We bless you, O God, most high and Lord of mercy. You are always doing great and inscrutable things with us, glorious and wonderful, and without number. You grant us sleep for rest from our infirmities, and repose from the burdens of our much toiling flesh. We thank you, for you have not destroyed us with our sins, but have continued to love us; and though we were sunk in despair, you have raised us up to glorify your power. Therefore, we implore your incomparable goodness. Enlighten the eyes of our understanding and raise up our minds from the heavy sleep of indolence. Open our mouth and fill it with your praise, that we may be able without distraction to sing and confess that you are God, glorified in all and by all, the eternal Father, with your only begotten Son, and your all holy, good, and life giving Spirit, now and forever and to the ages of ages. Amen.

Found in: Daily Prayers for Orthodox Christians (the Synekdemos), N. Michael Vaporis, editor; Brookline, Massachusetts: Holy Cross Orthodox Press, 2010

About Basil the Great…

Basil the Great was Bishop of Caesarea Mazaca in Cappadocia. He was born in 330AD and died in January of 379AD. He is known as a founding theologian of the Christian church, especially for his defense and defining of the person of Christ against the heresy of Arianism. He held that Christ, incarnate in Jesus of Nazareth, was co-equal with God, the second part of the trinity – against Arian, who understood Jesus as a creature of God’s creation. We see the result of Basil’s work when we read the lines from the Nicene creed: I believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, of one being with the Father, begotten, not made…

Basil was known for his compassion and care for the poor and needy, and is considered one of the founders of monasticism for the Eastern Church. His feast day is January 1st or 2nd, depending on the tradition.