Chapter XXI · THE ORDER OF THE GREAT SANCTIFICATION ON THE HOLY THEOPHANY.

After the priest hath said the prayer behind the ambo, we all go to the baptismal font, the taper-bearers going in front, and after them the deacons and priests with the gospel and with incense, while the brethren sing the present troparia.

Tone viii.

The voice of the Lord crieth upon the waters, saying, O come ye, and all receive the spirit of wisdom, the spirit of understanding, the spirit of the fear of God, even Christ, who is made manifest.

Thrice.

To-day the nature of the waters is sanctified, and the Jordan is divided, and turneth back the flowing of its waters, beholding the baptism of the Master.

Twice.

As a man thou didst come to the river, O Christ the King, desiring to receive the baptism of a servant, O thou good one, at the hand of the Forerunner, because of our sins, O lover of mankind.

Twice.

Glory. Both now. The same tone.

To the voice crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, thou didst come, O Lord, taking the form of a servant, asking for baptism, thou who knowest not sin. The waters beheld thee, and were afraid. The Forerunner became trembling, and cried, saying, How shall the lamp of light be lighted? how shall the servant lay hands upon the Master? Sanctify thou me and the waters, O Saviour, thou that takest away the sins of the world.

And straightway, standing by the baptismal font, the deacon saith, Wisdom.

And the reader, the reading from the prophesy of Esaias.

Chap. xxxv.

Thus saith the Lord, Let the thirsty desert be glad, let the wilderness rejoice, and blossom as a rose, and let them bud forth and be exceedingly glad. And let the desert of Jordan rejoice, and the glory of Libanus shall be given unto it, and the honour of Carmel, and my people shall behold the glory of the Lord, and the exaltedness of God. Strengthen ye the weak hands, and comfort ye the feeble knees; and say unto them that are faint-hearted in intention, Be ye strong, and fear not, behold our God will render judgment, he will come and save us. Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall hear. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the deaf be distinct; for in the wilderness shall water break out, and a ravine in a thirsty land. And waterless places shall become pools, and in a thirsty land shall be a spring of water: there shall be joy of birds, abodes of syrens, and reeds and pools. And there shall be a pure way, and it shall be called a holy way; and the impure shall not pass there, neither shall an impure way be there, and the dispersed shall walk therein, and shall not wander. And no lion shall be there, nor of evil beasts shall one enter there, nor be found there; but the redeemed and chosen of the Lord shall walk therein. And they shall return and come to Sion with joy and gladness, and everlasting joy shall be upon their heads: praise, and gladness, and joy shall penetrate them, and pain, grief, and sighing shall flee away.

The reading from the prophecy of Esaias.

Chap. lv.

Thus saith the Lord, O every one that thirsteth, come ye to the water, and as many as have no money, come ye, buy, and eat and drink, wine and fat, without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread, and labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken ye to me, and eat that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in good things. Incline your ears, and follow in my ways; hearken unto me, and your soul shall live in good things; and I will promise unto you an everlasting testament, even faithful things befitting unto David. Behold, I have given him to be a testimony among the nations, a prince and a commander among the nations. Behold, nations that have not known thee shall call upon thee, and people that have not recognised thee shall have recourse unto thee, because of the Lord thy God and the holy one of Israel, for I have glorified thee. Seek ye God, and, when ye have found him, call upon him, if haply he may draw nigh unto you. Let the impious forsake his ways, and the transgressing man his counsels; and turn ye unto the Lord your God, and ye shall be pitied; for in much wise he forgiveth your sins. For my counsels are not as your counsels, neither as your ways are my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heaven standeth far from the earth, so standeth my way from your ways, and your contemplations from my thoughts. For as the rain or the snow cometh down from heaven, and returneth not thither, until it soaketh the earth, and generateth, and increaseth, and giveth seed to the sower, and bread to the eater, so shall my word be which goeth out of my lips, and returneth not unto me void, until it accomplisheth all that I have wished, and furthereth my ways and my commandments. For ye shall go forth with joy, and be taught with gladness: for the mountains and the hills shall leap, expecting you with joy, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. And instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress, and instead of the nettle shall come up the myrtle; and it shall be to the Lord for a name and for an everlasting sign, and it shall not be cut off.

The reading from the prophecy of Esaias.

Chap. xii.

Thus saith the Lord, Ye shall draw water with joy out of wells of salvation. And thou shalt say in that day, Confess ye unto the Lord, and call upon his name, declare his glory unto the nations, make mention that his name is exalted. Sing ye the name of the Lord, for he hath wrought excellent things: declare ye these throughout all lands. Rejoice and be glad, ye that dwell in Sion, for the holy one of Israel is exalted in the midst thereof.

Deacon. Wisdom.

Reader, prokimenon, tone iii.

The Lord is mine illumination, and my Saviour, whom shall I fear?

Verse. The Lord is the defence of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?

The epistle to the Corinthians, section cxliii, from the paragraph, Chap. x.

Brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and did all eat the same spiritual meat, and did all drink the same spiritual drink; for they drank of the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ.

Alleluia, tone iv.

Verse. The voice of the Lord is upon the waters, the God of glory thundereth, the Lord is upon many waters.

The gospel from Mark, section ii. Chap. i.

At that time Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan. And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him. And there was a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

And the deacon saith the ectenia.

In peace let us pray to the Lord.

For the peace that is from above....

For the peace of the whole world....

For this holy temple....

For the Most Holy Governing Synod....

For our Most Pious, Autocratic Great Lord, THE EMPEROR ALEXANDER ALEXANDROVITCH of all Russia; and for His Consort, the Most Pious Lady, THE EMPRESS MARIA THEODOROVNA.

For His Heir, the Right-believing Lord, the Cesarevitch and Grand Duke NICOLAUS ALEXANDROVITCH; and for all the Reigning House.

That he would assist Them, and subdue....

For this city, (if it is a monastery, For this holy habitation)....

For healthiness of weather....

For them that voyage, that journey....

That this water may be hallowed by the might, and operation, and descent of the Holy Ghost, let us pray to the Lord.

That there may come down into these waters the cleansing operation of the supersubstantial Trinity, let us pray to the Lord.

That there may be bestowed upon them the grace of redemption, the blessing of Jordan, through the might, and operation, and descent of the holy Ghost, let us pray to the Lord.

That he would quickly beat down satan under our feet, and destroy every evil counsel that he conceiveth against us, let us pray to the Lord.

That the Lord our God may deliver us from every evil device, and from the essay of the adversary, and may count us worthy of promised blessings, let us pray to the Lord.

That we may be illuminated with the illumination of understanding and piety through the descent of the Holy Ghost, let us pray to the Lord.

That the Lord God would send down the blessing of Jordan, and hallow these waters, let us pray to the Lord.

That this water may be a gift of sanctification, a loosing of sins, for the healing of soul and body, and for every befitting need, let us pray to the Lord.

That this water may well up unto eternal life, let us pray to the Lord.

That it may be manifested to the destruction of every counsel of visible and invisible enemies, let us pray to the Lord.

For them that laid and draw thereof for the sanctification of houses, let us pray to the Lord.

That it may be to the cleansing of soul and body of all that with faith draw and partake of it, let us pray to the Lord.

That we may be counted worthy to be filled with sanctification through the partaking of these waters, by the invisible manifestation of the Holy Ghost, let us pray to the Lord.

That the Lord God may hearken unto the voice of the prayer of us sinners, and have mercy upon us, let us pray to the Lord.

For our deliverance from every affliction....

Help us, save us, have mercy....

Commemorating our most holy, most pure, most blessed....

While these are being said, the priest saith this prayer secretly.

Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son, that art in the bosom of the Father, O thou true God, fountain of life and immortality, thou light of light, that camest into the world to enlighten it; do thou dawn upon our mind by thy Holy Ghost, and accept us offering magnifying and thanksgiving unto thee for thy wonderful mighty works from eternity, and for thy saving providence in these last ages, in which thou hast assumed our impotent and poor substance, and, condescending to the estate of a servant, who art King of all things, didst furthermore endure to be baptized in Jordan by the hand of a servant, that thou, the sinless one, having sanctified the nature of water, mightest lead us unto regeneration by water and the spirit, and stablish us in the aforetime liberty. And, celebrating the memory of this divine mystery, we beseech thee, O man-loving Master, Sprinkle thou also upon us, thine unworthy servants, according to thy divine promise, pure water, the gift of thy tenderness, that the prayer of us sinners over this water may be acceptable through thy grace, and that thereby thy blessing may be bestowed upon us and upon all thy faithful people, to the glory of thy holy and adorable name. For to thee is due all glory, honour, and worship, with thine unbeginning Father, and with thy most holy, and good, and life-creating Spirit, now and ever, and to ages of ages.

And he saith to himself, Amen.

And when the deacon hath finished the ectenia, the priest beginneth this prayer with a loud voice.

Great art thou, O Lord, and wonderful are thy works, and no word shall be sufficient for the praise of thy wonders.

Thrice.

For thou by thy will hast from, nothingness brought all things into being, and, by thy power, thou sustainest creation, and, by thy foreknowledge, directest the world. Thou from four elements hast formed creation, and hast crowned the circle of the year with four seasons. All the spiritual powers tremble before thee, the sun praiseth thee, the moon glorifieth thee, the stars make intercession with thee, the light hearkeneth unto thee, the depths shudder at thy presence, the springs of water serve thee. Thou hast stretched out the heavens as a curtain, thou hast founded the earth upon the waters, thou hast bounded the sea with sand, thou hast diffused the air for breathing. The angelic powers minister unto thee, the choirs of archangels worship thee, the many-eyed cherubim, and the six-winged seraphim, standing and flying around, cover themselves with fear of thine unapproachable glory. For thou, being the uninscribable, unbeginning and unspeakable God, didst come down upon earth, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men; for thou, O Master, through the tenderness of thy mercy, didst not endure to behold the race of men tormented by the devil, but thou didst come and save us. We confess thy grace, we proclaim thy mercy, we conceal not thy beneficence. Thou hast set at liberty the generations of our nature, thou didst hallow the virginal womb by thy birth. All creation praiseth thee who didst manifest thyself; for thou, O our God, wast seen upon earth, and didst dwell together with men. Thou didst hallow the streams of Jordan, sending down from heaven thy Holy Ghost, and didst crush the heads of the dragons that lurked therein.

And the priest then saith this thrice, and blesseth the water with his hand at each verse.

Do thou thyself, O man-loving King, be present now also through the descent of thy Holy Ghost, and sanctify this water.

And give it the grace of redemption, the blessing of Jordan. Make it a fountain of incorruption, a gift of sanctification, a loosing of sins, a healing of sicknesses, a destruction of demons, unapproachable by hostile powers, fulfilled with angelic strength, that all they that draw and partake thereof may have it for the cleansing of souls and bodies, for the healing of sufferings, for the sanctification of houses, and for every befitting need. For thou art our God, who through water and the spirit hast renewed our nature fallen through sin: thou art our God, who through water didst overwhelm sin in the time of Noe: thou art our God, who through the sea by Moses didst deliver the Hebrew race from the servitude of Pharao: thou art our God, who didst divide the rock in the wilderness, and it gushed waters and poured streams, and satisfied thy thirsty people: thou art our God, who through water and fire by Elias didst convert Israel from the error of Baal.

And do thou thyself now, O Master, sanctify this water by thy Holy Ghost.

Thrice.

And grant unto all them that touch it, and partake thereof, and are sprinkled therewith, sanctification, healing, cleansing, and blessing.

Save, O Lord, thy Servant, our Most Pious, Autocratic Great Lord, THE EMPEROR ALEXANDER ALEXANDROVITCH of all Russia, thrice.

And his Consort, the Most Pious Lady, THE EMPRESS MARIA THEODOROVNA.

And His Heir, the Right-believing Lord, the Cesarevitch and Grand Duke, NICOLAUS ALEXANDROVITCH, and all the Reigning House.

Save, O Lord, and have mercy upon the Most Holy Governing Synod.

And keep them under thy protection in peace, subdue under Them every enemy and adversary, grant unto Them all desires for salvation and eternal life, that by elements, and by men, and by angels, and by things visible and invisible thy most holy name may be glorified, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, now and ever, and to ages of ages. Amen.

Priest. Peace to all.

Deacon. Bow your heads to the Lord.

Priest, the bowing down prayer.

Incline thine ear, O Lord, and hearken unto us, thou that didst vouchsafe to be baptized in Jordan, and didst hallow the waters; and bless us all, who through the bending of our necks indicate the representation of service; and count us worthy to be filled with thy sanctification through partaking of this water; and may it be to us, O Lord, for the healing of soul and body.

Exclamation.

For thou art our sanctification, and to thee we ascribe glory, and thanksgiving, and worship, with thine unbeginning Father, and with thy Most Holy, and good, and life-creating Spirit, now and ever, and to ages of ages. Amen.

And straightway, blessing the water crosswise with the honourable cross, he dippeth it perpendicularly, sinking it in the Water and raising it, holding it with both hands, and singing the present troparion in tone i.

In Jordan when thou wast baptized, O Lord, the worship of the Trinity was manifested; for the Parent’s voice bore witness unto thee, naming thee the well-beloved Son; and the Spirit, in appearance of a dove, testified to the surety of the word. Thou who wast manifested, O Christ God, and enlightenest the world, glory to thee.

And the same is sung by the singers.

Again a second time in like manner he signeth the water. And a third tune in like manner. And the priest, having taken of the sanctified water in a salver, turneth himself with his face towards the west, holding the cross in his left hand and the aspergillus in his right. And first the president approacheth, and kisseth the honourable cross, and the priest signeth him in the face with the aspergillus with the sanctified water. Then the priests come forward in their order. And after this all the brotherhood in order.

And the troparion,

In Jordan when thou wast baptized, O Lord.... is sung many times, until all the brotherhood are sanctified with the sprinkling of the water.

And straightway we go into the temple, singing the idiomelon, tone vi.

Ye faithful, let us sing the greatness of God’s providence for us; for he that for our sins became a man, in Jordan for our cleansing cleansed was, himself alone being pure and uncorrupt, me hallowing and the waters, and the dragons’ heads crushing the water in. Then, brethren, let us water draw with joy; for unto them that draw in faith the Spirit’s grace invisibly is given by Christ, the God and Saviour of our souls.

Then, Blessed be the name of the Lord.... thrice.

And Psalm xxxiii. I will bless the Lord at all times....

And, first having drunk of the sanctified water, we receive the antidoron from the priest. And he maketh the full dismissal.

He that vouchsafed to be baptized in Jordan for our salvation, Christ our true God, through the prayers of his Most Pure Mother, and of all the Saints, have mercy upon us and save us, as being good and the lover of mankind.