Damascene Press

Name: Damascene Press
Address: 7670 State Route 80, Suite 8, Springfield Center, NY, 13468, US
Telephone: +13153330030

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Publisher of Orthodox Christian texts online and in print. Operated by the Lambertsen Foundation. Learn more at damascenepress.org/about Fr.

The Lambertsen Foundation was established with the blessing of the late Metropolitan Hilarion of New York following Isaac (Monk Joseph) Lambertsen’s repose soon after his publisher (Saint John of Kronstadt Press) ceased operations. Joseph was a prolific liturgical translator and author. Over the span of about 40 years, in addition to composing dozens of services to various saints, he translated the entire twelve volumes of the Menaion, the Octoechos, the Pentecostarion, and many other spiritual and liturgical texts into the English language. Having been entrusted with the entirety of Fr. Joseph’s literary work, it is our intention to ensure that these materials remain accessible to the English-speaking faithful. In addition to the continued publication (through Damascene Press) of his and other related works, we will begin making these texts available free of charge in electronic format for use by other publishers, parish choirs, etc. The Foundation is already operating through the generosity of several donors and is pleased to announce that a previous bestseller — "A Spiritual Psalter: or Reflections on God" — is now available through Damascene Press as an eBook and is available for preorder in hardbound and paperbound editions. Order at https://damascenepress.org or download from http://bit.ly/spiritual-psalter-download

A genuine leather-bound limited edition will be given as a token gift to those supporting the Foundation’s work with contributions of $500 or more. See https://bit.ly/support-damascene-press for details.

10/29/2026

From the flowing ointment of thy Son, the Perfume of the life of all, O pure one, pour forth the myrrh of dispassion upon my soul, and remove from it the mire of its passions.

With the hyssop of thy prayers sprinkle me who am defiled with the mire of sin, O Mistress; wash me clean and cleanse me of the impurity of my passions, and show me to be a dwelling-place of Christ.

I beseech thee, O all-pure one, thou book inscribed and sealed by the finger of God: with the finger of thy supplications prescribe for me the remission of sins, and deliver me from perils.

Thou wast the temple of God out of all the holy mountains, as the prophet said of old. Show me to be a pure temple of Christ, O Mistress, by thine aid.

——
Excerpt from the canon to the Theotokos for Wednesday night (Tone IV)
orthodoxprayers.substack.com
damascenepress.org

10/27/2026

Every evening mayest Thou be praised from the lips of all men! Thou gavest them the day to labor and work to acquire nourishment. Now, exhausted by their heavy labor, they thank Thee for granting them rest.

Who shall not worship Thee, Who carest for us men with such love? Thou leadest out the stars and causest the approach of evening which brings a halt to the daylong labors of those who have exhausted themselves with work.

The evening comes and consoles those who, in their struggle with hunger and thirst, have wearied and exhausted themselves with labor. Evening time comes and gladdens the world and its toilers.

Blessed is Thy greatness, that has from the beginning been ever mindful of us men!
Thou providest rest for both men and beasts in the evening time.

May Thy Cross, O Lord, which is the seal of the Church and protects Her children from Satan and his warriors, be the comfort of Thy sheep, whom Thou hast redeemed with Thy life-creating blood!

Send Thy peace, O Lord, to all the ends of the universe, and may the Evil One flee from our midst.

May every tongue and every mouth offer Thee praise from all the ends of the earth.
With them do we also glorify Thee, O Lord, and Thy Father and the Holy Spirit.

(Saint Ephraim the Syrian in "A Spiritual Psalter or Reflections on God")

10/27/2026

Praise God in the morning, ye children of the Church. Every morning let us exalt the Good One and worship Him, Who arranged the luminaries in the day and night skies.

When the veil of night is lifted and God’s light has shone forth over creation, the arrival of morning wakes those who sleep. May Thy light, O Lord, irradiate our hearts.

O our Lord, teach us Thyself to exalt Thee and put life in our souls. As Thou hast led us out of darkness, so also deliver us from gehenna.
According to Thy mercy, nourish the children of the Church, who have cleaved themselves unto Thee. May Thy loving-kindness be our helper, O Lord of the morning and the evening.

May Thy grace, O Lord, accompany us and lead us to the great morning. May Thy generous right hand shower us with blessings and bring us across the sea of fire.

May heaven and earth and all that is within them together exalt Thee at our return. Exaltation to Thee, to the Father Whom we worship, to Thine Only-begotten Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

(Saint Ephraim the Syrian in "A Spiritual Psalter or Reflections on God")

10/26/2026

+ The gift of tears and the banishment of the enemy +

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, Our Savior! Grant me, Thy servant, contrition and enlightenment of heart, that with an enlightened heart, tears of sweetness might spring forth in pure prayer, that it might not take many of my tears for Thee to erase the record of my sins, and that for the sake of brief lamentation Thou mightest extinguish the fire kindled in me. For if, O Master, Thou allowest me to weep here, then wilt Thou free me from inextinguishable fire.

I know, O long-suffering and man-befriending Lord, that every day and hour I embitter and anger Thee greatly, but the kindness of Thine endurance will vanquish my malice and bitterness.

O Lord, Who lovest good and art a God of mercy and compassion! Save me from the terrible corrupt enemy, who hourly fetters and persecutes my soul with evil and corrupt thoughts.

Ineffable is Thy strength, O Christ, for it rebuked the waves of the sea. May it rebuke him, may it render him ineffectual, and may it banish him far from me Thy servant.

Every day he renews his treachery against me and he hastens to take possession of my crippled mind and to distance me from Thee and from Thy divine commandments.

But, O Master, O most merciful Lord, quickly send Thy strength and chase from me, Thy worthless servant, this mighty serpent with all of his cunning and shameful thoughts, that I might in purity praise Thee with Thine eternal Father and Thine all-holy and good and life-creating Spirit, now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.

(Saint Ephraim the Syrian in "A Spiritual Psalter or Reflections on God")

10/25/2026

As thou hast boldness before thy Son, O pure Theotokos, free me from this present temptation, setting at naught the constant machinations of the enemy who ever wages war upon me.

O ye choirs of the ranks on high, ye martyrs and apostles, ye assembly of the divine prophets, ye righteous and venerable: with the Mother and Theotokos entreat Christ in our behalf.

O Christ, accept thine all-glorious Mother who prayeth for the world and mercifully crieth out to Thee: “O my Son, accept mine entreaty and still Thou the wrath which lieth upon the world!”

I fall down before thee, O Theotokos, and pray from the depths of my heart: Rescue me from these present trials, that, delivered from evils, I may offer hymnody to thy splendor.

——
Excerpt from the canon to the Theotokos for Sunday night (Tone IV)
orthodoxprayers.substack.com
damascenepress.org

10/23/2026

Abiding in unceasing prayer, and embracing the wicked as well as the good with love, O venerable elders of Optina, ye served God and your neighbors, and through vigils, tears and fasting received the gift of divers miracles. Glory to Him Who hath given us such mediators! Glory to Him Who hath glorified you! Glory to God Who is wondrous in His saints!

——
Troparion of the Venerable Elders of Optina (Tone I)
orthodoxprayers.substack.com
damascenepress.org

10/22/2026

As radiant as the sun thou didst shine forth, O apostle, with the beams of the Spirit, and hast illumined the whole world with divine knowledge, O blessed one, and driven away the darkness of polytheism with thy divine preaching. Wherefore, celebrating thine all-splendid and right laudable festival today, we glorify thee with piety.

Thou hast thundered forth sacred and saving doctrines upon the whole world, O all-wise one, hast cleansed all creation of the madness of idolatry, O divinely wise one, and hast enlightened the people with the radiance of the knowledge of God. And, demolishing the temples of the idols through grace, thou didst raise up churches for the praise of our God.

Seated in the heights of divine knowledge, O James, thou didst receive the grace of the Spirit, which appeared to thee in the guise of fire and manifestly consumed all the idolatrous filth of impiety with a tongue of flame. Wherefore, we praise thee as an apostle and herald of God, celebrating today thy holy festival.

——
Hymns of Saint James, Son of Alphæus (Tone IV)
orthodoxprayers.substack.com
damascenepress.org

10/21/2026

I tremble, considering the depths of my sins and the grievous and great billows of mine adverse thoughts; yet do thou direct and pilot me to calm harbor, O all-pure one.

Grievous ignorance, incomprehension and heedlessness of mine evils have now come upon my soul; yet do thou, O all-pure one, lead me to repentance for those things which I have done.

With streams of tears extinguish thou the fire of the passions and with the fire of the Spirit burn up the thorns and billows of life which choke my mind, O Theotokos, for thou art my protection and boast.
_______
orthodoxprayers.substack.com
damascenepress.org

10/21/2026

Like most precious incense burning on the coals of abstinence, O Pelagia, thou becamest a wholeburnt fragrance for Christ our God, hastening to the sweet savor of His myrrh.

Thy bodily splendor which before was as the mire of sin, O Pelagia, thou didst wholly transform into undefiled beauty, which Christ, thy Bridegroom, desired.

The grace of the Spirit, touching thy soul like a spark of the Word, O Pelagia, kindled a lofty flame of faith and burned up thy sins.

——
Excerpt from the canon to Saint Pelagia for Wednesday morning (Tone IV)
orthodoxprayers.substack.com
damascenepress.org

10/21/2026

With divine light illumine my mind, which hath been benighted by evil thoughts, O most hymned one; for thou gavest birth to the everlasting Light Who hath shone forth from the Father.

Tripping the feet of my soul, the enemy of the righteous hath caused me to fall to the ground; yet with thy right hand, O pure Mistress, raise me up again.

With the voice of the publican I cry to thee, wretch that I am: Cleanse me, O Mistress, and by thy supplication grant remission of transgressions unto thy servant.

——
Excerpt from the canon to the Theotokos for Tuesday evening (Tone III)
orthodoxprayers.substack.com
damascenepress.org

Address

7670 State Route 80, Suite 8
Springfield Center, NY
13468

Telephone

+13153330030

Website

http://damascenepress.org/

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