened.

- Prayer 79 -     How shall I be consoled when my hope is cut short?

- Prayer 80 -     Prayer to the Holy Mother of God

- Prayer 81 -     Prayer to the Angels

- Prayer 82 -     Prayer to the Holy Apostles

- Prayer 83 -     Root out the vile ways of this world and plant the good in me and the world

- Prayer 84 -     Heavenly monarch, exalted king, cause of being and shaper of the future

- Prayer 85 -     Strengthen me, Lord, in my courageous labors to fight the good fight

- Prayer 86 -     Reflections on our earthly nature

- Prayer 87 -     If I reach old age, having been guided by you to a worthy death, do not abandon me in my frailty

- Prayer 88 -     Bless and sanctify the letters of this book of lamentation . . .this book will cry out in my place, with my voice, as if it were me

- Prayer 89 -     A Prayer of Glory and Thanksgiving

- Prayer 90 -     Benedictions upon those who pray this prayer book

- Prayer 91 -     Stand guard over me with your heavenly host that I might fall asleep and awaken anew with the grace of your joy

- Prayer 92 -     A Prayer of Instruction on the wooden bell that calls us to worship, symbol of the trumpet on the day of Judgment

- Prayer 93 -     A Prayer of Instruction on the Holy Chrism, the light-giving oil of consecration

- Prayer 94 -     Eternal God, almighty, doer of good . . . who with your ingenious wisdom turns the darkness of death into morning (Prayer for Protection against Evil)

- Prayer 95 -     Sun of justice, ray of blessings, form of light, cherished desire

- Colophon -DE:http://www.stgregoryofnarek.am/